Testimony of Lester James of the Traditional Values Coalition of California Against Sodomy Law Reform

Last edited: December 05, 2004

Testimony of Lester James of the Traditional Values Coalition of California Against Sodomy Law Reform

Testimony by Rev. Lester James
Regional Director, Traditional Values Coalition [of California]

Before
The Committee on the Judiciary
Council Member Jim Nathanson, Chairman
The District of Columbia City Council

January 29, 1993

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Rev. Lester James, Sr., Regional director for Traditional Values Coalition. Hereafter referred to as TVC. TVC is a non-profit organization operating in a broad context as an extension of the local church helping it to marshal its forces for the preservation of traditional Judeo-Christian values.

TVC believes that our nation’s heritage of Judeo-Christian values, must be vigorously protected as the foundation for all of our liberties. We further believe that the family and the church are the institutions of socialization through which our values emerge. The consensus resulting from these norms and values is what keeps our great country together. Therefore, I have come today to encourage our government representatives, the District of Columbia city council, the mayor, the shadow senator and our delegate to the congress to support those laws that have been a blessing to our nation under god. Supporting the repeal of the sodomy law in the nations’ capital is bad public policy, and if this legislation should prevail great economic and social recriminations will fall upon our city.

TVC has given serious attention to the proposed legislation, D.C. criminal code right to privacy amendment act of 1993 bill 10-30. The dangerous ramifications of bill 10-30 are multiple. To begin, (1) 10-30 is an attempt to repeal the vital structure of the family, and you the D.C. city council and mayor are hell bent to defy the values and beliefs of the majority of the people who elected you. Western civilization is built upon the Judeo-Christian belief system. The heterosexual ethic has been placed in center stage by our founding fathers. Please do not remove this foundation stone by repealing 10-30. If you do this you open the flood gates so that homosexuality may be taught to our young children as a viable alternative lifestyle. This is already happening in New York City where a curriculum has been developed that teaches young kindergartners through sixth grade that homosexuality is in fact a viable alternative lifestyle. Is this what you want done to your children and grandchildren? Are you willing to stand before the parents of this community and say yes that homosexuality is a viable alternative lifestyle?

Among the ramifications are the outright lies that the gay and lesbian movement seeks to foster upon an unprotected and uninformed multitude of our citizens, particularly the young and illiterate. Such as:

(a) God made me this way.

(b) I can not change. Other myths have been promulgated by homosexuals and bisexuals including assertions that their sexual behavior is determined genetically and that such behavior can not be altered. Both declarations have been disproved. Studies from respected research centers including Johns Hopkins school of medicine and world-renowned sexologists Masters and Johnson conclude that homosexuality is a gender identity conflict, the result of traumatized conditions in early development. These conclusions are supported by the fact that many homosexuals have recovered through reparative therapy.

(c) That 10% of the population is homosexual.

(d) That homosexuals do not enjoy rights like other citizens and therefore need minority status and civil rights.

According to the Wall Street Journal’s report of July 18, 1991, the average homosexual earns over $55,000, owns 3 credit cards, has at least one college degree, and holds professional/managerial positions in employment. This data refutes claims of economic discrimination and deprivation on the part of homosexuals.

These people as a class are not homeless nor deprived nor politically powerless. They contributed $3.4 million dollars to the election of Bill Clinton and no one would say they are living in conclaves under the bridges of America as homeless people.

(e) This act will further teach hatred of proper behavior, pervert the educational process, and diminish greatly domestic tranquillity of the already distressed heterosexual family.

The most import ant ingredient that a city, county, state or nation has is the character of its citizens. The morally destitute, demoralized state, the intellectual decadence, and imminent degeneration inherent in D.C. Act 10-30 must be made loathsome.

It has been the contention, by most of you that are serving on the city council that those of us who stand on the righteousness of God’s word, don’t understand your position as a council member, that you must represent all of the people in your wards including their ungodly desires. No. I do not understand how you can claim to wear two hats. Right is right, and wrong is wrong, whether it is in the district building or the churches. What I do understand is that some of you are being held captive by the intimidations of a minor group who threaten, coerce and carry on terrorist tactics.

What I do understand is that we are being asked to sanction and accept sodomy as something that our governmental leaders knew was wrong and unholy in June 1948, and regardless of how our current lawmakers try to convince us today that this law is archaic and antiquated, this is just not true. The US Supreme Court has declared in its 1986 decision Bowers vs. Hardwick "that homosexuality is not a fundamental protected right." The court said that homosexuality is a behavior lifestyle, not an insular and discrete. You offer up the privacy issue as the strong point, whatever consenting adults do in privacy should not be restricted. Yes. This has some merit. You proudly announce

That you will not support the bill for 16 year olds, but for a few votes you are willing to sacrifice our 17 and 18 year olds to a life of sodomy. I say shame on you. And like Pilate who tried to wash his hands after his sinful conduct and claim innocence, he could not and you can not claim innocence. You do not have a mandate to give this city over to Queer Nation, ACT-UP and the Human Rights Campaign Fund.

You say that of the voting population the homosexual community comprises some 30-40%. So what? This is inaccurate and can not be proven, because it is based upon the theory that 10% of the populist is homosexual.

Elected officials must be careful on which side of great moral issues their influence is thrown, and your influence should not be for sale for homosexual votes, nor should you be frightened into compromise by intimidation. We are looking for some politicians who will stand up for grass roots people. You say to me that morally you have a problem with this bill then stand up for what is morally right. I am totally amazed where in you tell me that what constitutes a family is subjective. This is absolutely a first class cop out. The God of nature, he made us Adam and Eve. There is no proof that homosexuality is genetic or biological. This is a chosen lifestyle on their part. Why should they be rewarded for their choice of this behavior?

In closing, I would like to deal with the big picture. The ultimate fantasy that the homosexual community is working for in the nation’s capital as well as the whole U.S.A.

The big picture, and it is huge, is an evolving conspiracy that is at least twenty years old. Officially known as the 1972 Gay Rights Platform. There are demands for the federal and demands for states. Twenty years ago we would have simply laughed at there demands, but not today. We see history repeating itself.

I emplore you of the city council do not permit yourselves to be used, by this political group. What we see here in the District of Columbia is simply a part of the huge picture. Such as;

(1) In 1975 our marriage laws were changed from requiring heterosexuals, that is a male and a female to apply for a marriage license, but rather any two persons therefor two men or two women. This is a part of the picture that will lay the track-bed same sex gay marriages.

(2) We have already seen them test the validity of the 1975 amended marriage laws. Two men applying for a marriage license.

(3) Last year the council and the mayor and our congressional delegate in their wisdom granted them domestic partnership. For all of its disguise as an insurance bill it is a gay marriage situation until same-sex marriage comes.

(4) And now they are demanding that we throw open the city to their sadistic way of life.

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