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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
I was the first to publicly recognize that he had a bizarre fascination with gay male S&M. There never seemed to be a leather event this supposedly heterosexual man missed. He'd attend these parties "undercover" to do "research." Meanwhile, he would blatantly ignore similar events - including swingers clubs - that were heterosexually focused. It does not take Freud to know that this behavior is somewhat abnormal and a little bit odd.
I can think of no other straight man who rather be at a gay S&M gathering, than home with his wife. Such celebrations are fine, if that is your arena. If you are not into it, however, you don't go.
But, LaBarbera returns to such venues frequently and repeatedly. Each time, he takes the same exact "naughty" pictures and shares them on his website. There is never any new information, yet he still returns, year after year. Once he has the alleged smut, he posts the pictures online under a big "WARNING" sign - drawing more attention to the very images he claims no one should see.
Occasionally, he'll give a prurient presentation to church types and introduce them to various sexual acts - in the name of fighting the "gay agenda". I think it is fair to say that LaBarbera has introduced more church-goers to gay S&M than all gay activists combined in the history of the movement. LaBarbera seems to get off on bringing gay porn to the Christian masses. I suppose its a pretty sweet gig, if you can get away with it.
Unfortunately, LaBarbera no longer does get away with pushing his unique brand of perversion in the name of God. When he started in this "business", he could justify his behavior by claiming he was promoting "social issues." But, more than a decade later, most people - including many anti-gay activists I have spoken to over the years - believe he has "personal issues." I have been in television green rooms where LaBarbera's name comes up and conservative eyes roll.
A few years ago, I came up with the nickname "Porno Pete." It seemed to capture the very essence of the man, and thus caught on like wildfire. Since this time, he understandably has an axe to grind. I'd be angry too, if someone had exposed me as one who slithers around naughty places surreptitiously snooping for smut in the guise of "research."
Last night, Porno Pete attacked me, yet again, on his struggling vanity blog. He made a number of false allegations and outright lies. I could refute each fib, but I won't waste my time. This is because LaBarbera has become irrelevant. No one cares what he has to say. I almost feel bad for him.
Well, okay, I'll address one lie. Porno Pete talks of successful "ex-gays." The truth is, he had teamed up with former ex-gay activists John Paulk, Michael Johsnton and Wade Richards. Paulk was photographed in a gay bar by me. Johnston entered a sex addiction facility after meeting men on the Internet. Richards came out of the closet. If there is one man in America who knows that so-called "ex-gay" programs do not work, it would be LaBarbera. But, he conveniently left these failures associated with his ministry off his blog. Talk about intellectual dishonesty and denial!
His Americans for Truth venture is a dismal failure and has no impact on public policy, nor the culture at large. It is just one angry man with "issues" who under the pretense of activism shows hardcore gay porn to church folk. He's a creep with a traveling peep show. A pervert disguised as a puritan.
Porno Pete, the act is up and you are the last to know it.
22 Comments:
An excellent take on a creepy guy. Thanks for exposing this "puritan" for what he is.
I had to google this guy as I had no idea who he was, and now I'm almost sorry I did. Why is it these extreme repressed types seem to always have these uncaged fetishes? What a nutjob. I'm getting quite the education from your site Wayne, heh. Keep on exposing these losers...
posted by TrevorHere, at
3/20/2009 1:08 PM
LOL!!
As I recently said: "Peter is worse than a 10 year old who discovers his dad's porn collection, and brings it out during the family reunion in front of grandma for shock value."
Wanna get into S&M and bondage? Don't go to the clubs - just talk to Peter LaBarbera!
posted by Scott, at
3/20/2009 2:36 PM
No, I do not "collect" porn--never have--and I am not interested in or enjoy gay pornography. Frankly, it's pretty sick stuff, in my view. And no, I am not a homosexual nor did I ever struggle with those desires. (Isn't it funny how gay activists accuse their opponents of being homosexual as if that's the biggest slur they can come up with?)
Wayne Besen relied on the false testimony of a former "ex-gay," Wade Richards, who worked a while for Americans for Truth before we (foolishly) urged him to speak at a press conference. Besen attended the event and apparently helped to recruit young Wade back into the gay life. Wade knew full well that my interests were as a critical researcher, but he wanted to strike back at me, so he accused me of collecting gay "porn."
Yes, I have purchased numerous gay magazine subscriptions and books over the years as part of my efforts to research the movement--just like some gay researchers peruse the writings of the Family Research Council or Dr. James Dobson. (Should we accuse "Ex-Gay Watch" of secretly supporting Christian conservatives because they spend a lot of time and energy researching them?).
But, no, I don't "collect" gay porn. Wade lied to smear me, and Wayne never bothered to check his new recruit's "facts" because that would have gotten in the way of him slamming a right-winger, I suppose.
The fact is, porn is a prominent part of the gay male world, and some magazines I collected had pornographic content (surprise!). (Most were simply gay publications like the Washington Blade.) On my side of the issue, we think porn use/addiction is a big problem; hopefully some gays will agree with us, but regardless, the endless effort to portray ME as a gay perv because I try to expose the wrongs of your movement makes about as much sense as saying GLAAD supports the Federal Marriage Amendment because they write about it a lot."
posted by Scott, at
3/20/2009 2:42 PM
I usually say that if this was not so sad it would be funny but I do not think it is sad at all and i find this character hilarious. Of course it is important to note that i am laughing AT him not with him.
posted by mail, at
3/20/2009 3:20 PM
Indeed. I myself have commented numerous times about his strange obsession with naked men. Funny how his camera can never photograph any of the women at those same events...
posted by Buffy, at
3/21/2009 2:17 AM
Its just a question of time before this fool is either outed or caught inflagrante delicto with a male. You're right, Wayne. If he were not so pruriently interested in gay porn, why would he not want to hang out in swingers' clubs? Does he think that what goes on in gay venues doesn't go in in swingers' clubs? Its proof he's a fraud and a liar and not taken very seriously. He's to be pitied more than anything. He is so transparent, everybody knows what he's about except himself and I suspect he has a huge case of denial about his obsession with gay sex let alone his orientation.
posted by Robert, NYC., at
3/21/2009 10:58 AM
This is more than a little strange. What real followers could this guy have? It's scary to think that his "christian" readers and audience just buys this stuff as research. Unless they too are as from the same mold, or just totally ignorant. Which is likely given the christianity aspect.
This reminds me of a guy I played tennis with in HS and college. He constantly made remarks about gays. He was a christian too. He enjoyed gay bashing and acted out. I mean the guy couldn't keep his hands off me and another guy while pretending it was "wrestling" ~ uh it was more than that for him. I wasn't out and thought I was "bi" at the time ~ though he knew me as straight and dating girls. And he surely wasn't anywhere near my type.
Now even after college the guy is still a weird fluck ~ I've heard he's still a religious nut and still into his anti-gay rhetoric. Maybe he's Pete's buddy, heh.
posted by TrevorHere, at
3/21/2009 1:30 PM
Some of the guy's pics are pretty hot.
Anyway, you should keep provoking him. It's a great way to expose "ex gays" to your message.
posted by libhom, at
3/22/2009 7:12 AM
The problem with Peter is that he pretty much STRICTLY takes pictures of men. And it's too late for him to start taking pictures of women now, because most people have caught onto his fetish.
posted by Scott, at
3/22/2009 11:01 AM
Porno Pete is a Narcissist. So he likes attention wherever he can get it, whether it be positive or negative. Even when he sees negative postings about himself, he gets a charge. It is exciting for him. The worst thing that could happen to him would for him to be completely ignored. THAT is what would ruin him.
So yes, he engages in behavior that is outlandish and transparent. He doesn't care. He likes the attention. He is a firm believer in the mantra that "bad press is better than no press." On some level, he probably even knows that he is absurd. He doesn't care, as long as he gets noticed. There is a definite rationale to it, so he isn't crazy. He's just pathetic.
posted by Chris L., at
3/22/2009 2:51 PM
Another thing I noticed, when Peter goes to screaming about Wayne pointing out "the failures" (aka Paulk and Johnston), he lists mostly "ex-gays" who've recently jumped on the "ex-gay" gravy train, like Charlene Cothran.
Why doesn't he mention Alan, Randy or anyone else from Exodus? Does Peter have issues with them?
posted by Scott, at
3/23/2009 4:05 PM
