Excellent open letter from J. Patrick Redmond to Diana Medley of Indiana.
J. Patrick's letter was prompted by Ms. Medley's statement of support for students in Indiana who want to hold a "gays excluded" prom this year at Sullivan High School. When asked, Medley responded to a reporter that she believes gay people have no purpose in life, and agrees that anti-gay parents and students should create a separate, “traditional” prom that would ban gay students from attending.
J. Patrick is also a teacher born in Indiana. Here's an excerpt from J. Patrick's open letter:
"What you have done, Ms. Medley, by announcing to our community that “gays have no purpose” is scar and destroy the self-worth of countless Wabash Valley LGBT teens who, by whatever means, heard your hateful and vitriolic words. You are not representative of Christianity. You are not representative of Christ’s message. You are certainly not representative of love. And you are not representative of those Hoosiers that live near you –the ones that love thy gay neighbor and love me."Thank you J. Patrick for writing what so many of us in the LGBT community feel. We do have purpose. We do count.
Ms. Medley, thank you for revealing YOUR purpose of exclusion and judgement. Life is clearer when we can see things in the light of day. And now we can see you for who you are. My best thoughts go out to your students.
Read the rest of J. Patrick's letter here.
You should really try actually learning the full story before feeling free to spout off. I live in this town, and this is nothing but nonsense.
ReplyDeleteYea Stephanie, it is total nonsense right? I mean, all she was doing was spouting hate. Who cares if it impacted any gay or lesbians who might have heard her. They shouldn't take it so hard. It was just words. I'm sure being that gay and lesbians have no purpose in life, they probably can't even feel ashamed or hurt. Oh, and she was a teacher. We all know teachers have very little impact in the lives of children who they are surrounded by each day. Yea, it's a shame people are making such a big deal about this. This should really be a non story. The big story here should be that there are even gays and lesbians in indiana. What about blacks, do you have blacks in indian too? You guys should have formed a committee for a traditional white prom as well.
DeleteStephanie,
DeleteWhat are you talking about? I don't need to live in your town to realize that Diana's statements were hostile and bigoted.
- Jason
Stephanie,
DeleteWhat are you talking about? I don't need to live in your town in order to watch a video and hear Diana's intolerant and bigoted statements.
Thankfully I see that many more people agree with me than they do with you. In that, I take comfort.
- Jason
All you need to do is read Stephanie's blog to realize that most of her life revolves around spouting how "morally wrong" homosexuality is. Seriously, from the looks of it, over half of her rants involve some criticism of the homosexual "life style choice" in the "eyes of God"...maybe she's a current student of Diana's.
DeleteMaybe, just maybe, a good Christian would leave judgment up to God and would simply worry about accepting and tolerating (NOT condemning) people from all walks of life, no matter how different they may be. Wasn't it Jesus that said "love thy neighbor"? Or is that one of them "optional if Catholic" verses?
@Chai Xiong....well said. I do love how comfortable those who are not gay are at stating what they believe to be obvious, that being gay is a choice. This, although, they have no experience being gay...I am straight, and I certainly don't choose who I am attracted to, and I personally couldn't imagine anyone of any sexual orientation making a choice like "hmmmmm, I guess I'll be attracted to this person!"--
DeleteThe irony is that religion usually plays a part in the homophobia, and most religions teach against being judgmental..
Even those who are decent will often say, "I hate the sin, and not the sinner!"--as if that is a kind way of putting it..It is akin to an athiest saying, "I hate the religion, but not the religious"--don't think people would think too kindly about that
Thanks Stephanie for the comment.
ReplyDeleteI've actually read and seen Ms. Medley's comments in context in video reports and by credible news sources.
If the quotes by Ms. Medley are incorrect, please point me in the direction of a credible source with which to correct my story.
If she truly did not say
• "We don't agree with it (homosexuality) and it's offensive to us"
or
•"Do you think they have a purpose in life?' No I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't. I don't understand it. A gay person isn't going to come up and make some change unless it's to realize that it was a choice and they're choosing God"
Please let me know. I have read and seen those quotes on every major news source in the area. But it's always possible they all could be mistaken.
Please let me know if Ms. Medley never said any of these things.
Randy-
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing my letter. It's important to make our voices heard. United we will save lives!
All my best to you,
J. Patrick Redmond
What she believes and wants with a GAY excluded prom is nothing less than having an ALL WHITE BLACKS excluded prom or an AMERICAN ONLY and all non English speakers excluded. Our country is based on freedoms and understanding and accepting of those that are not of our beliefs. WHAT THE HELL? How is the school backing her comments? I also was a teacher and no comments like this would ever be accepted at any school I taught at. WAKE UP INDIANA!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat job sir! I am a fellow teacher and equally appalled at this woman's inhumanity as our job as teachers is to build up and never tear down... I wrote a letter to her principal.
ReplyDeleteWOW awesome job! I too am a teacher and I cannot imagine why anyone would join a profession designed to build people up when you would so viciously be willing to tear them down. This is a very very sad woman who needs help.
ReplyDeleteThe real tragedy is that teachers like this wind up turning kids like Stephanie into bona fide douchebags....Nice job you shameless twat. And by the way, if you don't like my language, tough. My view is that a kid who is old enough to spout bigotry is also old enough to know what a real cunt I think she is....That was for you "Stuff a Knee"...And you know where to stuff it too....
ReplyDeleteTell Diana I agree. I prefer straight porn. Wait. ["What honey?"} Oh. *Prom.* Only a hate-filled bigot would advocate that. Never mind.
ReplyDeleteThis biogoted, hateful excuse for a human being is the last person I would want to teach children period. I have no use for a supposed Christian who spews hate,biogtry and stupidity. Teachers are supportive to all students. Maybe she should stop trying to label children. Who is she to judge? I feel sorry for all the children she has had contact with. Jesus, the Rabbi, accepted all for who and what they were. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Ms. Medley has cast enough stones that a mountain should fall on her.
ReplyDeleteI pity her. She is a fake Christian and has been brain washed. I think Ms Medley is going to burn in hell for her bigotry and the sin of arrogance and judgement. She is so full of nasty, arrogant hate that is hurts me very soul. I will pray she is cure of this ugliness in her heart.
ReplyDeleteMatthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Acts 10:34
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality"
Matthew 7:1
“Judge not, that you be not judged.
John 8:7 - So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Colossians 2:8 - Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Diana Medley was set up. Visit http://dcohen020431.tumblr.com/
ReplyDeleteIs it fair to judge a person’s whole being by less-than-a-minute appearance on an edited video interview from one source? Did we give her the benefit of doubt, or give her an opportunity to explain?
Who benefits from this? Who got expended? What’s your role in this?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks David for the comment.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, yes, Ms. Medley was contacted by several news organizations including the Associated Press about her comments. She did not respond.
Second, her comments were reported in context by a local news station with no political agenda. As mentioned above, she had ample time and opportunity to recant or explain her comments. She did not. I'm certain dozens of outlets would have loved the chance to share her explanatory details on her comments.
Who benefits from this? No one. Which is why her comments are sad and useless. My role in this? To point out that there ARE anti-gay people out in the world who not only share their feelings against the LGBT community privately but publicly. And with their students who, sadly, learn from people like Ms. Medley.