Maine University Professor Promotes Violent Perversion: More on the Leather Archive and Museum

The Deliverance of St. Paul
and St. Barnabus

I've been thinking about Barnabus lately.  He is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Acts.  He reaches out and assists others.

In an online article titled "Barnabus:  An Encouraging Early Church Leader" Robin Gallaher Branch observes, "Often these other individuals and groups are believers in Jesus who, for whatever reason, run a bit against the grain of mainstream thought and action. Instead of ostracizing them, Barnabas not only deliberately encounters them, but also listens to them and welcomes them warmly."  Gallaher specifically mentions Paul the Apostle and John Mark as men he helped.

Paulie and I named our ministry "Helping Hands Ministries."  We have always aspired to be like Barnabus.  It is gratifying work.

One remarkable leader who goes against the grain of mainstream thought and action is Peter LaBarbera from Americans for Truth about Homosexuality.  It was my privilege to stand with him in Chicago a few weeks ago.  I've recently written about this HHM project in an online article titled "Shouting from the Rooftops:  Exposing Chicago's Perversion Shrine -- Pray for Truth Road Trip -- Part 8."

On Friday morning, May 22, 2015, I stood beside Peter on the sidewalk of the Leather Archive and Museum for his press conference.  Recently he published a lengthy article detailing the reason for our press conference.



I am loathe to write about those details here.  I will not repeat everything Peter reveals in his excellent article.  I do want to quote the warning at the top of his article:

Some stories about the homosexual movement are so grotesquely perverse that they are difficult to report. This article by necessity describes some deeply disturbing sexual “fetishes” involving homosexual adult sadistic sex with children and teenagers–and vile, unnatural acts like “fisting” practiced for decades by by sadomasochistic homosexual “leathermen.” One book cover below contains an obscenity, another a highly offensive image. Keep in mind that the “Leather Archives & Museum” in Chicago that houses and celebrates these depraved works is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood within a short distance of three public schools and a day-care center.

 He then includes a quote from Romans:

“[S]landerers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil….” 

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth about
Homosexuality talking with a reporter on his
cellphone in front of the Leather Archive
and Museum.

One of the greatest evils of our time is the willful ignorance of Christians, especially Christian leadership.  Some, perhaps many, will not take the time to truly inform themselves about this "museum."  They will, instead, glance down through the article and sensing the grotesque nature of the content refuse to truly understand Peter's work.  We turn away from the detail.  This is somewhat understandable.  But in a day when it is only a matter of time before the Supreme Court upends marriage don't you think we have a duty to understand?

This willful ignorance is destroying us.

This ignorance enables "professionals" like University of Southern Maine professor Wendy Chapkis to spin these perversions into allegedly benign private and personal sexual practices.  Peter highlights Chapkis in the article.  She wrote the introduction to one of the books Peter purchased in the "museum."  The book is titled "Macho Sluts."  Peter writes:

This book of lesbian S&M fantasies is the twisted creation of prolific, self-styled “sex-radical pornographer” and BDSM enthusiast Pat Califia, who became “Patrick Califia” after becoming a “transman” (female-to-male transsexual). “Macho Sluts” intentionally pushes the envelope to promote sadomasochism of the sort practiced by homosexual “leathermen” to lesbians. In one story of the book, “The Finishing School,” a mother in her “early forties” sexually tortures and beats her pubescent daughter, Clarissa, who, it turns out, is also her sex slave. The mother, Berenice, shackles up her daughter for a BDSM scene and berates her, as is the practice of sadistic “masters” humiliating their “slaves.” After being manipulated by various means into a state of sexual excitement, Clarissa begs to be manually penetrated by her mother. Instead Berenice beats her child’s bottom with a yellow cane to the point of causing welts and bleeding – which,  in this wicked tale, makes Clarissa proud and happy. The sadistic mom also is the dominant “master” over her sister Elise (Clarissa’s aunt), another love “slave.”

An introduction celebrating the salacious “Macho Sluts” is written by University of Southern Maine professor Wendy Chapkis (USM page HERE). ”Nowhere in this collection does anyone sacrifice their own pleasure for another,” writes Chapkis. Indeed. The professor writes that she could “barely get through” “The Finishing School”– not because of the pedophilic, incestuous exploitation and child molestation in the story – she is no prude! – but because of “my preference for sci-fi over Victorian school-girl fantasies.”

 Peter concludes:

For such grotesquely reckless judgment in championing Califia’s book with its pedophile porn, this professor should not be allowed to work among young adults or children.

We must conquer our fear of these forces in our society.  These evil ideas are concentrated in the rich, supposedly educated, sectors of our society.  Christians should be immune to the lure of riches and a lust for knowledge.

Paul the Apostle writes of Christianity in his first letter to the Corinthians:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;  the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-31 NIV

Peter LaBarbera may be the most ridiculed man on the planet when it comes to this issue.  The "gay" movement has even coined a pet name for him.  They hatefully refer to him as "Porno Pete."  They accuse Peter of doing this important journalistic work because he secretly approves of these vile practices.  With a gentleman's bow in their direction Peter closes his article:

*The writer went as a pro-family reporter and as a critic – and has zero prurient interest in anything homosexual or BDSM, contrary to the vicious assertions of homosexual activists trying to “kill the messenger.”

Well done thou good and faithful servant. It is an honor to continue offering a helping hand!