The process of entering into a cult is often confusing and at the same time exhilarating. Cults are built on a few key characteristics, namely specialized status for members and adherents who are taught and thus believe they have ascended to a superior understanding of the world. This newfound superiority brought by special knowledge (re: gnosis) both empowers and emboldens them to become active within the cult both inwardly and outwardly doing “the work” given them by their cult leaders.
Yet, in order to be drawn into the cult, it is critical one must be made to simultaneously feel victimized by this misunderstanding and malignant world and also rescued by the cult via the process of love-bombing. Entry into any cult is met with an unusual amount of affirmation and acceptance, radical acceptance, as one is embraced by a people who position themselves as a new family better than your other family who sadly are trapped in the world and therefore don’t understand your need to escape its pathological systems of oppression. These systems of oppression are immaterial – theories that require pseudo-intellectual gymnastics to explain and a pseudo-spiritual belief in theoretical demons like “whiteness” and any of a number of “phobias” asserted onto those necessarily demonized so as to make the claims more real.
Cults present themselves as inclusive when, in reality, they are doggedly exclusive. In order to be included, you must break away from normal societal, familial, or religious bonds, thus excluding them in order to be fully welcomed into the cult. Any ambiguity about where you stand will be met with either more love-bombing, complicated theorizing about special teachings intended to mystify your thinking or the threat of being rejected by the very people who emotionally drew you into their web. This double-edged emotional manipulation is merely a precursor tactic known as trauma bonding. Trauma bonding is a phenomena found among abusive relationships where the actual victim is made to feel “loved” then traumatized repeatedly until they form a distorted psychological bond with their abuser. The famous Stockholm Syndrome is a prime example, so named after captives of a violent and armed bank robbery found themselves defending their captors upon release, even refusing to testify against them despite being held captive against their will for several days.
Logan Lancing and James Lindsay just released their new book “The Queering of the American Child: How A New School Religious Cult Poisons the Minds and Bodies of Normal Kids.” In the introduction, they explain:
“Queer theory is not merely academic; it’s full of religious rituals and observances. The cult distinguishes between in-group and out-group by using “preferred pronouns,” complex jargon, and code words in greeting and writing. Queer Activists dress in the religious garb of the drag queen or drag king, or through highly identifiable patterns of dress, grooming, and presentation. Cultists signal their fealty with a flag that finds itself in constant revolution –- never-ending cascade of additional colors, bars, and symbols stitched into its queer fabric…Queer Theory demands total submission and obedience. Queer activists isolate, punish, and exclude anyone who contradicts cult doctrine, ritual or practice.” (p. xiv, xv)
On Tuesday, the Hartford Select Board met with its three newly elected members present. After some congratulations, they got down to the business of the day. Despite a campaign season where repeated calls to abandon non-town issues like the social justice narratives and special groups and committees dedicated to non-existent social justice rescuing of people who aren’t being persecuted but actually pursuing civic power, the agenda included yet another one – raising the pride flag for the month of June.
Hartford’s town government continues to draw activists. I’m told we now have a second board member who is definitely not saying the pledge of allegiance (not yet confirmed). The first is Kim Souza, who publicly told another candidate she doesn’t respect the American flag. I hope to find out why. However, in a 5-1 vote, the board apparently pledged allegiance to the Pride flag.
I used my five minutes of public comment to explain the civic issue of treating the pride flag and the socially and politically constructed group identity of LGBTQ+ as somehow worthy of ascendance. Simply put, there is no more inclusive or diverse flag in the world than the American flag, while the pride flag pretends to be as much but, in fact, represents a very minority of Americans who have made themselves the center of both activism and division in our country.
Getting out of cult indoctrination is much harder than getting sucked into it.
(The full text of my speech is printed below. Link to the meeting video – speech begins at 14:48)
The American flag literally represents a united people. United as in the entire country. Among the arguments LGBTQ activists make for flying their flag is that it represents diversity and inclusion.
Not as much as that flag does (points to American flag). It is the ultimate in diversity and inclusion. All men and women are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone.
The “pride” flag is, by definition, exclusive. It excludes anyone who is not LGBTQ, which is, in fact, most of the country.
There is a growing “pride” fatigue around the country because “pride” doesn’t know when enough is enough. It keeps wanting more as pride often does. The problem I have with it is not a moral one but one of civic interests. Is it in our interest to dedicate a month to a self-proclaimed special group of people? We have twelve months. Who gets the other eleven? Is it first come, first serve? Are we going to be like Boston and violate the constitutional rights of Christians if they want to fly a flag next? Can the town afford that? Who else are we going to consider for flag flying? Trekkies? Star Wars fans? Soccer Moms? We have a lot of those.
When does it end? Honestly, if you plan to institute this for another year, I think you need to consider when it’s going to stop until the flag-flying thing becomes one more divisive issue the town has to deal with rather than infrastructure and public safety – the only two things it should be focused on.
Another objection I have to the pride flag is it’s explicitly sexual nature. It’s a sex flag, let’s be honest. Every designation in LGBTQ is a sexual designation. You’re a lesbian? How do we distinguish that? Oh, you like to have sex with women. Neat. Your gay? So you like to have sex with other men. Cool. You do you bro. Oh your bisexual? So you’ll have sex with just about anybody. When I was growing up bisexual people were just experimenters who were a little slutty. We all let them figure things out on their own. What about the T? It’s Transexual – yet another sexual designation. Why the constant focus on sex here people? And why are we thinking about flying a flag dedicated to people’s sexual proclivities?
Honestly, this whole thing feels very middle school to me. I find myself wondering when the activists are going to grow up and get on with being happy they are equal to everyone else. Not special, equal.
Can you drive a nail? Can you drive a commercial vehicle? Can you type 50 words per minute? Can you code? Do you have leadership skills? These are pertinent questions to a functioning society. Not who do you prefer to have sex with? Would you please grow up. You like to have sex? Neat. Most adults do. Welcome to the human race. It’s kind of how we got here.
As for flag flying I think we all know flags almost uniquely represent nations or national causes. So far I’ve yet to see the LGBTQ nation at the Olympics. POWs and MIAs literally gave their lives for the country. Being LGBTQ is not heroic, though you might think it is. You’re another person, just like everyone else. Sure you may be different, but so are the rest of us. You may be special to your mom or your dad or whoever you like to have sex with, but to the rest of us you’re just another American worthy of the same respect we all enjoy because of that flag.
Enough of the activism. Enough of the seeking special attention please. Grow up and act like self-contained adults and not self-involved teenagers who constantly need to be affirmed.
This is not a civil rights issue. You already have them. This is a civil society issue. We’re all equal, under that flag (re: American flag). That ought to be enough.
