Did James Dobson call Spongebob gay?

After I made the post about Mr. Dobson, the following was posted in the comments.

Daniel Rah said...

Dr. Dobson did not say that Spongebob was gay. According to the correction in the NY Times: "He did not say the SpongeBob character itself was 'pro-homosexual.'" NY Times 1/29/05. To say otherwise would be to promote a lie.



Also, Dr. Dobson helped found the Alliance Defense Fund, which is involved in several lawsuits across the country on behalf of personal religious rights.

I find it interesting that those on the right would choose NOW to make such a distinction. And since we're keeping score, Al Gore never said he invented the Internet either.



The Following is from the New York Times. (Emphasis Added)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 - On the heels of electoral victories barring same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.



"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" Dr. James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, asked the guests Tuesday night at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress and political allies to celebrate the election results.



SpongeBob needed no introduction. In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, he has become a well-known camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick and likes to watch the imaginary television show "The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy."



Now, Dr. Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity."



The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," said Mr. Dobson's objection stemmed from a misunderstanding. Mr. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the Sept. 11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site.



Mr. Rodgers suggested that Dr. Dobson and the American Family Association, the conservative Christian group that first sounded the alarm, might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth.



"The fact that some people may be upset with each other peoples' lifestyles, that is O.K.," Mr. Rodgers said. "We are just talking about respect."



Mark Barondess, the foundation's lawyer, said the critics "need medication."



On Wednesday however, Paul Batura, assistant to Mr. Dobson at Focus on the Family, said the group stood by its accusation.



"We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," he said. "It is a classic bait and switch."

The story can be found here.



Mr. Dobson, tolerance is noble. Tolerance and love for your neighbor is precisely what Jesus taught to his followers. He found his flock among tax collectors and prostitutes. They were sinners all. A lesson on tolerance would do you some good, Mr. Dobson.



-The Oklahoma Hippy