Buono

TRENTON, N.J. (WordNews.org) April 2, 2013 – The head of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is asking New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono to apologize for what he called “bigoted remarks.”

Greg Quinlan, a former homosexual who is the president of PFOX, quoted Buomo, a Democrat, as saying during a committee hearing on March 18 that she was glad to be the sponsor of non-discrimination language that did not include the language “formerly gay individual” because she had “never heard of that phrase uttered before.”

Quinlan challenged that assertion today.

“Sen. Bouno knows I am openly ex-gay,” Quinlan said. “She disagrees with my sexual orientation and so pretends people like me are not members of society.”

Quinlan said Buono is intolerant.

“Buono accepts people who change their gender identity, or who engage in same-sex behavior, but is intolerant of those who change their sexual orientation from gay to straight. This discrimination has no place in our state of New Jersey,” he said.  “We call on Sen. Buono to apologize to the ex-gay community.”

A call to Buono’s campaign office was not immediately returned.

Quinlan said Buono has refused to meet with former homosexuals or to include ex-gays in hate crimes legislation.

“Sen. Buono believes that ex-gays should not receive the same tolerance and respect afforded to others,” Quinlan said. “Buono continually belittles and berates ex-gay minorities because of their unpopular sexual orientation.

Quinlan said Buono sponsored the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, which he said created a new class of bullies and a new subclass of the bullied.

“Parents, students, faculty and other employees in New Jersey’s education system have been harassed, intimidated and bullied by gay students, faculty and their allies for exercising their First Amendment right of free speech to voice their belief that homosexual behavior is not innate or immutable,” he said. “Misguided legislation like this promotes bigotry and hatred against anyone who does not follow Buono’s particular ideology.”