Update on "The Oh-Really Factor"

Although I don't really want to give Bill O'Reilly's recent sensationalized story about a national underground network of lesbians — who carry pink pistols and indoctrinate young girls into their lifestyle — any more airtime, I do want to let you all know about the Southern Poverty Law Center's investigation on this issue.

The SPLC issued a statement entitled "The Oh-Really Factor" in which they talk to some real detectives and law enforcement officials. All agreed that there is no "underground network" or epidemic, and that the facts referenced in O'Reilly's piece are suspicious at best, and completely false in many instances:

Sgt. Brett Parson, a member and former commander of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, also questioned Wheeler's numbers. "We have 150 to 175 total gangs in the D.C. area, and out of those only nine where the predominance of members are female," he said. "You simply can't make the jump that they are lesbians. I think it is fair to talk about violence and female gangs. But to sensationalize or marginalize a community by making a statement like that seems irresponsible."

And what you should know about "Fox Crime News Analyst" Rod Wheeler:

According to Wheeler's personal website, he is a member of Jericho City of Praise, a conservative Christian megachurch in Landover, Md., whose leadership publicly advocates against equal rights for gays and lesbians.

On another incident mentioned by the outraged O'Reilly:

Similarly, O'Reilly's introductory mention of a Tennessee lesbian gang called Gays Taking Over that is "involved in raping young girls" appears to have been based solely on a highly dubious Feb. 28 television report from WPTY-TV, an ABC affiliate in Memphis, Tenn. Featuring dramatic "reenactments" of high school bathroom rape scenes shot in grainy black-and-white footage, the lengthy segment's vaguely salacious claims about local high school girls being raped and "sodomized" with "sex toys bought on the Internet" was based almost entirely on the lurid musings of a single Shelby County gang officer.

I hope this will be the last we hear of this story. It's ridiculous, but it's important to address. O'Reilly makes his living by taking news "stories" — factual or not — and sensationalizing them. This particular story had the worst of hate and discrimination toward gays and lesbians.

According to Rashad Robinson, the senior director of media programs for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD):

"This type of reporting creates a climate of homophobia and fear and perpetuates dangerous stereotypes of gay people and definitely helps feed into a climate of anti-gay discrimination and violence, which is a true national epidemic, but not one you're likely to see reported with such zeal by Bill O'Reilly."