Denver Post Canceled Columnist Who Libeled Ken and Jo Scott!

The Denver Post fired a columnist, Dr. Keith Swain.  In an email he sent to readers (pasted below) Swain blames Focus on the Family and me, Bob Enyart, for being canceled.  Actually, he was fired for his April 6th column which falsely indicated that he was at a protest at St. John Episcopal Church.  Then the Post printed an April 13th “clarification” basically blaming their “readers [who] may have taken the impression” that he was a firsthand witness to the protest.  In his column which provably libeled Denver Bible Church members Ken and Jo Scott, he had written for example that they displayed “oversized posters… [of] pornographic pictures of men engaging in sex” and that “They shouted ‘God hates fags!’” neither of which they would EVER do, and neither of which appeared on the Denver Police video of the event, and neither of which was testified to in seven hours of subsequent courtroom hearings.  Michael Norton, former Denver US Attorney appointed by Ronald Reagan and reappointed by George Bush Sr., wrote a letter to the Denver Post indicating the libel and fabricated account written by Swain.  The Post then blamed the misrepresentation on their readers taking a wrong impression.  The correction appears here, followed by quotes from the actual column:

April 13, 2005, Denver Post: “Author's clarification: Some readers may have taken the impression from my April 6 column that I witnessed the anti-abortion, anti-gay demonstration described in the column. I was not at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral on that Palm Sunday, and based the column on reports related to me by people who saw the events firsthand and whose observations I trust.”

And here are excerpts from Swain’s column in which he misrepresented himself as being at the event in a Jason Blair-like manner:

Keith Swain, Colorado Voices columnist, Article Published: Wednesday, April 06, 2005

"Mutual respect in cultural war zone  By Keith W. Swain Denver Post Columnist

 …  Outside, in front of the church, was a group of protesters, men and women claiming to be the "religious right." They held oversized posters, enlarged photos of bloody abortion tissue and pornographic pictures of men engaging in sex. They shouted "God hates fags!" and "Murderers!"  [BE: Provably false.] …  …  I was livid. How dare someone expose my child to pornography…  But my calmer thoughts prevailed. I know that a shouting match on a public sidewalk, something I have done in the past, tends to be ineffective. What would be a better response?"

Now, back to my (Bob Enyart's) comments.   And it was this that the Denver Post allowed Swain to supposedly “clarify,” with the disingenuous “Author's clarification: Some readers may have taken the impression from my April 6 column that I witnessed the… demonstration… I was not at St. John's Episcopal…”

Keith Swain libeled Ken and Jo Scott, members of our church, by lending the credibility (whatever there is) of a Denver Post columnist to a supposed first-hand account of which was fabricated.

And here is Keith Swain’s own April 21, 2005 email to his readers and supporters:

Dear Readers,

You may have noticed that my regularly scheduled column for the Denver Post was absent on Wednesday. I am sorry to say that I am no longer writing for the Denver Post. As a result, there is one less gay voice of reason speaking in the mainstream press.

Focus on the Family has on numerous occasions taken my column to task. Yet, probably the biggest critic of gay equality and of my column specifically has been Bob Enyart, the conservative Christian minister of Denver Bible Church, DenverBibleChurch.org. He has tried to use the power of his radio show and his website, KGOV.com, to intimidate the Denver Post concerning my column.

Over the last week many of you kindly wrote very strong emails in favor of the Post keeping me on as a columnist in response to Enyart’s targeting me on his radio show. I was moved beyond words by this show of kindness. I realize how important it is for our community, not just the community of gay men and women, but the greater community of people who truly believe in the common dignity of all, to have sane, rational and compassionate voices in the mainstream press. I was honored, (and lucky enough), to play that role for a time.

So what happens now?

First, honestly, I would love to continue writing for the Post as a regular
columnist. The Denver Post is my home town paper as well as the regional paper of Focus on the Family and many, many other conservative organizations. It is essential to have a gay/progressive voice in this paper. I have no idea if emails help, but writing to the letters page of the Denver Post, openforum@denverpost.com, is a simple action that can make many of us feel as if we have done something to promote an open press.

Secondly, Denver is lucky enough to have two newspapers. The Rocky Mountain News has been considered the more conservative of the two, but is a fine paper as well. I intend to speak to their editor, Vincent Carroll, this week. Perhaps he will be willing to take a chance on a “radical” columnist whose sole intent is to promote mutual respect and understanding in our community. A supportive email to the Rocky, letters@rockymountainnews.com would be very kind. Perhaps with your encouragement the Rocky will see the value of having a regular gay columnist.

Thirdly, while this debate continues here in Colorado, sadly it is not only
here. The entire United States is currently in need of a rational dialog in the mainstream press on matters of sexuality, religion in life and the mixing of politics and social issues. If you think my columns would be of interest in your part of the country, please write the editors of your local newspapers; mainstream, alternative and gay/lesbian, and ask them to consider running my columns. If you know of someone I should contact directly, please let me know at drkswain@hotmail.com. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Finally, let me express my undying respect and gratitude to you, the reading and writing activist. It is you who make change, one voice at a time, one letter at a time, one blog at a time. Let me encourage you to continue to speak up, to write letters, to cause trouble because there is nothing more dangerous than complacency in these matters. Your actions have made my world safer and stronger, and for that, I thank you.

Keith W. Swain, PsyD

Keith W. Swain (drkswain@hotmail.com) is a psychologist, a professor at Front Range Community College, and a columnist for Out Front Colorado, a newspaper for the gay community.

And now, back to Bob Enyart.  Friends, thanks for reading this mini-saga of a favored liberal journalist who libeled Christian activists and paid a small price.  We need to continue to defend one another, and speak up for the truth of Scripture and unashamedly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

May God bless you,
Bob Enyart