Everybody has an emotional weak spot. Those of us who are really
weak are easy playthings of the state.

The FBI spread rumors that Huey Newton had gone gay, perhaps while
in prison. The purpose was to split the party on an emotional basis.
(This is mentioned in passing here:
http://www.geocities.com/stenerin1/yippie.html
Someone find a better source. I know the docs are in some gay newspaper,
but I lost them.)

Since that time, all sensible revolutionaries have known that we must
take this weapon away from the state by preparing the people to treat
gays/lesbians the same way as heterosexuals on everything--to make the
issue go away.

Federal prosecutor calls demonstrators at Democratic Convention
"fag revolution" in justification of trial of "Conspiracy 7."
http://news.surfwax.com/history/files/Bobb...le_America.html

While it is no suprise that the FBi would do such a thing considering Newton was a supporter of gay liberation. But I doubt that this was a big issue in the split of the Panthers, there was just so much other stuff going on.

I meant to add that the tactic of splitting opponents with the gay question
is still being used today, Bu$h for the election and Putin twice more recently.

http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/gender/gayfight2005.html

Here's another Internet mention of spreading rumors about gay/bi, this time by COINTELPRO.

In another case, an informant was used to "raise the question" among his associates that an unmarried, 30-year old group leader "may either a bisexual or a homosexual." The field office believed that the question would "rapidly 'become a rumor" and "could have serious results concerning the ability and effectiveness of [the target's] leadership."

http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/c...lreportIIIa.htm