Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Told ya! Religious right begins religious whitewashing of Pennsylvania campus incident

That didn't take long at all.

Yesterday, I wondered how long it would take before some on the religious right began exploiting an incident in which a campus police officer in Pennsylvania got into trouble for refusing to do his job.

This morning, One News Now and the Alliance Defense Fund demonstrates how they are attempting to manipulate the case:

A U.S. appeals court has heard oral arguments in a case involving a policeman who refused to carry out his chief's orders to remove a Christian pro-life group from of a college campus.

In April 2007, a small group of Christians was peacefully demonstrating on the grounds of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, sharing their beliefs about moral issues like abortion. Meanwhile, a much larger group of protesters who loudly opposed the pro-life message led the KU president and campus police chief to insist the Christian group leave campus. But the officer on the scene, Corporal Steven Armbruster, refused the order.

"Just because someone has a pro-life message doesn't subject them to arrest," contends Tom Marcelle, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). "It took great courage for the officer to uphold his duty to protect the Constitution and not violate the demonstrators' First Amendment rights."

Please bear in mind that while the article claims that the "group of Christians" were peacefully demonstrating, they didn't give the name of this group. And I think that is intentional. The group in question, Repent America, has a reputation of causing disruptive protests, getting arrested, and then suing in court about how their "First Amendment Rights" were violated.

Furthermore, the article doesn't even give the university's side of the story, i.e. Repent America was asked to leave because it didn't obtain permission to protest on campus. Also, the One News Now article omitted the reasons why Armbruster's case was initially dismissed:

His initial lawsuit, contending that the disciplinary action against him violated his free-speech and due-process rights, was dismissed last year by U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones II.

Jones ruled that Armbruster had refused the chief's order while serving in his official capacity as an officer, and so could not claim the university had violated his First Amendment rights.

Jones also rejected a second claim that the university violated Armbruster's "right to refuse to violate others' constitutional rights."

"Based on this court's research, over the past 30 years, no [higher court] has held such a right exists," Jones wrote.

The fact of the matter is this - Armbruster was an employee of the university and as such had a job to do. He deliberately decided on his own not to do his job and suffered the consequences - which was nothing more than a five day suspension without pay and a disciplinary letter.

However, should Armbruster somehow prevail - and he really shouldn't - perhaps it would be a good idea for lgbt students and their allies to start protesting Liberty University - which is affiliated with the Alliance Defense Fund.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Are lgbt groups going to be next on right-wing entrapment tour?

Today we have just learned that Planned Parenthood nearly became the victims of an entrapment launched by the same bunch of right-wing activist who brought down the community group ACORN.

Apparently the method of sending someone in talking about prostitution and underaged sex on heavily edited tapes didn't work this time.

However that didn't seem to stop religious right groups from trying to salvage something out of the debacle by attacking Planned Parenthood even after the phony sting exploded in the face of its creators.

And don't think this embarrassment will stop some right-wing activists from targeting lgbt groups, either.

It isn't paranoia nor is it farfetched to think that someone will be sooner or later be visiting lgbt centers - preferably ones dealing lgbt youth - and attempt to entrap workers and volunteers much like they tried with Planned Parenthood and ACORN.

And we can count on this nonsense being filmed for tapes which will later be heavily edited.

And I am also sure that we can count on religious right groups like the Family Research Council, religious right spokespeople like Peter LaBarbera, and right-leaning Congressional leaders such as Steve King or Michele Bachmann to conveniently denounce said footage and demand action before an investigation can take place. An investigation, mind you, which will most likely lead to the discovery that the tapes have been doctored and the evidence against targeted groups is faulty at best.

My suggestion would be for Planned Parenthood and law enforcement officials to see if they can prosecute these people to the fullest extent of the law.

And for lgbt groups to watch their backs. We know those on the other side of the spectrum sometimes don't play fair.

And now we know that they don't care who is aware of this fact.

Republican leaders embrace virulent homophobe and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Ted Haggard's Awkward Family Photo - John Amos on Good Times said it best - LORD HAMMERCY!

Republican Leaders Continue To Embrace Bryan Fischer - Make no mistake about it. If Fischer had been as vocally racist as he is homophobic, these folks wouldn't touch him. I guess some feel that it's "Christian" to demonize lgbts.

White Conservatives Using Abortion as Wedge Issue for Black Voters - JUST like they did with marriage equality.

Marines Vow to 'Step Out Smartly' on Repeal of Military Gay Ban - One of the many reasons why I respect the Marines.

Family Research Council now lying about the box office success of lgbt movies

The motion picture awards season is upon us and naturally those who take such an interest in such things are highly interested in who will win the lion's share of honors.

Not so for Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. To him, it's all about standing against the so-called conspiracy to "recruit" into Americans into debauchery.

And he is now claiming that the box office is on his side in this matter:

The president of the Family Research Council says Hollywood's biggest flop may be its own ticket sales.

In a recent FRC podcast, Tony Perkins points out that people are not going to as many movies these days -- and who can blame them, he asks.

"As far as Hollywood is concerned, it's not art if it doesn't offend," he opines. "The biggest winners in last week's Golden Globe Awards were shows like Black Swan, Glee, and The Kids Are All Right -- and their whole purpose is pushing a liberal political agenda."

Perkins says while that may be how producers define success, box-office figures indicate clearly that audiences see things differently. "The Kids Are All Right, which is the story of two lesbians raising a family, came in 113th in ticket sales," he notes. "Toy Story 3, last year's box-office winner, made 21 times more money than Kids did."

The first inclination of course is to tell Perkins to chill out because these are only movies - except for Glee, which is a television show - but far be it from me to point out yet again how deceptive Perkins is being.

Perkins is accurate about Toy Story 3. It was last year's box office champ and did make a lot of money. According to Box Office Mojo, the exact domestic total was $415,004,880 from a budget of $200 million. Its worldwide gross is $1,063,161,943

On its opening weekend in June - during the summer box office season, it was shown in over 4,000 theaters. Furthermore, Toy Story 3 was a continuation of a highly successful movie series - i.e. Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

And I haven't even begun talking about its promotion.

By contrast The Kid Are Alright was a movie which has made worldwide total $29,365,490 on a budget of $4 million. It was given limited release on July 9, opening at seven theatres. During its time at the box office, the most theatres it was ever played at was 994.

In terms of hype and promotion, comparing it to Toy Story 3 is like comparing apples and oranges.

But since Perkins and the Family Research Council have lied about so many other things, why should anyone be surprised about how unashamedly they lie about this issue?

Monday, January 31, 2011

Where are the black lgbt characters on television?

The Root has just come out an exceptional article talking about the absence of lgbt of color character on television.

Don't get me wrong - I love the visibility of lgbt television characters, but I wouldn't mind seeing some folks like myself. And not just for my own desires. There are million of young lgbts of color who also need that self-esteem which only comes from seeing positive portrayals:

To let Entertainment Weekly tell it, we are in the midst of a "gay revolution."

According to the magazine's latest cover story, Fox's ever popular series Glee -- and in particular its young yet openly gay characters, like Kurt Hummel, the high-note-hitting, fashion-loving teen played by Chris Colfer -- is "changing hearts, minds and Hollywood."

Joining in the praise is Newsweek, which celebrated the musical comedy-drama series by branding it "the gayest show in the history of network TV." In the Newsweek interview, columnist and anti-gay-bullying advocate Dan Savage echoed these sentiments and praised Glee and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "Really, when it comes to gay rights, there's two wars going on," Savage opined. "The first war is political. But the culture war is over. Between Glee and Ellen and how integrated and accepted LGBT adults are, that's done."

I would have joined in on the celebration going on at Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly, but I stopped believing in fairy tales after finding my mama's signature on "Santa's receipt" some 20 years ago. While I applaud Glee's efforts and adore DeGeneres for simply being alive, Hummel's high notes and DeGeneres' nonthreatening dance moves have aided only a portion of the gay population.

Many gays of color certainly don't see themselves in this revolution. Though we are seeing a lot more gay faces on TV, many of them are of the same ilk. And are we really challenging the tolerance levels of Americans that much by asking them to accept versions of gay people that they've long grown accustomed to seeing?

More here . . .

SNL in trouble over nasty transgender skit and other Monday midday news briefs

GLAAD Slams SNL for 'Estro-Maxx' Ad Mocking Transgender Women - This situation has caused a bit of controversy in the lgbt community with some of us decrying the skit and others saying that we are too serious. I'm in the camp of those who decry the skit. Don't get me wrong - I like blue humor. But this skit made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't find it humorous at all.

And I think some on the other side of this issue are suffereing from a bit of forgetfulness. Remember it wasn't that long ago when gays and lesbians had to raise hell because some portrayals of us on television were evil. And it's not a matter of not having a sense of humor. It's about a lack of power. It's rare that our transgender brothers and sisters see a positive portrayal of themselves on television, so naturally when something like this comes out, they are going to raise hell.

It's no different than when the lesbian community raised hell in the 70s over the Police Woman episode, Flowers of Evil which featured three lesbians brutally murdering the residents of a retirement home they oversaw.

Or when I have to see portrayals of black gay men in African-American movies and television - places where you very rarely see us.

To those having very little power in controlling the images of themselves in the media, reminders of their powerlessness aren't funny.

And in other news

A very classy step by General Amos - The repeal of DADT marches on.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn To Sign Gay Unions Bill Monday - Good for him. Let's continue to press on to full marriage.

Charity says bigotry towards gay parents means kids miss out - THANK YOU for stating the real issue in the matter of gay adoption. Children have a RIGHT to a good home.

AFA: Tea Party Married to Religious Right, Like It or Not - And this surprises us because? I'm glad I missed THAT wedding.

Here comes possible new victim of the 'radical homosexual agenda'

I want to get this piece out before those on the right have a chance to use this man as their new "cause celebre" against the so-called radical gay agenda:

An eastern Pennsylvania university police officer is asking a federal appeals court to rule that he had a right to refuse an order to disperse anti-abortion and anti-gay demonstrators on campus almost four years ago.

Cpl. Steve Armbruster said he was given what he considered an unconstitutional order to eject 15 members of the evangelical group Repent America from the Kutztown University campus in April 2007. He was relieved of his duties and later suspended for five days without pay.

A federal judge last year rejected his lawsuit, and The Philadelphia Inquirer said the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia heard his appeal last week.

Students and university officials said the group showed up unexpectedly to preach against homosexuality and was confronted by hundreds of students. A judge later dismissed disorderly conduct charges against members but criticized them for demonstrating on the campus without the university's permission.

Armbruster contended that the order by the university president and the campus police chief would violate the group's civil rights and subject him to liability.

U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones II Jones ruled last year that Armbruster was serving in his official capacity, so his rights were not violated. He also rejected Armbruster's position that he had a right to refuse to violate the constitutional rights of others.

You get that? A group - Repent America - showed up unannounced on a college campus and began to protest. Since they had no permission to do so, university police were called in to disperse them. However, a member of the said police refused to do his job for his own reasons. He was suspended without pay but is trying to sue.

Seems to me that if you don't do the job you were assigned without a good reason - and his reason in regards to the First Amendment was not adequate - you should deal with the consequences.

No doubt if they retell this story for their own purposes, religious right groups will probably mock up the details so to create more sympathy for Armbuster. They did so in past cases of former religious right cause celebres who either got fired or into trouble because they didn't adhere to very fair rules regarding conduct and then chose to make the controversy into a religion vs. homosexuality issue. Cause celebres such as:

Peter Vadala,

Crystal Dixon,

Patricia Mauceri,

Jennifer Keeton and Julea Ward ,

and the group in the center of the controversy, Repent America - who is known for making unannounced nuisances of themselves and then whining about how their rights are being violated.

I can just see the spin now (God help us).

Hat tip to LezGetReal

Sunday, January 30, 2011

How to shut up the religious right and show lgbt love at the same time

I'm posting this because earlier today, some idiot tried to use the Peter LaBarbera-ish argument of citing pictures from subcultural events like Folsom Street Fair to make a ridiculous claim that lgbts are nasty and have no concept of love.

As this montage of pictures from the past demonstrate, that is a lie.

Sometimes it doesn't take a big argument to refute silly bullshit. Just a simple show of the truth will do.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Know Your LGBT History - Two looks at transgender characters in films

Homophobes try to disturb David Kato's funeral and other Friday midday news briefs

Violence Erupts at Kato Funeral - Oh Good God! Even after his murder, they try to take away Kato's dignity. They didn't succeed.

Brian Brown: 'I haven't actually seen the film, but...' - Who cares if Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage hasn't really seen the movie he dares to criticize. As long as the lgbt characters in it aren't pitiful self-hating creatures who die before the final scene, then the movie is awful, right?

9 Stupid Myths About Bisexuals Debunked - An article which is sorely needed.

Hysteria and hyperbole – the response to homosexuality in black churches - Handle your business, my brother.

The GOP's quiet evolution on gay rights - Next, tell me the one about the Easter Bunny.

Homophobic murder in Uganda is not about DOMA or ENDA

The reverberations is still being felt after the assassination of Ugandan lgbt activist David Kato.

The following is a clip of an interview with Kato in which he expressed fear for his life because of the homophobic climate in Uganda:

And now a short message to my lgbt brothers and sisters in America. Some of us have reacted negatively to President Obama's statement condemning Kato's murder. Some have called his statement useless.

Others have said that if the Obama Administration really believed the words in the statement, it would stop defending DOMA in court or push for ENDA.

Folks, this isn't the time for that. This is not about lgbts in America. This is not about DOMA and ENDA. To bring them up is highly insensitive in that it highjacks the issue, which should be about lgbts facing persecution in Uganda.

Whether or not we like President Obama's actions in regards to lgbt rights, this is a time in which we are going to have to push whatever anger we have to the background and stand with him in condemning Kato's murder and the continued dehumanization of lgbts in Uganda.

This doesn't mean that we should remain silent. And we shouldn't. You see it's OUR job to make sure people don't forget Kato nor other lgbts in Uganda. It's our job to make people never forget the simple fact that homophobia is not good - religion based or otherwise.

Homophobia is hate, pure and simple.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Matt Barber: 'Homofascists' picking on 'Christians' for murder of Ugandan gay activist

Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel has become the second religious right figure to comment on the murder of Ugandan gay activist David Kato:

At least he condemned the murder of Kato. Peter LaBarbera, who commented earlier today, didn't issue a word of condemnation regarding Kato's murder in his tweet. Editor's note - in another tweet, LaBarbera called Kato's murder "awful."

Smooth, Matt. Although your definition of "pro-family Christians" leaves a LOT to be desired.

And does what you said about the first person to call another a "Nazi" in an argument count for calling someone a "fascist?"

If so, you lose again.

Pathetic. Phony Christianity on parade.

LaBarbera makes Scott Lively out to be a victim in wake of Ugandan murder

Apparently I was a couple of hours too late when I wondered whether or not someone from the religious right would make a statement about David Kato's murder:

Not even a word for sorrow for Kato. How nice.

For the record, many of us never felt that Palin was the blame for what happened in Tucson. I personally felt that she got of the blame - unfair it may have been - because of her gung-ho attitude and reliance on nasty rhetoric. She exploited that image to gain prominence, so subsequently what happened was a classic case of the image backfiring on her.

Lively, on the other hand, isn't such a victim or circumstance.

He was one of the Americans who came to Uganda to hold anti-gay rallies which pushed all sorts of lies about lgbts. These lies got folks stoked up and led to the infamous "Kill the Gays" bill.

The bill sent everything into a fever pitch, culimating with lgbt Ugandans having definite fear for their lives in the backdrop of rabid homophobes holding marches with children, spreading nasty propaganda about gay sex in churches, and publishing people's pictures in a newspaper while advocating their murders simply because they are lgbts.

Kato was one of those people whose picture was published.

Say what you will, Lively is not the victim here. And if LaBarbera was any type of decent Christian, he would have least said a word of concern for Kato.

It's sad that Kato's murder is the end result of how one person's hatred can cause a situation that he may not have intended to happen.

And what's sadder is the simple fact that those who should learn from this tragedy, i.e. LaBarbera and company, seem to be ignoring the lesson of pushing hate.

Related post:

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate - Box Turtle Bulletin's excellent report on the homophobia in Uganda from the beginning to where we are now.

One more thing - I nearly held back from writing this post because I knew that some folks may feel the need to write LaBarbera and give him a peace of their mind. If you can't do this in a mature way, please don't bother. Hatred only breeds in places where rationality is absent. We know that LaBarbera has taken up root in these places. There is no need for us to compound his ignorance.

President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton condemns murder of gay Ugandan activist

The repercussions of yesterday's awful murder of Ugandan gay activist David Kato have now gotten bigger.

Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton issue statements condemning the murders and showing solidarity with the lgbt community worldwide:

President Obama:

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work.

At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate. In the weeks preceding David Kato’s murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the Governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable.

LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights. My Administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all.”

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton:

We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his home near Kampala yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. We urge Ugandan authorities to quickly and thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for this heinous act. [snip] This crime is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for and defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us -- and the sacrifices they make. And as we reflect on his life, it is also an occasion to reaffirm that human rights apply to everyone, no exceptions, and that the human rights of LGBT individuals cannot be separated from the human rights of all persons. Our ambassadors and diplomats around the world will continue to advance a comprehensive human rights policy, and to stand with those who, with their courage, make the world a more just place where every person can live up to his or her God-given potential. We honor David’s legacy by continuing the important work to which he devoted his life.

And now the pivot gets worse for other Ugandan lgbts:

Fears were growing last night over the safety of Brenda Namigadde who is set to be deported to Uganda, where a leading gay rights activist has been found murdered.

Namigadde was ordered to leave Britain after a judge ruled she was not homosexual.

Campaigners say she could be jailed for 14 years if she returns to the African country, where homosexuality is illegal and there is political pressure to make it punishable by death.

I wonder if Peter Sprigg, Matt Barber, Tony Perkins, Peter LaBarbera,and the rest of the religious right will issue some type of statement here.

Or maybe it would be better for them to shut the @!& up.

GoProud hates the 'gay left,' but loves homophobes

From Goodasyou comes this little morsel from Chris Barron of GoProud, the bootlicking gay conservative group:

Really Chris? The "gay left" is angry, hateful, and dumb as shit

Bear in mind that Barron is the SAME man who leads the SAME organization (GoProud) which welcomed into its fold, with open arms, Andrew Breitbart.

Andrew Breitbart is the same guy who:

pushed inaccurate anti-gay smears against Obama appointee - Kevin Jennings,

claimed that the lgbt community set up flawed beauty queen Carrie Prejean,

promotes sites featuring vindictive smears against lgbt public figures such as Barney Frank.

And Breitbart isn't just a simple member of GoProud. They made him a member of the board.

Well its obvious that Breitbart brings the angry and hateful to GoProud. But in regards to the "dumb as shit," I think the organization handles that label pretty well on its own.

How else can you aptly describe an group of gays and lesbians welcoming into its fold a man so anti-gay that he would make Anita Bryant pause?

Did Scott Lively's homophobic 'nuclear bomb' cause a death in Uganda?

Last week, anti-gay activist Scott Lively whined in a local Boston newspaper that he is being unfairly criticized for his stances against the lgbt community, including playing a huge role in the creation of the infamous "kill the gays" bill in Uganda.

After an incident in Uganda yesterday, he may want to keep his mouth shut:

An outspoken Ugandan gay activist whose picture recently appeared in an anti-gay newspaper under the headline “Hang Them” was beaten to death in his home, Ugandan police said on Thursday.

David Kato, the activist, was one of the most visible defenders of gay rights in a country so homophobic that government leaders have proposed to execute gay people. Mr. Kato and other gay people in Uganda had recently warned that their lives were endangered, and four months ago a local paper called Rolling Stone published a list of gay people, and Mr. Kato’s face was on the front page.

At press time, the police do not view Kato's murder as a hate crime, but a robbery. However some lgbt activists in Uganda disagree:

Gay activists . . . said Mr. Kato was singled out for his outspoken defense of gay rights. “David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S. Evangelicals in 2009,” said Val Kalende, the chairperson of one of Uganda’s gay rights groups, in a statement. “The Ugandan government and the so-called U.S. evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood!”

Mrs. Kalende was referring to visits in March 2009 by a group of American evangelicals who held anti-gay rallies and church leaders who authored the anti-gay bill, which is still pending, attended those meetings and said that they had worked with the Americans on their bill.

One of the those activists was Scott Lively He even bragged that the 2009 visits created a "nuclear bomb against the gay agenda in Uganda."

Kato's death comes almost a month after the arrest of Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa on conspiracy charges. Ssempa, a chief pusher of the country's "Kill the Gays" bill and also for his penchant for showing "scat porn" in church is among eight people who was either detained or sought after an "alleged conspiracy to injure the reputation of Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral, Kampala."

Ssempa and eight others had been charged with spreading rumors that Kayanja was gay, which is supposedly a common way to settle political scores in Uganda, but has deadlier implications since the controversy about the anti-gay bill.

The webpage Box Turtle Bulletin said the following:

David Kato was a spokesperson for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and one of the plaintiffs (or applicants) in the successful lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone (no relation to the U.S. publication of the same name). Kato was one of three applicants who had been named by the tabloid under a headline tagged “Hang Them!” His photo appeared on the tabloid’s front cover.

LGBT Ugandans have lived under a menacing atmosphere for more than a decade. The anti-gay hysteria has increased significantly since the introduction of the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill into parliament in 2009. That bill, which remains under review Parliamentary committee, would impose the death penalty on LGBT Ugandans under certain circumstances and criminalize all advocacy by or on behalf of LGBT people. It would also criminalize even knowing someone who is gay if that person fails to report their LGBT loved one to police within 24 hours. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 18, and the bill is expected to be considered after Parliament returns for a lame-duck session before the new Parliament begins in May.

Now in all honesty, we do not know the truth behind Kato's murder at the present, so it may be unfair to blame Lively. Certainly he never told people to kill anyone. And according to him, he never agreed with the death penalty facet of the Ugandan anti-gay bill.

But he did fan the flames of hatred towards lgbts in Uganda and that's the funny thing about fanning flames.

They always get out of hand and sooner or later, someone gets burned.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

GLSEN's 'No Name-Calling Week' brings out the hypocrisy of anti-gay activism

If I have said it once, I have said it many times - sometimes it's best to give the religious right a proper spotlight when they spout their homophobic nonsense because given enough time, they generally show just how nasty or clueless they are.

Take for example a recent situation involving GLSEN's No Name-Calling Week.

GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)'s No Name-Calling Week is designed to bring attention to the problem of bullying in America's schools and provide solutions to the problem.

American Family Association of Pennsylvania has a huge problem with this event.

It sent out the following action alert speaking against the event. However, the action alert was a huge failure in criticizing the event. What it does, however, is provide free publicity:

Back in 2004 the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (then under the watchful eye of Kevin Jennings – the guy who’s currently President Obama’s ‘Safe Schools Czar’) had an idea to reach into middle schools with the message that ‘gay is okay.’ Jennings had successfully infiltrated high schools for years through Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs and the annual Day of Silence each April. Using James Howe’s book The Misfits, about four friends who are teased about being overweight, being too tall, too smart and another about being ‘gay,’ as inspiration GLSEN introduced the nation’s middle schools to “No Name Calling Week.” Mr. Howe is best known for his children’s books Bunnicula (and the series that followed) and Howliday Inn. Before writing The Misfits and its sequel Totally Joe, Mr. Howe announced he was homosexual. This announcement destroyed his family.

This week is GLSEN’s “No Name Calling Week” (NNCW). It does sound benign, but a closer look reveals something else. Here’s their list of partners, supporters and allies including Planned Parenthood, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, COLAGE (Children of Lesbian and Gays Everywhere), National Education Association and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), but especially note the educational organizations that have partnered with GLSEN!

Click here for information on their lesson plans and, as you will see, NNCW has expanded beyond middle school to K-12. Check the lessons plans and the amount of class time recommended for each lesson by clicking on the “More Info” box on the lesson plan pages. Why are our tax dollars – we pay for the school day – being used for these lessons? Click here for GLSEN’s homepage. Check this website out thoroughly; you will see how well organized they are to get the message out to our kids that ‘gay is okay.’ Scroll clear to the bottom of their homepage for a list of their sponsors to see where they get some of their funding.

Okay, I think folks are supposed to be upset with this action alert. As to why, I don't know. The organization doesn't really say why No Name-Calling Week is a bad idea. But it does provide links for anyone wanting more material about the event.

However, where the American Family Association of Pennsylvania failed, our favorite anti-gay activist, Peter LaBarbera succeeds . . . then again, no he doesn't.

Grocery Store Finds Gay Parenting Magazine Cover Too Offensive For Kids - You gotta be #!@&!@ KIDDING ME!!!!This had BETTER be a hoax. Click on the link to complain directly to Harp's

House of Mercy Holds Ground, Gay Pastor Stands Up - A homeless shelter kicks out two women it suspects of being gay. What would Jesus do, indeed?

Perkins uses his missionary position to knock 'unhealthy and destructive' millions - I've just featured two incidents where reducing the lgbt community to imaginary fears about "gay sex" hurts people. And here comes Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council pushing that same nonsensical junk.

Manchester gay bar sparks row over straight-only job advert - Unbelievable case of gay against gay discrimination overseas.

Religious right want Congressional hearing on DADT repeal

While certain members of the religious right consoled themselves during President Obama's mention of the DADT repeal last night by tweeting ugly messages, the American Family Association's One News Now seems to be taking a different offensive line of attack:

A member of the House Armed Services Committee believes the new Congress will hold hearings on the consequences that could result from repealing the ban on homosexual military service.

Many opponents of the repeal say the hearings should have taken place last year, before the bill was rammed through for political motives that could have serious consequences on troop morale and unit cohesion.

South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Military Personnel Subcommittee, intends to conduct oversight on the issue.

"My real view on this is one of privacy," he explains. "To me, persons who are serving in the military should respect each other's privacy."

Of course One News Now, in its attention to omitting details not suitable to the spin it's trying to push, ignores the fact that hearings did take place, including one where a certain phony military expert got her, shall we say, butt handed to her.

And then there was the survey released last year which revealed that the majority of the troops have no problem with gays serving openly in the military.

So this whine about the DADT repealed being "rammed through" is mere phraseology designed to obscure and obfusticate.

However should there be a hearing, I am curious as to whose expert testimony will be called.

Will it be Robert Knight of Coral Ridge Ministries who has spoken out against pro-lgbt legislation in front Congress before. Will he cite the research of the discredited Paul Cameron this time?

Will it be Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel, who waxed last night about soldiers being "felt up" in foxholes?

Or maybe Peter Sprigg or Tony Perkins of the anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council. I'm sure their testimony about the lgbt community would be credible.

Maybe Sprigg will talk about deporting gays again.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Religious right having gay sex fantasies even during Obama's SOTU address

Even during President Obama's State of the Union adddress, some members of the religious right are obsessed with gay sex. Witness the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber's tasteless comment regarding mentioning of the repeal of DADT:

Naturally I had to give Barber a retort to remind him that he should at least show a little respect during the solemnity of a State of the Union address:

The hilarious part is that Barber is claiming that his comment garnered some anger. No anger here. Just amusement over the fact that yet again those who claim to be standing for "values" have the nastiest imaginations.

Cheer up, Matt. When you fail as a Christian, anti-gay activist, you obviously have a future writing porno films.

Heads up to my Facebook pal Richard Roppa for his help in capturing the tweets.

Bradley Manning situation exposes wanton homophobia of those on the right

At the center of last year's Wikileaks controversy (which is still ongoing) was a solider by the name of Bradley Manning.

It was speculated that Manning provided Wikileaks the classified information it put out.

There was one more about Manning which you should know. He is gay.

This little fact got many members of the right extremely giddy as they attempted to make Manning the poster child of why Don't Ask, Don't Tell shouldn't be repealed. Many of them, especially the religious right, presented Manning as a "radical angry homosexual" who, when he was not considering sexual reassignment surgery (an untrue claim), was striking at the military for its anti-gay policy:

It turns out that Manning is an extreme homosexual activist, whose fury over the services' homosexual policy may have led him to publicize highly classified documents about the wars. According to the U.K.'s Telegraph, Manning has an extensive history of campaigning for gay, lesbian, and transgendered causes and sources say he may have even been considering a sex change when he leaked military secrets on the Internet. - Family Research Council

"The key point -- which is starting to get some more attention now -- is that not only was he openly homosexual, but he bore a grudge against the Army for apparently not letting him be completely open about his perverted sexuality." - Cliff Kincaid, Accuracy in Media

Even if DADT was Manning’s excuse: This isn’t about DADT – this is about an individual who was unfit for military service. Gays served before Clinton introduced DADT (is that what makes liberals so mad? That they have to address that their own party created this legislation therefor compromising their narrative about being so pro-gay rights?) and gays will still serve, regardless the outcome of the ruling. The emotion in the real world doesn’t match the perspective self-importance and no one cares about your sexual orientation. . . The only thing that matters is whether or not you can be stripped down by your commanders, rebuilt, and operate as part of one cohesive unit is strictly prohibited. The military does one thing and they do it well: fight. - Dana Loesch, Big Journalism.

The out-of-the-mainstream media has collaboratively kept the focus on the sex criminal, Julian Assange, and off the guy who has committed actual treason, the homosexual soldier Bradley Manning, who sold out his country in what may turn out to be fit of gay pique. - American Family Association's Bryan Fischer

As much as I hate to rain on the parade of homophobic nonsense (oh who am I kidding), news has just come down from MSNBC that the U.S. military has not been able to link Manning with Wikileaks:

U.S. military officials tell NBC News that investigators have been unable to make any direct connection between a jailed army private suspected with leaking secret documents and Julian Assange, founder of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.

The officials say that while investigators have determined that Manning had allegedly unlawfully downloaded tens of thousands of documents onto his own computer and passed them to an unauthorized person, there is apparently no evidence he passed the files directly to Assange, or had any direct contact with the controversial WikiLeaks figure.

Granted, I am not defending Manning because speculation is still out there in regards to just what happened.

But that is the point. Everything is pure speculation to this point. No one knows what exactly Manning did or why he did it. The only thing that we knew was that he was a possible suspect.

To spin a theory that simply because Manning was gay he leaked secrets in order to attack the military's DADT policy is an irresponsible stretch. And to demonize the lgbts, who have served and continue to serve bravely, for Manning's alleged actions - without even waiting to confirm his guilt - is beyond irresponsible. It's disgusting.

But it's business as usual with these folks. And that's even sadder. Those who bear the standard of decent journalism (Loesch) or the standard of "true Christian values" (Family Research Council, Kincaid, Fischer) should aspire to higher ground rather than to the level of pigs in the mud.

Related posts:

One News Now and Cliff Kincaid demonstrate homophobia, ability to lie

Family Research Council distorts British article in attack on gay soldier

Fox News Channel has a jones for anti-gay hate groups and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Fox News give Tony Perkins yet another free pass - Perfect example of the problem with Fox News. They gave Perkins and the Family Research Council a free platform to lie . . . again.

And let's have more back up on just why the Family Research Council is an anti-gay hate group (Sorry Jeremy, I simply can't let you have ALL of the fun):

Family Research Council defends itself with distorted studies . . . again

Is The Washington Post helping religious right groups lie about hate group designation?

Family Research Council plans to go on tour against the Southern Poverty Law Center

Family Research Council digging itself deeper in the hole in war against hate group label

Irony alert - Family Research Council accuses SPLC of "cherry-picking" science

Southern Poverty Law Center is making wingnut Matt Barber delirious (I just had to include this one. Matt Barber has a habit of googling his name.)

Make no mistake, if any person or group had made some of the outrageous and false charges against African-Americans or Jewish people that FRC makes against lgbts, Fox News wouldn't DARE have them on. Then again . . .

And in other news:

Office of Residence Life to add language to housing policy for transgender students - Excellent news!

House GOP Looks to Overturn Marriage Equality in DC - They lose lawsuits and as I understand it, the majority of DC residents support marriage equality (I guess they haven't been exposed yet to those gays are coming for your children commercials that went over so well in California), but some folks are determined to press on.

Homophobia of Chick Publications should remind lgbt community of how far we've come

With so many much more substantial religious right organizations and leaders to focus on, some may wonder why I am devoting a morning post to craziness of Chick Publications.

Chick Publications is a site pushing comic book stories detailing what happens if you accept God in your life or worse yet, what happens if you don't.

No doubt you have seen these tracts at bus stations or phone booths or were handed to them by some well-meaning individual who are out to "save your soul."

Chick Publications doesn't play favorites. They don't like Catholics, Muslims, evolution, or anything else which does not prescribe to its belief in Christianity.

But it is the subject of lgbts which Chick Publications excel in batshit nonsense. Fred Phelps has nothing on this site when it comes to wild homophobia, such as the latest tract called Uninvited.

Uninvited is about a Christian who administers to AIDS patients. The irony is that while bad information is pushed heavily about AIDS and lgbts are brutally made the scapegoat, the tract didn't have the courage to even mention the word "gay."

A sample is the following:

Trust me when I say you don't want to read any further. Apparently according to Chick, lgbts were the reason why God destroyed the world by flood during Noah's time.

This of course isn't in the Bible, but Chick publications do have a habit of taking dramatic license with the Bible, such as the following scenes which was not present in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah:

I certainly don't mean to drive anyone bonkers with this. I just want to remind people of a few things. The lgbt community has come a long way, haven't we?

A while back, these graphics would be playing to wider and more accepting audiences rather than seen as either campy or sad fodder detailing the ignorance of some folks.

As a matter of fact in the 1980s, a certain wildly known religious right group (Concerned Women for America) actually endorsed some mess like this.

But it is important to remember that while many on the right shy away from the visual excesses of homophobia, they still push the inaccurate ideas behind them, i.e. the belief that homosexuality and pedophilia are linked.

So while the site may not mean to, it provides an excellent view to what some on the right really do think about the lgbt community - even those who lead "proper Christian organizations."

Related post:

Never fear, Chick Publications is here! or What some people really think of gay marriage