Anti-gay talking head who wants to 'recriminalize homosexuality' elected to Michigan legislature

I hate to be the bearer of such news but Gordon Klingenschmitt wasn't the only insane anti-gay spokesperson to win a seat in a statewide legislature:



This is Gary Glenn. He was former head of the Michigan chapter of the American Family Association. He is now a Michigan state legislator. The above video of him telling Christians to ignore court rulings supporting marriage equality should give you an idea where he stands.

And according to Right Wing Watch:

Glenn has denounced efforts to curb anti-LGBT bullying in schools as a “Trojan Horse” plot by “homosexual activists” who want to “segregate students” and suggested that schools ban clubs like the Gay-Straight Alliance for “promoting behavior that [is] self-destructive and harmful to young people.” Instead, Glenn thinks that if schools “truly cared about young people who are ensnared by deviant behavior, they would tell them the truth that homosexuality is harmful and to be avoided.” In previous election cycles, Glenn has attempted to defeat gay Michigan candidates. In a robocall against one gay candidate, he used the word “homosexual” no less than ten times.

 But the main you should know about Glenn is this:

Glenn . . . wants to recriminalize homosexuality, which he says is “a proven threat to public health and safety . . ."

It was that lovely wish which led Glenn and I to clash on my blog in 2010 over not only his belief that homosexuality should be recriminalized,  but his opinion of the so-called "homosexual lifestyle."

 I whipped his ass using information which I later put in my book, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right on Gay America  which you can download from here - (howtheyseeus.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/howthey-see-us-with-index2.pdf )  or  here (https://www.scribd.com/doc/119413856/HowThey-See-Us) - hint! hint! about our potential method of attack when these folks start spilling their lies.

To put it nicely, if I had whipped Glenn any worse with regards to his errors he tried to pass off as truth, he would have volunteered to go out on the street at night to "make me some money."

Generally speaking though, Glenn's and Klingenschmitt's election to their state legislatures promises some interesting times for the lgbt community. Interesting and successful times to demonstrate the need for  lgbt equality if we play it right.

So swallow your shock and anger and get ready for the game.

'Zany anti-gay activist now state legislator' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

If you ask me, a bunch of huge planes flew over America yesterday and sprayed the entire country with poppies and opium. You want proof of that? This guy is now a Colorado state legislator:

Meet 'Dr. Chaps' Gordon Klingenschmitt: Colorado's New Anti-Gay, Demon Hunting State Legislator - Hey, don't get discouraged. Give anti-gay figures room to talk. They always make the case for lgbt equality.

 In other news:

The 2014 midterms - Thank you Jeremy Hooper (the Tully Blanchard to my Arn Anderson. Yes, I am putting the "band" back together ) for your concise and excellent look at last night's . . . thing.  

Maura Healey Becomes First Openly Gay Attorney General In The Country - Oh yeah, this happened. 

 Brittney Griner attacked in China - And unfortunately this. 

 What does Republican Senate takeover mean for LGBT issues? - Lastly, take a breath, brothers and sisters. A setback doesn't mean a loss and when you look at it, last night was not necessarily a setback, although it can set the stage for a potential setback. But that can be averted.

Lgbts shouldn't pull back our demand for equality because of mid-term election results

It's over, done and through like a root canal or a colonoscopy. Amid all of the blaming, finger pointing, weeping, and grinding of teeth, let me remind folks of something:

Yesterday, a judge ruled for marriage equality in Kansas and in South Carolina, it looks like marriage equality will be coming any day now as a federal judge is poised to rule in our favor.

Progress in the arena of marriage equality continues to march forward. Although with this new Republican Senate coupled with the Republican House, I suspect that there will be new roadblocks put in the way via an attempt to push an anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment or pushing an extreme idea of  "religious exemptions" as a bill.

Whatever the case may be, the question I asked yesterday still stands. What is the lgbt community prepared to do? We have the momentum and at least partly knowledgeable of the roadblocks that will try to be put in our way. Sometimes greatness, survival, and immortality comes from how one handles adversity.

Are we going to cower in the corner waiting for the boogieman to come in our house and attack us or are we going to defend what we earned while at the same time planning to get more?

You know where I stand. At the front door with my hair rolled up, one hand on my hip, and the other holding a huge rolling pin.

Bring it on.

Editor's note -  I have a real feeling that the lgbt community will be needing this in the next two years. I say start now. If you are faced with an army who you know will attack, go after them first . For those who want to skip the site and go straight to the booklet, GO HERE:

howtheyseeus.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/howthey-see-us-with-index2.pdf

Get off of your butts and vote

Okay, it's election day, folks and if the prognosticators are to be believed, the Republicans will take over the Senate. With them already the majority in the House, that could spell for bad times ahead for President Obama and the lgbt community.

IF (which is the greatest Laconian answer of all time - look it up) the prognosticators are to be believed.

To tell the truth, though, whatever happens doesn't scare me. I've seen it before. If the Republicans succeed, one can count on various parties overdoing the analysis thing - the religious right will be bragging, Fox News will be lying, and almost everyone will falsely wonder is this the end of the Democratic Party and President Obama's agenda.

If Republicans don't succeed, then I look forward to enjoying many youtube videos of Republicans raging about "voter fraud" or crying over the "future of the country."

Then less than a year from now, something will happen which will cause everything said today to shift to the other direction.

The main thing to remember is your vote is powerful and very symbolic of the fact that in spite of the insanity and craziness today will launch, you are a citizen of this country and you matter.

Also, regardless of what happens, the lgbt community should never get discouraged. With all due respect, if Republicans do get what they want even after you voted, I am not the best person to come crying to. I don't want to hear it. That's not to be completely harsh, but I just want folks to be reminded that what we are achieving isn't supposed to be easy.

No matter who is in office, lgbt equality will not be handed to us. We are going to fight for every inch, every law in every state, and for the lives of every young lgbt who could either change the world for the better or be discouraged from all of the anti-lgbt negativity. Their choice is up to what we do and what attitude we take.

If things don't go how we want it today, then look to it as a setback but not an ending. If you must weep and cry, do it to get it over with and then come out swinging.

One thing that doesn't change regardless of today is that lgbts are on the road to equality (and not just with marriage equality) and once you are on that road, you can't be stopped from reaching your destination. Sure, there are some who can delay but every delay doesn't last that long.

Wait, I was wrong. If you are on the road to equality, you can be stopped from reaching your destination. But the only person who can do the stopping is you, if you choose to give in to discouragement and such.

The question today is what it has always been for the lgbt community. What are you prepared to do? Give in or keep moving forward?

'I Stand Sunday' event was fraudulent misdirection

'I Stand Sunday' was actually an event defending election fraud

The sponsors of last night's 'I Stand Sunday' would have you to believe that the event was simply about defending their freedom of religion against encroachment by an city government.

However, thanks to Carlos Maza of Equality Matters, who analyzed the event, we now know that there was something else going on. According to him, the sponsors and speakers of this "Christian" event was attempting to defend and force through election fraud:

Texas conservatives failed to submit enough valid signatures to put Houston's city-wide non-discrimination ordinance up for a public vote in November. Now those conservatives, led by Fox News, are pressuring the city to accept signatures determined to be improperly collected or otherwise irregular in order to "let the people vote" to repeal the measure.

In August, opponents of Houston's recently enacted Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) reportedly submitted more than the seventeen thousand signatures needed to qualify put the measure on the November ballot. However, upon review of the petition under the City Charter, City Attorney David Feldman determined that thousands of the signatures failed to meet the legal requirements set by local and state law for a voter referendum

 . . .  On November 2, thousands of conservatives met in Houston at the "I Stand Sunday" rally to demand that the city government allow for a public vote on the ordinance, despite the failure of the repeal petition. The event, which was hosted by the anti-gay hate group Family Research Council (FRC), was widely promoted by Fox News and featured speeches from Fox's Todd Starnes and Mike Huckabee.

At the rally, speakers demanded that the city of Houston "let the people vote" on the ordinance, accusing openly gay Mayor Annise Parker of violating the religious liberty of HERO's opponents by refusing to count their improperly collected signatures.

And just how improperly colllected were those signatures? Maza goes into great detail:

The city of Houston declared the signatures in question invalid after several weeks of reviewing the thousands of signatures submitted. City Secretary Anna Russell's published a thorough report on the petition effort, finding that over half of the submitted signatures failed to meet the City Charter's requirements to be considered valid. Pages of signatures were disqualified for being improperly notarized, including signatures collected before the allotted start date, and including unregistered and non-Houston area voters.

 . . .   A public policy analyst helping lead an independent review of the signatures called them a "mess," adding "they are the worst petitions I've ever seen."

In audio captured by TransAdvocate's Cristan Williams, one petition circulator was found illegally gathering signatures on government property and knowingly accepting a signature from an unregistered vote.

So that was the gist of last night. In spite of all of the posturing and great speeches about America's "Christian heritage" and "standing up to persecution," the entire thing was just a puppet show, a performance of histrionics put on by a crowd of ecclesiastical liars for the benefit of a bunch of willfully gullible folks who cling so hard to their Bibles that they refuse to recognize that they are being taken for a bad ride which will only end in an upsetting crash.

Go here for more details, including video of the 'I Stand Sunday' event.

'Top 5 lies told about lgbt non-discrimination laws' & other Monday midday news briefs

A sad lesson to carry away from the 'I Stand Sunday' event:

.@memeographs @BettyBowers Sadly not the first time people have used their kids like this. #IStandSunday pic.twitter.com/QaySY9wjqG
— Matt Algren (@MattAlgren) November 3, 2014

The Top Five Myths About LGBT Non-Discrimination Laws Debunked - This an old piece by Equality Matters but after last night's religious hot mess, it bears repeating and as well as another reading. 

Phil Robertson Helpfully Announces That He Won't 'Take A Leak' In The Women's Restroom - Speaking of which, this idiot's appearance at the event last night made it nightmarishly surreal. I mean we are talking "Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair" surreal. 

Kyrgyzstan's 'Homosexual Propaganda' Law Proposal Sparks Gay Community Fears - Oh good grief! Another country?! 

 Transgender man says police threatened genital search during traffic stop - There is NO excuse for this type of humiliation.

  'We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service To Homosexuals' - Let's talk more about that lovely t-shirt from the above tweet. In fact, let's make people REMEMBER that t-shirt from the above tweet.

Lgbt activists, allies add a bunch of truth to 'I Stand Sunday' event

T-shirt worn by 'I Stand Sunday' supporter. It says "WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO HOMOSEXUALS"

Anti-gay groups led by the Family Research Council held their "I Stand Sunday" event in Houston last night and, as predicted, it was a drag.

Earlier this year, the city of Houston passed an equal right ordinance which included lgbts. Opponents quickly labeled it a "bathroom bill," playing up to fear and ignorance about the transgender community. They also attempted to get enough signatures to force a referendum. However they failed due to many signatures being thrown out because of illegal irregularities.

They then sued the city and in the process of preparing for this lawsuit, the city's lawyers subpoenaed the sermons of pastors who was involved in the petition gathering process.

And that's when the fun began.

 Led by Fox News personality Todd Starnes (who has a history of creating false religious panics), anti-gay groups and their allies blew the situation up into a nationwide freak out, accusing Houston and its mayor, openly gay Annise Parker of attempting to silence or scare Christians, especially pastors.

Mayor Parker said she thought the subpoenas overreached and rescinded them. However, that didn't quell the controversy because once anti-gay groups get a moral panic going, they tend to milk it for all its worth.

The 'I Stand Sunday' event, led by the Family Research Council, included speakers such as Fox News personalities Mike Huckabee and Todd Starnes, reality tv star Phil Robertson from "Duck Dynasty, and a video message from Texas Senator Ted Cruz

However, the message of the event was confusing. One moment speakers were talking about how the so-called religious liberty of Christians were being threatened and in an instant, they would shift to demanding that Houston put the equal rights ordinance to a vote even though they had not legally gathered enough signatures.

All and all, it was a confusing hodge podge of general jingoistic nonsense about America's founding fathers, our so-called Christian heritage, with a few Bible verses and customary red meat speeches thrown in.

To be honest, how lgbts and our allies highjacking the twitter feed of this event was the only true exciting thing to happen. A day before the event, activist Scott Wooledge of Memeographs and several others (disclosure - myself included) used the #IStandSunday hashtag to put out the facts about the Houston controversy as well as a few other facts about the speakers.  Soon, a large scale offensive took place on the #IStandSunday hashtag which ended up probably more interesting than the event itself. Other tweets also included were photos of same-sex couples and their children and pictures from other events held in Houston whose messages served to combat the negativity of the 'I Stand Sunday' event.

The following were some of the tweets:

#IStandSunday for #SundayService #SpreadLove pic.twitter.com/wPhpSsCIJF
— Fran Watson (@franjwatson) November 2, 2014

#IStandSunday pic.twitter.com/v4j86y3VhR
— Liberty (@LibertyS999) November 2, 2014

Anti-Gay Group's #iStandSunday Hashtag Backfires, Becomes Pro-LGBT Campaign On Twitter - http://t.co/E1IxaZyV01
— STOP-Homophobia.com (@WipeHomophobia) November 3, 2014

Every speaker at #IStandSunday warns that their First Amendment rights are being violated. Doesn't this event prove exactly the opposite?
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 3, 2014

Religion is not a blank check for discrimination. We Stand For Love #IStandSunday pic.twitter.com/R9CteQXz5h
— GetEQUAL Texas (@getequal_tx) November 2, 2014

#IStandSunday Speakers don't speak for ordinary Christians; Collective rhetoric is frighteningly extremist. #LGBT http://t.co/CX4apJmjKP
— Scott Wooledge (@Clarknt67) November 2, 2014

#IStandSunday because true Christians don't bear false witness against their lgbt neighbor pic.twitter.com/WW0mCM1ZIc
— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) November 2, 2014

'What folks need to remember about the anti-gay right' & other Friday midday news briefs

Three Days In Nashville Talking To Southern Baptists About Homosexuality - Zack Ford is a better man than me. I understand that these conversations have to take place but geez! 

What most people aren't getting about the fake non-troversies of the anti-gay right - Jeremy Hooper NAILS a point which has constantly been driving me crazy for years (and that is not an exaggeration). We are going to HAVE TO DO BETTER than simply calling the anti-gay right bigots and making jokes about how they are secretly gay. It's like tossing tennis balls at tanks because we are talking about people and groups with intricate, long-term goals to mess us over.

Idaho Governor Vows To Keep Fighting Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Same-Sex Marriage - Hell, Butch (that is his real name), if you want to waste money, you could always cut me a big check.

Tony Perkins: Gay Rights Part Of Population Control Agenda - I just can't with this man . . .

Anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera becomes victim to his double standard

LaBarbera

By now, no doubt, you all are aware that anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera has been detained again in Canada. Earlier this year, he was detained, released, and then arrested for distributing anti-gay and anti- abortion material at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan and not leaving when asked to by campus security.

LaBarebera was returning to Canada for the trial based upon the above incident. This time when he was detained, his computer, laptop, and other materials were searched thoroughly. According to LaBarbera, Calgary Border Service agents confiscated a DVD of a Russian anti-gay documentary entitled Sodom on the grounds that it could be hate propaganda, which is in violation of Canadian law.

Naturally, LaBarbera is milking the incident. In a press release, he raged about the supposed lack of free speech in Canada:

In Canada and across the Western world, laws based on homosexuality-based ‘rights’ have ushered in tyranny against people of faith who affirm historic, Judeo-Christian morality and man-woman marriage. It is outrageous for a major public university to ban opposition speech on this issue in the name of ‘protecting’ students—who should be allowed to hear ALL sides of this, or any, debate. “Today we will see if Canada upholds its professed Charter commitment to free speech and religious freedom. But this much is clear: the Western world’s war against faith and biblical morals in the name of homosexuality and gender confusion (transgenderism) is not a model that many nations across the world want to follow.”

Poor Peter.  I would feel sorry for him, except for a couple of things. One - he pushes some of the most vicious anti-gay lies. Two - he is a hypocrite.

LaBarbera feels that Canada shouldn't have the autonomy to decide its own laws when it comes to free speech. However, he also feels that countries such as Uganda and Jamaica should have the autonomy to persecute lgbts.  In June of this year, he defended these countries and actually spoke against the United States' attempt to stand against anti-lgbt persecution.

According to Right Wing Watch:

VCY America’s flagship radio show “Crosstalk,” Peter LaBarbera expressed outrage over Joe Biden’s recent remarks in support of LGBT rights, accusing the vice president of “neo-imperialism.” LaBarbera, the head of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, defended draconian anti-gay laws in Uganda and Jamaica: “The American government has embraced a neo-imperialism where we arrogantly override the beliefs of countries like Jamaica and Uganda and other countries with the idea that we, America, know what’s best for the world.” 

I'm sure that if he is ever questioned on his lack of consistency with regards to foreign laws, LaBarbera will think up a good excuse to explain away his double standard. In his mind, at least.

But the bottom line is all about that old adage of "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."

If LaBarbera is all about defending the autonomy of foreign countries to persecute their own gay citizens, then he should show that same support of foreign countries deciding their own laws regarding free speech. Even if the latter demands that he is to be punished for violation of those laws.

Fox News is the propaganda arm of anti-gay right in Houston controversy

Todd Starnes began the lies about Houston subpoenas

I made a prediction a while back about Fox News becoming the network where anti-gay spokespeople can repeat their lies without courtesy of correction. However, based upon the recent pseudo controversy involving subpoenas in Houston, the situation is worse than I could ever imagine. Several personalities on the network are exploiting their roles as news figures to become part of the story by not being accurate and then directing audience members to courses of action.

According to Carlos Maza at  Media Matters:

Fox News helped turn a bogus story about subpoenas sent to a handful of Houston pastors into a national rallying cry for religious liberty. Now the network is helping promote an event that will pit some of the country's most extreme anti-LGBT voices against the city's nondiscrimination ordinance.

In May, the city of Houston made history by enacting the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), a measure that prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and several other categories. The ordinance was championed by the city's first openly gay mayor, Democrat Annise Parker.

Opponents of HERO -- led by the Houston Area Pastor Council -- responded by launching an effort to put a repeal of the ordinance on the ballot in November. Their campaign peddled the myth that HERO would allow men and sexual predators to enter women's restrooms -- a myth that was widely circulated by local media. Though opponents submitted the required number of signatures to put the repeal on the ballot, City Attorney Dave Feldman determined that many of the signatures were collected improperly, and the city announced that not enough valid signatures had been collected.

Opponents quickly filed a lawsuit to have the signatures reviewed, prompting the city to respond by issuing subpoenas to five local pastors for a broad range of documents -- including sermons and personal communications -- related to their opposition to HERO.

On October 14, Fox News reporter and serial misinformer Todd Starnes broke the news of the subpoenas, misleadingly characterizing them as an "attempt to deconstruct religious liberty" and describing HERO as a "bathroom bill." Starnes' report relied heavily on spin from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the extreme right-wing legal group representing the pastors in their effort to quash the subpoenas. ADF attorney Christina Holcomb called the subpoenas "an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of [the city's] actions."

Before long, Starnes' report made the jump to Fox News' airwaves. On October 15, Starnes appeared on The Kelly File to discuss the story, describing HERO as a measure that would let "men who identify as women" to use women's restrooms.

 Starnes' appearance was followed by a barrage of misleading segments about the story, all of which depicted the subpoenas as an attack on religious liberty. Multiple Fox personalities incorrectly described the subpoenas as part of the enforcement of HERO, suggesting that the ordinance might criminalize anti-gay speech. Others repeated Starnes' lie that HERO would allow men to use women's restrooms. By the end of the week, in just three days of coverage, Fox had spent nearly thirty minutes of airtime peddling its Houston horror story

Fox's panicked coverage was grossly misleading and left out crucial details about the anti-HERO lawsuit. But it worked perfectly as a right-wing horror story about Christians being victimized by a city's attempt to protect LGBT people.

Soon, Houston had become -- as one Fox anchor put it -- "ground zero for religious liberty." Conservative media outlets quickly regurgitated the victimization spin from Starnes and ADF. Conservative groups -- led by the notorious anti-gay hate group the Family Research Council (FRC) -- began organizing "I Stand Sunday," a November 2 rally in Houston to support the pastors who had been "unduly intimidated by the city's Mayor."

In a press conference on October 15, Parker clarified that she had not seen the subpoenas before they were filed, explaining that they were drafted by outside counsel. She also agreed that the language of the subpoenas -- which asked for any materials relating to the pastors' teaching on homosexuality and gender identity -- was overly broad. Days later, the city narrowed the scope of the subpoenas to only materials directly related to the anti-HERO effort.

Huckabee exploited the lie to raise his profile.

But it was too late to stop the tidal wave of conservative outrage birthed by Fox's misleading coverage. Starnes immediately decried the amended subpoenas. During the October 20 edition of his Fox News program, long-time HERO opponent Mike Huckabee urged his audience to bombard Parker's office with Bibles and copies of sermons. The address for Parker's office was displayed on screen, and hundreds of his supporters obeyed his request.

  . . . Later that afternoon, Parker announced that the city had withdrawn its subpoenas of the five pastors. At a press conference, Parker explained that she wanted to avoid having a "national debate about freedom of religion"

 . . .  The move hasn't appeased HERO's Fox News critics. In a report on the subpoenas' withdrawal, Starnes urged his readers to still attend the "I Stand Sunday" rally and advocated for a public vote to repeal the ordinance. During the October 30 edition of Fox & Friends, Huckabee took credit for Parker's reversal and once again took aim at HERO -- which co-host Anna Kooiman described as allowing "40-year-old men to share restrooms with a fourth-grade girl"

You can go to the Media Matters site to read the rest of the story as well as see video footage. But the main thing is that the lgbt community should be forewarned. Fox News did not present this story as a debate between two sides. This was a full-fledged campaign of lies and deceptions buoyed by folks who don't have a problem with lying in God's name and helped by their employer - a network with no accountability or ethics.

If they can raise this much hell and tell these many lies involving this situation, just imagine what Huckabee, Starnes, and the rest can do in any other lgbt equality fight.

We got an enemy in Fox News and the lgbt community had better not take it lightly.

'Poll - Most Americans oppose religious exemptions in hiring practices ' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Most Americans Say Employers Should Never Discriminate, Even on Religious Grounds, According to Latest Harris/Out & Equal Poll - How long will it be before the religious right whine about a "skewed survey?" Or maybe they will just ignore it. Let's not let them ignore it. 
 
 Apple CEO Tim Cook comes out: “I’m proud to be gay” - By the way, THIS happened.  

Russian Official Says Apple CEO Should Be Banned From Russia After Saying He Is Gay - And Russia is ever so pissed about it. 
 

Turek: States Should Defend The Institution Of Marriage Just Like The South Defended Slavery - Why not? Slavery is now seen as a hideous blight in American history. And hopefully soon, marriage discrimination will follow that path. 
 
Woman's Day Magazine Features Groundbreaking Article About Transgender Family - Niiiice!!!!

 It's About Time Someone Other Than Straight White Males Got To Be Superheroes - Ya damn skippy!

Gay marriage will soon lead to adult-child marriage?

You want to know one of the reasons why the anti-gay right is losing the battle over marriage equality. They can't formulate new arguments. It's the same crap over and over again. This time its Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Action on Voice of Christian Youth America’s “In Focus” talk show with host Jim Schneider. Imagine saying this junk in a courtroom:

 Editor's note - this post initially has the wrong video spotlighted. It has been corrected.

Houston mayor withdraws subpoenas, anti-gay groups will carry on with false victim rally

Parlker

Houston mayor Annise Parker just took the wind out of the religious right boat  S.S. We Are Being Persecuted.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday the city is withdrawing subpoenas sent to pastors who led opposition to the city’s Equal Rights Ordinance.

Attorneys for the city came under fire from right-wing groups after they subpoenaed the pastors’ sermons as part the city’s defense of a lawsuit aimed at repealing the ordinance.

In response to the backlash, Parker directed the attorneys to remove the reference to “sermons” from the subpoenas. But on Wednesday, the mayor went a step further, withdrawing the subpoenas entirely. Parker said she made the decision to withdraw the subpoenas after meeting with two groups of pastors on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

“It is extremely important to me to protect our equal rights ordinance from repeal,” Parker said at a press conference Wednesday. “We believe we can vigorously defend the city of Houston in this petition and that we can do it without the subpoenas.”

Parker was not aware of the original subpoenas but bore the brunt of the backlash. Amongst other things, including ugly references to her lesbian sexual orientation,  her office was inundated with 100 to 500 Bibles.  Parker said she will donate the Bibles.

Unfortunately, I doubt this move will stop any momentum the religious right is hoping to milk from the fracas. Several groups, led by the Family Research Council, will be holding a rally on Sunday entitled I Stand Sunday.

But just like Parker intends to make the most of the Bibles sent to her,  I plan to make the most of the rally by conveniently highjacking the twitter tag #IStandSunday to post some truths about the religious right, especially the link to my booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.

'Porno Pete LaBarbera detained in Canada for hate propaganda (again)' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

CANADA: Porno Pete Detained Again - Oh looky. Porno Pete LaBarbera went to Canada again and got detained again for hate propaganda. No doubt he whines about not having free speech in Canada. How ironic that he thinks that the United States shouldn't meddle in the affairs of countries which have vicious anti-gay laws.  

No Masks Allowed: Dating When Your Teen Is Transgender - Awesome post 

What the heck is 'NOM Victory Fund'? - NOM is spending money again. .

Lewiston becomes 9th Idaho city to approve LGBT protections - Sweet! Way to go, Lewiston!

Stephen Colbert rips Rep. Louie Gohmert for homophobic comments about gays in the military

Recently, Congressman Louie Gohmert made an absolutely stupid comment that gays shouldn't serve in the military because massages would make them susceptible to terrorists. I really wish I was making that up. Anyway, comedian Stephen Colbert gives Gohmert the verbal skewering he deserves for making such an inane comment:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook

'Southern Baptist Convention practice its homophobic schizophrenia in public' & other Tuesday afternoon news briefs

Even as I speak, probably the one of the most schizophrenic event in American Christiandom is taking place - the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention is having a conference. This is when Southern Baptists get together and proclaim "we have been too mean to homosexuals even though they are sinners who can change but will go to hell if they don't,"

This means you will see positive things like this:

Another evangelical leader comes out against so-called reparative therapy

coupled with awful mess like this:

 Watch This ADF Attorney Call Matthew Shepard’s Murder A Hate Crime Hoax

Now if you want to read the lowdown on the first day of this hot mess of an event, check out Jeremy Hooper's post:

 Looking at Day One of the Southern Baptist's anti-LGBT conference

In other news:

 Apple CEO Tim Cook challenges home state of Alabama on LGBT rights - Good for him!

 Report: Conservative Who Called For Secession, New Anti-Gay Country Named Reagan Gets Fired - Nelson Muntz from 'The Simpsons' says it best: "HA! HA!"

Robert Oscar Lopez: Gay Parents Put Kids At Risk By Encouraging Them To 'Dabble In That World' - This is the SAME Robert Oscar Lopez who throws a bitchy tantrum when we call him out for saying junk like this.

SC anti-gay activist acknowledges that marriage equality will come to the Palmetto State

Oran Smith of the Palmetto Family Council (center) celebrates in 2004 with SC state legislators when the state legislature introduced anti-marriage equality bill which was passed two years later via referendum. Smith is singing a sadder tune now.

It's hard to believe but in my eight years of blogging, I don't think I have ever written a lot of posts on the anti-gay religious right group in my state of South Carolina, the Palmetto Family Council.

This is probably because the council is a low-key, ineffective organization which takes for granted the fact that it is located in a Bible Belt state.

The lgbt community and the Palmetto Family Council generally don't grapple over equality issues, except for in 2006 when the organization successfully led the charge to pass a statewide anti-marriage equality amendment.

However, this success was not necessarily due to anything done by the Palmetto Family Council, but the momentum against marriage equality back then. And as that momentum shifts in the favor of marriage equality, it turns out that the Palmetto Family Council is already accepting the inevitable outcome that marriage equality will come to the Palmetto State.

In a recent interview with the fake news site, One News Now, Palmetto Family Council president Oran Smith acknowledged this:

"[Alan Wilson] asked the state Supreme Court to rule on whether that was proper for two or three probate judges to be giving out these marriage licenses or taking applications, and the court responded to him that no -- it was not appropriate," Smith reports. "We don't have a final decision from the federal courts, so they were restrained from doing that and stopped issuing the licenses and the applications."

South Carolina is in the fourth federal Court of Appeals district to invalidate marriage amendments, so the final ruling is expected soon.

"I think South Carolina, like all the rest, will bow to that decision," the family advocate laments. "And we're then probably stuck with gay marriage in South Carolina until we have some other further progress in some other way," such as federal court decisions in Louisiana and Puerto Rico upholding one man/one woman marriage in the cases that are making their way through the circuit courts to the Supreme Court. That is, if the nation's high court decides to hear those cases.

Sorry Oran, but I think you've lost this one. Get over it.

Photo taken from the Palmetto Family Council's webpage. Take a gander at the link to see the arguments the organization used against marriage equality. And try not to bash yourself over the head while repeatedly muttering, "I can't believe they got this through the legislature with those slack-assed arguments.

'Incident underscores need for talk about homophobia in black community' & other Monday midday news briefs

How the Morehouse Football Team ruined Dear White People and proved its point - From the author of this piece - 

"I want you to imagine yourself in a dark room with a hundred physically fit men rooting for a hate crime to be perpetrated against a gay man. It was terrifying. It was horrifying. It was depressing. Can you imagine what a kid on that team who was gay would have felt?" 

And what's worse, the gay guy was black and the guy punching him was a white racist. In the words of Samuel Jackson: "this here is some repugnant @#&!" 

Audio: Brian Brown advocates on behalf of pro-equality Democrat, destruction of his own party - Definite sign of the Second Coming of Jesus.  

Top Methodist Court Officially Reinstates Pastor Defrocked For Officiating Son’s Gay Wedding - Awesome news!  

Westboro Baptist Church Files Federal Motion To Defend Anti-Gay Marriage Ban - Oh yeah. THAT will help their case.

Anti-gay activist Robert Oscar Lopez is furious to be called out on his homophobic statements

Lopez

How do you know that you've gotten the religious right's attention?

When they publicly lie about you.

Unfortunately I am not the subject of that riddle.

 Robert Oscar Lopez is a foul individuals who claims to have been raised in a same-sex household. But he spends so much time denigrating that household and other same-sex households in such ugly fashion that he has caught a lot of attention from folks on our side of the spectrum.

Needless to say, he is not happy over it. In a piece published on the anti-gay BarbWire, he takes specific attack at lgbt groups which he claims distorts his point of view:

Read this about Paul Singer. He gave millions to the Human Rights Campaign to launch their global media initiative. The HRC then used the money to pay character assassins, formed on the mold of Jeremy Hooper (mastermind of GLAAD’s infamous Orwellian Commentator Accountability Project). The HRC had people working full-time scouring everything I’ve written or said, in order to smear me. Why? Because Paul Singer’s son is gay and I am a bisexual son of lesbians with a story that undermines the consensus on same-sex parenting, which in turn undermines the case for same-sex marriage.

So I must be destroyed by Paul Singer, with the help of the horrible Human Rights Campaign. Unsuccessful at finding real dirt on me, the HRC, Jeremy Hooper, and GLAAD had to resort to filthy slander. First, financing an artist to draw a sketch of me, caricaturing my face as a wanted criminal. Then, they resorted to lifting endless quotations from my blog that were so out-of-context, they were essentially slanderous misquotes.

Pathetic. First of all, Lopez has GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project mixed up with Human Rights Campaign's The Export of Hate report.  The purpose of both projects is not to silence or intimidate folks but to educate on statements made by anti-gay activists

And both are accurate. 

The anti-gay religious right has been running a bad con game on America

The idea forged by religious right groups that this so-called cultural war is an onslaught on Christian values by an aggressive gay community is a big lie. But it has always had traction because of the aggressive pushing by these groups and the laziness of the American media.

All one has to do is remember history in order to refute the charges of religious right groups that gays hate Christians or gays are pushing to force people to accept their supposed"lifestyle."

If anything, gays have been fighting to keep from being thrown off the proverbial cliff by the onslaught of homophobic propaganda and junk science hurled at them for over two and a half decades.

Junk like these images were perpetuated in the 80s with the help of discredited science:

The irony is that many of these images mirror the ones put out today by religious right groups:

 And far be it from me to forget religious right "social science" about the gay community which claims that homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle fraught with disease, despair, and untimely death. Religious right groups repeat it ad naseum and many take it as fact. That's only because they are not aware of the hoops religious right groups jump through to create these "social science facts," i.e. the history of rebukes and complaints they have received from the scientific community such as:

National Institute of Health director Francis Collins, who called out religious right groups for falsely claiming that he stated sexual orientation is not hardwired by DNA.

Six researchers of a 1997 Canadian study (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. Shaughnessy, Julio Montaner, and Martin T. Schehter), who complained in 2001 that religious right groups were distorting their work to claim that gay men have a short life span.

The authors of the book Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States (Professors Richard J. Wolitski, Ron Stall, and Ronald O. Valdiserri), who complained that their work was being distorted by Focus on the Family.

University College London professor Michael King, who complained that the American Family Association was distorting his work on depression and suicide in LGBT individuals.

University of Utah professor Lisa Diamond, who complained that religious right groups distorted her research on sexual orientation.

Dr. Kyle Pruett, Ph.D., a professor of child psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, who has also complained that Focus on the Family distorted his work.

Dr. Robert Spitzer, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, who has consistently complained that religious right groups distorted his study to claim that the LGBT orientation is easily changeable. In 2012, Spitzer apologized to the gay community for the original study which religious right groups were distorting.

 Judith Stacey, Professor of Sociology at New York University, who has had to, on more than one occasion, cry foul over how religious right groups distorted her work on LGBT families.

Greg Remafedi, Professor  at the University of Minnesota, who has complained several times about how religious right groups have distorted his work.

Here is the serious problem I have - while the media goes gaga and the lgbt community plays defense over the latest phony moral outrage that religious right groups have drudged up, the truths of this entire so-called culture war have been obscured for an obscenely numerous number of years.

And the main truth is this - the lgbt community have never sought to harm Christians or supposed traditional values. Heck, some of us embrace the Christian religion.  It  has been religious right groups (not lgbts and definitely not any individuals who embrace the Christian religion)  who have been doing the aggressive defaming, demonizing, and humiliating for all of these years.

Religious right groups claim to act against lgbt equality because of their belief in traditional morality. But apparently this "morality" includes lying, bearing false witness, and cherry-picking social science at their leisure.

But here is the saddest truth of them all - they are rarely called out for it on a scale so large that it would make them acknowledge the evil they have done.

And I doubt that they ever will be.

Related:

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - the webpage

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America- the Scribd site