Family Research Council gets HAMMERED for lies told in anti-marriage equality video

In this wonderful video, writer, reporter, and video producer Matt Baume takes down all of the distortions contained in a new Family Research Council video speaking against marriage equality. It should be required viewing and demonstrates just what is the problem with American broadcast media these days - too many lazy pundits hogging up the air and not enough talented folks like Baume (who actually do the digging and the grunt work) getting the attention they deserve:

Hat tip to Joe Jervis.

'Dan Savage knocks down religious right's 'gay friend' meme' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Dan Savage

Dan Savage: Why would Santorum and Huckabee’s ‘imaginary gay friends’ invite them to their wedding? - Thank you Dan Savage for pointing this out. Every time I hear someone try to make up for homophobic statements by citing their so-called "gay friend," I say "yeah, right!" 

NBC News To Air 2-Part 'Transgender Kids' Special - Kudos to NBC for doing this.  

Fox News Distraught That Children Are Learning That Transgender People Exist - Because we have some NASTY SOBs out there deliberately putting out bad information. 

  The anti-gay right can't run forever from its history of bigotry - Reiterating this morning's post. You don't spend YEARS dehumanzing lgbt people and then suddenly claim that we are bullying you.

Assembly Rejects Controversial Transgender Bathroom Bill - The folks who fought to defeat this deserve a HUGE round of applause.

 Legendary Activists in the Fight Against HIV - Speaking of folks deserving HUGE rounds of applause.

The anti-gay right can't run forever from its history of bigotry

The anti-gay right wants us to forget this image of the lgbt community they once pushed on a heavy scale.

As a gay man, I admit that I am enthused and encouraged by what I see as a more lgbt-inclusive American society.

While we still have some kinks to work on and straighten out, I am happy with our progress. Just a decade ago, we wouldn't be talking about lgbt issues as openly as we are now. We have more public figures who are out from the get-go, rather than coming out after long rumors and speculation. And marriage equality is closer to becoming a 50-state reality sooner than some of us ever realized (fingers crossed).

But I am nagged by something which is figuratively poking me in the back of the head with the urgency of a classmate eager to annoy the hell out of me.

There is a brazenly dishonest new tactic emanating from the anti-gay right which must be called out on a larger scale. That lie is the idea that somehow the progression of marriage equality and popularity of the lgbt community is suddenly making them isolated and derided for supposedly simply stating their opinions. Suddenly the lgbt community is being portrayed as bullies seeking to shut anti-gay figures down and deride them for speaking against marriage equality and lgbt equality. It's a skilled talking point helped along by think tank finances, intellectuals paid by these finances, and a "news" network  which mistakes omitted information, one-sided interviews, and sloppy (probably in some cases deliberately sloppy) journalism as conservative opinion and ideology.

And the award for the anti-gay activist making the least sense about opposition to marriage equality goes to . . .

I talked about this travesty today in which anti-gay activist Judge Roy Moore was given a civil rights award from a black organization ( The Coalition of African-American Pastors, is a known astroturfed group of National Organization for Marriage stooges) for his opposition to marriage equality. The crowning glory of this farce is when Moore and the head of CAAP, William Owens, attempt to explain what is wrong with marriage equality.

I don't think I should even bother answer Owens's last statement, except to say I don't do that sort of thing. It sounds dangerous.(speaking strictly with tongue in cheek, of course)

'Anti-gay activist compares marriage equality to segregation' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Roy Moore

Justice Roy Moore compares marriage equality to segregation as he accepts civil rights award - There are NO words vulgar enough for me to express my absolute nausea and disgust over this. By the way, the group giving Moore this award, The Coalition of African-American Pastors, is a known astroturfed group of National Organization for Marriage stooges. 

Roy Moore Compares Anti-Gay Fight To Resisting Slavery & Segregation - Video footage of the insanity.  

Perkins: Obama 'Has Endangered Our Country And Our Future' By Supporting Marriage Equality - Oh yeah. That will play REAL good in front of the Supreme Court. 

 Adoption 'Conscience Protection' Tabled In Senate - Not the end of this vile anti-gay adoption junk but a good beginning to the end. 

 Anti-Gay Attorney Gene Schaerr Thinks Gay Marriage Will Lead To 900,000 Abortions: VIDEO - That noise you are hearing is the bottom of the barrel being scraped when it comes to reasons to oppose marriage equality. How long will it be before the rest of the anti-gay right repeats this lie?  

Religious Leaders On Same-Sex Marriage: “No One View Speaks For ‘Religion’” - AMEN! Thank you for not allowing the anti-gay evangelical right to bogart the discussion. 

 Irish Kids Encourage Citizens To Vote 'Yes' On Marriage Equality Referendum - Wonderful video which lets you know that while adults have gone crazy, the children are alright because they "get it."

NOM bringing pastor behind 'I'm not gay no more' debacle to its upcoming march

As many of you may or not know, the National Organization for Marriage will be hold another #march4marriage this Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Observers are already noting this march will probably be as disastrous as NOM's #march4marriage last year. However, that's not to say the organization doesn't have minor celebrities in attendance.

According to Jeremy Hooper, this man will be speaking at the march:

And just who is Rev. Brandon Porter, you ask? Why he is the pastor who "laid his hands" on a young man and supposedly "cured" him of his homosexuality. In fact, we happen to have the video right here:



By the way, the young man in the video, Andrew Caldwell,  has said he is still gay.  One can only hope that Porter brings as much success to NOM's march as he did in "delivering" Caldwell from "homosexuality."

'Republicans declaring legislative war on the lgbt community' & other Monday midday news briefs

The Fight for LGBT Equality is Not Over - According to this article in The American Prospect, Republican lawmakers have introduced over 100 pieces of anti-lgbt legislation in 29 states. They never know the meaning of the phrase "overdoing it."

California Ballot Initiative Would Pay People A $4,000 Bounty For Policing Transgender Bathroom Use - A bounty? What is this? Pro-wrestling?

 Maggie Gallagher won't toast you while you trap your spouse in sin - Excuse me? What self-respect same-sex couple would invite Maggie Gallagher to their wedding? As evil as that woman is, I wouldn't invite her to stand on my front yard. 

Anti-gay right owes Mayor Annise Parker, city of Houston an apology - From this morning. It would be a HUGE mistake for the lgbt community to allow the anti-gay right off the hook with regards to this. 

Arkansas Pastors Say Protecting Christian Tourism Trumps Protecting Local LGBT Residents - Another example of the ignorant idea that the lgbt orientation and Christian beliefs do not mingle. It does, particularly in the black church (yes, I said it).

  James Dobson Does Not Understand Bisexuality: 'That's Orgies!' - This is so gross for two reasons -1. Dobson doesn't understand bisexuality. 2. He DOES understand orgies. Ewwwww! I need a mental wish to get that picture out of my head.

Anti-gay right owes Mayor Annise Parker, city of Houston an apology

Dear Mike Huckabee, Todd Starnes, Phil Robertson, Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, Fox News, and assorted conservative & religious right figures,

By now you have all heard the decision coming down in Houston regarding HERO, the trans-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance. The judge has decided that those seeking a referendum against the ordinance did not gain enough signatures to force the issue.

And that being said, you all owe the city of Houston and particularly Mayor Annise Parker a public apology.

Granted, I am not naive. I know one is not forthcoming. The purpose of this letter is not to appeal to either your morality or integrity. It is merely to show how you all are lacking in both. It was bad enough that you helped to weave false stories of male predators attacking women in changing rooms, restrooms, and locker rooms because of this ordinance. You all have told this lie so many times, the lgbt community is almost (and unfortunately) becoming desensitized to it.

Breaking - Judge hands Houston a huge victory & the religious right a huge kick in the butt

Mike Huckabee and a lot of other folks have a bunch of egg on their faces tonight.

Excellent news out of Houston which means that a trans-inclusive equality ordinance wins and the religious right suffers a huge embarrassment.

From The Houston Chronicle:

Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials' decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer.

After separate rulings from both a jury and state District Judge Robert Schaffer, attorneys for both sides entered dueling counts of the valid signatures, adding and subtracting voters as Schaffer responded to motions. By early this week, the counts were closer together than ever before, fewer than 1,000 signatures apart.

Ultimately, Schaffer on Friday ruled the final count of valid signatures was 16,684, leaving opponents short of the threshold required in the city charter of 17,249 signatures, or 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last mayoral election.

Last year,  the Houston City Council passed a transgender inclusive equality rights ordinance (HERO). Opponents of the ordinance rallied in August and claimed to have gathered more than enough signatures to force a referendum. However, according to city, the signatures contained many errors and taking this into account, a lot of them were disqualified, thereby meaning that HERO opponents had failed in their attempt.  In addition, there were accusations that they were engaging in underhanded tactics to gain signatures. 

Faced with this defeat, the HERO opponents sued the city of Houston, claiming that they did in fact get enough signatures.

'Why is the Family Research Council 'reediting' their public prayers to God?' & other Friday midday news briefs

WHOA: FRC 'reediting' all those heinous fasting-for-marriage prayers I've been showing you!! - I've never heard of such a thing. Taking the time to lodge public prayers to God to stop marriage equality and then "re-editing" them? What's the point? Obviously these prayers were not for God's consumption or the Family Research Council wouldn't care if they appeared too extreme or homophobic. 

Anti-Gay Activists Vow To Repeal Marriage Equality Laws Across The Country If They Win At SCOTUS - Well duh. They are going to try this even if they lose (and I hope they do lose). An interesting about this piece is that it shows the hypocrisy of the anti-marriage equality crowd. They will work to repeal marriage equality laws even if people in certain states voted FOR these laws. So much for "let the people vote" or "let the states decide."  

Ten Novel, Absurd, And Irrelevant Arguments Made In Supreme Court Briefs Against Marriage Equality - More false data, more junk science, more idiocy. The anti-marriage equality crowd is getting desperate.  

Anti-gay leader Mat Staver spins outrageous lie about gays costing government billions - Reiterating this morning's post because the media should pay as much attention to anti-gay lies as they do when anti-gay groups spin memes of "anti-Christian" persecution.

  C-Fam 'Mission' in Africa: Spreading Anti-Family Planning, Anti-Gay Gospel - And speaking of persecution . . .

Anti-gay leader Mat Staver spins outrageous lie about gays costing government billions

Mat Staver

One thing which is sad about this so-called cultural war is how anti-gay group leaders can say some of the most outrageous things about the lgbt community without them or anyone else batting an eye.

These folks, who are supposed to stand for morals and values, freely spin lies so outrageous that one can only wonder what values do they actually believe. Case in point is Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel claiming that homosexuality costs government billions of dollars:

“Same-sex marriage leads to the devaluation of both a mother and a father, who each provide a unique contribution to the family,” Staver said. “Studies estimate that over the course of 26 years, our government spent more than $225 billion that could be directly attributed to the breakdown of the family culture and its resulting social consequences.”

Of course Staver won't reveal just what these studies he alluded to are or where he found them because no one is going to bother to ask him about it. Just like no one bothered to confront him about the lie he told to a Congressional committee last year regarding his support of Russia's anti-gay laws.

#TBT (1960s) - Police officer lectures children on what happens if he 'catches' them 'being homosexual'

From time to time, I like to look at old negative footage regarding the lgbt community to give myself perspective. And to remind myself that progress happens, no matter how slow we think it is taking place.

I wish the above video was a joke, but it's not. It is a snippet of an actual lecture in the 1960s of a police officer threatening school children with jail if he finds out they are gay. It's a reminder of how far we have come.

Because I swear if I had a child and he or she came home and told me that a police officer did this, I would put a knot on that officer's head so tall, it would have snow growing at the top:

'Meet anti-gay powerhouse group behind 'religious freedom' law push' & other Thursday midday news briefs

How An Extreme Anti-LGBT Legal Powerhouse Is Working To Enact "Religious Freedom" Laws - The Alliance Defending Freedom is a $39 million a year organization working hard to enact statewide anti-gay "religious freedom" laws. It has deep connections with other anti-gay groups and deep connections with members of various state legislators. And that's not counting the receptive relationship it has cultivated with Fox News. Now in spite of all of this, the lgbt community can defeat its nefarious efforts but that ain't gonna happen with merely putting offensively funny statements on facebook, useless one-note "direct action" tactics, and ridiculous squabbles about "Gay, Inc." We defeat this group by educating the public about its immoral tactics and lies to the public. But first we need to educate ourselves. In The Art of War, Chinese general Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. . . .” So ask yourselves, just how much do you know about the enemies of lgbt equality other than simply labeling them as "bigots?"

Ted Cruz Asks Pastors To Preach And Pray Against Gay Marriage Ahead Of SCOTUS Arguments - Sorry, Teddy. I can assure you that MY pastor will be preaching about more important things. Not all Christians follow in lockstep of your nonsense.  

100 Prominent Catholics Place Full-Page Ad Asking Pope To Remove Anti-Gay San Francisco Archbishop - The point of my last news briefs emphasized in a good way.

Doubts Removed: The Day My Son's Breasts Were Surgically Taken Off - Wonderful story of how a mother supported her transgender son.  

Angie's List CEO Who Opposed Indiana 'Religious Freedom' Law Could Challenge Mike Pence - Religious right figures are spinning this to say their "boycott" of Angie's List drove him out. Think again, folks.

GLSEN's Day of Silence is Friday! Support our lgbt children

With all of the talk about anti-gay "religious freedom" bills, marriage equality, and presidential elections, it's easy to forget one of the most important reasons why we fight for lgbt equality - our lgbt children.

Tomorrow is GLSEN's Day of Silence, an annual event in which students across the country take a vow of silence in order to call attention to the "call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools."

Check out the above video and links to find out more about it.

Now usually, I would talk about how the opposition spins lies about "homosexual indoctrination" in order to undermine the event. This time, I won't.

Who cares about them. They don't matter. Our kids do.

Was Marco Rubio lying about his non-support of federal anti-gay marriage amendment?

Sen. Marco Rubio

Dear Sen. Rubio,

For the remainder of your presidential run, perhaps it's best if you no longer speak. It would be safer that way:

From MSNBC:

Sen. Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that he has never supported a national constitutional amendment banning gay marriage despite his general opposition to such unions, preferring to leave the issue to the states. But a 2010 voter guide from a leading social conservative group indicates he supported such an amendment as recently as 2010 and a spokeswoman for the organization told msnbc they stand by their account. 

“I’ve never supported a federal constitutional amendment on marriage,” Rubio told msnbc’s Kasie Hunt in an interview Tuesday.
 
But the Christian Coalition, a group that issues surveys to candidates and tracks their positions on a variety of issues, reported in their 2010 English and Spanish voter guides that Rubio supported a Federal Marriage Amendment. The guides are posted on the group’s website. The organization surveys candidates around the country and rates them, among other issues, on their specific stand on the issue of gay marriage.

Reached by msnbc for comment, a Christian Coalition spokeswoman confirmed that Rubio had filled out a candidate survey in 2010 when he was running for the Senate in Florida and attested to the voter guide’s accuracy, which she said was rigorously checked against candidate’s questionnaires, votes, and public statements. However, she said the group could not immediately produce a copy of Rubio’s survey without digging into their archives.

'Conservative groups regrouping on anti-gay 'religious freedom' bills & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Conservatives Regroup on Religious-Freedom Bills - This article proves the sentiments expressed by my friend Michelangelo Signorile (sue me for name-dropping) in his recently published book, It's Not Over: Getting Beyond Tolerance, Defeating Homophobia, and Winning True Equality. No matter how many public disasters or losses they face in pushing anti-gay 'religious freedom' laws, the religious right will not stop pushing them. They merely regroup and charge again. In absence of truth and integrity, their goal seems to be simultaneously finding a way to get these laws passed and tiring us out with battle fatigue. 

BREAKING: Clinton urges Supreme Court to rule for marriage equality - Hardly a shock (if girlfriend knew what was good for her campaign), but still nice to hear.  

Here’s What Happened In Indiana As Soon As The Media Stopped Paying Attention - What happened in Indiana after the "religious liberty" law backlash abated demonstrates why the lgbt community has to be eternally vigilant. Watch, but never trust those who don't want to give you the equality you deserve.  

South Carolina argues to Supreme Court that it can discriminate against gays AND women - Oh lawd, South Carolina!!

How Christians Turned Against Gay Conversion Therapy - This is a really good article on the war against the fraudulent practice of "gay conversion therapy." 

And one more thing. Pardon the shameless self-advertising. Please download and retweet: 

#lgbt The definitive booklet on anti-gay propaganda. Barney Frank has his copy. Get yours - http://t.co/i1S3JePf2D pic.twitter.com/q5jbkFJbcW
— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) April 15, 2015

Louisiana's anti-gay 'religious freedom' bill already starting trouble in state legislature

Jindal

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan of making the passage of an anti-gay religious liberty bill a priority is running into some opposition from state legislators.

Speaker pro tempore of the state House of Representatives Walter "Walt" J. Leger III wrote an absolutely blistering column in Monday's Times Picayne. In the column, Leger stood firmly against passing such a bill:

 Moral and religious people do not discriminate. While overly broad and intentionally ambiguous, this so-called religious freedom bill provides protections for individuals who cite their personal religious beliefs to discriminate against people. It is bigotry enshrouded in religion. This is not what the proponents would have you believe, though. They claim the bill is meant to "safeguard religious freedom" and protect individuals from "adverse treatment by the state" in retaliation for actions stemming out of their personal beliefs. Federal and state laws already exist to protect religious liberty.

 . . .  Moral and religious principles aside, the proposed law threatens our nation's core tenets of freedom and equality. We should not and cannot cite religious freedom to allow businesses to deny service to people based on their skin color, religion or gender. So why would we allow discrimination based on sexual orientation? Would we have stores place "Heterosexuals Only" signs in their windows where "Whites Only" signs once hung?

Preventing a business from discriminating does not hinder the freedom of the business owner to hold his sincere religious beliefs in his heart and in his home. A business operating in the public sphere, relying on public infrastructure, is not at liberty to pick and choose who it will allow to be its customers. Either it is open for business or not.

Needless to say, Leger's words has some religious right groups seething. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council had this to say in an email:

Leger must have gone to President Obama's School of Religious Liberty, where the slogan is: believe what you want, but don't act on it outside the home. Like most liberals, he thinks that surrendering your beliefs is the price of doing business. On one point Leger is correct: "We must ensure that Louisiana lives up to the ideals of a life lived free of government-sanctioned discrimination." I agree. But the only way of ensuring that is by passing HB 707 and treating everyone's views with the respect the Left's already enjoy.

Of course Perkins' comments failed to speak about Leger's very good point regarding infrastructure. However, regardless of his comments,  Perkins would be highly inaccurate to lay opposition to the bill solely at Legers' feet. According to CBS News, other legislators aren't exactly happy with the bill either. Either they are hesitant to talk about the bill or think it's a waste of time in light of the fact that Louisiana has a $1.6 billion shortfall it must deal with. The bill wasn't even yet sent to committee. This keeps it from receiving a public hearing or any vote. According to CBS News, out of the hundreds of bills introduced, it was the only bill not sent to committee.

What happens next is anyone's guess. However, if you ask me, I would say that the same hell which met Indiana Gov. Mike Pence when he signed that state's "religious freedom" bill is waiting for Jindal.

And if Jindal continues to stroll eagerly into this hell, he deserves whatever negative backlash he is sure to receive.

Rand Paul's idea to settle marriage equality debate dehumanizes same-sex couples

 In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Rand Paul suggests an idea to settle the marriage equality debate. If you ask me, it's as bad as Romney's "self-deportation" idea. Seriously. Paul's idea of giving same-sex couples contracts dehumanizes our relationships,as we are entering a business partnership rather than a marriage.

Good luck with seeking that presidential nomination, Paul. You're gonna need it AND prayer.

'Jindal makes anti-gay RFRA bill a huge priority' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Bobby Jindal

Jindal makes religious freedom bill a legislative priority - So LA Governor Bobby Jindal is making the passage of the state's anti-gay "religious freedom" bill a priority. No doubt, a serious bid to get some serious credibility for himself as THE presidential candidate the religious right is looking for. Frankly, a part of me hopes he succeeds. His success ensures that he will NEVER get anywhere near the White House. Bobby, Bobby, Bobby! Pandering shouldn't be so obvious. It demonstrates a serious lack of finesse.  

How Republican Presidential Hopefuls Are Justifying Anti-Gay Discrimination - Speaking of which, if the lgbt community ignores this upcoming 2016 election and we get one of these bozos, I'm coming after everyone with grandma's switch. 

Robin Roberts Celebrates Life On ‘AARP Magazine’ - Robn Roberts makes the cover of AARP magazine and gets interviewed! Sweet! And of course she discusses her life in the interview, including life with her partner of 10 years, licensed massage therapist Amber Laign.

 Same-Sex Attracted Men, 'Ex-Gay' Group Urge Supreme Court To Rule Against Marriage Equality - What I don't get is this - if these guys are happy with their lives, why won't they afford same-sex couples the same luxury? Here you see the fallacy with ex-gay groups and folks like these guys. They claim that the lgbt community won't let them lives as they please, but behind their false victimhood status, they are undermining OUR lives. They won't let US be comfortable with OUR lives.  

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's Approval Ratings Crash, Burn After 'Religious Freedom' Law Firestorm - And it couldn't have happened to a more appropriate guy (other than Bobby Jindal that is)

Texas legislator refuses to meet the gay constituent to discuss anti-gay bill

TX state rep. Molly White

One Texas state legislator seems to think that her "religious freedom" allows her to be rude to voters. Not only is she proposing anti-gay legislation, but she has also refused to meet with a gay constituent in order to discuss it.

According to Raw Story:

 State Rep. Molly White (R-Belton) has proposed legislation that would allow businesses to refuse to serve customers on religious grounds. The first-year Republican lawmaker has also proposed legislation seeking to make the state’s ban on same-sex marriage immune from court rulings.

  . . .  But White’s staff has said trying to discuss the issues with her “would be a waste of time." The Temple Daily Telegram reported last week that White’s staff had initially greeted Frank Carlson of Equality Texas, before turning him away upon learning who he represented.

Her staff told Carlson, who works on behalf of the largest LGBT rights organization in Texas, to “drop off your literature and leave.” White’s staff informed Carlson that the lawmaker “is against anything LGBT.”

“I conveyed that the representative has stances on some issues and that she isn’t likely to change her mind on them,” White’s chief of staff Hannah Bell told the Temple Daily Telegram. “We try to be a transparent office and I told them that they needed to meet with individuals that shared their viewpoint.