'Biden proclaims June as LGBTQ+ Pride month, denounces oppression' & other Thur midday news briefs

 Editor's note - Today marks the start of Pride Month 2023. No matter what the opposition tries, it is still our Pride month. We don't show fear and we sure as hell don't back down. It took us a long time to get to this point and we have a long way to go still. We are not retreating.

Biden Proclaims June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Denounces Oppression - Again, voting matters. We want leaders who acknowledge us, not ignore us. 

Since Florida banned most adult trans care: People are suffering - The mainstream media has no business ignoring this story.

Indiana High Schoolers Bravely Perform LGBTQ-Inclusive Play Despite School’s Ban - This is why I am optimistic about the future. 

Pentagon leaders cancel drag show at a Nevada Air Force base - It was already approved but apparently certain folks got scared because of noise.

Fox News pundits attack LGBTQ organization which parent company Fox Corp actually supports

Fox News playing its viewers for suckers again.

Media Matters for America comes through again with what should be seen as a blockbuster. Fox News is playing both sides of the LGBTQ "culture war."

Fox News has been attempting to stir up vitriol about corporate support for GLSEN, a nonprofit group that works to combat anti-LGBTQ bullying. If they’re looking for companies to boycott for supporting GLSEN, they don’t need to look far: Fox News’ parent company Fox Corp. previously said it has “raised awareness and demonstrated support” for the pro-LGBTQ group. 

 Fox News has been waging war against corporate support for LGBTQ causes, including recent attacks on Bud Light and Target. It has also begun criticizing Target for partnering with GLSEN, an organization whose “mission is to create safe, inclusive learning environments for K-12 students.” Fox editor Hannah Grossman has written two anti-GLSEN articles in the past week that carry the headlines: “Target partners with org pushing for kids' genders to be secretly changed in schools without parental consent” and “Target marketing VP holds senior position at org pushing secretive transgender policies in K-12 schools.” 

 Media Matters points out that these accusations against GLSEN lodged in the articles have also been repeated on the news network. However, if GLSEN is so bad, then why does Fox News' parent company, Fox Corp openly support GLSEN?

. . .Fox Corp. stated in 2021 that it supports the nonprofit, writing in its corporate social responsibility report that it has “raised awareness and demonstrated support for organizations working on behalf of the LGBTQ community including” GLSEN It also lists GLSEN in its 2022 corporate social responsibility report among organizations that it supports. Additionally, Fox Corp. names GLSEN in a video posted on the front page of its website of organizations it supports. 

And here is something worth remembering during Pride Month when Fox News pushes its anti-LGBTQ narrative:

 Fox Corp. has written that it is “committed to LGBTQ+ equality” in material to shareholders and ad buyers while Fox News has spent years attacking the LGBTQ community on its programming. Even Fox News has a website claiming it “celebrates the contributions to America by the LGBTQ+ community.”

'White supremacist who targeted LGBTQ people confesses to owning child pornography' & other Wed midday news briefs

White supremacist who targeted LGBTQ+ “pedos” confesses to owning child pornography - Well, well, well, well, well. 

Activists Urge Target and All Businesses to Push Back on Anti-LGBTQ+ Campaigns​ - It's aggravating how these bigots do the same thing while making the same charges (we are recruiting or grooming kids) while we end up looking unalert and flatfooted every time. 

Alabama expands ban on trans athletes to include college teams - So unnecessary. 

Blue Jays fans donating to LGBTQ causes in Anthony Bass' name - Somebody put his foot in his mouth part 1. 

Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologizes for sharing post supporting anti-LGBTQ boycotts - Somebody put his foot in his mouth part 2.

Report - Fox News amplified false claim that Target was sexually grooming kids while devoting only one minute to allegations of actual sex abuse

The report from Media Matters for America is further proof that the "leave the kids alone" narrative is a lie in which bigots place their building blocks of homophobia and transphobia upon. Fox News went all out implying that Target was grooming kids with its Pride merchandise that the network paid very little attention to a scandal which actually saw children being sexually abused. 

 Fox News aired more than 2 hours of coverage of the backlash to Target’s Pride Month displays, while running less than a minute of coverage on a new report detailing sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Illinois. Fox added to the right-wing media backlash against Target’s LGBTQ Pride displays as part of a recent crusade against corporate Pride Month campaigns. The company decided to pull some merchandise celebrating Pride Month from store shelves after receiving threats against the safety of its workers. 

 From May 23 through 9 a.m. ET May 30, Fox aired over 2 hours and 12 minutes of coverage of the Target controversy. In comparison, Fox reported for just 22 seconds on the Illinois attorney general’s recent report that Catholic Church clergy members and lay religious brothers had abused nearly 2,000 children in the state since 1950. 

 Much of Fox’s extensive coverage of the Target boycott included expressions of outrage that children were exposed to clothing with positive messages about the LGBTQ community. While Fox repeatedly fearmongered about this supposed threat to children, the network almost completely ignored the reports of sexual abuse in the Illinois Catholic Church, airing only one segment on the attorney general’s report.

Just like the social media influencers exploiting the issue for their own gain, no one at Fox News gives a damn about actual child sex abuse. They only care about what they can gain by appealing to people's bigoted notions about just who the abusers are.

'Biden calls for immediate repeal of Uganda's anti-gay law' & other Tue midday news briefs

Biden calls for immediate repeal of Uganda’s anti-gay law - There certainly is work to do. And let's not be naive. Politicians like Ron DeSantis want what happened in Uganda to be the future of this country. The only difference is how they are slow walking it. 

Ted Cruz Condemning Uganda's Anti-Gay Law Raises Eyebrows - I'm as shocked as you are. 

Trans couple harassed in Montana Target by man throwing Pride clothes on floor​ -OOO I WISH a fool would start with me . . . 

15 history-making LGBTQ+ veterans who fought for equality - Very appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Calls for Drag, Pronoun Ban at Colleges - She wants to be a GOP vice presidential pick at the very least. Using our community for her political ambitions.

Conservatives attack drag queens while ignoring report that almost 2,000 kids suffered sexual abuse from Catholic clergy

 

Editor's note - I am not trying to disrespect anyone's religion but fair is fair. Why are legislators and so many others pointing accusing fingers at drag queens and accusing them of sexually grooming kids when the following is happening right in front of them?

From Ja'han Jones of  The ReidOut Blog, MSNBC: 

 The Illinois attorney general released a report Tuesday finding that almost 2,000 children suffered sexual abuse by 451 Catholic clergy between 1950 and 2019.

 “It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse,” Kwame Raoul said in a statement. “These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.” As the attorney general's statement appears to acknowledge, state law limits how long after an alleged crime a suspect can be charged, meaning many of these allegations may never be heard in a court of law. So the question then turns to what exactly we are to do with this information.

 . . . The Illinois report adds to the thousands of previously reported incidents of child sexual abuse by clergy in conservative-leaning religious institutions over the past few decades. This includes last year’s report from Southern Baptist Convention leaders on allegations of widespread sexual abuse within the ultraconservative denomination.

 By comparison, there have been no credible reports, to my knowledge, of child sexual abuse at drag shows. And, of course, I’m only making the comparison here because many conservatives — including religious leaders in the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention — falsely equate drag shows or LGBTQ people with sexual perversion. In response, Republican lawmakers are pushing measures that bar minors from attending drag shows.

No need to ask certain questions because the answer is no. No, we will not see social media campaigns by people like Matt Walsh and the Heritage Foundation calling out churches. No, we will not see Twitter and TikTok videos of people going into Catholic and Southern Baptist Churches and interrupt services while calling out the abuse. No, we will not see people posting memes and tone rap songs calling out these churches.

All of that is reserved for drag queens and companies like Target, Kohls, or North Face.

And why?

Because it's probably considered as too boring. And it's not financially and socially advantageous for conservative social media crusaders. No one is going to put you on Fox News or Newsmax or any of those other far-right stations for calling out the church. Neither Matt Walsh, Charlie Kirk, nor any right-wing cockroaches infesting Twitter will amplify you if the attack is on churches. And you can't build a network of right-wing droolers who attach themselves to your every lie and outrage like the lemmings they are.

It's never been about protecting kids. It's always been about profit, social attention, and above all, prejudice.

Orlando Pride festival will take place despite Florida laws, organizers say' & other Fri midday news briefs

Pride festival will go on in Orlando despite new Florida laws, organizers say​ - Good. It only takes one to make a brave stand. And I HOPE its a pride filled with drag queens and families (including the kids) enjoying themselves. 

Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation Could Threaten Gains Made in HIV Epidemic - No doubt the opposition knew this when pushing this legislation. 

Target Boycott Follies - Matt Walsh wants you to buy his baby dolls. Victim of Target boycott sees increased sales - Post from last night. A Matt Walsh plush baby doll sounds creepy.

Impeachment of Texas's Anti-LGBTQ+ Attorney General Appears Imminent - So much for being upright and moral. He was busy attacking us while hiding some ugly behavior of his own.

Target Boycott Follies - Matt Walsh wants you to buy his baby dolls. Victim of Target boycott sees increased sales

Anti-LGBTQ culture warrior (and James Bond villain wannabe) Matt Walsh wants to you to help his fight against the anti-LGBTQ community by buying a plush, infantilized version of himself.

This right here proves that all of this stuff coming from people like Matt Walsh about saving kids from "LGBTQ influence" is merely a money-making tactic. The attacks on trans healthcare, the boycott against Bud Light, and the present boycott against Target is all one big grift. It's all about rage posting to monetize hate.  It's been successful for Walsh as he has devoted books, documentaries, and social media posts smearing our community as threats to kids and society at large.

Now he's going into the baby doll business.

The front page of the Daily Wire is advertising a product for children that is an infantilized version of Matt Walsh. They specifically list that it's for children. They want kids to hold a baby version of Matt Walsh in their hands.

This is disgusting and vile. pic.twitter.com/kaWWNsgkOY

— The Serfs (@theserfstv) May 25, 2023

In the words of actor Samuel Jackson, that right there is some repugnant sh!t. It's probably the single most creepy mess I will see this year. In all honesty though, I'd rather buy an adult version of a Matt Walsh doll. That way, I could bang it against the wall every time I heard him say something especially vile.

Speaking of the boycott against Target, one person being victimized by the social media right-wing campaign is now benefitting from it.

Erik Carnell is a trans designer whose merchandise was pulled at Target after people spread false stories about how it was Satanic and being marketed through kids by the store. Carnell, via his brand Abprallen, does have merchandise with has pentagrams and horned skulls. And some do reference Satan. But none of it is sold at Target.  

However, this inconvenient fact was ignored by folks on social media, like all things which don't fit their narrative. They at first spread the lie about how Target was marketing pro-trans swimwear to kids and when that was refuted, they are now claiming that the store is marketing Satanic material for Pride Month. 

The lie led Target to remove Carnell's items from their stores.

 Target's Pride collection included more than 2,000 products from clothes and music to home furnishings, and while several are under review the only ones removed so far from its website and stores are from Carnell's brand Abprallen.

However, the sales of his overall merchandise have actually increased.

While support for his products from Target disappeared, the Abprallen store has seen an outpouring of support. According to the store's Etsy message, Carnell has seen an "unprecedented number of orders" since the backlash began. 

 "Your support during this extremely difficult time means more than I can express," Carnell posted after placing the shop on a temporary hiatus. "I am putting my shop on holiday mode and not accepting new orders until I catch up on the ones I currently have. Thank you so much for your understanding!"

It's ironic how social media wannabees exploited Carnell to attack Target but now they are the ones being exploited. Not only is Carnell getting a lot of media attention because of their actions but he seems to also be getting many allies on Twitter. They are bombarding threads which attack him with links to where to buy his merchandise:

https://t.co/qrpoCJF1Y2

This is the actual artists store. You are giving money to someone trying to profit by stealing his designs. His store is temporarily closed because he’s overwhelmed by orders. Better to wait and give him the profit/credit/support.

— Elisa Kerchmar (@EJKerchmar) May 25, 2023

 

— Babadybbuk🏳️‍🌈👻✡️ (@InfantaRaquel) May 25, 2023

https://t.co/p6QrAJhfM9

— Alexandria Burns. (@alex_d_burns) May 25, 2023

If you ask me, Carnell's merchandise, while not suited to my tastes, is a whole lot LESS creepy than a Matt Walsh baby doll.

Rock legend Tina Turner passes away, how the gay agenda took over tv & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Editor's note - Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters would like to pay tribute to Tina Turner upon the news of her passing. The queen of rock she was and will always be.

 

 In other news: 

How the Gay Agenda Took Over TV - My friend Matt Baume, whose videos I've amplified several times on this blog, has a wonderful book about queer characters on television and behind the scenes. 

“Paris Is Burning” star Venus Xtravaganza’s home declared a historic landmark - I cried a little at this news. Venus was a star who was taken away before she could shine like she should have. So many wonderful trans folks have been taken away before they could shine. 

 Right-wing media melt down about Fox News complying with trans-inclusive discrimination laws - Garbage in. Garbage out.

Daily Wire host: “The Pride flag symbol, we need to make that toxic” - Michael Knowles moves from wanting to 'eradicate transgenderism' to wrecking LGBTQ symbols. We told folks he wanted to cause the entire community chaos.

3 Montgomery County families sue MCPS over LBTQ books - This lawsuit makes no sense. The proponents claim that they don't want to remove books but instead give the parents an opt-out option. I don't think anyone is forcing their kids to read these books.

Louisiana Senate kills anti-trans bill and let's talk about Pride and Target

Two items. First, good news out of Louisiana.

From The Hill:

A Louisiana Senate committee on Wednesday killed a bill that would have banned gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, dealing a rare victory to LGBTQ people in the largely GOP-controlled South. Louisiana’s House Bill 648 failed Wednesday during a final vote in the state Senate Health and Welfare Committee, where Republicans have a one-seat majority. State Sen. Fred Mills, a Republican from south-central Louisiana, voted with all Democrats to defer the bill. Mills, a pharmacist, said during Wednesday’s vote that he trusts physicians more than legislators to make medical decisions that are in the best interest of patients.

 “I always in my heart of hearts have believed that a decision should be made by a patient and a physician,” Mills said. Gender-affirming health care for transgender youths and adults is supported by most major medical organizations, including the Americans Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Mills also said that a Louisiana Health Department study on gender-affirming health care last year helped influence his decision to vote against the bill. 

 The report found that no gender-affirming surgical procedures were performed on Medicaid-enrolled minors in the state between 2017 and 2021. The prescription of medications including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy to treat gender dysphoria in minors during the same time period was also exceedingly rare, the report found. 

 More to this article on The Hill. 

 Second item - People are flipping out because Target is said to be moving some Pride items due to some people are coming in causing a commotion and threatening workers. Those doing this nonsense are empowered while members of our community - at least some - are weeping, raging at Target, or (and most annoying) using this situation to whine about capitalism and such. But here is something to keep things in perspective:

These are photos from a Target in my area. The Pride stuff is in full display here just as it was last year - in the middle of the clothing section with huge displays. I talked to a worker to commend the store. She laughed and said thank you. And I've read that there are Target displays of Pride items still up in other areas around the country.

 This is not to defend Target because the chain clearly 'didn't have a handle on the hysteria.  I am simply trying to remind folks about what's actually going on before you begin sad sacking, spinning portents of doom, or begin knitting the burial shroud for the LGBTQ community.

My point is yes, the opposition is threatening, and they are causing problems. But it's good to remember that a lot of them - especially Matt Walsh - engage a lot in self-aggrandizing superhero shadowboxing. They tend to inflate their power and the effects of their actions. They do this because it feeds their ego and also, it's a psychological tactic designed to make us fear them. 

 Part of their power is fear and with that fear comes chaos which causes us to lash out. DO NOT take the bait.   Everything about them is fake, particularly their screams of "let kids be kids" or leave the kids alone."

If these idiots actually cared about children, they would be protesting and organizing to stop child hunger and gun violence in schools. If they really cared about children, they would be raising hell at the churches who hide pedophiles.

We should remember this when we deal with them and when we react to what they are doing to Target. Yes, I am disappointed with Target to an extent, but I am also mindful as to who the real enemy is and how it is in my best interest not to allow them to play games with my head. They want us scared. They want us off of our heels and shrieking every which way. But that's not who we are. We've come too far to allow some haters to bowl us over with old lies.

 It is our Pride and our power. They have no right to diminish it with their lies.  And they won't as long as we remember who we are and act accordingly.