1992 Flashback - Houston police go undercover as gay men to bust gay bashers

 

I saw this video Monday night and it moved me so much that I simply had to share it with folks, particularly the younger LGBTQ generation.

From Wikipedia: 

 Paul Broussard, a 27-year-old Houston-area banker and Texas A&M alumnus, died after a gay bashing incident outside a Houston nightclub in the early hours of July 4, 1991. Nine teenaged youths, ages 15–17, and one 22-year-old were intoxicated on drugs and alcohol when they left a high school party in the suburb of The Woodlands and headed for Houston's heavily gay Montrose area in an attempt to gain admittance to dance clubs located in the vicinity. After being refused entry to several establishments, they pulled into a parking lot where they encountered Broussard and two friends, who were also intoxicated. 

They then attacked Broussard and his friends. Broussard was beaten and stabbed twice with a pocket knife belonging to 17-year-old Jon Buice. He died several hours later as a result of both internal injuries as well as what an expert medical examiner termed "a delay in treatment" (in the early days of the AIDS crisis, police and medical personnel were slow to respond to calls from the Montrose area for fear of AIDS contamination). 

 When Houston gay rights leader Ray Hill confronted police about solving the murder, he was told that they had no intention of doing so. Gay rights advocates, frustrated about being ignored and persecuted by city officials, marched through the streets and in front of the Mayor Kathy Whitmire's home for several days in what became Houston's largest and long-lasting gay rights demonstration in history. Ultimately, the juveniles – labeled "The Woodlands Ten" – were apprehended and plea bargained into prison without a trial for the murder of Broussard. 

The video above is what happened after the murder. The outcry after Broussard's murder was so loud that police went undercover in a sting operation to stop groups of teenagers who went looking to bash gays. It sounds like a corny television comedy episode, but it's anything but that. These policemen found out the hard way what gay men go through when several of them got injured. 

 This video is not for everyone, and I strongly advise folks with triggers to be careful in watching it. There is no physical violence, but plenty of ugly moments which reflect a scary summation of how things were for us back in the day.  Probably the most chilling portion of the video starts at 7:32 when an unnamed teenager nonchalantly compares beating gay men with the "joke" of smashing pumpkins during Halloween because he and his friends never thought of us as human beings.

Editor's note - I know how some in the community feel about the police in general, but this post isn't about them. It's about remembering our history, both good and bad.

Pastor publicly blasts Franklin Graham, calling him a 'liar' and 'poster child for Christian nationalism'

With everything going on lately (Biden dropping out of the presidential election and Harris taking up the mantle to run), I've got bogged down and behind on my blogging. I almost missed this incredible moment of basic truth. 

Recently Mark Wingfield, executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global, verbally ripped into Franklin Graham, calling him a " the poster child for Christian nationalism" and " "liar" for his speech during the recent Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump.

The basic point of Wingfield's piece, underscored by the passage below, is that when it comes to Graham, it's all about earthly power and he's willing to exploit his faith to shield any liar who will give it to him.

 To understand the insidious nature of Christian nationalism, look no further than Franklin Graham’s appearance at the Republican National Convention last night. Graham already has demonstrated he knows no shame in endorsing, blessing and lionizing the most corrupt president in American history, yet people continue to send his nonprofits millions of dollars, enriching him as one of our most highly paid partisan preachers.

 . . . Graham started telling flat-out lies. 

“For as long as I’ve known President Trump, I’ve found him to be a man of his word,” he declared. 

Apparently, Graham hasn’t listened to any of the small-business owners who have been jilted by Trump through the years, hasn’t listened to any of the women who say Trump assaulted them, hasn’t paid attention to the hundreds of documented lies Trump spews between breakfast and dinner each day. 

 No, it turns out Graham has some other measure in mind: “When he told me and our country in 2016 that he was going to appoint conservative justices, guess what, he did. In 2016, he said he would defend religious liberty and, guess what, he did.”

 By “religious liberty,” of course, Graham means the liberty of evangelicals like him, not the liberty of all people. 

 And then Graham threw out this whopper: “In 2019, I was with him at the United Nations when the first president in the history of this country stood there to advocate for religious liberty worldwide.” 

 So no other U.S. president in history has advocated for global religious liberty? That is patently false and insulting. It makes Trump out to be a hero he is not. Not only have other presidents advocated for worldwide religious liberty, Trump has not. He doesn’t want religious liberty for Palestinians. He doesn’t want religious liberty for Muslims. He doesn’t want religious liberty for Democrats. 

 Like Graham, Trump has only shown interest in advocating for religious liberty for his political base. All others be damned.

'Moms for Liberty trying to abandon 'extremist' image, LGBTQ actors make Emmy history, 144 out athletes at upcoming Olympics' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Moms for Liberty tries to abandon 'extremist' image with RNC rebrand​ - It ain't gonna happen. Moms for Liberty got a paper trail and folks aren't going to forget.

John Deere to abandon pride festival sponsorships following online right-wing pressure campaign - Simple cowardice which will empower more foolishness. 

 4 out actors were nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series at the 2024 Emmys - This is historic and should be recognized as such. 

 We're rooting for these LGBTQ+ nominees at the 76th Primetime Emmys - And those four weren't the only LGBTQ folks rewarded with Emmy nominations. 

 Ohioans explain abandoning Republican Party for love of their transgender grandchild - There are so many stories like this out there. 

 JD Vance faces criticism from advocates for his 'cruel' record on LGBTQ issues - He's a prominent Republican. What do you expect? 

At least 144 out athletes are headed to the Paris Olympics. Meet Team LGBTQ. - Not bad. Not bad at all.

Trump's VP pick JD Vance went from calling Trump 'America's Hitler' in 2016 to allowing Trump to publicly humiliate him in 2022.

 If you haven't heard, Trump picked Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential pick, which is going to make things very interesting seeing the stuff Vance has said about him in the past. 

From Reuters:

Eight years ago, in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, J.D. Vance was a bitter critic of Donald Trump. Publicly, he called the Republican presidential candidate an "idiot" and said he was "reprehensible." Privately, he compared him to Adolf Hitler .

But by the time the former president tapped Vance to be his running mate on Monday, the Ohio native had become one of Trump's most ardent defenders, standing by his side even when other high-profile Republicans declined to do so. James David Vance's transformation - from self-described "never Trumper" to stalwart loyalist - makes him a relatively unusual figure in Trump's inner circle. Democrats and even some Republicans have questioned whether Vance, who wrote a bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" and is now a U.S. senator from Ohio, is driven more by opportunism than ideology. 

 CNN has also come out with more: 

 Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a leading candidate to be Donald Trump’s vice president, liked tweets in 2016 and 2017 that harshly criticized Trump and his policies — including one speculating that Vance could serve in former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s administration. 

Other tweets liked by Vance said Trump committed “serial sexual assault,” called him “one of USA’s most hated, villainous, douchey celebs,” and, in a since-removed set of tweets, harshly criticized Trump’s response to the deadly 2017 White nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia – something Vance now defends Trump over. Vance’s past anti-Trump stances have been well-documented, but these new examples, unearthed by an extensive review of Vance’s past social media activity, demonstrate they were more widespread and scathing than previously known. 

 . . . His subsequent transition from vocal Trump critic to staunch supporter has been widely scrutinized. Vance has become a key surrogate for the former president and routinely defends Trump on television, including during his hush money trial in New York last month. Vance also helped orchestrate Trump’s June 6 fundraiser in San Francisco with tech industry donors. Trump is expected to meet with congressional Republicans in Washington, DC, on Thursday. 

In a statement to CNN, Vance cited Trump’s “many successes in office” and claimed that realizing the “corporate media and Deep State’s” coordinated efforts to undermine Trump changed his perspective.

Vance claims he "changed his perspective" because of Trump's supposed successes and the "deep state." However, an incident in which Trump publicly humiliated him in 2022 during an Ohio rally may give a more honest perspective of his embrace of Trump

According to at the time CNN editor Chris Cillizza:

At a rally on Saturday night for Ohio GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance, Trump made sure the crowd knew that Vance was subservient to him – big time. “J.D. is kissing my ass he wants my support so bad,” Trump said. Trump was reacting to a New York Times story that reported Vance had not actually invited Trump to campaign with him in the state. Instead, Trump’s team had simply told Vance that they would be coming to Ohio for a rally. Trump’s campaign stops have always been, primarily, about Trump. 

You can tell that by the amount of time he spends talking about himself (a lot) versus how much time he spends talking about the candidate for whom he is ostensibly campaigning (very little). But he has rarely thrown a candidate he endorsed so directly under the bus as he did Vance over the weekend. 

“He made J.D. Vance look like a mouse, not a man,” former Virginia Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock told CNN of the moment. “It was humiliating.”

JD Vance went from calling Trump "America's Hitler" in 2016 to allowing Trump to publicly humiliate him at a 2022 rally. Vance was probably picked because he embodies the quality Trump looks for - a complete lack of self-respect.

Video: One picnic sparks the South Carolina Pride Movement

 

Citizen Better on PBS decided to feature segment on the Harriet Hancock Community Center in Columbia, SC while we were having one of our monthly potlucks. It was a fun time which shows the wonderful simplicity of LGBTQ lives without any of that nonsense spewed by Libs of TikTok or Gays Against Groomers designed to feed off of fears and stereotypes about us.

 The video is also very informative about the founding of the South Carolina Pride Movement and the woman, Harriet Hancock, who helped to create it all. Harriet's son came out to her in the early 80s and she accepted him. Then she decided to take action not only for him but for all of the other LGBTQ South Carolinians. What she helped to create continues today and thrives very well in spite of the stereotypes one hears about the South and homophobia. 

 Harriet is interviewed during this video, and she will simply take your breath away. If anyone needs to hear a positive pick-me-up during this turbulent time with regards to our rights and safety, listen to Harriet.

Video - What is Project 2025 and why it should scare all Americans

 

In spite of the clutter surrounding us this election, some critical information has been getting through. Folks are waking up to Project 2025, a detailed plan of what Trump hopes to do should he become re-elected. To put it mildly, it would dismantle our government and give Trump unprecedented control. To put it another way, Project 2025 can be seen as the end desire of far-right conservatives. Their attempts to undermine LGBTQ safety and health was merely a road stop. Project 2025 is their destination. And it won't be a good place for any American to be. That especially includes women, people of color, and LGBTQ people.

 Let MSNBC's Chris Hayes spell it out for you. 

Related post - A guide to Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda for the next Republican administration

'Bible in the classroom' Superintendent Ryan Walters dodges questions about content of Bible during interview

 Ryan Walters is a far-right personality. Unfortunately, he is also superintendent of schools in Oklahoma. This means he has spent a large amount of time grabbing the spotlight with his statements and actions all geared on imposing his version of Christianity on to his fellow Oklahomans.

His latest act - mandating that Bibles be incorporated in lesson plans of kids from the 5th to the 12th grades - has of course been extremely controversial (as you can easily guess). The video above is from an interview he gave to CNN on Tuesday.  Let's just say I doubt he converted doubters to his side with his word salads and tangents about the "radical left." To her credit, CNN's Pamela Brown came with the facts checks and would not let him get away with no answering her questions. 

Below is a partial transcript. Hat tip to fellow blogger JoeMyGod (Joe Jervis). (and I know what you're thinking. I was going to post this anyway, but Joe beat me to it so I'm grabbing his transcript 🤪):

CNN HOST PAMELA BROWN: “You’re saying that the teaching of the Bible in the classroom is a must, that every teacher must accept that. The bible includes beheading, rape, and incest. Do you support teaching children about those topics?”

RYAN WALTERS: “I support teaching children our history accurately and what we’ve seen is the radical left and the teachers’ union have driven the bible out of schools. “You can’t talk about our rights coming from God, as Thomas Jefferson referenced, you can’t talk about Abraham Lincoln talking about being on God’s side in what he does and that inspires him? “You can’t talk about the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr., who routinely referenced examples from the bible, including from a “Letter from Birmingham Jail”? 

 “I’m doing the things I’m doing is because of the tenets taught to me by the bible, so it’s essential that our kids understand our history and we’re going to put it back in and the left is going to continue to try to censor our history. Well, we’re not gonna allow it here in Oklahoma.”

 BROWN: “Okay, you didn’t answer my question. We’re going to get to the history and everything, and by the way, Thomas Jefferson, he advocated for freedom of religion, actually not the establishment of a religion for one, but are you okay with all teachings of the Bible? If you want to bring it back into the classroom, rape, incest, beheading. Is that acceptable to you?”

 WALTERS: “Again, I’ll answer your question, you might not like to answer, but it is the answer. It is our history is referenced, the bible was referenced multiple times in American history. It had a profound influence on American history. “It was the bestselling book in American history, to not teach that in the classroom is academic malpractice. Our kids have to understand our history and we’re not going to hide that from them.” 

BROWN: “Okay, so will you allow teachers to teach all aspects of the Bible? How are teachers supposed to know what of the bible to teach and what of the Bible not to teach? It’s a simple question, given the fact that the bible includes, also, you know, pornographic material, something you’ve come out against and actually took a teaching certificate away from a teacher for giving access to students— pornographic material. That’s in the bible.” 

WALTERS: “Yeah, let me be crystal clear. The bible is not on the same plane as Gender Queer and Flamer. These are pornography, the bible is a book that was referenced throughout American history. “We have academic standards that tell our teachers that you are to talk about the bible in reference to the Mayflower Compact, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the Declaration of Independence, so these are all very clear. “It’s very clear from primary sources that these individuals reference history— in our history, they referenced the bible. 

So look, when it’s historically accurate, we’re absolutely going to include that. “I mean, think about how absurd it would be to teach about the Pilgrims if you don’t mention their intention for moving to the New World, it’s crucial and we’re not gonna allow the radical left to continue to push a false history on our kids that said that faith played no role, well, just read the history. It’s clearly there.”