Mark Sanford, Al Franken, religious right comments are going to make my head explode

At this rate, I am never going to post that piece on the American College of Pediatricians.

It's written and ready to go but I keep postponing it because of better posts.

Last night, it was the religious right's newest attack on Kevin Jennings. This morning, it was Peter LaBarbera's venture onto youtube (which by the way has a new update. Peter has turned coward and made the video private.)

And now, it's a multitude of stuff. I'm having an information overload.

First on the list is my philandering Governor Mark Sanford.

Just when I thought he couldn't make things worse for himself, he has an interview with the Associated Press which he reveals:

- His Argentine mistress is his "soulmate" but he is going to try and reconcile with his wife. I can hear Jenny Sanford putting the grits on the stove. If she calls asking you to come home Mark, you had better stay where you are.

- He not only met his mistress more times than he claimed but he also "crossed the line" with a few other women. However, Sanford says, he did not have sex with them.

What the hell does that mean?

And above it all, he keeps apologizing. Sanford doesn't have to apologize to me. I didn't vote for him. But then again, visions of him "doing the nasty" have invaded my sleep several times. So maybe I do want an apology.

This situation is worse than the Trent Lott apology tour after his comments at the late Strom Thurmond's birthday.

I'm convinced that Sanford is going way beyond trying to come clean. Mark Sanford is engaging in excruciating slow political suicide. Really, the entire thing left soap opera territory a long time ago.

Now we are steadily moving towards the territory of the torture porn movies that seem to be so popular nowadays.

We are now witnessing the political version of the movie "Saw."

How bad will it get? How long will it be before we start hearing about whips and chains and candle wax on the nipples?

And the other issues that are driving me crazy?

Senator Al Franken. Who would have thought? What's next? Governor Eddie Murphy?

Lastly, I hear that a bunch of religious right groups have formed into a single mindhead called the Freedom Foundation.

The usual cast of lying characters are there. It works for me personally. I like big targets when it comes to exposing liars.

I don't know what's worse; this silly group or the constituency of values it claims to represent. Check out these lovely comments from so-called Christian folks reacting to One News Now's article about the White House reception on Gay Pride Month:

The President cannot be a true Christian!

Obama is so anti-Christian that it's scary! He is fastly ripping this country to shreds and taking the foundation on which our country was built with him. We Christians have got to band together and stand up for what is right and Biblically sound to save us from ourselves! Too many people have lent their faith to a FOOL instead of relying on God. I believe Obama thinks he is a messiah, when in fact he is the Anti-Christ! Amen!!

It appears that Obama's main direction for his Administration is to do the work of satan. Don't know if Obama is even aware of this. So many things that he pushes/stands for are against Biblical Principles, God's instructions for us.

I think Obama "has issues" with America and is intentionally out to destroy it.

Why can't you see what Obama wants to do to this great nation. We will no longer be a nation where everybody else wants to live but where we are all trying to get away from. God made us a great nation and if we turn our back on God then He will turn His back on us and Satan will have his way with the United States.

The New World Order, where perversion is normal, normal is perverse, good is evil and evil good. And tolerance is praised and worshiped above all.

Nobama is a liar, a thief, a murderer, a sexual deviant, and an antichristian! Anyone who supports the evils Nobama is doing is guilty of the same sins Nobama is guilty of doing. It is one thing for a Christian to battle and fight against sin, but it is a totally different thing for someone to CLAIM to be a Christian then teach others to embrace and support sin. Anyone who thinks that a Christian can embrace and support the sin of homosexuality, and still CLAIM to be a Christian is not a TRUE CHRISTIAN at all! Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED! Anyone practicing or supporting homosexuality is mocking God and spitting in God's face!!!

Obama is an example of what's wrong with American values. They've all sold their souls to Satan, yet many of them profess to be "Christian"...but in name only. An authentic Biblical Christian will yield only to God's laws and directives and not to the voice of a mere man...especially a personally and spiritually conflicted man as Obama. He does have an anti-christ spirit...it is way too obvious.

Tuesday midday news briefs

That didn't take long.

The comments and ratings for the Americans For Truth youtube video (talked about in this morning's post) have been disabled.

What's the matter, Peter? Did you expect to demonize lgbts without us registering some type of commentary on how you lie?

Also, the video has been viewed over 300 times and has received a rating of 1.

Good work folks!

On to newbriefs:

When do we think the AP will start caring about this? - Gasp! You mean One News Now likes to doctor Associated Press headlines? Why we must be on planet Earth.

Right Wing Hastens to Hold Up Gay Adoptive Dad, Alleged Pedophile, As Typical of All Gays - Paul Cameron is a sick sonofabitch. And this article proves it. My prayers go out to everyone in this situation, especially the child.

Labor Chief Deplores Defacing of Gay Pride Posters - Handle your business Mrs. Solis!!

POTUS to LGBT: "Welcome to Your White House" - Thank you for that, President Obama. Now how about backing up the speech.

Michigan: Kalamazoo approves inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance - Way to go Kalamazoo!

Peter LaBarbera 'enters the youtube era'

Again that piece on the American College of Pediatricians is going to have to wait because the following is just too juicy not to comment on:



Somedays I hate technology.

Like this morning for example when I logged onto the Americans for Truth webpage (some people drink coffee to wake up, I like to laugh) and saw that Peter LaBarbera has posted footage from the 2009 Chicago Pride on youtube.

Interestingly enough, unlike LaBarbera's past photo footage of prides, the Chicago event seems relatively tame.

LaBarbera even has to manufacture some ridiculous claim that gays marching in the parade are anti-police via footage of a sign by some of those marching. Of course LaBarbera didn't think to question those holding the sign as to what it meant.

I guess he figured why take a chance on ruining a good innuendo.

LaBarbera's "entry" into youtube has both negative and positive repercussions.

The negative being we can expect to see more footage from other events posted on youtube complete with LaBarbera's "editorial comment" and innuendo.

The positive repercussions are that now we have another avenue to point out LaBarbera's blatant homophobia. And we also have the opportunity to tell him know what we think about his demonization of the lgbt community via ratings and comments just like we did with NOM's "Gathering Storm."

That is until we scare him so bad that he disables both.

I say let's start now. I've already given my rating and comment.

UPDATE - First Peter disables the comments and ratings. Now he has made the video "private," which means it is only viewable to those he chooses to show it to. But you can still watch the monstrosity on youtube.

I view this as a success. We made him pull a full retreat. And please bear in mind that no one tried to keep him from showing his video. But if he is man enough to demonize the lgbt community videowise then he should be man enough to put up the comments and ratings. (Editor's note - By saying this, I am not defending any ugly or threatening comments directed towards LaBarbera.)

The religious right thinks that character assasination is a Christian virtue

That piece I was going to write, The American College of Pediatricians and the Laundering of Junk Science, is going to have to wait until tomorrow morning due to the above ad.

The Family Research Council have now pulled out the big guns in its pitiful attempt to get GLSEN founder Kevin Jennings removed as head of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools at the Dept. of Education.

The organization has begun a huge campaign complete with a webpage along with the above monstrosity as an ad.

First it was the "Jennings is teaching our children how to have gay sex" lie. Then it was "Jennings did not report the sexual abuse of a child" lie. Now FRC is jumping on the reliable "Jennings is trying indocrinate America's children into homosexuality" lie.

Through this campaign, FRC is manipulating Jennings's words against him. Of course they are being taken out of context.

Jeremy from Goodasyou.org have broken down this lie in an excellent post.

Some of us may find the entire situation funny. However to me, it's disgusting that FRC is trying to destroy Jennings simply because he is a gay man who believes that lgbt children should be protected.

That's what this is all about. Jennings scares them.

Jennings is helping to create a world where lgbt children are not afraid to come out of the closet and heterosexuals are not afraid of lgbts.

In this world, fear and ignorance cannot take root.

And we all know that the religious right thrive on fear and ignorance. They rely on scaring America's families with lies that aggressive lgbts will be invading their homes and schools and snatching away their children like some boogieman in old fairy tales.

Jennings via his work with GLSEN reminds folks that this country and its schools belong to lgbts as well as heterosexuals. He reminds folks that we have families too and our families deserve protection and respect.

Let's not allow FRC to take Jennings down, PERIOD.

Other HB/HM posts on Kevin Jennings and the religious right:

The war against Kevin Jennings - now it's getting pathetic

Attacks on Kevin Jennings sleazy, un-Christian

More right wing lunacy on Kevin Jennings courtesy of Kevin McCullough

More attacks on GLSEN'S Kevin Jennings - Now the Family Research Council gets in the act'

'Fistgate' and President Obama - religious right pushes a pitiful attempt of guilt by association

Monday midday newsbriefs

Stonewall In 2009? Police Raid Texas Gay Bar, Arrest Patrons for “Public Intoxication” - No "witty" comments from me until this situation is fully evaulated.

House Leaders Plot Gay Rights Agenda - It's about time.

Wingnuttery From WingNutDaily: "See the impact of 'birth certificate' billboards nationwide" - Shades of how Obama will most likely stay in office - lunacy on the other side.
Catholic agency to cease new adoptions over gay parents - The birth of a new religious right talking point - "gays made the agency do it."

Now because we all need fiber in our diets:

'Gays' in the military - bad idea then, bad idea now - I asked it a while ago and I will ask it now. How is that Barber didn't tell the story of the gay man with "roaming hands" before, especially when Elaine Donnelly got destroyed in front of Congress. The most she had was a specious anecdote from the 1970s. I don't believe Barber's anecdote.

One last thing - I am currently working on piece that I hope will be widely read. It gives a view on yet another way the religious right tries to push bad information.

It's called: The American College of Pediatricians and the Laundering of Junk Science.

I hope to have it done and posted by either this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

THIS is what happens when lgbts of color have visibility

The Proposition 8 vote is a perfect example of what happens when lgbts of color are not acknowleged as a crucial part of the lgbt struggle for equality.

I don't see a need to go into detail about it because unfortunately the speculation and opinions have done nothing as far as I am concerned.

It's a lot of talk but no action.

So instead, how about a demonstration of what happens when lgbts of color ARE in fact acknowledged:

According to an article in the American Prospect, lgbts of color are leading the fight for equality in Washington, D.C.

In doing so, they are not only getting things done but are serving as a huge roadblock against black pastor (and religious right flunky) Harry Jackson being designated as the "face of the anti-gay marriage movement:"

The anti-gay-rights movement has long sought to use the relative religiosity of the black community to marshal its support. Anti-marriage-equality leaders often cite the results of Proposition 8 in California, which was supported by a majority of African American voters in the state, as proof that the black community as a whole is against gay marriage.

In Washington, D.C., the anti-gay-rights movement attempted to put recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states to a citywide referendum (it was rejected by the Board of Elections and Ethics) hoping that the city's mostly black population would come out against it. This dynamic may explain why Bishop Harry Jackson, an African American religious leader, has been put forth as the face of the anti-gay-marriage movement.

There's only one problem: The face of LGBT leadership in D.C. is often black. Nationally, anti-gay-rights activists have had a great deal of success in encouraging black voters to oppose gay rights, partially because LGBT rights are seen -- incorrectly -- as a "white issue." But in Washington, D.C., the diverse composition of the marriage-equality movement means that marriage-equality activists don't have to "reach out" to the black community, because they're already part of it.

This should be a cover story of The Advocate instead of that ridiculously ludicrous monstrosity of Is Gay The New Black.

(My stomach hurts every time I think of that stupid, stupid, stupid headline.)

This article is a must read for all lgbt organizations, activists and wannabe lgbt activists from Michelangelo Signorile to Dan Savage to everyone else.

The link is here.


Hat tip to Box Turtle Bulletin for alerting me about this article.

Who's crazier? The church that tries to 'exorcise' homosexuality or those who would defend it?

By now, everyone has heard of the video of the Connecticut church that featured the so-called exorcism of a "homosexual spirit" from a 16-year-old child.

I posted youtube video of the incident a while back. It has since been removed but you know you can't keep something that good from being played in other mediums.

The church, Manifest Gloried Ministries, is an African-American church and that to me is one of the saddest things of all. It demonstrates just how removed the modern lgbt rights movement is from the lgbt of color community.

More infuriating than that are the comments made by the church's head Pastor Patricia McKinney, who was featured in the video supposedly exorcising the child:

"Manifested Glory Ministries is not against homosexuality. We do not hate them. We do not come up against them. We do just not believe in their lifestyle."

That's just the biggest degree of doublespeak since the term was invented. If the church has nothing against the lgbt community then why does it feel the need to think of homosexuality as a demonic spirit that needs to be exorcised?

But far be it from logic to be on the forefront of McKinney's mind. After all, she is "anointed" and "anointed people" don't need logic or common sense.

The church is now facing a lot of criticism. But they also have their defenders.

The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is blaming the lgbt community for the entire incident. The group claimed that the church was merely exercising its religious beliefs and is now being persecuted:

CADC wants to know where is the tolerance for a church who tried to help a young man who freely asked for help to overcome homosexual temptations? No church deserves to be maligned for trying to help a troubled teen who asked for prayer.

Why are homosexuals so outraged?

Yeah why are we so outraged? How dare we complain of being thought of as Satanic spirits out to do mischief and cause harm. We just don't know our place. It needs to be nipped in the bud. The next thing you know, we will be defending ourselves when someone physically bashes us.

The Commission also says:

Because the video is being so widely viewed on the internet, homosexual activists have viciously attacked the church. These are the same people who demand tolerance for their sexual sin. But they have no tolerance for Christians who are practicing their Constitutional religious liberty. As far as we know, this young man went to church on his own prerogative and left the church unharmed.

By contrast, we know that homosexuals are allowed to participate in vile Gay Pride Parades and perverted fetish festivals on public property throughout the country. These events often involve criminally lewd and lascivious conduct that take place in the presence of children, yet they go unpunished.

I'm not even going to answer that silliness except for to say that not all gay pride parades are the same. Down here in South Carolina, our events are extremely family-friendly. But that is neither here nor there.

Really though, the justification by the Christian Anti-Defamation Comission of the church is just ridiculous. Any points it is trying to make is obscurred by the fact that THIS GROUP IS ACTUALLY DEFENDING A CHURCH FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXORCISE A 'HOMOSEXUAL DEMON' FROM A CHILD.

The only thing credible about the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is its name. This is the same group that defended Paul Cameron and Scott Lively, two men who due to their intentional tendencies to tell lies on the lgbt community had their groups declared as official hate organizations by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The real sad story is the 16-year-old child who seems to think that his natural impulses and desires are the result of being possessed. He is a prime of example of what could happen to our lgbt children (particularly our lgbt children of color) when the right resources aren't made available to them.

If you ask me, I think demonic spirits may have something to do with that.

UPDATE - According to Rod 2.0 Beta, the child in the center of the controversy now attends an lgbt-affirming church. That is good news indeed!

Know your lgbt history - The Killing of Sister George

I've had several requests for this movie.

The Killing of Sister George is one of the most controversial lgbt-oriented movies ever made.

It told the story of June Buckridge, an actress who loses her lover, Alice "Childie" McNaught and her job as the lovable matronly figure on a BBC soap opera because she is in reality a hard drinking coarse lesbian who will not compromise her life.

Sister George was originally a play written by Frank Marcus in 1964. Interestingly enough, the entire play took place in Buckridge's and McNaught's apartment, there are only four characters, and the word lesbian is never uttered. The relationship between Buckridge and McNaught is only hinted at.

The motion picture, created in 1968, took a lot of liberties, including creating new scenes (like the one below in a lesbian pub), adding new characters, and emphasizing the relationship between Buckridge and Childie as that of a lesbian nature.

The biggest change had to be the make up of the character Mery Croft, the BBC executive who has to give Buckridge the news of her dismissal as well as the one who "steals" McNaught away from her.

In the play, her orientation is hinted. In the movie, it's clear due to a controversial sex scene between her and McNaught. The sex scene led the movie to be rated X (I kid you not - it is shockingly steamy).

The actress who played McNaught in the movie (Susannah York) had a very hard time with scene and gave the actress who played Croft (Coral Browne) a hard time. There were times that York even rushed from the set in tears. She finally did the scene after alleged repeated threats regarding her job in the movie industry by the director Robert Aldrich.

Here is another interesting backstory - Bette Davis supposedly wanted to play Buckridge. Angela Lansbury was asked to play her but refused. The part went to British comedian Beryl Reid, who portrayed Buckridge in the play and won a Tony for it.

I'm divided by this movie. I enjoyed everything about it (except for the sad ending) but I felt conflicted by the characters. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for Buckridge but I don't. She did cause her own problems by her behavior, which was at times very bullying and highly brash.

And the character of Mercy Croft was supposed to come across as an in-the-closet monster but I don't know. As much as I wanted, I couldn't totally dislike her. Particularly in the last scene where she goes verbally toe-to-toe with Buckridge and annihilates her (I have her speech memorized. It's one of the most vicious verbal smackdowns I have ever seen), she does come across as slightly distasteful but you have a grudging admiration for her.

Despite her proper manners, Mercy is not someone you would fuck with.

Anyway, judge for yourself by the two clips I have included; one in the lesbian club and the other with the controversial sex scene between York and Browne and the climax with Browne's total verbal destruction of Reid.

This movie deserves a remake with a happier ending:

Another ex-gay group, another batch of lies and other news briefs

The group JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) is another one of those annoying ex-gay groups.

This one however is centered on the Jewish community. But that is the only difference is has from the other ex-gay groups.

The similarities as seen in the piece Gay ‘Marriage’: Bad Science, Bad Politics is how they incorporate religious right distortions in their claims about homosexuality.

Rather than break it down for you (you can read the piece if you want), I decided to show you the letter I emailed to Arthur Goldberg and Michelle Cretella, the authors of the piece:

Dear Arthur Goldberg and Michelle Cretella,

I read your piece, Gay marriage: Bad science, bad politics. I want to make you aware of the fact that it contained a huge amount of errors. Allow me to go through them one by one:

1. You said:

Dr. Robert Spitzer, changed his own lifetime view. He published a study in 2003 confirming that many dissatisfied homosexuals are able to make substantial long-term changes in orientation.

However, in a 2006 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Spitzer said that he now believes that some of those he interviewed for his study may have been either lying to him or themselves. - Ex-Gays Seek a Say in Schools, Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2006

2. You said:

Drs. David McWhirter and Andrew Mattison, both openly homosexual, studied 156 male couples who had lived together for 20 years or more. To their dismay, they found that the longest period of sexual monogamy for those couples was five years; the average was under two years.

You omitted the fact that McWhirter and Mattison in their book (published in 1984) said their research could not be used to generalize about the entire gay community :

“We always have been very careful to explain that the very nature of our research sample, its size (156 couples), its narrow geographic location, and the natural selectiveness of the participants prevents the findings from being applicable and generalizable to the entire gay male community.”

3. You said:

"During the 1990s many gay-affirming countries legalized same-sex marriage. The instability of homosexual relationships, however, remained unchanged. For example, a 2003 Dutch study found the average male homosexual partnership lasted only 1.5 years "

While you did not indicate where you got this information from, I suspect you took it from a study conducted by one Maria Xiridou of the Amsterdam Municipal Health Service.

If this is true, then again you are inaccurate. You see, Dr. Xiridou received her information from the Amsterdam Cohort Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS Among Homosexual Men. To gain this information, researchers studied 1,800 gay men between the years of 1984- 2001.

Same sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001, thus making the information irrelevant to your points about gay marriage. - Overview of the Amsterdam cohort studies among homosexual men and drug users, www.amsterdamcohortstudies.org/menu/acsoverview.htm

4. You said:

Inherent health risks of the gay lifestyle present another issue. Life expectancy for men who have sex with men, according to a 1997 International Journal of Epidemiology study is eight to 20 years less than that of heterosexual men.

You omitted the fact that in 2001, the six authors of that study went on record complaining about how their work was being distorted by folks like yourself - Gay Life Expectancy Revisited, International Journal of Epidemiology, http://ije.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/30/6/1499

Basically what I am trying to say is that your work is shoddy. Might I suggest that in the future, you do the actual work and not plagiarize from religoius right studies. They tend to be very phony.

With these folks, it's like unlumping cooking oatmeal. Every time a lump appears, you have to beat it down.

Onto other news briefs:

Chicago school to march in Pride Parade - And these children did get their parents' permission. I don't know what I like best about this story; the fact that the next generation is supporting us or the fact that it's sure to drive my friend Peter LaBarbera nuts.

State votes to end gay bias - Good for Delaware and congratulations to those who pushed this bill. They fought for it for over a decade.

Perdue to sign gay-inclusive bully bill - Way to go North Carolina!

The Right's Hate Crimes Opposition in a Nutshell - More lies. It's enough to make you sick.

Speaking of which, the religious right is definitely scared about the possibility of hate crimes legislation passing. One News Now has three pieces on the subject and all are biased lies:

Hate Crimes Prevention Act has far-reaching effects

Proposed federal law would be a hate crime against America - Robert ("Yes we have used Paul Cameron's work. So what.") has to add his standard nonsense.

Holder fails to explains why 'hate crimes' legislation is necessary

Keep up the pressure with the phone calls to the Senators. It's obvious that the right is scared!

SC gay groups organizing response to DeMint letter

While South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is facing a wall of fire for his adultery, SC Senator Jim DeMint is being criticized for some untruths of his own via a letter he wrote last week about hate crimes legislation.

Earlier this week, I wrote that Sen. DeMint sent a letter to various religious leaders saying that hate crimes legislation will lead to pastors being arrested for preaching that homosexuality is a sin.

On Wednesday, the South Carolina gay rights advocacy group SC Equality sent out an email blast to its members and allies calling DeMint's charges false:

DeMint says the law will "criminalize biblical truth as 'hate speech,'" that pastors will be prosecuted for hate speech, and that the law takes away freedom of speech. He says the law will "take away your right to say some things are wrong." THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. NO PASTOR WILL BE ARRESTED FOR TEACHING THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG. The law includes language that explicitly prevents this, guaranteeing that it cannot be used to inhibit freedom of speech. DeMint's claims are wrong, and only perpetuate lies currently used by the anti-gay right.

DeMint further assumes religious leaders condemn homosexuality and oppose hate crimes legislation. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We know that many faith leaders support gay and lesbian civil rights and support hate crimes legislation.

DeMint claims that homophobic "religious principles and biblical teaching" are responsible for America's goodness and prosperity. He implies that legislation protecting gay and lesbian people and our families will contribute to the decline of our country. THIS IS OFFENSIVE. We know that America's success is based on beliefs in freedom, democracy, separation of church and state, and fundamental human rights, not on religious teachings or the suppression of gay and lesbian people.

SC Equality especially criticized DeMint's citing of religious right group Family Research Council as a credible source for information about hate crimes legislation:

At the end, DeMint cites the Family Research Council as an important source of information on hate crimes. THIS IS MISLEADING. The Family Research Council is a prominent anti-gay organization that supports "the traditional family unit" and most recently opposed President Obama's extension of federal benefits to same-sex couples. Indeed, the FRC is one of the organizations sponsoring a "Values Voter Summit" in Washington in September that will focus on "protecting marriage" and will include such speakers as Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Laura Ingraham. For a useful resource on hate crimes legislation and what it will and will not do, please visit MatthewShepard.org.

On Thursday, another South Carolina gay rights group, The SC Pride Movement, also sent a letter out to its members and allies.

Both groups encouraged folks to contact Senator Lindsey Graham and urge him to support hate crimes legislation as well as Sen. DeMint and demand that he "stop lying about hate crimes legislaton."

Now some of you may want to throw up your hands and say "big whoop" seeing that this action is coming from South Carolina where both Senators will probably oppose lgbt inclusive hate crimes legislation.

However, be aware that not every facet of the lgbt struggle for equality is in New York, California, or any of the other "metropolitan places."

Our struggle is everywhere in this country (even in the so-called backwards South).

So while your impulse may be to push this aside, how about a little encouragement for a change. No matter where we reside, all lgbts must stand up for themselves. And any organization that encourages this should be commended

That is how we win.

If you want to contact Sen. DeMint, click below to:

Contact Senator DeMint by email.

Contact Senator DeMint by phone.

If you reside in another state, go here to contact your Senator and encourage them to support hate crimes legislation

Other stories:

Tell Senator DeMint to stop lying about hate crimes legislation

Rest in peace, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. You both were awesome

Thurday midday news briefs

Editor's note - I edited the post about Mark Sanford to include some commentary about the lgbt community in South Carolina. Do you think we are being unfairly mean to Sanford?

"Gay Exorcism" On YouTube Causes Controversy - Remember this post? Now the church is in trouble for it. As it should be.

New Protections for Transgender Federal Workers - More good news!

Woman again loses custody case - And it's gets better. For those wanting background on the Janet Jenkins/Lisa Miller case, go here.

Lewis, Johnson co-sponsor ENDA - ENDA is reintroduced. I certainly hope it passes!

Everything you need to know about the Mark Sanford affair (including a commentary on so-called lgbt ugliness)

Being a resident of South Carolina, I am in the eye of the hurricane of probably the most intense, controversial story in the history of this state.

You will pardon me for taking time out from my usual lgbt and religious right postings to look at the various components of this story.

First, a prediction and a little commentary - unless it comes out that the woman Sanford was having an affair with manipulated him into cheating on his wife, Sanford can kiss the governorship goodbye. I've seen this sort of thing before.

The first shock is always the revelation. But there are always other details that slowly peter out. And the details are never good.

Also, it should be known that gays in South Carolina are practically raking Sanford over the coals. There have been some extremely caustic comments about this controversy from my community.

But before anyone accuses of us being overly mean, they need to fully understand our point of view.

When that dreary marriage amendment was being pushed in this state (2006), Sanford eagerly and publicly vouched for it.

So in essence, he was telling me and other lgbt South Carolinians that our relationships have no value. He was telling us that his relationship was better than ours due to the sole quality of him being a heterosexual.

But we are now witnessing that he has no problem with disgracing that relationship by going off to Argentina for clandestine intimate encounters with a woman he is not married to.

Now I can safely say that very few lgbts in South Carolina are dancing in the aisle over this controversy, particularly knowing how it is embarrassing his wife and four sons.

But in all honesty, can we be blamed if we did? Are we supposed to be silent in the face of such an ugly double standard.

Now onto these various components:

Timeline: How the story unfolded - How this ugly sordid thing reached this point.

E-mails detail intimate affair - If anything has the power to completely annihilate Sanford, it will be these emails. And it's sad because they are very poetic.

Hunch leads to airport and tired, troubled Sanford - A firsthand report from Gina Smith, the reporter who broke the story and led to Sanford's confession. The young lady who will most likely soon be known as the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Gina Smith (another prediction).

Jenny Sanford Launched Husband's Career - The unkindest cut of them all. It's a hell of a way to go from Lady Macbeth to Maria Von Trapp.

Presidential dream dead, observers say - No shit.

Family Research Council removes Sanford’s picture from Values Voters Summit website. - But they kept Carrie Prejean's picture.

Will Republicans ‘Ask Questions’ Of Sanford, Rather Than ‘Circle The Wagons For One Of Our Tribe’? - And past comments will now haunt Sanford.

Sanford saga adds to GOP woes - That's what happens when you put yourself on a pedestal. When you are knocked down, people are always there to laugh and point fingers.

Poll: Should Mark Sanford resign as S.C.'s governor? - Folks, I've monitored this poll for almost a day now. And it has not changed.

Chris Matthews And "Hardball" Panel Examine If There's A '2012 Republican Curse' (VIDEO) - Please, PLEASE don't give World Net Daily any story ideas.

Articles taken from The State, Politico, Huffington Post, and ThinkProgress.

Governor Sanford, what are your opinions about gay marriage now?

I'm not even going to introduce it because I know you all have heard about Governor Sanford.

I'm currently dodging my mothers anger because when she told me about it, I offhand accused her of lying.

At any rate, my prayers are with Sanford and his family. But I wonder if Sanford feels the same way he did in the following interview:

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Wednesday midday news briefs

"Greet the Press", NYC Pride Event on Black Gays and New Media - The questions posed by this panel are valid. Just where are we in the media?

NC: Anti-bullying bill passes -- awaits Gov. Perdue's signature - This is EXCELLENT news!

Best letter to Obama on gay issues comes from a straight group - People for the American Way comes through again .

Governor Went to Argentina, Not Hiking - Not necessarily an lgbt issue per se but since it is talking about the governor of MY state (Mark Sanford), I want to include it. No one faults the Governor for taking a break but a. he should have told someone about it and b. why is he lying about where he went?


And now . . . crazy woman on Youtube.

The woman on the video below is Linda Harvey. I've talked about her so many times. But to recap, she is a former ad executive who became a Christian and started an organization (Mission America) to combat the so-called gay agenda.

In the eyes of the religious right, that makes her an "expert."

She believes the following about lgbts and children (yeah I know I am repeating this but she has never gone back from this declaration):

When people have views supporting homosexuality, they should not be involved with youth in any way, period. Because they:

will provide inaccurate, misleading information to kids;
may limit a student's opportunity to hear warnings about the behavior;
may advocate or model inappropriate behavior;
may be directly involved in the molestation of kids themselves;
or may be in a position to allow others to do so.

She also believes, according to this video of a speech she gave to Peter LaBarbera's group (Americans for Truth), that there is a conspiracy amongst the "religious left" to push a false dichotomy of Christianity.



And here I thought it was the lgbts who are plotting to do harm.

When Andy Warhol said that in the future, everyone will be famous for at least 15 minutes, it is apparent that he meant crazy folks too.

And Harvey can't take criticism either. She deleted my polite disagreement of her comments from her video as well as disabled the rating

Wayne Besen tells truth about 'Washington crack pipes'

Activist and unofficial mentor of mine (unofficial because he doesn't know it yet) Wayne Besen wrote a piece that I've taken to reading at least once a day in the last few weeks.

It is basically telling the lgbt community not to be distracted by the situation with President Obama so much so that we forget other facets of our fight for equality:

Political discourse has become an aphrodisiac that has seduced our community away from equally important issues. Perhaps it is time we go into rehab and free ourselves from the Washington crack pipe. It is a cheap high that rarely lasts and often leaves us broke and unsatisfied.

We all wanted King Obama to sweep into office, wave his magic wand and make discrimination disappear. I really wish he would, but it is clear that he won’t – or at least not as quick as we desire. So, why don’t we pry ourselves away from DC for a moment and try using our resources in alternative ways?

Anyone remember AIDS?

Ever hear of the multi-million dollar ex-gay industry that pumps out reams of propaganda to portray gay people as sick and “sexually broken?” Few people seem to notice, even though these groups spread harmful myths and poisonous stereotypes that impact our daily lives.

What about increasing funds to help GLBT youths who are thrown out of their homes? Or, scholarships, so these teens can succeed in life and maybe one day run for Congress?

How about focusing on the abuses against GLBT people overseas?

The aforementioned issues will not get you on a Congressman’s speed dial. It is unlikely that you will win a sparkling trophy or have a marble bust made of your head. The cable shows may not be dialing you at a frenzied pace. But, you might have a disproportionately positive impact and even save a few lives.

As a part time blogger, I really can't get into the thick of things when it comes to Washington, President Obama, etc.

Also, my specialty lies with studying the religious right; looking at their tactics and exposing whatever lies they put out.

And suddenly I'm starting to feel as irrelevant as the religious right in an Obama Administration. True, organizations like Focus on the Family and the American Family Association and people like Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber seem to have less power.

But that doesn't make them any less dangerous. They still have the power to throw down roadblocks on the road to the lgbt community getting what we deserve.

So allow me to add a short addendum to Besen's very spot on piece.

Don't forget about the religious right. Don't sell them short and don't piss them away.

I certainly won't.

Tuesday afternoon news briefs

Southern Baptists Oust Church - Guess what for? Apparently the church was too lenient to gays. If you ask me, the church is better off without SBC.

US census to count married gay couples - Old news but nice news.

American Family Association's "Speechless: Silencing the Christians" Is Back - And speaking of coldblooded liars . . .

DeMint: Hate-crimes bill violates blind justice - Desperation, thy name is Jim DeMint. This latest explanation to oppose the hate crimes bill is so dumb, One News Now's commentators are crying foul.

Janet Porter's Terminal Optimism - I haven't talked about this zany woman for a while so I figure what the hell.

Scott Lively tries to sanitize Paul Cameron

I generally post news briefs at this but I ran across something that's totally unbelievable. Only the religious right would sanitize the reputation of a man who makes up stories about gays castrating children.

Author of a discredited book that tries to link the Nazi Party with the lgbt community (The Pink Swastika) Scott Lively has really reached the lines of lunacy.

In a One News Now article, Free handbook on preserving traditional family values, Lively talks about a "textboook" he has authored, Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the Gay Agenda:

According to Lively, the book is a useful tool for families with children in the junior high to high school range. He adds that the book takes a close look at how the homosexual movement pushes its agenda.

"Understanding the terminology that the gay movement has used to gain power and how that language has been used as a form of actual psychological manipulation of the public," Lively explains some topics the book covers.

This book is a 200+ page hot mess. It is a basic rehash of the same distortions, half truths, and anecdotes that the religious right have used to plague the lgbt community since the 1980s, including the Michael Swift lie and the "Overhauling of Straight America" lie.

But I noticed something else about Lively's book.

This isn't the work of an ignorant wannabe Christian activist blinded to the obvious because of his or her strident belief in the nobility of "the cause."

This book is created by someone who knows that he is telling refuted lies and distortions. A perfect example of this is not only Lively's usage of the discredited work of Paul Cameron but his sad attempts to rationalize the usage. The following passage is found in the "textbook":

Additional material may be found at www.familyresearchinst.org, the website of Dr. Paul Cameron. While Cameron has been the subject of intense, unrelenting criticism (and mockery) by “gay” activists and their allies, he has produced an impressive body of work related to the homosexual issue, much of it published in peer-reviewed journals, and I do not believe the criticism of his work is merited on scientific grounds.

First of all, Lively is lying. Much of Cameron's work has been published in pay-for-pay publications.

And while it's easy for Lively to dismiss repudiations of Cameron to the "nefarious work" of "gay activists and their allies," he conveniently does not mention a few facts:

"Right now, here in Lincoln, there is a 4-year-old boy who has had his genitals almost severed from his body at Gateway in the rest room with a homosexual act… It’s really awkward. I could see where Gateway would want to suppress this. I could see where the parents would want to suppress it. It could be just a rumor. But enough things have happened recently so that such a thing doesn’t have to be invented.” - Paul Cameron told this story to a group in 1982 in Lincoln, NB in an attempt to kill a human rights ordinance. The police discovered the story to be false but the ordinance was defeated.

And let's not forget the condemnations rained down on him by the medical community:

“(Cameron) misrepresents my findings and distorts them to advance his homophobic views. I make a very clear distinction in my writing between pedophilia and homosexuality, noting that adult males who sexually victimize young boys are either pedophilic or heterosexual, and that in my research I have not found homosexual men turning away from adult partners to children . . . I consider this totally unprofessional behavior on the part of Dr. Cameron and I want to bring this to your attention. He disgraces his profession.” - Dr. A. Nicholas Groth in 1984 after discovering that Cameron distorted his work.

"Paul Cameron (Nebraska) was dropped from membership for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists - American Psychological Association, 1983

The science and profession of psychology in Nebraska as represented by the Nebraska Psychological Association, formally dissociates itself from the representations and interpretations of scientific literature offered by Dr. Paul Cameron in his writings and public statements on sexuality. Further, the Nebraska Psychological Association would like it known that Dr. Cameron is not a member of the Association. Dr. Cameron was recently dropped from membership in the American Psychological Association for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists - Nebraska Psychological Association, 1984

Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism" - American Sociological Association, 1985

The Canadian Psychological Association takes the position that Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism and thus, it formally disassociates itself from the representation and interpretations of scientific literature in his writings and public statements on sexuality. - Canadian Psychological Association, 1996

And while we are at it, let's not forget those on the right who dismiss Cameron's work:

"Given what I now know, I believe there are flaws with Paul Cameron's study. One cannot extrapolate from his methodology and say that the average male homosexual life span is 43 years." - former Ronald Regan Cabinet member William Bennett criticizing Cameron's "gay lifespan study." - New Republic (1998, February 23, page 4)

This article has been removed due to the inaccuracies surrounding the research of Paul Cameron. - A posting on the webpage of Ex-gay group Exodus International

The groups run by Cameron and Lively (The Family Research Institute and Abiding Truth Ministries), by the way, are considered anti-gay hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They have this classification not because they believe that homosexuality is a sin.

According to Mark Potok, the director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center:

“ . . .we don’t ordinarily list groups that say homosexuality is wrong or see it as a sin; we list very few anti-gay groups. They have to be very extreme in their views. We see Lively the same way we see Paul Cameron; the two of them in our view consciously promote easily provable false defamations. They don’t seem to care at all what the truth is.”

You took the words out of my mouth, Mr. Potok.

Information on Paul Cameron taken from here.

If you want to read Lively's "textbook," the One News Now article has a link where you can receive it. I refuse to link to such a nasty piece of propaganda.

Perez Hilton gets slugged and why I really don't care

The word has come down that gossip columnist Perez Hilton was "assaulted" this week.

And no it wasn't by Carrie Prejean although it will probably be her favorite moment of 2009.

Apparently there was a dustup between Hilton,will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and members of the band’s entourage. Words were spoken, then Hilton claimed to do the following:

And that is when I made the split-second decision - that I was gonna say what I thought was the worst possible thing that thug [will.i.am] would ever want to hear. As I was standing my ground - without being violent or physical which I would never do - I told him - and you know what? I don’t need to respect you and you’re a f**. You’re gay and stop being such a f***ot.

Hence the smackdown that left Hilton bleeding and Tweeting for his "fans" to call the police.

Now other than the fact that I'm glad that Hilton wasn't seriously hurt, I really could care less.

What a fucking waste of time for Hilton to publicize this mess as if he is a victim. I don't see him as a victim. What the hell is he doing using anti-gay derogatory terms in the first place?

No matter how he tries to rationalize it, Hilton heightened the intensity of the situation by his stupid words.

Like I said before, I am not for any type of violence (except for as a defense) but isn't it time for the lgbt community to put Hilton out to pasture.

He is a bottom feeding loudmouth immature bully whose only purpose is to distract the lgbt community - a living, breathing embodiment of the bread and circuses mentality that helped to destroy the Roman Empire.

I really don't think anyone is going to be in his corner here. Maybe he will learn that there are times you talk and then there are times that you need to shut the hell up.

If you want to see it, there is some video of the exchange here. You don't see anyone get punched though.

Mark Sanford is missing, SLDN protests, and Chick publications - this is a strange day

I'm working on getting the pictures for the 2009 SC Black Pride so that I can post them here. They should be posted in a few days.

However, two news items has just made this day very weird:

Sanford, missing since Thursday, reportedly located - I kid you not. This is a SERIOUS news story. As much as I can't stand the man and enjoyed seeing him with egg on his face in his continuing battle with the SC General Assembly, I hope this turns out to be nothing major.

SLDN to join protesters outside DNC gay fundraiser Thursday - When the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the lead lgbt organization against the military's anti-gay policy is protesting the Democrats, you just know it's a big deal.

Hat tip to Americablog.com and Pams House Blend but only because you two beat me to the postings ;p

Now since the main purpose of this blog is to expose (and in some cases) laugh at religious right lies about the lgbt community, I thought that I would focus on what is becoming a favorite of mine - Chick Publication comics.

If you think the last thing I posted coming from them was homophobic, then check out these clips from Doom Town.

Chick Publications calls this comic a "compassionate plea" against homosexuality.

I call it a hot mess.

It's ironic that members of the religious right accuse lgbts of manipulating the Bible for our own purposes when sometimes they are guilty of the same thing.

I don't recall anything about "gay pedophilia" being in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nor do I recall the other stuff present in the comic being in the Bible.

The entire comic is here if you want to see it. That is if the clips posted below don't make you sick:

Monday midday news briefs

No trouble at gay rights march, despite protests - While lgbts of color were having fun in the capital city, other lgbts in Upstate South Carolina was holding their first march. My hat goes off to them cause they had to deal with a lot of nonsense.

Petition effort questioned - Apparently those pushing the petition against marriage equality in Maine are allegedly using deceptive tactics. Color me surprised.

JoeMyGod's White Gay People's Pride Guide: Who's Missing? - Michael Petrelis brings up a very good point about the lgbt community. Now watch how quick he gets jumped on because of it.

The face of the LGBT movement and the mainstream media: tackling the diversity problem - Pam Spaulding wrote in the very same issue a day before Petrelis. Her take on it is equally excellent.

Tell Senator DeMint to stop lying about hate crimes legislation

SC Black Pride 2009 is over. It was a huge success on so many levels and my soul has been lifted to the highests degree. My feet and head, however are another story. I am physically burnt out. But it was for a good cause so I have a smile on my face.

One more thing - I was blessed to receive the 2009 Audre Lorde/James Baldwin Civil Rights Activist Award from SC Black Pride. If you don't know who Audre Lorde and James Baldwin were, then you don't know your lgbt history. Look it up folks!

On the flipside of this good news emanating from South Carolina Black Pride comes the discovery that my senator, Jim DeMint, is trying to become the point man for the fight against hate crimes legislation. Recently, he sent out a letter to various religious leaders and pastors which repeats all sorts of inaccuracies about hate crimes legislation. Click on picture below to read the letter.

There are so many problems with DeMint's letter:

- NO PASTOR IS IN DANGER OF BEING ARRESTED FOR TEACHING THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG. Now if a pastor tells congregates to go out and harm an lgbt and someone takes that advice to heart, then the pastor can be arrested and charged. Hate crimes legislation has nothing to do with violating free speech.

- If Senator DeMint believes that all violent crimes are hateful then why isn't he speaking against hate crimes legislation that already exists in the cases of race and religion.

- But the worst thing about his letter is when he tells pastors to go to the Family Research Council's webpage to learn more about hate crimes legislation. That's like telling someone to go on a white supremacist webpage in order to learn more about African-American history. The Family Research Council, from its very inception, goes out of its way to be inaccurate about laws dealing with lgbt rights and lgbt lives even to the point of using outdated data and repeating the discredited studies of Paul Cameron.

I've never been disappointed in Senator DeMint. I have, however, remained disappointed in the citizens of my state for electing such a charlatan to public office. There is nothing wrong with adhering to a position of personal belief. But DeMint has become a living, breathing embodiment of what's really wrong with the religious right - self-righteous, hypocritical, willing to lie with a smile on your face because of the belief that you are serving a purpose higher than that of man's laws.

This page tells you how to contact Senator DeMint's office via email.

This page tells you how to reach Senator DeMint's office via phone.

Tell Senator DeMint to stop lying about hate crimes legislation.

I've already written my letter.

Know your lgbt history - Hanna-Barbera cartoons pushes the 'gay agenda'

The title of this piece is strictly tongue-in-cheek (as is the entire post).

Of course anyone with too much time on their hands can probably find "evidence" to prove what the title says.

Hanna Barbera is probably the most prolific creators of cartoons, so much so that I can honestly say that every child from my generation grew up watching a Hanna-Barbera cartoon from The Flintstones to Yogi Bear to Scooby Doo.

But have you ever wondered:

Just what was the relationship between Yogi Bear and Boo Bear,

What's the deal with Snagglepuss, a pink lion who makes theatre references,

What was the deal with Johnny Quest, a show that featured a young boy, his male friend Hadji, his father Dr. Benton Quest, and Race Bannon; the bodyguard and companion traveling the world together in the absence of any females. Hell, even the pet dog, Bandit, was male.

But even if you could find a satisfactory answer to these questions, nothing can prepare you for Dino Boy in the Lost Valley.

Dino Boy was a cartoon that premiered in the late 60s. The premise is simple: a young boy is forced to parachute out of a crashing plane onto unchartered land. Just when he is about to be attacked by a sabretooth tiger, a huge butch looking caveman saves him. Subsequently, the two proceed to have "amazing adventures" together.

Now if that doesn't set off your gay alarm, check out the intro for the cartoon:



Maybe I'm reading too much into this intro (particularly the part with the ride on the back of the dinosaur). One of my friends says that I tend to overanalyze things. "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," he says.

That may be, but the Dino Boy intro is a pretty damn big cigar, don't you think?

Friday midday news briefs

More drop out of DNC fundraiser over DOMA brief: VT's State Senate Pres., donor Bruce Bastian, NGLTF and now GLAD. Where's NBJC, GMHC? - And the meltdown continues

Citing law, city reluctantly argues for release of gay employees' names - An anti-gay activist is leading the charge here. He wants the names of employees involved in the city-sponsored LGBT club.

Census study of gay married couples finds similarities to husband-and-wife couples - No difference? Shhhh. Don't tell the religious right. LOL

My night at the 2009 Women's Media Center Awards... - Almost forgot to include this. Congratulations to my buddy Pam Spaulding on a well deserved award.

And now another clip from The Electric Company guaranteed to make you smile or roll your eyes:

The mayor makes an appearance at Black Pride, but apparently no one does at LaBarbera's press conference

Well day one of South Carolina Black Pride is over and it was a huge success despite an ugly downpour of rain.

We had a huge crowd at our opening reception and not one protestor.

In all honesty, though, we have never had a protestor at our Black Pride events. For some reason, they are scared of us. I think they have this idea that us lgbts of color are rowdy and won't take any mess from people try to upset our events.

I think they have this idea that we have a standby army of drag queens and lesbians armed with lye, razors, and shoes with sharpened heels that they use with deadly accuracy.

That's just ridiculous and I frankly don't know where they got this idea . . .

Seriously though we did have a very prestitious attendee last night. Columbia Mayor Bob Coble appeared and addressed the crowd. And it was his second appearance at Black Pride.

Last year, he gave us a proclamation. Apparently every fourth Saturday in June is officially Black Pride day in the city of Columbia.

I personally think that its awesome for an elected official to acknowledge and support the activities all of his constituents.

On the flip side of that, there seems to be a big block of emptiness regarding a press conference held this week by members of the religious right.

Our friend Peter LaBarbera and various so-called culture warriors (i.e. Matt Barber, Sally Kern and assorted mumble, mumble mutter) held a press conference earlier this week protesting the very few lgbt positive acts of the Obama Administration.

And I have yet to hear anything about it. Except for a little silly blurb on his site, LaBarbera has yet to print anything about the press conference.

Can it be that the event failed to garner any media attention?

I hope so.

Even side show performers lose their appeal.

Don't get discouraged, lgbt community

I really really really (yes I said really three times) hate this melee between the Obama Administration and the lgbt community for so many reasons.

Right now, a few friends of mine are very discouraged. Many of them worked their asses off to get Obama elected and they feel betrayed over the situation.

There is a lot of people with credible concerns over the DOMA brief and other things.

Then there are the ones I wish would just go away.

You know them - the ones who are always talking about some psuedo intellectual bullshit about revolution and taking to the streets.

Or the ones who are always quick to cite what black folks did during the civil rights movement even though their knowledge of such things obviously from television movies and pieces of simple lessons they learned in elementary school.

Never mind the intricate details or Machiavellian plans that went behind every march, the fights, and the disagreements between major African-American civil rights groups that exist even until this day. All they know is Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat, Martin Luther King Jr. said his "I Have A Dream" speech, black people marched en masse, and presto, they got their rights.

Then there are the ones who will talk about the glorious past history of the outsider street politics of Stonewall, Queer Nation, and Act-Up while forgetting the fact that those situations took place when the lgbt community had no political power to speak of.

I know what you are thinking. Obama's actions proves that we don't have any political power now. Well that's not true.

One thing that always irks me when people like to cite the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s is the fact that they tend to skirt over details, like the fact that even though African-Americans helped Kennedy to be elected, he had to be pushed to support civil rights.

Just like Obama has to be pushed to do the right thing. Of course in this case, it looks like Obama has to be pulled, yanked, or tied down and carried.

But the fact of the matter is that I'm a cynical, pragmatic person so I never viewed Obama's election as a huge breakthrough for lgbts.

Don't get me wrong. I like President Obama, but I have never viewed his election as nothing more than a chess move that would get lgbts closer to where we need to be.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be angry at President Obama. What I am saying is that we need to sit back, take a view of where we are as opposed to where we would be if McCain had been elected, and then use our anger in an intelligent manner that will get us closer to equality.

You see that's the good thing about the anger that many of us are feeling now. We are in the driver's seat, a place where we wouldn't have been had it been a Republican Administration.

We do have political power right now. And that power has the potential to yield positive results. That is if we don't allow our anger to lead us rather than us leading it.

Editor's note - Another reason why I hate this melee is that it is distracting me from the mission of this blog (exposing religious right lies) as well as taking the shine off of SC Black Pride week. But I will soldier on and hope to have pictures of events in the coming days.