Call your Senators! We can pass hate crimes legislation!

No funny quips tonight. Only prayers that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act passes.

As I understand it, our opposition has put out a video featuring Harry Jackson and a few others (including my senator, Jim DeMint) telling lies about the bill.

Let's not forget who this is about:



Contact your Senator at 202-224-3121. Go here for more details.

Calling Senators about hate crimes legislation, Marion Barry, Harry Jackson, and other news briefs

What you can do to pass hate crimes legislation - Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, a toll free number (866-659-9641) will be open for you and your constituents, friends, family members and collegues to call your senators and urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Learn more about the act by downloading CenterLink Hate Crimes Factsheet - Senate 2009-07.

Video: Shameless desperation - And speaking of which, the religious right continues to lie about hate crimes legislation.

Marion Barry on his ethics woes - 'the homo is trying to set me up' - Oh my God is all I can say.

Bishop Harry Jackson and pals write open letter to Obama: 'same-sex marriage is not a civil right' - Harry Jackson, I am a black man and I say who in the hell appointed you to dictate what is or isn't a "civil right?" Jackson is indicative of black leaders willing to trade sacrifice the well-being of their brothers and sisters (because lgbts of color exist believe it or not) for face time and status.

Pro-Gay Miami Judge Demoted - Watch how quickly the religious right attempt to link Judge Lederman's "demotion" to her decision about gay adoption in Florida.

Reid endorses moratorium on ‘Don’t Ask’ - Hot damn!

Ratcheting up the distortions - One News Now has three one-sided articles about the lgbt community. That phony news service doesn't miss a trick:

NEA flexes 'political muscle,' backs same-sex 'marriage'

Are Dems trying to sneak 'hate crimes' through?

Pro-homosexual 'ruse' masquerades as bullying bill

Focus on the Family's Stanton admits that he is no expert on the subject of homosexuality

My post yesterday, What are the top religious right lies about the gay community?, got an interesting response from Focus on the Family's Glenn T. Stanton:

I don't know of anyone who has referred to me as an "expert" on homosexuality. I have never referred to myself on this, simply because I am not. But I would describe myself as an expert on the issue of same-sex marriage. I have published a book and had many of my articles on the subject republished in numerous mainstream volumes.

I don't mind being critiqued, but at least get it right.

Stanton was responding to one of the points I outlined as a religious right distortion:

Phony Experts - Creating their own "experts" on the lgbt community. One such "expert" is Linda Harvey of Mission America. According to her bio, she is a former ad executive who became a born again Christian. Another phony expert is Glenn T. Stanton of Focus on the Family. He is considered an "expert" on the subject of homosexuality but has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary humanities with an emphasis in philosophy, history and religion.

This is my answer to his comment:

Mr. Stanton, if you want to play the game of "exact wording," then you do have a point.

But Focus on the Family has positioned you as an expert in the subject of homosexuality. Your bio on the Focus on the Family webpage even says "He debates and lectures extensively on the issues of gender, sexuality, marriage and parenting at universities and churches around the country."

You have also written several pieces on the subject. One piece (because of its blatant inaccuracies) comes to mind - Why Homosexuality Falls Short of the Ideal.

In that awful mess of a paper, you not only cite the discredited work of Paul Cameron (via a third party) but you also cite an antiquated medical term "gay bowel syndrome."

I would hope that you did not use the same sloppy research in your critiques of same sex marriage.

It's nice to see Stanton admit his lack of expertise on the subject of homosexuality. Now if only others like him would do the same.

Past HB/HM pieces on Stanton:

What are the top religious right lies about the gay community?

Glenn T. Stanton is no expert