FRC's Tony Perkins demonstrates ability to be two-faced about the Boy Scouts

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is working the Boy Scouts story like it's a corner and his pimp is going to knock him senseless if he comes up short.

All week, he has consistently sounded the alarm as to the possibility of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct should the Boy Scouts eliminate its "no gays allowed" policy:

This is what he said during a radio show today:

Perkins: I don’t think the vast majority of those who are involved in homosexuality choose that lifestyle. You say what do you mean by that? I mean that oftentimes it is the result of abuse, trauma, something that happened in their lives that led them down this path and that’s one of the reasons we’re very concerned about the Boy Scouts. They’ve already had—last Fall by court order these files, what they call the ‘perversion files’ with the Boy Scouts, detailed hundreds, hundreds of cases that had happened between the 1960s and the mid-1980s and that’s with the policy in place. With an open door policy it can only get worse. So that could lead to these experiences and trauma for young boys that could lead them into that lifestyle. So that’s one reason I think parents are concerned and rightfully so.

This is what he said earlier this week during another radio show:

Perkins: The national board released about 15,000 pages of documentation on sexual predators and what had taken place in the Scouts from 1960-1995. One lawsuit alone cost the Scouts a settlement of about $20 million. Through the litigation the leading attorney who has litigated for the families of what they called the ‘preyed upon children’ estimates that each predator molested up to twenty-five children, roughly 1,900 predators’ names were revealed. This is under the current policy which forbids those who would be inclined to this from coming in, what’s going to happen when they just throw the door open?

It's strange that in his radio appearances, Perkins is constantly mentioning the (nonexistent) possibility of sexual abuse because it's not what he or FRC want folks to mention when they encourage them to call the Boy Scouts about the possible change in policy. They want folks to say this:

Sample Phone Script:

Hello, my name is _________, from __________.

Thank you for your service as a board member of the Boy Scouts of America.
As you're aware, a new proposal indicates that the Boy Scouts of America may revoke their longstanding policy of safeguarding Scouts by restricting homosexuals from holding leadership positions over boys. For decades, your national organization has kept the interest of the boys it serves as the focus of all its actions. No matter what, the Boy Scouts of America could be counted upon to do the right thing and not yield to any social pressure, and has thus far stood strong.

Please do not jeopardize the safety and moral integrity of Scouting in the interest of social activism. The proposal to relegate the decision on homosexual leaders to local chartered organizations sends the wrong signal from the national body: that political correctness ultimately triumphs over character.

Please retain the current long-held and time-tested policy regarding homosexual leadership and membership. America stands with you. Lead the way. Please stand strong.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Makes one wonder about Perkins' opinion on facts and fiction.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Online booklet on anti-gay bigotry crosses 100,000 reads threshold' and other Thursday midday news briefs

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America crosses the 100,000 read threshold - Yeah, I have been working this booklet on you all like a runway, but as the next two briefs demonstrate, it emphasizes how our community NEEDS TO PLACE an emphasis on attacking religious right propaganda.

Wyoming House Defeats Domestic Partnership - And do you know why? Probably because of legislators' opinions like these: 

State Rep. Mark Baker (R-Rock Springs) again raised the public health argument in the debate on the House floor, claiming that "only 1 percent of homosexuals die of old age" and that domestic partnership would cause higher health care costs for the state, according to a tweet by Trevor Brown, the state government reporter for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

 One guess where and WHO he got that from.

News Outlets Rely On Tony Perkins For Anti-Gay Boy Scouts Commentary - Again, see what I mean. Don't demand that the media stop going to Perkins. Demand equal time!

BREAKING: Colorado Senate Committee Advances Civil Unions Bill - This just came in. Religious right head explosion at 5 . . 4 . .3 . . 

Swanson Predicts the Future: Homeschooled Children Will be Given to Pedophiles, Gays Will Burn Christians at the Stake - Religious right figure claims this will happen if Colorado passes the Civil Unions Bill. He isn't going to be happy with the news above.

 NOM Again Retreats to Canada For Anti-Marriage Fearmongering Material - I never get tired of using the words "NOM" and "pitiful" in the same sentence.

Religious Right - Gays will cause boy scouts to get freaky with each other

With the religious right all in a frenzy over ths possible change in the Boy Scouts policy of "no gays allowed," America has been subjected to all sorts of claims and images about "nubile innocent boys" at the so-called mercy of "predatory older Scoutmasters" in the middle of the forest with no one around to save them - not even Batman.

So I guess the following claim was bound to be heard. However,  it makes one wonder if some of these folks attacking the Boy Scouts have forsaken all reason and are starting to borrow plots from pornographic movies.

Recently the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins and John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council had an online "chat" about the many things wrong with the Boy Scouts changing its policy and the following came up via Stemberger:

The greatest threat immediately is going to be not just adults but it’s going to be the kids. There are so many young people today in high school and public school especially who are acting out homosexuality just because it’s the popular and cool thing, so you’re going to have lots of crazy stuff happening with boys. We’ve been through a whole round of problems that the Scouts have had with improper conduct with adults over the years and this just seems insanity to me that they would open the door and allow openly gay leaders and boys to flourish.

In other words, according to Stemberger, if gays are allowed to participate in the Scouts, the young boys get together and do all sorts of stuff with each other.

As if they probably don't already. Don't blame us gays for that one. Curiosity about sex is a hallmark of childhood.

One gets the impression that Perkins, Stemberger and company will next be conjuring up visions of young boys in whips, and chains, and bondage outfits.

Did NOM steal images from the 1963 March on Washington?

After the hell lgbts get from some members of the African-American community who accuse them of "highjacking" the Civil Rights Movement, I hope earrings and wigs are snatched off over this one if it turns out to be a fact.

The following is a picture of the National Organization for Marriage is using to advertise its upcoming march during Supreme Court deliberations of Prop 8:

For those who are history buffs, if that picture looks familiar, it's probably because it seems to be stolen from the picture of the original 1963 March on Washington:

If this is the case, the fact that NOM practically steals the picture for its purposes is just plain brazen.

And ironic.

Almost everyone knows that the 1963 March on Washington was where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech.

But not everyone knows that the 1963 March on Washington was planned and coordinated by Bayard Rustin, an openly gay African-American man.

Let's break this down -  The National Organization for Marriage seems to have stolen a picture of a legendary march planned and coordinated by a gay man in order to take rights away from the gay community at large.

No wonder Maggie Gallagher left her leadership position at NOM. All of the pandering she could ever do can never cover up the organization's sleaze.

Big hat tip to Jeremy Hooper who spotted the similarities between the pictures.

'Anti-gay bill contains nasty caveat for lgbt youth' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Tennessee ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Now Requires Teachers To Inform Parents If Their Child Is Gay - Actor Samuel Jackson said it best - "This here is some repugnant shit!" So teachers can't discuss the gay community in their classes, BUT they will be required yank in-the-closet gay children out to their parents.

Exclusive: Gay marriage foes suffer from fundraising shortfall - Don't dance. This dragon ain't dead yet.  

Fred Karger Reports: NOM's Brian Brown Was Paid $500K+ In 2011 - Not when it's so lucrative to attempt to keep the gay community in a state of unhappiness.  

Stop what you're doing and leave four messages for Boy Scouts of America (please RT and reblog) - If you haven't contacted the Boy Scouts yet in regards to their anti-gay policy, do it now!

  Sandy Rios Warns Gay Rights Lead to 'Fascism' and a 'Lack of Freedom' - That's right. Keep talking. Help us out.

Religious right engages in orgy of homophobia over Boy Scouts

Buster Wilson

If the Boy Scouts are legitimate with the possibility of doing away with its anti-gay policy, then I applaud the organization.

But in my personal opinion, if the group decides to do away with the policy, I would be very surprised.

Plainly speaking, the idea that the Boy Scouts may be doing away with this policy has created, in polite terms, an orgy of homophobia from religious right groups.

The Boy Scouts have been hit with a wave of vulgar comments and disturbing visual images of "predatory gays" taking advantage of children.


If there were prizes given out for most consistent tone of homophobia, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association would win the majority of them. His usual tone of bigotry has been replaced by a manic-like John The Baptist screech of doom of what would happen to children should gays be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts.

Believe it or not, however, Fischer doesn't even come close to winning the top prize of homophobia on display.

That award goes to his AFA colleague Buster Wilson who yesterday went on a tangent worthy of Dostyevsky to paint a nauseatingly detailed scenario of  children at the mercy of  so-called evil gay Scoutmasters:

Imagine with me a troop of young boys, ranging in ages from 12-16. These young boys are going to be out in the woods, away from their parents. Not just away from their parents but away from any contact with their parents. Back in my day, there were no cell phones. And today, most camps sites are out cell range.

They would be out in the woods for 2-4 days, nights, depending on what time of the year it was. They will sleep in pairs or threes, in sleeping bags, in tents or out in the open. They will shower and wash in the creeks or lakes that outline their camp site. It would be nothing for boys to wonder about with their shirts off, or sometimes just in their underwear or swim suit because they had just been to the latrine or to the swimming hole. These will all be under the direction of the Scout leader who led them there.

Now, you could say that I am setting up a scenario that is just my own. That there are no reports of the kind of activities that my evil mind is conjuring up, that our homosexual friends want nothing more than to lead these young men to maturity and personal growth and I’m evil for believing that such horrible thoughts could actually become reality. But then, I would refer you again, to my friend Bryan Fischer’s latest article where he reminds us all of the Jerry Sandusky story.

Yeah, that's the same Jerry Sandusky who would have been allowed in the Scouts under its current "no gays allowed" policy because he had a wife, children, and as far as everyone knows, has had no sexual relations with an adult male. He is hardly a gay male.

Regardless of how the Boy Scouts decide, one thing is clear.  Whoever said ignorance is bliss is a damn liar.

And it's downright embarrassing when people not only show pride in their ignorance but puts it on public display.

Editor's note - if you are so inclined,  Contact Wayne Brock, Chief Boy Scouts Executive, at 972-580-2004, 972-580-2000, or by email at Wayne.Brock@Scouting.org.

I 'love' Bryan Fischer and you should too

 I don't know about you all, but I am starting to love Bryan Fischer.

He is a loudmouthed, ignorant fool who repeats the most off-the-wall lies about the gay community. It's like nothing is out of bounds with this guy, such as the above clip in which he claims that the gay community is attempting to destroy the military.

 And that's why I love him.

One minute of Bryan Fischer running his mouth moves the gay community probably 5 steps closer to full equality. With just a few words, he destroys "love the sinner, but not the sin" lie religious right groups such as the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage attempt to perpetrate.

One minute of Bryan Fischer negates every argument, every false issuance of piety, every fake show of love pushed by the religious right.

He is the religious right personified, uncensored by phony kindness and the fraudulent sense of concern about our "souls."

Not matter how much he will deny it, Fischer cannot stand us. He loathes the gay community. He probably has nightmares about us.

And the best part of it? He will not shut up nor will he tread lightly.

He comes full throttle, immersed in his homophobia and hatred in front of millions and millions of people.

I know that it may not seem like it now, but Fischer's words are building up to something like a pot boiling on the stove. The American Family Association, which allows him to have a radio program, has already put up a proviso that the words he utters are his opinions only.

So the group is obviously concerned about this man's wackiness, but not concerned enough to put a kibosh on his mouth.

And that's a good deal for the gay community. All we have to do is let him keep talking.

Bryan Fischer is the gay community's best weapon in the pursuit of full equality.

'Bigot has explosive meltdown over possible Boy Scout policy change' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Bigot has meltdown over possible change in Boy Scout policy:



While it's wrong for me to wish a heart attack on Mr. Fischer, his data is equally wrong. According to the American Psychological Association:

 . . . homosexual men are not more likely to sexually abuse children than heterosexual men are.

In related news:

 Birds of a feather Barber & Fischer show Boy Scouts what extremism looks like - (Me doing my "Celie" from The Color Purple) - "Dear God, please put a check on some of those who claim to be following your laws. They is crazy

 In other news:

Cecil Chao, Hong Kong Billionaire, Still Offering 'Deluxe Luxury' To Man Who Woos His Lesbian Daughter - Sometimes the desire of the human spirit not to give up on a lost cause is downright hilarious.

  California Archbishop Compares Marriage Equality To ‘Legalizing Male Breastfeeding’- Just when you think you have heard it all . . .

 McCain On Immigration Reform: Gay Couples Are A ‘Red Flag’ And ‘Not of Paramount Importance’ - The hell they aren't!  

Booklet on anti-gay propaganda an online success - If you haven't seen my press release from last night. Yeah I know you may be tired of me promoting my booklet but remember that I'm not Ellen nor Neil Patrick Harris. I gotta work my own runway and spotlight sometimes.

Colorado Catholic adoption agencies wants to discriminate against gay couples

Civil unions may just become a reality in Colorado. With that in mind, the Catholic Charities there are threatening to close its adoption services. The above news report tells the entire story and does an adequate job to give a fair view to both sides of the issue.

However, the report failed to mention that the Catholic Charities receives over $7 million in government grants (pg. 6).  While members of the Colorado Catholic Charities went on and on in the report about their faith, none of them addressed the money situation and the basic unfairness of accepting tax dollars while seeking to discriminate against the taxpayers who happen to be lgbt.

Booklet on anti-gay propaganda an online success

COLUMBIA--On January 8, South Carolina blogger Alvin McEwen published an online booklet designed to take a new direction in refuting anti-gay propaganda.

Three weeks later, he is astounded as to how successful the booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America, has been.

Since being published on the online site Scribd, the booklet has generated over 8,000 reads, over 81,000 embedded views and over 600 downloads.  It was also named to Scribd’s Rising List, which is a list of publications on the site generating many reads and views in a short amount of time.

McEwen credits the booklet’s success to fellow bloggers who, like himself, embedded the booklet on their sites and publicized it by word of mouth.

“This booklet wouldn’t have been as successful as it was without the help and promotion of many of my friends and people who believe in the work which I am doing. So I am extremely grateful for their help and encouragement,” McEwen said.

However, mainstream gay media attention has eluded How They See Us.  

McEwen sent press releases to various large scale gay magazines and blogs with little success.  He said he understands the lack of attention by the mainstream gay media because of so many things happening in the gay community and the fact that he has neither a national name nor reputation.

For the most part, McEwen has received much positive feedback for How They See Us.  But as with all projects, there were a few complaints. Two complaints bothered McEwen tremendously.

A good gay = pedophile lie NEVER dies

With news from coming in that the Boy Scouts may rethink its policy of keeping gays out, it didn't take long for the religious right to start pulling the pedophile card.

Allow me to decode what they are saying via Right Wing Watch:

Bryan Fischer from the American Family Association:

Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council:

"The Boy Scouts of America board would be making a serious mistake to bow to the strong-arm tactics of LGBT activists and open the organization to homosexuality. What has changed in terms of the Boy Scouts' concern for the well-being of the boys under their care? Or is this not about the well-being of the Scouts, but the funding for the organization?

"The Boy Scouts has for decades been a force for moral integrity and leadership in the United States. Sadly, their principled stances have marked them as a target for harassment by homosexual activists and corporations such as UPS which are working to pressure the Boy Scouts into abandoning their historic values.

"The mission of the Boy Scouts is 'to instill values in young people' and 'prepare them to make ethical choices,' and the Scout's oath includes a pledge 'to do my duty to God' and keep himself 'morally straight.' It is entirely reasonable and not at all unusual for those passages to be interpreted as requiring abstinence from homosexual conduct.

In other words:

 Lies unchallenged never change and they never die. Don't be fooled by the mock concern of Perkins and Fischer. I would bet my paycheck that when they heard of what the Boy Scouts were considered , they rubbed their hands thinking about the fundraising they are going to do off of it.

And trust me, they will fundraise. Why let a good gay = pedophile lie go to waste?

'Politifact TORCHES NOM' and other Monday midday news briefs

Politifact: NOM's Pants Are On Fire - The National Organization for Marriage is a sleazy organization which gets away with its continuous lies because the lgbt community and media is too blase to care and therefore the mainstream media follows suit. I mean really, how many of you just yawned while thinking of a snarky comment about NOM being caught in a lie again? We have to take this stuff more seriously and point it out every chance we get.  

Boy Scouts Of America Forces Local Troop To Remove LGBT-Inclusive Nondiscrimination Clause - Well that sucks.  

Non-discrimination bill passes in Va. Senate - Good for the Virginia Senate. But the Virginia House isn't necessarily looking in our favor.  

Family to memorialize slain trans woman - We need to stand up for our transgender brothers and sisters.

Maryland Marriage Equality Leads To Big Paydays For Wedding Vendors - Sweeeeeet!

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s niece makes wild claims about Obama, NAACP

Alveda King

According to Alveda King, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s niece, African-Americans are angry at Obama and the NAACP for their stances on abortion, contraception, and, of course, marriage equality.

In fact, she is claiming that African-Americans are taking drastic action. King said the following in an article in the American Family Association's One News Now:

 King says the NAACP could turn itself around, but only through repenting. The movement of African-Americans calling for repentance from the NAACP is growing. "African-Americans are coming out and burning membership cards to the NAACP," King says. "Thousands of African-Americans across this land have spoken out against the president's agenda, which includes homosexual marriage, abortion, contraceptives."

It is sad that national figures seem to always be followed by family members who do nothing more than ride their coattails to fame.

Former President Jimmy Carter had Billy Carter and former President Bill Clinton had Roger Clinton.

Fortunately, President Obama doesn't seem to have that problem with a personal relative. But, as a proxy, Martin Luther King, Jr's niece seems to be wanting to fill in the role.

Last year, I had to check Ms. King because I suspected that she told a blatant lie about Bayard Rustin, an openly gay aide to MLK and the coordinator of the 1963 March on Washington. At the time, she claimed that Rustin tried to persuade MLK into supporting gay equality and when he refused, Rustin resigned.

As a black gay man whose sees Rustin as a role model, I couldn't let that claim pass without calling her out. Subsequently, my demands for the truth led to a personal interview with Ms. King. This interview led me to believe that she was not only being deceptive about Rustin, but also her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. She tried to talk over me when I asked her questions and ended the interview by hanging up on me.

This time, I don't think anyone needs an interview to refute Ms. King's charges about Obama and the NAACP. After all, Obama was elected with a landslide of electoral college votes as well as the popular vote. And an enormously large part of that was the black community.

Furthermore, just how many African-Americans are burning their NAACP membership cards? One person? Two people? Three? And just where is this "growing" movement of African-Americans calling for the NAACP to "repent?"

Ms. King seems to be speaking in generalities but if one asked her for particulars, I doubt she could point out any of them.

She really should give it up because she is fooling no one but the willfully ignorant. She is a poseur and a fake. And not even a good one.

WOW! NOM posts a rude pic, wants to make ugly history

From my online buddy Jeremy Hooper comes something from the National Organization for Marriage which is just so (my Julia Sugarbaker voice)- STUPID:

It's stupid because it's half-sighted. So a man and a woman copulating creates a child. But it says nothing about the well-being or caring of the child.

Any man or woman can make a child, but it takes a real mother or father to be a parent. And in that respect, the gay community has done very good for itself.

But this ridiculous poster from NOM enhances the sad fact of how the organization is attempting to play heterosexual households and same-sex households who are raising children against one another.

The raising of a child is not a competition. It is a blessing which belongs to everyone who can partake in it.

By the way, boys and girls. I hear that NOM is planning a national march on Washington at the same time the Supreme Court will be deliberating on DOMA and Prop 8.

You realize that if this happens, NOM will make history.

Generally, marches on Washington are about attaining rights which are deserved but not given, such as the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington (organized by a gay man by the way - Bayard Rustin) and the several marches for gay equality. Marches on Washington are about bringing attention to an injustices such as war and poverty.

With NOM's march, this will probably be the first time there will a march on Washington demanding that  inequality, discrimination, and second-class status be foisted on a group of Americans (lgbts).

Go figure.

Know Your LGBT History - Tales from the Crypt - 'The Assassin'

 Let's have a little fun today. Having a character in a movie or tv show being revealed as lgbt is always a good plot twist, even though sometimes it's not necessarily a positive one for the community.

Check out this episode of Tales from the Crypt entitled  "The Assassin" and tell me what you think. The plot twist is probably easy to tell, but I want to know how do you feel about it?

Is it offensive, empowering, or just a plot twist which shouldn't be made a big deal out of.


Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'Prop 8, DOMA Supreme Court briefs distorts parenting study' and other Friday midday news briefs

Anti-gay legal briefs ‘mischaracterized’ parenting study - Well will you look at this. Lawyers defending Prop 8 and DOMA distorted a study to claim that same-sex parents are less able to raise children than heterosexual parents. This distortion is in  briefs they submitted to the Supreme Court. And this news comes from the organization who conducted the study via The Washington Blade:

 “We have pointed this out repeatedly, yet to our dismay we continue to see our 2002 research mischaracterized by some opponents of same-sex marriage.” - Carol Emig, president of Child Trends.

My beautiful gay community, this is huge and if it does not receive as much or more attention than Jodie Foster's speech at the Golden Globes, well then I guess we can point out a problem as to why things are so difficult in the fight for equality.  

Editor's note - Distorting legitimate research for their own ends is an unfortunate hallmark of religious right groups. Pages 8 - 10 of my booklet, How They See Us, spotlights 12 times in which religious right groups have engaged in this specious practice.

In other news:

Alveda King claims marriage equality as facet of 'reproductive genocide' - Jimmy Carter had Billy Carter. Bill Clinton had Roger Clinton. And now the Martin Luther King, Jr. family has Alveda.

Russian Parliament Advances National Bill Banning ‘Propaganda of Homosexualism’ - Oh brother!

If You Could Refrigerate Homosexuality, It Wouldn't Be A Sin - I. . . I just can't comment on this. I just can't.

Do religious right groups really care about placing children in homes at all?

The above graphic supplied by my blogging comrade Jeremy Hooper has me thinking about children and the religious right

It is from the National Organization for Marriage and encompasses a standard religious right talking point used when the organization attempts to stymie marriage equality, i.e. claiming that allowing gays to marry would deprive children of the "right" to have a mother and a father.

I have heard that same talking point used extensively by other religious right organizations such as the Family Research Council and politicians and public figures who carry their water, so to speak, such as Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee.

I am of the personal belief that a child needs a good home, regardless of whether that home encompasses the mother/father dynamic, single parent dynamic, or the gay parent (s) dynamic. No matter how much research groups like NOM can manufacture or cherry-pick, the fact is a home with love and support is what matters most.

And it's better than no home at all, which brings me to my point.

According to several groups involved in the adoption of children, there are over 120,000 children waiting to be adopted. In fact, one group, Children Awaiting Parents,  says:

Most are school-aged or older. There are brothers and sisters who need to stay together. More than 60% of the children come from minority cultures. The majority are boys. Many have emotional, physical, learning disabilities or mental retardation. All are waiting for the love and security that only a permanent family can offer. 

For all of their pronouncements that "every child has a right to a mom and a dad" and "children need homes with mothers and fathers,"  I am not aware of any effort by NOM, FRC, or any religious right group or their supporters working to get children out of the foster care system and into that mother/father dynamic they preach so fervently about.

No initiatives. No sponsorship of legislation. Nothing

The only time I hear these groups and individuals suddenly care about children having decent homes at all is when they are attempting to them away from gay households.

That tells me either these religious right groups and their supporters are willfully forgetting children in foster care or that they don't really care about whether or not children actually are placed in good homes.

Just as long as they aren't placed in gay homes.

Rhode Island House of Representatives overwhelmingly pass marriage equality bill

From the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News:

The Rhode Island House of Representatives, led by openly gay Speaker Gordon Fox, today passed a bill that supports marriage equality. The House voted 51-19 to approve the measure.

 Rep. Joseph M. McNamara told a personal story of holding a lesbian couple's twin daughter, looking at the happy little girl, and saying that's when it dawned on him that marriage equality was also family equality. McNamara said the twins deserve the same equality of any straight family, and that by providing marriage equality was the right thing to do.

 Rep. Arthur J. Corvese, a Catholic Democrat who loudly and angrily railed against the bill and against gay activists and the ACLU, shouted out all the usual suspect arguments on why same-sex marriage will open Pandora's box for marriage. He said marriage isn't about gay rights, or civil rights, or about love, but about procreation. He also used the phrase, "the criminal media," leading one pundit to utter, "Is this man crazy?"

 Rep. James N. McLaughlin attempted to substitute an amendment to the bill to essentially gut it and keep marriage between a man and a woman. He gave a rambling and incoherent speech, then the parliamentarian ruled that his amendment was not germane and was out of order. Rep. Joseph Almeida, who is Cape Verdean American who was born in Providence, said the issue was a "civil rights struggle" and "don't divide us" to opponents of the bill.

Minority Leader Brian C. Newberry said he supported the bill and urged the Senate not to play politics with their vote on the measure, accusing the high chamber of drawing up a wish list to use a vote on the marriage bill as a bargaining chip.

Openly gay Rep. Frank Ferri, who said he and his "husband" have been together for 32 years, called today: "This is an exceptional moment, and it's taken a long time." He praised Speaker Fox for his patience since 1997 in getting to this moment in Rhode Island history.

The marriage bill now goes to the state Senate, where its President, Teresa Paiva Weed, a Democrat, opposes the measure. Weed, however, has agreed to allow a vote, which may take weeks or months before it clears the Senate Judiciary Committee.

'Stanford researchers create HIV-resistant cells' and other Thursday midday news briefs

HIV-Resistant Cells Created By Stanford Researchers Could Protect Patients From AIDS - This is really good news! 

Bryan Fischer is hijacking the civil rights movement (is what I would say if I adopted his own movement's tactics) - Dear Mr. Fischer, "Christian is not the new Black" That is all. One more thing - you dumb ass!

NOM – Rhode Island Insults The Very Legislators They’re Lobbying - NOM plays both sides of the coin in Rhode Island. 

Minnesota Columnist Claims LGBT Students Don’t Need Bullying Protections - First they said we have no need for marriage equality because we already have civil rights. Now they say our children don't need protection from bullies. I cringe to hear the next thing they will claim that we don't need.

Religious right - 'gays have bad health issues, so let's undermine attempts to discover why'

According to Think Progress, Rep. James Lankford (R-OK) had a very interesting exchange with a constituent about how a workshop which counsels lgbts with substance abuse problems and mental health issues is allegedly pushing the "homosexual agenda:"

CONSTITUENT: I want to know if you’re aware of the Substances and Mental Health Services Administration that has a book called the Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Individuals.

 LANKFORD: Wow.

CONSTITUENT: They are going around the nation, they just did this here in Oklahoma, December 7th, and having conferences that are educational. [...] About 2 percent of the conference is dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues. 98 percent is doing indoctrination or pushing the homosexual agenda. This is what our president is doing. He has a federal agency doing it. Our state, the Oklahoma Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department, put this conference on and is indoctrinating our citizens who are totally against this. Is there any way you can look into this?

LANKFORD: Oh yes, sure. You know I can absolutely get a chance to take a look at it. We’ll start the process, try to see what we can do to identify it. Some of those things you have the power of humiliation where you can raise it and put in sunlight. They love functioning in the dark. You put some sunlight on it, that does help. But, we’ll see. I’m glad to take that on. 

It has not been confirmed whether or not the woman speaking was Sally Kern - although it does look like her. And those of us who are lgbt know Sally Kern very well. She is the Oklahoma legislator who once said that homosexuality is more dangerous than terrorism, causing a huge uproar and a boon for religious right organizations who anointed her as a victim "unfairly vilified"  for merely expressing an opinion.

I'm pretty sure we are going to be hearing more about this, but regardless of who this constituent was, the fact that she is attacking a program which would help lgbts fight substance abuse and mental health problems is something we should remember, especially in light of the fact that a huge argument used against the gay community by people like the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins is the idea that we are susceptible to substance abuse and mental health issues: 




And there you have an interesting conundrum which very few point out regarding the hypocrisy of the religious right and those who support their efforts to keep us under heel.

On one hand, you have them calling us "dangers to society" because we are supposedly more susceptible to substance abuse and negative mental health issues. And on the other, they object to any program which would help us conquer these negative behaviors, claiming that they are in actuality a plot to "indoctrinate" or push the alleged homosexual agenda.

They seem to be attacking us for negative health issues while undermining attempts to  create solutions to these issues.

And I have a hard time believing that this is not intentional.

Right tries to historically revise Stonewall Riot

Because of President Obama's inaugural speech, the famous Stonewall Riot of 1969 has officially taken its place as one of the great moments in American history.

However, some people have taken it upon themselves to demonize what exactly happened at that bar in 1969 to help spark the modern day gay rights movement even to the point of rewriting history.

Buster Wilson of the American Family Association inaccurately claims that Stonewall was a hotel full of homosexuals who got violent during a police raid (no doubt implying that the police found gays having all sorts of illegal sex):



Then there is Pat Buchanan (who once described AIDS as nature's retribution on gays). Now you would think that he gets it wrong. But (and I fainted when I heard him describe it), he actually kinda gets what Stonewall was right. He was wrong by calling it a barroom brawl, but he was right when he said the police were harassing gays and the gays stuck up for themselves:

 

But in all honesty, describing what happened at Stonewall, including the events which led up to it, belongs to those who were there. I think they should have precedent in telling the story:

 

'AFA cheers on Russia's attempt to criminalize homosexuality' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

AFA Headline Of The Day - From Joe Jervis comes something I saw this morning and it frankly got me nauseated. The American Family Association, via its phony news site One News Now, is cheering on Russia's efforts to "criminalize" homosexuality.  

Sadie, 11-Year-Old Transgender Girl, Writes Essay In Response To Obama's Inauguration Speech - This is so awesome that this child has the courage to not only come out but also to so such a positive thing when so many adults won't even get off their butts.  

Audio: You guys, stop hurting Tony and Tim's feelings. They just want to call you unnatural and deny you of rights—gah!- And THIS post is when I really wish the adage about lightning striking would prove true.  

Sandy Rios Mourns Obama's Inauguration and Equality for Non-Christians - Rios manages to attack Obama, those who practice religions other than Christianity, atheists, gays, and African-Americans all at the same time. Someone give her an award!

How many times can Bryan Fischer mention 'gay sex' during an Obama tirade?

I thought I had seen it all when it comes to members of the religious right using Obama's inauguration speech to reduce gay equality to something stupid about sexual intercourse.

I was wrong:



Bryan Fischer is not a researcher, he is not a medical doctor, nor is he a psychiatrist or a psychologist. Just who in the heck is he to call someone ignorant about homosexuality and the gay community?

And what's with this constant emphasis on the alleged sexual behavior of gay males?

It's like I said yesterday, when ordinary Americans think about gay couples, they generally see this:

But people like Bryan Fischer sees this:

 I'm not a psychiatrist either but if I were, I would probably be able to write a book on Fischer.

Obama's speech gives the religious right 'sodomy on the brain'

You gotta give the religious right credit for one thing - when they get a talking point, they hammer it to death.

To hell with truth. They seek to dominate the conversation by repetition.

With President Obama's mention of gay equality in his inaugural address, several groups are hammering the point home that the mention was not needed because "gays already have civil rights."

Of course this is a dumb point which is easily refutable - that is if lgbt groups such as GLAAD and HRC put out a press release in response (hint, hint, hint, guys)

But in pushing this talking point, several religious right figures can't help but push forward their bigotry. Take former Family Research Council head and religious right journeyman Gary Bauer for example:

And then there is Peter Sprigg from the Family Research Council during an interview this morning on CNN:

"We as social conservatives do not agree with the president’s attempt to link the modern homosexual movement with the women’s rights movement or the civil rights movement for African Americans,” Sprigg said. “The irony is that homosexuals already have all the same civil rights as anyone else.” Sprigg continued to say that "all sexual behavior" is not created equal, nor do "all personal relationships have an equal value to society at large, that serve the same public interests."

Obama didn't say a word about sexual intercourse in his speech.  But while ordinary Americans see the family below, they think "how ordinary and loving."

When people like Peter Sprigg and Gary Bauer look at the above photo, they see this:

Sprigg, Bauer, and those who support their madness can believe what they want, but it doesn't make what they believe as fact. And it certainly doesn't make what they believe a model this nation should follow.

'Tax dollars going to schools which bar gays' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Backed by State Money, Georgia Scholarships Go to Schools Barring Gays - Uh excuse the @!# out of me!  

Peter Sprigg gets on CNN again; plays the victim—again #glaadcap - Peter Sprigg from the Family Research Council whines that President Obama has made "working together" impossible with yesterday's speech. Why in the hell would the President want to work with an anti-gay hate group?  

LGBT Group Petitions Fox News To Drop Its Transphobic Coverage - A noble pursuit, no doubt. 

Lewiston, Twin Falls, Id. ban sexual identity discrimination - Sweet!!

 Lively: 'True Human Rights Will be Finished' if the Gay Rights Movement Succeeds - That bigot gives me gas.

Brian Brown, NOM pouts over Obama's inauguration speech

Obama's speech yesterday is something else for Brown to cry about.

The National Organization for Marriage and its president, Brian Brown, recently released what I call a whiny statement voicing its anger over President Obama's support of marriage equality in his inauguration speech:

"Gay and lesbian people are already treated equally under the law," Brian Brown responded. "They have the same civil rights as anyone else; they have the right to live as they wish and love whom they choose. What they don’t have is the right to redefine marriage for all of society. In fact, six federal courts have rejected the idea that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court in a summary decision in 1972. Furthermore, that vast majority of states have codified the commonsense view held for thousands of years that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. The President is profoundly wrong to imply that those who have acted to protect marriage have denied anyone's rights by doing so."

"A presidential inauguration should be a time for the nation to come together; instead President Obama chose to voice his support for a radical agenda advanced by some of his biggest campaign contributors to redefine marriage for everyone. Marriage brings our nation together. The concept of gay ‘marriage’ would have been totally alien to our founding fathers, and the protection and advancement of marriage between one man and one woman will immeasurably serve the common good of this country and further strengthen our Union. 

NOM wants to seem to be forever the victims. At no time did President Obama attack those who do not support marriage equality. Just like Tony Perkins and the FRC did yesterday, Brown and NOM falsely spins his inauguration speech to make it seem that he has declared war on those who oppose marriage equality. How ironic is it that NOM is angry at President Obama, seeing that the organization did all it could to get his opponent Mitt Romney elected.

Family Research Council pouts over Obama's inauguration speech

I guess it's safe to say that some members of the religious right are over any shock they have regarding President Obama linking gay equality with women's equality and the Civil Rights Movement during today's inauguration speech.

On his radio show today, FRC president Tony Perkins and FRC employee Kenneth Blackwell totally misrepresented President Obama's speech to make it seem that he personally called them out as bigots:



This is what President Obama said:

 "We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths -- that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall... It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

 At no time did President Obama call out the Family Research Council or the rest of the groups who claim that they are "merely trying to preserve traditional marriage." I personally wouldn't have had a problem if he had because the way I see it, organizations like FRC and personalities like Blackwell and Perkins are in fact bigoted. How much so? Let the evidence speak for itself:



That clip was bad enough, but the following from last year involving Star Wars reveal the mindset of a man and a group obsessed with attacking gays. I hope no one informs Perkins that the seven little dwarfs lived together and shared a bedroom before Snow White showed up:

 

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.

Obama gives gay equality an inauguration shout out. Now what?

President Obama's inauguration speech is going to make things interesting in the coming days:

President Obama made history today when he mentioned both the Stonewall uprising and gay and lesbian people being treated "like anyone else under the law" during his second inauguration speech. "We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths -- that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall..." he said.

 He continued: "It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

This the first time that a president has addressed gay rights during an inauguration speech.

For now, I think members of the religious right are passed out in an apoplectic coma. But on our side, there are those already with their fists up proclaiming "action speaks louder than words."

While I understand where they are coming from, I am also not so jaded that I ignore historical moments. And a president mentioing gay equality in his inaugural address is a TRUE HISTORIC MOMENT.  It signals the simple fact that we must admit that we are no longer total outsiders of the American experience who have to scream louder than others to get attention.  If we didn't believe it before, we had better start believing it now - lgbts are a part of the mainstream.

It's safe to say we have all of the attention we want or need. The question is where does our community go from here. What do we do with the attention because there are so many areas in our struggle which need it.

Are we going to continuously fight amongst ourselves, evoking the boogeyman of "Gay Inc?"

 Are those who have "stroke and power" in our community in terms of what issues get addressed going to diversify their mindsets or continue soak to themselves in wine-soaked cliques and fundraising parties of the so-called beautiful people while feeding our minds with cotton candy confections  about which celebrity came out or didn't come out enough?

Is our media going to talk about real issues such as self-esteem, the worldwide struggle of gay equality which touches every age, color, creed, and gender or continue to focus on materialistic things which look good and smell good on our bodies but the majority of lgbts neither can afford or have any desire to care about?

 And finally, are we going to initiate an unprovoked public conversation about the propaganda spread by some in the name of religion, i.e. the lies about our families and our health. Or are we going to continue to fail to respond to these lies except for a vulgar comment printed on a facebook page?  Is the majority of the lgbt community and our allies ready to take on (with intelligence and dignity) the propaganda artists at those religious right groups who have stolen and co-opted not only the name of religion but also that of family?

 It's wonderful that Obama mentioned us in his inaugural speech, but let's never forget that ultimately the success of gay equality lies in our hands. We own it and whatever President Obama does in his last four years in office will never change that.

The point is not what is President Obama prepared to do. The point is what is the lgbt community prepared to do.

The 'Case for Mammy/Daddy Marriage'

Check out this video and don't be so quick to get angry before watching the ENTIRE thing.

'Attempt to defend Tony Perkins' bigotry backfires' and other Friday midday news briefs

My gosh some on the anti-gay right are practically on another planet when it comes to logic. Take Porno Pete LaBarbera for example. On his webpage, he lays a charge that GLAAD distorted Tony Perkins (Family Research Council president)'s words to make it look as if he is attacking gays. LaBarbera takes Perkins' original statement:

“Those that understand the homosexual community — the activists — they are very aggressive … everything they accuse us of they are in triplicate. They’re [intolerant], they’re hateful, they’re vile, they’re spiteful…Our response to them should be one of love and of compassion….We’ve got to be very careful to guard our hearts — that we in the midst of this battle don’t become so [callous], that we realize they’re not the enemy. The enemy is simply using them as pawns. They are held captive by the enemy….”

and then compares it to what GLAAD reported to claim that the organization distorted Perkins' statement:

I fail to see the difference between the two statements, except one. The longer statement makes Perkins look worse. And on that note, LaBarbera's attempt to defend Perkins makes him look clueless as well as foolish.

In other news:

Video: Brian Brown thanks NOM supporters for buying him a French vacation - This is pitiful. NOM leads a successful anti-marriage equality March in France but then spoils it by lying about the number of attendees.

 WATCH: Transgender Tween Tackles Challenge Of Dating - This is so cute. I love this!

California Health Insurance Company Sued For Barring HIV Patients From Pharmacies - Sock it to them!

 Rev. Steven Chalke, Evangelical Minister, Calls On Christians To Support Gay Community - Hmmmmmm

Hate group leader Tony Perkins lies about gay depression and suicide research

One of the most tedious things about organizations like the Family Research Council is how they will either distort legitimate research or question the outcomes of said research if doesn't back up their negative claims about homosexuality.  But in this case, Tony Perkins, president of FRC does one worse. He pretends that such research  which contradicts his claims about homosexuality doesn't exist:




Perkins claims that there is no link between homophobia and negative behaviors in gays, such as depression and suicide. As far as I know, Perkins has never done any research on the issue. However, Massachusetts pediatrician Robert Garafalo conducted a study which found the link. And his name should be of interest of Perkins.

 In 1998, he complained that FRC and several other religious right groups were distorting his report on sexual orientation and at-risk behavior among gay youth. The groups used Dr. Garafalo’s study in a full page ad as proof that homosexuals are substance abusers and all-around violent people. Garafalo contended that his research was saying that when gay teenagers abuse drugs or contemplate suicide, it is because of the homophobic society they face. Regarding the distortion of his work, Garafalo said the following :

 “It’s a complete misrepresentation of my work. It was taken completely out of context. It comes to a complete opposite conclusion of what the paper actually said.” - Boston doctor says ads distorted his work on gays, The Boston Globe , Aug. 4, 1998

Furthermore, several other studies AND medical groups have also confirmed the link between homophobia and depression and suicide amongst gays including:

A 2011 study from Concordia University:

New research from Concordia University suggests that the stress of being rejected or victimized because of sexual orientation may disrupt hormonal responses in lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Recently published as a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology, this investigation examined environmental risks and protective factors that counterbalanced them in LGB youth. "Compared to their heterosexual peers, suicide rates are up to 14 times higher among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school and college students," says Michael Benibgui, who led this investigation as part of his PhD thesis at Concordia's Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development.

A 2009 study listed on  the American Psychological Association's online site:

Many studies find a higher rate of health and mental health problems among lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens than in heterosexual youth, often fingering social rejection as the culprit. A new study of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, however, suggests another major possible cause: parental rejection. The research, published in the January Pediatrics (Vol. 123, No. 1), found that LGB adults who reported high rates of parental rejection in their teens were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to have had unprotected sex than LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection, reports the study team, headed by Caitlin Ryan, PhD, of San Francisco State University.

The Centers for Disease Control:

 Homosexuality  is not a mental disorder, but homophobia, stigma, and discrimination have negative effects on the health of MSM, lesbians, and other sexual minorities. The negative effects of social marginalization can be found in adolescent and adult MSM, for example, research has shown that MSM and other members of the LGBT community are at increased risk for a number of mental health problems.

Perkins vaguely cites a study of gays in the Netherlands to back up his claim that suicide and depression are indicative of the lgbt sexual orientation because according to him, the Netherlands is more accepting of gays, but they still engage in negative behaviors there.

By listening to Perkins, one would not know what study he was talking about and who conducted it.

But as it happens, I think I know the study and its author because I talked to him a couple of years. The study was  Same-Sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders. It appeared in the Archives of General Psychiatry in 2001 and looked at psychiatric disorders in gay adults from the Netherlands.

If so, this is the part Perkins was alluding to:

It is unclear to what extent findings from this Dutch study can be generalized to other cultures or nations. Compared with other Western countries, the Dutch social climate toward homosexuality has long been and remains considerably more tolerant. To the extent that the level of social acceptance of homosexuality induces differences in mental health status in relation to homosexuality, the observed differences might be greater in other Western countries than in the Netherlands.

In 2009, I contacted the author of the study, Professor Theo Sandfort. At the time, I was writing a post about how another religious right spokesperson (Regina Griggs of PFOX) was distorting his work. Via email, Sandfort said the following:

There is a difference between the U.S. and the Netherlands in terms of acceptance of homosexuality. That does not mean that there is no homophobia (and homophobic damage) in the Netherlands. It is not clear how difference in climate affects the prevalence of mental disorders. We don't know the final answers, but in the U.S. as well as the Netherlands, homophobia is related to mental health problems.

In his radio address, Perkins  was distorting and misleading to attack the famous "It Gets Better" program, which works to keep gay youth from committing suicide.  Perkins calls the "It Gets Better" program a "deceptive lie."

No, Mr. Perkins.

Pretending that research which contradicts your point of view doesn't exist is a deceptive lie.

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.

NOM tells Rhode Islanders - 'Gays want your children!!'

I don't think Jeremy Hooper will mind me stealing this from his blog.

You know, no matter how nice Maggie Gallagher and company tries to dress up NOM's rhetoric, when the organization is not successful, it always goes back to basic homophobia and fear tactics such as the following "gays are coming after your children" ad it ran in Rhode Island recently:

 

No matter how much sweet frosting you put on manure, it is always manure. But here is the thing that I like. The group in Rhode Island pushing for marriage equality, Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, didn't sit on its ass.

Instead, it refuted NOM's junk extremely quick:

RIUnited Press Release on fallacious NOM ad by

'More proof that NOM is branching out in the UK' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Video: The UK gets its own Kalley Yanta - First the French anti-marriage equality march and now this. It looks like the National Organization for Marriage is branching out in Europe big time. Maybe not necessarily NOM, but whoever is behind NOM.  

Religious Extremism On Display At Rhode Island’s Same-Sex Marriage Hearing - This was just vile. And so many errors too. Marriage has not been the same since the beginning of time even if you followed the Bible (who married Adam and Eve for instance?) And I won't even talk about that caterwauling in the hallway of the Rhode Island legislative capitol building. Lastly, you KNOW someone had to work in something about sexual intercourse.
 
Air Force Veteran Fired Under DADT Named As Inauguration Citizen Co-Chair - Outstanding! 

Buster Wilson Warns Obama Might Confiscate Guns of Anti-Gay Activists - What would Jesus do, indeed?  

Seattle's Mars Hill Church Moves Close To Gay Neighborhood To Preach To Those 'Infected By AIDS' - You wouldn't have to move to a gay neighborhood for that.