Know Your LGBT History - Ex-gay therapy

Some things (no matter how vile they are) need no introduction. Here are a few clips about "ex-gay" therapy and the role it plays in harming our community:

 




Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'Ex-gay therapist claims to turn 'gay brains' heterosexual' and other Friday midday news briefs

Ex-Gay Therapist Promises to Turn Gay Brains Straight - Mercy! These religious right folks:

 

 In other news:

 “Pederastic Cotton Candy”: WND’s Five Craziest Responses To The Boy Scouts Vote - Mind-numbing homophobia as only World Net Daily can deal.  

Laura Ingraham Dispenses Dangerous Advice For Raising Transgender Youth - Laura Ingraham needs to remember that she has a gay brother, so every ignorant thing she says about lgbts hurts him. 

Anti-gay activists to hold anti-Pride press conference in front of HRC building - Great. Porno Pete is holding a press conference in front of the Human Rights Campaign headquarters next week. Now if we were to do the same thing in front of the Family Research Council headquarters, they would call a S.W.A.T. team.

At Muslim LGBTQ retreat, attendees try to reconcile their faith and sexuality - Excellent article! 

 Illinois Conservatives Demand Right To Discriminate In Marriage Equality Bill - It's a ruse. They don't want a marriage equality bill in the first place.

Attack on gay families undercuts message of anti-Christian 'persecution'

Lord, hammercy, where to start?

You can watch the entire thing, but if you really want to hear something, start at 8:22 where Matt Barber and Mat Staver from the Liberty Counsel begin going on tangents regarding what's wrong with gay adoption.  Watch how Matt Barber continues to cite the Regnerus study (even though that study has been continuously refuted and discredited) to make the case against same-sex households.

And then Barber compounds the offense by viciously attacking same-sex families. According to him, gays "purchase children"  and says "it's like having little pets."

There comes a time when you stop getting angry at folks like Barber and Staver. Why should you? They make the lgbt community's case for us in regards to the animosity against us by the religious right.

It's really funny when you think about it. While Tony Perkins and Maggie Gallagher weave a tapestry of lies about gays "persecuting" Christians for their "deeply held beliefs," behind them are Barber and Staver putting a torch to that tapestry every time they open their mouths.
 

Maine Supreme Court: NOM has to give up the name on its donor list

From the Boston Herald comes news that will make you dance the "good foot:"

Maine's supreme court on Thursday cleared the way for a state ethics commission to obtain the donor names of a national anti-gay marriage group that helped defeat a gay marriage law in 2009 before the practice was legalized by voters last year.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected an appeal by the National Organization for Marriage, upholding subpoenas issued by the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices for donors to the organization. NOM, as it is known, has been fighting to keep its donor list confidential for 3½ years.

"It's very frustrating to be dealing with such a litigious group as this. You have to wonder what they're trying so desperately to protect," Attorney General Janet Mills said.

The national organization helped defeat the Maine law in 2009 through a referendum. Gay marriage was legalized in the state after a second referendum in 2012.

The U.S. Supreme Court already declined to hear a separate appeal challenging the constitutionality of the state's financial disclosure law, ending a separate challenge in federal court.

Go here for more information.

'AFA spokesman: Satan responsible for Boy Scout decision' and other Thursday midday news briefs

WND: Gays Following Hitler's Mein Kampf, Need 'Hormone Treatment' - I'm simply speechless.

  AFA spokesman: 'Satan is using' gay Boy Scouts - I think that the love affair between the religious right and the Boy Scouts is officially over.  

Did Conservatives Only Support The Boy Scouts For Anti-Gay Discrimination? - Uh yeah.  

The Cake Wars- This is fascinating. According to an undercover investigation, the bakers who won't do a cake for a gay wedding because it "violates" their Christian beliefs will make cakes for other things that Christians may be shouldn't support such as divorce or having multiple children out of wedlock. 

Owning The Middle - Brittney Griner: Black, lesbian, and proud of both distinctions.

'Christian' host launches nasty attack against parents who do not 'protect' children from gays

 Okay this is just mean. It's bad enough to attack lgbts but Matt Trewhella of Missionaries to the Preborn takes it to another level of viciousness by increasing his circle of hatred to include parents who supposedly won't 'protect' their children from lgbts. What nonsense.

'Boy-Scout Queen?' Now the religious right is simply making things up

Judith Reiesman

This need for religious right figures to demonize our gay youth regarding the Boy Scouts has just gotten strange, courtesy of Liberty University's Judith Reisman in a piece she wrote for World Net Daily:

 . . . 854 adults stamped a “bull’s eye” on the Boy Scouts as pederast targets.

Now, bigger and/or more manipulative lads, with cell phones and other pornography resources stirring their sinews, will greedily entrap any and all boys who seem easy prey.

“Boy Scout” is defined in Gay Speak, the homophile lexicon:

“Boy-scout queen: (sexually experimenting boy scouts who fear giving a response); one who pretends to snooze as he is f–-ed or s–-ed off, ‘sugar loaf,’ ‘sugar babe,’ etc., bees to the honey!”

What the hell is this woman talking about? I have NEVER heard of a "boy scout queen." In fact, I have NEVER heard of any lgbt use the phrase "boy scout queen." And what the heck is Gay Speak. If it's the "homophile lexicon,"  then how come I haven't gotten my copy as of yet?

The only thing scarier than the idea that someone may believe this crap is the fact that a college - even Liberty University, home of Matt (I think about gay sex a lot) Barber - employs Reisman to possibly teach the next generation.

God help us all!

Southern Poverty Law Center calls out anti-gay parenting study, its author in blistering interview

Editor's note - From time to time, there is a news item which is so awesome, so extraordinary that all attention must be devoted to passing it along to folks. This is such a news item: 

Mark Regnerus

Suspect 'Science' - In the newest issue of its Intelligence Report, the Southern Poverty Law Center calls out Mark Regnerus, the author of the controversial and fraudulent study put out last year which claimed that same-sex households are inferior to heterosexual households. To say this piece is brutal would be an understatement. SPLC's Evelyn Schlatter interviews Darren Sherkat, professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University and a member of the editorial board of Social Science Research. Skerkat conducted an audit of Regnerus's study.

Allow me to preview choice bits of the interview:

"Regnerus and other right-wing activists have been fond of claiming that the study is “population-based” or a “national probability study.” As a scientist, I don’t even know what “population-based” means, and the data used in this study are by no means a probability sample. Regnerus’ data are from a large number of people recruited through convenience by a marketing firm — they are not a random, representative sample of the American population. Science requires random samples of the population, and that is not how this marketing firm collected their data."

"One thing that’s disturbing to me about the Regnerus study is that Regnerus received a large amount of money from these foundations and this creates a very different scholarly and intellectual atmosphere. It creates a playing field that’s not level. Someone like Regnerus is now able to go out and buy his own data, if we’re to accept data of this quality. Even if we were to say it’s high-quality data, he is able to get a million dollars’ worth of influence — he was able to generate that kind of funding from these conservative foundations in a way that other intellectuals are not able to do. All of the traditional sources of social scientific funding have dried up over the last 20 years and there’s nowhere to go to get money, but these guys have it. There are talks in Congress about cutting the entire social science budget at the National Science Foundation. That is chilling, because then we’ll be completely reliant on people like Mark Regnerus and Brad Wilcox [of the University of Virginia] and Christian Smith [of Notre Dame University] and people like that for our information about potentially crucial or controversial issues."

"When we talk about Regnerus, I completely dismiss the study. It’s over. He has been disgraced. All of the prominent people in the field know what he did and why he did it. And most of them know that he knew better. Some of them think that he’s also stupid and an ideologue. I know better. I know that he’s a smart guy and that he did this on purpose, and that it was bad, and that it was substandard."

You can read the full interview here.

Watch how religious right groups exploit Boy Scout controversy

Don't believe the religious right when they say that they are all broken up over the decision by the Boy Scouts to allow gay youth. Based upon the above cartoon from the American Family Association's One News Now, fake morality groups will continue to milk the situation to their benefit.

Well at least THIS TIME, lgbts aren't portrayed as sex maniacs. Although I doubt being compared to a ravenous, bloodthirsty bear is a step up.

Boy Scouts decision has Congressman angry, thinking about lurid sex acts

Rep. Louie Gohmer

No doubt, a lot of folks are upset regarding the Boy Scouts allowing gay youth to participate. And that's their right. But this statement by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) last week on the Family Research Council's Washington Watch takes the cake for the basest, most ignorant thing I have ever heard. It's simply so sad when some folks will mistake ignorance for morality:

Transcript:

I was just so brokenhearted over the vote with the Boy Scouts. You’re going to allow a situation where a seventeen-year-old guy that’s sexually attracted to other guys gets in a little tent with an eleven-year-old new rookie Boy Scout and they spend the night together, night after night at camp? I mean, come on. I thought we were making progress. All I can figure is—I was an Eagle Scout, we share so much of the love of scouting—when you hear what happened, the people I talked to are, ‘well just think there are so many corporations that are holding up their donations and if we will just do this all of that money is going to flow to Boy Scouts.’ Are you kidding me? Is money the most important thing in life? Gosh no. You’re blessed so much more if you follow the teachings in the little old rulebook we call the Bible.

 Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Anti-gay violence happening in Ukraine, Russia, and France' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

A Flag for a Fallen Soldier, but Not for Her Wife - A reminder of what we are fighting for. 

Anti-Gay Violence Marks Demonstrations In Ukraine, Russia, And France - And a reminder that our struggle for equality and dignity is a worldwide one. 

NFL's Adrian Peterson On Gay Marriage: 'Not Into That - Works for me. Then just don't marry a gay man, Mr. Peterson ;p

 Bizarre Sports Camp Aims To Turn Gay Men Straight - I have a feeling that this isn't going to work.

 Fischer: LDS Church Supported Ending the Ban on Gay Boy Scouts in Order to Restore Polygamy - Lawd, hammercy!

The marriage equality argument will be determined by the children of same-sex families

I now make a prediction. The fight over marriage equality will be determined not just by simplicity of love that same-sex couples show for each other, but also the love publicly shown to them by their children. The young man in the above video, Riley Roberts, makes an impassioned plea for his two mothers on May 23 in front of the Nevada Assembly. Try keeping your eyes dry while watching it.

Know Your LGBT History - The end of DADT

In honor of our fighting men and women (especially our gay troops), I present to you the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on December 2010:

Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'NOM hosting speaker who claimed gays 'are worthy of death'' and other Friday midday news briefs

'Why Is NOM Still Hosting A Speaker Who Claims Gay People Are “Worthy Of Death?” - Even if he meant it in terms of a Biblical theology, even implying that gays are worthy of death is just wrong. 

Ten Right Wingers Freak Out Over Boy Scouts Policy Change - They seem to always freak out over something or another.

LGBT Job Discrimination Bill Won’t See Action Until July, Senator Says - Not a problem. It gives us more time to prepare because you know the religious right will push the "bathroom bill" talking point.  

Fox News Devotes Zero Seconds To Covering Brutal Anti-Gay Hate Crime - That's Fox News for you. They push all sorts of anti-gay nonsense but won't touch this.

Boy Scout decision elicits extreme emotion from both sides of the debate

Reactions to the decision by the Boy Scouts to lift the ban on gay youth but uphold it when it comes to Scout leaders is getting plenty of reaction. First from the Associated Press comes this emotional video:



Meanwhile, the rabid wolves at the conservative Free Republic aren't exactly in a celebratory mood. The following are just a few of the comments:

They can go to hell. But they want to take the kids with them.

The end of scouting. When will the sodomy merit badge be coming?

Great, the scouts are now the Village People. :(

The homo-nazi’s have won. But they will really celebrate all the more as chapter after chapter close up and the entire organization implodes.

Unbelievable..let the molestation begin..if I had a young boy I sure as hell would never put him in Scouts..mind as well put a target on his back and say “Molest me”

and what happens after there are endless reports of gay boy scouts hitting on other scouts? Sexual assault? The number of parents suing the BSA will be through the roof. No child should be subject to this type of filth.

 

Bryan Fischer is not happy with the Boy Scouts

Bryan Fischer

Of course not everyone is happy that the Boy Scouts removed the ban on gay youth. The following tweet is from Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association

 Bryan Fischer ‏@BryanJFischer 14m

BSA now stands for Boy Sodomizers of America, because that's what will happen. Mark my words.

Picking on children. What would Jesus do indeed?

Boy Scouts end ban on gay Scouts but . . .

From the Human Rights Campaign:

In a historic move, 1,400 leaders from the nation’s local Boy Scouts of America Councils gave the green light to equality for gay Scouts, voting to end the organization’s long standing ban on gay youth.  Unfortunately the new policy does not go far enough, leaving adult Eagle Scouts, scout leaders, and parents behind.  The resolution passed today reads in part, “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.” 

"Today is a historic day for Boy Scouts across the country who want to be a part of this great American institution," said HRC President Chad Griffin.  "But the new policy doesn’t go far enough.  Parents and adults of good moral character, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to volunteer their time to mentor the next generation of Americans."

"The Boy Scouts of America can do better," said Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout and Executive Director of Scouts for Equality.  "We welcome the news that the ban on gay Scouts is history, but our work isn’t over until we honor the Scout Law by making this American institution open and affirming to all."
 
Unanswered in the new policy is the issue of employment discrimination by BSA.  Currently, the BSA job application for "professional commission" explicitly says gays need not apply. The application, which comes from the BSA’s national office and appears to be in use across the country, reads:  "The Boy Scouts of America will not employ atheists, agnostics, known or avowed homosexuals." The full application can be viewed here.

Still work to do. But for now, let's celebrate this step forward.

Tony Perkins denounces hateful anti-gay rhetoric except his own

In a long-winded monologue on his show, Washington Watch, yesterday, Family Research Council said that he only “speaks from love” about gay people and that he “completely denounce[s] hateful rhetoric, calling people names and demonizing them.”

As Right-Wing Watch pointed out after that clip - and I am about to point out, Perkins is lying through his teeth. This is the same guy who claimed that gays are the "pawns of the devil:"

 

Then there are these lovely moments, courtesy of GLAAD, when Perkins:

-- Claimed: "Even if society embraced homosxuality, there would never be that sense of self-fulfillment because it's outside of how God created man and woman, and that's the bottom line.  They can't erase that."

-- Told "funny" story about his church converting "big women" into "ex-gays"

-- Claimed Uganda bill (with death penalty attached) simply "upholds moral conduct"

-- Compared the "unfortunate experience" and "lifestyle choice" of homosexuality to that of drug abuse

-- Claimed court-tested marriage equality will lead to a "revolution" in America

If Perkins keeps telling these blatant lies, he is going to have to get lightning insurance.

'Family Research Council pushes full-page ad against gay Scouts' and other Thursday midday news briefs

New ad: One of America's most hostile anti-gay groups asks BSA Delegates to make horrible mistake - Today is the day in which the Boy Scouts vote whether or not to allow gay scouts. And naturally the Family Research Council is all up in the situation with this full-page ad.

Boy Scouts president: Let in gay boys - Meanwhile, the president of the Boy Scouts has a different opinion of the situation.  

Why Do We Defend Discrimination? - An excellent point by my friend John Becker. In the case of racism and anti-Semitism, we don't defend bigotry. But in the case of lgbt equality, a lot of times, we do. Even lgbt folks.  

Oklahoma Congressman: The Left Is ‘Intolerant’ For Wanting Gay Boy Scouts - To me, this brief isn't solely about the Boy Scouts. It just amazes me that folks accuses lgbt of being "intolerant" because we simply want basic dignity and respect as human beings. To some folks, "tolerance" means being a doormat. Sorry, but I was never raised to be a doormat.

 Like Letting Serial Killers Teach Preschool: The Top 5 Religious Right Claims on the Consequences of Lifting the Gay Scouts Ban - Get ready for the crazy!

Marriage equality 'is awful' is a not a good answer

From Right Wing Watch:

KSFY in Sioux Falls took on the debate about legalizing same-sex marriage in South Dakota yesterday by airing a report on how Iowans are faring under that state’s four-year-old marriage equality law. The station, in an attempt to hear both sides of the issue, interviewed an Iowa married couple, John Sellers and Tom Helten, and the state’s leading anti-gay activist, Bob Vander Plaats, who is trying to get the law overturned.

Sellers and Helten explain why they support marriage equality. Plaats explains why he doesn't. It's not even a long debate, but it answers a multitude of questions, specifically the one asking can those who oppose marriage equality list any reason that's not religious-based.

The Family Research Council's sad attempt to attach gay equality to the DOJ leak story

Tony Perkins of FRC

This is just pathetic. Apparently the Family Research Council is attempting to attach gay equality to the Department of Justice leak story:

When the Justice Department is done violating journalists' First Amendment rights, it looks like they'll move on to employees'. In a chilling memo to DOJ staff, the Obama administration is warning managers that they'd better start embracing homosexuality--or else. The email, which a Justice employee leaked to Liberty Counsel, is a scary reminder of how far this administration will go to crush free speech and expression in America.

In advance of June, the DOJ is priming its staff for a four-week in-your-face "gay pride" celebration that demands, not only the participation of--but affirmation by-- all staff. Based on this new directive, "LGBT Inclusion at Work: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Managers," it's no longer acceptable to be quiet or even neutral on homosexuality. In a not-so-veiled threat, the administration tells staff that when it comes to homosexuality and cross-dressing, "Silence will be interpreted as disapproval."
That's absolutely outrageous. Even criminals have the right to remain silent! President Obama's so-called Department of Justice is actually telling workers that there's no place in the government for people with unspoken objections to homosexuality. In fact, writes NRO's Ian Tuttle, "there is no longer a place even for private, unexpressed disapproval..."

Forget tolerance. The DOJ wants--and expects--vocal support for sexual deviance. Nowhere is that more evident than in this latest list of "DO"s and "DON'T"s, which includes some eye-opening advice for staff leaders. "DO assume that LGBT employees and their allies are listening to what you're saying" (sound ominous?) "and will read what you're writing (whether in a casual email or in a formal document)." "DO attend LGBT events sponsored by DOJ Pride" and decorate your office accordingly. "DO display a symbol in your office (DOJ Pride sticker)." "DO use a transgender person's chosen name and the pronoun that is consistent with the person's self-identified gender." "DO use inclusive words like 'partner,' 'significant other,' or 'spouse' rather than gender-specific terms."

It's hilarious how FRC claims that the brochure in question was "leaked." Makes the entire situation sounds ominous doesn't it? Don't be fooled by FRC's shuck-and-jive.  There are certain facts about the brochure that FRC omitted. According to Ed Brayton of Free Thought Blogs:

First of all, this is a pamphlet of “practical tips to help managers create a truly inclusive workplace climate.” It’s not a set of commandments delivered from Mt. Sinai. It wasn’t even sent out by DOJ officials, it was sent out by DOJ Pride, the Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Employees of the U.S. Department of Justice and Their Allies.

In his post, Brayton was calling attention to the fact that another religious right spokesperson, Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel, was distorting the brochure. Brayton especially called attention to the fact that Barber was cherry-picking portions of the pamphlet to make it seem more ominous.

Apparently FRC is doing the same thing.  No matter how FRC attempts to make the brochure (this one) sound like a dangerously forced directive on behalf of the DOJ, it's really not.  The brochure informs DOJ employees of the simple fact that some of their fellow employees are lgbt and gives tips as to how to behave towards them.

And really, what's wrong with that?

I think FRC's last statement on the matter gives a key to the entire matter:

As FRC has said for years, this debate has never been about tolerance. It's about forced acceptance. President Obama admitted as much when he praised the NBA's Jason Collins. Read what he said when Collins announced he was gay: "The LGBT community deserves full equality, not just partial equality. Not just tolerance."

On that score, I would say that FRC is partly right. Lgbt equality has never been about tolerance.  You tolerate your pets having accidents on the carpet. You tolerate traffic jams. You even tolerate the slow cashier who makes you wait in a grocery store. But no one has the right to think that they are so superior that they should tolerate a fellow human being merely attempting to live his or her life.

Nor is lgbt equality about forced acceptance. To a degree, it's never been about acceptance but respect of a fellow human being. And with that respect comes the knowledge that your sexual orientation - gay, straight, or bisexual - does not put you on a pedestal where you have the patent to concepts like "family," "morality," or "love."

FRC seems to think that those who believe as it does do in fact have a patent to those concepts. That's all well and good if the organization wants to follow that delusion. However, FRC doesn't have the right and will never have the right to force the lgbt or our allies to live under that same delusion.

Happy Harvey Milk Day!

It's Harvey Milk Day across the nation as we honor the life and contributions of civil rights and human rights leader Harvey Milk. I understand that some folks are not happy and are raising a little fuss. But you know what? Who cares what they think? Enjoy the following videos:

 From the youtube:

On Harvey Milk Day 2012 (May 22), the SF Gay Men's Chorus traveled to the California State Capitol in Sacramento to announce the launch of "Harvey Milk 2013: Living The Legacy", a year-long tribute that culminates in a world premiere, multi-media concert and exhibition event presented by the chorus in June 2013.

This full-length musical interpretation of Harvey's legacy, being hailed as the first of its kind, will include the winners of a call for artistic submissions from the general public, as well as a commissioned work by Broadway composer Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family Musical). Joining the chorus on the steps of the Capitol building were California State Senator Mark Leno and California State Assembly member Tom Ammiano, two of the three authors behind the bill to legislate Harvey Milk Day into California law in 2009, along with teachers from schools in Sacramento, CA who received a gift from the chorus - the score of an anthem commissioned for Harvey Milk 2013 called "Give 'Em Hope", which was performed by the chorus at the event. 

This second video is also from last year in which the SF Gay Men's Chorus performed 'Give 'Em Hope' at its June concert and during SF Pride:

'VA Lt. Gov nominee - 'Adam & Steve will lead to Adam and a bull' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

E.W. Jackson Warns Same-Sex Marriage Leads to Bestiality: 'Adam and Steve' Becomes 'Adam and a Bull' - Virginia Republicans, THIS is the guy you nominated to run for Lt. Governor. Say it with me now - LORD HAMMERCY! 

In other news: 

 Liberty Counsel & Liberty Univ. personality proud of his extreme rhetoric; I applaud him for owning it! - Dear Matt Barber, please look up the fable of the Mischievious Dog.  

Senate Democrats drop-kick binational gay couples - This doesn't look good for us right now but remember that those with power never give it up without a fight. So don't stop fighting.

  Conservatives Reticent To Condemn Anti-Gay Hate Crime - Some conservatives were noble (and late) to condemn the recent anti-gay violence in New York. Others were their usual hateful selves.  

Campus Crusade For Christ ‘Pamoja 3′ Conference Incites Hatred Against LGBT Community In Africa - Not a good thing at all

Family Research Council blames gay community for military sexual assaults

Leave it to the Family Research Council to exploit the serious problem of military sexual assaults to attack the lgbt community:

 President Obama is finally admitting that sexual assault is a serious problem in the military--but what he hasn't conceded is that his policy on homosexuality helped create it. According to a new Pentagon survey, most of the victims were not female (12,000 incidents), but male (14,000)--highlighting a growing trend of same-sex assault in our ranks. Although the Defense Department says it "recognizes the challenges male survivors face," one of the biggest problems is their silence in reporting it. The Washington Times, one of the first to highlight the discrepancy, explains that the Pentagon's attention is largely focused on the females experiencing abuse "overlooking the far greater numbers of men, who, according to the survey, are being v ictimized but not reporting it."

How could this happen? Well, for starters, the Obama administration ordered military leaders to embrace homosexuality--completely dismissing the concerns that it could be a problem to have people attracted to the same sex, living in close quarters. What's more, explains Marine Capt. Lindsay Rodman, the statistics aren't reliable and may be hiding thousands more cases of service-based abuse. "The truth is," she writes in the Wall Street Journal, "that the 26,000 figure [of victims] is such bad math--derived from an unscientific sample set and extrapolated military-wide--that no conclusions can be drawn from it." Except one, perhaps, which is that groups like FRC were right to be concerned about the overturning of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." 

FRC is saying that since gays are now allowed to openly serve, they are responsible for allegedly high number of male-on-male sexual assaults.  This is a false correlation. FRC - and others including World Net Daily - are automatically attributing this number to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in spite of the fact that there is no evidence to justify such a correlation.

Of course the facts have never mattered to FRC. Once the group has an angle, it generally exploits that angle to the fullest.

In other words, we shouldn't be surprised if we continue to hear the inaccurate correlation between military sexual assaults and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Matt Barber is talking about 'gay sex' and Satan again

Matt Barber

Sometimes you have to wonder how sad these religious right spokespeople truly are. Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel is a perfect example. Not only does he seem to have a fascination with "attacking gay sex," but he seems to love linking the lgbt community with Satan. One has to wonder does this man really think he is spreading truth by saying the statements below. 

'Video denigrates same-sex households' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

We hear so much from the opposition that they are being attacking for supposedly simply believing that marriage should be confined to one man and one woman and that the raising of children should be confined to that sole dynamic. It's difficult for us to demonstrate how many times those expressing that belief cross the line into the realm of attacking our families. Ironically enough, this video does it for us. Now there is nothing wrong with writing a book which talks about a mother/father dynamic when it comes to marriage and the raising of children. Where I seriously draw the line is when the author feels the need to disrespect - however slightly - same-sex families. These folks need to recognize that while they have every right to express their opinion when it comes to marriage and the raising of children, if their expressed opinion attacks or disrespects same-sex households in any way, they shouldn't expect us to be silent. We love our families and our children, too.

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.

In other news:

Posters In Washington State Capitol Claim Gun Laws Are Just Like Anti-Gay Discrimination - Broooother!

Gay Boy Scouts Employee: I Can’t Live A Lie Any Longer - Things are getting very interesting in Boy Scout land.

Markell Fears Minnesota Cities May Be Destroyed Over Gay Marriage - They just can't help with the end-of-the-world imagery.

Lesbian Parents Say Texas Judge's 'Morality Clause' Ruling Will Force Them Apart - This is NOT right and I doubt that it's even legal.

This is how you 'debunk' homosexuality?

This is debunking homosexuality? You're kidding, right? Hearing folks like this guy really makes me sad for the American educational system, although except for the omission of junk science, his rambling is exactly the type of argument we hear from the religious right.

Saturday Night Live humiliates 'ex-gay' movement

I bet the 'ex-gay' movement will be silent over what Saturday Night Live did to it last weekend night. After all, what can they say?

'Backlash against lgbt equality becoming violent' and other Monday midday news briefs

Equality's Brutal Backlash: The Murder of Mark Carson and the Rise in Violence Against Gays - I knew there would be a backlash to all of the recent lgbt success, but I always thought that it would be weariness from the American electorate. This violence is NOT cool.

 Gay Texan cut off from partner of 34 years who has Alzheimer’s after sister-in-law obtained guardianship - This awful story needs to be repeated. 

What’s Next For Kaitlyn Hunt, The Teen Charged With A Felony For Same-Sex Relationship With Classmate - THIS is a @!#% travesty! 

MassResistance: NOM a 'no-show' in Illinois - Usually when religious right groups are feuding with each other, I'm all for it. But today, it's all "meeeeh"  

'Coach' Dave Calls on Obama to 'Admit He's the First Openly Gay President' - Lawd, why! What's wrong with him (Coach Dave), Lawd!

Virginia Republicans choose anti-gay pastor as Lt. Governor nominee

The Republican Party just chose THIS GUY to be their nominee for Lt. Governor:



Jackson made a brief, very ridiculous mention against the lgbt community in the above video. In interviews, he has made more negative comments about us:

Their minds are perverted, they’re frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally and they see everything through the lens of homosexuality. When they talk about love they’re not talking about love, they’re talking about homosexual sex. So they can’t see clearly. Jesus said ‘when the eye is dark the body is full of darkness.’ Let me come back to this whole issue of their using the black community because here again some of the most vicious attacks ever leveled against any black conservative or black Christian for that matter has come out of the homosexual community.  

As I understand it, Virginia Democrats have yet to name their lt. governor nominee. Probably because so many of them fainted with delirious glee over who the Republicans chose to put up against their prospective nominee.

Know Your LGBT History - Lesbian and gay clubs of the 1950s

Why am I posting this video? Because it reminds me of why I don't go to gay clubs now. Too loud, too noisy, and hard to connect with people. And I would kill for at least one song to be slow so that I can dance cheek-to-cheek with someone. Sometimes it's good to crave intimacy with no sexual contact. It seems that the clubs back then were much superior to the ones now.

Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'Uma Thurman as Anita Bryant? This I gotta see' and other Friday midday news briefs

Uma Thurman As Anita Bryant: 'Kill Bill' Star Cast As Anti-Gay Activist - Kinda frivolous I know, but come on. This I simply HAVE to see. 

George Takei Responds To "Traditional" Marriage Fans - George Takei comes out of the closet and then he just gets all zany. LOL  

The Losing Arguments Of Anti-LGBT ‘Alliance Defending Freedom’ - This is so hilarious!

 Washington Florist Countersues For Religious Right To Discriminate - I reiterate that if you allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, where does it stop?

  Barton: Partner Abuse 'Ten Times Higher' in Same-Sex Relationships - Of course David Barton is talking out of his tuckus and Right Wing Watch proves it.

Anti-gay ad in Belize invokes Jesus

Lgbts and their allies in Belize are attempting to get rid of the antiquated sodomy laws. The following commercial is by those who don't want that to happen.

The irony is the inference of Jesus in the ad, seeing that He never said a word about homosexuality.

'Fox News giving cold shoulder to marriage equality victories' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Fox Ignores Marriage Equality Victories While Peddling Anti-Equality Horror Stories - Knowing Fox News, I wonder if this is necessarily a bad thing. 

 Texas House Passes Higher Education ‘License To Discriminate’ - This here is some repugnant bull@!*#  

Maggie Gallagher Admits There Was No Leak Of NOM’s Tax Return - NOM want to attach itself to the IRS scandal by claiming the agency leaked its tax returns. HOWEVER, Maggie Gallagher may have accidentally put a kibosh on that.  

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - Folks I know you are probably tired of me promoting this booklet but this is important. Thanks to a very nice article in Queerty, it is less than 1,000 reads away from 20,000 reads (it is already the NUMBER ONE political book on Sribd.) Thank you for all you have done promoting and getting it out to people. And as I work to develop a hard copy of it, please send this out to folks who haven't read it yet, folks who may need this information (especially our lgbt youth), and feel free to download it. I get NO compensation from this except the satisfaction that I am doing something positive for the community. And that means more to me than all of the money or acclaim in the world.

Scenes from when Minnesota made marriage equality legal

 

The picture is from the day the Minnesota Senate voted to pass the marriage equality bill. It is one of many taken by Cadence and Eli Photography.

In fact, Cadence and Eli Photography took many pictures of that day and compiled them into a huge photo album. 

I enjoyed viewing the photo album and I know you will, too.

Why is Christianity getting a bad rep? Because of this . . .

Unbelievable. A day after smearing gay men with an ugly tweet about the Boy Scouts and pedophilia, Liberty Counsel member and Liberty University Dean (yeah, I know!) Matt Barber has the audacity to talk about how marriage equality is from Satan and is a way that government is "shaking its fist" at God.

 I doubt Satan has anything to do with marriage equality. If you ask me, I think he was too busy getting Barber to post that nasty tweet.

'MN governor signs marriage equality bill into law' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signs marriage equality bill into law. Enjoy the above video, folks. It is the culmination of hard work because all things worth getting are things worth fighting for, tooth and nail. 

 In other news:  

Nevada Assembly Votes to Add Gender Identity and Expression to State’s Hate Crimes Law - Meanwhile, we get a huge victory in Nevada.  

Another Oregon Baker Denies Baking Wedding Cake for Gay Couple: VIDEO - This is junk. If you allow people to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, where do these allowances stop?  

Senator Jeanne Shaheen Pushes For Equal Benefits For Gay Service Members, Veterans - Because it's the right thing to do.

Boy Scouts Paying Ralph Reed to Play 'Peacemaker' in Promoting Change to Anti-Gay Policy? - Mercy! That's like getting a python to watch over baby chicks.

Why can't homophobes stop talking about gays and sex?

We've seen it with 'Porno' Pete LaBarbera and Matt Barber (whom a less polite friend of mine once dubbed the 'Sisters of Sodomy') and now with this absolutely bizarre video.

Why do some homophobes constantly obsess with how they think gays are having sex?

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.

'Christian' conservative spokesman posts nasty homophobic cartoon

This absolutely vindictive cartoon is courtesy of Liberty Counsel member Matt Barber. The sad irony is that this is the same guy who had the nerve to pen a "I don't hate you, just your lifestyle" letter.

I know from which I speak. I am no better than you. I, too, once lived a lifestyle of sexual sin. Not homosexual sin, but sexual sin nonetheless. As a young man I did not treat God’s daughters as He intended and, instead, engaged in a lifestyle of selfish womanizing and fornication.

The wages of sin in my life was death – spiritual and emotional death. I was on your same path.But by His grace, I was offered and accepted “the free gift of God.” I, instead, was saved and given “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Do I still struggle with sin? Of course. Every day. We all do. We are fallen. We are sinners. Still, Christ’s gift to me was forgiveness, redemption and life everlasting. My friend, that gift is available to you as well.

Is this hypocrite for real? What Barber did by tweeting that awful cartoon is no different than what racists to do African-Americans:

Or what anti-Semites do to people of the Jewish faith:

I think Matt Barber needs to stop worrying about gays and read his Bible again. Apparently he is so consumed about the so-called sin of homosexuality that he seems to have forgotten the one about bearing false witness against one's neighbor.

It's people like Barber - two-faced people who talk about how they have Jesus' love with one face while bashing their neighbor with the other - who do more harm to Christianity. Barber's tweet is something to remember the next time he, Tony Perkins, and the rest of the religious right whine to the press about "anti-Christian persecution" by gays.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Family Research Council attacks gay adoption with discredited study' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Perkins Cites Debunked Study to Warn of 'Serious Risks' of Gay Adoption - such is the goal of the Family Research Council and several other religious right groups. When something they cite is discredited, they continue to cite it anyway. If they can't win with truth (which they can't), they hope to beat us down with repetition. 

Marriage Equality Opponents Mourn ‘Sad Day’ In Minnesota - Speak for yourself, guys. It's a happy day where I stand.  

Todd Starnes' 5 Fake "Culture Wars" - Looks like junior high lesbian kisses isn't the only thing Fox News' Todd Starnes has been deceptive about.  

Video: Illinois' top anti-equality group rallies by saying gays have 'deviant sexual lifestyle', are 'offense to nature and nature's God' - There they go again talking about "gay sex." 

Shocking Audio: NOM’s Comm. Director calls equality advocates ‘the forces of evil’- Please. If I was a force of evil, I would be better dressed. Something in black leather and boots with a nice headdress or maybe a hairstyle like the Vulcan priestess T'Pau in that episode of Star Trek.  

There Is Nothing Matt Barber Won’t Lie About - No.

Video footage of Minnesota Senate passing marriage equality

Scenes from yesterday the Minnesota State House as the Minnesota Senate approves marriage equality. Apparently a good time was had by all, except those who aren't in favor of marriage equality.

Minnesota makes number 12!

Congratulations, Minnesota! 

Minnesota will become the 12th state in the country, plus DC, to allow same-sex couples to marry, following a 37-30 vote of the state’s Senate on Monday.

Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to sign the bill at 5 p.m. Central Time Tuesday. The bill, passed by the House last week, will take effect Aug. 1 — the same day Rhode Island’s marriage equality law takes effect.

The state’s sole out gay senator, Sen. Scott Dibble, spoke in support of the bill he had backed.

Of the legislature’s prior decision to push forward the vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay couples from marriage, “I felt excluded,” he says of that decision. He added, though, “In an odd way, I’m kind of grateful, because we had an amazing conversations, Minnesotans,” that he said led to Monday’s vote for marriage equality.

“Today, we have the power, the awesome, humbling power, to make dreams come true, he said. “We will be removing barriers to the full joy life has to offer.” Of himself and his husband, Richard, whom he married in California in 2008, he says, “I’ve met the person I can’t live without.”

See the rest of the article and more pictures at Buzzfeed and just to get a glimpse of what Minnesota said "no" to, remember this testimony below?



It's hard to believe once upon a time in certain places, testimony like the above would have doomed marriage equality.

'Good news in Minnesota, terrible news in Russia' and other Monday midday news briefs

Minnesota Senate Expected To Pass Gay Marriage Bill, Governor To Sign - Keep it up, folks! I'm loving this. And keep your fingers crossed.

Russian Gay Man's Death Fuels Fears Of Rising Homophobia - BUT at the same time, don't even think that things are less dangerous for us. Pray for our lgbt brothers and sisters in Russia.

  Kingsport (Tennessee) Newspaper Publishes Opinion Piece Declaring Homosexuality a Disorder - Well it IS an opinion piece. But it's still junk.

 Debunking the '10 Reasons' for Scouting discrimination - A very handy guide to have.

 Online gay booklet cruises to over 18,000 reads, underground success - Yes, I am bragging. In case you didn't see it, the press release talking about the success of How They See Us and detailing an exciting new development to get the booklet out to more of the public.

Family Research Council continues to link gays to pedophiles

The following video is yet another one pushed by the Family Research Council claiming that if gays are allowed in the Boy Scouts, there will be more boys at risk of being molested. This time, FRC allows Brian Rushfeldt, head of Canda Family Action do its dirty work.

It's truly nauseating how low FRC will stoop with the lies.

Online gay booklet cruises to over 18,000 reads, underground success

COLUMBIA—While not on the radar of the mainstream lgbt media, an online booklet detailing how religious right groups spread anti-gay propaganda has quietly grabbed many readers and status as one of the best books that many in the community hasn’t heard of yet.

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America was published on Scribd by South Carolina blogger and gay activist Alvin McEwen in January.  Since that time, the booklet has quietly drawn over 18,000 readers, making it one of the top 10 political books on Scribd.

McEwen credits the success to how he and other supporters consistently publicized the booklet by either embedding it on their blogs or tweeting about it on a daily and weekly basis, thus drawing in readers.

“I believe that if you really want a project to be successful, you have to work on gaining that success tooth-and-nail,” McEwen said. “Luckily, recent events have made How They See Us vital to not only members of the lgbt community but also to our allies.”

One event McEwen points to happened early last month.

A Michigan Republican leader, Dave Agema, posted what he called “facts about homosexuality” on Facebook.  These “facts” were such claims as gays molest children at a high rate and are infected with numerous amount of diseases.

Many of Agema’s claims had already been cited and refuted in How They See Us.  And the fact that Agema  pulled his claims from an over 20-year-old piece even proved the basic point of McEwen’s booklet – that the same claims made now by such groups as the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, and other so-called pro-family groups are not facts but old lies rooted in junk science or cherry-picked legitimate science. 

Another event McEwen points to is how the new support of marriage equality is creating a false dichotomy  of Christians being supposedly victimized for speaking against marriage equality.

Last week, an article on CNN’s webpage asked that question. McEwen felt that while the article attempted to be fair, the writer did not do more to expose the duplicity of religious right and so-called morality groups. McEwen felt the writer should have taken an effort to talk more about the false claims made about the lgbt community; claims which he feels go way beyond expressing a religious belief.

“The danger of the article,” McEwen said, “ is that it gives the inaccurate impression that religious right groups are unfairly victimized simply for expressing religious opposition to marriage equality.   This mindset totally absolves them of the propaganda they have spread about the lgbt community before marriage equality was even an issue.”

Now that his book has enjoyed much success online, McEwen said he is ready to take the next step – getting more hard copies into the hands of people who can use them.  He said his ultimate goal is to create a national conversation on how religious right groups pass along homophobic propaganda under the guise of “Christian expression.” 

McEwen is in the middle of creating a hard copy edition of How They See Us which he intends to distribute at pride festivals  free of charge. He said he also intends to mail copies to certain members of Congress, HRC, GLAAD, and also put the word out to many pride centers across the nation that the book is available for their usage free of charge.

“While articles have been written which ask the question of whether or not Christians are being attacked for professing their so-called personal beliefs, there has been very little media attention and virtually NO mainstream articles focusing present-day religious right anti-gay propaganda or how so-called "pro-family" group routinely cherry-pick science to demonize gays. And that’s a real shame,” said McEwen. “My ultimate goal is to change that.”

How They See Us is available for free on McEwen’s blog (to the right) and can also be downloaded from here.