Know Your LGBT History - Jeanne Manford and PFLAG

In celebration of the news that the late Jeanne Manford, founder of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has been selected to receive the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, I present the story of PFLAG in her own words with an assist from Rachel Maddow and President Obama. I have never seen this video until now.

What a woman!


Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'Meet the British Maggie Gallagher' and other Friday midday news briefs

Remember that episode of Sanford and Son where the lead character Fred Sanford met a white version of his nemesis, his sister-in-law Esther? In that spirit, I present to you the British version of Maggie Gallagher.

In this debate, she is commenting negatively on the decision by the British government to pursue the passage of marriage equality. For those who don't want to watch the entire thing, just take a glimpse at the first part and notice how the moderator makes her backtrack from her "marriage has existed the same way from the beginning of time" talking point.

However for those who are a student of such things, pay attention to what she says during the debate and notice how "oddly" her talking points mirror the ones used by Gallagher, NOM, and others attempting to hinder marriage equality in America, including the "homosexuals have no right to redefine the definition of marriage for all of us" lie.

If you don't think these folks are collaborating, then you are in a deep coma.

In other news:

Maryland Middle School Promotes Ex-Gay Therapy To Students - Unbelievable. Don't show this trash to our children!  UPDATE - The video has been pulled!

TWO Report: Gerard van den Aardweg, NARTH’s Nastiest Reparative Therapist - Wayne Besen dismantles another phony researcher from that discredited group that religious right organizations rely on so much.

Former Teammate Implies That Darnell Dockett Is Gay, Enrages Darnell Dockett - Wooooweee! Dude! There are worse things than being called gay.  A serial killer. A cannibal. A fan of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

Zach Wahls - the religious right's worst nightmare

If you don't know who Zach Wahls is, you had better learn.

He is a young man raised in a lesbian household, intelligent, articulate,and not shy about defending his family or gay equality. Wahls, an Eagle Scout, has also been on the front lines for the lgbt community in the recent Boy Scout ado. In short, he is the religious right's worst nightmare. And nothing says that more than two interviews this week in which he went head-to-head with Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The first interview is when the Boy Scouts were deciding whether or not to change its "no gays allowed" policy. To say Zach did rather well would be an understatement:

 

This second interview was done after the Boy Scouts decided to postpone its decision.  Zach mops up the floor with Land. But for those who think that the second video is too long, allow me to clue you to a juicy part. At 6:40, Zach decides to ask Land a question about the talking point he keeps repeating concerning the Boy Scouts' "core values." It got a bit vicious after that and Zach did not back down :