NOM president 's Congressional tirade backfires

Robert Eastman, head of the National Organization for Marriage was testifying in front of a Congressional committee today in a sad attempt to attach his organization to the IRS scandal. NOM  is claiming that the IRS leaked the organization's information.

 And NOM and other folks on the right will be talking about the above video clip, no doubt claiming that Eastman "socked it to" the Democrats and the I.R.S.

 However, that's not the case.

As a good friend of mine, Viktor Kerney, pointed out on his blog, while Rep. Earl Blumenauer - a Democrat on the Congressional hearing committee - sat through Eastman's tirade, he took the time to respond in the Huffington Post:

Last year, internal National Organization for Marriage (NOM) strategy documents were leaked, stating that the organization seeks "to drive a wedge between gays and blacks" by promoting "African American spokespeople for marriage," thus provoking same-sex marriage supporters into "denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots," and "to interrupt the assimilation" of Latinos into "dominant Anglo culture" by making the stance against same-sex marriage "a key badge of Latino identity."

Does this sound like social welfare to you?

Social welfare organizations should work in the public interest -- not to divide, exploit, and conquer.

When I brought this up at the hearing today, Dr. Eastman, Chairman of the Board of NOM, angrily groused, "To say that defending traditional marriage doesn't qualify for defense of the public good is beyond preposterous."

To Dr. Eastman, I say that it is the denial of my constituents, and all Americans, the right to marry the person they love is preposterous. To exploit racial and religious differences so you can fundraise for and enforce your specific worldview is preposterous.

But your right to be preposterous should not extend to taking political positions under the guise of a social welfare organization, raising money and campaigning.

We all agree the IRS was wrong to target specific groups. But political organizations like the National Organization for Marriage can't have it both ways. If they want to engage in politics, that is their right, and they should register accordingly. But NOM's mission couldn't be farther from promoting social welfare -- and looking at the polls and recent ballot box victories, citizens across the country are proving that they agree.

Rep. Blumenauer's post is indicative of the fact that because of Eastman's testimony,  NOM seems to be facing renewed scrutiny of its not-so-moral actions. Less than an hour ago, Chris Geidner from Buzzfeed put out the following tweet:

Chris Geidner ‏@chrisgeidner 53m

NOM keeps complaining about the IRS & saying they're filing a lawsuit. I keep asking if they've filed &, if so, to see it. They haven't.

Someone should ask Eastman how does his foot taste since he put it so deep in his mouth.

'Anti-gay protest at HRC headquarters a miserable FLOP' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

As if it's any surprise (but come on, you want to know anyway), the anti-gay protest  by Peter LaBarbera and his merry cast of homophobes at HRC is a big bust. As I understand, it's still ongoing and no doubt there will more footage. But for now, enjoy the following picture and video as much as I have. The words are ridiculous, but the absence of people is just scrumptious.

Maybe I need to protest HRC if they are that welcoming.

 

 In other news:

Family Research Council Boasts Making Gay Illinois Legislator Cry - Dear FRC, you just KNOW we will remember that one.

Bar Association Group Issues Resolution Against Gay & Trans "Panic" Defenses -  Kudos to the American Bar Association!

Is National Organization For Marriage Bankrupt? - I sincerely doubt it but isn't it a pleasantly delicious thought?

Pictures and videos courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign. To cut the volume , click the mute button on the upper left hand of the videos. It's funnier that way.

When third-rate anti-gay activists protest the Human Rights Campaign . . .

When famously talented musicians team up for an album, the term used to describe this collaboration is a "supergroup."

If that's the case, what do you call a bunch of infamously homophobic stooges teaming up for a silly protest of one of the nation's foremost lgbt equality groups?

It's a thought to ponder because 11 a.m. today, several of them will be gathering in front of the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in order to protest Gay Pride Month as well as attempting to connect HRC to the IRS scandal.

Let's look at the ringleaders in this ecclesiastical hulapalooza:

LaBarbera

Leading the protest is the group Americans for Truth, led by Peter LaBarbera.  LaBarbera has been known to endorse any, and I mean any research that makes lgbts the bad guys even if that research is by discredited sources, such as  Paul (gays stuff gerbils up their rectums) Cameron or Ugandan "kill the gays" bill supporter and author of a factually-challenged book linking gays to the Nazi Party Scott Lively. Of course he is also known for attending leather events and "street fairs" with his camera, looking for "filthy images" to publicize on his webpage as an example of the so-called real face of lgbt America. And he always makes sure to give "loving detail" to the acts featured in the pictures.

And let's not forget his bad sense of humor, such as when he posted the following picture of openly gay former Congressman Barney Frank as a TSA agent on his webpage:

Barber

Then there is Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel, a man whom many - myself included - have accused of having an unhealthy devotion to talking about gay sex.  In 2009 during a conservative conference, Barber demanded that folks opposing lgbt equality start talking more about gay sex in order to expose the "ick factor" that people have about it. He claimed that this was the "Achilles heel" of the lgbt equality movement.

In fact, Barber will be remembered for one interestingly graphic statement he made about his idea of gays having sex:

“one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it ‘love."

Of course, less polite people than myself would probably accuse Barber of being jealous.  Other than that, Barber has made a nuisance out of himself with several homophobic actions, including tweeting an ugly statement about gay sex (he does talk about that a lot) during President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address and recently, sending out a very nasty cartoon in protest of the Boy Scouts allowing gay youth to participate:

Harvey

Rounding out this cast of characters is triple Z-rated activist Linda Harvey from Mission America, a homophobe who seems to never get called on by major religious right groups nor does she seem to never appear on television shows. It's probably because one gets the impression that her expressed views are too out there even for folks like Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council.

For example, there is the time in 2011 when she advised parents to not allow their children to see gay physicians. Or the time when she claimed that gays don't really exist (which would make today's protest irrelevant if you think about it). Or last month when she said that employees should have the right to fire gays in order to "uphold moral standards."

Activist Wayne Besen once called Harvey the "most homophobic woman in America." I think he said that because he felt sorry for her.  Harvey really serves no purpose in the religious right food chain other than aiding lgbt bloggers and groups such as People for the American Way prove that behind the lovey-dovey, "hate the sin but love the sinner" rhetoric of the religious right beats an ugly heart.

I'm almost jealous that I won't be at the HRC protest today. I haven't had a good laugh in a long time.

Related post - How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America