Friday, May 30, 2014

'Laverne Cox makes history by being on the cover of Time magazine' & other Friday midday news briefs

Why Time’s Profile Of Laverne Cox Is A Big Step Forward For Transgender Equality - History has been made as Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender person to make the cover of Time magazine. And the sets of articles in Time magazine in this issue are awesome, too.

'State And Union' Follows The Hardships Of Alabama's Lesbian-Led Families - VIDEO - Excellent! We need more focus on lgbt-led families.  

Audio: 'Unbiased researcher' (ha, ha, ha!) Mark Regnerus plays anti-equality pundit, adviser - History will remember how the lgbt community quickly and mercilessly dismantled the lies of Mark Regnerus as an example of us learning quickly about the dangers of allowing junk science study purveyors to spread their nonsense unchallenged. (After all, we are still cleaning up the lies of Paul Cameron decades later). 

 Alan Keyes Claims Gay Rights Will Lead To 'Self-Inflicted Genocide' And 'Suicide For Humanity' - And when history also remembers that it was Alan Keyes who President Obama thrashed in the race for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat and that victory helped pave his way to the White House, a huge cry of THANK GOOOOOOD!! will be heard from future generations. 

Texas Religious Right Leader Warns LGBT Protections Will 'Terrorize Women And Children' - OR how the religious right lies in the name of God.

Anti-gay talking head gives out inaccurate info on assaults in military to attack idea of gay Scoutmasters

Matt Barber
Former Secretary of Defense and new head of the Boy Scouts of America Robert Gates recently said he would have allowed openly gay Scoutmasters but does not wish to revisit the issue just yet.

And like they always do when it comes to issues involving lgbts, some anti-gay activists heard what they wanted to hear and proceeded to go ballistic about it:

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel Action, and founder of Barbwire.com, says Gates should have seen the impact of repeal of the ban on open homosexuals in the military.

"With homosexual assaults on men in the armed forces particularly skyrocketing," says Barber. "Since 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was lifted, upwards of more than a third increase in sexual assaults – male on male."

 . . . "I have said all along that they will eventually cave," says Barber, "because the homosexual activist juggernaut simply will not be daunted. And they are demanding nothing less than absolute affirmation and allowing fully, openly out and proud homosexual men to take your boys on overnight camping trips." 

There is just one problem with Barber's assessment of the situation. There has been no correlation between the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the rise of male-on-male assaults in the military. Notice that I said male-on-male assaults. Barber is of the inaccurate mindset that when a man assaults another man, the assaulter identifies as gay.

According to a June 23, 2013 New York Times article, the problem of male-on-male assault in the Armed Forces has been going on decades before DADT was repealed. What is going on now seems to be that more men are having the courage to report the incidents.

The article also says that ironically, the policy about gays being barred from the military was one of the reasons why men didn't report the incidents.

Last, but certainly not least, the article refutes Barber's ridiculous claim about gay military men assaulting other men in the Armed Forces:

Many sexual assaults on men in the military seem to be a form of violent hazing or bullying, said Roger Canaff, a former New York State prosecutor who helped train prosecutors on the subject of military sexual assault for the Pentagon. “The acts seemed less sexually motivated than humiliation or torture-motivated,” he said. 

It's a shame that Barber is so obsessed with fantasizing about gay men taking boy scouts on overnight camping trips that he exploits a genuine problem impacting our men and women in the Armed Forces in pursuit of his obsession.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Anti-gay 'news site' runs ridiculously biased poll about lgbts and children

How homophobic is the American Family Association's fake news site One News Now? In article about lgbts supposedly "recruiting" children (cue the spooky music), readers were invited to vote in the following poll:


I think it's safe to say that lgbts won't turn out the winners in this vote.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Gay couple kicked out of restaurant, told that 'f@!s are not served' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Texas Restaurant Bans Gay Couple Because ‘We Do Not Like Fags’ - You would be surprised that this sort of thing may be perfectly legal. If it blows up, count on groups like the Family Research Council to stand behind this restaurant, even to the point of defending the use of the anti-gay slur.

Audio: Sen. Hatch (R-UT) admits marriage equality inevitable, praises 'excellent judge' who ruled in favor of equality - Anti-gay heads will pop over this one.

 Family Research Council Prays To Stop LGBT Pride Month - So apparently FRC is having a big event during LGBT Pride Month and are all upset about it. I don't suppose a collaborative event is in the question.

Laverne Cox Talks to TIME About the Transgender Movement - Laverne Cox makes the cover of Time Magazine. SWEET watershed moment!  

Urgent Stop Ugandan Foreign Minister from Becoming President of UN General Assembly - Anyone leader from this awful country which freely persecutes lgbt has NO business in any leadership position anywhere.

Houston City Council beats back lies, fears and passes pro-lgbt ordinance

After a long, contentious meeting, the city of Houston, TX passed an ordinance protecting the rights of lgbts.

From the Houston Chronicle:

After nearly nine hours of discussion, punctuated by opponents chanting outside City Hall and by emotional supporters' personal stories of discrimination, the Houston City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance extending equal rights protections to gay and transgender residents.

Public dissension has persisted for weeks, but the final vote was 11-6, a count that matched guesses made months ago when Mayor Annise Parker - the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city - said she planned to bring the measure forward.

The approval was greeted with applause from the audience, largely full of supporters by the time of the vote, and chants of "HERO," for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. Opponents vow to gather the signatures needed to trigger a referendum to repeal the law this November, and others say they plan to seek recall elections against some council members who supported the measure.
 . . . The measure bans discrimination based not just on sexual orientation and gender identity but also, as federal laws do, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy and genetic information, as well as family, marital or military status. The ordinance applies to businesses that serve the public, private employers, housing, city employment and city contracting. Religious institutions are exempt. Violators could be fined up to $5,000.

The ordinance vote gained nationwide attention and even commentary from groups such as the anti-gay Family Research Council as opponents threw out the standard memes of "bathroom bills" and "religious liberty," such as:




but those supporting the ordinance were firm and had their facts together:



Still, this issue is far from over. My guess is that opponents of the bill will continue to be stirred on by their homophobia, fears, and outside groups such as the Family Research Council. However, I also believe that Mayor Parker and the supporters of the ordinance are going to dig in and give them one hell of a fight.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Who is NOM trying to protect by refusing to list its donors?

In the case of the National Organization for Marriage's huge loss today in front of the Maine Ethics Commission, I really miss lgbt investigative reporters. While it's awesome that NOM was embarrassed and fined record amount (more than $50,000) for its violation of Maine's election laws, the meat of the story lies in the organization's funders.

From LGBTNation:

 (The Maine Ethics Commission) ruled that the National Organization for Marriage failed to properly register as a ballot question committee and file campaign finance reports in the referendum that struck down same-sex marriage before it was legalized by voters in 2012. The decision could force the group to eventually disclose the names of its donors, which it has long sought to keep secret. But a lawyer for the National Organization for Marriage said it intends to appeal the decision in state court, and members of the Maine Ethics Commission said they expect litigation to continue for at least a year.

 . . . The group, which fought in Maine courts for more than four years to keep the names of its donors concealed, argues that it worked to ensure it was complying with Maine law by not raising any money specifically earmarked to influence the gay marriage question in the state. It says revealing the names will put its contributors at risk for harassment and intimidation and will chill future donations.

I say that's bull and I am extremely intrigued. NOM looks like it will go the ultimate limit to protect its list of donors. And I want to know why. I have a feeling that when we ultimately find out who is funding NOM, all hell is going to break loose.

 I also have to ask am I the only one who is wondering about this?  I'm curious to hear your thoughts and speculations.

'Maine Ethics Commission lowers the BOOM on NOM' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Like so many around the world, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters mourns the passing of legendary civil rights activist, poetess, and lgbt ally Maya Angelou. She left so much of a legacy but if there is one reason why I can say I admire Ms. Angelou, it's the fact that she didn't say you should love yourself, she DEMANDED that you love yourself.


Yesterday, I predicted that today would be the National Organization's day of reckoning for breaking Maine election laws. Today, it has happened:

I hope you don't. Let's drag this sucker on just in time for your ridiculous upcoming march.

Meanwhile:

Wisconsin Governor Backs Down From Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage - A certain Wisconsin governor is scared about his re-election chances.

Was It First Annual Gay Night At FRC’s Watchmen On The Wall? - What does one say about a "Christian" organization having a huge meeting and only being able to talk about how "evil" gays are and how they "love" us in spite of it all. If I wanted love like that, I would pay my mother to pistol-whip me.

MassResistance Claims Gay-Straight Alliances Are 'Emotionally Poisonous And Physically Dangerous' - Criticism from an anti-gay hate group shows that you are doing something right.

NOM waging war on African-American lgbt couples with divide and conquer game

Last night, I wrote how the National Organization for Marriage's astroturfed black pastor group, CAAP, had put out a vile video comparing marriage equality to slavery and segregation.

This morning, I just want to show a video of the lgbt of colors who are hurt when NOM plays its divide and conquer game between the lgbt and African-American communities. It should speak for itself:


 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

NOM video links marriage equality to slavery, segregation

William Owens, NOM's fake civil rights leader
In 2012, it was discovered that the National Organization for Marriage was planning to divide the lgbt and African-American communities on the subject of marriage equality.  According to a court document:

The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks - two key democratic constituencies. We aim to find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; to develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; and to provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots. No politician wants to take up and push an issue that splits the base of the party.

Even though they were caught red-handed in this cynical attempt to play both communities like chess pieces, NOM persisted to the point of teaming up with a group entitled the Coalition of African-American pastors (CAAP). CAAP is led by a man named William Owens who claimed that he is a veteran of the civil rights movement. He also claimed that the lgbt community was exploiting the civil rights movement.

However, there are certain things you need to know about Owens and CAAP:

 NOM was using CAAP in a failed attempt to sabotage President Obama's African-American support during the 2012 election after the organization (NOM) had endorsed Obama's opponent, Mitt Romney

Owens has admitted to being paid by organizations like NOM ($20,000), the Family Research Council, and the American Family Association to be a shill.


These are facts you should keep in mind when watching the following video by CAAP which connects slavery, segregation, and the indignities perpetrated on African-Americans to marriage equality in anticipation to NOM's upcoming supposed "March for Marriage:"



Never mind that this march is crap because the arguments are now in the courtroom and it would serve NOM and those who are against marriage equality better to bring up cohesive arguments which could sway judges.

They won't do that of course because they don't have any cohesive arguments to justify denying marriage to gays and lesbians. Therefore, they are going back to the standard plan of all demagogues, i.e. divide and conquer. And the potential victims will be the gay and black communities. Just how many news programs, specifically on African-American networks, will Owens be invited to in order to pitch the false division between the lgbt and black communities on marriage equality? How many will entertain his bombastic statements about not marching an inch in the civil rights movement to see gays marry instead of challenging the notion that he marched at all in the civil rights, much less scratched his nose when hearing that MLK was speaking.

Lastly, how many program will dissuade going for the "sexy angle" of conflicts between blacks and lgbts and instead focus on the following fact that marriage equality is an African-American issue. According to a study published last year:

 . . . there are more than one million African-American LGBT adults in the U.S. Of those individuals, 84,000 are in same-sex households with about 34 percent of couples raising children. These numbers come about a year after a Gallup report that found African-Americans make up the largest share of the LGBT community.

The report also said that 58 percent of the couples are female and the majority of all of these couples live in areas with high populations of black residents, but these areas have yet to have passed any laws which protect these couples.

These are the people whom NOM is hurting. African-Americans who just happen to be lgbt. If you ask me, it's people like Owens who are the real dangers to the African-American community, not marriage equality And certainly not the lgbt African-Americans who will most likely suffer because of pay-for-play pastors such as Owens and the others appearing in the above video and the coming march.

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.




'NOM facing day of reckoning, Fox News guest gets sacked after mass shooting remark' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Maine’s battle with National Organization for Marriage is worth it - Tomorrow morning, the full Maine Ethics Commission will be voting on the punishment the National Organization for Marriage will receive for breaking its election laws. Will we finally see full disclosure of NOM's funders? Could be. 

WATCH: Fox News Guest Blames Mass Shooting On 'Homosexual Impulses' - An ugly mess took place over the weekend and it was exacerbated by this Fox guest. I report on this because I have just received a statement from one of her employers, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC (from Scott Wooledge who contacted the company via Facebook): 
Dr. Robi’s comments on the tragedy in Santa Barbara do not represent the opinions of Coldwell Banker. Therefore at this time we feel it best to part ways with her as our lifestyle real estate correspondent. 

 It's Time We Exposed the Media's Lies About Transgender Kids - Amen and about the transgender community in general.  

Extremely tacky NOM co-opts extremely reverent day for own extremely discriminatory cause - Good grief, NOM. On Memorial Day? Tacky! 

 Census to change the way it counts gay married couples - It's about time!

The Passion of Little Frankie Graham



It was a long weekend so by now, a lot of us have heard about the recent speech from Franklin Graham at the Family Research Council's Watchmen on the Walls conference in which he said that pastors must be willing to "get their heads chopped off" for opposing lgbt equality and that he loves gays so much he is willing to tell them to "stop what they are doing." He even added the old customary inference of "don't get angry at him because God said so."

There are so many things to be said that I think I shall comply a list:

1. Pastors are free to oppose lgbt equality and at no time will anyone have to fear getting martyred for it. Of course we all know this but that never seems to stop folks like Graham from conjuring up that image constantly.

2. What exactly are gays doing that Graham is opposed to. Is he talking about SEX? In that case, I haven't a thing to worry about. And I say that in a depressed tone of voice.

3. The last I checked, potential martyrs never sat in exquisite ballrooms, dressed in nice clothing, and listening to men in expensive suits and large bank accounts talk about how they will be persecuted.

4. SPEAKING of number three, I have never heard of a man dressed in an expensive suit and a large bank account (courtesy of his prominent family) talk of being a martyr. In fact, I have never heard of anyone make a speech about becoming an martyr to an unfair situation and then reaping the benefits of the speech without said "benefits" being arrest, torture, and execution.  Let's put it another way - John the Baptist, Simon Peter, and Paul of Tarsus were all executed for their faith. At the very least, Graham will receive a rebuke from blogs like this for his hubris. Oh yeah. THAT'S balance.

5. Most importantly, what is the deal with the Christianity practiced by Graham and the folks who applauded him? What's up with any type of religion in which making assumptions about the nuances of someone else's life before examining your own is acceptable? What type of Christianity encourages a person to condemn someone else to hell for supposed behavior in front of enthusiastic audiences while ignoring the things that Jesus actually talked about such as basic human kindness, forgiveness, and most importantly the type of love in which you give and expect nothing in return. The type of love Graham claims has for lgbts is the type which makes one see an analyst every week. It's a type of love we can all do without.


Friday, May 23, 2014

'16-year-old transgender child suffers in adult jail' & other Friday midday news briefs

Why Is This Transgender Teen in Solitary? - A 16-year-old transgender child is in jail and she has done NOTHING to deserve it. What the hell . . . This story will break your heart.  

Groundbreaking Law Would Make It Easier For LGBT Couples To Start A Family - So PASS that sucker already! 

WorldNetDaily Explains How To Gay-Proof Your Kids - Hehehehe! We have stolen the plans and even as I speak, our scientists are working on the formula so that it will work in reverse.

 Lawmaker Seeks To Impeach Virginia Attorney General Over ‘Sodomy Marriage’ - Bring it on!  

The Woman Who Has Never Stopped Fighting To Keep LGBT Americans Out Of The Military - Proving that you too can make lots of money while being a homophobic colossal failure.

Huckabee to push his 'kinder, gentler' brand of homophobia for NOM

Mike Huckabee (right) and anti-gay hate group leader Brian Camenker

The National Organization for Marriage has reason to be excited this morning. The organization is going to have an interesting speaker in its upcoming March for Marriage:

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be a featured speaker at the 2nd Annual March for Marriage on June 19th. Governor Huckabee is an outspoken champion for marriage, family, and life. He has called the National Organization for Marriage "wonderful" and been "very proud to be associated with them [NOM]." Governor Huckabee has said publicly: "...my thanks also to the National Organization for Marriage, a highly-respected family organization that has been willing to courageously show leadership in states where there have been ballot measures, to not change something but rather to leave something alone, to simply allow us to continue in the traditional view of marriage." 

When it comes to someone being a standard bearer of the duplicity behind NOM's arguments and their attacks on lgbts, the organization certainly picked the right person to be a featured speaker. Like the organization, Huckabee has a vicious dislike of the lgbt community which he is able to hide behind a facade of  concern about the so-called fate of traditional marriage. I can pretty much predict what Huckabee will say during his speech, i.e. the standard whine about how folks who supposedly believe in traditional marriage are being attacked and persecuted by the "so-called tolerant gay community."

Don't be fooled. Huckabee has a long history of attacking and demonizing lgbts. According to Media Matters, he has a long history of denigrating the lgbt community:


As A Public Official, Huckabee Called Homosexuality An "Aberration" And Condemned The Government For Supporting It Along With Pedophilia, Sadomasochism, And Necrophilia. In a 2007 appearance on Meet the Press, Tim Russert asked Huckabee about his assertion in a 1998 book claiming "it is now difficult to keep track of the vast array of publicly endorsed and institutionally supported aberrations -- from homosexuality and pedophilia to sadomasochism and necrophilia." Huckabee responded that "all of these are deviations from what has been considered the traditional concept of sexual behavior." Russert also asked Huckabee about his assertion in 1992 that "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle." Huckabee responded that "all of us are sinners."  
In 1992, Huckabee Came Out Against Additional Funding For AIDS Research And Called For U.S. Government To "Isolate" AIDS Patients 
During a 2010 interview with Anne Coulter, Huckabee said "I Am Not ... Pro-Gay, Pro-Sodomy."

In that same year, Huckabee attacked same-sex families by voicing support for an overturned Arkansas law which prohibited gays and lesbians from becoming foster or adoptive parents, claiming that laws like that are in the best interest of the child.

In 2012, he equated gay Scout leaders to pedophiles.

In addition, he has also
aligned himself with Southern Poverty Law Center – identified hate group Mass Resistance whose leader Brian Camenker once made a claim in 2006 that “gays were trying to get legislation passed to allow sex with animals” in Massachusetts (see picture above of Huckabee and Camenker), 

attacked lgbt families by comparing them to people raising puppies.

Yep, NOM picked the right speaker to peddle its message during its upcoming March. But just like lgbts aren't fooled by NOM, I would hope we won't be fooled by Huckabee.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Harvey Milk stamp officially unveiled at the White House

At a ceremony in the White House earlier today, there was an official unveiling of the United States postal stamp of legendary gay activist, Harvey Milk. Ain't it awesome:



Anti-gay leaders incapable of introspection in light of marriage equality losses

One would think that in light of their recent losses in Oregon and Pennsylvania with regards to marriage equality in the courts, anti-gay group leaders would have just a little introspection about the emptiness of their arguments

Riiiiiiight:

Barber
Matt Barber, a constitutional law expert with Liberty Counsel Action, believes governors need to turn their backs on federal court decisions against traditional marriage. He describes the decision in Pennsylvania by Judge Jones as "cartoonish." "This decision is absolutely outrageous and it reads like a parody," he tells OneNewsNow. "We have moved beyond judicial activism into judicial imperialism." Barber, Matt (Liberty Counsel) Barber, founder of Barbwire.com, says the problem can be rectified. On a federal level, he suggests the other two branches of government "reject and start pushing back" against what he calls a "false, counter-constitutional notion of judicial supremacy." On a state level? "It's time for governors to reject these opinions, and that's what they are," states Barber, pointing out that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can determine the definition of marriage. "[They need to] say No thank you, we are a sovereign state and we are going to adhere to our constitution in this state." And finally, he adds: "... These judges who have abdicated their sworn duty to defend the United States Constitution [and] who are legislating from the bench? They need to be impeached."


Gramley
Diane Gramley of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania tells OneNewsNow she's looking to Congress to take action against judges like John Jones. "Congress has the ability in the U.S. Constitution to begin impeachment proceedings," she explains. "When you look at these judges – not only Judge Jones here in Pennsylvania, but other federal judges who are handing down these decisions – their actions are unconstitutional." Gramley, Diane (AFA of Pennsylvania)Gramley also contends those activist judges don't reflect the will of the people. "We're seeing homosexual wins across the country not because the views of Americans are changing but because of judicial activism," she says. "And that's the same thing that's happened in Pennsylvania. "The views in Pennsylvania are still that marriage is only between one man and one woman."

In other words:

'Tony Perkins caught telling embarrassingly false story about Obama, lgbts, Armed Forces' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins Falsely Claims Obama Was Too Busy Pushing Gay Rights 'To Acknowledge Armed Forces Day' - No, today is not Let's Pick on Tony Perkins" Day. Granted, I loathe the man and his anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council. I also despise how his every word figuratively sets Christianity back to the days of Torquemada and the Bloody Mary Tudor of England. But most of all, I just can't respect a man who will tell a lie so embarrassingly easy to expose such as this one he spins about Obama pushing lgbt equality instead of acknowledging our fighting men and women. Betcha Perkins won't acknowledge or apologize for the error either. 

Florida Lawmaker Stands By Claim That Common Core Turns Kids Gay - I missed the memo on this one. I thought we were still using Smurf episodes.

 Uncovered Papers Show Past Government Efforts to Drive Gays From Jobs - This is a huge scoop and a national shame.  

Gallup: Nationwide Support for Gay Marriage at All-Time High - I believe the word you are looking for is BAMMM!  

Linda Harvey: HIV Prevention Drugs Lead To 'Racial Cleansing' - Of course Linda Harvey doesn't care about preventing disease. To her, it's all about gay sex. Girlfriend needs Jesus.

Editor's note - photo of Tony Perkins taken from The Huffington Post.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Tony Perkins thinks America will 'discard' judges' rulings for marriage equality

It's like I said before, in lieu of providing proof of their arguments in court cases (such as the recent marriage equality victories in Pennsylvania and Oregon), anti-gay organization leaders such as Family Research Council president Tony Perkins are whining about "activists judges."

What I didn't count on is how folks like Perkins would take the visage of dotty old men shaking their fists at the sun while talking about open rebellion against the courts:

Tony Perkins
Like a dozen black-robed activists before him, Judge Michael McShane argued, "Because Oregon's marriage laws discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without a rational relationship to any legitimate government interest, the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution." The state's failure to defend its own constitution, and the failure of an openly homosexual judge to recuse himself, demonstrate what an overreach this decision was. The deluge of rulings hit Pennsylvania next, where Judge John Jones wrote one of the harshest opinions yet, insisting that laws affirming natural marriage should be discarded "into the ash heap of history."

While both judges cited the Supreme Court's June decisions as a rational basis to destroy marriage, the high court said nothing that would give a federal judge the right to redefine marriage. In an interesting twist, both rulings came down within hours of Politico's new polling -- which showed that a clear majority of likely voters in swing states (52-48%) are digging in on their support of natural marriage.

Obviously, the Left's strategy of forcing this agenda through the courts is backfiring -- and it's only a matter of time before the country begins to discard the opinions of unelected judges on the same ash heap where Jones tried to send marriage. Just as the country has never accepted the Supreme Court's declaration of a "right" to destroy unborn human life in Roe v. Wade, we will never accept the Court's assertion of a "right" to change the definition of our most fundamental social institution. The courts can ignore natural law, or even suppress it, but they will never succeed in subduing it.

So according to Perkins, based on a poll which has nothing to do with marriage equality, court rulings are backfiring. In addition,  states should ignore the opinions of judges because they aren't elected anyway.

Will anti-gay propaganda artists obscure truth of marriage equality victories?

In the second victory in as many days for the lgbt community, a federal judge has struck down Pennsylvania's ban on gay marriage, making it the 19th state in which lgbts have won the right to marry.

This underlines the fact that there is a trend going on here. We now have control of the tsunami unleashed against us in 2004 by the Republican party which was used to reelect President Bush.

But in the midst of all of this good news, one thing worries me. Will the truth be told?

With Fox News giving anti-gay groups carte blanche to spin their message and countless conservative blogs and false news groups out there, I cringe at the thought that these entities working together will obscure the truth behind our victories.

And that truth is anti-gay groups are trapped in the 30-year apparatus they created to demonize the lgbt community. All of the lies, junk science, cherry-picked science, and anecdotes they have used against us is collapsing on them. They can scare folks to vote against marriage equality but they can't use that crap in court because they would have to admit that its all a lie.

Or to put it another way, remember the words of Marc Mutty, during Question One, a documentary about how NOM aided in defeating marriage equality in Maine in 2009. At the time, Mutty led the campaign:



Transcript: 

We use a lot of hyperbole and I think that's always dangerous," says Mutty during a Yes on 1 strategy session, at the time on leave from his job as public affairs director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine.

"You know, we say things like 'Teachers will be forced to (teach same-sex marriage in schools)!' " he continues. "Well, that's not a completely accurate statement and we all know it isn't, you know?"

"No," interjects a woman off-camera. "We don't say that."

"Let's look back at our ads and see what we say," Mutty persists. "And I think we use hyperbole to the point where, you know, it's like 'Geez!' 

The question is should lgbt victories continue to pile up with regards to marriage equality, will the media even touch this angle. Or will they just hand off the microphone to anti-gay groups and allow them to falsely represent Christianity and spin lies?

Related post:

Marriage equality opponents need genuine 'come to Jesus' moment about their leaders

'Maggie Gallagher's gloating comes back to haunt NOM' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

This is not meant to be gloating but I would get drummed out of the UHA (United Homosexuals of America) if I didn't bring this up. In light of our recent marriage equality victories, Jeremy Hooper of Goodasyou.org reminds us of something former NOM head Maggie Gallagher said a few years ago:
 
In other news:

Utah told to accept gay marriages - More good news from Utah as we await final news on marriage equality there. These involve the marriages which took place before the emergency stay.

How Fox News Is Helping Homophobes Hijack Christianity - Yep. That's Fox News with its one-sided junk.. On a side note, I don't see how any person freely brags that she would urinate on corpses (hi there, Dana Loesch) can be any type of defender of Christianity. Except of course on Fox News.

Media Outlets Should Cover This Historic HIV/AIDS Development - But they probably won't. And that is the problem with today's overpaid media.

Janet Mefferd Praises Matt Barber For Getting Christian Publisher Booted From NRB - In which we find out what the religious right actually thinks of their jaded phrase "religious liberty."

Monday, May 19, 2014

Marriage equality opponents need genuine 'come to Jesus' moment about their leaders

In case you have been living in a cave under a rock with your fingers in your ears, you now know that Oregon became the 18th state to legalize marriage equality.

Mazel tov!

Now let's get serious for a bit. On election night less than two years ago, many Americans got caught by surprise when President Obama was reelected to a second term. Fox News, just about all of the conservative media and bloggers, and their gut had told them that Mitt Romney would either win in a close vote or a landslide.

As it turned out, what they probably felt in their gut was a brief case of happy gas.  However, when it came to all of the other prognosticators, it was genuinely agreed that these seers, these so-called correct predictors of the election day mood, was taking their audience for a ride. Prominent conservatives and republicans like David Frum and Joe Scarborough had it so correct when they read the riot act to folks like Fox News commentator Dick Morris and talking heads Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin for leading fellow conservatives down a primrose path of destruction fueled by a conservative bubble which shut all reality out of an assured Obama victory.

By that same token, someone needs to yank all of these folks who voted for these statewide anti-marriage equality amendments and give them a good figurative slap. And I'm not talking about a wimpy one. I'm talking one of those infamous Joan Crawford type smacks where you really get your hand in the cheek, leaving a loud noise and a lasting sting.

Someone needs to sit these folks down and say "look guys, you have been victimized, bamboozled, played for fools, treated like dopes, and basically sold a bill of goods worse than a car lot full of lemons. In other words, these so-called traditional values and morality groups have been using you."

You see, in spite of the fact that in the past these laws were passed by overwhelming majorities, they still  had to be defended in courts of law if there is a question of whether or not they were constitutional. And no spin about "activist judges" or the "will of the people" will change that. It's standard practice in this country that laws are challenged and have to be proven to be constitutional.

And when this happens, someone has to defend these laws. And when it came to marriage equality laws, things changed bizarrely. Those defending the laws either offered off-the-wall defenses, no defenses at all, or defenses comprised of discredited studies so blatantly inaccurate that at times, I found myself feeling pitiful for the authors of these studies rather than dancing in glee at their obviously painful audacity.

Meanwhile, the amen corners which got folks all riled against marriage equality were pretty much nowhere in sight. I tend to think that was intentional.

In other words, it's easy sending out mass emails (that would be you, Family Research Council and American Family Association), running television commercials (that would be you, National Organization for Marriage), preaching in the pulpits ( that would be you, various pastors) or leading one-sided interviews on your fake news channels (that would be you, Fox News) spinning stories of gays wanting to recruit children, pushing discredited or cherry-picked studies, or  telling false anecdotal stories about "evil homosexuals."

But, as a very smart lawyer once said, the witness stand is a lonely place to lie

Scaring people enough to vote a certain way and proving that said vote was constitutional are two entirely different things.


And there, as they say, lies the rub.  For all of the talking emanating from Tony Perkins and Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council or Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, or Frank Schubert of the National Organization for Marriage or all of their cohorts, just how many volunteered to testify in a court of law as to the validity of the anti-marriage equality laws they were pushing?

Where were theses so-called defenders of morality during the DOMA court case? The Prop 8 court case? How about the state cases? Hell, where were they during the Oregon court case which was just decided. If any time they were needed, that would have been it then because Oregon's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, wouldn't defend the law.

Of course that's not altogether fair for me to make such a judgement. I hear that NOM did request to defend the law but was turned down by the courts. Then again, knowing NOM like I do, I suspect the organization was making a deliberately futile gesture.

In common street language, these anti-marriage equality groups and their cohorts used a lot of spooky language, made a lot of false claims, but they wouldn't back it up in the place where it counts, i.e. the courts. Instead, they turned tail and ran. Now when their side loses, they always return claiming that the system is biased so as to distract their supporters from the basic unavoidable point that all of their past fearmongering was (oh how can I say this) basically full of shit.

So true to form, FRC, NOM, various pastors, and other anti-gay groups are probably going to read the riot act, making predictions about how "America is on a precipice of destruction by God" or how "homosexuals are using marriage equality to force acceptance," or, my favorite, "unelected activist judges are attempting the destroy this country's so-called Judeo-Christian foundation."
All I ask those who oppose marriage equality is to ignore those bombastic words for a second and count how many times these folks will be asking you for money.

At the most, don't give them any more money because their track record is beginning to stink like five -day old fish.

At the very least, please recognize that you have been sold a bad bill of goods,  i.e. lies told in the name of God, Jesus, and "traditional morality." And all lies, even those told in the name of God,can NEVER carry the day.


'NOM may face $50,000 fine in Maine' & other Monday midday news briefs

Jim DeMint: Marriage equality makes people 'angry, resentful of their country and of the people who are pushing it' - I never cared about what came out of DeMint's mouth when SC had the ignorance to elect him as a Senator. Naturally, I care even less now that he is no longer a senator.
  
The Same-Sex Adoption Cases Playing Out In Utah While Marriage Is On Hold - Utah really needs to stop pussyfooting with the lives of these families.  

Transgender Teens Are Fitting In With The Aid Of School Officials, But Concerns Remain - Slowly but surely, our children will be protected.  

Government Awards Full Benefits To Wife Of Female Soldier Killed In Afghanistan - Bittersweet but positive news. 

Finally: 

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - a special shout-out for the booklet as it is less than 60,000 reads (embedded and direct) away from reaching one million. Of course I wish the downloads would pick up even though 769 is hardly anything to sneeze at. Let's all do what we can to expose the 30 year plus apparatus of anti-lgbt propaganda. And you can do it in two ways:

Go to the Scribd site and read it. Be sure to download and/or send the link to your local or national lgbt organizations, family, friends, and even the opposition.

Or if the Scribd site gives you too many problems, go here to to direct adobe acrobat copy of the booklet. Read and/or download to the folks I mentioned above.

This is not Alvin McEwen's booklet. This is OUR booklet. It is short but concise and direct ammunition against anti-gay propaganda which we have needed for the longest time. Although not as glamorous as other things in the lgbt community, this booklet gets the job of exposing the anti-gay right done. And then some . .

Saturday Night Live calls out hysterical reaction to Michael Sam's kiss

This hilarious skit from Saturday Night Live puts the hysterical negative reactions to Michael Sam's kiss in perfect perspective:

Friday, May 16, 2014

'Black pastors shake their powerless fists at marriage equality' & other Friday midday news briefs

Coalition Of Black Pastors Speaks Out Against Gay Marriage - Oh I'm shaking in my boots. There was a time when these pastors had power in the fight over marriage equality, but we have moved past the phase where we are attempting to persuade voters. We are in the courtroom phase and the only thing which matters there is truth. Not bombastic preachers.

AND, I might point out, if the black church is so much against marriage equality and lgbts in general, then how come it steals so much from gay men of color, like so: 



Now I am certainly not saying in any way that any person in the above video is gay. But I recognize a lot of black gay male influence in the choreography, mannerisms, and singing. And I know I am not the only one.

Top 10 Lies the Black Church Tells About Being Gay - And while we are on the subject, here is an old but all-the-time appropriate post from a good friend of mine.  

You Can Play Project's Wade Davis Working With St. Louis Rams, Michael Sam - Very good idea to reach out to Michael Sam's teammates.  

Top Catholic Bishop Says Church Should Consider Accepting Gays - God accepts us. Why can't the church? 

Liberty Counsel: Michigan Should Maintain Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Because Gay People Have Diseases [Updated] - The smell of homophobic desperation. I wonder if they used the "gay bowel syndrome" card.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Anti-gay BarbWire reveals source of distorted picture, still flippant about its use

In my last post, I talked about how Right Wing Watch discovered that the rabidly anti-gay online news source, BarbWire ran photo-shopped picture to accompany an awful story linking gay men to pedophilia.

The picture was originally this:


But BarbWire ran a photo-shopped copy which looked like this:


BarbWire subsequently removed the photo but the author of the article, Jeff Allen, was highly flippant about the photo, calling it an innocent mistake. In addition, he implied that the picture was pulled from the internet and actually attempted to blame Right Wing Watch for discovering his mistake.

Allen's nonchalant attitude wasn't enough for me. I felt that he or someone else from BarbWire had to answer for the photo. To imply that anyone is a pedophile or support pedophilia in any way is a serious charge.

'Anti-gay BarbWire runs distorted NAMBLA pic to smear gay men' & other Thursday midday news briefs

In it's zeal to link gay men to pedophilia, the noxious right-wing publication BarbWire just made a serious error.  The article in question itself is filled with anecdotes and cherry-picked science. I guess to somehow put an explanation point on it, the following picture was included:


But through the perseverance and the clever eyes of Right Wing Watch, it has been proven that the above picture is (wait for it) a FRAUD:


The picture has been removed and the author of the piece, Jeff Allen, implied that picture was pulled from the internet.  He also called it "an innocent" mistake and is trying to blame Right-Wing Watch for the entire incident:


Personally, I still think a definitive confirmation that this picture was pulled from the web in its distorted state should be given by Allen and BarbWire. In addition, an apology to the men in the picture should be given. No matter the situation, I find Allen's flippancy about the entire situation to be alarming. Mistake or not, this was not innocent.

If it turns out that the distortion of the picture was not a creation of BarbWire, it still speaks to the publication's lack of credibility in linking gay men to pedophilia.  If it can't check the veracity of a picture, then you have to wonder about the veracity of its articles.

In other news:

How Conservatives Are Trying To Derail Houston’s LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinance - Here we go again with the lies about bathrooms and our transgender sisters.

Arkansas Gay Marriages On Hold For Now - We've waited decades. Waiting a little longer won't matter. Warriors are never defeated by minor setbacks.

Hubris-driven NOM witch-hunting Arkansas judge for daring to not agree with its discriminatory cause - It's one thing to take your ball and stomp home when you can't get your way, but it's not even your ball.

Welcome to Give Out Day! - Let's end today's news briefs talking about a great cause. And in my state of South Carolina, nine organizations are taking part. Whatever you can give for the cause of equality!

Equality Matters knocks down anti-gay lies, distortions



With the lgbt community winning more equality battles, it's good to see that many of us will not be content on resting on our laurels.

Media Matters is an excellent site when it comes to being a watchdog of conservative misinformation. However, just in case you aren't aware, it also features a site focused solely on deconstructing anti-gay distortions.

Equality Matters has been around for a number of years, but the above video gives the perfect reason why it is such a necessary tool for not only the lgbt community but also our allies.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Overreaction to Michael Sam's kiss goes on and on and on . . .



As this wild, heated discussion on a Dallas morning show demonstrates, some people have a serious problem with Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend Saturday.

Some say ESPN should have realized that children were watching. I say big deal. My guess is children younger than 10 thought the entire thing was gross - as children that age tend to think of all kissing - and have probably already forgotten about it. But honestly, in this society where violence on television is so ordinary from news programs to movies, just how damaging is it to children to see two men kiss? Seriously. Folks have gotten all "Helen Lovejoy" over the idea that children could be exposed to watching two men kiss, but no one has told me just what would happen that folks are so scared of.

And then others talk about the cake smashing. Again I say big deal. Don't folks do that at weddings? And what's a wedding without a child as a flower girl or a ring bearer? And I'm not even going to talk about the garter toss.

 It just amazes me how some folks are still up in arms about this in defense of protecting the innocence of children when in all likelihood, the children they are claiming to protect have probably already forgotten about the kiss.

If I was snarky, I would say that those who continue to raise hell over Michael Sam's kiss are simply jealous that they have never received a kiss like that.

But to answer the question of one of the women, no we cannot just accept one person's opinion and leave it alone because we all have opinions. And being called to defend your opinion is just the price you pay for having one.

'Newt Gingrich claims gays are repressing straight people' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Newt Gingrich Complains Straight People Are Being Repressed - What he actually said is that lgbts should be open to understanding the feelings of those expressing anti-gay sentiments. You know, like folks were understanding of Donald Sterling's feelings after his racist rant. Oh wait . . . 

Clay Aiken Wins Democratic Nomination In North Carolina House Race - Who says this is going to be a boring election season?  

Audio: Tony Perkins, caller discuss 'horrible,' 'repulsive' homosexuality - Tony Perkins' idea of a fair debate on the lgbt community.  

Peter LaBarbera Angry He Was 'Forced' To Watch Michael Sam Kiss His Boyfriend - OMG! A comment here is just too damn easy to make! I can't do it without cracking up!  

Virginia’s Universities Must Reject ‘Ex-Gay’ Junk Science - Look who is springing up at Virginia universities like weeds.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

SC legislative attack on colleges because of gay issues ends in strange irony

A legislative attack on two SC colleges for assigning gay-themed books has ended with the strangest irony you will ever take notice of.

From The State:
  . . . state senators voted Tuesday to require Upstate and the College of Charleston to spend nearly $70,000 to teach the Constitution and other U.S. founding documents. That is the same cost as the colleges paid for gay-themed books that they assigned to freshmen last fall.

The two books, Fun Home and Outloud: The Best of Rainbow Radio, were called either pornographic or not in line with "South Carolina values," according to some legislators. They originally cut over $70,000 collectively from the budget of the colleges.  One legislator in particular, Sen. Larry Grooms, told The State that Tuesday's vote should be considered a censure against the colleges for spreading pornography:

“We spoke to the fact, ‘You did something wrong,’ ” Grooms said. “This is a way of making amends.”

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/13/3445261/usc-upstate-cuts-center-tied-to.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Sen. Brad Hutto, who has been a vocal opponent of legislative actions against the colleges, accused his fellow senators of getting ridiculously riled up over the fact that the books were talking about lgbt issues.

Bryan Fischer throwing hissyfit over Idaho marriage equality decision

In case you haven't heard, another anti-marriage equality law was struck down:

U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale has ruled Idaho's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. In her 57-page decision, Dale stated, "Idaho’s Marriage Laws withhold from them a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted. By doing so, Idaho’s Marriage Laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love."

This is the 12th time the courts have ruled for marriage equality since DOMA was overturned. But what makes this victory sweeter is the reaction of the American Family Association Bryan Fischer:

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/05/13/3183291/judge-rules-idaho-gay-marriage.html?sp=/99/1687/&ihp=1#storylink=cpyU.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale has ruled Idaho's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.In her 57-page decision, Dale stated, "Idaho’s Marriage Laws withhold from them a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted. By doing so, Idaho’s Marriage Laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love."

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/05/13/3183291/judge-rules-idaho-gay-marriage.html?sp=/99/1687/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Benham Brothers ramble something about gays, Satan, and demons



From the department of "Can't these guys shut up. They are only making it worse for themselves" is the Benham Brothers who seem to think that they are being persecuted because of their "Christian faith" instead of saying off-the-wall homophobic stuff like above. Losing a chance for a show on the HGTV network doesn't exactly rank up there with the Marian Persecutions or the Massacre of the Huguenots. Furthermore, if you keep saying crazy junk, like the following rambling mess somehow connecting gays to Satan and demons (it's supposed to make sense I guess), men in white coats will be coming to get you.

From Right Wing Watch:

The bulk of the defense offered for the last week by David and Jason Benham of their past activism has been that they do not hate gay people but only hate "homosexuality and its agenda that is attacking the nation,"which is pretty much the defense offered by most of the anti-gay bigots we monitor on this blog.

 David Benham previously alleged that the "homosexual agenda," along with abortion rights and Islam, is controlled by "demonic forces and agendas." Last night, they took that talking point onto Glenn Beck's television program where they repeatedly asserted that they are not at war with gay people, but are rather engaged in a spiritual war against Satan and demonic forces that are out to silence Christianity.

 "It's a spiritual fight," Jason Benham said. "From the beginning of time, it was God and there was the Devil and both of them use people for their own purposes." Jason then recalled how Jesus had rebuked Peter by declaring "get behind me, Satan!" in Mark 8 to demonstrate this, as David added that it is all part of Satan's efforts to suppress the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Later in the discussion, Jason added that they are not attacking "the homosexual community" because the real issue is "God versus the Devil."

If these guys keep talking, the lgbt community won't have to continue to play defense in this situation for very long. To tell the truth, I think we can safely act like a team who is 35 points ahead in the Superbowl with only two minutes on the clock.

Related post:

Dear Benham brothers, your 'religious beliefs' doesn't absolve you from the consequences of being extreme jackasses

'See what Mike Huckabee wants lgbts to 'tolerate'' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Huckabee
Mike Huckabee's Dangerous Campaign To Smear Houston's Non-Discrimination Ordinance - This crap that he is pulling in Houston is what Mike Huckabee gets angry at lgbts for "not tolerating." 

Barber: NHCLC Setting Up A 'Firewall' To Fight Back America's 'Cancerous Invasion Of Immorality' - When I read Matt Barber bragging how anti-gay groups are attempting to infect Latin America with their lies, I'm reminded of those nature documentaries in which hyenas, when faced with a strong animal, moves on to attack a weaker animal. 

 NOM's Brian Brown no longer pretending he's talking about *civil* marriage - While a Virginia court decides marriage equality in the state, the National Organization for Marriage is rallying supporters at the vicinity. Just think, if the organization has a plausible argument in the courts, that rallying wouldn't be necessary.  

Torment to Tyranny: Persecution in Uganda Now That the Anti-Homosexuality Act Is Law - Spoiler: anti-gay persecution is up thanks to that awful law.  

Anti-Gay Leader Describes Michael Sam Kiss As ‘Graphic Political Statement’ - It was just a kiss. Get over it. Damn!