'South Carolina gay community makes history' and other Friday midday news briefs

House Sub-committee hears testimony on (H.4025) The Workplace Fairness Act - Not bad! For the first time in history, the South Carolina legislature heard testimony in favor of protecting lgbts from workplace discrimination. It will NOT be the last time. 

 
Right-Wing Pundits Call Gay Rights Advocates 'Rainbowshirts,' 'Terrorists' And 'The New Nazis' - Meanwhile, anti-gay groups and spokespeople are acting the fool. For folks obsessed with how supposedly nasty sodomy is, they tend to show their collective asses a lot.  

Was the gay community right to target Mozilla’s Brendan Eich? - No doubt, you have heard of this controversy involving the former head of Mozilla. I say hell yes. Now the opposition says we didn't show tolerance. I say we showed the same tolerance they showed when they demanded that the head of World Vision be fired for the decision of hiring married gays.  

Robert Oscar Lopez is angry that GLAAD gives a spotlight to his words - Why that's awful! Poor Robert! (WE NEED A BIGGER SPOTLIGHT!)  

Pat Buchanan: God Is On Putin's Side, While "The West Is Gomorrah" - Pat Buchanan. A racist who doesn't like lgbts. THAT'S original.

Mississippi Gov signs 'religious liberty' bill, FRC shows up at signing ceremony

When I say that the anti-gay right is like a monster in one of those horror movies, I was not kidding. If lgbts defeat them in one area - in this case, Arizona - they just spring up in another.

From Talking Points Memo:

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill Thursday that supporters say will assure unfettered practice of religion without government interference but that opponents worry could lead to state-sanctioned discrimination against gays and lesbians.

The bill, called the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act, will become law July 1. It also will add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

An early version of the bill, considered weeks ago, was similar to one Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, vetoed after business groups said it could hurt that state's economy. Supporters say the finalMississippi bill bears little resemblance to the failed Arizona measure.

Outside the state Capitol on Thursday, more than 75 gay-rights supporters protested against the bill. Jeff White of Waveland, a founder of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Lesbian and Gay Community Center, said as someone who is gay and Jewish, he worries such a new law could make him more vulnerable to unfair treatment.

"It's the first time in my life that I've actually considered moving out of Mississippi," said White, 32. "It made me physically ill the past few days, realizing what they're trying to do."

It gets worse.  Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council was present when Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed that awful bill. In fact he was invited to the signing ceremony. Thanks to Jeremy Hooper at Goodasyou.org for the awesome graphic below. It serves to remind folks just who supports this awful bill so we are not fooled as to what it's actually about: