'Wonderful response to anti-gay attacks on same-sex families' & other Friday midday news briefs

Dear Heather Barwick, Don't Blame the Gay Community - VERY IMPORTANT PIECE. Recently, Heather Barwick, a woman supposedly raised in a same-sex household, published a piece condemning such households. The piece took a  deceptive "gentle and kind" tone. Anti-gay groups and personalities have been pushing the piece hard. THIS is the answer back courtesy of someone whom we can verify is being raised in a same-sex household. It's simple but powerful. 

 Navy Debunks Fox News' Defense Of Anti-Gay Chaplain - Todd Starnes, Fox News, the Family Research Council, and the rest (sounds like a homophobic version of the Gilligan's Island song) are peddling a story of "religious persecution" in our Armed Forces. Turns out the truth is a bit more complicated and it continues the unfortunate idea that citing your "religious beliefs" is a "get out of jail free" card to all sorts of ugly behavior. 

Uganda spent 600 million on PR to deal with anti-gay law backlash - See, if Uganda didn't pass that law in the first place, the country would have those shillings to spend on something worthwhile.  

An Imperfect Spokesperson: The Transgender Backlash Against Zoey Tur - A wonderful article by my friend Zack Ford of Think Progress. It serves as a lesson to not only the transgender community, but also the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community as to who is out in the media as our "spokespeople." As African-American author Zora Neale Hurston once said, "All my skinfolk ain't my kinfolk."  

Org that infamously vowed to 'drive wedge between gays and blacks' equates marriage rulings with slavery - The National Organization for Marriage is pulling the "Dred Scott" card again, y'all. I would love to be in that board room when their leaders think up these ideas. 

 Texas Attorney General Sues Feds To Stop Same-Sex Spouses From Taking Care Of Each Other - Oh come on! Let's not be so cruel.