Rick Perry, do you really want to tangle again with the gay community?

According to Think Progress, former Texas Governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry made a statement against allowing gay scoutmasters in the Boy Scouts:

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry expanded on his beliefs on gay Boy Scout leaders Sunday, saying on Meet the Press that he didn’t think openly gay Scout leaders belonged in the Boy Scouts.

Meet the Press’ Chuck Todd asked Perry, who served as the governor of Texas from 2000 – 2015, whether his views on openly gay scout leaders had changed since 2008, when he wrote that “openly active gays, particularly advocates, present a problem. Because gay activism is central to their lives, it would unavoidably be a topic of conversation within a Scout troop. This would distract from the mission of Scouting; character building, not sex education.”

Perry said he still stood by that statement.

“I believe that scouting would be better off if they didn’t have openly gay Scout masters,” he said.

Perry also said that he would oppose a new Boy Scouts policy of allowing openly gay Scout leaders — something the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) looks poised to adopt.

Does Perry really want to go another round with the lgbt community after the last time.  For those who can't recall, when Perry ran for president in 2012 elections, he ran this anti-gay commercial decrying gays serving openly in the military:



The repercussions were immediate and unrelentingly negative. The ad was seen as either so homophobic or so inane that it not only divided his staff, but made him a laughing stock (the parodies were practically endless). Folks even noticed that the jacket he wore was also worn by the late Heath Ledger in the classic gay-themed movie Brokeback Mountain and that the background music was inspired by Aaron Copland, a gay composer.

The ad, along with a couple of other gaffes, reduced Perry's campaign to shambles.

So Perry, if you didn't learn not to mess with us last time, "you gon learn today."

'Where does Huckabee stand on the 'religious liberty' of hospitals?' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Does Huckabee think hospitals should be able to use religion to turn people away?

Mike Huckabee: Gay Marriage 'Violates Nature And Nature's God' - Chalk it up to either Mike Huckabee getting carried away when being interviewed by a friendly source when it comes to his ignoring SCOTUS on its marriage equality decision or me being paranoid, but in the context of marriage equality and lgbt rights in general, why is he mentioning hospitals when it comes so-called religious liberty? I'm curious to know where does Huckabee stand when it comes to hospitals possibly denying potential patients and using "religious liberty" as an excuse.  We seriously need some clarification here:

" . . .You can reverse the executive orders as it relates to how the president has said you’re going to make this a mandatory issue throughout federal government but you also instruct the attorney general to defend religious liberty and the rights of people of faith and conscience whether they’re business owners acting as individuals, whether they’re hospitals, churches, schools, adoption agencies. It doesn’t matter what it is. That no one’s religious liberty will be trampled upon because they refuse to bow to something that violates nature and nature’s God. Words, that by the way, I borrowed right out of the Declaration of Independence. . ."

Republicans In Iowa Compare The Fight Against Slavery To The Fight Against Gay Marriage - There they go again. Republicans are incredibly skilled at the use of language to influence the populace. However, I really don't think the slavery connotation is going to help them here.

Indiana-Style Bill Promoting Anti-Gay Discrimination Gains Steam In Congress - It's called the First Amendment Defense Act and it's a load of junk.  

Veterans Kicked Out Of The Military Because They Are Gay May Get Help From Democrats' New Bill - Now THIS bill is a wonderful idea as opposed the one above. 

 Former Pastor Suggests Christians Should Fight Gay Rights With Guns - He's a fool but pay attention to his reasons why he holds his positions. The anecdotal stories didn't come from him. They came from anti-gay groups like the Family Research Council and right-wing organizations such as the Heritage Foundation. It only takes one fool to be emboldened by one lie . . .

Marriage equality opponent embroiled in HUGE gay scandal

Nienstedt

At one time, former Minnesota Archbishop John Nienstedt was one of the most powerful and vocal opponents against marriage equality.

Now however, his reputation is in disgrace after resigning due to allegations of sex abuse coverups. To make matters worse, he is embroiled in a personal scandal which may serve to make him the latest stereotype of the adage that those who decry homosexuality the loudest are actually gay themselves.

From The Star Tribune:

Former Archbishop John Nienstedt said he remains “dumbfounded” by the allegations of personal misconduct that emerged last year during an internal church investigation of his behavior — a report that the archdiocese now is considering making public.

 . . . Commissioned by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the probe looked into claims that Nienstedt had engaged in behavior that was inappropriate for a priest. The Star Tribune has learned that investigators collected affidavits from priests, former seminarians and a former priest alleging actions, some dating to the Detroit area in the early 1980s, that range from inappropriate touching to visiting a gay nightclub.

 . . .  In one affidavit, a priest in Harrison Township, Mich., reported seeing Nienstedt at a gay nightclub in Windsor, Ontario, just across the border from Detroit in the 1980s. “I recall seeing John — and there is no doubt in my mind that it was him based on my prior interactions with him — at the Happy Tap,” the Rev. Lawrence Ventline wrote in his affidavit. “He appeared to wave me off as I was coming — and I backed off because I did not want impose on him.”

Another affidavit from a Michigan priest said that Nienstedt pulled up to his car in an area frequented by gay men one December in the early 1980s and asked him if he had any “poppers,” an inhalant used by gay men to enhance sexual pleasure. When he got into Nienstedt’s car, and Nienstedt recognized him as a former student, he changed the subject, the priest told the Star Tribune.

 . . .  Nienstedt denied all the allegations, point by point and in general. He also stressed that none of the people who filed affidavits claimed that he “ever abused any minor, had a sexual relationship with any individual, or committed any crime.”