Religious right hopes to con Georgia with newest 'anti-Christian persecution' victim

Eric Walsh, the religious right's 'religious liberty' symbol.

In the past, the religious right  has always played the "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle" card in order to fight our advancing equality. In the wake of minds changing about the lgbt community and several high-profile losses (including in the case of marriage equality), they have shifted their argument by playing the "persecution card."

It's a simple tactic. They exploit a public incident by exaggerating it immensely and publicizing it even more (making sure to control the conversation) in order to advance an argument that the progression of lgbt equality will lead "Christians" to lose their businesses and rights if they don't kowtow regardless of their religious beliefs.

'The lgbt community outlasts another bigot, but . . .' & other Wed midday news briefs

We laugh at overt homophobia but can't fight it when it's covertly semantic.

R.I.P. Jack Chick – Here’s His Top 5 Most Homophobic Religious Tracts - One of the most offensive homophobes has passed away but his awful characterizations of the lgbt community lives on. The lgbt community has outlasted another enemy, but as the next article demonstrates, what Jack Chick overtly put out can still be used against us in a covertly semantic manner and our leaders lose easily lose their heads instead of knowing how to fight it. 

Top LGBT Leaders Are Divided Over Compromising On The Bathroom Fight - Easily the most depressing article of the year: 

Conservatives have blocked LGBT nondiscrimination bills by claiming transgender people pose a threat in women’s restrooms. How to break the logjam? Some LGBT leaders say it’s time to support bills that cover housing and employment, but not public accommodations — and largely avoid the bathroom issue. 

Yeah, because the religious right won't see this as a capitulation and transfer their fear tactics to other fights. After all, it's not like they don't want us to have SOME rights. Listen. When it comes to lgbt equality, the big elephant in the room has always been the organizations who move people via exploitation of religion and fears about the lgbt community. They did it by aligning gay men with pedophilia, lgbts in general with AIDS, or our desire to marry to a desire to destroy Christianity. And now is the newest model of scaring people with images of "boys showering with girls" or "grown men using the bathroom with little girls." These are all the same fear tactics and lies repeated for as long as I can remember, but we don't publicly recognize them or call them out an aggressive manner.  In our fight for equality, we have yet to confront groups like the Family Research Council and people like Franklin Graham on the level they should be confronted. Our leadership seems to wait until they make the first move and then play defense and catch-up. Instead of fighting individual battles, there needs to be a GENERAL calling out of religious right groups and their tactics. In naming some of these organizations as hate groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center did a lot of that. But we should have and we still can. This so-called cultural battle should never be about why the lgbt community is deserving of equality under the law. The onus should be on the groups who seek to deny us that right. We have proven ourselves time and time again in the courts and in the marketplace of ideas. We should constantly ask organizations like FRC, the American Family Association and people like Bryan Fischer and Franklin Graham, "why do you all feel that we shouldn't have equality. And most of all, what's with all of the lies you tell in the name of morality and Christianity?"

 Bisexual Guys Open Up About Their Experiences Dating Both Men And Women - There are sa lot of myths about the bisexual community which need to be refuted.  

How Implicit Bias Affects the Health of Black Gay Men - Siiiiigh!

Political ad featuring mother of Pulse Nightclub victim is the one people should watch

I will be honest. I cringe when it comes to using victims of tragedies in political ads. Having said that, this ad packs a wallop. It features Christine Leinonen, the mother of Christopher “Drew” Leinonen — a young man shot and killed along with his boyfriend, Juan Guerrero, and 47 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Ms. Leinonen talks about how her son supported Hillary Clinton and why it is important why we should vote for Clinton. It's both sad but very tasteful and also to the point. I commend Ms. Leinonen for her courage and bravery in the face of her loss.