'Queer Nativity scenes show that Christmas belongs to everyone' & other Thur. midday news briefs

Queer Nativity Scenes Show That It’s Love That Makes A Family - I guess Todd Starnes and the rest of that bunch will be screaming bloody murder, but let them. One thing that irks me is when these folks are hardly ever told to their face that they own neither Christianity nor Jesus nor Christmas. It's not theirs to decide what is or isn't. So let those silly snowflakes melt.

 North Carolina Republicans failed to repeal HB2. They’re blaming everybody but themselves - Of course they are . . .

The 2016 Right Wing Watch War On Christmas Gift Guide - The religious right has more ways to extend their fake 'War on Christmas' than George Lucas can even think about for the Star Wars movies. 

Here Are 15 Of The Year’s Most Compelling Online LGBTQ Campaigns - 2016 was not a totally bad year. We had more downs than ups but this shows that we can still bring it and we will in 2017.

 Bryan Fischer: Single-Stall Bathrooms Give ‘Special Rights’ To Transgender People - I guess he wants to make it triply difficult for our transgender brothers and sisters to be able to use public restrooms in peace.

Obama: Russia wins if U.S. opts to ‘discriminate against people’ - SO true. I am going to miss this man as my president.

No Repeal of HB2

Not surprising that the GOP of North Carolina would play a game to keep the law.

From The Huffington Post:

What was supposed to be a smooth repeal of North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ law fell apart Wednesday as Democrats said Republicans backed out on a deal to put forward a clean repeal bill. The General Assembly voted to adjourn its special session after more than nine hours with the law still on the books.

 . .  On Monday, Charlotte’s city council also voted unanimously to rescind its nondiscrimination ordinance under the promise that the General Assembly would then move to repeal HB2. In response to Charlotte’s move, McCrory called the legislature back for a special session Wednesday.

Democrats said Wednesday that they were expecting a clean repeal bill. But instead, Sen. Phil Berger, the GOP leader of the chamber, put forward a measure that would set a six-month “cooling-off” period during which time localities would be barred from making changes to their ordinances on issues of employment and public accommodations. In other words, HB2 would essentially be in effect for another six months. The measure could also have tied the hands of localities looking to change ordinances on issues like the minimum wage. 

And the rest, as they say, was @&!