Transgender teen turns 'bathroom predator' myth on its head by putting simple truth in the mix

The issue of transgender equality has become, unfortunately, yet another situation about lgbt rights in which religious right groups seem to be defining the terms of argument, i.e. reducing the argument to an inaccurate, attention-catching point which exploits fear and subsequently finds the lgbt community playing defense.

In this case, religious right groups and spokespeople have pushed everyone's attention on bathrooms and the fear of not being safe in that very private and vulnerable space. While I despise the fact that the lgbt community finds ourselves yet again in another position of playing defense, I am happy with the fact that we are getting rather skilled at fighting from that position.

Buzzfeed proves this point in by spotlighting a drawing created by a transgender teen which turns the bathroom predator myth on its head by adding a little truth to the formula:

According to Buzzfeed,the drawing, which 22-year-old writer Jason Gross created in 2012, has become "a symbol in the fight for trans bathroom rights."

Gross told Buzzfeed:

"It’s good to know that this isn’t just me being a baby and actually resonates with others,” he said. “So if it can help further the movement the way it seems to be doing I’m happy to let it go.”

'New film explores the ability to find love after 'ex-gay' therapy' & other Tue. midday news briefs

A Gay Conversion Therapy Survivor Finds Love In This Bold New Film - 'Fair Haven' promises to be good! According to the Huffington Post:

The romantic drama, which hits select theaters Friday, follows James (played by Michael Grant), a young gay man who returns to his family’s New England farm after receiving conversion therapy treatment. At first, James believes he’s been cured of his same-sex attraction, but soon finds myself reconnecting with a former flame, Charlie (Josh Green), as seen in the video above.

 The Particularly LGBT Drama of the ‘Moonlight’ Best Picture Oscar Victory - How 'Moonlight' echoes the "the nature of LGBT political advances in recent years."  

WATCH: Sean Spicer Repeatedly Gives Bad Answers as Reporters Keep Asking About Transgender Guidance Being Revoked - As this issue moves through the courts, I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of the inability of certain folks to defend discriminatory policies against the transgender community.

 
CPAC Attendees’ Inappropriate Behavior Prompts Apology From Convention Center - Look who was acting like a bunch jackasses.

 LGBT Activists On Trans Student Guidelines: "This Is More Than A Bathroom Issue" - Amen to that!

To 'Moonlight' from a black gay man - a BIG thank you

Everyone is talking about Moonlight's big victory at the Oscars last night, as well they should. However, I noticed that something isn't being said which NEEDS to be said. Therefore, let me give my two cents with a personal letter to the motion picture and it's makers:

To the director and producers of Moonlight,

Thank you so much for making this movie. As a gay black man, it has been difficult to see three-dimensional characters on television and the big screen who are just like me. I was so desperate, I would look at old Soul Train clips on youtube and make guesses about the dancers. Or the episode of New York Undercover featuring Joe Morton a former boxer who became a drag queen.

Your victory and continued success is not only a triumph for yourselves, but also to the African-American lgbt community at large. I hope that Moonlight will be the first in a long line of films which spotlights accurate African-American lgbt portrayals and storylines.

Because goodness knows, we need it. Seriously, we have come a long way and I feel that your film is a reward for all of the times lgbts of color have had to sit through some of the most disgusting, nauseating, stomach-churning, religion -questioning ( I think you know where I'm going with this) portrayals of us created by our own people, i.e. African-Americans.

I mean there's just so many

oversexed bisexuals, self-hating black gay men in prison who commit suicide so that their mothers won't find out their orientation, butchy rape enthusiast lesbians,  gay black male plane stewards with purple lip gloss, invisible high school characters who likes to wear flesh toned hot pants during prison visits, drooling gay men who get hot and bothered over seeing men hanging over hospital beds while wearing bloody diapers, hairdressers named Peaches, devious transgender women, specials on the "downlow," fake-ass authors who publish books on "how to spot if your boyfriend is gay," phony tv shows which offer a crusty, dried up olive branch in the form of AIDS education episodes between the mocking, and above all, sermonizing by certain gospel music programs featuring certain singers who happen to be gayer than a giant statue of Judy Garland

that I can take seeing before I get the desire to pull out my razor.

Granted, my comments are not meant to speak against the lgbts of color who don't fit the supposed norms because we are all God's children There is nothing wrong with  effeminate gay men or butch lesbians. Nor is there anything wrong with sex in general. It's just that I am so happy to see anything featuring us as the main subject and the center of attention rather than a side character who is treated like a condiment.

Because, honestly speaking, I am running out of episodes of Soul Train to watch.

''Moonlight' Best Picture win perfect ending to diverse Oscar season' & other Mon. midday news briefs

The ‘Moonlight’ Best Picture Win Is A Vote For Inclusivity In Hollywood - Some have called 'Moonlight' winning Best Picture a perfect response for 'Brokeback Mountain' losing to 'Crash' in 2006. I say WOW! Us lgbts don't forget anything. LOL

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson says ‘Moonlight’ only won Best Picture because of political correctness - Dear Tucker Carlson, kindly #@!% yourself and the horse you rode in on.

 Supreme Court Instructs Liberty Counsel to Refer to Transgender Teen Gavin Grimm as Male - The case has not been heard yet, but SCOTUS will NOT stand for any disrespect to Mr. Grimm. At the very least for now, this is a good thing. 

 ‘Intolerance in practice’: Chris Cuomo shreds pundit for fear of transgender ‘genitals in your face’- The right-wing has been tearing at Chris Cuomo all weekend for his transgender-inclusive tweets. As this interview shows, Cuomo doesn't give a rip what they think. Good!

 There Is A New Landmark Suicide Prevention Strategy For LGBTI People - Wonderful!

Hate group spokesman - 'religious liberty' executive order is still coming

Editor's note - Moonlight's victory last night for 'Best Picture' at the Oscars was huge; so huge in fact that it's going to take a while for me to properly conceptualize how I feel about it. It was wild enough to finally see a movie which speaks to the experience of being a black gay man in America. Watching as said movie take a historical nod was just a bit more moving than I realized.

Blackwell

The lgbt community can't afford to let our guards down for even a minute during this Trump Administration. While he has yet to sign any anti-lgbt 'religious liberty' executive order, an official of his transition team, who is also a member of the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council, told noted journalist Michelangelo Signorile that the executive order is coming:

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who has served as domestic policy chair of President Donald Trump’s transition team, told (Signorile) in an interview on SiriusXM Progress that the controversial “religious freedom” order that leaked to the press a few weeks ago is very much on the way, even though White House officials had played it down. 

According to Signorile, the worst is yet to come:

 . . . Blackwell, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council (deemed an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Policy Law Center), said in our interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend that the order is far from dead. He also confirmed that the former director of Family Research Council’s Center for Religious Liberty, Ken Klukowski, had “actually structured” the draft order as a legal advisor to Trump’s transition team. Klukowski, who is now a senior attorney at the Liberty First Institute and a Breitbart contributor, is one of the lawyers “in the process of redrafting it,” Blackwell said, hinting that the original order may have been perceived as being too vulnerable to a legal challenge.

“In the final analysis, what we want is an executive order that will meet the scrutiny of the judicial process,” he explained. “If there is no executive order, that will disappoint [social conservatives]. But a good executive order will not. So we’re still in the process.” Blackwell envisions the “anchor concept” of the order as one that will allow people with devoutly religious beliefs to turn away LGBTQ people in the course of business.

“I think small business owners who hold a religious belief that believes that traditional marriage is between one man and one woman should not have their religious liberty trampled upon,” he explained. “I would imagine that that will be, strongly and clearly, the anchor concept [of the order].” (In an interview with me at the Republican National Convention in 2008, Blackwell had explained that he doesn’t view LGBTQ people as a class of people who are discriminated against, but rather sees homosexuality as a “compulsion that can contained, repressed or changed.”) 

To recap - according to a member of the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council, who is also working with the Trump Administration, a homophobic executive order will be forthcoming. And this order is being worked on by others connected to FRC to ensure that lgbts can't win in the courts should, or rather, when it is challenged.

Maybe it's just me, but this sounds like things are going to be "hopping" before the year is out.

And it's about time, too. I'm past ready to raise some hell.

'Media not doing good job in calling out anti-lgbt hate groups' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Major Publications Fail To Identify Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups In Transgender Policy Coverage - We clearly have more work to do because this problem isn't simply about transgender issues. There is a reluctance in much of the media to call anti-lgbt hate groups what they are. I'm not of the mindset of some in my community about denying these groups a platform. I don't think it should be a platform where they are allowed to spew their litany of lies without challenged by a pro-lgbt spokesperson. And I also don't think the media should turn an invisible eye to these groups. They call them to respond on issues but rarely is there any story or article focused on the tactics of anti-lgbt groups. That HAS to stop.

2013 booklet on anti-lgbt groups

Speaking of which:

 How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right Lie on Gay America - my free online booklet on anti-lgbt hate groups and their tactics. Published in 2013, it is still relevant today seeing that Trump is working hand-in-hand with some of these groups and spokespeople. I have a feeling that the booklet will be needed a lot before it's all over.  

Transgender Republicans say Trump seriously failed his first LGBT litmus test - Transgender attendees at CPAC. Lawd hammercy!  

Why On-Screen Representation Actually Matters - Seeing people's lives mean a lot. And it's not solely an lgbt issue.

  Arkansas Supreme Court strikes down pro-LGBT city ordinance - Siiiiigh!

Stop Using Women And Girls To Justify Transphobia - PREEACH!!

Transgender cub scout makes more sense about 'bathroom' nonsense than Trump & religious right

No matter what anyone in the Trump Administration says, the protection of transgender students is a federal issue. And whether some folks like the comparison or not (and I don't really give a crap if they don't), claiming that this is an issue best served by the states is not unlike folks who claimed that segregation was state's right issue issue.

And let's be clear as to why some folks are trying to claim that the protection of transgender students is a state's rights issue. They don't want to have to deal with the courts and have their lies exposes again; just like their lies were exposed about sodomy laws and marriage equality.

But this issue, and the issue of transgender rights in general has led me to take a new tact in communicating to people. It's a process I call "hand over." I could rail and raise hell, but I don't think it would be right for me to do that in cases where I should hand over the spotlight to folks everyone needs to hear from, which is in this case members of the transgender community.

And specifically, transgender children:

News brief special - Trans kids embraced by schools, celebrities, & business community after abandoned by Trump Administration

States Vow To Keep Protecting Transgender Students After Trump Rolls Back Rules - Wonderful! Transgender children need to know who has their back. 

'You Are Not Alone': Celebs Stand Up For Trans Kids After White House Drops Civil Rights Protections - I generally think we rely too much on celebrity as a community. In this case, however, it is VERY necessary. 

 Tech opens new war with Trump over transgender rights rollback - TAKE. HIS. ASS. TO. SCHOOL!  

CNN conservative flops when challenged to explain where Obama’s trans bathroom rule has hurt kids - THIS is gold right here! 

Gavin Grimm To Trump: Transgender Students Just Want To Learn In Peace - Listen the children before you believe the lies.

 7 times Trump and his cabinet lied about their plans for LGBT rights - Okay, can we stop with the "Trump is good for gays" lie. If this man will turn his back on our transgender children, we are all in the bulls-eye.

These are the transgender children you are going to hurt, Donald Trump

This mess Trump did in rescinding transgender student protections is bogus, ratcheted and basically a big bunch of bull. It stems from religious right propaganda and false stories about transgender predators scoping out girl's restrooms or parading themselves in the shower. It's not unlike the religious right propaganda (which is still used in many circles) which falsely portray lgbts as "recruiting children."  And in this particular case, it's devastatingly ironic because those who will be hurt by Trump's action are children. They are the transgender children whose voices are usually drowned out by the lies propagated by the religious right, Fox News, and the conservative right in general.  The following videos feature just a few of the many. See their faces, hear their stories, and educate yourselves on the issues of the transgender community.

'Federal judge sues using anti-lgbt 'religious liberty' card' & other Wed midday news briefs

Refusing to Watch LGBT Video, Houston Judge Sues Employer for Religious Discrimination - The lgbt community must take a hard stance against so-called "religious liberty" laws and not be swayed by the illusion that it's simply about bakeries and florists. These laws can bleed into cases of federal and state employees who want to take our tax dollars while refusing to do their jobs; from refusing to issue wedding licenses (hello Kim Davis) to, in this case, refusing to watch a video on how to treat us fairly. 

When Did Christians Become Comfortable with the Loss of Truth? - Not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but it has a lot to do with us. When you have groups like the Family Research Council and the American Family Association steering people who label themselves as "Christians" into an entire train of thought which include lies and distortions, we have a serious problem with the faith itself. And very few are aware of this. 

 Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg gave misleading testimony at hearing on 'ex-gay' therapy - My post from last night.

 Same-Sex Marriage Laws Linked To Powerful Drop In Teen Suicide Rate - I already sent a link about this, but it needs to be shouted from the rooftops. This is why marriage equality is important. When our lgbt children see a more inclusive society and people fighting for a more inclusive society, it means the world to them. Never forget that. 

 This Republican Congressman Has A Plan To Help LGBT Renters And Homebuyers - Yeah, I know. The GOP is generally awful towards the lgbt community. This guy though seems credible in what he is attempting.  

49 People Tell Us When They Realised Being Open About Their Sexuality Mattered - Wonderful stories to inspire folks about being their authentic selves, particularly young lgbts.

Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg gave misleading testimony at hearing on 'ex-gay' therapy

Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council

Today, the Family Research Council bragged in its  Washington Update about testimony given by spokesman Peter Sprigg in New Hampshire. The testimony in question had to do with a bill banning ex-gay therapy for children. Ex-gay therapy is controversial in that it is supposed to be able to change one's sexual orientation.. States, such as California, Oregon, and New Jersey have passed laws against the practice, citing critics who contend that it is actual harmful. But FRC and other religious right groups have pushed back with testimony at legislative hearings:

In New Hampshire, it's double-your-trouble with two bills meant to take away freedom under the mask of "tolerance." The first is a bill that bans sexual reorientation therapy for children under 18, robbing parents of a crucial choice to help their confused kids. As if that weren't bad enough, liberals are also trying to award special rights on the basis of gender identity -- including using the government to punish businesses that designate bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers for men only and women only. FRC's Peter Sprigg was on hand in the Granite State to testify before the legislature on both attacks on locals' liberty. As he explained, the attacks on reorientation therapy usually have nothing to do with their effectiveness and everything to do with politics. And, as Peter points out, there is abundant anecdotal evidence that such therapies work. . . . Even the increasingly liberal American Psychological Association admits that "participants reporting beneficial effects in some studies perceived changes to their sexuality, such as in their sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual behavior, [and/or] sexual orientation identity." (To read Peter's full testimony, click here.)

I read Sprigg's testimony and found a few problems with his sources and claims.

'Trump rumoured to be rescinding transgender student protections' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Trump's possible next move will harm transgender students.

Trump admin to rescind trans student protections: source - The right calls US bullies but have no problem with actions which harm our transgender children under the false guise of "safety."  This will NOT stand. 

Julian Assange Defends Milo Yiannopoulos as Breitbart Mulls Dismissal - One fool defends another.

 Arkansas’ ‘bathroom bill’ is ripping apart Republican politics - As it SHOULD. 

Bryan Fischer: Court Ruling Against Anti-Gay Florist Is A Modern-Day Kristallnacht - Geez, Bryan Fischer. How disgustingly hyperbolic does one have to be? 

People Are Loving How This Rapper Helped Out A Gay Teen After He Was Kicked Out Of His Home - WONDERFUL story!

Milo Yiannopoulos is getting exactly what he deserves

Milo Yiannopoulos

By now, the vast majority of us know the particulars of the downfall of one Milo Yiannopoulos.

The British self-described gay "super villain" troll of the right traded racist, transphobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic rhetoric for extreme controversy, intense anger, a lucrative book deal, and much undeserved popularity. But now it may be all gone because of the one thing which ironically led to it all.

His mouth.

 He is now just another example of how the past can bite one in the ass and how it's not good to make too many enemies. Milo, for those who don't know, is facing an ugly backlash because of an interview in which he defended pedophilia. The backlash in question has left the communities he victimized in joy, the conservative community (particularly the folks at CPAC, the big gathering of conservatives in which he was going to give the keynote address) very embarrassed, and Milo himself defiant.

Never one for "going gentle into that good night," Milo has been contrite but stern in insisting that this incident won't stop him. In fact today, he is holding a press conference, in which I'm sure there will be an intensely contrite performance.

Give me a break. Granted, I'm not happy over anyone's downfall but if anyone had it coming, it was Milo. Flippant, nasty, hateful, and an all-around drag, that chyle brought me down faster than being trapped listening to a Bryan Fischer speech.

Basically, Milo should hush. He got exactly what he deserved. He not only demonized innocents but, worse than that, he was a religious right wet dream. He was everything they claimed the lgbt community to be and then some - caustic, flippant, shallow, materialistic, mean, immoral, and oversexed down his badly dyed hair.

The young man is now learning a hard, but necessary lesson that there are some things you can't joke about. And when you busy yourself deliberately making enemies, you lose sight of the fact that there will be times in which you need friends.

Most of all, Milo is learning that "super villains" lose and lose big.  As they are supposed to.

'Biggest myth about anti-lgbt hate groups debunked' & other Fri midday news briefs

The Biggest Myth About Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups Debunked - If I said it once, I've said a multitude of times. Lgbt equality will be harder and harder to attain IF we don't start taking anti-lgbt groups seriously. And aggressively calling them out BEFORE they smear us. We should encourage discussion and debate instead of whining about "a bigot being given a platform." Platforms are great places to fight battles AND change narratives. And one narrative we must change is how they claim their opposition to us is Biblically based. THAT is the ugliest lie of them all. Don't argue about it amongst yourselves. Just trust me on this one. 

Texas Lieutenant Governor Works with Hate Group to Drum Up Support for Anti-Trans "Bathroom Bill" - Government officials working with anti-lgbt hate groups is ugly. Again, stop pussyfooting around with these groups. And "street protests" alone aren't going to cut it this time. 

 The Plot To Turn Same-Sex Marriage Into Second-Class Marriage - THIS is the warning. 

 Pat Robertson: Anyone Who Opposes Trump Is ‘Revolting Against God’s Plan’ For America - No! No! That's not how this works AT ALL! 

Why President Trump Isn’t Anti-Gay Enough for the Religious Right - Don't worry. I'm sure he is working his way to screwing with us.

You do not have a First Amendment right to discriminate against the lgbt community. DEAL with it.

Sorry Ms. Stutzman. You do not have a religious right to discriminate

As the news of today's ruling against Barronelle Stutzman (the florist who a Washington state court told that she does not have a right to discriminate against a gay couple)  travels, the usual cast of characters screaming about "religious freedom" and the right to discriminate against lgbts are sounding their horns:

 Family Research Council president Tony Perkins:

After this morning's decision, (Baronelle Stutzman) was stunned. "I'm not asking for anything that our Constitution hasn't promised me and every other American: the right to create freely, and to live out my faith without fear of government punishment or interference." Americans like Barronelle were told repeatedly that redefining marriage wouldn't impact their lives. Now, two years into this social experiment forced on the country by the courts, families are being driven from their businesses -- and today, their homes -- for wanting the same tolerance the Left preaches. Barronelle's attorney, Alliance Defending Freedom's (ADF) Kristen Waggoner, was blown away by the injustice.

"In a free America, people with differing beliefs must have room to coexist," she said. "Our nation has a long history of protecting the right to dissent, but simply because Barronelle disagrees with the state about marriage, the government and ACLU have put at risk everything she owns... It's no wonder that so many people are rightly calling on President Trump to sign an executive order to protect our religious freedom to prevent the federal government from persecuting Christians the way rogue state actors in states like Washington are doing. Because that freedom is clearly at risk for Barronelle and so many other Americans, and because no executive order can fix all of the threats to that freedom, we will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case and reverse this grave injustice."

Ken Pazton, Texas Attorney General:

 "The First Amendment guarantees the liberty to speak freely, and the fundamental right to disagree. The government cannot force individuals to create art against their conscience and deeply held religious beliefs. Today's display of intolerance by the Washington State Supreme Court both defies the Constitution and seeks to outlaw the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Compelling individuals to speak messages against their sincerely held beliefs is un-American and unconstitutional."

You know how I feel about it. This entire "religious liberty" argument is a bogus piece of nonsense perpetrated by phony moral groups and fed to gullible individuals -  both parties being too stubborn to admit the fact that they lost fair and square against marriage equality in our court of laws. This argument is not just about florists. Just where do you draw the line? Let's say that today, florists and bakers are given the right to refuse potential lgbt customers. How do we know that it won't be restaurants, hospitals or apartment complexes tomorrow?

'Court rules against florist who discriminated against gay couple' & other Thur midday news briefs

Court rules florist Barronelle Stutzman cannot use 'religious liberty' excuse to discriminate.

Washington Supreme Court rules against florist who discriminated against same-sex couple - This JUST came in. It was a high profile case and it could give Trump an excuse to sign a so-called "religious liberty" executive order. I almost wish he would. I've had a rotten attitude since he was elected and I know the lgbt community have been primed to start fighting. It would be almost a sin to get all worked up for nothing. Bring it on! 

Laverne Cox References ‘Hidden Figures’ To Make Powerful Point About Trans Rights - And it was ON POINT. 

 Carol Swain Can’t Go Out In Public With Her Female Friends Without Wondering ‘Do People Think We’re Gay?’ - Girlfriend, what? For those who don't know, Swain affiliates herself with the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council.

  First-ever UN LGBT rights watchdog seeks ‘open’ dialogue - It's good to know that even Trump can't stop progress.  

Business alliances forming across the U.S. to argue for LGBT+ inclusion - Remember the point of the last news brief? Good.

Newly crowned anti-lgbt hate group peddles deceptive video on 'religious freedom'

According to Media Matters, the Southern Poverty Law Center named the Alliance Defending Freedom as an official anti-lgbt hate group. Media Matters breaks down 10 facts you should know about ADF.

They are listed below and should you want further information, go this very thorough link:

1. SPLC Labeled ADF A Hate Group Because Of Its Extreme, Demonizing Lies About LGBT People.

 2. ADF Boasts A $48 Million-Plus Annual Budget And Over 3,000 “Allied Attorneys.” - Editor's note: Let met just break in here because I want to address those folks who constantly claim that if we ignore anti-lgbt groups and their actions, they will go away. When an organization has a budget of over $48 million and over 3,000 attorneys dedicated to eradicating your equality, it is not going ANYWHERE.

 3. ADF Defended The Constitutionality Of Criminalizing Gay Sex In The U.S.

4. ADF Has Expanded Its Anti-Choice, Anti-LGBTQ Extemism Internationally.

 5. ADF Is Behind The National Push For Anti-LGBT “Religious Freedom” Laws. 

 6. ADF Is Leading The National Campaign For “Bathroom Bills” Targeting Transgender Youth.

 7. An ADF Attorney Once Called Matthew Shepard’s Murder A Hate Crime Hoax.

 8. ADF Believes In A “Homosexual Agenda” Dedicated To Destroying Christianity. 

9. ADF Has Long Opposed Anti-Bullying Efforts In Schools And Even Launched The “Day Of Truth” To Combat The “Day Of Silence.”

 10. ADF Wields Significant Power In The U.S. Legal System.

But if you want a general idea of how deceptive ADF is, check out the following video the organization posted asking Trump to "defend" the practice of "religious freedom," i.e. allowing people and businesses to discriminate against lgbts and in some cases, still be able to receive tax dollars. The video is 47 seconds and is very straightforward, so straightforward in fact that you may miss how it is deceiving you:



 The summary of the video says the following:

Grace Youth and Family Foundation, one of thousands of faith based organizations that contribute a trillion dollars in services each year while serving their communities. They face giving up the very faith that drives them to serve or stop serving those who need it most

Have you guessed how this video is deceptive?

How about if I ask a simple question: how is this charity being forced to trade its faith for tax dollars? Or better yet, is this charity actually being forced to make a decision between its faith and tax dollars?

The video doesn't explain this and I'd wager that it is because this charity is in no such danger.

It's all about images.

You see, when organizations like the ADF push the idea of  "religious freedom," the image they seek to peddle are  that of noble charities and so-called moral individuals forced by the government to  abandon their personal beliefs for the money. They want to push images of upstanding Christians being forced to submit to the wishes of a so-called godless horde, be it bureaucratic or lgbt-oriented.

Organizations like the ADF don't want you to think about the lgbt families with their children or the lgbt youth who would be hurt by allowing people and businesses to discriminate against them.. They don't want you to think about the gay or lesbian couple who won't be able to get married because the clerk refuses to do his or her job while freely taking their tax dollars.

They don't want you to think of the possibility of the gay couple who could be denied fair treatment at hospitals if either of them or (shudder) any of their children are hurt because the registered nurse or the physician can pull the "religious freedom" card.

They don't want you to think about the significant ways lgbts lives could be disturbed by these "religious freedom" laws which would allow people to disrespect or devalue us while, in some cases, still taking our tax monies

This truth is what ADF and other like-minded organizations don't want you to know about. And the fact alone that they work so hard to hide this truth makes them worthy of being called  hate groups

'Anti-lgbt right blaming Obama & media for Flynn resignation' & other Wed. midday news briefs

I think that it's safe to assume that there is a small but satisfying degree of panic within the religious right that their "meal ticket to power," Donald Trump is in trouble.

The anti-lgbt hate group, the American Family Association is pointing the finger of blame at a supposed "evil conspiracy" for the recent resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn was forced to resign after it was discovered that he was illegally communicating with Russia before Trump took office and lying about it.

But the American Family Association thinks the following:

And then there is this lovely gem in AFA's  phony news site, One News Now - A man named Flynn and a media feeding frenzy. 

It reads as such:

The media's gleeful reaction to Flynn's resignation has set off a firestorm of criticism from media watchdogs such as MRC and others who see a behind-the-scenes effort from Obama loyalists to damage the Trump administration. "The political assassination of Michael Flynn," a story written by Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake this week, describes an enemy of the Left who was targeted for retaliation – with other Trump loyalists targeted for the next round of attacks.

Lastly, there is this lovely statement courtesy of Bryan Fischer:

In other news:

What I Learned From ‘Gender Revolution’ - Katie Couric learns something we all need to learn.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins doesn't think anti-lgbt persecution is a 'real human rights crisis' - My post from last night reminding folks that while the Family Research Council create phony cases of anti-Christian persecution, the organization doesn't think that persecution against the lgbt community, no matter where in the world, is a "real human rights crisis."

Gov. Cooper unveils HB2 repeal plan to lackluster LGBT reaction - Sorry, Gov. Cooper, but this "compromise" isn't going to cut it.

‘Donald Trump’s Think Tank’ admits ‘religious freedom’ means anti-LGBT discrimination - Because anti-lgbt organizations like The Heritage Foundation won't compromise  so why should we?

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins doesn't think anti-lgbt persecution is a 'real human rights crisis'

FRC president Tony Perkins (1st photo) doesn't think anti-lgbt violence (2nd photo) is a 'real human crisis.'

From a recent Family Research Council Washington Update:

Of course, one of the best examples of the Obama administration's disdain for other country's beliefs was the addition of a full-time, taxpayer-funded, diplomat who openly identified as gay to the payroll whose sole purpose was forcing the president's radical social agenda on reluctant countries. And as usual, the 44^th president bypassed Congress to appoint one. Like most conservatives, we encouraged the new administration to do away with the position and focus on the real human rights crises -- like Christian persecution and genocide. - FRC President Tony Perkins, February 14, 2017

Reality:

Despite recent progress in the US, Latin America and even Ireland – one of the most conservative societies in Europe – the global campaign for the rights of sexual minorities has experienced a series of setbacks in other regions including Africa and the Middle East. Fewer than 1 billion of the world’s population live in countries where same-sex marriage or civil unions are recognised, compared to almost 2.8 billion living in countries which criminalise gay people and impose severe punishments on homosexuality, such as imprisonment, lashings and even death sentences. - The Guardian, February 26, 2015


 A report that a Ugandan advocacy group released on Friday indicates persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity increased after the country’s president signed an anti-gay law in 2014. The Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) report documents 264 “verified cases of human rights abuses against LGBTI Ugandans” between May 2014 and Dec. 31, 2015. The report indicates that 84 of these cases were loss of property and employment and other forms of intimidation. Forty-eight of the 264 cases of anti-LGBT persecution involved violence, which included “torture by the state.”  - Washington Blade, April 22, 2016

While Americans have fiercely debated how to respond to the massacre last month at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Brazilians have been confronting their own epidemic of anti-gay violence — one that, by some counts, has earned Brazil the ignominious ranking of the world’s deadliest place for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

Nearly 1,600 people have died in hate-motivated attacks in the past four and half years, according to Grupo Gay da Bahia, which tracks the deaths through news articles. By its tally, a gay or transgender person is killed almost every day in this nation of 200 million.

“And these numbers represent only the tip of the iceberg of violence and bloodshed,” said Eduardo Michels, the group’s data manager, adding that the Brazilian police often omit anti-gay animus when compiling homicide reports. - The New York Times, July 25, 2016

 А Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activist and another person have been missing since January 31, 2017, in the separatist-controlled area of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, and are feared to be victims of enforced disappearances, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch is concerned that the de facto authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) have detained them and are refusing to acknowledge their detention. Grey Violet, a Russian transgender person (also known as Oleg Vasilyev and Maria Shtern), and Victoria Miroshnichenko arrived in the DNR on January 31. They had planned to stage a public performance in Donetsk in support of the LGBT community and record it on video. - Human Rights Watch, February 9, 2017

The point is not to make eradicating persecution a competition. When any group is persecuted, it is a hideous red mark for society in general. That being said, no one group is above another and for a so-called Christian organization to falsely claim or imply in anyway that lgbt persecution of any sort is not a "real human rights crisis" (especially in light of the fact that a simple google search refutes that idea) is beyond unconscionable.

It makes one wonder just what god does Perkins and the Family Research Council actually serve.


Second photo taken from The New Civil Rights Movement

'New ad urges lgbtq community to 'hold tight' to one another' & other Tue midday news briefs

 Heartfelt New Ad Urges LGBTQ People To ‘Hold Tight’ To One Another - "LGBTQ people of all ages are encouraged to hold their loved ones close in a heartwarming new ad campaign for the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) Released Feb. 9, the “Hold Tight” clip is intended to commemorate Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which kicks off Friday Feb. 17, and the Auckland Pride Festival (Feb. 10 ― 26). ANZ is a sponsor of both celebrations."  

Anti-LGBTQ activists to Trump: Be Our Valentine - A special return from my friend, Jeremy Hooper. Trump doesn't have to worry about facing criticism from religious right groups for his incompetence. But he will if he doesn't grant them more power to make churches political tools and stamp down on lgbt equality. 

Arkansas Will Hear Bill To Dismantle Marriage Equality On Valentine’s Day - Some people are determined to try and ice skate uphill.  

Bryan Fischer: ‘The Real Brownshirts Are In The Homosexual Movement’ - Sigh! Bryan Fischer is calling us Nazis again, y'all. That's why ads like in the first news brief are important. Fighting evil rhetoric with true faces of love means a lot, particularly to impressionable lgbt kids. Remember that they are watching and listening. Always.

Sorry religious right, the Special US LGBT Envoy is staying at the State Department

Berry

The Family Research Council wanted Special LGBT Envoy Randy Berry gone, but he's staying.

From The Washington Blade:

The Trump administration will allow the position of special U.S. envoy to promote LGBT and intersex rights abroad to remain in place at the State Department. A State Department spokesperson told Foreign Policy on Monday that Randy Berry is continuing “in his role under the current administration.” A State Department spokesperson reiterated this statement to the Washington Blade.

“Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Randy Berry, a career Foreign Service officer, continues in his role under the current administration,” the spokesperson told the Blade.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry in 2015 announced the creation of the position within the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

 . . .  Monday’s statement comes against the backdrop of concerns over whether President Trump would eliminate the special LGBT envoy position. Advocates have also urged the new administration to continue U.S. efforts to promote LGBT and intersex issues around the world that the Obama administration began.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins asked Trump late last year to remove “activists” from the State Department who promote LGBT and reproductive rights abroad. A spokesperson for the president’s then-transition team told the Blade that any suggestion “that discrimination of any kind will be condoned or tolerated in a Trump administration is simply absurd.”

Don't think for a moment that this decision means the lgbt community shouldn't be wary of the Trump Administration. He still has a vice president and a host of anti-lgbt groups and personalities supporting him.

'Ex-gay ministries lose their 'father,' gays still here & intact' & other Mon midday news briefs

Frank Worthen, the 'father' of ex-gay ministries, dies.  Lgbts reportedly still here.

The ‘Father’ of Ex-gay Ministry Dies - Never met this guy. I don't think I ever wrote about him. But it is important to note the harm that he did and that while he is gone, WE are still here and mostly intact. 

This Supreme Court Case Could Affect Trans Lives for Generations - Laverne Cox mentioned the name "Gavin Grimm" last night during the Grammys. This is the story of that brave young man.

 The U.S. Department of Justice Just Rolled Back Protections for Trans Students - Don't even THINK that we aren't noticing this quiet but deadly movement against our transgender children. 

 New studies show how discrimination harms people with same-sex orientations - Of course when and IF the religious right cites these studies, they will naturally omit the part about discrimination.  

Price confirmation to HHS dismays LGBT advocates - Just in case you missed it, we got another one to be wary of besides DeVos and Sessions.

Everything about Adele's tribute to George Michael, including the start over, was legendary

Editor's note - This site can't be political all the time. It would drive you all crazy.

Adele's tribute to George Michael at the Grammys last night was very appropriate, particularly the part when she stopped the performance and began again. When a gay singing idol is paying tribute to a gay icon,  there was too much power in the air.

'Statewide bills aim to impede lgbt rights' & other Fri. midday news briefs

First, a little levity.  Compare the two.  A positive rap song about the lgbt community

vs. a negative rap song. And yes, I am biased so guess who I think wins.



In other news: 

 Betsy DeVos Poses Immediate Danger To LGBT Students - Yes she does, so that's another thing we have to be vigilant about. 

Deluge of new state bills would curtail LGBT rights - Siiiiigh! Bring them on, suckas! 

 Your religious liberty doesn’t give you the right to steal my queer tax dollars - Speaking of which, a semi-original piece in the Huffington Post by moi emphasizing the fact that lgbts pay taxes and will not disrespected by "religious liberty" laws. And I'm going to keep stressing this point repeatedly.

 A School Cancelled A Visit From A Transgender Author Because It Was "Inappropriate" - It's nasty junk like this which sends a subtle but deadly message to our lgbt children that they are not welcomed in today's society. I hate this #@!&!

Religious right group allowing anti-Semitic comments to slip in 'news' site

Unbelievable.

Maybe the American Family Association is so desperate for Trump to sign an anti-lgbt "religious freedom" executive order that the organization is slipping in monitoring the comments on its One News Now site.

Whatever the case may be, I'm more amazed than shocked that whoever monitors the comments on that site let the following slip through under one of its "articles," AFA: Time is now for EO on religious freedom:
:

I assume Kushner is Jewish and Ivanka converted? There's your answer. There is a huge Jewish backing to the LGBT agenda. And an almost inherent suspicion and hatred of anything Christian in the public forum.

That's why his Jewish relatives are urging him to NOT do what he promised. Jews don't have to read or adhere to the Christian bible. They merely need to read their OWN on that subject. It's quite clear in the Torah what God thinks of homosexuality. But then, like many Christian churches, Jewish synagogues are less about DOING what their Torah says from the heart, and more about DOING the social gospel thing - "good works" weighing more than a heart turned to God. The Jewish community has taken the "works" aspect of their religion to the extreme and to the point of anti-Christian activity, and anti-American subversion for decades. It's true. Even if ONN is too afraid to admit it. Heck, American JEWS are more often against Israel itself and apologists for Palestinian terrorism.

So much for Judeo-Christian values.

Related post - Your religious liberty doesn’t give you the right to steal my queer tax dollars

'Trump caught between religious right, lgbt communities' & other Thur. midday news briefs



Conservative Christian organizations are getting impatient with Trump - Hardly noticed by the media is the conundrum facing Donald Trump when it comes to the religious right and the lgbt community. Allow me to break it down in my inimitable style. It's all figurative but I think you will get the point: Behind Donald Trump is the religious right roughly shoving him forward saying "we got you the White House so now you need to do what we demand. Sign that executive order and push hard for other things which would make discrimination against 'homosexuals' legal on a religious basis. OR ELSE!" In front of Trump stands the lgbt community wearing bathrobes and curlers, one hand on hip and the other hand holding either thick rolling pins or pots of boiling hot grits. And they are saying "yeah Donald, you go ahead and do that."
 

Texas lawmaker mocks ‘dudes in dresses getting beat up’ - Dear Texas lawmaker, making fun of the transgender community does NOTHING to quell rumors that you yourself are gay. So perhaps you stop doing it.

Incredible 50-Part Docuseries Explores The Lives Of Queer Men Of Color In NYC - I love it! BUT if I can be just a tad picky, let's not focus too much on just on NYC. People tend to forget the culture of gay men of color down South.

This Man Wants Gay Sikhs To Know It’s OK To Come Out - This is wonderful!

Democrats propose new bills to repeal HB2, extend LGBT protections - Keep your fingers crossed.

Family Research Council forsakes the Bible, embraces misdirection to support Trump's refugee ban

The Family Research Council abandons 'The Good Samaritan' parable in defense of Trump.

Eager to not lose it's "golden goose in the White House,"   the Family Research Council has forsaken any notions of religious propriety by not even attempting to act as Trump's conscience when he pushes for outlandish things such as his recent refugee ban

Instead, the organization is acting as cheerleader for Trump, even sidestepping the Bible it supposedly holds as a standard.

FRC president Tony Perkins had this to say in a recent Washington Update:

While Obama may have capped certain refugees, he showed unusual hospitality to populations who pose the greatest threats to the U.S. President Trump is determined to change that, putting the brakes on the immigration process until a better, safer vetting protocol is in place. But since Trump issued the order in late January, liberals have been in hyper-drive trying to discredit the idea, which -- ironically -- was based on security reviews conducted by President Obama's own team. Unfortunately, the Left just can't seem to wrap its mind around Trump's protective measures when their only national security doctrine seems to be "inclusivity" and "sensitivity."

That's also the cry of the religious Left. Since Syrian refugees started streaming into America, some liberals tried to use Scripture to suggest we should let anyone and everyone into the country. Of course, these are the same people who claim we're trying to impose a theocracy when we advocate for laws that uphold basic and historical standards of morality. Still, there seems to be a growing chorus of believers who justify these open-door policies on immigration with the Bible's command to "love the stranger."

I agree -- we should love the stranger, but there's no suggestion in the Bible that we should jeopardize our own security and well-being to do so. There are plenty of charitable solutions for refugees that don't involve bringing them to America and letting them abuse our hospitality for ill-intent. Our nation can be caring and benevolent without unnecessarily endangering our own people. What many forget is that loving the stranger is just one component of Scripture's teaching. God also commands foreigners to assimilate and keep the laws of the land. As Exodus 12:49 makes clear: "There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you." The United States' goal should be a safe haven for everyone. And that means protecting the America's welcoming reputation without sacrificing our systems and safety.

That sounds reasonable, until one realizes that Perkins is spinning a huge distortion.

'Poll: anti-lgbt 'religious liberty' laws are NOT popular with most Americans' & other Wed midday news briefs

According to one poll, anti-lgbt 'religious liberty' laws are not popular.

Most Americans don’t want “religious freedom” laws that allow anti-LGBT discrimination - This is HUGE and needs to be repeated. According to a  Public Religion Research Institute poll, 61 percent of respondents, do not, repeat, DO NOT want religious liberty laws. This doesn't mean that the fight over these abominations of laws is over, but it DOES mean we hold the good cards. 

Taxpaying lgbts shouldn't sacrifice rights to 'religious liberty' propaganda - And I REALLY want to emphasize the piece I posted last night. The lgbt community needs to hold firm on this fact. We pay taxes and our money shouldn't be given to entities who will have a free pass to discriminate against us. In addition, federal employees are also paid by our tax dollars, so if they won't serve us like they do other Americans, they need to be let go. No apologies. No deviation from that line. It's our money, dammit and there isn't a thing wrong with demanding that if we pay taxes, we should be treated like other taxpaying Americans.  

DeVos confirmed despite concerns over anti-LGBT donations - And the fact that when it becomes to education, she doesn't know her knee from her elbow. We will be watching her.  

Why Obamacare repeal would be devastating to people with HIV - Meanwhile, let's also put attention on stopping any attempts to repeal Obamacare/ACA. It would hurt a lot of people, including our community.  

Dave Daubenmire: Illuminati Tricked Americans Into Watching Lady Gaga’s ‘Celebration Of Satan’ At The Super Bowl - Okay, who talked? Geez, gay men cannot keep a secret!

Taxpaying lgbts shouldn't sacrifice rights to 'religious liberty' propaganda

Religious liberty argument shouldn't override the fact that lgbts also pay taxes.

The homophobic hate group American Family Association is alarmed that Trump has yet to sign an anti-lgbt "religious liberty" executive order. The organization, via email, is asking its supporters to sign a petition asking Trump to do so.

It is partly as follows:

Liberals and homosexual activists are advancing their radical agenda by attempting to torpedo President Donald Trump's executive order on religious liberty that was recently leaked to the media. This is an excellent executive order that will protect your First Amendment rights.

I urge you to sign the AFA petition NOW asking President Trump to protect religious freedom for all Americans. I plan to personally deliver this petition with signatures during a meeting with the Trump Administration. Help me take your voice to the White House!

This is urgent! After the executive order was leaked, radical activists demanded that the White House keep in place the policy implemented by President Obama’s executive order. The Obama policy bans federal contractors from funding if they refuse to change their non-discrimination policies to include homosexuals and “transgender” persons.

If Christians remain silent and do not let President Trump know they stand with him on religious liberty, then the only voices he will hear are those of radical homosexual activists.

  . . .  The religious freedom executive order under consideration by the Trump Administration:

• Protects Christian colleges and universities, which maintain biblical views on sexuality, marriage, and gender, from losing federal funds.
• Follows the long standing Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that states religious exercise "includes all aspects of religious observance and practice."
• Instructs all federal agencies, "to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law," to reasonably accommodate the religion of federal employees, as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
• Instructs the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury to grant relief to the Little Sisters of the Poor and others that are not exempt from the Obamacare contraception mandate.
• Instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the federal government does not discriminate against the religious beliefs of child-welfare providers such as foster care and adoption services.
• Instructs all federal agencies to provide protections and exemptions consistent with the Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act to religious organizations that either contract with or receive grants from the federal government.
• Instructs the U.S. Treasury not to revoke the non-profit tax status because a religious organization's ordinary religious speech deals with politics, or because they speak or act on the belief that marriage is the union of husband and wife, that sex is based on immutable biology, or that life begins at conception.

I'm not even going to refute these bullets one at a time because they can all be handled with a question, which unfortunately, has not been asked enough.

'Mike Huckabee under fire for transphobic joke about refugees' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Mike Huckabee shows his true and ugly face with a recent bad joke.

Mike Huckabee’s Transphobic ‘Joke’ Slammed By Stars, Allies - A vile positive to the election of Trump is how certain members of the religious right are discarding their masks of piety and showing their true bigoted faces. Because mocking someone for crying about the Holocaust AND making fun of a transgender murder victim at the same time takes a special kind of nasty hate.

Editor's note - And this isn't Huckabee's first time at the "rodeo of homophobia." The article above isn't just about a simple joke. Mike Huckabee has a long history of attacking lgbts and reducing our lives to punchlines and illusions about sex all in the name of "his faith." He simply does not like lgbts, period:  

Huckabee continues to hide his homophobia behind religion  

Mike Huckabee is either a clueless fool or a brazen liar 

Mike Huckabee's 'moral values' include lies about gay community 

 In other news:

 New Katie Couric documentary explains transgender identities in compelling detail - We need more television specials like this. I get so tired of people attacking the transgender community without even knowing anything about them.

 People Have A Lot Of Feelings About This Mother Rejecting Her Gay Son On National TV - Oh no she didn't! DRAG. HER. BEHIND!

 LGBT Equality Caucus doubles its membership - "We'uns done woke up." 

 Bryan Fischer: ‘Would Jesus Be In Favor Of Restricting Immigration? Absolutely’ - Based upon some of the other stuff Fischer has said, I cringe to think what else he claims that Jesus supports.