'GOP tax package has potential to give evangelical, anti-LGBTQ right more political power' & other Mon midday news briefs

The GOP tax package contains an insidious provision that would ruin the separation of church and state - Imagine anti-LGBTQ pastors such as Franklin Graham and Robert Jeffress having the power to mobilize their followers by actively endorsing candidates with tweets and on their Facebook pages. Imagine their churches - and other right-wing churches - becoming become bastions of dark money by entities like the Kochs and Mercers. It would be legal in the House version of the GOP tax package. Besides other disasters the tax package has for the American public, it also includes a provision which would make such things as I've described as legal. And don't even count on the followers of people like Franklin and Jeffress to show any disagreement. As we have seen in the case of Roy Moore, they are sheep willing to follow these leaders over a cliff.

The many ways Alliance Defending Freedom is fighting against transgender student equality - Naturally groups like this one are for that tax package. It would tremendously help them in their war against out LGBTQ kids. This brief is spooky because someone actually sat down and thought up these methods to harm trans children. Ignoring them or simply calling them bigoted on Facbook isn't enough here. 

Chechnya's Leader Says He's Ready to Resign - What's the matter? Too many LGBTQs in Chechnya for you to persecute? 

Successful Aging Among LGBT Older Adults: Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life by Age Group - Wonderful common sense study which talks about the importance of social networks.

Australian conservatives hope to corrupt marriage equality with ‘religious freedom’ exceptions - Ah yes. We are so familiar with this.