Charlotte Observer: Franklin Graham is becoming 'irrelevant'

Franklin Graham

More negative fall out for Franklin Graham because of his criticism of presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's sexual orientation. His hometown newspaper, the Charlotte Observer issued a blistering reprimand, calling him irrelevant and hypocritical. Part of it reads as follows:

Graham is not the Christian leader he once was. He’s a man whose organization does wonderful work, but he’s also one whose words have become increasingly and gloriously irrelevant. 

In part, that’s because Graham’s perspective on homosexuality has been pushed to the fringe, but it’s also because of how he has marginalized himself with his vocal support of Donald Trump. Like other supposed faith leaders, Graham has been caught in the trap of politically supporting a man with so many moral failings. How do you tell a gay candidate to repent but utter hardly a peep about the philandering, dishonest man who now holds the office? There’s only one way to get past that inconsistency, and that’s to pretend it doesn’t exist. So Graham has chosen to do something that even many Trump supporters won’t do — he calls the president’s affairs “alleged” and exalts him as a defender of the faith. 

And like Trump, Graham has abandoned any pretense of moderation.

Ouch! That's gotta hurt.

'Franklin Graham backtracks in face of firestorm over Pete Buttigieg comments' & other Tue midday news briefs

Franklin Graham learned today.

Franklin Graham Says ‘I’m Not Condemning Anyone’ After Being Blasted for Telling Pete Buttigieg to ‘Repent’ Being Gay - Whatever. You got your ass spanked so now you want to act all nice. It's not going to work.

This is how Graham got spanked - Franklin Graham subject of brutal twitter ratio after condemning Pete Buttigieg's sexual orientation 

Republican pundit: Pete Buttigieg ‘made gayness an issue’ by kissing husband - Whatever, girlfriend. Have a seat. 

Powerful New Documentary Sheds Insight On Plight Of Transgender Inmates - A much needed documentary. 

Arizona Supreme Court rules judges can order treatment for trans kids if a parent doesn’t consent - Wonderful!

Randy Rainbow calls out Trump's AG in 'Barr!'

Randy Rainbow has something to sing about with regards to the recent release of the Mueller Report and Attorney General William Barr's attempt to minimize its findings in order to protect Trump. To say he's brutal would be an understatement. Via a musical take off of 'Belle' from the movie Beauty and the Beast,  our favorite musical satirist reads the principal guilty parties of this recent mess to filth.

'Hate group leader claims Equality Act will lead to pedophilia' & other Mon midday news briefs

Mat Staver

Liberty Counsel Founder Mat Staver lies that the Equality Act will "open the door to pedophilia" - When all else fails, anti-LGBTQ hate groups always pull the "gays want to recruit children" card.

Minnesota moves toward banning 'conversion therapy' but it's still legal in many states - Can Minnesota do it? I hope so. 

Trump administration may allow doctors to refuse to treat transgender patients - Ugly mess. But it's not over by a long shot.

Husband/wife tandem working to ensure discriminatory, religiously biased regulations of Trump Administration - This is a blog post I published in January but it speaks to the above article. A vicious individual, Roger Severino, is behind the nonsense regulations of the above story. Meanwhile his wife, Carrie Severino, is working to help Trump install judges more inclined to uphold the regulations in court rulings. 

Dear Franklin Graham, LGBTQ Christians Don’t Need Your Blessing - Preach!!

Former 'ex-gay' counselor denounces the fraudulent ministries

 Twenty-one years after launching a disastrous million-dollar “ex-gay” ad campaign, where virtually every leader featured has since come out of the closet, the extreme right wing is unveiling a new effort to rebrand these failed “pray away the gay” programs. The new glitzy campaign to recycle these mentally abusive ministries is called the Changed Movement with the hash tag #OnceGay. 

In response, Truth Wins Out released a new online ad  . . .  featuring former Love in Action Director John Smid. He was the real life “ex-gay” counselor in the movie Boy Erased, played by Joel Edgerton as therapist Victor Sykes. Smid had counseled hundreds of men to rid them of their homosexuality. Now out of the closet and living with a his partner, Smid says in TWO’s ad, “If you are strongly attracted to someone of the same gender that will not change. I’ve never seen a real success story of anyone who has changed from homosexual to heterosexual.” 

“The ‘ex-gay’ myth is an experiment that has unequivocally failed and it takes a lot of chutzpah to try to rebrand the snake oil,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The right wing must think that Americans have amnesia and no longer recall that one ‘ex-gay’ leader after another, who loudly proclaimed change, are now living happily as openly LGBT people. These programs are dangerous and cause lasting psychological scars.”

More at TruthWinsOut.org

Franklin Graham subject of brutal twitter ratio after condemning Pete Buttigieg's sexual orientation

Editor's note - No news briefs on Friday because of a personal issue.

I hate the fact that the Huffington Post beat me to the punch on this because I witnessed the occurrence as it took place. Still, it's nice to point out.

Anti-LGBTQ pastor and Donald Trump supporter Franklin Graham took it upon himself to scold presidential candidate Pete Buttigief about his sexual orientation in a series of posts like so:

Mayor Buttigieg says he’s a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman—not two men, not two women. 2/3

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 24, 2019

Usually when Franklin tweets something, particularly about current events (and taking an anti-LGBTQ point of view), the retweets are mostly "amens" and sycophantic agreements. Not this time. Franklin got twitter spanked so badly that he was reduced to meekly posting other Biblical verses. Some of the responses he received from the Buttigieg tweets are as follows:

You epitomize one of Jesus' disciples.

Unfortunately—it's Judas.

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) April 25, 2019

No, man. You were reading BREITBART, not the BIBLE.

Easy to mix up. They both start with B.

— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) April 25, 2019

Read the Jefferson Bible. With scissors and paste he took only the words of Jesus-.ignoring the rest. Jesus did not have a word of condemnation for gay people. Surely you can find better things to do than hating on us, while pandering to Trump.

— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) April 25, 2019

Wake me up when Franklin Graham calls on Donald Trump to repent for being a serial sexual-assaulter and cheater. https://t.co/ubUNHUbXvM

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) April 25, 2019 

Franklin Graham is not just a false prophet; he’s a sorry excuse for a person who claims to follow Christ.

This is not of Christ. This is of a cynical callousness toward everything Christ preached.

My queer identity is inextricable from my Christianity. This is how God made me. https://t.co/PIO2hcVmHk

— Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) April 25, 2019

I'm not God, but I know a heart filled with kindness and love will find favor in the sight of God, regardless whom they chose to share affection with. But a deceptive soul and those who condone them with be condemned. People like you sir, are the reason there's hate in the world

— I dig deep, lightly (@TrueSatire) April 24, 2019

Needless to say that others were, shall we say, less polite. But you can click on Graham's tweet and read the responses for yourself. 

Documentary spotlights transgender soldiers harmed by Trump's ridiculous ban' & other Thur midday news briefs

Trump's military ban on transgender troops is back in effect -  But the fight isn't over - It's never going to be over until we win.

Major Corporations Release Letter Opposing Anti-LGBTQ “Slate of Hate” in Tennessee - And if Tennessee doesn't get the message, then the state must pay the price for bigotry. 

Trump poised to roll back transgender health protections - Trump's war on the transgender community isn't being looked at by the mainstream as something which should be taken seriously, but be patient. It's NOT supposed to be easy. 

Report: Eight LGBTI Nicaraguans killed during anti-government protests - The struggle is real and it is worldwide.

Pro-Trump TV channel OANN tries conservative comedy, bombs spectacularly

My apologies for this not being LGBTQ-centric and to those of us in the community who may have a conservative leaning. But in my defense, this is so awful that it becomes hilarious.

When not trafficking conspiracy theories which causes international incidents, such as the Obama Administration spying on the Trump campaign with the help of England, slightly right of Atilla the Hun "tv channel" One America News Network is trying its hand at creating a comedy show.

This clip is only 51 seconds but it's so painful that it becomes funny, while simultaneously proving that the conservative outrage industry can amplify lies but can't do shyte with comedy. I can safely say that this is probably the most hilariously sad or sadly hilarious thing you will see in a while.

In the first clip tweeted out by Herring on Tuesday, host Drew Berquist—a former BlazeTV host and counterterrorism officer—took aim at the right’s favorite bogeywoman as of late: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). The result, of course, is Mike Huckabee-style hokey “comedy” tailor-made for people who apparently love painfully flat humor. Riffing on a nearly three-week-old story of Ocasio-Cortez supposedly appropriating a forced “black accent” during a speech addressing an African-American audience, Berquist’s punchline is him just imitating AOC, but with an even more stereotypical accent. The show’s laugh track loved it though!

Tune in to OAN to see our new comedy show. Here's a sample of what you can expect to see beginning Saturday, May 4th. #OANN #HeadlinesTonight @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/zy27Yp9sKa

— Robert Herring (@RobHerring) April 23, 2019

Hat tip to People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch.

'Lesbian teacher wins Hesperia lawsuit' & other Wed midday news briefs

Lesbian teacher wins Hesperia lawsuit, says she was fired for helping gay students - Give it up, turn it loose. You were wrong so now you gonna pay.

Jane Castor Is Elected First Lesbian Mayor of Tampa - This just happens and should get more attention.

After Smearing of Obama, Democrats Should Know How to Defend Ilhan Omar - One would think . . . 

 ‘To Wong Foo’ is being rereleased with new footage. Will it be a hit in 2019 like it was in 1995? - If you didn't get at least a little teary at the end, then you have no soul.

Mueller Report responses prove Trump evangelicals replacing Jesus with 'p-**y-grabbing messiah'

The anti-LGBTQ and evangelical right distort Mueller Report findings to praise Trump.

To the anti-LGBTQ and evangelical right, Trump represents the power to force their agenda on America. That's why so many of them discarded or recalibrated their tirades about values and morality to feature him in the center. And in many cases, replacing Jesus.

Their responses to the recent Mueller Report sadly cements this fact.

From American history professor John Fea:

Donald Trump is a liar who clearly obstructed justice. He has forced others to lie to the American people on his behalf. Some, like Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a self-professed evangelical Christian, lied for the president on multiple occasions. (That is a lot of slips of the tongue). Others refused to lie for him. The Mueller report reveals that Trump’s presidency lacks a moral center. He should be impeached. 

And what about the court evangelicals and all of those other white evangelicals who still support Trump? They will double down in their support for the president. He is God’s chosen instrument and his evangelical supporters will invoke biblical examples of how God’s anointed instruments will always suffer persecution. They will claim that the Mueller Report is biased (except, of course, the parts that say there was no collusion). They will continue to stoke the “witch hunt” metaphor. They will continue to take their marching orders from Fox News and claim that the report proves that Trump did not commit a crime. They will argue that the country should simply move forward as if nothing happened. They will ignore the parts of the report that show Trump’s immorality and lies. Court evangelicalism blinds one to the truth. For example 

Americans must demand that “no collusion, no obstruction” means NO MORE HARASSMENT of President @realDonaldTrump! — Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) April 18, 2019 

The attacks on @PressSec Sarah Sanders are disgraceful and pure politics. She does an outstanding job as WH Press Secretary and is a woman of character & integrity. — Ralph Reed (@ralphreed) April 19, 2019  

The #MuellerReport on whether President @realDonaldTrump colluded w/the Russians in the 2016 election is out. The answer is still NO. 1/2 https://t.co/JmoXvJjEKv — Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 18, 2019 

 . . .  AG Barr was masterful in his press conf. The lie of Russian collusion and obstruction of justice has been completely refuted. But the left won’t stop. They are addicted to the lie.#MullerReport #BarrPressConference #Barr #MAGA — Gary L Bauer (@GaryLBauer) April 18, 2019

The irony is these folks seem to forget that Trump isn't going to stay in office forever. How ever and whenever he goes,  if these Trump evangelicals think that they will be able to slide back into their unearned positions as self-designated arbiters of cultural morality, they need to make other plans.

No one is going to forget their behavior during the Trump years. Some of us are even taking notes.

'SF opens safe house for embattled transgender youth' & other Tue midday news briefs

The nation’s first transitional housing shelter for transgender youths opens in SF, filling an urgent need - Yes sir. We need actions like this and stories to draw attention to them.

Supreme Court takes up job discrimination cases that could settle whether LGBT workers are protected by law - Just in case you haven't heard . . . Some folks are scared. I have a wait and see attitude about it. 

New hope rises for would-be LGBTQ parents in New York - THIS is good news. 

Pelosi: Supreme Court review to have ‘no impact’ on Equality Act, floor vote in May - Let's NOT forget about the Equality Act.

Anti-LGBTQ discrimination in foster care, adoption suffers setback in Philadelphia and Michigan

Same-sex families have foster care, adoption victories in Philly and Michigan

Those who feel that faith-based adoption and foster care agencies should have the right to taxpayer dollars while discriminating against the LGBTQ community just received major setbacks in Philadelphia and Michigan.

From The Advocate:

The city of Philadelphia doesn’t have to contract with a foster care agency that discriminates against LGBTQ people, a federal appeals court ruled today.
The Philadelphia Department of Human Services last year ended its contract with Catholic Social Services after the agency refused to change its policy to comply with Philadelphia’s LGBTQ-inclusive anti-discrimination law. The Catholic group will not place children with LGBTQ parents. 

The Catholic agency sued, and last year a federal district court ruled that the city was within its rights to exclude organizations that discriminate. Today a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld that decision, saying among other things that the Catholic group’s religious beliefs do not exempt it from the city’s antidiscrimination law, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. 

“The City’s non-discrimination policy is a neutral, generally applicable law, and the religious views of CSS do not entitle it to an exception from that policy. ... [CSS] has failed to make a persuasive showing that the City targeted it for its religious beliefs, or is motivated by ill will against its religion, rather than sincere opposition to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,” Judge Thomas L. Ambro wrote for the panel. 

The Becket Fund, a conservative legal group that represents Catholic Social Services, is reviewing whether to appeal the Third Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court. However, the high court last year denied the Catholic group’s emergency petition to have its contract reinstated.

Also today, Bethany Christian Services, a faith-based foster care and adoption agency in Michigan,  announced that it will begin  working to place children in same-sex homes.  This reversal of policy comes after a legal settlement in March between Michigan and the ACLU after the state was sued by two lesbian couples and a former foster child. The settlement says that faith-based foster care and adoption agencies working with the state cannot use religion as an excuse to turn away members of the LGBTQ community.  Another faith-based foster care and adoption agency, St Vincent Catholic Charities, via a local couple, is challenging the settlement in court.

Last week, South Carolina state legislators turned away a bill which would have allowed faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate while receiving tax dollars. 

'Conservative group targeting trans community with distorted 'panel discussions'' & other Mon midday news briefs

Anti-LGBTQ group Heritage Foundation has hosted four anti-trans panels so far in 2019 - That's an average of one panel a month so far. Panels full of lies and ignorant people pushing anti-trans distortions. 

Health Department proposes nixing data collection on LGBTQ foster youth - More attention needs to be focused on this. What kind of mess is the Trump Administration doing anyway?

The Washington Post said Mike Pence doesn’t support conversion therapy. No one’s having it. - Sorry Washington Post, but the LGBTQ community knows that rascal better than you do. 

Actress Leyna Bloom Is Gonna Make Trans, Black, And Asian History At The Upcoming Cannes Film Festival - Any step forward is always huge.

University UMC votes 'overwhelmingly' in support of same-sex ceremonies, LGBTQ clergy - Wonderful!

RIPPrince

This Sunday marks the third anniversary of the passing of Prince, one of the greatest artists of our time. The videos featured here are a mere snippet of his vast work and influence.

'Fifteen states where it's legal to fire someone for being gay' & other Fri midday news briefs

15 States Where It's Legal To Fire Someone For Being Gay - Like the article's author says, it should be zero.

Soon you won’t be able to justify killing a gay man in Nevada by saying he hit on you - The "gay panic" defense is a travesty and should permanently eliminated everywhere.

License to discriminate: Religious exemption laws are trampling rights in rural America - It bears repeating that you can't tell people to "go somewhere else" when they are discriminated against. Sometimes there is no there place else they can go.

E.W. Jackson: Pete Buttigieg Wants to Turn the Country Into a “Homocracy” - Lawd hammercy! I just can't with this man today. 

Same-sex couples applying for a mortgage face more rejection and higher rates, a study says - Sad but not unexpected. 

Fox "news side" anchor Shannon Bream hosts Alliance Defending Freedom for fifth time in a year - Yet another way Fox News damages the LGBTQ community under the guise of having a "debate." Bream rarely, if ever, invites LGBTQ people on her show.

SC Senate turns away anti-LGBTQ adoption bill

Just got this message from my friends at SC Equality:

Moments ago, Proviso 38.29 (a bill that lawmakers were trying to sneak into the massive state appropriations bill (and) would allow private state-funded faith-based adoption agencies in South Carolina to turn away LGBTQ couples from adopting/foster children) was DEFEATED on the Senate floor  . . .  SC Equality would like to thank Senator Brad Hutto and other allies in the senate for standing strong with us on this issue and having it go down in a ball of flames.

There has been a nationwide controversy regarding faith-based foster care and adoption agencies wanting to discriminate against the LGBTQ community while continuing to receive tax dollars.  Last year, SC governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order which would have allowed faith-based foster care and adoption agency Miracle Hill Ministries to practice this sort of discrimination. And not just against the LGBTQ community, but other religious communities such as Catholics and Jews.  McMasters also asked for a federal waiver so that Miracle Hill could receive federal funds. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration granted the waiver.

Also this year Aimee  Maddonna, a Catholic mother from Greenville, filed a lawsuit against Miracle Hill because she was turned away for not being a "born again Christian."

Atlanta's mayor urges Georgia legislators to ban 'ex-gay therapy'

Unnoticed by many but nonetheless important is the push to eliminate forcing minors into reparative or "ex-gay therapy." Georgia would be the 17th state to do this should state legislators listen to Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms:

Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is calling on state leaders to ban the practice and advertising of LGBTQ conversion therapy, a controversial medical method which studies say has led to increased suicide rates. 

In a resolution passed Monday, Bottoms urged the state to ban the practice, also called “reparative therapy,” which uses psychological or spiritual interventions in an attempt to convert someone’s sexual orientation to being strictly heterosexual.“State-sanctioned practices that inflict persecution and suffering on LGBTQ individuals — particularly young people— should end immediately,” Bottoms said in a statement. “Simply put — we cannot and should not endanger the well-being of the LGBTQ community for living their truth.” 

An estimated 698,000 adults have had the therapy and more than half that amount received the treatment as a teenager, according to the William Institute at the UCLA School of Law. According to a study by the Family Acceptance Project, LGBT youth whose parents tried to change their sexual orientation had higher suicide and depression rates. Suicide rates among LGBTQ youth whose parents tried to change their sexual orientation were at 48 percent compared with 22 percent for LGBTQ youth who had no conversion experience, according to the study.

Last month, Colorado outlawed the practice and this week, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to New Jersey's 2013 ban for the third time.

'Former Evangelical, trans daughter testified for Equality Act' & other Wed midday news briefs

A Former Evangelical Testified for the Equality Act Alongside Her Trans Daughter - This is awesome!

No Mr. Staver - Twitter did not "Say goodbye to SPLC" - They have been trying so hard to bury SPLC and their efforts have stayed in their own bubbles.

Majority of Republicans think evangelical Christians are more discriminated against than minorities - Well for Pete's sake . . .

How This Year's Outstanding Blog Nominees Are Using Their Platform to Elevate the LGBTQ Community - WONDERFUL article on this year's nominees for GLAAD's 'Outstanding Blog' award, including this humble blog.

Anti-LGBTQ hate group embarrasses itself with latest fake poll

For an entity which is always whining about how the so-called religious liberty of right-wing evangelicals is in jeopardy, anti-LGBTQ hate group the American Family Family Association cries foul when other religious bodies doesn't follow its definition of Christianity.

Via its fake news service, One News Now, AFA is on a rampage about a group of Tennessee religious leaders who have strongly come out against the "religious liberty" (i.e. anti-LGBTQ) legislation in the state. Rather than respecting that these leaders have different religious beliefs, AFA is spinning dark conspiracy theories, as witnessed by said poll:

I personally voted for "Seduced by LGBT groups" because it sounded rather kinky. As of Tuesday afternoon, though the results were as follows:

I might point out that in between declaring that it has the patent on what God's word is, AFA (via One News Now) has posted article after article on the greatness of  our resident "coochie- grabber in chief. Makes you wonder what type of God AFA worships.

'Evangelical college students don't want Mike Pence to speak at their commencement' & other Tue midday news briefs

Evangelical college students say they don’t want Mike Pence to be their commencement speaker - Well heck, we don't want that turkey at all either.

Christian Site: Life Expectancy Of Gays Is 20 Years Less - Refuting the "homosexuality takes 20 years off of your life" lie is one of the things which made a name for this blog. I'm glad Joe Jervis caught this. 

Mayor Pete’s Marriage is Bogus and the Trumpified SCOTUS Will Agree, Says Brian Brown - Brown keeps dreaming.

Christian university president falsely attacks Pete Buttigieg: ‘Please stop telling us what kind of sex you like’ - Might as well get used to it cause we are gonna hear it from the usual characters who can't seem to stop linking everything about the LGBTQ community to sexual intercourse. But that's not a bad thing. Let the public see them rage.

Michele Bachmann thinks we may never see a more 'godly, biblical' president than Trump

Michelle Bachmann

You want to know why Pete Buttigieg's criticisms of right-wing evangelicals is resonating? Because of right-wing evangelicals like former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

From Right Wing Watch:

Former Minnesota congresswoman and current Religious Right “pastor to the United Nations” Michele Bachmann was a guest on Jan Markell’s “Understanding The Times” radio program last weekend, where she prayed that God will expose those in the “deep state” who are supposedly working to undermine President Trump, whom she declared to be the most godly and biblical president she has ever seen.

. . . “In my lifetime I have never seen a more biblical president than I have seen in Donald Trump,” Bachmann said later in the program. “He is highly biblical and I would say to your listeners [that] we will, in all likelihood, never see a more godly, biblical president again in our lifetime. So we need to be not only praying for him, we need to support him, in my opinion, in every possible way that we can.”

Michele Bachmann has never seen "a more biblical president" than Trump: "We will, in all likelihood, never see a more godly, biblical president again in our lifetimes." pic.twitter.com/xnqCZRaq5f

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) April 15, 2019

And at the end of the first inning, the score is Pete Buttigieg -1, Evangelical Christian Right - 0 

Video: Mike Pence's anti-LGBTQ record proves Pete Buttigieg's point

On Sunday, Peter Buttigieg officially announced that he is running for president. With that news, his back-and-forth with VP Mike Pence is sure to get a brighter spotlight. To rehash the situation, Buttigieg has called out Pence for his anti-LGBTQ record.  Pence and his defenders contend that Buttigieg is attacking his "Christian faith."

That's nonsense. It goes without saying that Pence, as a Congressman, governor of Indiana, and now vice president, has made his political career out of undermining the rights and safety of LGBTQ Americans while hiding behind his religious beliefs. Buttigieg has touched a raw nerve by focusing on this. But what's needed is something concrete which can be pointed to when talking about Pence's record. This video courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign is more than adequate to reference and share. Don't fall for Pence's "I'm just a Christian defending my faith" act. It's a colossal lie.

'Trump's ban on transgender soldiers bringing fear and chaos to military families' & other Fri midday news briefs

Trump’s Transgender Ban Brings Chaos and ‘a Lot of Fear’ to Troops’ Families - Friday is the official start to this awful ban. It will not stand and those who pushed it will be remembered for what they have done.

Navy to allow off-duty trans sailors to dress in accordance with gender identity - How about no ban at all on transgender troops?

Members of Congress, activists rally against trans troop ban - Like I said, this ain't over by a long shot.

Pride organizers cancel parade citing ‘current political & social environment.’ They mean racism. - This is a MESS, no matter what side you are taking. And I'm sorry but I am not leaning with the outside groups here. Their actions are virtue signaling at its worse. Also, police departments and the military HAVE A PLACE at Pride celebrations. They should be included. 

Arizona’s Anti-LGBTQ Sex Education Law Has Finally Been Repealed After 28 Years - Progress!

GLSEN's Day of Silence showcases struggles and worth of LGBTQ youth

If some on the right actually cared about children like they claim to, they would be joining the annual GLSEN's Day of Silence taking place Friday.

 To those not aware, it is a student-led protest calling attention to the harmful effects of anti-LGBTQ harassment and discrimination in K-12 schools.  Participants take a vow of silence to highlight the struggles of LGBTQ youth. Our kids are important and they will not be erased. Especially not their worth.

'Mike Pence dodges Buttigieg's criticisms of his homophobic record' & other Thur midday news briefs

Mike Pence, facing criticism from 2020 Democratic hopeful Pete Buttigieg over his record on gay rights, says South Bend mayor ‘knows better’ -Not just Buttigieg, Pence. The ENTIRE LGBTQ community knows better than to trust you. THIS is one of the main ones:

DeVos: I Knew Trans Youth Would Be Harmed When I Ended Obama-Era Rules - You know you ain't right, Mrs. DeVos!

Karen Pence accused Pete Buttigieg of using her husband for attention. It didn’t go well for her. - She got twitter-dragged cause the LGBTQ community had receipts and aren't afraid to use them.

San Jose city council votes to make their airport Chick-fil-A the ‘gayest’ in America - I didn't know there was a competition . . .

Bryan Fischer claims Pete Buttigieg and criticism of Trump will force him to talk about 'gay sex' (again)

With his pointed criticisms of their hypocrisies, presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is driving the anti-LGBTQ evangelical right crazy. That is a good thing because it gives us the opportunity to either piggyback or amplify his comments with observations of our own.

And don't think for a second that those seeking to blunt Buttigieg aren't helping us. Case in point, the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, who recently said that criticism of Trump is "forcing" folks like him to talk about Buttigieg's sex life.

From Right Wing Watch:

“By making a candidate or a public official’s private sexual life an issue, then you are telling us that we are justified by making it an issue with Pete Buttigieg,” Fischer said. “If you do not want us to make his sexual behavior an issue, then you better stop talking about Donald Trump and what he did 12, 13 years ago and the years before that. Just cut it out. You keep talking about Donald Trump and his sexual peccadilloes, then you are giving us permission to talk about Pete Buttigieg and his sexual indiscretions.” 

Fischer obviously thinks that receipts don't exist. As seen by the small sampling below,  Fischer has brought up "gay sex" probably more times than Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Oscar. He talks about "gay sex" probably more times than most LGBTQs actually have sex. I doubt he needs Buttigieg or criticism of Trump as an excuse because ruminating about "gay sex" seems to be an obsession with him.

Bryan Fischer: The AIDS Epidemic Could Be Solved if Gay Men Stopped Having Sex

Bryan Fischer Talks Ken Cuccinelli, Homosexuality And Oral, Anal Sex Bans

Bryan Fischer: Don’t think about gay sex, it’s “disgusting”

‘I Was Born That Way’: Bryan Fischer Claims He Was Born Christian, Repulsed By Homosexuality

Bryan Fischer Still Eager To Criminalize Gay Sex Because It’s ‘A Menace To Public Health’

American Family Association host: Persuading 'men not to have sex with men' will end AIDS

Harvard scholar is wrong: Leviticus NEVER approved of gay sex

Bryan Fischer Of American Family Association: Need Photos of Graphic Gay Sex

Bryan Fischer: Seeing Gay Sex Causes God (And Everyone Else) to ‘Recoil From It In Some Kind of Disgust’

'LGBT people urged to be counted in 2020 U.S. Census' & other Wed midday news briefs

LGBT people urged to be counted in 2020 U.S. Census - Damn right. We had better be.

Is the American Family Association lying about support of its anti-Walmart campaign? - My post from last night bears repeating. 

Sen. Kaine introduces bill to protect LGBT kids from child abuse - ALSO a wonderful thing. 

The religious right is claiming Pete Buttigieg isn’t a ‘real’ Christian because he’s gay - I LOVE how he is scaring them.

Is the American Family Association lying about support of its anti-Walmart campaign?

Is AFA lying about actual number of people who signed its anti-Walmart petition?

Much has been said about the American Family Association's attack on Walmart for posting a gay dating ap.  Unfortunately, very little of it has to do with the means AFA is stooping to with its protest. Recently the hate group bragged about an upcoming meeting with Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon. However, there is a good chance that the petition AFA has been circulating to generate this meeting is faulty when it comes to the number of supporters.

From LGBTQNation on Thursday:

To date, over 186,000 individuals have allegedly signed onto a pair of petitions from One Million Moms and AFA accusing Walmart of endorsing the “cultural revolution and [rejecting] the beliefs of its customer base.” 

However, prior investigation into the signature gathering tactics utilized by these groups has shown the numbers are likely inflated. In March, this journalist reported that individuals who wished to sign the petition were able to do so dozens of times from the same IP address, even the same web browser. 

While the online form builder Wufoo allows petitioners to put safeguards in place to ensure their campaigns don’t attract spam bots and fake signatures, One Million Moms and AFA declined to opt into those security measures. 

The bar for signing the petition was so low that typing in random gibberish in the name and email prompts was still accepted as a valid entry. 

This wouldn’t be the first time that One Million Moms and AFA have falsified its campaign numbers or allowed its petitions to be easily compromised. When the groups led a boycott of Target’s trans-inclusive bathroom policies, The Daily Beast and ThinkProgress debunked claims that more than a million people had joined the campaign.

'More than half of banned books challenged for LGBTQ content' & other Tue midday news briefs

More than half of banned books challenged for LGBTQ content - For Pete's sake, what are folks so scared of?

Attorney General will investigate hostile work environment & issues LGBTQ nondiscrimination order - I'll wait on it. 

Pete Buttigieg To Mike Pence: Marrying My Husband ‘Moved Me Closer To God’ - Some of our own don't like the story Pete Buttigieg told about his self-acceptance. I say no one gets to police our stories, including us.

New LGBTQ clinic opening at Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines - THIS is wonderful.

Trump told his people to break the law in separating immigrant families but he is still a good Christian. Right?

In the age of Trump in the White House, we are sadly learning that to right-wing evangelicals - especially their leaders - religion nothing more than as a weapon to undermine LGBTQ equality and safety and to serve as an excuse for the excesses of a horrible leader.

Presidential nominee Pete Buttigieg has raised many eyebrows with his calling out of the hypocrisy of Trump and his evangelical conservative supporters. And he is pissing off the right people:

Via @crooksandliars: Fox And Friends Smears Pete Buttigieg Over Religion https://t.co/UKAR8jK111 pic.twitter.com/js4qDxXXCW

— bɹǝʇ ɟnɔʞ!ʇoן (@crewislife) April 8, 2019

And then there is the fake news "Christian" publication One News Now:

It is widely contested that evangelicals were the main demographic group that put Trump in the White House, and most have justified their support for him by pointing to his vows to champion biblical principles while in office, while recognizing that the president is a sinner – like all Christians – with a repentant heart to do what is right before God. 

 . . . Evangelical leaders, including Rev. Franklin Graham, Dr. James Dobson and Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., have often come under attack by the leftist media for supporting the president – as reporters typically either resurface actions the president has admitted and apologized for or recite anti-Trump allegations that have been vehemently challenged as false.

Lastly, there is Fox News host Laura Ingraham:

It's rather ironic, but also fitting that on the same day in which these folks are attacking Buttigieg for calling out Trump and the hypocrisy of  his Christian evangelicals supporters that we find out Trump was ordering border patrol agents to break the law and lie to judges, pushing hard to resume forced separations of immigrant children from their parents at the border, and firing his Secretary of Homeland Defense when she tried to prevent him from breaking the law.

'Religious right trying to sow its homophobia in Europe' & other Mon midday news briefs

The religious right thinks that Europe is now fertile ground for its anti-LGBTQ agenda - Using the same tactics they are using in America. The same lies. The same dog whistles.

Pete Buttigieg To Mike Pence: Marrying My Husband ‘Moved Me Closer To God’ - Being an LGBTQ is not opposite of being religious or having any type of faith. I like how Buttigieg is pushing that fact.

Bulgarian politician threatens to use “illegal means” to stop an LGBTQ photography exhibition - Like I said- the struggle is real and it is universal.

LGBTI activists urge Vatican to condemn homosexuality criminalization laws -Do the right thing.

More companies boycott Brunei over anti-gay laws - Speaking of which.

‘It’s dangerous to go out now’: young, gay and scared in Brunei - Goes without saying.

Pete Buttigieg calls out hypocrisy of Trump's conservative evangelical supporters

Pete Buttigieg

Say what you want about presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg or his chances of getting the 2020 nomination,  one thing is for certain. He is using his candidacy to call out the right-wing evangelicals who support Trump. And that is something which needs lots of attention.

WATCH: How does Mayor Pete Buttigieg explain President Trump's support from the evangelical community? #MTP #IfItsSunday@PeteButtigieg: Scripture talks "about lifting up the least among us, and taking care of strangers, which is another word for immigrants." pic.twitter.com/sVzOxAJHWz

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 7, 2019

From Raw Story:

Speaking with host Chuck Todd, the possible Democratic presidential contender got right to the point. 

 “It’s something that really frustrates me because the hypocrisy is unbelievable,” he told the NBC host. “Here you have somebody who not only acts in a way that is not consistent with anything that I hear in scripture or in church, where it’s about lifting up the least among us and taking care of strangers, which is another word for immigrants, and making sure that you’re focusing your effort on the poor.”

Related posts:

Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg calls Mike Pence 'cheerleader for porn star presidency'

'Christian' Trump supporters spew nasty rage at presidential candidate who called out Mike Pence's hypocrisy

'GOP staffer apologizes after claiming no one cares about trans troops' & other Fri midday news briefs

A Republican Staffer Told Progressive Activists “No One Cares” About Trans Troops - The fact that he apologized - even though it was two days later - refuted that nonsensical statement.

Mormon church drops antigay policies to ‘reduce hate & contention’ in society - Hmmm. The jury is still out. 

GOP was determined to exclude protections for trans people from VAWA - And you know they tried their worst to be evil about it. 

Where We Call Home: LGBT People in Rural America - a very MUCH needed spotlight. 

Carson: HUD won’t issue LGBT guidance because ‘you would dislike’ it - Figures.

10 people who tried to 'cure' homosexuality

With bans on "ex-gay" therapy for minors becoming more prevalent, none of us should forget that the practice itself for adults as well as minors is a big bowl of crock. Thanks to the comedy site Cracked, we have reminders.

Cracked looked at 10 people who unsuccessfully attempt to "cure" homosexuality, giving them the derision they deserve. Folks like:

who wrote this monstrosity:

Cracked says this about Nation of Gay Babies:

Nation Of Gay Babies is a barely organized collection of thoughts and charts copied from library books that in no way uncovers any gay origins or cures. Mason opens the book by asserting that he's smarter than all physicians and assuring you, the reader, that you'll soon be better informed than "the experts." Then it's mostly seventh-grade biology lessons illustrated with aggressively random science clip art. In the middle of explaining what chromosomes are, he'll throw in an unlabeled carbon chain or a brain gland diagram. He illustrated his academic book the same way a three-year-old girl might decorate a cake, only gayer than I'm making it sound.

And then there's this guy:

But you're going to have to check out the article to read about him, Clark, and the eight others. And believe me, it's worth the read.

Hate group AFA's 'questions' for Walmart underscores its desire to erase the LGBTQ community

Editor's note - I may not post news briefs for Thursday because I feel that this post needs full attention:

The American Family Association is claiming that its campaign against Walmart is bearing fruit. The hate group  has been raging against Walmart ever since the store chain ran an ad on Facebook geared to its LGBTQ customers.

From Right Wing Watch:

The American Family Association, which has been recognized as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, claims it has secured a meeting with a “representative” for Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. 

The meeting with McMillon’s representative, which AFA told subscribers to its email list is scheduled to take place “later this month,” will be purportedly used to discuss an ad Walmart shared on Facebook that featured a same-sex couple. As Right Wing Watch has previously reported, the ad sent AFA into a nuclear meltdown, with the organization accusing Walmart of joining a “cultural revolution” to normalize same-sex relationships. AFA launched a petition to urge Walmart to return “back to its founding principles” that the organization says gathered 163,000 signatures.

AFA head Tim Wildmon presented a list of questions he will be demanding answers to. The questions are vile when one takes into account what AFA is implying in presenting them. I took the liberty of asking my own questions after each one. The purpose is to underscore just how bigoted AFA's campaign appears to be:

1. Are you aware of the 163,000 families who are offended by the ad and have signed AFA’s petition to Walmart for its removal? 

Isn't it hypocritical for your organization to stand with businesses which refuse to serve the LGBTQ community and then attack  businesses which acknowledge that they have LGBTQ customers?

2. Have you viewed the ad and read the gay-affirming comments posted by Walmart with some posts accompanied by the rainbow flag? The rainbow flag, commonly known as the gay pride flag or LGBT pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements. The appearance here is that Walmart, Inc. has joined the LGBT movement. Is this true or false? 

That's not only false, but also an idiotic question and assumption. 

3. Are you aware that Walmart has only commented on the positive posts on the ad but has completely ignored the hundreds expressing objections? Does this mean that Walmart does not care about those who have objections and have been offended? 

Regardless if there are hundreds of comments in opposition to the ad, what difference does it make? The general question why is there a problem with a store catering to a clientele. LGBTQ people shop at Walmart and the store wants their money.

4. 163,000 families supportive of AFA - including many of your own customer base - have been offended by the gay-affirming ad. What is your defense of the ad? These families are awaiting a response – and deserve one. 

But what about those who support the ad? You alluded to them in question two. Don't their opinions matter? Why should Walmart have to defend catering to customers?

5. AFA has always maintained that Walmart and other corporations should not take sides by promoting the LGBTQ social and political agenda. Why has Walmart chosen sides against the traditional definition of family with this ad? 

How is simply acknowledging  LGBTQ customers and catering  to them "taking sides?"  Who or what gives you the right to decide the "traditional definition" of family? Or the definition of "family" in general?

It is simply diabolical how homophobic and  twisted the AFA chooses to be when it comes to the LGBTQ community. To that group, we aren't people. We are things with "an agenda." Who we date, where we shop, how we carry on our daily lives seem to be a part of "the agenda," according to the American Family Association. And it's not enough for AFA to have this view. By using evasive code phrases like "traditional families" or "taking sides" and issuing threats, the organization is demanding that Walmart adhere to that view.

But who is more of a threat? Gay men meeting in Walmart and dating or a self-righteous faux religious group which sees conspiracies every time LGBTQ people act as if we are normal members of society?

'Equality Act gets hearing on Capitol Hill' & other Wed midday news briefs

Republicans Are Trying To Kill An LGBT Bill In Congress By Arguing It Hurts Women - It's always exploiting fear with them. 

 Pramila Jayapal’s Speech Supporting The Equality Act Is Deeply Personal - A Congresswoman's personal story on why we need the Equality Act.

Texas Senate approves occupational licensing bill LGBTQ advocates call a "license to discriminate" - One more step for disaster. Businesses do not support this bill.

'TransMilitary' Documentary to Draw Transgender Advocates, Lawmakers Together - We defeat Trump's trans ban by telling these stories.

Tennessee House passes bill allowing adoption groups to refuse service to LGBT couples - This is going to be a mistake by Tennessee.