Family Research Council embarrasses itself in attempt to fundraise off of homophobic NC government official

FRC president Tony Perkins 

In its latest fundraising, anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council and its President Tony Perkins commits a serious sin of omission. The organization has chosen to take up the cause of controversial North Carolina Lt Governor Mark Robinson by making him sound like a strong steadfast Christian battling the forces of evil (i.e. LGBTQ people) trying to "groom" (I believe that's the popular accusatory word these days) children into our supposed "lifestyle."

In reality, Robinson is a raging loudmouth hypocrite. whose words belie any attempt to make him look like a latter-day Joan of Arc. But in its email, FRC chose not include Robinson's various comments. Instead, the group utilized glowing adjectives to describe him. Well I decided to adjust FRC's email just a little by including various comments Robinson has made as well as certain other facts the group chose to omit or alter. 

Let's begin:

As you well know, the far Left has been on a quest to police and censor parents from having a voice in their own children's education. 

The claim that "the far Left has been on a quest to police and censor parents" is a lie. There have been complaints that school board officials have been threatened by certain parents and other attendees of meetings. Because of this, the Justice Department had been asked to investigate. 

They thought they found a prime target in North Carolina's Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, a bold Christian and conservative. All Robinson did was exercise his constitutional right -- to speak freely without fear of government punishment.

 But they were wrong. 

When the media pounced, FRC was there to back him up and elevate Robinson's story as he courageously stood for truth.

Mark Robinson - “We had them kind of folks back in the day/ Back when I was a kid, my momma used to tell me about them. She’d say, ‘When y’all go down to the playground, if y’all see anybody hanging around in a raincoat and you don’t see no pants hanging under his raincoat, y’all get y’all stuff and come on home because that’s what we call a pervert.'” 

 “There is somebody somewhere right now on the internet grooming somebody’s child to put their hands on them,” Robinson warned. “You ain’t got no reason to be teaching these children those kinds of concepts unless you got—like the old folks used to say—some ideas about putting your hands on them.”

Comparing LGBTQ people to pedophiles? So much for truth, Part 1 

Your gift will enable FRC to rapidly respond when the religious freedom and constitutional rights of Americans like Lieutenant Governor Robinson are under attack by far Left activists. An elected public official, Mark Robinson has spoken boldly against the promotion of LGBT ideology in schools that is evident in books such as Gender Queer, a graphic novel about sexual fantasies. 

Robinson actually said Christians (who believe has he does, of course) should take over public schools because he felt that learning about LGBTQ people and such is child abuse:

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson says Christians must take control of public schools because children are being abused by being taught "filth": "There's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth." pic.twitter.com/aXjCPFKTs0

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) October 6, 2021

And (surprise! surprise!) The book Gender Queer is not about sexual fantasies. So much for truth, Part 2.

Attempting to intimidate him, Right Wing Watch stirred up the media by releasing a recording of Robinson speaking at a local church -- expressing these same truths.

Right Wing Watch released a few recordings of Robinson speaking. One was in August at the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, NC. During that speech, he called trans rights "demonic" and "full of anti-Christ spirit." FRC omitted that item in its fundraising letter. The organization also omitted the fact that the Upper Room Church of Christ is run by Patrick Wooden,  "a vehemently anti-gay right-wing pastor who once claimed that gay men have to wear diapers because they routinely insert cellphones, baseball bats, and animals into their anuses." 

Someone should ask FRC and Tony Perkins which of these comments do they consider as truths.

America needs more bold leaders like Robinson and parents who know their God-given, constitutional rights -- and the harms presented by the radical ideologies infiltrating our schools.

Really? Here is an example of Robinson's 'boldness' signified by a few more comments from him.

October 29 -  North Carolina’s Christian nationalist Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who recently announced that he’s “about 95 percent sure” that he will be running for governor in 2024, spoke at a Stand Up For America rally in Raleigh Friday morning, where he thundered that “the Christian patriots of this nation will own this nation and rule this nation.”

 . . . “Tell our enemies on the other side of the aisle that will drag this nation down into a socialist hellhole that you will only do it as you run past me laying on the ground, choking on my own blood because I will not give up this nation to you!” Robinson bellowed. “It is not yours. You did not build it, you did not defend it, and you will not own it. We will. The Christian patriots of this nation will own this nation and rule this nation and help freedom survive for future generations.”

Oct 7 -“To every animal, God has given the ability to defend yourself,” Robinson said. “God didn’t even leave the garden slug out. Garden slugs have little enzymes in it that make it unappealing for folks to eat. Certainly we wouldn’t want to eat them. But even some animals look at garden slugs and find them unappealing because there’s an enzyme in them that gives off something that drives creatures away. And there’s even an inside enzyme in some of them that if creatures eat them, they automatically spit them out.” 

 “God gave the garden slug a way to defend itself,” he continued. “Now, if God gave the garden slug a way to defend themselves, what makes you think he didn’t give man, who he created in his own image, a way to defend himself? Those AR-15s and Glock 9mms and .45 calibers; where do you think they came from? Who do you think inspired them? God knew the world he was putting us into, so he formed in our mind the ability for us to be able to defend ourselves from anybody who may threaten us.” 

Mark Robinson is an egotistical self-righteous loon who loves the sound of his own voice. And apparently FRC and Perkins feels that his story is good for fundraising, with a few alterations added and many more details deleted. Give Robinson time and he will either say something extra offensive or people will get tired of his nonsense. The real story here is the Family Research Council and Perkins. It shouldn't be ignored or understated that yet again, they are exploiting Christianity as a transient commodity of fear and ego instead of the deeply held personal faith they are always claiming that it is.

Happy Thanksgiving from Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Barring anything interesting happening, this will be my last post before the Thanksgiving holidays. I will begin posting again either Sunday or Monday. Enjoy this holiday with family - all of your family whether related or not. Love each other and yourselves this holiday. Because you are worthy of love. 

'North Kansas City school district returning LGBTQ books to shelves after pushback' & other Tue midday news briefs

North Kansas City School District returning LGBTQ books to shelves after pushback - Nothing like a good old fashioned threat of a lawsuit to get folks to act right. 

Texas parents step in after threats of violence get children’s story time event cancelled - It's nice to see this type of story of parents stepping in against bigotry for a change. 

Iowa Law Denying Medicaid Funding Of Gender Affirming Surgery Is Unlawful: Judge - Wonderful! 

LGBTQ youth at higher risk of facing homelessness or 'couch hopping' - And it's sadly easy to guess why.

Conservative complains about a gay Santa, gets reminded on Twitter that it's not all about her

No doubt if I called Ellen Troxclair a wannabe in the spirit of Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene, she would take it as a compliment. 

It's not. 

Troxclair is merely the latest person whose lack of intellect and general kindness are equally matched by their ignorance and mania. And like the two aforementioned, she is seeking high office. More specifically she is running for state office in Texas for "freedom," "the Constitution" and against "socialism."

That should give you a good indication as to what direction she is coming from. But just in case you need further information, check out this tweet she sent out this weekend:

You can no longer walk though the Christmas children’s section of a bookstore with your kids without being bombarded with inappropriate content -featured by staff who want to “make people” read it. Why does there have to be a leftist agenda to EVERYTHING everywhere all the time? pic.twitter.com/zUjwUy1ZOI

— Ellen Troxclair 🇺🇸 (@EllenTroxclair) November 21, 2021

So what do you think she feels is more inappropriate? A gay Santa Claus? Or the fact that he has a black boyfriend? In the end, it doesn't matter cause girlfriend got ratioed hard. A lot of folks tweeted her back to laugh at her, while others objected to her idea that a gay couple is an inappropriate thing for kids to see. 

And yes, even I participated.

'Right-wing pastor claims that gay men and Big Bird are coming for your children' & other Mon midday news briefs

Mario Murillo

Right-wing pastor claims gay men and Big Bird are coming for your children - How come he got a memo and I didn't? 

The right begins to turn on Glenn Youngkin after discovering he has an out staffer​ - I still don't like him.

Trans Activist Tells the LGBQ Community: 'Show Up for Us' - Amen. As much as I can. 

Formula One racing star wears LGBTQ Pride helmet at Qatar Grand Prix - Positive visibility never hurts.

Trans Awareness Week: How Tennessee law makes LGBTQ citizens' journey hard - This is a serious problem.

NC's homophobic Lt Gov Mark Robinson compares being gay to flies, maggots, and cow manure

 

Mark Robinson

It would appear that North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson is trying to get to the governor's mansion on the backs of LGBTQ people. He has been basking in the backlash of homophobic comments he made about us in the past such as when he claimed that we want to 'recruit' children by supposedly forcing pornographic material on them in school libraries or also calling us called us filth and demonic.

And of course like so many other folks spewing that mess, he claims that his religious beliefs are leading him to say these things. He claims that he is saying these things with love in his heart for LGBTQ people  The thing is when one keeps spouting hatred like Robinson does, the religious beliefs excuse runs a bit thin. Still, he will probably to continue to hide behind his religious beliefs for these new comments:

Robinson, a Republican who is expected to run for governor in 2024, questioned the “purpose” of being gay; said heterosexual couples are “superior” to gay couples; and that he didn’t want to explain to his grandchildren why two men are kissing if they see that on television. 

Robinson made the remarks Sunday, Nov. 14, at Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. They’re the latest statements he has made against gay, lesbian and transgender people, leading some state Democrats to call for his resignation. The White House previously called his remarks “repugnant” and said they spread hate. 

In Winston-Salem, Robinson compared being gay to “what the cows leave behind” as well as maggots and flies, who he said all serve a purpose in God’s creation. “If homosexuality is of God, what purpose does it serve? What does it make? What does it create? It creates nothing,” Robinson said. 

Robinson is simply repulsive here. LGBTQ people shouldn't have to justify ourselves or our lives because some dreary, inadequate loudmouth hypocrite is under the false impression that his religious beliefs allows him to spout off indiscriminately and then pretend to be the victim when criticized for it.

But it does prove a point. Robinson is the actual face of the anti-LGBTQ right - the face that they fear that America will eventually see. Behind all of the nonsense about 'religious freedom,' concern about children, morality and values are the contorted mind of sick individuals which are distorted by either hate or the sad inability to be real with themselves. 

I'm no psychiatrist so I generally don't give a damn about the mental inner workings of bigots. However, in Robinson's case, I will make a small exception when it comes to giving a 'diagnosis' of what he truly is.

Psychologically, Robinson is a pig. He is a greedy gluttonous fool gorging himself on notoriety which comes from exploiting his office to defame a group of people who he knows doesn't have as much power to fight him back.  What's worse is how he wallows in the harmful aftermath of his words with as much eagerness as an actual pig rolls around in slop. The difference is that the pig knows it's covered in slop.  Robinson has fooled himself into thinking that he's covering himself with something a bit more fragrant. He is a bloated mess oozing the nauseating stench of bullying and plain meanness.

I am more concerned about the damage his words do those who aren't as strong to ignore them.  Our LGBTQ kids have enough to handle while dealing with the homophobia of some of their peers. The words of a self-inflated selfish jackass who is unfortunately in a prominent position (Robinson) could do as much damage to them as the slings and arrows of the bigots they are forced to see on a daily basis. If Robinson had a shred of maturity, he would know this.  Or maybe he's too busy trying not to make oinking noises between each utterance of homophobic insults.

'LGBTQ elder care facilities open nationwide, but discrimination persists' & other Fri midday news briefs

LGBTQ elder care facilities open nationwide, but discrimination persists - We should be on the ball when it comes to protecting ALL of our people. 

These 8 U.S. cities failed an LGBTQ equality evaluation​ - And I am personally disappointed with Clemson, SC. 

Florist agrees to pay settlement to gay couple (after almost a decade of playing the victim) - Reposting my blog post from Thursday night because we need to trumpet our wins loudly and often.

Zane Trace school board allows LGBTQ club to hold Pride Week after social media-driven controversy - A victory for our kids in Ohio.

Florist agrees to pay settlement to gay couple (after almost a decade of playing the victim)

Hopefully Barronelle Stutzman has used up her 15 minutes of fame as a 'Christian victim.'

On Thursday, the LGBTQ community received a good bit of news that a religious right tactic intended to enshrine homophobic discrimination as law suffered another setback.

From NBC News:

A settlement was reached Thursday in the nearly decade-old case of a Christian flower shop owner in Washington state who refused to provide a same-sex couple flowers for their wedding despite the state's anti-discrimination laws. The U.S. Supreme Court left intact the state court rulings against Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, in July. Shortly afterward, Stutzman petitioned for a rehearing. Stutzman withdrew her petition Thursday and agreed to pay a settlement of $5,000 to the couple, Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed. 

 . . . The case dates to 2013, when Stutzman refused to provide flowers for the couple's wedding. She said it would violate her Southern Baptist beliefs and her “relationship with Jesus Christ.” Using an argument similar to that of Colorado baker Jack Phillips in the hot-button 2018 Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Stutzman argued that her floral arrangements are works of art and that having to create them for same-sex weddings would trample on her freedom of expression. 

A lower court ruled in 2015 that Stutzman broke a Washington law that bars businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the couple in 2017 and then again in 2019, finding that selling flowers for a wedding “does not inherently express a message about that wedding.”

Stutzman's case, as well as that of Jack Phillips and several others, were played up in the media by conservative and religious right groups in claiming that laws protecting LGBTQ Americans would automatically lead to anti-religious discrimination. And while these groups sounded the alarm for small business owners such as Stutzman and Phillips, there was a belief that their goal was to generate a precedent in which personal religious beliefs could be seen as a viable excuse for anti-LGBTQ discrimination even in secular enterprises. And also that non-discrimination laws created to protect LGBTQ Americans would be automatically seen by their nature as discriminatory against religion.

In Stutzman's case, religious right and conservative groups were falsely claiming that she stood to lose her business, her livelihood, and her savings because of the case. Stutzman herself fully participated in spreading this lie. But in 2019, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said that she would have been given a $1,000 court ordered penalty and also fined $1 in attorney fees. 

The courts, including SCOTUS, short circuited any belief that religious beliefs are a justification for anti-LGBTQ discrimination. When they would rule for the business owner in these cases, the decision would be incredibly narrow and actually underscored the fact that LGBTQ Americans deserved protection from discrimination.  This also took place in other cases such as the Fulton case earlier this year in which religious right groups argued that Christian adoption and foster care agencies have a right to LGBTQ tax dollars even if they practice anti-LGBTQ discrimination. While though ruling for the Christian adoption agency against the city of Philadelphia, the court struck that notion down.

Related post - Washington florist Barronelle Stutzman and her lawyers aren't being truthful about her case

'D.C. Corrections officer sues department over anti-gay harassment' & other Thur midday news briefs

D.C. Corrections Officer Sues Department Over Antigay Harassment - And I hope he wins. 

Trucks are driving around in Texas with huge signs that declare “Trans lives are precious” - Yes they are.

Gov. Hochul signs LGBTQ bill protecting gender pronouns in New York - Good for New York! 

IL schools produce 'unprecedented' number of reports of harassment of LGBTQ students: advocates - THIS is a problem. 

These new, LGBTQ+ holiday films and series are going to make the yuletide hella gay this holiday season! - Thank you for making the 'yuletide gay' comment, which no doubt others have been repeating this entire holiday season.

Chicago students defend LGBTQ -themed book from obscenity claims and banning

For the second day, there are reports of a backlash to this nonsense about banning books in school libraries. And today's report is better than yesterday's.

According to The Daily Beast:

Students are clapping back after a book about sexual orientation and gender identity sparked a protest at a Chicago-area high school board meeting Monday night. Conservatives lined up to demand that Gender Queer—a coming-of-age book about gender identity—be pulled from the library at Downers Grove District 99 High School, where only two copies are reportedly accessible for a student population of nearly 5,000. 

 However, students called BS on complaints that the book peddles pornography and sexually explicit content. Instead, they turned the tables on what they said were attacks on homosexuality and free speech. Nearly 200 people attended the school board meeting in Downers Grove that quickly erupted into a book boycott fight, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Those opposed to the book held signs and banners expressing their disgust, claiming that the book exposed children to homoeroticism and pornography. 

The Chicago Sun-Times pointed out how students took a lead role in decrying the attacks on Gender Queer: 

 Lauren Pierret, a 17-year-old senior at Downers Grove North, said she didn’t know “Gender Queer” existed until last week. “This isn’t being forced upon your kids, but it gives kids who would be interested in this story a choice to read it,” she said. 

 Pierret also questioned why other books that feature sex scenes such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Angela’s Ashes” were available in the library but not facing the same criticism. “Let’s not present getting rid of ‘Gender Queer’ as censoring our children from sex,” she told the school board. “It’s homophobia.”

 Josiah Poynter, an 18-year-old senior at Downers North, said he understands “this novel has scenes in it that are mature and sexual to say the least, [but] it’s not like we haven’t been given books with sex in them before. “Inclusion matters to young people,” he told the school board. “This is why we must have this book in our school’s library. Inclusion brings an opportunity to grow in a safe environment. It brings comfort to people who feel unsolved and cast out.”

 

And those were only a few of the students who made wonderful points about censorship, free speech, and the need for inclusion. 

I figure that it will take a couple of more pushbacks before the mainstream media actually gives damn.

'Five ways you can show up for trans people this Trans Awareness Week - and beyond' & other Wed midday news briefs

5 meaningful ways you can show up for trans people this Trans Awareness Week – and beyond - Take notes.

Olympics changing trans-athlete policy, will leave inclusion up to individual sports - We will see how this turns out.

9 quotes from LGBTQ celebrities that will comfort you as you’re coming out - And I live for this. When I was a child, LGBTQ celebrities wouldn't come out of the closet, to say nothing about giving words of comfort. Progress is wonderful. 

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Conservative Supreme Court - We hear a lot of fear mongering about what this court may do to our equality. While that jury is out, so the speak, this article provides a bit of needed levity. 

Drag queens are being swatted while streaming on Twitch. They want it to stop. - This needs to stop.

Virginia school board decides against removing books after controversial 'book burning' statements

All of this nonsense about banning supposedly sexually explicit books from school libraries was bound to create a backlash sooner or later. And when it happened, it was delicious.

According to the Associated Press:

A Virginia school board rescinded a directive for staff to pull books with “sexually explicit” books from libraries early Tuesday after hours of passionate public comment. The Spotsylvania County school board voted 5-2 to reverse the order amid public backlash, but some board members said they’ll continue to take a stance against the inclusion of what they view as offensive material in school library books, The Free Lance-Star reported. Board members Rabih Abuismail and Kirk Twigg, who spoke of burning books at last week's meeting, did not support the reversal.

The comments made by Abuismail and Twigg favoring burning books could be speculated as a reason why the directive was rescinded. The comments went viral across the nation and underscored to many the dangers of this latest hysteria. Images of various book burnings throughout history, including those in Nazi Germany before World War 2, were invoked.

According to LGBTQNation, at the meeting before the vote, various parents, students, librarians, and teachers addressed the school board, voicing their anger directly to them:

“[Your behavior] is the most egregious example of unprofessionalism I have ever witnessed,” one parent said, according to Adele Uphaus-Conner, a reporter for the Free Lance-Star. “The only course of action I see fit for you is a formal public apology to all the librarians in this county & for you to submit your resignation from the school board.” 

 “You have labeled books you have no knowledge of and placed shame upon them,” said a district librarian. “You have no right to judge anyone or what they read.” 

 . . . “If you are scared of a community you are supposed to represent, this is not the job for you,” said another student. 

'Target's Pride nutcracker will probably be the talk of the holiday season' & other Tue midday news brief

Target's Pride Nutcracker Is Making the Yuletide Gayer - This ought to be a hit. People love stuff like this. I can just imagine the religious right.

Beto O’Rourke will run against anti-LGBTQ extremist to be governor of Texas​ - We'll see what happens. 

  

Student accuses campus fraternity of homophobia and hazing, says he’s no longer safe at school - Awful story. 

Ohio's first LGBTQ+-inclusive senior housing easing fear of going 'back into the closet' - Places like this are needed nationwide.

'Moms for Liberty' group reminds LGBTQ and black communities that they have common enemies

 Moms for Liberty caused controversy in Tenn earlier this year by lying about a same-sex kiss on a float. 

Whenever I hear anyone play the black community vs. LGBTQ community angle, I get depressed on so many levels. As a gay black man, I feel like I'm being pulled and dissected. I feel as if no one cares about me as a person because they see me as a commodity to their struggle.

And then there is the fact that often times, both communities have the same enemies. Take the group Moms for Liberty, for example. That's a group which earlier this year caused a ruckus in Tennessee by  falsely portraying an innocent kiss between a same-sex students into  a lurid grope.

 The kiss was a "blink and you'll miss it" peck, but thanks to the lies put out by Moms for Liberty,  the incident was blown up into a huge, unnecessary controversy punctuated by a bunch of ignorant folks corralling a school board meeting with nonsense about kids "French kissing" and "groping" each other.

And surprise, surprise, Moms for Liberty - which is actually not a group of concerned parents, but astroturfed GOP operatives who, according to Media Matters:

. . . strategically harassing school board members, teachers, and administrators across the country, is deeply tied to anti-civil rights advocacy. Beyond opposing education about the history of racism in America, the organization also recommends reading an American history book by a far-right conspiracy theorist that is sympathetic to slave owners, and the co-founder of the organization actively opposed desegregation efforts while formerly serving on her school board. The organization’s staunch opposition to teaching “critical race theory” (CRT) perfectly fits in with its connection to anti-civil rights advocacy. CRT is actually a body of specific academic and legal scholarship, but this group and others have self-servingly (and incorrectly) rewritten the definition to essentially encompass any discussion of race or oppression.

Media Matters also provides clues as to what the group may want to be taught when it comes to America's racial history:

Moms for Liberty recommends The Making of America by W. Cleon Skousen as a “helpful” text “when discussing the founding documents” of the United States . . . Skousen's book is also sympathetic to slave owners, calling them “the worst victims” and writing that “in some ways, the economic system of slavery chained the slave owners almost as much as the slaves.” Skousen himself was a supporter of the John Birch Society, an anti-civil rights organization that claimed the “African-American freedom movement was being manipulated from Moscow with the goal of creating a ‘Soviet Negro Republic’ in the Southern United States.”

Slave owners as victims of slavery?  That's actually a not a new idea to me. It reminds me of the following segment of an episode of 'The Boondocks,' 

 

 The video is not graphic due to violence. It's not violent at all but it's satire and language is very controversial. On can call it an exaggeration, but it does underscore the point I am trying to make.

The black and LGBTQ communities would be better served in not arguing who gets hit with the most rocks. Maybe they should unite against the rock throwers.

'Groups object to SC Gov's attempt to ban LGBTQ books from school libraries' & other Mon midday news briefs

SC Gov Henry McMaster

Group says governor’s call to investigate book ‘political attack on LGBTQ youth’- It is an attack on LGBTQ people in general.

South Carolina governor calls for LGBTQ book to be banned in schools - Speaking of which.

Virginia’s governor-elect appoints several anti-LGBTQ leaders to transition team - Things are about to get interesting. And not in a good way. 

Only 6% of LGBTQ+ People Say They Aren't Getting a COVID Vaccine - Still too many. 

Leaked Recording Shows LGBTQ+ BBC Employee Frustration - The BBC deserves all of the trouble it is getting into.

Coming out stories with 'The Golden Girls'

I have a feeling that this is going to be a very interesting week, therefore let's ease into it with a positive spirit and a degree of uplifting, featuring The Golden Girls. Or more specifically, the best parts of memorable episodes involving the LGBTQ community. One is when Dorothy's friend Jean (Lois Nettleton) develops feelings for Rose. And the other, probably the best known, is when Blanche's brother (Monte Markham) comes out and then gets engaged. Laugh now and gird your loins to raise hell later if needed.

News brief special: Hysteria over Critical Race Theory has pivoted to LGBTQ-themed books

Apparently the GOP has found a new target to create hysteria amongst its base. 

There seems to be a bullseye painted on the book Gender Queer: A Memoir, with legislators and other elected officials as well as the astroturfed parental concern groups and spokespeople pointing to images in the book they claim are pornographic. 

In other words, they have all conveniently found a focal point and will attempt to exploit it to the fullest extent to radicalize their supporters and demonize efforts to educate people on the lives and plight of LGBTQ people and specifically our LGBTQ  kids.

It demonstrates two things  - 1. That the nonsense over Critical Race Theory is apparently dying out. 2. How easy it is for them to pivot to targeting LGBTQ Americans. 

Here are just a few of the instances in which it is happening:

Debate over explicit memoir becomes a focus of GOP gov races - GOP gov candidates are clearly mimicking a successful strategy ov VA Gov-elect Glenn Youngkin by targeting books as 'the enemy' of parents. 

GOP governor bans LGBTQ book in school library as ‘obscene’ - In my state of South Carolina.

Texas Gov Launches Criminal Investigation Over 'Pornographic' Books in Schools - In Texas.

Central Kitsap School Board considers policy review after graphic novel removal 

What books are being targeted at school libraries? 

School board book bans on LGBTQ issues and race are hurting, not helping, students.

'

Needs to be investigated as a crime': Florida school board member files criminal complaint over teen LGBTQ book - This just in. Florida. But a different books.

Evangelical group claims that 'the Left' is putting drag queens in children's shows to introduce them to gay sex . . . or something like that

According to the Family Research Council, Billy Porter as the fairy godmother in 'Cinderella' is part of a 'leftist plot' to get children interested in gay sex.

Conservative evangelical organization the Family Research Council has never abandoned the false claim that LGBTQ people are trying to 'recruit' children for sex. The group simply engages in creative ways to state it. Such as the following email:

. . . The far Left has been trying to normalize abnormal sexual behavior through the media for years. 

 From Amazon's musical "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," about a 16-year-old becoming a drag queen to "Cinderella," featuring Billy Porter as a cross-dressing fairy godmother -- there is now a constant stream of agenda-driven content being created for and directly targeted at our children. 

 And that's not all: PBS in New York City faced significant backlash for a broadcast of its "Let's Learn" series. The target audience (children three to eight years old) learned something alright -- from drag queen host "Lil Miss Hot Mess." In addition to singing from his book "The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish" to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round," Lil Miss explains to children what a drag queen is: "[We are] everyday people who like to play pretend and dress up as often as we can," he said, adding, "I think we make pretty good role models." 

 PBS, which rakes in a significant amount of taxpayer dollars, has been overwhelmed by complaints from angry parents. And no wonder, considering the man hosting the show happily commented, "I think we might have some drag queens-in-training on our hands."

Oh the horrors! 

For those who aren't keeping score, the email is a sequel to FRC's last hysterical money ask when it claimed that Disney, LEGOs, Skittles, and Kellogg's were plotting to 'indoctrinate' children into homosexuality.

Like the last email, FRC is merely trying to scare people.  In fact when one eliminates the fear which FRC (and other right-wing sources such as the Daily Caller which was responsible for the non-controversy involving "Lil Miss Hot Mess) infuses into the situation, it's easy to recognize what's going here. Just a bunch of tired hypocrites fueling parental fears to the point of hysterics in order to fundraise. To them, everything showing how LGBTQ people contribute to the diversity of our country (and especially our families) is a plot. Just like to them, any thoughts or mentions of LGBTQ people must be semantically branded with ideas of sexual intercourse. The more vulgar and depraved, the better.

And they especially brand drag queens as if they were cautionary creatures parents used to frighten their children with if they stepped out of line. Forget the monsters like Peg Powler,  Nelly Longarms or Jenny Greenteeth which parents evoked to scare their kids from straying too far from home. To FRC, drag queens are monsters to spook strictly the parents. Don't let your children even get close to them. And be careful of any program using them because they are trying to change your children. If you don't,  your child may wake you up in the morning to tell you that he or she is gay. Or bisexual. Or  transgender. Even worse, you may catch them wearing make-up and doing odd things with those Barbie dolls and He-Man action figures you bought them for Christmas.

While that is a bit over the top, it's akin to the connotative effect the Family Research Council hopes to have on its supporters when it comes to LGBTQ people. That's the irony of groups like the Family Research Council. They claim to be fighting depravity, but the depravity they rail against is usually what they have put into other people's minds.

'Right-leaning Facebook pages earning lots of interaction on posts about trans issues' & other Wed midday news briefs

Right-leaning Facebook pages earned nearly two-thirds of interactions on posts about trans issues - This is a serious lack of balance. Those spewing fear and ignorance are far outdistancing education and accuracy. 

Sean Meloy, politics guru for LGBTQ Victory Fund, declares run for Congress - Keep your fingers cross. This promises to be good. 

Russia deems queer activists “foreign agents” as China shuts down LGBTQ advocacy group​ - Well THIS is awful 

The All-Queer Justice League Is Back to Make the Yuletide Gay - And time to cue the 'woke whiners.'

Dennis Prager should never forget 'When AIDS Was Funny' and neither should the rest of us

 

I apologize to those who may get bad flashbacks from the above. I wouldn't have posed it if it weren't necessary.  On Monday night, conservative personality Dennis Prager said an absolutely idiotic thing in defense of anti-vaccine activists:

“During the AIDS crisis, can you imagine if gay men and intravenous drug users, or the vast majority of people with AIDS, had they been pariahs the way the non-vaccinated are? But it would’ve been inconceivable.”

Prager is being inane on so many levels. For the purpose of this blog, his inanity involves a deliberate rewrite of history. The truth was that the people Prager listed were seen as pariahs during the AIDS crisis,  most specifically gay men. The above video underscores that fact: It was created by director Scott Calonico and premiered during World AIDS day in 2015:

The nearly 8-minute film features previously unreleased audio of former Reagan press secretary Larry Speakes scoffing at, and making light of, persistent questions in a span of three years (1982-1984) on the disease's outbreak from reporter Lester Kinsolving. The audiotape, which includes reporters openly laughing at the notion of a "gay plague," puts the administration's lack of response in perspective. 

 "As you can hear in the tape, the whole AIDS issue was treated by Speakes and the press pool, for that matter, as a joke. I'd like to think that the Reagan administration didn't realize what they were grappling with at first," Calonico told MSNBC. 

 Reagan did not utter the word AIDS until 1985, following the death of his friend, Hollywood actor Rock Hudson, from the disease. He did not speak about the disease at length until near the end of his second term in 1987 during an AIDS conference in Washington, D.C. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "36,058 Americans had been diagnosed with AIDS and 20,849 had died," by the time Reagan made that speech. Reagan also reportedly prevented his surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, from being more aggressive about raising public consciousness of the disease.

One reason why Koop may have been unsuccessful could have had to do with a White House aide by the name of Gary Bauer. Bauer reportedly undermined Koop's efforts because he felt that AIDS was "God's punishment." Since that time, Bauer has traveled in and out of several "traditional values" groups, including  Focus on the Family and serving for a time as president of hate group the Family Research Council. His last bit of exposure was being one of the conservative evangelicals supporting and making excuses for former president Donald Trump when he was in office. As far as I know, Bauer has never been questioned or confronted about his activities regarding the AIDS crisis while he was in the Reagan Administration.

'Transphobic tweet final straw for soap opera: 'General Hospital' releases troublesome cast member' & other Tue midday news briefs

“General Hospital” Actor of 26 Years “No Longer Part of Cast” After Calling Four Star Transgender Admiral a “Dude” on Social Media - And Fox News, etc will anoint him the new "victim of cancel culture" even though based upon the article, he has been acting rather stank on a number of issues for a while.

U.S. proposes rescinding Trump-era expansion of religious exemptions - That's right. Drop those exemptions. 

Gay Republican group declares “struggle for gay rights” is over & announces new focus on Middle East - These are some straight up dumbasses. Who are they to declare that for the rest of us? 

‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ LGBTQ discharged vets urged to seek benefits - Because they deserve them.

Fox News aired 88 segments about a sexual assault in VA to lie on trans kids, pro-trans policies in schools

Years ago when Fox News was gaining power, some of us predicted what would happen should that propaganda crap shack folks call a network turned its full force against the LGBTQ community. The election last Tuesday in Virginia demonstrated what we were afraid of. And Media Matters has the details:

Right-wing media weaponized a sexual assault at a Loudon County, Virginia, high school in order to spread anti-trans disinformation and make trans rights into a wedge issue in Virginia’s gubernatorial election -- despite trans-inclusion having nothing to do with the assault. In particular, Fox News aired 88 segments in just over a three-week period about a student sexually assaulting a classmate in a girls bathroom. 

After right-wing outlet The Daily Wire published a story about the assault, which included an interview with the survivor’s father, right-wing media twisted the story into an opportunity to perpetuate the myth that trans-inclusive bathrooms allow predators to attack women. In the October 11 story, the assault survivor’s father asserted that the attacker “is apparently bisexual and occasionally wears dresses.” In addition, he falsely claimed that kids are using the trans-inclusive bathroom policies “as an advantage to get into the bathrooms.” However, as Media Matters previously reported, the policy was passed by the school board on August 11 -- months after May 28, when the assault was reported to have taken place.

 . . .From October 11, the day of the Daily Wire’s published interview with the survivor’s father, through November 4, Fox News aired 88 segments that discussed the assault.

 Key findings include: 

 Fox’s so-called “straight news” programs aired 33 segments about the assault, accounting for over one-third of the total segments. The remaining 55 segments were from its opinion programs. 

 Fox & Friends and its weekend counterparts as well as Fox & Friends First, the network’s weekday early morning show, together aired the most segments (26) about the assault. The Ingraham Angle and Fox News Live aired the second-most segments (7 each), followed by America Reports With John Roberts & Sandra Smith (6 segments). Tucker Carlson Tonight aired 4 segments on the topic. 

 On October 26, one day after a Loudoun County juvenile court judge “found sufficient evidence” that the “teen sexually assaulted a classmate in the girls’ bathroom,” coverage of the story peaked, with Fox airing 10 segments on the subject. The second-most segments per day occurred on October 13, two days after the Daily Wire report was published, and October 27, two days after the judge’s verdict. Fox aired nine segments on the topic each day. 

Fox hosts and guests repeatedly tried to use the story to bolster the debunked bathroom predator myth. In one segment, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) claimed, “Maybe [Attorney General] Merrick Garland's Department of Justice should be looking into Loudoun County School Board superintendent who can't protect young girls from being raped by boys pretending to be girls." In another, Fox News host Jesse Waters called the incident a “transgender bathroom rape cover-up.” 

 Fox hosts also incorrectly claimed that the district’s trans-inclusive bathroom policy allowed the teen to sexually assault another student. On October 21, Fox host Will Cain asserted that the father of the survivor “wanted accountability from the school board after their transgender policies led to his teenage daughter being allegedly raped in the school bathroom by a man in a skirt.”  

The entire article deserves a read and a huge re-sharing. Fox News ran the same alarming story repeatedly without any courtesy of correction or any interviews from the trans community - i.e the community being targeted. I cringe to think how Fox News would have justified the lynching of black men for false accusations of raping white women had it been in existence during that time in American history.

Don't get angry or alarmed because I said that, readers. You know it's true.

'Marvel's 'The Eternals' has very strong box office opening' & other Mon midday news briefs

'The Eternals' are a hit.

Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ opens strong at box office despite mixed reviews - And worldwide, it is even a larger success. Thank goodness. Now I hope I don't have to hear any 'backlash against wokeness' garbage.

Eternals reignites the debate over LGBTQ superhero representation - But discussions like this are always good. 

There are only 5 Black trans elected officials across the entire United States​ - Can you say underrepresentation, boys and girls? 

U.S. Navy Launches Ship Honoring Harvey Milk - It becomes official. 

A story of a gay miner leads to one of the biggest scandals in American history - Lawd!

Melania Trump just received an award from Republican gay group. Why? I don't know.

Not a long post and certainly not one meant to be ugly. And I certainly hope that no one responding will be rude. Let's not go in for personal insults.

At its recent gala, the Log Cabin Republicans awarded former First Lady Melania Trump "with the Spirit of Lincoln Award for her commitment to enhancing personal freedom, encouraging individual responsibility, and ensuring equality under the law for all Americans."

I have a simple question. What the heck did she ever do for the LGBTQ community?  Name me one thing. Just one.

Religious right bragging how their transphobia helped GOP win VA governor's race' & other Fri midday news briefs

The religious right is crowing they won the Virginia governor’s race by sowing fear of trans people​ - I feel like the nun in that episode of 'Family Guy.; - "Hey! I didn't start this war, but it's on!!" 

Trans Boy Sues Tennessee Over Exclusionary Sports Law - Good for him! I hope he wins. 

 'Critical Race Theory' opponent expresses desire to censor part of Civil Rights Movement because it would put police in bad light - This is an LGBTQ issue per se cause you just KNOW how she feels about Stonewall. 

Texas governor calls books 'pornography' in latest effort to remove LGBTQ titles from school libraries - And the point of the above article is made when it comes to erasure. 

Gay-hating GOP politician with a second secret family wins election in New York - Well ain't that a blip.

'Critical Race Theory' opponent expresses desire to censor part of Civil Rights Movement because it would put police in bad light

Robin Steenman of Moms for Liberty thinks children of a certain age should be shielded from learning about bad police behavior during the Civil Rights Movement.

Editor's note - this may not be an LGBTQ-themed article per se. But then again maybe it is. The activist in this piece expressed a desire to censor part of the Civil Rights Movement in which police and firemen used fire hoses on children during the 1963 Birmingham protest. She implied that it would put policemen in a bad light to other children.  You just know how she would feel about Stonewall. 

We know that Critical Race Theory is not an actual thing being taught to children in K-12 schools. We know that the GOP exploited fears about it to scare white suburban voters. We also know that it has generated considerable success for them, particularly in the recent Virginia governor race. And lastly, we all know that Republicans will be using this culture war dog whistle in an attempt to take back Congress next year.

But none of this seems to be registering to folks like it should. I personally think that it's due to an inability to conceive what's going on here and what it could lead to. Those of us concerned with the erasing of history (for whatever reason, both actual and imagined) can't seem to get our message across. 

So why don't we turn to those groups and so-called concerned parents leading this 'fight' against Critical Race Theory and listen to what they have to say.

 A recent CBS article vocalizes what I'm talking about:

In Tennessee, (Robin) Steenman and other members of Moms for Liberty have pushed to eliminate portions of a widely-used language arts curriculum called Wit & Wisdom from area schools. They take issue with some of the reading materials about the civil rights movement geared for grade-school students.

"Grade two, module three, has five or six books. One of them is Martin Luther King and the March on Washington, which of course that should be taught. But how should it be taught? What should we focus on when we teach it?" Steenman asked. 

"There's one specific example in this book ... there's a very famous photograph of firemen spraying children that were engaged in protest in I believe it was Birmingham. It's a terrible photo, they're doing harm to children, Black children, they're blasted by fire hoses. And it shows that to these second grade children. Most kids up to that point have idolized the policemen, the firemen." "I don't want them to see racism yet — to engage, to learn racism. They can teach history but let's not teach racism," Steenman said.

To be honest, we don't know the particulars of the lesson plan Steenman is speaking of. There has been a tendency from people on her side of the argument to take things out of context. Still it should bother people that Steenman's objection stems from her personal opinions. It's not about learning history or protecting children. It's more about protecting her ideas.

'Right-wing media misinformation helped GOP win in VA Gov's race' & other Thur midday news briefs

Right-wing media promoted misinformation that helped GOP win in Virginia - Since LGBTQ and black people were exploited by this race, I will be watching Youngkin with much interest. 

Election Day Produces LGBTQ+ Firsts Around the Nation - Tuesday night was not as bad for the LGBTQ community as some would think.

LGBTQ candidates won big in last night’s off-year elections - More details about Tuesday night. 

The most entertaining and binge-worthy queer content arriving in November - A nice rest from all of the madness is a good movie. 

Small-town Pride celebrations emerge – and show that LGBTQ life in America is flourishing outside of cities - I love this article.

VA governor race was the warning to black and LGBTQ communities. You will be targeted as 'the enemy' during the midterms.

On Tuesday night, GOP candidate for Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin won his race in part by scaring white suburban voters. He implied to them that their precious boys and girls are in danger in the state's schools because classrooms are teaching them to be ashamed of being white, transgender girls are lurk in the dark corners of school bathrooms seeking to rape them, and that librarians are attempting to indoctrinate them with obscene books featuring homosexuals.

Scaring white suburban voters that their children are being targeted was a winning formula. That's what happened and that's what our mainstream media  should be saying. But they won't. Instead they give us the same tired narrative of what the Virginia election may mean on the national front and how it will doom President Biden, which is symbolic of how overpaid, lazy and completely lacking of diversity they are.

We shouldn't be astounded too much about what Youngkin achieved. Scaring white suburban voters is a hallmark of winning campaigns and he's not the first candidate to benefit from it. George Bush won the presidency in 1989 in part by conjuring up images of scary black convicts committing assaults and rapes with his Willie Horton ad. The National Organization for Marriage won more than few referendums against gay marriage by claiming that it would corrupt children.

With his dog whistles against Critical Race Theory (even though it's not being taught in K-12 classrooms in Virginia), exploiting a terrible event in which a young girl was sexually assaulted in a high school bathroom (which had nothing to do with trans kids or laws and ordinances protecting them in schools), and issues about gay-themed books (which weren't even available in elementary schools), Youngkin combined racist, homophobic, and transphobic tropes to make a powerful weapon. 

'Bisexual Superman and gay Eternals are giving the homophobes all sorts of fits' & other Wed midday news briefs

LAPD forced to protect comic book artists after anti-LGBTQ fans freak over bisexual Superman: report​ - Lighten up, folks. So the new Superman is bisexual. Is that so bad? 

“Eternals” inundated with hateful fake reviews because the movie has a gay superhero - People, please. I didn't even get this way about 'Catwoman.'

First Out Lesbian Judge Confirmed to Federal Appeals Court - In case you didn't hear, it's about time! 

In “Montero”, Black Queer Men Are Seen - Lil Nas X kicks ass! 

Out100 Cover Star Sara Ramirez Reinvented TV — and the World - Congratulations to all of those who made the list. Maybe one day . . .

Iowa school board candidate proposes outing kids who check out books on LGBTQ topics (the manic season of midterm elections is already upon us)

Vin Thaker wants to out kids who check out books on LGBTQ topics.

A proposal by an Iowa school board candidate signals just out of hand the upcoming 2022 midterms may become. 

According to LGBTQNation:

A conservative Republican running for the school board in Waukee, Iowa has a radical plan for fighting diversity and education. Vin Thaker, part of a conservative slate trying to take over the board, wants to out children who check out books on LGBTQ topics. He also wants the person who ordered the book to stand trial in front of the board. Thaker posted his proposition on Facebook in response to another user about books on LGBTQ topics available in the district’s school libraries.

 The online publication Jezebel adds more details: 

 The latest frontier of the conservative culture wars is the local school board, where low turnout elections are meeting deranged conservative beliefs. In Iowa, the Waukee school district removed three queer books for teens from its library system last month. The books — “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Lawn Boy” and “Gender Queer” — were taken out of the Northwest High School Library after a community member (not parent) read some spicy (you could say explicit) scenes from the books at an Oct. 25 meeting of the Waukee Community School District School. 

 But where the book banning really caught fire was when school board candidate Vin Thaker posted about the pro-LGBTQ book borrowers on Facebook last week. Thaker wants to know the name of every kid who checked out one of the pro-LGBTQ books. Shocking! And scary! I was reading all kinds of shit I didn’t want my parents to know about when I was in high school. (Thaker’s comment was highlighted by an Iowa Democratic group trying to elect Democrats to the school board.) This move incensed Thaker because the screenshot only disclosed that he wants do whatever the school board equivalent is to a subpoena to children’s library records. What Thaker actually wants to do is get all the students’ names, notify their parents, and then make “the person who ordered these titles” defend their choices. 

Such off-the-wall cruelty would usually get LGBTQ people and our allies shaking our heads in disgust and humor. But during this season, I think we should dispense with the humor and turn on the anger and concern.

'Homophobe interrupts school board meeting with rant about 'sodomy alliances' and fecal matter' & other Tue midday news briefs

Man rants about “sodomy alliances” during school board meeting in Chasten Buttigieg’s hometown - Does this moron know that not all gays have anal sex and many heterosexuals do? Anal sex is NOT homosexual behavior. Homophobes are always thinking about the same thing. Sex. Just another example of how morons (yeah I said it) are targeting school board meetings.

Supreme Court won't take up Catholic hospital appeal over surgery for transgender man - The case goes back to the lower courts. 

Same-sex partners win survivors benefits after Justice Dept. dismisses lawsuits - Voting matters. Elections matter. Like it or not, politics matter.

Senate confirms first Out lesbian to serve on an U.S. Court of Appeals - Nice!! 

Waukee district pulls controversial LGBTQ-themed books from library - For crying out loud! Sure, go after the LGBTQ-themed books. That beats having a conversation with your child.

FRC president Tony Perkins claims gays are using LEGOs, Skittles, Rainbow Disney, and cereal to indoctrinate children

 

Hate group the Family Research Council goes where the outrage is. Its fundraising email calls 'wokeism' a danger to American children, but the propaganda screams homophobia. Apparently, directly targeting LGBTQ people as a danger to children isn't as lucrative as wrapping up the same old hysteria into a deceptively brand new package and calling it 'wokeism.'  

The irony is that the stuff which FRC president Tony Perkins lists as dangerous isn't dangerous. In fact, these incidents and products which Perkins claims are detrimental to children bring about the opposite effect because they underscore a simple truth - that LGBTQ children and same-sex families exist. 

There is nothing sexual about it and if Mr. Perkins feels that his family suffers because of this, then that's solely his problem. If he feels that he and his organization has a right to erase these children and families, well he needs to get off of his high horse.

America belongs to LGBTQ children and same-sex families as much as it belongs to Perkins. Nor does he, his group, or anyone who supports FRC have any right to define children and families to fit their narrow definitions. LGBTQ children and same-sex families have every right to receive public support and acknowledgement.  They are no danger to anyone. 

 I can't say the same for the propaganda of Perkins and FRC.