Journalist says that 188 Republican and Christian leaders have accused of sexually abusing kids this year (so far)

While the far right falsely paint drag queens and other members of the LGBTQ community as 'groomers,' journalist Evan Hurst has identified 188 Christian and Republicans leaders who have been accused of child abuse this year (so far).

Editor's note - This post is not meant to generalize about Republicans or Christian leaders. However, let's be real here. While sites like Libs of TikTok and the rest of the far-right social media jackals have spent an excessively large amount of time painting drag queens, trans people, and the rest of the LGBTQ community as child groomers, children have been getting targeted and sexually abused. But by Republicans and Christian church leaders, i.e. the two groups who have echoed and amplified the lie that LGBTQ people are sexually grooming kids. It's a case of sad and extreme irony.

From Daniel Villareal of LGBTQNation

Anti-LGBTQ+ conservatives have long crowed about how queer adults, drag queens, and their allies have been “grooming” and “sexualizing” children for abuse. Notably, these concern-trolls ignore all the child abuse scandals regularly coming out of the Republican party and the Christian church. 

 But journalist Evan Hurst — managing editor of the catty and left-leaning political website, Wonkette — has been keeping an ongoing list of Christian and Republican leaders who have been caught, accused, sued, or convicted for abusing and/or exploiting kids. Hurst has identified 188 Christian and Republican leaders this year, so far, stating, “If MAGA is so upset about Epstein, they should hear about Baptists!” 

 Hurst’s lists — which can be viewed here, here, and here — all link to local reports of church and GOP leaders being accused of abusing kids. His most recent update, published on Halloween, featured 49 new names of accused child abusers and pedophiles. 

 In fact, Hurst is having such a hard time keeping up with updates that he has asked for donors and subscribers to aid in his continuing efforts. 

“Conservative Christian leaders are such prolific groomers and abusers of kids, the news is so full of these stories, they are published in such a rapid-fire manner, that if you let it go ANY MORE THAN A MONTH, then it will take you hours and hours and hours and days and weeks to compile an update,” Hurst wrote in his most recent update.

Feel free to read the full article and contribute to Evan's efforts.

Trans man 'reading Ben Shapiro to filth' is the video we didn't know we needed (but do)

Right-winger Ben Shapiro when a trans man breaks through his "debate me, dude" nonsense and breaks down his deceptions.

The following video took place last year during election season, which is probably why it didn't get the full attention it deserves. 

First a little background. 

One thing I find annoying about some conservatives is the "debate me farce" they like to put on. That's when they go to college campuses purportedly to have "debates" with students, mostly liberals. They will have you to believe that it's a free exchange of ideas, when in reality they generally talk over the student, do a gish gallop, distract, misdirect and then later post a slanted view of the encounter online with some ridiculous title detailing how they "destroyed" said student. The narrative they push is how in a supposed free exchange of ideas, their conservative view is superior. It's basic bullshit which underscores the sad fact that a lot of times, debates aren't about facts, but about technique. 

The late Charlie Kirk was a master at this chicanery. Another conservative, Ben Shapiro, is on another level. However, in the following video, he met up against a trans man who frankly didn't have time the nonsense.

 Pink News from October 25, 2024:

Right-wing pundit and podcaster Ben Shapiro’s appearance on Jubilee’s Surrounded debate show didn’t go well for him. Each episode of the YouTube show Surrounded features a guest sitting in the middle of a circle with 25 people surrounding them. 

They all hold opposing views to that person – in this case Shapiro was confronted by individuals with broadly liberal and left-wing views. The circle members take turns to debate with the guest on specific points, but they can get stopped if more than half the circle hold up a red flag. Shapiro was confronted by a man called Shane, who asked the podcaster for his views on abortion and trans rights. 

 Shane told Shapiro that he was a trans who is adversely affected by abortion rights because he has a vagina, to which the podcaster replied that he had “no interest in your genitalia”. 

 Shane said: “Clearly you are. It’s kind of an obsession you guys have. In most of the content you have, you attack my community constantly and you don’t even realise that guys like me exist, who share a lot of similarities to you.” 

 That's the prelude. The entire encounter is below and Shane, as they said in my LGBTQ community, left no crumbs:

BOOM 💥 This is 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/SenLvskwCP

— Meidas_Charise Lee (@charise_lee) November 2, 2025

Afterwards, Shapiro's supporters made all sorts excuses for him. "Shane wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise." "Shane talked too quickly." etc etc.

That's not the point. The point is Shapiro and those like him play a rigged game, which unfortunately many of us take part in. We let them set the narrative, make the rules, then hope that we can "win" after we've given them all of the advantages. We simply have to stop that.

A more important point is how Shane spoke his mind. That's needed so much from all of us, including the trans community. It is my belief that a lot of the transphobia and attacks on the trans community (legislative and otherwise) lately is because there has been a deliberate attempt (even by some in the LGB community) to omit trans voices while elevating anti-trans voices. This has been happening in articles, on news programs, on social media, and so many other places.

It's bad enough when trans people are being dehumanized, but it's even worse things are being so rigged so much so that they can't adequately fight. That's why we should all take the lesson Shane gave us in his encounter with Shapiro. 

Be aggressive in telling your story and defending your worth. Don't apologize for refusing to let someone shut you up.  In the long run, it's not about defeating people like Shapiro in some silly debate. It's about defending yourself, your humanity, and your worth. And above all, telling YOUR story the way you want to tell it instead of allowing others (particularly those who have no interest in your safety or health) to tell it.

Nancy Mace's backtrack on gay marriage support proves that she is a political opportunist with the integrity of a dead slug

How it went:

Nancy Mace in 2021:

 In an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner, Mace explained that while she’s voting against the Equality Act, she will be co-sponsoring a Republican alternative bill dubbed the "Fairness for All Act." "I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality," Mace told me. 

"No one should be discriminated against." "It isn’t a black-and-white issue," Mace continued, "I do believe that religious liberty, the First Amendment, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist. I’m also a constitutionalist, and we have to ensure anti-discrimination laws don’t violate First Amendment rights or religious freedom." 

 The congresswoman’s life experiences have shaped her refreshingly clear-eyed views on this issue. "I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ," she explained. "Understanding how they feel and how they’ve been treated is important. Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime."

Nancy Mace in 2022:

 

Nancy Mace in 2024:

How it's going now:

Nancy Mace in 2025:

Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) October 28, 2025

Nancy Mace was a friend of the LGBTQ community until it was no longer political expedient. Her political hypocrisy is so blatant that it leaves an odor.

Educators are suing after being fired for comments about Charlie Kirk. And some are winning.

Educators and school officials fired for making remarks about Charlie Kirk after his death are fighting back with lawsuits.

Educators and school officials across the nation who were fired for comments about Charlie Kirk's death are firing back with lawsuits and these folks aren't fooling around. The lawsuits claim that their First Amendment rights were violated and they may have a point. Not only are some winning but they also reveal the hypocrisy of the right as it pertains to free speech. 

I'm going to highlight some cases:

Judge rules in favor of teacher facing dismissal for Charlie Kirk-related posts - The case of Melisa Crook, a teacher in Iowa who was fired, highlights two things - 1. How fast the right-wing ecosystem travels when it comes to setting the narrative. 2.The importance of "keeping receipts." 

Crook made the supposedly offensive comment, which really wasn't an ugly one, on her own time at home on her personal Facebook account. In her lawsuit, Crook showed that other school officials (the ones behind her dismissal) weren't as careful to keep their personal opinions away from school:

 As part of her lawsuit, Crook included a 43-page document displaying social media posts allegedly written by (Superintendent Deron) Stender over the past several years. The lawsuit also claims Stender and Gee, the school board president, have each “made at least one Facebook post or comment agreeing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asserting that in Florida, individuals have the right to hit other people with their cars” — a reference to DeSantis saying people, if they feel threatened, could drive over protesters. 

 The exhibit suggests Stender has made and shared political posts on a Twitter account he also used for school purposes, including content supporting Trump and Republican Sen. Joni Ernst; content condemning the “liberal media”; comments about “riots in liberal cities”; a post about supporters of former President Joe Biden being “snowflakes”; and one comment stating, “if you don’t like America, leave with Bruce Springsteen and the other elites.” 

 Two separate posts attributed to Stender also called on Iowans to “vote for Ernst” and to “vote Ernst on November 3.” Crook’s lawsuit also references social media posts by (Don)Gee, the school board president, that include an immigration-related comment condemning what Gee called “bull — left-wing judges.” 

 And my favorite part about this is Libs of TikTok, which also played a part in Crook's dismissal, weeping and whining online. Any time this group is upset over something is a good thing.

What @libsoftiktok FAILED to mention was not only did Melisa Crook make the comment about Charlie Kirk on her own time, but in her lawsuit against the firing, she pointed out how the superintendent made pro-GOP comments over the years using a Twitter address designated for school… pic.twitter.com/4qchOJ4nQi

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) October 25, 2025

Crook is not the only educator filing a lawsuit and winning. Last month, a federal judge reinstated a University of South Dakota tenured professor who was fired for calling Kirk a "Nazi."

And there are other lawsuits.

 In Georgia a teacher, Michelle Mickens, is suing her school district. Her lawsuit, like Crook's, accuses her school district of duplicity.

Georgia school district was sued Monday after it fired a veteran high school teacher because of her social media posts critical of recently assassinated politically conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Michelle Mickens, a former finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year, posted a quote from Kirk on her personal, private Facebook account and made comments under the post on the danger of gun violence. 

The federal lawsuit, filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Georgia Association of Educators, claims the Oglethorpe County School System asked Mickens to remove her post, retract or apologize for the post, and/or stop using social media completely. However, the lawsuit claims, the district has no clear standards for employee social media use. Meanwhile, the lawsuit said the district allowed speech in school supporting Kirk, such as teachers participating in Kirk’s birthday celebrations on school campus by wearing t-shirts bearing texts and images in his memory.

 The district’s decision to place Mickens on indefinite paid suspension, pending termination of her employment, as a result of her private social media post critical of Kirk violates her First Amendment right to free speech and the 14th Amendment, which ensures due process, according to the complaint.

Other lawsuits include:

Former landscape supervisor sues Auburn University, says he was fired over Charlie Kirk post

Employee sues Ole Miss chancellor after being fired over Charlie Kirk post 

S.C. educator sues over her firing after Charlie Kirk post 

ACLU sues Ball State president over employee's Charlie Kirk post firing 

According to an October 1 article in The Huffington Post, free speech groups have been mobilizing to defend these lawsuits in court. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is one of these groups: 

 FIRE . . . sent letters to universities that had begun disciplinary procedures against teachers and lecturers for their speech about Kirk. One letter to the president of California State University-Fresno calls on the university to drop disciplinary proceedings into Barri Brennan, a lecturer, for telling a student after Kirk was shot, but before his death was announced, “You want to know what I think? It’s too bad he’s not dead.” 

 Another letter from FIRE to Florida Atlantic University warned the school to drop a disciplinary investigation into professor Karen Leader for posting online about Kirk’s political views without even mentioning his death.

Other free speech groups who are helping to defend these lawsuits are the American Civil Liberties Union in the Ball State University case and a Clemson case and South Poverty Law Center in the Michelle Mickens case in Georgia.

Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be murdered, but he was not a good person. He was a bigoted, racist sleazebag, so naturally his death garnered so many reactions. Some of the reactions were ones I didn't agree with, but I also didn't like the holier-than-thou attitude from the "f@ck your feelings" crowd as they engaged in witch hunts against those they felt didn't give Kirk enough deference.

But that's how they are. You can't blame trash for being trash. What bothers me is how quickly certain university officials who should have known better caved in to the shrieking hypocritical harpies of the right as they attempted to canonize Kirk at the expense of truth.

To these university officials, I have one thing to say - you deserve the price you may have to pay for refusing to defend your people.

Oops! Inaccurate birth certificate proves how anti-trans policies can harm student athletes

Some of us told folks that these anti-trans policies would have unintended consequences. 

From LGBTQNation: 

 In Arizona last week, a cisgender male 8th grader was “physically removed” from tryouts for his school’s boys’ basketball team because an error on his original birth certificate incorrectly identified him as being born female. It’s the latest episode in a “gender ideology”-inspired nightmare for the teenager, Laker Jackson, and his family. 

 . . . The Kafkaesque drama was inspired by a clerical mistake 14 years ago, when hospital staff mistakenly identified Becky Jackson’s newborn son as a girl. It was an error Laker’s parents never noticed. I give him the birth certificate and they’re like, ‘Did you know this says female?’” Becky Jackson recalled about handing over enrollment paperwork to a school administrator last year. “I was like, ‘What?’” Becky Jackson said. “I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s so funny.’ So we come home, everyone’s laughing.” The busy mom of six said correcting the document wasn’t a priority. 

 “So we just put it in the drawer and moved on,” she said. The mix-up didn’t cause issues until recently, she told AZ Family. Last spring, school staff began treating Jackson as female, Becky Jackson said. The district removed Laker Jackson from an all-boys gym class and mandated he use a separate restroom, despite the family’s assertion that their son is a cisgender boy, assigned male at birth. Becky’s mom had already started work on changing Laker Jackson’s birth certificate, but “it’s not something that you can fix quickly. You have to have an affidavit signed,” she said.

 In the meantime, the 14-year-old continued training to make the boys’ basketball team at his Mesa high school, a 7th to 12th-grade school in the Queen Creek Unified School District. Becky Jackson said she received the corrected birth certificate over the summer and provided the district with the revised document, along with a doctor’s note confirming Laker’s sex. 

 But Queen Creek administrators said it wasn’t enough, standing by a rule stating that the school’s determination of a student’s sex would rely solely on an original birth certificate. 

According to Jackson, this caused her son to be physically removed from basketball tryouts in front of his teammates. The article goes on to say:

 . . .The ordeal is a prime example of what activists have long warned: that anti-trans policies are bad for everyone. It’s also quite ironic, considering the very people who want to stop anyone assigned male at birth from playing on girls’ sports teams may wind up forcing a cisgender boy to do just that.

This situation is a perfect opportunity give a little critique of my LGBTQ community.

Our problem is we aren't petty enough. I don't mean petty to each other. We tend to be that way for days on end. What I am talking about is being petty to those who oppose our basic equality. The anti-LGBTQ industry has done so many ugly things to us - smearing our names, dehumanizing our families, and trying to gaslight us to death - that we've become desensitized to their actions.

Desensitization of those constantly endangering your safety and equality can be seen as a good coping mechanism designed to protect yourself from psychological harm, but it has its drawbacks. A major one is underappreciating the times when the actions of those attempting to steal your rights away either backfire or cause harm to members of the general public.

I've been blogging for over 19 years, so I've witnessed anti-LGBTQ activists, and religious right groups make a large amount of embarrassing public mistakes due to their stridency. But generally, they are able to pick themselves up and continue as if nothing happened. This is in part due to how blase we are when it comes to capitalizing on these mishaps. Regarding the case above, what our community will most likely do is to laugh or make interesting conversation about said incident, but only in OUR circles.

But it's a major situation which directly outlines what many of us have been saying about the foolishness of anti-trans policies - that the problems they are supposed to handle are pretty much nonexistent, but the unintended consequences of enacting them can do a lot of damage.

It's a great situation for us to be petty.  When bigots make mistakes or cause negative unintended consequences, we should be rubbing their faces in these mishaps publicly and often.  We've desensitized ourselves so much that we've allowed the opposition to dictate the rules and arguments. When they make mistakes - and they make a lot of mistakes - we don't capitalize on these mistakes to shift the narrative. It seems that we are too busy trying to avoid the fight instead of diving in while exploiting their mistake as an advantage.

Yes, it's being petty and some folks may claim that such things are beneath us. But damn that. This isn't a gymnastic competition. We aren't being judged on points. Just overall success.

'Federal judge to block Trump from erasing trans people from states' sex education curriculum' & other Mon/Tues news briefs

Federal Judge Rules In Favor Of Public Schools In 16 States That Refused To Comply With Trump's Trans Ban - Basically, the Trump Administration was demanding that schools block any mentions of trans people in their sexual health education curriculum if they wanted federal monies. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken said "no you don't." 

US judge to block Trump directive to cut 'gender ideology' from states' sex ed materials - Specific details about the case. 

Trump nominee says MLK Jr. holiday belongs in ‘hell’ and that he has ‘Nazi streak,’ according to texts - Look at that. Another Trump Republican, this time Paul Ingrassia, his nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel is discovered to be racist. Love this comment of his - "Using an Italian slur for Black people, Ingrassia wrote a month earlier in the group chat seen by POLITICO: “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” then added: “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”' 

Trump erased trans & queer history from Stonewall. Lawmakers are fighting to get it back - They had better! 

I lost a speaking gig for writing about Charlie Kirk. Meanwhile, Trump demeans Americans every day. - I don't think you sue in this situation, but from what I hear a lot of other folks who were fired because of Charlie Kirk statements are getting their jobs backs or suing. And those lawsuits have grounds. 

Anti-LGBTQ laws were never about "protecting children" - Yep. They never were.

'No Kings' rally/protest in Columbia, SC sends a powerful message of defiance to Trump and Republican Party

 Americans in cities all over the nation came out to represent during the No Kings rallies. My city of Columbia, SC was no different. Though I did not stay as long as I would have liked to (It was hot and I'm old. Sue me already), we had quite a number at the State House downtown. It was very empowering but folks, please keep that energy when we get to the midterm elections next year. "Batman" may have shown up at the rally, but when it comes to Trump and where our government is at the present moment, only we can save ourselves.

JD Vance defends GOP leaders caught making Holocaust jokes, voicing gay slurs, and calling Black people monkeys

Recently, a group chat of leaders of Young Republican groups across the country was leaked to Politico magazine, and it is a doozy:

The messages published by Politico on Tuesday span seven months (between January and August) and include chats from Young Republican leaders in New York, Arizona, and Vermont. According to the outlet, William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used racial slurs, and Peter Giunta, who at the time was chair of the organization, said people who did not vote for him to become chair of the Young Republican National Federation needed to “go to the gas chamber.” “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno, general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote. “I’m ready to watch people burn now,” Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committeewoman, added. 

 … According to the outlet, epithets like “f****t,” “retarded” and “n**ga” appeared more than 250 times in the chat logs. Luke Mosiman, the chair of the Arizona Young Republicans, asked in one chat whether others were watching an NBA game, and Giunta responded that he’d “go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball.”

So, while everyone else are denouncing this and the folks involved have lost their jobs and opportunities for advancement in the Republican party, JD Vance, our "beloved" vice president decided to defend them.

Aside from playing the "what about this Democrat who did blah blah blah" game, Vance also attempted to minimize the fact that these were adults who said those awful things (which you can see in the above graphic.)

 First, according to Mediaite, Vance claimed that it was a "college group chat. Then: 

 On Wednesday’s edition of The Charlie Kirk Show, Vance addressed the controversy and again characterized the group chat’s members as “kids” and “young boys”:

 . . the reality is that kids do stupid things. Especially young boys, they tell edgy, offensive jokes, like that’s what kids do. And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their live. And at some point we’re all all gonna have to say enough of this BS we’re not going to allow the worst moment in a 21-year-old’s group chat to ruin a kid’s life for the rest of time. That’s just not okay. Like, we live in a digital world, this stuff is now etched in stone online. We’re all going to have to say, you know what? No, no, no. We’re not doing this. We’re not canceling kids because they do something stupid in the group chat. And if I have to be the person who carries that message forward, I’m fine with it." 

Again, these were not kids. These are grown-ass men and women making Holocaust jokes, calling Black people monkeys, and slurring LGBTQ folks with the "f" word.  But either way, to minimize what they said is not exactly the best course of action Vance should have undertaken. Seems to me that maybe Vance should have made a quick condemnation and then shut his mouth. He only made things worse for himself and his party. But I doubt he cares.

From this incident, we can get a full understanding why Trump chose Vance to be his VP during his second term. As seen by his actions on January 6, Trump's last vice president, Mike Pence, actually had a conscience and knew when it was time to break from Trump. I'm sure that Vance knows when to break from Trump too, but the question is would he? Probably not.

He's no doubt driven by his desire to replace Trump as president (either by election or Trump doing everyone a favor by dropping dead), that he's willing to act like as a rabid dog in his defense of Trump and the GOP. And apparently, he doesn't care what lie he has to tell or how far he has to twist himself to justify their actions.

But sooner or later he is going to have to pivot because no one wants a rabid dog in the White House. Have you ever seen what they do to the furniture?

Image taken from Politico article.

'MAGA falls for fake Turning Point halftime performing list (which refers to present measles outbreak)' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

The fact that so many MAGA nuts actually believed this fake list of performers for Turning Point's Halftime show is typical and funny. But the list also makes reference to a genuine measles outbreak in schools thanks to Trump Administration policies (see news brief below).  That makes entire situation also sadly ironic.

Editor's note - Bear with me because a LOT of things are going on. So much that I felt news briefs were in order instead a post about one thing.

 MAGA Falls For Fake Turning Point Halftime Show List - The poster above, mind you. The last item talking about a guest appearance from "Measles" is both funny and sadly ironic. As seen by the next news briefs, there is a measles outbreak in this country, which can be laid on the feet of Trump Administration's Secretary of Health and Human Services (and anti-vaccine nuthead) Robert Kennedy, Jr. 

Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks - 153 in South Carolina alone. 

The next two items come from one of my favorite sites, Erin in the Morning. It is the go-to site for news about the trans community; something mainstream media has been completely derelict about in light of the targeting of the trans community by the Trump Administration: 

 Netflix Stock Up As Elon Musk's Anti-Trans Boycott Fails To Materialize - Poor Elon. His money can't buy everything. 

New Journal Report: Cass Review “Echoes Fallacies Promoted By Anti-Trans Disinformation” - Remember how the fraudulent Cass Review took hold of Britian while America's medical professionals and members of the trans community beat back the outcome it could have had in this country? Not surprisingly, it's getting panned by The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).

Finally: 

These LGBTQ+ refugees fled hatred & found safety in the US. Now they’re navigating Trump’s America. -"Rainbow Railroad helped them flee anti-LGBTQ+ persecution in their home countries, amid cuts to U.S. refugee programs." 

Judge halts New York county from enforcing transgender athlete ban after roller derby league sues - A story from last week, but good news, nonetheless.

Fron the archives: 'A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2' is the gayest horror movie you will ever see

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 is considered by many to be a very subversively gay horror movie. Of course when I watched it, I was surprised and pleasantly pleased by the amount of male nudity it showed. Now, as our community has moved out of the closet and into the warm glow of sunshine, it turns out that the undercurrent of homosexuality in this movie was in fact intentional. 

Or let my friend, Matt Baume tell you more:

 

 Or if you don't want to hear all of that talking, check out these scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 and judge for yourself. (Violence and Nudity alert)

 

 Related post - 17 Horror Films Only LGBT People Understand 

Editor's note - 17 Horror Films Only LGBT People Understand was not a part of the original post I pulled from the archives. It is an addition from another post.

'Anti-LGBTQ group accused of using false evidence' at SCOTUS, but may win its case anyway' & other Tue/Wed news briefs

Christian group defending LGBTQ+ conversion therapy at SCOTUS accused of using 'false evidence'

 The group fighting to protect so-called conversion therapy in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar has been accused of misrepresenting its evidence by the very researchers it cites. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group that has played a pivotal role in several court cases involving abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights, will argue before the nation's high court Tuesday that justices should strike down state laws banning conversion therapy for minors. 

The group cites a 2016 study by Lisa Diamond and Clifford Rosky, who have since condemned the ADF for “profoundly” misrepresenting their findings. “It’s deceptive,” Rosky recently told The Guardian. “Lawyers owe a duty of candor to the court. You cannot offer false evidence, and if you do so accidentally and find out, you have to correct that. ... They claim our work supports conversion therapy when our work clearly and specifically condemns conversion therapy on the same page they’re citing.”

 Distorting science to demonize the LGBTQ community is an old anti-LGBTQ industry tactic. And the Alliance Defending Freedom isn't the first group to do it. However, it may not even matter because of the news brief below. 

Conservative Supreme Court justices show skepticism of conversion therapy ban - This is becoming an unfortunately regular occurrence with this particular Supreme Court. Almost every time our community comes in front of them, we lose. I doubt it's a matter of basic legality. It's my belief that there are members of the court who have a personal bias against LGBTQ people and will contort decisions to reflect that bias. 

The sham of oral arguments on conversion therapy is meant to show SCOTUS is 'unbiased'- Should we lose this case, we should be pointing the finger at one judge in particular who revealed his anti-LGBTQ hostility years ago - Samuel Alito.

LGBTQ rights on the line: What to watch as Supreme Court’s new term begins - And conversion therapy is not the only case in front of SCOTUS. I'm sorry but I do not believe that the number of losses the LGBTQ community has had in front of SCOTUS lately comes from legitimate looks at the law and the Constitution. Members of this court have a personal bias, which they aren't afraid to voice. We need not dance around it.

Pictures - Famously Hot SC Pride a huge success & reminder that the LGBTQ community won't be made invisible

Famously Hot SC Pride, returned Saturday for its 36th year in my state of South Carolina. As always, it was a fun time had by all. And it was definitely needed when one takes into account this year's political climate. The festival was another reminder that LGBTQ people, our allies, our kids, and families aren't going to be made invisible.

'GOP lawmaker once accused trans people of harming kids. He just pled guilty to child porn charges' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Former SC legislator (and Moms for Liberty's 2023 'Legislator of the Year') RJ May recently pled guilty to child porn charges. May in the past has accused drag queens and trans people of harming kids.

GOP lawmaker said trans people “harm” children. He just pled guilty to child porn charges.​ - And the nominees for the category of "I haven't been this shocked since Clay Aiken and Jim Nabors came out of the closet," former South Carolina state legislator RJ May. And the kicker? Moms for Liberty awarded him their 2023 Legislator of the Year award. NONE of this is funny and it's not my intention to make it sound funny. Children have been harmed, terribly. A Republican accusing LGBTQ people of harming children while actually being the predator is happening so often lately that it's no longer an irony. It could be considered a GOP requirement for public office.

Former Rep. RJ May pleads guilty to sending ‘disgusting and depraved’ child sex abuse videos - More on this awful situation. A huge caution from me to anyone before you read it.

In other news:

Nat’l Park Service cancels grants for 3 LGBTQ projects - At the very least, it is nice to know that Donald Trump is no longer even attempting to be our friend like he did during his first term. 

Veterans Affairs doctors banned from writing gender-affirming surgery referrals to private providers for trans vets - Downright malicious. There is simply no other reason for it. 

Appeals court rules for Colorado and LGBTQ rights and against Catholic parishes in state preschool case - Good. No taxpayer dollars for discrimination. 

21 non-LGBTQ+ movies that queer people still love anyway - Some of these choices are true. One is a serious "HELL NO!" from me. And I still can't believe they left off The Women (the 1939 version).

'Heritage Foundation caught pushing false stats in attempt to classify trans people as terrorists' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

The dirty hands of longtime anti-LGBTQ activist Roger Severino are all over the Heritage Foundation's attempt to classify trans people as terrorists.

Rightwing organization twists data to claim that half of mass shooters are transgender​ - Who else but the Heritage Foundation. And check out who is leading the charge: 

 Roger Severino, a vice president at the Heritage Foundation, defended the claim on X/Twitter by providing information from a dataset of only eight shootings, cherry-picked from Gun Violence Archive, an online archive on gun violence which draws data from law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources. The Gun Violence Archive has data for 4,147 mass shootings that took place in the United States between 2018 and 2025. Severino said that he only picked eight of the shootings because they’re “major shootings,” a term that has no strict definition. 

For those who don't know, Roger Severino has a long history of denigrating the LGBTQ community. And with his appointment in the first Trump Administration, he took it to the extreme. As Trump's director of the Office of Civil Rights at Health and Human Services, he attempted to push policies which endangered LGBTQ health. Severino's actions didn't simply border on animus. One could say that his policies were deliberate attempts to undermine the health of LGBTQ people while hiding behind the veneer of "religious freedom"

 In 2018, The Advocate claimed that he was attempting to "erase trans people out of existence" by pushing a memo which would say that gender identity doesn't exist and that gender is set at birth and defined by genitalia. Severino was also responsible for an attempt to create a rule which would roll back protections for the trans community against discrimination through Obamacare, and a "conscience rule" which said any healthcare worker could deny services to LGBTQ people based on "moral or religious" reasons. In November 2019, three different federal courts struck down the rule and one court found that HHS exaggerated a justification for the rule. Severino was pointed out in an NPR article to have contributed to that exaggeration.

 

Heritage Foundation uses false data to smear trans people as school shooters - The Advocate gives more details.

In other news:

MAGA Runs Wild With Claim ‘Thousands’ of Fans Wore Charlie Kirk Tribute T-Shirt at Penn State Game — By Using Clip That Shows Only Two - This new lie about Charlie Kirk perfectly encapsulates just how much of a fraud he was. 

Pentagon Pete’s ‘Manic’ Meltdowns Exposed by Aides - From The Daily Mail by way of The Daily Beast, so take it as you can. But is even a small portion of this is true, it says a lot of Hegseth's in claiming that trans troops would hurt the military when he is obviously the actual danger. 

This trans beauty pageant won’t be silenced by hate: “The girls are not afraid of who they are” - Don't back down even a little bit, ladies. You are beautiful and don't let anyone make you feel that you aren't.

Charlie Kirk wannabes get laughed off of HBCU campus, mocked on Twitter

 

Two Charlie Kirk wannabes got laughed off of an HBCU campus when they tried that "debate me, bro" nonsense.

As we move further away from the awful situation of Charlie Kirk's assassination, I am glad to see that more people are coming to a basic revelation. And that revelation is the fact that Charlie Kirk was a two-bit hustling grifter and a homophobic racist to boot. Some folks have been steadily trying manufacture a narrative that Kirk was someone who wanted to debate and let both sides of an argument make their points. That's a damn lie. 

Kirk's debates were anything but. During his "debates," Kirk bullied younger college students who had less public speaking experience than him. He would talk over them, insult them and then rely on carefully edited videos and tweets to present a ludicrous claim that he "destroyed" them. The only reason why pundits such as Ezra Klein and Brian Stelter gave Kirk undeserved praise after his passing was because he gave them something to write about and kissed their asses in face-to-face meetings. Of course he did. They were useful to him. He needed their influence to spread his nonsense.  One wonders what he said about them behind their backs. 

Bear in mind that none of what I have just said justifies Charlie Kirk's murder.  Even as we criticize the way Kirk died, we cannot allow him to become a martyr.  Charlie Kirk was no martyr. Far from it.

All of my above comments are leading up to something which happened Wednesday.

A bunch of Kirk wannabes got a much-needed reception when they tried that "debate me" junk at a Tennessee State University, a historically Black campus. There was no violence but a lot of mockery. It's what one should expect when a group of people don't want their humanity to be the subject of a "debate." Or don't want to be dragged into a situation (in this case, Kirk's murder) which had nothing to do with them.

🚨 BREAKING: The party of tolerance strikes again - left-wing rioters KICK OUT young patriots who tried to set up a table and civilly debate about DEI at an HBCU, Tennessee State University. pic.twitter.com/wypLonkm54

They apparently could not even go 10 minutes until chaos…

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 23, 2025

1. No one told them to come. No one asked them to come.  According to university officials, the Charlie Kirk wannabes didn't even follow correct protocol, so they shouldn't have been there in the first place:

pic.twitter.com/lMo7bKXaMk

— Tennessee State University (@TSUedu) September 23, 2025

 

2. And frankly - if I can speak plainly and in general - "ain't nobody got time for the bullshit."  No one owes anyone a debate or discussion, particularly on issues which personally affect them. I'm personally sick and tired of the gaslighting when white and heterosexual pundits and wannabe social media influencers scream "debate me" at people of color and LGBTQ people as if we need to justify our lives and issues for the benefit of their egos and inflated sense of entitlement. 

That's the big loophole about "debates" when it comes to Black and LGBTQ issues on news channels and social media. They like to TALK about us but don't want us to talk. To them, we are "identity politics," a term which they never seem to use when talking about MAGA voters or white evangelical voters.

An added delight to the situation at hand is the attempt by MAGA social media influencers portray the wannabes as victims (as seen by one of the above tweets). As you can read below, that didn't exactly work in their favor. 

They had no approval and no permit

— CJ G (@cjgproduxions) September 24, 2025

You all love to play the victim, even though you have the power. pic.twitter.com/VMCVFnKx6A

— 🐝 Sigmundine🐝 (@Sigmundine2) September 24, 2025

“Young patriots who tried to set up a table and civilly debate” ……yeah great reporting Eric. They sure looked welcoming. pic.twitter.com/OBDy0jjYpx

— Ms. Suge Knight 👹 (@_curvesandkickz) September 24, 2025

Lol pic.twitter.com/ySC06G23Tn

— Emp (@EmperororeZ) September 24, 2025

There is nothing civil about what these losers were trying to do. White idiots have already made it clear they put the entire onus of DEI ONTO Black Americans, fraudulently, because we all know they were the last to benefit. No one needs to put up with grifters. Read next time. pic.twitter.com/9KKSNGy2e9

— Cyber Avenger (@MsClaritea) September 24, 2025

Some clarity needed to be made for this shit.
We are NOT leftists, retarded conservatives or liberals.
We don't owe anyone attention or debate just to be disrespected by a so-called "High IQ" morons who thinks just because they're pale skin everyone wants to hear their opinion pic.twitter.com/xcpSMG0K3b

— LineageOverSkinColor🔴🔱⚫️🪶🏹✊🏿🇺🇸 (@Aboriginalameri) September 24, 2025

Black ppl don’t have to participate in your dumbass fake ass battle of wits. Which is just racism. Take your asses to Utah and leave HBCUs out your bullshit.

— CincinnatiBlack (@MrBlack513) September 24, 2025

They don’t owe you a debate. Don’t go where you aren’t wanted. Leave us alone.

— Depressed Dad (@stArboy_Trey) September 24, 2025

Eric…Black America has absolutely no tolerance for white people coming into our spaces in the disguise of “civil debate” to slick tell us we are inferior. RACISM IS NOT AN OPINION NOR IS IT DEBATABLE.

— J GLOVER (@HDTHEAGENCY) September 24, 2025

pic.twitter.com/ZdFajjH1YD

— PhlyGerl (@PhlyGerl) September 24, 2025

Hey @EricLDaugh you are spreading false information. Those guys snuck on campus, tried to set up shop and start discourse with black students with white Christian nationalist talking points, all while wearing divisive hats. Stop trying to divide the country with your cult.

— Grownish Gambino (@DopeItzDev) September 24, 2025

pic.twitter.com/0aSylkSNC7

— Defected Cheeto (@DefectedCheeto) September 24, 2025