Monday, April 28, 2025

'Wolf in the sheep fold - Anti-LGBTQ activist now heads DOJ Civil Rights Division' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

Harmeet Dhillon, who now heads DOJ Civil Rights Division, has a long history of undermining LGBTQ civil rights.


Harmeet Dhillon’s civil rights record raises alarms for LGBTQ+ advocates​ - This is NOT good. It's like a wolf spending years terrorizing the sheep and then is chosen to guard the sheep. 


Investigation of Dr. Michael Brown Substantiates Reports of Misconduct - Anti-LGBTQ activist Michael Brown is in trouble for ugly sexual misconduct against two women. For the record, I sparred with Brown on more than one occasion about marriage equality. 


Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Log Cabin Republicans group turns its back on LGBTQ families

It turns out that my burst of optimism regarding a recent case argued in front of SCOTUS could have been wrong.

In yesterdays' news briefs, I said that a case of parents demanding opt-out choices with regards to LGBTQ lessons in classrooms won't be a win for said parents because it could cause a lot of chaos. However, court watchers and reporters gave a different opinion. To them, it will probably be another decision in which SCOTUS stretches the definition of religious freedom, while giving us LGBTQ folks another back hand slap.

One national LGBTQ group is hoping that this will be the very outcome. And it's not difficult to guess who. None other than the "House Negroes" of the LGBTQ community - the Log Cabin Republicans





This entire case has to do with parents wanting to op-out their kids if lessons encompass LGBTQ people or books containing LGBTQ people are read. It sounds simple, but we all know that simple cases have wide implications. It's not farfetched to point out that an anti-LGBTQ ruling could be used to erase any mentions of LGBTQ people from classrooms, even if children in said classrooms are coming from same-sex households. 

With regard to the Log Cabin Republicans, I don't know what's worse - that the group is repeating the gaslighting phraseology - "forcing young children to be exposed to LGBT-centric curriculum" - or the implications behind the group publicly turning its back on LGBTQ families.

The entire narrative of Log Cabin Republicans is that they are supposedly the "normal gay folks." They like to cast themselves as supposedly being as regular as heterosexual folks while the rest of us in the community are the ones causing the problems by being loud, intolerant, and pushy.  According to them, the basic problem of our community doesn't lie with bigotry or homophobia per se, but with those of us trying so hard to stand out instead of trying to fit in or "assimilate."

But what's more assimilating than LGBTQ people trying to raise children in this society? What's more normal than children attending our schools and being vocal about their families regardless of if they come from a LGBTQ or heterosexual household? 

In the end, these are the ones who could be hurt the most by the latest attempt to gaslight this country into reducing the lives of LGBTQ people (and families) to lascivious caricatures. And they are the ones who the Log Cabin Republicans should be standing with.

Don't be fooled by the fake simplicity of this case or the naked pandering of the Log Cabin Republicans. This is just the latest example of how the conservative right weaponizes faith and Christianity against LGBTQ people. And let's not forget how they are now aided and abetted by a court slowly but steadily pushing the boundaries of religious freedom to the dark area of Christian nationalism, even if they have to misrepresent cases on occasion to accomplish this goal.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

'Report claims Trump bragged about using trans people as pawns to fire up his base' & other Tue/Wed news brief



Trump Has Meltdown in Oval Office with NATO Leader - This article was posted on March 13 by Ben Meiselas and Meidas Touch Network, and it details an incredibly insane meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. It's a long article but the part concerning transgender Americans stands out: 

Then, Trump pivoted to his usual bigotry. Instead of talking about defense cooperation or global security, Trump bragged about how he uses transgender people as political pawns to rile up his base before elections — saying Republicans should “bring it up a week before the election” to win votes. In other words, he openly admitted he sees cruelty and manufactured culture war nonsense as a campaign strategy. Despicable.

This shouldn't be a surprised to anyone. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't remind people about this every chance we get. It underscores just what an opportunistic bloodsucker Trump is. 

The fact that the following incident allegedly took place last month and wasn't covered widely says two things and they are both awful:

1. The media doesn't seem to care too much about just how trans people are being used as scapegoats.

2. The Trump Administration's tactic of overwhelming us all with constant bullshittery is real.


Nancy Mace barks anti-trans slur right at college student’s face then whines that she’s the victim - Speaking of opportunistic bloodsuckers, Nancy Mace is the queen. It's beginning to be a routine with her - 1. Publicly say something foul (mostly about trans people) 2. Getting challenged. 3. Posting the video of it all while playing the victim (making sure she says that she's "holding the line) 4. Appearing on Fox News or other right-wing news sources while stretching the victim card wider than a girdle on sale. In this particular case, number four hasn't happened yet. But I'm sure it will. 


19 Pictures That Absolutely Scream "Straight People Culture" - Some folks may get offended by this, but it's spot on. 

Gay asylum-seeker's lawyer worries for the makeup artist's safety in Salvadoran ‘hellhole’ prison - It's good that folks are giving Trump hell for Abrego Garcia, but this needs as much attention.

Supreme Court conservatives sympathize with parents objecting to LGBTQ-inclusive books - I hope I'm right when I say I genuinely believe that the court will not rule in favor of the parents. Creating something like this would open a door to demanding opt-out policies for everything in school.

Monday, April 21, 2025

''Mr. anti-DEI' Pete Hegseth could be on his way out after continued gross incompetence' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

Pete Hegseth, Trump's secretary of defense

How it was going then:

Pete Hegseth Orders Diversity Purge of DOD's Websites, Social Media 

How it's going now: 

Turns Out It Wasn't Such a Great Idea to Put Pete Hegseth in Charge of the Military

It turns out that the person who obviously Didn't Earn It was Hegseth. Rumor control is that he is on his way out after his gross incompetence has created a huge turmoil in the Department of Defense. As the latest news came out, Hegseth sent out a defiant tweet which included a negative smack against the transgender community. It didn't help him. 

In other news 

Supreme Court considers parents’ efforts to exempt children from books with LGBTQ themes - This is ridiculous. I can see opt-out policies in terms of sex education, but when it comes to simply acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people? Really? This is a weaponization of religion and a smack in the fact of same-sex families and their kids. 

LGBTQ and women’s reproductive rights groups react to death of Pope Francis - Pope Francis passed away Monday morning. His record when it comes to the LGBTQ community was a breath of fresh air to some folks. Others may disagree, though.

Pope Francis dead at 88: Looking back on his LGBTQ+ rights legacy - More about Pope Francis.

Donald Trump’s crusade against “anti-Christian bias” is a major scam - No shit. 

LGBTQ people find confidence and community in self-defense classes - Good. And we should have more classes like this across the nation.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

'Trans 'Drag Race' queen gets last laugh on MAGA bully who harassed her' & other Thur midday news briefs

 


Before you read the news briefs, check out the above nonsense which someone sent to me on Twitter. Of course it pisses me off.

For one thing, I would never wear thigh high boots over fishnet stockings. That's simply doing too much.  Not to mention that the boots don't even match the leotard, which I would also never wear because I'm more of a basic black or blue pants suit.  With matching shoes.

Next let's talk about the cape . . . Ew! Okay that's enough about the cape. 

And then there is the wig? Really?

I know the artist's goal was to convey a point, which obviously seems to be that LGBTQ people are loud, oppressive, anti-Christian and cannot dress for shit. I'm not in agreement with the first three points, but I can deal with them

But the tacky dress part? Don't make me pull out my razor.

Onto the news briefs:

A Trumper harassed & shouted slurs at a trans “Drag Race” queen. She got the last laugh. -"Drag Race alum Jasmine Kennedie posted him to social media. Turns out he worked for a gay establishment.... "(Editor's note - he USED to work for a gay establishment. Guess what happened to him?)


Isaac Julien’s debut U.S. exhibition ‘I Dream A World’ is a retrospective of Black queer existence, resistance & excellence - "British artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien has spent over two decades pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling, establishing himself as a pioneering voice in Black queer art — his art house film Looking for Langston is a Black queer cinema classic. Julien’s first-ever exhibition at an American museum I Dream a World is a testament to his impact, creative vision, and the powerful messages he shares through his multimedia works." 


 Planned Parenthood resumes gender-affirming care after patient backlash - Arizona branch of Planned Parenthood briefly gave in to bullies and got reminded by the community it serves to not give in.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Is Nancy Mace trying to dog whistle her way to the SC governor's mansion?

 Rumor control is that SC Congresswoman Nancy Mace is considering a run for Governor. If it's true, then the recent tweet she sent out might give an indication of how she plans to attract voters:


Mace has in the past made a spectacle of herself by picking fights with the trans leaders, allies, and the community in general.  And all the name of "women's safety, 

At least that's her claim.

Thus far, she has continuously verbally targeted trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride, threatened to fight another Congresswoman (Jasmine Crockett) for daring to question her motives, and had a trans ally arrested for assault (the charges were later dropped) when all he did was merely shake her hand.  And the day after the alleged incident, she was seen several times in the halls of Congress walking around with her arm in a sling.

With the above tweet, Mace could be indicating that she is stretching her net of scapegoating to ensnare entire LGBTQ community She is embracing the very old, but very effective, lie that schools are somehow teaching students to be LGBTQ and even the acknowledgement to kids that LGBTQ people exist is akin to teaching them about sexual intercourse, encouraging them to be transgender, or whatever the bigoted narrative may be at the time. The irony is that Mace was an "ally" to our community, but she claimed that the trans community was the reason why she turned against us.

Her eagerness to embrace the ugliest smears about our entire community pretty much says that she was lying.

Or in layman's terms, full of shit.

According to Mace's former employees (Mace was labeled as a toxic boss with a 100 percent turnover rate in The New Republic), she absolutely craves attention. There is even a story confirmed by former staffers that Mace wanted to confront the mob who rioted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 with the goal of getting roughed up.

From The Huffington Post:

Former staffers who spoke to the (Washington) Post on the condition of anonymity said Mace was furious with the former president for inciting the riots and believed video of a violent altercation would “give credence to her anti-Trump position.” 

 Three sources who spoke to The Daily Beast corroborated the Post’s report, saying they heard Mace explicitly telling staffers she intended to “get punched in the face.”

 “She literally begged us to let her leave the office and head to the floor so she could ‘get punched in the face’ and ‘get media attention,’” one former aide told The Daily Beast. “That’s word for word what she requested.” The source added that there were “several of us in the office who heard it.”

No doubt Mace is counting on the (maybe fair, maybe unfair) reputation of South Carolina as a redder than red state to ride a wave of bigotry and ignorance to the governor's mansion. Whatever the case may be, I would suggest that South Carolina's LGBTQ community start preparing themselves just in case.  

And above all, be ready for anything.

Mace has also been called a joke by former staffers, but that doesn't mean her possible political aspirations shouldn't be taken seriously.  As the present situation in the White House should tell us, political jokes who actually win are no longer funny. 

And that's probably because the voters get hit with the punchline.

Monday, April 14, 2025

'The courts hand Trump a loss in his transphobic war against Maine' & other Mon/ Tue news briefs


Editor's note
- Just doing my part for the anti-Trump resistance. We won the first war in 2020, but apparently some folks got forgetful AND stupid. So, we are at an ugly moment in this country's history which is akin to the Friday the 13th horror movie franchise mixed with George Orwell's book, 1984.

Trump administration ordered to unfreeze funding in dispute with Maine over transgender students - Trump is already disregarding court decisions in two other cases. Will this be number three? Still, glad to see the courts trying to put a roadblock against his stupidity. 

How one Maine high school became the center of Trump's war on trans student athletes - This is how it all began: 

It started with a track meet. A transgender girl on the Greely High School track team in Maine had won a pole-vaulting event, and a state politician took to Facebook to complain. The lawmaker not only circulated the girl’s name but included a side-by-side image of her competing in the boy’s division two years before. As the Feb. 17 post went viral in conservative media, it drew the attention of the Trump administration, which had, in an executive order, effectively banned transgender students from participating in girls' and women's sports.

 President Donald Trump confronted Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, demanding that her state comply with the order. She hasn’t agreed. And the school district hasn’t backed down. Now Greely High School is at the center of a conflict over Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. On Friday, the Trump administration moved to pull all federal education funding — a major escalation risking over $200 million per year for Maine schools. 

Transgender pilot falsely linked to DC plane crash sues conservative influencer, alleging defamation - And I hope she wins. 

Hungary passes constitutional amendment banning public LGBTQ+ events - The struggle is always worldwide, y'all. 

Bowen Yang opens up about 'healing' after his parents put him in conversion therapy - Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang gives a powerful story about having to go through 'ex-gay' therapy. 

16 gay NFL players who proved that LGBTQ+ athletes belong in football - HELLO! We are representing in pro football!

Tuesday, April 08, 2025

J.K. Rowling throws hissy fit after John Oliver nukes hysteria about trans athletes

 
Comedian John Oliver calls out the hysteria about trans athletes for the lie that it is and gets (former gay ally and present transphobe) Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling all upset. His entire segment is above for those who want to see it. Rowling's hissy fit and Oliver's response is below. 

Good job, John!


Sunday, April 06, 2025

Pictures: 'Hands Off' protest in Columbia, SC hoping to send a message to Donald Trump and Elon Musk

On Saturday, my city of Columbia, SC joined a vast multitude of other cities across the nation in "Hands Off" mass rallies and protests. Folks were expressing their anger at various actions of the Trump Administration including illegal deportations, tanking the economy via brainless tariffs against our allies, allowing billionaire Elon Musk to gut government agencies, attacks against African-Americans, the LGBTQ community, and other non-white communities, etc etc.

For me not to feel like a hypocrite in posting the following pictures, I admit that I was reticent about these mass protests. A lot of African-Americans feel the same and some of us made the point to say we were staying out of it. 

I'm not trying to speak for everyone, but a lot of us feel a general sense of betrayal due to the election. We showed up and did what we were supposed to, but some folks and groups who should have known better (particularly members of the Muslim and Latino communities and progressives) deliberately failed to do their duty on election day. They either did not vote at all, voted for Trump, or voted third party (hello Jill Stein) under the delusions that they were somehow "punishing" the Democratic party for certain offenses or that Trump could be trusted.

These people know who they are, and I know that a large number of them took place in Saturday's protests without any self-realization (or maybe with full self-realization) that if they weren't so damn stubborn, Trump wouldn't be perched in the Oval Office now like some vulgarly orange vulture.

Having said all of that, Saturday's mass protests was a good step in the positive direction. But it remains to be seen whether folks will keep up the anger AND FOCUS when it's time to vote again.

















Thursday, April 03, 2025

Hot Mess Mace - a look back at Nancy Mace's embarrassing transphobia as charges against advocate she accused of assaulting her are dropped

When Congresswoman Nancy Mace had a pro-trans advocate arrested for merely shaking her hand, she faced a huge onslaught of social media ridicule such as the above meme. The charges against the gentleman have been unsurprisingly dropped.


Charges dropped against trans advocate falsely accused of assault by Nancy Mace for giving her a firm handshake - Not surprising. In her bid to get attention, Mace smeared the trans community and had a supporter of the community arrested on a false claim that he had assaulted her. All he did was shake her hand. Mace got the attention she wanted, but with it came a lot of deserved ridicule. Rumor control is that she's going to be running for the governor's seat in South Carolina. If so, we will see if her shameless grandstanding reaps benefits. Or will the mockery of her embarrassingly obvious attempts do her ambitions in. 

Related posts - These posts below is a reminder of the depths Mace has crawled through thus far in her bed for public attention while scapegoating trans Americans:




In other news: 

Trump administration axes more than $125m in LGBTQ health funding, upending research field - Just madness. And those who voted for this will have to learn the hard way.

Hate influencer Chaya Raichik harasses trans teacher & forces her to resign - THIS is depressing because it only empowers Raichik to do worse. 

USA Fencing disqualifies female fencer for refusing to fight trans opponent - Good. Gurl, bye. Stop trying to get your moment. 

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

'Fox News pundit mocks co-host for criticizing illegal deportation of 'gay barber'' & other Tue/Wed news briefs

Fox News pundit Jesse Watters


Jesse Watters Mocks Co-Host For Criticizing Deportation of Innocent Man: ‘You’ve Been Talking About This Gay Barber For Weeks’ - There is something seriously wrong with America and it's Fox News. Trump is merely a symptom. If it weren't for Fox News, Trump probably wouldn't have been seen as a serious presidential candidate. Trump will one day go on his way, but as long as Fox News exists, this country will have ugly division problems. And the saddest thing is that probably everyone in the national news and on Capitol Hill knows this. 


 A Mississippi cafe made a discount for straight couples only. Now, other restaurants are hitting back - Good for the other restaurants to strike back at this madness. 

Out gay figure skaters win two medals at 2025 world championships, with one making history - "It was largely a success for the six out LGBTQ figure skaters at this weekend’s world championships in Boston, with one athlete helping his country win a medal for the first time in 31 years." 

UNC Charlotte researcher’s grant cut for focusing on LGBTQ health, she says - Trying shut down our ability to improve our lives and health.