Tuesday, June 17, 2025

'Trump Administration hit with two major court losses in attacks against trans community and DEI' & other Tue/Wed news briefs



Judge blocks Trump anti-trans passport policy - The trans community gets a major win in court against the Trump Administration.

Judge deems Trump's cuts to National Institutes of Health illegal - Trump's war on DEI also suffers a major loss in court. 

Columbia City Council votes to repeal conversion therapy ban after weeks of debate - But the Columbia, SC LGBTQ community suffer a loss after a long fight. SC Attorney General Alan Wilson strong-armed the city council by threatening a lawsuit while state Republican legislators threatened to withhold millions of dollars if they didn't. Wilson did this because he's running for governor. 

Trump anti-trans EO could deny health care to Democrats, unmarried vets - Yet another example of how exploiting transphobia to pass rules is not only dangerous to the trans community, but a lot of other communities, too.



Sunday, June 15, 2025

'Could have used some drag queens' - Trump's military parade is epic disaster and social media goes for the jugular.

Editor's note - It is with regret that I inform you that there will be no pictures posted from Outfest. The heat of the afternoon during the event put me in a bad physical state and therefore I was unable to take what I feel would be suitable pictures. Still, Outfest was a huge success and South Caroline Pride should be commended for all of its hard work.

In that same respect, whenever a door is closed, God creates an open window. Other events on Saturday included nationwide No Kings protests opposing Donald Trump's bad policies and Trump's controversial military pride.

The No Kings protests were also a huge success. In contrast, Trump's military parade flopped. Badly. And social media was bloodthirsty in cataloguing it. Below are just a few the MANY ways social media documented Trump's failure.  Seeing these examples are a perfect way of reminding ourselves in the coming days, weeks, month, and (ew!) years of Trump's time in office of just how much of an egotistical disaster this man is and how we will slowly but surely overcome him and the shameful level of bullshit he has brought to our country. There will be good days like this and bad days, but trash like Donald Trump and his sycophants won't ever win if we fight hard and nonstop. 

Since this my blog, I get the first smacks:


Then there were the other tweets, just as merciless:

And the articles about the parade are BRUTAL:







Finally, the cherry on top of this stale cake is Fox News pundit Rebekah Koffler appearing to be highly intoxicated (drunk off of her ass) while trying to praise Trump's parade:

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

'MAGA pastor wants God to break gay men's wrists' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Editor's note - There is so much going on that I'm posting more news briefs. Mostly though, I am busy getting some things settled and Outfest, the LGBTQ block party in Columbia SC and precursor to South Carolina Pride in October, is happening this weekend. Since many of you voiced enjoyment of my pictures of last year's event, I'm going to be busy with the camera again this year

 MAGA pastor John Amanchukwu

MAGA hate pastor says drama programs cause “perversion” & asks God to break gay men’s wrists - You can see the clip below. While we should never take anything these idiots say lightly, when I hear his nonsense, I take satisfaction in knowing that people like him have failed to destroy us in the past. And they will continue to fail. And his comments are ridiculous. God not only created drama programs specifically for gay men, but He also made our wrists flexibly unbreakable. So there.


In other news: 

Wanda Sykes on why LGBTQ+ people must support the trans community: “It’s the ‘T’ that’s getting all the hate right now” - Yep. Some of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters want to desert trans people. Don't be so dumb that you forget where you came from. There is not LGB without the T and Q. You may want to think the anti-LGBTQ industry will leave u alone because they are supposedly so busy attacking trans people, but don't be so stupid. They got us all in the same boat and are drilling holes in the bottom. 

Southern Baptist delegates at national meeting overwhelmingly call for banning same-sex marriage - This isn't news. Those hypocritical SOBs live for trying to give us hell. If you want to really shock people, write an article about them extending fellowship to LGBTQ people.


Trump wants to cut LGBTQ crisis hotline. NJ counselors say it will have fatal consequences - Trump isn't even trying to pretend that he likes us, unlike his first term.

Monday, June 09, 2025

'Republicans slip in an anti-LGBTQ 'religious freedom' clause into funding bill' & other Mon/Tue news briefs




Republicans quietly slip 'religious freedom' clause into funding bill - Always with the bullshit from the GOP: 

House Republicans have inserted anti-LGBTQ language into a $66 billion must-pass funding bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, effectively granting civil immunity under federal law to individuals and organizations that discriminate against same-sex couples—by citing a religious or moral belief that marriage should be limited to one man and one woman. It also bans the federal government from taking a range of actions against those who hold and act on anti-same-sex marriage beliefs. 




Thursday, June 05, 2025

Video - Gay Coded Movie Villains from Golden Age Hollywood

 
I wasn't going to post anything but when I saw this video, I couldn't resist. Those who followed my long-running, now defunct Friday feature Know Your LGBT History are aware of my passion for old films and television shows which showed positive (and negative) portrayals of LGBTQ people. The above video falls into that category.

From the YouTube site Golden Age History:

In the glimmering shadows of Golden Age Hollywood, where the glitz of the silver screen often masked darker truths, a surprising number of villains emerged with a complex, coded identity. These characters, shrouded in ambiguity and subtext, offered a glimpse into a world where queerness was hinted at but rarely acknowledged, leaving audiences to decipher the hidden meanings behind their chilling performances. Today, we’ll explore the gayest villains of Golden Age Hollywood films, unearthing the layers of repression and desire that fueled their menacing personas. From Hitchcock’s psychological thrillers to the sharp wit of noir classics, these characters not only challenged societal norms but also created a legacy that resonates with modern viewers. Prepare to uncover the secrets behind these iconic antagonists and the subtext that made them unforgettable.

 I've only got one complaint. The video spotlights Addison DeWitt from the movie All About Eve as a coded gay character. However, Eve Harrington (one of the movie's leading characters) would have been a better choice. Several hints were given about her being lesbian (the scene with her roommate and another scene at the end featuring the young lady who snuck into her hotel room.)

Tuesday, June 03, 2025

Hate group claims that LGBTQ people have billions of dollars devoted to recruiting children.

 I don't mean to sound jaded, but I bristle whenever I hear one of my LGBTQ folks say something like "It's 2025! I can't believe people say or believe (choose your anti-LGBTQ claim or slur) anymore. I thought we were over that."

As appealing as it is to dream of a world where certain ugly smears aren't believed or certain ugly slurs aren't said, that dream isn't ever going to be a reality. Hatred motivated by fear and ignorance will always be with us. It's never going away and nothing we can do or say will change that.

For example, this is what the bigots were saying about LGBTQ people - specifically gay men - in the 1980s:



Fast forward to 2025 and read this email which I received from anti-LGBTQ hate group the American Family Association:


The pro-homosexual, pro-transgender mafia won’t stop coming after America’s kids and grandkids. 

 Ten years ago this month, the Obergefell Supreme Court decision unleashed a satanic breakout in the sexual war against America and Christianity. 

 Five judicial tyrants in Washington, D.C., forced homosexual marriage on every square inch of America. The effect has been a national nightmare—and we can’t seem to wake up.

 The Obergefell decision led to the Bostock decision, which elevated the mental disorder of transgenderism to the status of a civil right. If you “discriminate” against a man who thinks he is a woman, radical lawyers and prosecutors can come after you! 

 But the ultimate target has been children. 

 The cultural explosion led to the spread of Drag Queen Story Hour . . . men in girls’ sports and bathrooms . . . the pharmaceutical and surgical sexual mutilation of children . . . and an epidemic of sex crimes.

The nightmare is still happening. Yes, the Trump administration is pushing back. Praise God! But candidly, it won’t be enough without grassroots action.

 As I write this, schools near San Diego are zealously enforcing a California state law that mandates tampons in boys’ restrooms in every elementary school. The tampons in grade school boys’ bathrooms are required by the “Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021.”

 Parents are crying out . . . to no avail. These could be your kids or grandkids! This insanity is damaging the minds of children as young as kindergarten, mentally molesting them. 

 The larger goal is to hijack their bodies for sexual perversion by creating a culture with no sexual boundaries.

 In Texas, with five million students, a massive school district is calling a girl a “boy”—against the parents’ explicit desire. 

 LGBTQ radicals won’t stop. They are spiritually driven. Plus, they have billions of dollars and influence in the media. Rogue judges in local, state, and federal courts favor their cause. And they have declared, “We want your children!”

Lawd! That's a big ole ball of crazy right there. A lot of this doesn't need refuting because:

A. It rightfully comes across as completely insane to folks with good sense.
B. The folks who would believe this madness obviously don't have good sense, so attempting to refute it for their benefit is a waste of time.

But there is one thing I would like to touch on because it's nagging the hell out of me.

 Just when did the LGBTQ community get billions of dollars? AFA didn't say "thousands" or "millions" or even "one billion." According to the AFA, we've got BILLIONS and all devoted to "recruiting children." Well, that's not practical, particularly when I thought we are also jailing Christians and whatever else AFA and groups like it accuse us of doing. 

My point is as much as we wish it were so, homophobia, transphobia, and all other types of hatred aren't going away. Hatred always changes by adapting to suit whatever fear or resentment is out there. AFA used to smear just gay men. Now it has widened its net of nuttiness to rope in trans people, while still claiming that our pursuit of equality is a conspiracy to snare children - a conspiracy it also claims involves courts and judges.

But while we can't make hatred go away, we can hinder it as much as we can by calling it out, not letting it stop us from getting our hearts desire, and in this case - laughing at the inanity it entails.

Monday, June 02, 2025

Short film gives simple and exact understanding about what Pride is all about

 Pride Month 2025 is here, and I expect it to be a busy month for both good and reasons. I could go into a blog post about LGBTQ American history or remind folks that this particular Pride Month will probably be difficult times because the enemies of our equality feel empowered by the Trump Administration.

We've got plenty of time for that. 

Right now, I am posting the above video as a reminder of why not only Pride Month but the LGBTQ struggle for equality, health, and self-determination are important. I've posted the video before and will probably do so many times in the future because it's one of my favorites.

It makes the point better than any commentary I could write. Two young boys are going on a date to a school dance. Just like heterosexual couples do. Nothing spooky or sexual, just two young kids enjoying a school function in each other's company. 

And there isn't a thing wrong with it. Granted, there will be some folks who will screech about "sexualizing" or "grooming" even though there is nothing resembling any of these things in this video. But when you ignore the screeching and just pay attention to the message of the film, you get a simple but exact understanding about what Pride is all about.

It's about the right to function without any fears of having to deal reprisals from ignorant people, whether that function is getting married, obtaining employment, building a family and raising kids, or even simply going to a school dance with someone you like.

Hell, it's about being able to walk down any street in America without being hassled or physically attacked because someone doesn't like to see you holding hands with your partner, or the way you walk or what you're wearing.

It's about the right to be. To exist on your terms and not the religious or stereotypical terms of other people, the vast majority not even knowing you and not caring to either. It's about going through the scary rites of life without your fears being compounded by someone who can't stand your existence. Basically, it's about the ability to decide what you will do in your life and not someone else deciding for you.

 It's about being a human being.