Clemson coach disassociates himself from anti-gay group after backlash from SC lgbts, allies

Dabo Swinney

In terms of lgbt activism, states like New York and California or the cities therein seem to grab all of the attention.

It's easy to forget that other states have lgbt activists who fight the good fight and generally win.

Take South Carolina for example, where folks got together and convinced Clemson's football coach Dabo Swinney not to attend an event held by an anti-gay group:

After protests over Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney's scheduled attendance at an event for a conservative group that opposes gay marriage, Swinney said Wednesday he is not taking part.

"After much thought, in order to avoid a distraction for the team and the entire football program, I've decided it is in the best interests of all involved that I not attend the event on June 2," he told The Huffington Post in a statement.

 . . . Swinney was scheduled to be honored June 2 at a fundraiser in Columbia, South Carolina, by the council, which says its "vision is to transform the culture in South Carolina by promoting the values and virtues of marriage, the traditional family model, and sexual purity."

GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes said in a statement: "Coach Swinney has an obligation to the players he leads and all students who attend Clemson to use his considerable profile to promote causes that bring us together, not tear us apart. The Palmetto Family Council's values are out of line with the values of love and acceptance for all people, and I hope the Coach will reconsider the message that his alignment with them sends."

Earlier, LGBT supporters, led by student William Ta'oma, launched a Change.org petition calling for Swinney to reconsider the invitation 

Even a state legislator, Todd Rutherford, called for Swinney to turn down the invite:

“I find it highly inappropriate that Coach Swinney would appear at a fundraiser for an organization that is so openly discriminatory and politically motivated,” the House Minority Leader said in a statement published by The State. “I cannot fathom why Coach Swinney or anyone else would knowingly assist a group whose mission is to fight against equal rights and equal treatment of others.”

Jeffy Ayers, interim director of SC Equality, praised Swinney's decision to withdraw.  “We commend Coach Swinney for having the courage to stand up and show this respect for diversity," he said. “Clemson students, alumni, faculty, and staff come from all walks of life, and we rely on role models like Coach Swinney to show the world that South Carolina’s community leaders will not stand for intolerance and hate.”

So this is somewhat of a victory, but I have a caveat.

The Palmetto Family Council goes way beyond opposing marriage equality. It also pushes totally inaccurate information about lgbts. On the portion of its webpage talking about "sexuality," PFC links to a Family Research Council brochure entitled The Top Ten Harms of Same-Sex Marriage. This brochure is filled with errors, including distortions of legitimate scientific work and studies deliberately taken out of context.

In addition, PFC also links to the discredited organization NARTH, or the  National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. This group promotes the unproven idea that people can change their sexual orientation. This theory has been condemned by many legitimate scientific groups, such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association.

Those protesting against Swinney's appearance at the PFC event actually did him a favor. He would have been helping to promote the above mess by his appearance.

And what message would that send to lgbt football players he could potentially coach?

'Ireland vote for marriage equality affirms religious beliefs' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Why Thousands Of Catholics Voted For Marriage Equality In Ireland - Marriage equality being passed via a referendum in Ireland was not a repudiation of the Catholic Church but an affirmation of the Catholic religion. Discuss.  

Ireland Gay Marriage Vote Is A 'Defeat For Humanity,' Vatican Official Says - Speaking of the Catholic Church, they aren't exactly pouring champagne over the passage of marriage equality in Ireland. 

Don't fall for Marco Rubio's phony fear of so-called 'intolerant' gays - Repeating my post from last night because it just sticks in my craw that Marco Rubio can get away with labeling gays as intolerant on a program owned by a man who falsely blamed gays for 9/11 (Pat Robertson) and NO ONE in the media notes the irony. 

 Audio: Will you please stop 'attacking' NOM president for saying your sexual orientation, family are 'disordered'? - Yeah, cause that sort of thing is . . . "intolerant" . . . I guess. 

 More Advertisers Drop '19 Kids And Counting' In Wake Of Child Molestation Scandal - Cash. Rules. Everything.  

Roy Moore: Impeach Ruth Bader Ginsburg Over Gay Marriage Case - And in similar news, I want that hot movie writer and producer Mike White to come knocking on my door with wedding ring in hand. Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Don't fall for Marco Rubio's phony fear of so-called 'intolerant' gays

Sen. Rubio exploits his faith to obscure bigotry.

"Claiming that gays are intolerant on a television show owned by the man who falsely blamed gays for the worst terrorist attack on American soil strikes me as something an actual Christian couldn't do with a straight face.But Rubio did with not only a straight face but also with a figurative fake halo over his head."

There is no polite way to put this so I am just going to come out and say it.

Senator Marco Rubio is a liar. He is a charlatan. He is a fraud who is no different than so many so-called Bible-believing Republicans who exploit religion and "their faith" in an effort to provide cover for their homophobia.

Today, he was given a friendly interview on Pat Robertson's 700 Club in which he played "the game" pretty good. Amongst other things, he said:

“We are at the water’s edge of the argument that mainstream Christian teaching is hate speech,” he explained, “because today we’ve reached the point in our society where if you do not support same-sex marriage, you are labeled a homophobe and a hater. So what’s the next step after that, after they’re done going after individuals? The next step is to argue that the teachings of mainstream Christianity, the catechism of the Catholic Church, is hate speech. That’s a real and present danger.”

The "game" I speak of  has been played on many occasions and by many people from one-note politicians to two-bit media hacks with badly researched books to sell. It's the claim that gays are actually the intolerant ones and that we are automatically labeling "Christians" as haters and bigots if we don't agree with their speech or beliefs.

It's a deliberate tactic used by those against marriage equality  and it is designed to take attention away from the actual folks we should be concerned about, i.e. same-sex families and their children.

And the tactic also has a much more nefarious purpose. It also takes attention away from a crucial part of the battle over marriage equality and lgbt equality in general. Rubio and those on his side can take about their "faith" continuously, but note that while they do this, they never talk about their tactics.

Tactics like deliberately playing the African-American and gay community against one another,

or implying that marriage equality will corrupt and indoctrinate children, even while one of their leaders said that this idea was a deliberate lie,

or attempting to deceive the Supreme Court with a phony study speaking about the so-called negative effects of same-sex households.

Even if you didn't talk about these things, one shouldn't forget whose program on which Rubio chose to espouse his faith. The 700 Club, owned by Pat Roberston, i.e. the same man who (along with the late Jerry Falwell) blamed 9/11 partly on gays.

Claiming that gays are intolerant on a television show owned by the man who falsely blamed gays for the worst terrorist attack on American soil strikes me as something an actual Christian couldn't do with a straight face.

But Rubio did with not only a straight face but also with a figurative fake halo over his head.

And even if one ignored all of those things, Rubio still has some explaining to do regarding the host of one of his fundraisers who has ties to an African dictator who endorsed gay beheadings.

Naturally, Rubio won't mention these offenses committed by those on his side of the argument or himself.  He will just drone on and on about his faith and how he feels that his beliefs are in danger of being labeled as "intolerant." Meanwhile, people will ignore the tactics those on his side commit, which are the reasons why they are referred to as bigots or homophobes.

It's not Rubio's beliefs which are the problem. It's what he may be deliberately omitting that's the problem. That is crux of the matter. That is the reason why Rubio is such a fake Christian  in a congregation of evangelical and ecclesiastical liars. He is the epitome of what religious right conservatives are in contrast to what they claim to be.

Don't be deceived by people like Rubio. Their eyes may be looking towards heaven, but you can't mistake the smell of brimstone on their bodies.

'Conservatives, religious right learn NOTHING from Josh Duggar scandal' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Marco Rubio: Gay Rights 'A Real And Present Danger' To Freedom - Conservatives, religious right learn NOTHING from Josh Duggar scandal Part 1 

Religious Right Groups Warn Gay Boy Scout Leaders Will Sexually Molest And Recruit Boys Into Homosexuality - Conservatives, religious right learn NOTHING from Josh Duggar scandal Part 2.

Texas House To Consider Horrific Anti-LGBT Adoption Amendment - It never ends with these people . . . 

Pastor’s Wife Says Josh Duggar Was Just ‘Playing Doctor’ And Blames Victims - Guuuuurrrllllllll!

 Graduation to Womanhood: Being Transgender at a Southern College - Awesome story!! 

Inside Out: Portraits Of Cross-Gender Children' Beautifully Documents Transgender Kids - Wonderful!

Video of a pro-marriage equality landslide vote in Ireland!

 Last week, Ireland became the first country ever to pass marriage equality through a public referendum and the vote wasn't even a nailbiter. A huge majority of voters (over 60 percent) showed  that they were in favor of marriage equality. Enjoy the video of a nation of happy lgbt couples and their supporters.

And ask yourself, why are some people so afraid of this.

'Fans rush to defend Josh Duggar' & other Friday midday news briefs

‘Boys are curious': Meet the Duggar defenders using religion to excuse fondling your sleeping sisters - Even in the midst of the scandal, Josh Duggar and his family has their defenders . . . 

‘Here are 6 of the most horrifying examples of the Duggars’ homophobia  - . . . who seem to not only justify what Duggars did but also miss the big point of hypocrisy.  
 
Montel Williams Goes Off on ‘Scumbag’ Josh Duggar: ‘Gay People Are the Danger to Kids?’ - Montel Williams gets the point, though.

The Family Research Council’s Strange Statement On Josh Duggar’s Child Molestation Confession - Meanwhile, Duggar's former employer, the Family Research Council is left in a stupor because a central point it makes, i.e. gays are harmful to children, just got blown up in its face.

Josh Duggar resigns from the Family Research Council after incidents of past molestations resurface

Josh Duggar

This is NOT meant to be celebratory news. Just an observation regarding anti-gay lies and people who live in glass houses:

Josh Duggar, the eldest son of conservative icons Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting fame, has announced that he is resigning from his position at the Family Research Council following revelations that he molested several young girls, including some of his sisters according to TMZ, when he was a teenager.

In Touch magazine first published details from the 2006 police report that showed that when Duggar was 14 he confessed to his father that he had sexually molesting five young girls. But Jim Bob waited more than a year before alerting the police and his since tried to keep the felony investigation out of the public eye.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” the now 27-year-old Josh Duggar told People magazine in a statement Thursday. “I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.” 

Duggars, as well as other members of his family were vocal regarding their stance against lgbt equality, particularly marriage equality.  According to the Huffington Post:

 The Duggar family has found themselves in the midst of several controversies surrounding LGBT issues. In August, Michelle Duggar narrated a robocall asking voters to oppose a bill aimed at strengthening protections for transgender residents of Fayetteville, Arkansas. And in November, the family allegedly removed photos of a same-sex couple kissing from their Facebook page.

Last year, Duggar led a rally against marriage equality in Arkansas when he said the following:

“Arkansans should not face the threat of fines or being sued for living out the deeply-held convictions of their faith. We have the First Amendment in this nation, and we have the right to live out our faith. The rally will send a strong reminder to Arkansas Supreme Court Justices that an overwhelming majority of voters, 75 percent, voted to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman,”

Right Wing Watch points out that in December of last year, he led a campaign to defeat a non-discrimination ordinance in Arkansas, claiming that it would threatened the safety of children.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of words. But as I said before, this is nothing to celebrate. Just a reminder that those who become so high and mighty that they see nothing wrong with scapegoating  others would be best served to remember what is hiding in their own dark closets before pointing the finger.