Religious right hopes to con Georgia with newest 'anti-Christian persecution' victim

Eric Walsh, the religious right's 'religious liberty' symbol.

In the past, the religious right  has always played the "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle" card in order to fight our advancing equality. In the wake of minds changing about the lgbt community and several high-profile losses (including in the case of marriage equality), they have shifted their argument by playing the "persecution card."

It's a simple tactic. They exploit a public incident by exaggerating it immensely and publicizing it even more (making sure to control the conversation) in order to advance an argument that the progression of lgbt equality will lead "Christians" to lose their businesses and rights if they don't kowtow regardless of their religious beliefs.

'The lgbt community outlasts another bigot, but . . .' & other Wed midday news briefs

We laugh at overt homophobia but can't fight it when it's covertly semantic.

R.I.P. Jack Chick – Here’s His Top 5 Most Homophobic Religious Tracts - One of the most offensive homophobes has passed away but his awful characterizations of the lgbt community lives on. The lgbt community has outlasted another enemy, but as the next article demonstrates, what Jack Chick overtly put out can still be used against us in a covertly semantic manner and our leaders lose easily lose their heads instead of knowing how to fight it. 

Top LGBT Leaders Are Divided Over Compromising On The Bathroom Fight - Easily the most depressing article of the year: 

Conservatives have blocked LGBT nondiscrimination bills by claiming transgender people pose a threat in women’s restrooms. How to break the logjam? Some LGBT leaders say it’s time to support bills that cover housing and employment, but not public accommodations — and largely avoid the bathroom issue. 

Yeah, because the religious right won't see this as a capitulation and transfer their fear tactics to other fights. After all, it's not like they don't want us to have SOME rights. Listen. When it comes to lgbt equality, the big elephant in the room has always been the organizations who move people via exploitation of religion and fears about the lgbt community. They did it by aligning gay men with pedophilia, lgbts in general with AIDS, or our desire to marry to a desire to destroy Christianity. And now is the newest model of scaring people with images of "boys showering with girls" or "grown men using the bathroom with little girls." These are all the same fear tactics and lies repeated for as long as I can remember, but we don't publicly recognize them or call them out an aggressive manner.  In our fight for equality, we have yet to confront groups like the Family Research Council and people like Franklin Graham on the level they should be confronted. Our leadership seems to wait until they make the first move and then play defense and catch-up. Instead of fighting individual battles, there needs to be a GENERAL calling out of religious right groups and their tactics. In naming some of these organizations as hate groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center did a lot of that. But we should have and we still can. This so-called cultural battle should never be about why the lgbt community is deserving of equality under the law. The onus should be on the groups who seek to deny us that right. We have proven ourselves time and time again in the courts and in the marketplace of ideas. We should constantly ask organizations like FRC, the American Family Association and people like Bryan Fischer and Franklin Graham, "why do you all feel that we shouldn't have equality. And most of all, what's with all of the lies you tell in the name of morality and Christianity?"

 Bisexual Guys Open Up About Their Experiences Dating Both Men And Women - There are sa lot of myths about the bisexual community which need to be refuted.  

How Implicit Bias Affects the Health of Black Gay Men - Siiiiigh!

Political ad featuring mother of Pulse Nightclub victim is the one people should watch

I will be honest. I cringe when it comes to using victims of tragedies in political ads. Having said that, this ad packs a wallop. It features Christine Leinonen, the mother of Christopher “Drew” Leinonen — a young man shot and killed along with his boyfriend, Juan Guerrero, and 47 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Ms. Leinonen talks about how her son supported Hillary Clinton and why it is important why we should vote for Clinton. It's both sad but very tasteful and also to the point. I commend Ms. Leinonen for her courage and bravery in the face of her loss.

The Golden Girls starring Trump, Pence, and Putin

 I apologize for my lack of posts today and I can't really blame the election for this one. A serious personal family matter kept me busy. It's all taken care of now and it reminded me just how blessed I am to have so many people concerned about me and my family.

On that note, I'm just going to go lighthearted and repost a video which I think gives an almost good conceptualization of this presidential election. I say "almost" because recent events lead me to believe that Korean dictator Kim Jong-un should be replaced by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (I just know I'm going to catch hell for that one):

Support of Trump exposes ugliness, hypocrisy of religious right

If there is one good thing which comes out of this nasty election (other than the desired result), it's that the need for power has exposed the religious right. In supporting Donald Trump in spite of all of his many moral flaws, groups like the Family Research Council and people like Franklin Graham have revealed that their so-called Christian faces (under which they also demonize lgbts) are merely a mask. Behind that mask are power hungry, egotistical entities willing to work around the values they claim to uphold.

And if you need more proof of this, check out the following tweets, courtesy of People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch.

They are from a Trump rally at Regent University, the "Christian" college founded by televangelist and The 700 Club host Pat Robertson:

Hillary Clinton head on a pike at Donald Trump's Regent U rally pic.twitter.com/HhbBzB4iwF

— Peter Montgomery (@petemont) October 22, 2016

Sold at Trump rally at Regent U pic.twitter.com/NB57JJlQHV

— Peter Montgomery (@petemont) October 22, 2016

 
You can see more here (if you can stomach it).

'17 horror movies only lgbt people fully understand' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Scenes like this made 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 2' a covertly gay horror movie.

17 Horror Films Only LGBT People Understand - Yes, I am leading the news briefs with a frivolous article? Why? Because this election (even though it's careening to the desired results) is bringing me down. And I suspect that it's also doing it to a lot of my lgbt brothers and sisters. So let's be frivolous for a second (even though the list makes a huge error by omitting the original Fright Night (1985).

'We Won!': Trans Girl Can Now Use Girls' Bathroom at Military School - Victory in a controversy I mentioned last week.  

Gay Republican group praises Trump even after voting not to endorse him - I swear, those Log Cabin Republicans . . .  

10 Things LGBT People (And Everyone Else) Should Consider Before Getting Married - In my case, it's finding a groom. 

 Trump campaign mischaracterizes ISIS as anti-gay donor to Clinton - A mischaracterization which should have been tackled a long time ago.

Accommodating transgender students shouldn't be difficult

An interview from a while back but highly educational. Nathan Smith from GLSEN talks about why it isn't (or rather shouldn't e) difficult to accommodate our transgender youth in schools.