USA Today article doesn't tell complete story of how 'pro-family' groups lie to undermine LGBTQ rights and safety

So-called pro-family groups have created an industry of lies against LGBTQ people, many of them pushing the 'gays want to recruit your children' trope.

On Wednesday, a USA Today article revealed that legislation across the country banning trans athletes from girls sports is based on lies. The article went viral and generated much discussion. And amidst the discussions were folks saying "we told you so." 

I should know because one of those people was me. Those who have followed this blog know that its main purpose is to expose anti-LGBTQ propaganda and lies. 

Denigrating LGBTQ people via junk science, cherry-picked science, and lies have been cornerstone of religious right groups such as the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Heritage Foundation, the American Family Association, and countless other so-called pro-family and 'traditional values' groups across the country. 

The USA Today article, talking about a specific political debate, didn't begin to tell the full story.  There are several times in which these so-called traditional values groups have been caught misrepresenting information to denigrate LGBTQ people and families:

In 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center identified several arguments made against LGBTQ people by 'pro-family' groups (i.e. gays molest children at a higher rate than heterosexuals, same-sex parents damage children, homosexuality is caused by child sexual abuse etc) and found that those arguments were based upon - wait for it - lies and scientific distortions. SPLC declared organizations deliberately  pushing these lies to be hate groups

In Oct. 2014, Politifact called out the Family Research Council and its president, Tony Perkins, for misusing studies to claim that science backs up the belief that children do better in a mother/father home.

And here are a few others which I have called out in the past:

In 2017, the The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine  (SAHM) called out Dr. Michelle Cretella, the president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACEP), for a piece she wrote which attacked the transgender community. ACEP  is an organization deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for how it attempts to legitimatize anti-LGBTQ lies under the veneer of science. SAHM called out eight errors and distortions  Cretella made in her piece.

In 2012, Seton Hall professor Dr. Theodora Sirota complained that Rick Fitzgibbons of the NARTH (the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) misused her work to make the case that children in same sex households are not raised better than children "in stable homes with a mother and a father."

Six researchers of a 1997 Canadian study (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. Shaughnessy, Julio Montaner, and Martin T. Schehter), complained in 2001 that religious right groups were distorting their work to claim that gay men have a short life span.

From the 1970s when Anita Bryant falsely connected homosexuality and pedophilia to now when the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research Council, etc claim that transgender girls are taking unfair advantage of cis girls, these lies have bred a lot of success. And they will continue to breed success, and a much legislation curtailing LGBTQ rights and safety, unless people begin to seriously make an effort to call them out.

The USA Today article is a start, but simply cannot be a single moment in time.

'Biden's pro-LGBTQ stance comes with a surge of anti-LGBTQ misinformation' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Ah yes. The backlash when LGBTQ people start winning even a little bit. Bring it on.

Biden's pro-LGBTQ stance comes with a surge of anti-LGBTQ misinformation - Two very good articles about religious right lies on the same day? Apparently the USA Today wants me to bear its children.

13-year-old transgender girl sues Florida after governor celebrated Pride Month with anti-trans law - And I hope she wins. 

State Department: Gender-Neutral Passports Coming - Good!

This UC doctor works to provide 'affirming care,' break down barriers facing LGBTQ patients - We need more like this doctor. 

I’m A Bisexual Woman. I’m Also A Christian. Here’s How I Came To Accept Myself. - Wonderful personal piece.

BUSTED! USA Today article makes strong case that attempts to ban trans athletes are based on lies and misrepresentations

A USA Today article has revealed people and groups (like the Alliance Defending Freedom - logo seen above) seeking to ban high school trans athletes have been relying on misrepresented information.

In an exceptional piece of journalism, The USA Today took a look at the efforts and groups behind statewide attempts to ban trans athletes and found a lot of lies and misrepresentation. 

It shouldn't surprise those of us in the know because every effort by religious right groups to denigrate LGBTQ people or deny us rights has been a smorgasbord of cherry-pickings, distortions, and out-and-out lies.  Exposing the anti-LGBTQ industry and calling out their history of lies is how this blog made a name for itself since 2006. 

In the spirit of all of that, I simply have to say that The USA Today article,  Conservatives want to ban transgender athletes from girls sports. Their evidence is shaky by Rachel Axon and Brent Schrotenboer is a goddamn masterpiece worthy of a Pulitzer.  

Yes, it's that good. I'm going to post snippets of it and highly suggest that folks read and share the entire article.

Excerpt 1

Grace Waggoner told lawmakers in February 2020 that her team had lost the first state tournament game it had played in decades to an opponent with a transgender player. She blamed an “unfair” Arizona Interscholastic Association policy that allows students to join teams consistent with their gender identity after going through a review. Waggoner offered few details on the athlete’s impact on the game, but bill sponsor Rep. Nancy Barto accepted it as evidence of a problem in her state.

 . . The game Waggoner referenced in her testimony turned out to be a state tournament play-in game in 2019 that Scottsdale Christian Academy lost to Heritage Academy, 16-6. Heritage Academy coach Steve LaDrigue said his team did not have a transgender player. What Waggoner didn’t say is that she’s the daughter of Kristen Waggoner, general counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom – a conservative, legal nonprofit that has pushed transgender sports bans in states across the nation. When pressed for details about the game, an ADF spokesperson said in an email, “The widespread understanding on the team – including the coach, parents, and players – was that the athlete was male.” LaDrigue guesses the suspicion fell on the team’s catcher, his daughter, because she has short hair.

Editor's note - The Alliance Defending Freedom is the group behind efforts to ban trans athletes

'Queer valedictorian's silenced LGBTQ identity speech may see federal civil rights review' & other Wed midday news briefs

Queer valedictorian's silenced LGBTQ identity speech may see federal civil rights review - Y'all shouldn't have shut down his speech.

Unsportsmanlike: The Right-Wing Attack on Transgender Women and Children — PART II - The second part of a much needed report. 

NFL proudly declares 'football is gay' in new video - Well I knew that. 

Kataluna Enriquez Becomes First Trans Woman Crowned Miss Nevada - Awesome!

EU Leaders Tell Hungary, Orban to 'Get Out' Over Anti-Gay Law - Good!

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims that learning about LGBTQ people is child abuse

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Up to now, the ridiculous exploits of Q-Anon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have been either mildly amusing to mediumly annoying. But now Miss Thing is stepping way over the line. 

Online magazine Queerty posted the following:

Following earlier attacks on embassies flying Pride flags, she yesterday took to Twitter to lambast what may or may not be on the school curriculum. Greene shared a video of a 14-year-old girl recently testifying before a school board meeting in a suburb of Indianapolis. The girl has not been named. In the clip, the youngster, who has certainly had a difficult upbringing in her formative years, talks of being a “trauma child” and of being adopted from a foster home when she was four. She complains about being taught about sexuality at school, which she believes should be a private matter. She also says she cannot see how she has white privilege, given her own background.

 

I saw the video and I refuse to share it. The child was obviously being exploited to play against the need for appropriate sex education, support for our LGBTQ kids, and teaching about historical racism.

And Ms. Greene took it a step further with the following tweet:

First of all, Greene continues to tell the lie that Critical Race Theory, a legal argument, is being taught in K-12 schools. No matter how many times this has been debunked, the lie continues to be repeated by the GOP, the conservative propaganda news industry, and the religious right.

As for that other thing about "normalizing," "sexualizing," and whatever other talking points Ms. Greene wants to throw at us, let me speak on that in another way:

Girlfriend think she's cute but on this note, she needs to check herself. She shouldn't get it twisted simply because members of Congress tolerate her hot messes. LGBTQ people have neither the time nor energy to tolerate mess. We've had to deal with with ignorant folks trying to stigmatize and dehumanize us before and we never took a backseat and allowed it to happen.

Granted, this is not the first time she has come after the LGBTQ community, so this is nothing new.  But before continuing to spout off at the mouth, Ms. Greene needs to take a tip. The LGBTQ community have been through fights like these more times than we can count. Hell, we are still going through it. We determine who we are and how we are seen. We should already have that right as Americans, but unfortunately because of people like Ms. Greene, we have to fight for it.  And we do NOT fight to lose. We fight for ourselves, our families, and future generations. We will not allow our lives to be stigmatized or diminished to suit the inflated sense of entitlement of homophobes, bigots and all-around ignorant people.

That especially includes a bothersome young Congresswoman whose 15 minutes of fame is steadily running out. 

Don't come for the LGBTQ community unless we send for you, Ms. Greene. And we won't be sending for you any time soon.

'Why SCOTUS decision on trans youth Gavin Grimm is major LGBTQ victory' & other Tue midday news briefs

SCOTUS Decision on Trans Youth Gavin Grimm Is Major LGBTQ+ Victory - More about this important victory which caught us by surprise. 

The right is attacking trans people as a part of its 'critical race theory' political tactic - I mentioned this last week.

Pride means knowing LGBTQ history — including that of Indigenous Two-Spirit people - We should know all of our history. And that includes pre-Stonewall.

20 LGBTQ Movies Everyone Should Watch At Least Once - How many have any of you seen? 

This service rep just won Pride with her response to a customer upset about rainbow marketing - The work continues. 

California bans state-funded travel to five new states over anti-LGBTQ laws - Good for California!

Anti-gay pastor still upset at Trump's loss, calls Biden a pedophile and Harris a 'Jezebel demon'

 A wonderful side benefit to Trump no longer being in office is how it has affected some members of the religious right. It's as if Jesus came down from Heaven and slapped them. A lot of it has to do with how much egg many of them have on their faces from the embarrassment of having to explain pre-election day assurances that God said Trump would win. Some admitted they were wrong and others made excuses.

And then there are folks like Pastor Greg Locke of the Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee. 

That last statement is not altogether accurate. I doubt there are any pastors like Locke. He is in a class by himself and that's not necessarily a good thing.

Locked predicted that Trump would win. And now that the election is over, he is still claiming that Trump won.  

And it gets better (or worse, or more comical depending on your sense of mood.) During a  recent sermon, Locke had some very vulgar things to about President Biden, Vice President Harris, and various Hollywood celebrities. He called them a bunch of sex-trafficking perverts, making sure to single out Harris by calling her a 'Jezebel demon.' Then came the claims that there are child trafficking tunnels under the Capitol and the White House.

Right-wing pastor Greg Locke used his sermon today to allege that there are child-trafficking "tunnels" under the Capitol and White House and accuse Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Hanks of being "a bunch of pedophiles." pic.twitter.com/hYC864ir8a

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 27, 2021

And  based upon past sermons, Locke is also a rabid homophobe (which really shouldn't surprise anyone.)

Locke’s extremism ranges widely. He is old school religious-right when it comes to LGBTQ people, denouncing Pride Month and marriage equality, saying, “It’s always been about these pedophiles!” https://t.co/9mxYzEGx0O

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 28, 2021

Earlier today, Franklin Graham and the Family Research Council verbally attacked Olympic athlete Gwen Berry for supposedly disrespecting the American flag. They have yet to comment about Locke and I doubt they will. It's rather indicative of the religious right's sad state of misplaced priorities and inflated sense of importance.