Anti-LGBTQ 'religious freedom' bill will resurrect America's ugly past

With Trump in office, the religious right and their supporters are hungry to push bills which would allow them to discriminate specifically against the LGBTQ community on the grounds of religious freedom. No matter how they sugarcoat their aspirations, we are staring at the following as a potential future:

The sad thing is that we've see this sort of thing so many times in the past:

'GOP Senators reintroduce national anti-LGBTQ religious liberty bill in Congress' & other Fri midday news briefs

Republicans return the anti-gay First Amendment Defense Act to Congress - Twenty-one Republican Senators are co-sponsoring a national bill which would make anti-LGBTQ discrimination allowable on the grounds of "religious liberty." They are either anticipating an anti-LGBTQ SCOTUS ruling or not wanting to wait that far ahead. And Trump has said he would sign the bill if it is passed by Congress. If they knew what I knew, they wouldn't even try it. A nation of furious queer folks (which I will be one of) is what they will have to face. And I wouldn't bet on Godzilla or King Kong if they had to face the same prospect.

RuPaul’s Version Of LGBT History Erases Decades Of Trans Drag Queens - RuPaul has caused a firestorm with recent negative comments about transgender women and the art of drag. He is wrong. You don't attempt to solely own a history which also belongs to others in our community. (Editor's note - I hope that people pay as much attention to the article above as I anticipate they will pay to this one. BOTH are important but we need to be very cognizant of Congress because they make the laws which affect our lives for better or worse).

Bill to ban ‘conversion therapy’ moves forward in Maine Legislature - Meanwhile, other fights go on. . .

More U.S. Schools Are Offering Safe Spaces For LGBTQ Youth - And on . . .

LGBTI students demand UK Government make 'gay cure' therapy illegal - And on . . .

Conversion therapy is discredited torture, but media outlets are letting its advocates spread lies about the practice - And the media in America needs to do a better job educating folks about the issue.

Religious right defense of 'ex-gay' therapy is doomed to fail

I've noticed that more states are attempting to outlaw the fraudulent and dangerous practice of reparative,  conversion, or "ex-gay" therapy for children. And religious right groups, such as the Family Research Council, are attempting to portray this therapy as either "religious liberty" or credible practices.

I personally think this is a battle which they are way behind and will lose big time. One reason is that people are becoming hip to the fact that you can't change your sexual orientation as easily as a light bulb. Another reason is featured in the videos below. The LGBTQ community has the "receipts" on how "ex-gay" therapy has endangered many lives. And we don't mind showing them off.

Pastor upset that Facebook shut down his homosexuality = pedophilia lie

The American Family Association's phony news source, One News Now is taking up the cause of a West Virginia pastor who claims he was unfairly blocked on Facebook:

A West Virginia pastor is finding his ministry's Facebook page continually disabled by the social media giant and he wants to know why – and for one of the first times, Facebook has agreed to explain its action. 

Facebook claims to have two billion users, meaning that at any given time roughly a third of all humanity is using the social media platform. Neil Potts, who is among the team that sets policy for Facebook, agreed to talk with OneNewsNow about Pastor Rich Penkoski's "Warriors for Christ" page, which has been taken down several times for what Facebook calls "hate speech." 

"In this case," says Potts, "we felt that the attacks upon the people were actually doing more harm by silencing people within the larger Facebook community – and we removed the page." 

In an earlier report, Penkoski told OneNewsNow that he "get[s] banned all the time .... If I post anything with the acronym LGBT in it, regardless of what it's about, it gets reported and I get banned for 30 days." He also said he personally knows what constitutes "hate speech" because he receives it constantly.

So what finally got Penkoski blocked? Allegedly the following:

'HUD secretary Ben Carson removes anti-discrimination language from agency's mission statement' & other Wed midday news briefs

Ben Carson disgraces himself.

Ben Carson Removes Anti-Discrimination Language From HUD Mission Statement - In the middle of attempting to bilk taxpayers of $31,000 to pay for office furniture and allegedly conducting a witch hunt against the person who told, HUD head Ben Carson makes a subtle and unnecessary strike against the LGBTQ community. NO ONE in my house plans to ever recognize this man during Black History Month ever again.

This converted London Bus is giving homeless LGBT people a place to sleep at night - This like this remind us that there is always good in the world. 

Australia Reveals First Gay Marriage Ended In Heartbreak - No they did not break up. And the story illustrates how important marriage equality is to our community.

‘We’ve seen an incredible sea change’: Trans author Sarah McBride reflects on progress of equality - And if we want to KEEP that sea change, we can't sit on our asses thinking that the battle is over. It's just getting interesting. 

Anti-trans activists plan ‘mass resignation’ from Labour over trans-inclusive policy - Case in point.

Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran is retiring. Here’s why we won’t miss him. - We done outlasted another one, y'all.

Randy Rainbow torches the NRA and Dana Loesch through song

Randy Rainbow is a wonderful and constant reminder that you can fight the evil in America without allowing it to feed on you or succumbing to the depression it could invoke in you. And the way he absolutely torches the NRA and its spokesperson Dana Loesch in this video should be taught as a lesson in the accurate precision of wit.

'Hate groups working diligently under cloud of Trump chaos to undermine LGBTQ equality & safety' & other Tue midday news briefs

Emboldened By Trump, Georgia GOP Pushes Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bill - This piece by Michelangelo Signorile isn't just about the adoption bill:

This anti-LGBTQ adoption bill is part of a wide-reaching plan by religious conservatives ― backed by President Donald Trump and his administration ― to turn same-sex marriage into second-class marriage with a longer-term goal of overturning federal marriage rights for gays and lesbians entirely. 

How are religious conservatives turning same-sex marriage into second-class marriage? By getting courts to rule that wedding-related businesses can turn away gay couples based on the business owners’ religious beliefs, by allowing governments to refuse to give the same benefits to spouses within same-sex marriages as they do to those within opposite-sex marriages, and by allowing adoption agencies to say no to LGBTQ parents. 

I’ve written before about their strategic plans. They date back to at least 2014 ― before the 2015 Obergefell marriage equality ruling ― when anti-LGBQ conservatives mapped out what they would do if they lost at the high court (which they did). I sat in on a panel at the Family Research Council’s 2014 Values Voter Summit, during which Frank Schubert (the mastermind behind California’s infamous Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in 2008), the National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown and others articulated a two-pronged strategy. This strategy, they said, would mirror their highly successful attacks on abortion rights and Roe v. Wade over the years. They would incrementally chip away at marriage rights for queer people in the short-term through the creation of new laws while, in the long-term, working to overturn any high court ruling that granted federal rights ― the goal being to send the issues back to individual states to decide.

Hate group shields hate group - Family Research Council defends Alliance Defending Freedom's war on gay adoption - That's my post from last night is important. Undermining gay adoption is only ONE part of a long-term strategy to cut down LGBTQ equality by ADF. In the midst of the distraction caused by Trump's chaos, this group is working steadily and diligently. Pay attention, LGBTQ community and get the word out. 

Evangelical leader shreds ‘corruption’ of Trump-backing Christians who ‘used to’ care about morals - That's why voices like this need to more very vocal. 

Gay Republican runs for U.S. Senate in Delaware - But he is tiptoeing. Although having him in Congress would be strategically advantageous for the community.

U.K. Celebrates LGBT Fostering and Adoption Week - How ironic that the UK is celebrating LGBTG fostering and adoption while groups in America are working to undermine both.

Hate group shields hate group - Family Research Council defends Alliance Defending Freedom's war on gay adoption

Media Matters has the goods on the Alliance Defending Freedom's plan to undermine gay adoption. But the Family Research Council doesn't want anyone to know about it.

Last week, the organization Media Matters ran a feature article looking at how anti-LGBTQ hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom is working to pass laws in several states to make it more difficult for gays to adopt children, including how it is pushing anti-gay adoption laws in five states.

Apparently the article did its work in raising eyebrows because another anti-LGBTQ hate group, the Family Research Council, attempted today to defend ADF:

At Media Matters, why don't kids matter? The Soros-funded group seems to be going out of its way to shame the organizations whose only concern is exactly that. Their latest target? Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). 

Like most conservatives, ADF has been doing everything it can to defend the freedom of adoption agencies to place children in the best possible home -- a freedom, unfortunately, that's been complicated by the recent efforts of the anti-faith and LGBT lobbies. Media Matters is not normally a direct player in this debate. After all, its mission is keeping watch on the media – not wading in to specific social issue culture battles, or at least that is what they've claimed.

'LGBTQ stories win big at last night's Oscars' & other Mon midday news briefs

LGBT representation strong at 90th annual Academy Awards - At last night's Oscar ceremony, the LGBTQ community won big. As a gay black man, I always think that when members of my community win awards for the stories they tell, that's a spotlight which wouldn't have ordinarily been there for us. So yes, it's a big deal.

The Best LGBTQ Oscar Moments Of 2018 - Sweet! 

The 10 gayest moments in the history of the Oscars - Come on, y'all. It's Monday.

Jordan Peele Becomes the First Black Winner of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar - And while Peele isn't LGBTQ, he is an ally. Also, I would be remiss if I omitted his win.

Robert Oscar Lopez: ‘I Don’t See Anything Honorable’ About Being A Gay Conservative - For once, I agree with this awful man.

Pelosi, HRC on opposite sides over re-election of anti-LGBT Democrat - Well, THIS is interesting.

This reality TV star was put through conversion therapy when he was 10 - Why conversion therapy needs to be banned, especially when it comes to children.

Quit your whining, Mike Huckabee. You got what you deserved.

Mike Huckabee

I'm still stuck on this situation with Mike Huckabee being forced to resign from the Country Music Association Foundation due to a backlash about his past - and numerous - homophobic statements. It's partly because how those who support him (various religious right groups and personalities) are attempting to portray him as the victim. I've read so many nonsensical statements from various groups and persons about how the gay community is supposed intolerant of those who do not share our views. I've seen supposed Christians deliberately obfuscate the issue into one about Huckabee's objections to marriage equality when in fact the backlash is about the many times he has attacked the LGBTQ community, our families, and our children on a number of issues.

And what galls me mostly is how Huckabee refuses to take responsibility. In his resignation letter, he said in part:

If the industry doesn’t want people of faith or who hold conservative and traditional political views to buy tickets and music, they should be forthcoming and say it. Surely neither the artists or the business people of the industry want that. 

Until recently, the arts was the one place America could set aside political, geographical, racial, religious, and economic barriers and come together. If the arts community becomes part of the polarization instead of bridging communities and people over the power of civil norms as reflected in the arts, then we as a civilization may not be long for this earth. 

All of us have deep passions about our beliefs. I do about mine. But I hate no one. I wish upon NO ONE the loss of life or livelihood because that person sees things differently than me.

I hope that the music and entertainment industry will become more tolerant and inclusive and recognize that a true love for kids having access to the arts is more important than a dislike for someone or a group of people because of who they are or what they believe.

Please bear in mind that Huckabee is the same individual who:

called gay adoption "experimentation" in 2010. In that same interview, he also compared marriage equality to incest and pedophilia.

on numerous occasions falsely conflated homosexuality with pedophilia, most recently in 2012 claiming gays must be kept out of the Boy Scouts to protect boys from molestation.

in 2015 participated in an absolutely dreadful documentary which brought up refuted claims and junk science about the LGBTQ community, including claiming that we  want to "criminalize Christianity." 

In that same year, Huckabee again pulled the "gays want to criminalize Christianity" card as a reason to support the fraudulent practice of "reparative therapy," or attempting to "cure" someone of being homosexual.

I don't want to mince words here. Mike Huckabee is a lying sack of garbage who seems to think that he is privileged to say anything he feels about the LGBTQ community without any expectations of us raising an objection.  He minimizes the severity of his slurs and then plays the victim when the targets of his words refuse to play his game.

He is indicative of the ignorance some people have in thinking that LGBTQs are supposed to so grateful about society's so-called tolerance of us that we raise no objections when our lives, our children, and our families are besmirched and disrespected.   It's not enough for people like Huckabee to insult us. According to them, we are supposed to accept the insults and the second-class status prescribed to us by those harsh words and ugly inaccuracies about our lives. If we don't accept those things, then we are intolerant hypocrites.

No.

We are human beings. And that means we are intolerant of certain things, such as disrespect, lies, attacks, and especially people who attempt to reshape who we are based upon their ignorance and religious beliefs.

 It's not a matter of "tolerance" or "intolerance."

It's a matter of  self-respect.

'Mike Huckabee learns a well-deserved lesson about his homophobia - LGBTQs never forget or forgive' & other Fri midday news briefs

Mike Huckabee

Aside from the general items, today's news briefs is a special dedication to Mike Huckabee and his supporters. Yesterday, Huckabee was forced to resign from Country Music Association Board less than a day after he was appointed. It had to do with all of the homophobic junk he has done and said over the years. Like they always do, Huckabee and his supporters are whining how the LGBTQ community is being intolerant towards religious beliefs with which we do not agree with. Sorry, Mikey. but it's not about religious beliefs and even if it were, that doesn't excuse your words or actions. You have attacked us and our families too many times over the years for us to simply let it go by without voicing anger. It's inconceivable to me that people actually expect the LGBTQ community to accept attacks and ill-treatment without saying a word. Consider the following link  from 2011 as the "receipt:"
  

Huckabee Uses Role At Fox News To Launch Anti-Gay Attacks: 

Huckabee Made Virulent Anti-Gay Comments As A Public Official As A Public Official, Huckabee Called Homosexuality An "Aberration" And Condemned The Government For Supporting It Along With Pedophilia, Sadomasochism, And Necrophilia. In a 2007 appearance on Meet the Press, Tim Russert asked Huckabee about his assertion in a 1998 book claiming "it is now difficult to keep track of the vast array of publicly endorsed and institutionally supported aberrations -- from homosexuality and pedophilia to sadomasochism and necrophilia." Huckabee responded that "all of these are deviations from what has been considered the traditional concept of sexual behavior." Russert also asked Huckabee about his assertion in 1992 that "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle." Huckabee responded that "all of us are sinners." [Towelroad.com, 1/2/08]

In other news:

Alliance Defending Freedom is working to keep LGBTQ people from adopting children - Meanwhile, the LGBTQ community has to deal with this hate group pretending to stand for values when it is actually attempting to wreck our equality.  Organizations with mindsets like Mike Huckabee, thinking they can say and do any negative thing they want to the LGBTQ community while justifying it with religion.

There’s Nothing ‘Pro-Life’ About Georgia’s Anti-Gay Adoption Bill - And I bet serious money that the Alliance Defending Freedom is behind this Georgia bill. 

We’re Suing Two Federal Agencies To Release Information On Secret LGBTQ Policy - People for the American Way is suing two agencies under the Trump Administration to gain information on their changes in federal policy towards the LGBTQ community.

OMG! If gays get married, they are going to have butt secs!!

Now that marriage equality is legal (and let's hope it stays that way), we should take a look back at the struggle to attain the right. Most specifically, let's look at how some folks chose to voice opposition to marriage equality.

In 2013, the Minnesota legislature was considering the approval of marriage equality. The state House Civil Law Committee was taking testimony from witnesses. In walked a self-described concerned father and husband Mike Frey to speak against the proposal. His testimony - not about marriage equality, but anal sex - was . .  well you just have to watch it. And then watch how the Huff Post Live just took it apart:

'Anti-LGBTQ group rages against clinic treating transgender children' & other Thur midday news briefs

Group: Cincinnati Children's Hospital transgender clinic should 'stop experimenting on our children' - Don't be fooled by this bad headline. It's a bunch of junk about a recent case I've spotlighted on this blog. A Ohio judge recently gave custody of a 17-year-old transgender boy to his grandparents so that he could continue his hormone therapy. His parents wanted to retain custody even though doing so would put the child in danger. The religious right have tried to distort the story by claiming that gays are taking children away from their parents. However, since they can't obscure the fact that the child's grandparents asked for custody in support of the child's hormone therapy, they are now going after the clinic treating the child. Even though everything the clinic is doing is backed by science and by-the-book, the local anti-LGBTQ group and enterprising political office seekers are exploiting the situation to its hilt.

Judge paves way for transgender teen to get hormone therapy at Cincinnati Children's Hospital - The story fueling the nonsensical attack on those who help our trans kids.

Over 50% Of LGBTQ Youths Struggle With Eating Disorders, Survey Finds - More work to be done . . .

  WA House of Representatives Passes Bill to Protect LGBTQ Youth from Dangerous “Conversion Therapy” - And this is one step in the right direction.

  Report: Media Largely Ignored Unprecedented Anti-LGBTQ Violence of 2017 - Ugh! This is NOT good!

LGBTQ characters in Comic Books

It's not all 'activism' on my blog. There are days when I feel extremely frivolous. This is one of those days:

If you doubt the veracity of some of these folks, feel free to google them. Although I really didn't need to regarding Catwoman and Harley Quinn. I knew they both got busy with Poison Ivy.

'When 'religious liberty' is used to humiliate the LGBTQ community' & other Wed midday news briefs

When Religion Becomes an Excuse to Discriminate - I continue to be alarmed by folks who think that gays can simply "go somewhere else" if denied service for any reason, including religion. Aside from the fact that if you make excuses to "go somewhere else" soon there will be no where else to go, there is such a thing as simple dignity and respect as the video above proves. The LGBTQ community has every right to demand these things. Being subjected to humiliation and trauma need not be the price we have to pay. We are human beings and our lives have value. We have every right to demand to be treated as such. Period.

Kim Davis Writes About ‘Fist-Pounding Homosexuals’ In New Book - And taking a public and aggressive stand against people like Kim Davis is a part of it all. Instead of being nonchalant and blase, don't forget what her controversy is all about. She makes us look like mean-spirited outsiders, but that's a lie. Gay tax dollars pays her salary and we have every right to yell, scream, and pound our fists at her and anyone who thinks they have a right to our tax dollars without respecting us.

Olympian Gus Kenworthy shared some of his worst hate mail and made a powerful point. - Oh God, this is AWFUL. 

Rapper Le1f shares disgustingly racist Grindr screenshots - But here is terror of the same type in our OWN community. When LGBTQs of color talk about the problems we face with the "I don't date black people. It's just my preference" crowd, we generally get called out. Here is what we LGBTQs of color have been talking about.

Family Research Council exploits religion, homophobia to side with the NRA against Delta Airlines

The Family Research Council is exploiting religion & LGBTQ community to attack Delta Airlines.

Yesterday, I wrote about how the American Family Association is pushing an inane solution to the problem of gun violence in schools. Today, I am sad to report, the Family Research Council has sunk even lower. The hate group is attacking an organization attempting to lessen the violence and has involved the LGBTQ community in its attack.

Delta Airlines is in the middle of a huge controversy because recently it announced that it was ending a discount program for National Rifle Association (NRA) members. This action was done because of the recent Florida school shooting and activism by the survivors of that tragedy pushing for gun control laws. The NRA has vehemently opposes this, therefore it and its supporters have been pushing back rather aggressively.  Due to this, Delta and other companies have announced that they are breaking ties with the NRA.

But Delta seems to be getting a large part of the backlash for this announcement, particularly in Georgia. The Lt. Governor of that state, Casey Cagle, threatened to kill legislation giving Delta tax breaks unless it reinstate ties with the NRA.

While there is a serious back-and-forth going on about the legality and ethics of this threat, the Family Research Council has stepped in to attack Delta, making it seem as if the company is bullying Georgia and the NRA by throwing in a little homophobia and "religious liberty."

'Georgia faces danger of Hollywood boycott if anti-gay adoption bill becomes law' & other Tue midday news briefs

Hollywood Stars, Producers Call For Georgia Boycott If Anti-LGBTQ Law Passes - I like the idea of Hollywood boycotting Georgia if this awful bill becomes law. But I wish the media would focus on others who are also calling for a boycott because the religious right will definitely push the "Hollywood weirdos vs. normal folks" angle. This would take away from the real point of the matter which is saying that adoption agencies who use LGBTQ tax dollars shouldn't have the right to discriminate against LGBTQs for any reason. And that there is nothing wrong with a child growing up in a same-sex household.

Why LGBT rights groups are worried about Georgia's Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act - More about the awful bill in the above news briefs, plus this little point not mentioned in the article - regardless or not this bill is successful, one has to wonder if it's the start of a religious right tactic of keeping our community from fostering and adopting. If this is so, let's call it for what it is. Our opponents would claim that these bills are for the children, but we know that's a lie. It's all about discrimination. The facts are on our side and if this becomes a huge fight, we need to get the narrative on our side, too. 

In a first, openly transgender recruit signs contract for U.S. military - Another reminder that Trump's attempted trans ban is bupkiss. If transgender men and women want to serve in the military, let them.

Hawaii court rules ‘Christian B&B’ can’t use religion as a weapon against gay couples - Another wonderful ruling by the courts. 

What are the challenges for getting gay men at risk of HIV to take PrEP? - One problem is fear of "slut shaming." "Slut shaming" is an awful thing to do because there is nothing wrong with a healthy sexual appetite. Hell, my problem is that I don't get any. 

American Family Association thinks posting one of the '10 Commandments' in schools will reduce gun violence

The American Family Association wants schools to post one of the '10 Commandments' to reduce gun violence.

While the country has been reeling from the latest school shooting (this time, two weeks ago in Florida) and the survivors of the shooting have been leading the charge to demand action about gun control,  the supposed Christian group, the  American Family Association, has been taking a different road in the debate.

When one takes a gander at the articles and columns from its supposed news source, One News Now, about the shooting and the aftermath, it's easy to see whose side AFA is on:

NRA boycott backfiring on dozens of companies

Why school shootings: Not enough God, not enough guns

Cruz blasts Hollywood's gun control hypocrisy

Lott: Let's have fair debate on guns, our laws


Aside from these items, AFA has just sent a fundraising email suggesting an idea to combat the problem of gun violence in our schools. According to the subject of the email, the group claims that "The liberals are gonna hate this great idea!"  ;

American Family Association is asking every school in the country to put this statement on their school marquee or school sign for one week: "You shall not murder." 

While the country is discussing gun control laws, we think our young people should also be reminded that innocent human life is precious. Murder is against the law in every state, and these four words also emphasize that it's morally wrong. 

Schools regularly use words to encourage and discourage behavior. We tell students, "Say no to bullying," "Don’t text and drive," and "Say no to drugs." In light of the increasing violence in our schools, let's send the clear message, "You shall not murder." 

This is the sixth of the Ten Commandments. 

TAKE ACTION 

Add your name to our Open Letter to America's Schools. 

Contact your local school administrators and ask them to post "You shall not murder" on the school marque for one week. 

Share this alert via Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to use Twitter hashtag #Number6. 

Tweet a picture of your school sign using Twitter hashtag #Number6. 

Pray for the families of victims of school violence. 

If our mission resonates with you, please consider supporting our work financially with a tax-deductible donation. The easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure.

It's no secret to anyone who knows me or follows this blog that I very much despise the American Family Association for its long history of pushing homophobic propaganda under the guise of being a religious organization.

But I feel safe in assuming that no one will accuse me of bias when I say I hope the AFA is accurate in saying that liberals will hate the idea. In fact, I would venture to say that I hope people with good sense in general hates the idea.

Because it's not a great idea. It's a stupid, shallow, inane idea.

And it is not an adequate substitute for a much-needed debate on gun control as well as violence in our schools? It's ignorantly lazy, totally devoid of any understanding of nuance. It reminds me of a book report given by a lazy child who tries to stretch it to a required word count.

It's not what we need. At all.  And its suggestion underlines just how useless right-wing evangelical groups like the AFA are in situations such as these.

Family Research Council couldn't find any LGBTQ villains, so the hate group created some

The Family Research Council just made an attack against the South Carolina LGBTQ community and I'm not going to play "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms with the hate group.

From the Family Research Council's Washington Update:

First, the LGBT lobby tried to take away custody from parents. Now, it wants to stop people from becoming parents altogether! That's the goal in South Carolina, where some extremists are trying to shut down a religious adoption service for trying to place kids in Christian homes. 

"For 29 years," attorney Betsy Tanner wrote, "Miracle Hill has gladly served all foster children of any race, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, disability, or political belief. And for 29 years, Miracle Hill has recruited foster families who share its nondenominational Christian religious belief. Miracle Hill has always been clear regarding its religious identity and conviction that all staff -- paid and unpaid -- are followers of Jesus Christ." 

That was never a problem, until last year, when the state's Department of Social Services insisted the organization doesn't have the right to make religious beliefs a requirement of foster parents. That was devastating news to the leaders at Miracle Hill, who had probably watched this controversy play out with other Christian agencies in places like D.C., Illinois, and Massachusetts – and knew the ending wasn't a happy one. Faced with the choice of closing their doors or violating their convictions, Catholic Charities chose the former. 

Fortunately for Miracle Hill, they have an advocate in South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who's promised to fight for a waiver with federal officials. "The licensing and participation of faith-based entities in the state foster care system is a constitutionally-protected practice," he argued. "It is important that religious organizations not be required to sacrifice the tenets of their faith in order to serve the children of South Carolina." 

For now, Miracle Hill will hold its breath and wait. But they certainly appreciate the governor's support for religious freedom. "I think he'll get a clarification from Washington that our practice is not illegal," CEO Reid Lehman explained. "And then we just ask that the state recognize that as well." Thanks to the Trump administration, there's already a year's worth of precedent defending organizations like Lehman. Maybe eventually, the other side will get the message: fighting the First Amendment is a losing battle!

FRC is telling a two lies with its first paragraph:

First, the LGBT lobby tried to take away custody from parents. 

FRC is, with the help of a link from right-wing fake news source The Federalist, distorting a situation in Ohio in which the grandparents of a transgender boy was awarded custody because his parents did not want him taking hormone therapy. The grandparents supported the child's change of gender, as did the child's medical team.   There was no implied invisible gay lobby attempting to snatch children from parents.  There were only grandparents concerned for the health of their grandchild because his parents's actions were triggering suicidal thoughts in him. And a medical team which wanted the child to receive the therapy as soon as possible so as to decrease his suicidal risks.

Now for the BIG lie:

Now, ("the LGBT lobby'') wants to stop people from becoming parents altogether! That's the goal in South Carolina, where some extremists are trying to shut down a religious adoption service for trying to place kids in Christian homes.

Here is the problem. The article FRC linked and referred to in order to get its information (from The Greenville News) said NOTHING about this being a case of religious liberty vs. the LGBTQ community. In fact, there is nothing in the article about the LGBTQ community.

According to the article, this is the controversy:

In an op-ed delivered to The Greenville News, Betsy Tanner, an Upstate foster parent and adoption attorney, wrote that Miracle Hill has become one of the largest private foster-care providers in the state, supporting families in eight counties.

Currently, she wrote, 161 children receive care in those foster families. Last year 31 of those children achieved permanency when adopted by the families caring for them.

"For 29 years, Miracle Hill has gladly served all foster children of any race, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, disability, or political belief," Tanner wrote. "And for 29 years, Miracle Hill has recruited foster families who share its nondenominational Christian religious beliefs. Miracle Hill has always been clear regarding its religious identity and conviction that all staff — paid and unpaid — are followers of Jesus Christ."
But in 2017, Tanner wrote, the state Department of Social Services began interpreting federal and state regulations to say that Miracle Hill does not have the freedom to require foster families share its religious beliefs.

"Based on this new interpretation, SCDSS has given Miracle Hill 30 days to either abandon its religious convictions or shut down its ministry as a foster child placing agency," Tanner wrote.

And there is NOTHING mentioned about the LGBTQ community in Tanner's op-ed. either .

In other words, neither the South Carolina LGBTQ community nor the LGBTQ community in general have anything to do with the Miracle Hills situation. It's simply a case of a state agency battling an agency which only recruits foster parents sharing its religious beliefs.

It's plain to see that FRC manufactured LGBTQ boogeymen out of thin air for this situation. After all, their supporters need someone to attack and we are always their best targets.

'Mattis to support keeping transgender troops in the military' & other Fri midday news briefs

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis 

Mattis Likely To Support Transgender Military Service - DAMN RIGHT! Sweet! 

Slew of state and local bills are targeting LGBTQ people - We are the straw which stirs the drink. Bring. It. On. 

White Evangelicals, This is Why People Are Through With You - This was posted last month but it speaks a basic truth which should be constantly repeated.

Republicans are trying to pass a bill that would stop same-sex couples adopting in Georgia - Apparently we aren't done as of yet in Georgia.

Black Panther and the Promise of a Queer-Affirming Africa - You really didn't think us African-American queer folks would be left out of the excitement over Black Panther, did you?