VP Mike Pence proud of effort to steal LGBTQ tax dollars

While Trump's credibility was deservedly and relentless battered during the first day of impeachment hearings, his vice president, Mike Pence, was reminding folks of how less he thinks of the LGBTQ community:

Vice President Mike Pence, in a speech intended to honor National Adoption Month, extolled on Tuesday a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse child placement in LGBTQ homes. 

Pence made the comments at the Department of Health & Human Services in D.C., which was holding a celebration in promotion of adoption with top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Health & Human Services Alex Azar. 

Telling the audience the Trump administration “understand[s] the role that communities of faith play in adoption,” Pence invoked the proposal, which was unveiled late last month to the consternation of advocates for LGBTQ families. 

“We’ve reversed the rule implemented in the closing days of the last administration that jeopardized the ability of faith-based providers to serve those in need by penalizing them for their deeply held religious beliefs,” Pence said. “We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organizations to support adoption.”

The Washington Blade also pointed out that Pence said he was "proud" of Trump's rule.

You will notice that Pence said nothing about how this is unfair to the LGBTQ community. It was deliberate on his part. According to Alex Bollinger of LGBTQNation:

Pence’s comments highlight how conservatives frame discrimination in adoption. There are currently 444,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S. and over 123,000 of them are up for adoption. It’s hard for conservatives to just say that they’re against LGBTQ people adopting because that’s not just discriminatory against potential parents, but comes across as cruel to the kids. 

This is why Pence and other conservatives focus on the agencies that want to discriminate. In their narrative, the reason these children don’t have homes isn’t a lack of families willing to take them in, but a lack of agencies willing to place them with the abundance of families available for them. 

Of course, HHS grants could just be sent to agencies that don’t discriminate. The money could help non-discriminatory agencies expand, open new offices, and hire staff, and federal money would be used more effectively to help kids find homes. If the problem is the number of agencies that can work with families, then that’s a problem that money can solve. But if the issue is the availability of families, then HHS’s rule change is unspeakably cruel.

Pence also didn't address another crucial problem with Trump's rule - the fact that it would allow tax dollars to go to entities which discriminate against LGBTQ taxpayers. As long as this fact isn't brought up, Pence and company can go on with the false narrative of how the theft of LGBTQ tax dollars is actually "religious freedom."

It's not surprising. Pence is a homophobic bigot who thinks that his religious beliefs is justification to  debase and stigmatize the LGBTQ community. Remember that when he was governor of Indiana, he refused to answer when asked eight times whether or not he opposed anti-LGBTQ discrimination.




Since Pence has a problem saying whether or not the LGBTQ community should be protected from discrimination, we shouldn't be surprised that he also thinks that our tax dollars actually belong to those who would discriminate against us.

'Five ways you can support bullied LGBTQ youth' & other Wed midday news briefs

While people are cheering the gay youth, Jordan Steffy, who fought back against his bully, we shouldn't forget that not all situations involving LGBTQ youth end this way. 

5 Ways You Can Support Bullied LGBTQ+ Youth Like Jordan Steffy - The story of this LGBTQ youth who practically "cropdusted" his bully has gone viral. But the situation does need to be moved past violence. Not all stories involving our kids ends this way.

Bullied gay teen punches his tormentor who called him a “fa***t” - For those who are curious about the situation which led to the post above. 

Puerto Rico will vote on some horrifically anti-LGBTQ laws. Ricky Martin is trying to stop it. - Fingers crossed. 

Cuomo signs law giving LGBTQ veterans access to N.Y. benefits - Good for NY!

Franklin Graham throws tantrum on the eve of Trump's televised impeachment hearings

On the eve of the televised impeachment hearings of Donald Trump and on the day that we found out that Trump may have lied to Robert Mueller during the Russia investigation, Franklin Graham has decided to throw yet another tantrum.

Graham, who has bent over backwards to defend and justify Trump's behavior and cajoled the nation to pray for Trump, is rather steamed over the entire situation. On his Facebook page, he gave a comically ridiculous rant on how there is a plot against Trump by the so-called "liberal media."  It's no different than what we've heard before, but it's always hilarious when Graham thinks that the rest of us are as clueless as his supporters and followers:

Long-time journalist Bill Moyers said Sunday that for the first time in his life, he fears for the nation’s survival. Why? “Society, a democracy, can die of too many lies…” I agree with him 100% on that—we just don’t agree on the source of the problem. For two years day after day, night after night, we heard Russian collusion—lie after lie, pushed by the liberal media. Then it was Ukraine and the whistleblower. Bill Moyers shares in the interview that his “hope” is that as citizens watch the impeachment hearings (which are totally partisan), they will “begin to doubt” in President Donald J. Trump so there can be a shift that would sway the 2020 election. It’s all about politics and winning the election, they don’t care about anything else. They are scared to death of conservative values and threatened because President Trump can’t be pushed around and intimidated politically or personally. The lies of the progressive left and the hyper-liberal media are what is a serious threat to the future of our nation. The Bible tells us, “The Lord detests lying lips…” (Proverbs 12:22).

It would be exhausting to point out all of Graham's distortions and lies in this piece but so I won't. Except for one. Isn't it ironic that Graham quotes the Bible saying "The Lord detests lying lips . . ." while defending a man who has lied over 10,000 times while in office (including Tuesday's lie that his daughter, Ivanka, created 14 million jobs.)

To me, it's not sad that Graham continues to debase himself.  I never trusted or liked him. But it is sad that so many people are falling for his lies. Don't ask why, but I took the time to post the following on his Facebook page. Forgive the bad grammar:

You are making a colossal fool of yourself. The only reason why you support Trump is because you think he will appoint judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade. You are so willing to overlook and explain away his incompetence and dishonest. You once unbelievably said Trump doesn't lie while ignoring the many documented times he lied. Now you make excuses for the impeachment mess he has gotten himself into via his own unscrupulous tactics. Mr. Graham, you may fool the majority of these sad paper Christians and simpering sycophants who affirmatively answer to your tirades and dip themselves elbow deep in the manure of hypocrisy you feed them and partake in, but you aren't fooling God. And just like all of us, you are going to have to answer to him. And you will answer for this vile blanket of lies you are ruining your witness by covering yourself in.

'What the battle over a seven-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide' & other Tue midday news briefs

What the battle over a 7-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide - EASILY one of, if not the best article I have read in 2019. How the anti-LGBTQ industry and their allies exploited a family and could possibly damage a seven-year-old trans girl in pursuit of their war against our community.

More than half of top US newspapers failed to cover Trump’s anti-LGBTQ foster care and adoption rule - THIS is unacceptable.

Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen says criticism of anti-LGBTQ positions is “anti-Catholic bigotry” - Typical of the lying "LGBTQ equality vs. religion" narrative.

VICTORY! Rhode Island Governor Signs Bill Restoring Benefits to LGBTQ Veterans Discharged Due to Sexual Orientation - Good for Rhode Island!

Trump's betrayal of the LGBTQ community is central to the dishonesty of his joke of a presidency

If one want to make a case for the laziness of the American media, one can easily point to how Donald Trump's betrayal of the LGBTQ community hasn't been spotlit as an issue as much as it should be.

Granted, the vast majority of us knew that he wasn't being truthful when he sent out tweets and statements claiming that he is an ally and would fight for us:

or when he showed his supposed support of our community by unfurling an LGBTQ flag during a 2016 rally; something which got him a good bit of positive press. 

Before and after the 2016 Republican convention,  some of the media gushed about him being an ally. The LGBTQ community chose not to believe Trump and did not support him in large numbers in the 2016 election. But that is irrelevant.  It doesn't give him an "out."  He was elected as "President of the United States," not "President of the United States except for the LGBTQ community." Whether we voted for him in a mass number or not, it is his duty and responsibility to own up to what he promised to do for us.

But from actions such as:

banning transgender men and women from serving in the military based upon false rationale,

pushing a bogus "conscience protection" rule via HHS which would have had detrimental effects on LGBTQ health, or

supporting a policy which would allow religious-based foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against the LGBTQ community and still be allowed access to tax dollars,  Trump did a 90 degree turn and has become the most anti-LGBTQ president in history. He's embraced the anti-LGBTQ industry and opened up the doors of his Administration to them and their lies  and "coded language" about "freedom" and "religious liberty."

Because no one has pressed the issue, he has silently but successfully disavowed the LGBTQ community, as if he never promised to be an ally.  He doesn't even attempt to fake progress with us as he does with the African-American community.  Donald Trump's unashamedly open betrayal of the LGBTQ community is an issue central to the dishonesty of his joke of a presidency. And it's not the media's job to be nonchalant or blase about it.

He should be asked about it at least more than once.

Who faked the justification for Trump's anti-LGBTQ healthcare 'conscience' rule?

Roger Severino was behind the creation of the Trump Administration's anti-LGBTQ 'conscience' rule. Now that two courts have struck it down, he needs to be asked who faked the justification for the rule?

For the second consecutive day, a court has ruled against the Trump Administration's anti-LGBTQ healthcare 'conscience ' rule.

From The Hill:

A federal judge in Washington State on Thursday struck down a Trump administration rule intended to allow health providers to refuse to provide care based on moral or religious reasons. The latest ruling marks the second time in as many days that a judge has ruled against the administration's policy, and “provides an extra layer of protection against appeal” by the Trump administration, said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Washington was one of a number of states, cities and advocacy groups — including New York, California, San Francisco, the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood — that had sued over the rule, which was scheduled to go into effect Nov. 22.

Yesterday in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer struck down the rule. In his comments, Engelmayer made a point which needs emphasis - The Trump Administration was not being truthful in justifying the need for the rule.

'99 LGBTQ candidates won elections on Tues' & other Thur midday news briefs

Editor's note - Tuesday's election was a bigger success for our community than I would have imagined. Enjoy the fruits of hard work and let's not rest on any laurels:

At Least 99 LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections as Rainbow Wave Continues

With last night’s election, a ‘rainbow wave’ of 144 LGBTQ candidates have won office this year

Transgender Candidates Won Big in Elections Last Night

Anti-LGBTQ Fairfax school board member loses re-election bid

Court strikes down Trump's anti-LGBTQ healthcare 'conscience' rule

An attack on the LGBTQ health by Trump just got struck down on Wednesday.

From LGBTQNation:

A federal court has struck down a Trump administration rule that allowed health care providers to refuse to treat patients if they cite a sincerely held religious belief. The ACLU and the NYCLU argued on behalf of two public health organizations that a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule violated federal law.

This past May, HHS issued a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide service if they cite their religious beliefs and punishing health care organizations that don’t allow their workers adequate “religious freedom.” LGBTQ organizations balked at the rule change since queer and transgender people are likely to be on the receiving end of religion-based discrimination. 

Reproductive freedom and public health organizations also sounded the alarm about the rule. Now Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has ruled against HHS, saying that the department overstepped its authority in issuing the rule, which would’ve gone into effect on November 22. 

 The rule, he wrote, violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act because it would allow workplace discrimination and also violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, an anti-patient dumping law. Engelmayer also noted that HHS couldn’t show why the rule was needed to protect religious freedom, calling the rule “a classic solution in search of a problem.”

'Danica Roem cruises to easy re-election in VA' & other Wed midday news briefs

Roem defeats Republican challenger - And the best thing? It wasn't even close. Folks need to pay attention to how Roem ran. And never count anyone in our community out. We can run for office and we can win.

Danica Roem, First Trans State Representative, Dedicates Historic Victory to All the “Misfits” - Wonderful!

And apparently, Roem wasn't the only LGBTQ victor:

In other news:

A drug-resistant bacteria is spreading among gay & bisexual men - This a serious problem on two fronts - it endangers our community and gives the anti-LGBTQ an opening to label us again as "health hazards." Don't think they won't try.

Artist Honors Murdered Transgender Woman With Stunning Butterfly Wings - Wow! this is beautiful. 

The boos of October - Trump gets just a little of what he deserves.

Hate group will appeal after court refuses to support its preemptive strike against LGBTQ rights

Anti-LGBTQ hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom is continuing to wage war against our community via the courts:

From Westword:

Conservative Christians were among those thrilled last year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Phillips, owner of Lakewood's Masterpiece Cakeshop, who had refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. 

Now, Alliance Defending Freedom, the national organization that backed Phillips, is hoping to expand on this victory by way of another Colorado-based case. This time around, the ADF is supporting Lorie Smith, a web designer and owner of 303 Creative, in her fight against what the organization describes as "a state law provision that gags creative professionals from talking about their beliefs when explaining their business decisions." 

The United States District Court in Colorado found against Smith in September 2019. But (in late October), the ADF appealed that decision, potentially setting the controversy on the same path taken by Phillips.

''Straight Pride' is coming to Texas' & other Tue midday news briefs

Alt-right hate group bringing ‘Straight Pride’ to Texas this month - Lawd, help Texas!

New bill includes protection for gender identity, sexual orientation - Good for Michigan!

Vulnerable LGBTQ migrants left to wait in Mexico - Immigration is an LGBTQ issue.

Acclaimed trans documentary gets VOD release - A lot of folks need to see this.

Trump's anti-LGBTQ adoption, foster care policy deliberately sends message of second-class status

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council

By now, we all should know about Trump's latest attack on the LGBTQ community, ie allowing faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to receive taxpayer dollars while refusing to work with potential LGBTQ parents. And naturally, Tony Perkins and the rest of our "friends" at the Family Research Council are downright giddy over it

But not giddy enough to not to misdirect about Trump's proposal:

The Trump administration couldn't agree more. And on Friday, the first day of National Adoption Month, HHS kicked off the celebration by announcing a change years in the making. For the first time since Barack Obama, adoption agencies won't have to violate their faith -- or parents' wishes -- in placing kids. Under a new rule proposed by the president's team, faith-based providers will be able to continue to serve their communities in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs. 

That doesn't mean same-sex couples can't adopt children. The liberal media -- and its hysterical headline writers -- would love for you to believe that. But this rule has nothing to do with outlawing gay adoption or discrimination of any kind. The same adoption agencies that matched other families with kids before this bill will still be matching them with kids after. That's because this debate has never been about banning LGBT adoption -- it's about letting everyone operate by their own set of beliefs.

You will notice what's not mentioned in that passage - any justification of LGBTQ tax dollars going to an entity which will discriminate against us. In fact, there is no mention of that conundrum in any part of FRC's piece, even though that is the main objection to Trump's proposal. Try as they might, neither Perkins, nor FRC, nor anyone supporting the proposal can't justify our tax dollars going to entities which will discriminate against us. Therefore they avoid that argument as much as they can.

We shouldn't let them ignore this.  The LGBTQ community shouldn't allow ourselves to be put in a Catch-22 situation in which the narrative is that we have to choose between our rights as taxpayers and the ability of a child to have a family. That's false narrative. We aren't the ones who demanding to have things both ways.  We aren't the ones thinking that we don't have to follow the same rules as everyone else. We are taxpayers and we should be treated with as much dignity and respect as heterosexual taxpayers.  Religion should not be seen as an excuse to steal our monies, because that is what Trump's proposal is - wholesale theft.

To me as a gay man, it's downright humiliating to have an entity refuse to work with me on the basis that it finds my sexual orientation as sinful and then be freely given my hard earned tax dollars as governmental approval of its scorn. It's downright degrading. It's like being spit upon and then forced to fork over cash to the person doing the spitting. Don't be fooled by any spin given by the Family Research Council or any group favoring Trump's policy. It's not about religious liberty. It's about sending a message to the LGBTQ community that no matter how many battles we win or how many of us are out and thriving, we belong in second-class status and don't deserve respect because we aren't "normal."

If religious-based adoption and foster care agencies don't want to work with potential LGBTQ parents, then they shouldn't have their hands out demanding our hard earned tax dollars. If they feel that we are undeserving of their services, they should have the same negative point of view about grabbing our money.

'What's at stake for LGBTQ Americans in the 2020 election' & other Mon midday news briefs

One Year Out: What’s at Stake for LGBTQ Americans in 2020 - There is nothing wrong with being a single-issue voter when that issue happens to be your equality.

Trump administration to allow adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ people - I know you probably already heard what happened on Friday but this bullshit bears repeating.

African HIV experts are calling on Uganda to legalise homosexuality - Would be nice, although I don't think it's going to happen any time soon.

Why were SCOTUS Justices Alito and Kavanaugh meeting with anti-LGBTQ activist Brian Brown?

What in the world were SCOTUS Justices Alito and Kavanaugh doing meeting with anti-LGBTQ activist Brian Brown? Presently, SCOTUS is mulling over three cases having to do with anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Something happened last week which raises a question about the possible bias of some SCOTUS justices when it comes to ruling on LGBTQ issues. But hardly anyone is talking about it.

From Quartz:

On Oct. 29, Brian S. Brown, president of the conservative advocacy group National Organization for Marriage (NOMA), tweeted a photo of himself with justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito and boasting about a “great day” at the US Supreme Court. The tweet raised alarm bells for court critics. 

NOMA regularly files amicus briefs with the court, as it already has this term in some of the most controversial cases before the justices. Brown’s organization, as a “friend of the court,” submitted a filing opposing a finding that Title VII, an anti-employment-discrimination statute, protects gay and transgender people.

Congresswoman with extensive record of homophobia now helping 'ex-gay' group lobby on Capitol Hill

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (seen here accepting an award from the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins in 2018) helped an 'ex-gay' group lobby Congress by securing space for their forum.

Thursday on Capitol Hill, there was a group of people who called themselves "ex-gays" lobbying against pro-LGBTQ legislation.

A group of people from across the country who formerly identified as gay and transgender have descended upon Washington this week to share their stories and lobby against two proposed LGBTQ-rights bills. The group is made up of 15 members of Church United and Changed, two California-based organizations that seek to provide community for, and protect the rights of, “formers” — individuals who formerly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The bills the group is lobbying against are H.R. 5, better known as the Equality Act, and H.R. 3570, or the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act. Both have been supported by the country’s major LGBTQ advocacy organizations, though neither is expected to become law anytime soon.

 Their existence and plans were mostly ignored or laughed at by the LGBTQ community. We've seen "ex-gay" groups and personalities come and go. No  matter how they repackage themselves as something new, they always pander the same old homophobia and ridiculous talking points.

But according to the Huffington Post, this group was able to hold a forum in the Cannon House Office Building, next to the office of Democratic Rep.  Ted Lieu, who is the sponsor of a bill outlawing "ex-gay" therapy.

How were they able to do this? Thanks to another Congressional leader who has a long history of opposing the LGBTQ community and our equality - Rep. Vicky Hartzler.

Because Changed held the forum in a taxpayer-funded congressional space, the event required a member of Congress to sponsor the discussion. And although the group both refused to disclose who that representative was and also denied that they knew their identity, a Capitol official familiar with scheduling told HuffPost that Hartzler was the member who signed off on the event. 

A staffer for Hartzler initially denied she was the sponsor. “This was a Family Research Council event,” said Danny Jativa, Hartzler’s communications director. 

Family Research Council does appear to have been involved in the event, as handouts supplied included FRC literature, including an “issue analysis” titled “Are Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) Effective? Are They Harmful? What the Evidence Shows.” 

After HuffPost pressed Hartzler’s office again over email, however, noting that a member of Congress would have had to sign off on the event, Jativa admitted that Hartzler had secured the meeting space for the group. 

“The only involvement Rep. Hartzler’s office had with the event was putting in an order to request a meeting space. Our office, nor the member, participated in the event. We did not recruit nor advertise the event in any way, shape, or form,” Jativa said.

The Huffington Post points out that Rep. Hartzler is a long time opponent of the LGBTQ community.

Franklin Graham whines about Trump's impeachment and gets dragged on Twitter

Most likely, the House will vote to impeach Trump. That's a fact. And Trump's white evangelicals supporters aren't happy about that. A lot of them have been very vocal with their anger:

Faith leaders told President Donald Trump at a private meeting at the White House this week that they saw the Democrats’ impeachment efforts in Congress as an attack on their conservative agenda, several attendees told McClatchy. 

Trump’s meeting on Tuesday with at least 25 faith leaders from around the country was not on his public schedule, however it was acknowledged by a brief White House statement later that day. Johnnie Moore, a member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom who attended the meeting, said faith-based leaders vented about the impact of impeachment efforts on their legislative priorities and that the sentiment was, “they’re trying to impeach us.” 

“Agree or disagree with the evangelical community, we represent a third of the country in some form. In a democracy, our voice matters, and our voice deserves representation in the public square,” Moore said. 

. . . Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Dallas and a participant in the meeting, has been promoting a Public Religion Research Institute poll that found 94 percent of Republicans and 99 percent of evangelical Republicans oppose impeachment. “Many evangelicals like myself believe that this is more than just a political skirmish,” he told McClatchy. 

“They really believe that to impeach President Trump would be to impeach their own closely held values. And that’s why they take impeachment so personally,” Jeffress said about the faith leaders.

Notice that none of these folks tried to defend Trump against the charges that he threatened to hold back aid from the Ukraine if the government did not investigate Democratic presidential front runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

I think it's because they don't care. They are defending Trump because he gives them trinkets, i.e. the power to create policy and shape the nation into their version of a so-called Christian nation. They are so shortsighted. They think that Trump has elevated them, when in reality he has reduced them. He's wrecked their reputations and made the majority of the country see them as the fake, posturing hypocrites that they are.

Trump supporting pastor Franklin Graham got a taste of that on twitter Thursday night. He sent out the following tweet:

This is a sad day for America. Our politics in this country has hit a new low. @SpeakerPelosi and her followers in Congress have weaponized the impeachment process. This is just another attempt to tarnish and embarrass @POTUS @realDonaldTrump before the next election. 1/2

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) October 31, 2019

And proceeded to get torn to shreds:

" i moved on her like a bitch, knew she was married "
DONALD J TRUMP

— Paul Becker (@horsevtnek) October 31, 2019

Franklin, if you don't understand that Trump abused his position, it's probably because you abuse your position daily pretending to be a minister. The best thing for the BGEA and the Purse is for you to resign as well when Trump's impeached. You've abused your power too long

— Cheerwhine (@cheerwhine1) October 31, 2019

'Legislation planned to negatively target trans children' & other Thur midday news briefs

This Republican wants to make it illegal for trans kids to receive medical care - This is probably going to be the new "bathroom bills" controversy.

Trump judicial nominee cries at hearing during questioning on attitude toward LGBTQ people - Nope. Sorry. I am not moved.

Anti-LGBTQ Group's Compound Ordered Sold for $2.8 million - Give it up, turn it loose.

Uganda government urged to drop charges against LGBTQ activists - This entire incident is an ugly mess.

'A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2' is the gayest horror movie you will ever see

Since Thursday is Halloween, let's do a frivolous and historic post for tonight.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 is considered by many to be a very subversively gay horror movie. Of course when I watched it, I was surprised and pleasantly pleased by the amount of male nudity is showed. Now, as our community has moved out of the closet and into the warm glow of sunshine, it turns out that the undercurrent of homosexuality in this movie was in fact intentional.

Or let my friend, Matt Baume tell you more:

Or if you don't want to hear all of that talking, check out these scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 and judge for yourself. (Viole ce and Nudity alert)

Evangelical conservatives are determined to go down in disgrace with Trump. Let them do it.

As the walls of impeachment are slowly but steadily closing in on Trump, one group of his supporters remain blissfully and probably deliberately unaware of what's happening and how Trump's behavior contributed to the state he's in.

We had a great day @WhiteHouse with faith leaders. We talked & prayed with President @realDonaldTrump in the Roosevelt Room. I’m thankful that we are given the opportunity to discuss important policy issues and always the President ask us to lay hands on him and pray. pic.twitter.com/Jua6jouqgp

— Jentezen Franklin (@Jentezen) October 29, 2019

  Here is a larger view of the photo on the left:

This "event" took place on the same day that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman provided key evidence in the impeachment inquiry of Trump. The evidence has to do with Vindman listening in on a telephone call in which Trump allegedly was attempting to pressure Ukraine's president into investigating former VP and Democratic front runner Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Apparently in between being prayed for, Trump took time out to viciously attack Vindman, an attack which seems to have been in coordination of right-wing Trump supporters. They have been implying that Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient, was lying to take Trump down. Needless to say, the attack backfired as many, including GOP Senators and Congressional leaders, came to Vindman's defense.

Of course I wouldn't ask any of these pastors in the photo about all of that because they would probably formulate an excuse for Trump's behavior.

Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council, would most likely say that Trump should be given a "mulligan" because he supposedly stands up for Christianity. That was the excuse Perkins gave when confronted about Trump's past adultery with porn star Stormy Daniels.

'Ex-gays going to DC to lobby against LGBTQ equality' & other Tue midday news briefs

Ex-gays are going to D.C. to lobby against LGBTQ laws - Old lying trash in a new package. We need to find out who is funding this mess.

Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach calls for TriHealth boycott after nurse's anti-LGBTQ post - Some folks are defending her "free speech." I think it's garbage. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook: There's 'much more' to do to help LGBTQ youth - Thank you, Mr. Cook.

 Homophobia and cyberbullying: Strategies the Cuban government uses against LGBTI+ journalists - The struggle is real, y'all.