'A look at Tenn's anti-LGBTQ legislation provides a window into a world of bigotry' & other Fri midday news briefs

Tennessee’s anti-LGBTQ bills supported by national conservative groups - We need MORE articles like this. If any other group of Americans were this openly targeted, it wouldn't be tolerated. There would be articles and news videos about it all over the place. 

Tennessee Governor Approves Transgender Youth Treatment Ban - Speaking of which. 

SC State Senator takes aim at Columbia's conversion therapy ban, LGBTQ community reacts - Even though certain members of our community will not acknowledge down in the deep South, South Carolina's LGBTQ community do not take any slack. Nor are we the ones to come for.

Drag queen teaches kids how to ‘feel fabulous inside our own bodies’ on national TV - Anyone thinking that anything is wrong with this can go sit on a nail. 

SGT. BILL HUMMEL: LGBTQ officers need to be part of PrideFest and Black Lives Matter - Amen. Not every LGBTQ community in the country has a bad relationship with their police departments. Some of us have good relationships. We all need to handle our business in our own ways, but no one has the right to generalize and define issues for the entire LGBTQ community. And that goes for members of the LGBTQ community.

Video: GOP demanding that we believe them instead of our own eyes about the January 6th Insurrection

 

Not necessarily an LGBTQ issue per se . . . or maybe it is. Isn't it ironic that the party which works to undermine LGBTQ rights and safety supposedly in the name of values and God is the same party attempting to gaslight people that the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol didn't happen?

Related post - GOP Lies Fueled The Capitol Riot. Of Course They Don’t Want A Panel To Expose That. 

'Removal of LGBTQ pride flags from classrooms causes huge controversy' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

LGBT pride flags removed from three PHHS classrooms - People are losing their minds.

Creating Gender-Affirming Spaces Literally Saves LGBTQ Kids’ Lives - This is why it's important for those flags to not be removed. 

Amid slew of anti-trans legislation, 42 percent of LGBTQ+ youth considered suicide in the last year: survey - The result of all of those lies by the religious right, Abigail Shrier, and the rest. 

Federal lawsuit filed over Washington State conversion therapy ban - One guess who is pushing up this nonsensical lawsuit. Bring it on.

Evangelical Tony Perkins whines about 'biblical worldviews' while hoping we forget how he spent four years kissing up to an orange devil

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (left) whines 'biblical worldviews' while hoping American forgets how he and his group spent four year kissing up to an orange devil.

Say what you will about the Family Research Council (I have and I will continue to do so), you have to be amazed as to how obliviously brazen they and their president, Tony Perkins are. I received a fundraising email from the group today. I will spare you the entire spiel and go straight to the most amusing part:

A recent post-election survey by renown Christian pollster, Dr. George Barna, revealed troubling numbers. His polling found that the majority of those who voted for President Joe Biden were less likely to have a biblical worldview. And 75 percent of the president's base thinks there is no absolute moral truth. Barna responded to the findings, saying, "The more the United States puts distance between itself and its moral and spiritual moorings, the less likely we are to have an effective, vibrant government and a healthy and vibrant way of life."

 . . . Just when Christian parents think their children might be safe from aggressive ideological indoctrination, they find it creeping into purportedly Bible-believing colleges. So how do we advance a biblical vision for human flourishing in a culture that appears to be on a downward spiral from its Christian heritage? We start with the Word of God! We can't stand for biblical truth if we don't know what it is. It's critical to understand what the Bible says and how to stand upon it.

Well this is lovely of FRC. A return to its usual scare tactics and lies about how America is becoming a dangerous place for Christians where "the left" are constantly indoctrinating children and plotting to replace God . . . or something like that. I'm not even going to ask what is the definition of a "biblical worldview" because it don't matter. Soon, supporters of FRC and right-wing evangelicals will be repeating the phrase until it's drilled into our heads.

What interests me is where were all these mentions of God and ecclesiastical references for four years when FRC had probably the most power it has ever had under former president Donald Trump. Or have I answer my own question?

You do remember Donald Trump, don't you? He is the lying, sniveling, worthless shithead who wreaked havoc on America for four years, not to mention caused the deaths of over 500,000 Americans via his incompetence in preparing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

He's also the same guy which FRC gave a "mulligan" - free pass - for past his bad behavior because, according to Perkins, evangelicals supposedly got kicked around by the Obama Administration and wanted a fighter who would "punch the bully." And apparently that "mulligan" carried over to Trump's present and future bad behavior while he sat in the Oval Office.

Now I'm confused. I thought Perkins and company were Christians, which would mean they already had their side covered by God and Jesus. Why would they have to rely on a lying, sniveling, worthless shithead if they had God on their side?

Forget it, Perkins. All of this concern about "biblical values" mean nothing to those of us who saw you liplocking with an orange devil for four years. We can still smell the sulfur on your breath.

'TikTok's recommendation algorithms promoting homophobia and transphobic violence' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is promoting homophobia and anti-trans violence - And just like that, we've got a new problem.

U.S. Expands Birthright Citizenship Of Babies Born Abroad To Same-Sex Couples - More proof of how voting matters.

Alabama bill to force teachers to out trans youth & ban health care access fails - Just in case you didn't hear. 

Salt Lake City rally aims to bolster LGBTQ support in schools - Nice!

11 Gay Actors in the Old Hollywood (if you didn't know who they were, now you do)

 

 

 From the video's description box: 

 Male movie stars who were hunks in Old Hollywood represented machismo and the classic expectation that they could always save the damsel in distress before a movie ends. Well, they are able to do this in movies because the script calls for it, but underneath all these bulging muscles and clean cut good looks, is a sexual orientation dilemma that have spooked a lot of these male celebrities. It's either they accepted who they were or suffered by repressing their identities until the end. Get to know who some of them are. 

Nothing here in this video shocks me because I've read about these actors countless times. Consider it as a historical lesson in what some gay men had to do to succeed in Hollywood back in the day. Then compare it to the ways we act and the corners we sometimes cut to succeed in general even now.

'SC state senator wants to stop city of Columbia from banning 'ex-gay therapy'' & other Tue midday news briefs

State senator asks AG Alan Wilson to intervene, block Columbia conversion therapy ban - Uh uh! No way. You will have a good fight on your hands.

Caitlyn Jenner gleefully shares ugly transphobic insult about a trans Biden appointee - This woman no longer makes me angry. She intensely saddens me. 

New Lavender Book app will map safe spaces for Black queer people - This is a really good idea.

Changing the Game Tells Heartfelt Stories of Trans Teen Athletes - There needs to be more projects like this.

You cannot fool us, Franklin Graham. We saw you sell out your 'faith' to Donald Trump

Spare us any of your criticism of Donald Trump, Franklin Graham. They are too little and much too late.

Now that Donald Trump is no longer president (Thank God!) certain people are trying to recast their fawning praise of him when he was polluting the Oval Office.  Certain people like Franklin Graham. 

According to the Huffington Post: 

Evangelical leader Franklin Graham, who has been one of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters among the religious right, hit the former president with a reality check over his 2024 election chances. “I think for him, everything will depend on his health at that time. If he still has energy and strength like he does. I don’t,” 

Graham told Axios, adding: “You know the guy does not eat well, you know, and it’s amazing the energy that he has.” Graham added that Trump seems to have lost 15 pounds. “So he might be in good health and in good shape,” he said. “I don’t know.” 

 And Graham apparently said more than that. Now he is being critical of Trump's demagogue-like behavior of smearing the press. In the same interview with Axios, according to The Wrap:

Rev. Franklin Graham admitted in a new interview that his pal, former President Donald Trump, shouldn’t have gone after the press the way he did. 

 “I would never have said that. I think it’s hurt him. I think it built a wall. I think it created animosity when it shouldn’t have. Just because somebody disagrees with you doesn’t mean they’re your enemy,” Graham said in a sit-down with Axios. 

 Mike Allen pressed the reverend, who has been a longtime supporter of Trump’s, on whether the one-term president’s attacks on the press were a mistake. “No question about it,” said Graham, the son of Christianity Today founder Billy Graham.

Oh Franklin, you two-faced, hypocritical bastard. 

I wish the interviewer would have pressed Graham on why he didn't take a public stand against Trump even though we probably already know the answer.  It's the same reason why Graham either defended Trump or remained silent during his Covid pandemic botching, his numerous lies, the teargassing of the protestors during his Bible-holding photo op, the storming of the Capital on Jan 6, his constant lies of a rigged election, etc, etc etc.

'College investigating after students try to break into LGBTQ home which used to be a frat house' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

A College Is Investigating After Students Allegedly Tried To Break Into An LGBTQ Home That Used To Be A Frat House - Oh my goodness! 

America Needs a Sane and Functioning Republican Party - I'll agree with this.

Biden names civil rights veteran to U.S. Education Dept. - We need more picks like this. 

NYC Pride parade bans police; Gay officers ‘disheartened’ - I have been arguing with folks all weekend about this. This is NOT a good idea. But it is this organization's right. However, I am totally against any denigrating generalization of any law enforcement officer in general. You can kiss my ass with that ACAB crap. 

Many countries still reject, torture and kill LGBT people - Depressing but true. The struggle is real and it is worldwide.

Student tries to play the 'religious persecution' card after getting kicked out of sorority for making fun of HHS trans official

A Louisiana student was kicked of out her sorority for making fun of Dr. Rachel Levine and is now attempting to play the 'religious persecution' card. Not today, girlfriend.

A Louisiana student recently got kicked out of her sorority for publicly making of  Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender physician who Biden picked as assistant secretary for Health and Human Services. What the student is now doing to protest her dismissal should be considered infuriating.

From Pink News:

Emily Hines was dismissed from the Delta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi for a post which saw her dancing in front of a picture of Dr Levine. In the video, which has since been deleted, Hines pointed at Dr Levine’s face as she lip-synched the Bee Gees lyrics: “More than a woman, more than a woman to me."

There shouldn't be any argument that what Hines did was ignorant and she deserved the repercussions which stemmed from her actions. However, she is making a claim that she is being discriminated against because of her religious beliefs:

Hines was summoned judiciary board hearing where she was told her video was widely viewed as offensive. “They asked if I was remorseful at all, and I said I regret wearing the [Alpha Phi] sweatshirt but was not going to apologise for my beliefs,” she told Breitbart. 

 Shortly after, Hines received an email notifying her that she’d been terminated from the sorority. She was outraged by the decision which she blamed on “hypocrisy and one-sidedness”. “The way this situation unfolded has been absolutely ridiculous. My religious beliefs have been pushed under the rug because the social construct of gender has become such a big issue,” Hines told Young America’s Foundation.

As you can see via the links from Pink News, Hines talked to two conservative publications (Breitbart and Young America's Foundation) which both underplayed what she had done by implying that her actions were mere criticism.

Hines herself continued to figuratively clutch the cross:

“My faith teaches me that God made male and female in his image, and that one cannot become the other."

Her personal beliefs are besides the point. It is the manner which she expressed them which made her situation a problem. Her sorority deemed her "joke" - not beliefs - were demeaning and against its written rules.  To make it worse, she dragged her sorority into the mess by wearing her letters while doing her tacky act.

To me, it's rather disingenuous for her to even imply that there should be some religious defense for what she did. That's like a racist claiming that saying the 'n-word" should be considered religious.  Hines needs to take responsibility for her actions and not use her religion as an excuse for them. It definitely makes one see how little she regards her faith if she sees it as a excuse to ignore common decency and then not get punished for it.

But if girlfriend wants to become a "martyr," by all means please try. I personally hope that religious right groups do attempt to defend her. That would make it easier for us to prove how bogus their cries of "Christian persecution" and "religious freedom" are.

'Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto to play gay dads on Proud Family reboot' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto to play gay dads on Proud Family reboot - I'm sold. And the possibility of the religious right getting angry about this is gravy.

Out lawmaker & marriage activist Mark Levine is running for Virginia Lieutenant Governor - More of this! Please! 

The LGBTQ community and African-Americans have one similarity - the same conservative groups undermining their rights - My post from last night. Both groups should fight the real enemy. 

Caitlyn Jenner Says She Didn’t Vote In 2020; Voting Records Say Otherwise - Caitlyn, girlfriend. Just sit down.

The LGBTQ community and African-Americans have one similarity - the same conservative groups undermining their rights

The next time that tiresome debate/argument about comparisons between the African-American and LGBTQ civil rights movements take place, I want folks to consider something:

From Taegan Goddard's Political Wire today:

In a leaked video of a private meeting with big-money donors, the head of a top conservative group “boasted that her outfit had crafted the new voter suppression law in Georgia and was doing the same with similar bills for Republican state legislators across the country,” Mother Jones reports. Said Jessica Anderson of Heritage Action: “In some cases, we actually draft them for them or we have a sentinel on our behalf give them the model legislation so it has that grassroots, from-the-bottom-up type of vibe.” She added: “Honestly, nobody even noticed. My team looked at each other and we’re like, ‘It can’t be that easy.'” 

According to the Mother Jones article in question:

The Georgia law had “eight key provisions that Heritage recommended,” Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage Action for America, a sister organization of the Heritage Foundation, told the foundation’s donors at an April 22 gathering in Tucson, in a recording obtained by the watchdog group Documented and shared with Mother Jones. 

Those included policies severely restricting mail ballot drop boxes, preventing election officials from sending absentee ballot request forms to voters, making it easier for partisan workers to monitor the polls, preventing the collection of mail ballots, and restricting the ability of counties to accept donations from nonprofit groups seeking to aid in election administration. All of these recommendations came straight from Heritage’s list of “best practices” drafted in February. With Heritage’s help, Anderson said, Georgia became “the example for the rest of the country.”

These new voter restriction laws are the result of former president Donald Trump's whining that he was cheated out of a second term last year.

'Caitlyn Jenner's CA governor bid is crashing, according to poll' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner's California Governor Bid Is Crashing, According to Poll - It's nice to know that all isn't totally awful in America. 

Procter & Gamble Partners With GLAAD To Advance LGBTQ Acceptance Through Advertising - Whatever helps.

Judge blocks requirement for ‘gay sex’ offender registration - Good. You shouldn't be thought of as a sex offender simply for having gay sex.

Va. GOP governor nominee opposes transgender-inclusive youth sports - Republican? Of course.

Family Research Council: Cancel culture is evil (but please forget when we tried to cancel Star Wars, the Girl Scouts, Apple Computers . . .)

Editor's note - apparently Roger Severino is not happy about my post from yesterday. He blocked me on Twitter. Like I actually care. I am only writing about it to boast and to point out that his action proves my point.

Recently, the Family Research Council published a post about 'cancel culture.' In part, this is what it says:

Over the past few years, the language of “cancel culture” has become ubiquitous in our society. Social media platforms are cluttered with hashtags and campaigns urging us to “cancel” someone or declare that they are “over.” Whether the context is politics, sports, entertainment, or business, no one seems safe from the reach of the so-called cancel culture movement. However, many people are increasingly becoming wary of it. When asked about cancel culture in a recent interview, comedian Dave Chappelle quipped, “I hope we all survive it.” Chappelle’s passing comment points to a growing awareness that a movement that might have begun with good intentions has taken on a life of its own, resulting in a variety of unintended consequences. What is cancel culture? How should Christians think about the notion of “canceling” people, institutions, or ideas?

First of all, "cancel culture" is nothing new. It's merely a cute new way to describe an old practice. In my day, 'cancel culture' was known, at the least, as basic criticism and, at the most, as boycotting. 

And that makes FRC's blog post ironic and highly hypocritical, seeing that organization has made a name for itself by attempting to cancel various businesses and entities which it felt was too LGBTQ supportive.

Let's make a list, shall we. Over the years, the Family Research Council attempted to cancel

Apple Computers when its CEO, Tim Cook, came out of the closet. 

Chick-Fil-A when it was discovered that the restaurant's owners donated money to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A Star Wars video game for including gay characters.

The Girl Scouts and girl scout cookies for supporting the LGBTQ community. FRC even pushed a prayer alert against the group.

And last but not least, the LGBTQ community in general. FRC have been attempting to cancel us from day one.

'When 'Christians' won't stop lying about transgender healthcare' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

Fetish-Induced Anti-Trans Fear Mongering - The Slowly Boiled Frog is one of my favorite blogs because of stuff like this: 

 The American Principles Project (APP) is one of the numerous extremist Catholic organizations founded by Robert P. George and Luis Tellez. (The professor and the Opus Deist). APP isn’t very principled when it comes to telling the truth. First of all, LGBTQ people are routinely denied basic medical care (see below). Secondly, sexuality — including sexuality that Schilling disapproves of — is not an ideology. Thirdly, there is no such thing as a “sex-change procedure.” Moreover, hospitals do not perform procedures. People perform procedures and hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, have complete autonomy in the extension of privileges. 

 Simple truth. You can't beat it. 

Post-Trump Fox News is a hotbed of anti-LGBTQ extremism - I once asked a question about Fox News as it slowly gained power. What could we do if this network gained a lot of power and viewers and then decided to take a very homophobic and badly slanted view of LGBTQ equality? That moment is now.

U.K. to ban LGBTQ conversion therapy and provide more support - Snap! Go U.K.! It's your birthday! Go U.K.! It's your birthday!

LGBTQ+ Parenting Pioneers Share Tips for Queer Families in Live Event - And we need more of this.

LGBTQ Americans proven right about Roger Severino. We told you he was a dishonest snake.

Former Trump appointee Roger Severino is no longer hiding his distaste and bigotry of the transgender community.

When it comes to former Trump appointee Roger Severino, I think I can speak for the LGBTQ community when I say:

We told you that SOB was a snake.

First, a little background. In 2017 when former president Donald Trump appointed Roger Severino as director of the Office of Civil Rights at Health and Human Services, many LGBTQ Americans and our allies loudly voiced our fear and disapproval. As an employee of several far right groups, Severino worked to undermine LGBTQ rights and safety on several fronts from the fight for marriage equality to the fight against the fraudulent practice of 'ex-gay therapy.'

In his new position in the Trump Administration, Severino proved our fears to be accurate as he instituted rule after rule designed to either erase LGBTQ rights in healthcare or allow healthcare workers - from doctors and nurses to ambulance drivers - to not treat us by citing their "religious freedom." Specifically, Severino was responsible for an attempt to create a rule which would roll back protections for the trans community against discrimination through Obamacare, and  a "conscience rule" which said any healthcare worker could deny services to LGBTQ people based on "moral or religious" reasons. In November 2019, three different federal courts struck down the rule and one court found that HHS exaggerated a justification for the rule. Severino was pointed out in an NPR article to have contributed to that exaggeration. 

And while doing all of this, Severino gave out lip service claiming that "discrimination has no place in healthcare" or gaslighting people into believing that the changes were to protect people's religious beliefs

But now that Trump is gone and Biden is president, Severino no longer has to "fake it," so to speak. Since losing his job at HHS, he has joined another far right think tank (Ethics and Public Policy Center) devoted to undermining LGBTQ rights and health. In doing so, Severino has embraced a nastier tone. One can see that by the tweets and retweets he sends out smearing transgender Americans.

Even though LGBTQ people knew just how dishonest he was, now it should be clear.  Severino worked specifically and deliberately to undermine and destroy LGBTQ rights when it came to healthcare. It had nothing to do with religious liberty. It was all about basic prejudice, bigotry, and an incorrect but steadfast belief that LGBTQ people, transgender Americans in particular, aren't deserving of simple and basic healthcare. 

The important thing here is not the discovery that Severino was exactly what we said he was, but finding out just who asked Trump to appoint him in the first place.

'Tucker Carlson continues to spread lies about medical care for trans youth' & other Tue midday news briefs

Tucker Carlson

Defending extreme bills, Tucker Carlson once again lies about medical care for trans youth - The overrated mediocre trust-fund baby lies about vaccines. Why should we feel left out.

More anti-LGBTQ laws have been passed in the last year than any other time in American history - We seem to be the eternal wedge issue.

Evangelical Lutheran Church Elects First Transgender Bishop - Niiice! 

‘The love of homosexuals is something good’: German Catholics to bless gay unions, defying Vatican ban - This is going to get interesting.

U.S. Will Protect Gay And Transgender People Against Discrimination In Health Care - Just in case you didn't hear.

ACLU video nails how homophobic rhetoric about children is transformed into transphobic rhetoric

From Anita Bryant's 1977 campaign to 'save  children from homosexuality' (top picture)  to today's legislative attack on transgender youth under the guise of 'saving girl's and women's sports' (bottom picture), the religious right and their allies have always hid their bigoted undermining of LGBTQ rights by falsely claiming to be "protecting" the most vulnerable.

This right here below is a 48 second history lesson which folks like myself have been trying to communicate to the public for the longest. The recent legislative attack on transgender Americans under the guise of "protecting women and children" is nothing more than a continuation of the lies the religious right and their allies used to claim that children needed to be "protected from homosexuality in the 1970s. It also illustrates that our community cannot rely on the media (and especially podcasting frauds like Joe Rogan) to do the right thing in telling the story. It's up to us and our allies to forcefully educate people on this. 

Today’s attacks on trans youth are the latest in a long line of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric focused on kids. pic.twitter.com/ngZAjsSNZi

— ACLU (@ACLU) May 10, 2021

Hat tip to the ACLU.

'Happy Mother's Day to more than 50 favorite LGBTQ+ Moms' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

Happy Mother's Day to More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms - I love this! 

Social Media Hate Speech, Harassment 'Significant Problem' For LGBTQ Users: Report - Yep! 

Dear Adults: If You’re Not Fighting For Trans Kids’ Rights, Please Start - Amen!! 

Prospects dim for passage of LGBTQ rights bill in Senate - Gotta face reality. Regroup. And replan.

Politico - War on transgender youth becoming more of a headache than successful wedge issue for Republicans

Do not celebrate yet but according to Politico, the Republican Party was trying to create a perfectly successful wedge issue with its attack on transgender athletes. What they got is a little success but an enormous amount of public internal division:

Republicans saw a ready-made wedge issue to rally the GOP’s base when, soon after Joe Biden took office, he moved to expand protections for transgender people, including in school sports. The president and his Democratic allies, conservatives said, were ruining women’s athletics, and Republican lawmakers across the country advanced a raft of bills designed to keep transgender women and girls from playing on female teams. Yet what once promised to be a galvanizing force for the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections and 2024 has instead devolved into a source of division within the GOP, hobbling one potential presidential contender — Kristi Noem — and pitting other Republican governors against lawmakers of their own party.

 . . . Far from a unifying new fixture in the GOP’s culture wars, the question of how to treat transgender student athletes is instead inflaming rifts within the party — and quickly becoming a litmus test for Republicans who aspire to higher office. “For those who dream about a 2024 future, starting with Kristi Noem,” said Bill McCoshen, a Wisconsin-based Republican strategist, “you don’t want to be in a position to be against your own party, which all of those governors have done so far.”

The entire article deserves a read and a share. Whatever the case may be, it looks like the GOP are relying on the same tactics of distortion which worked to galvanize its base against marriage equality during the 2004 election. But our side seems to have learned lessons from that fight. And we took those lessons to heart in terms of the messages we are sending, the stories we are telling, and the Americans (transgender youth, their families, and medical professionals) stepping up to tell those stories.