Bigot's anti-gay press conference fails and other Tuesday midday news briefs

What happened at Rev. Lou Sheldon’s press conference opposing the FAIR Education Act - Hate group leader (Traditional Values Coalition being the group) has a HUGE fail of a press conference.

Video: An 'ex-gay' pushing governor? Better know your candidates, NH! - Pushing someone who support "ex-gay" crap as New Hampshire's governor? How nauseating.

Timothy Dolan Claims He’s Not Anti-Gay, Compares Same-Sex Marriage To ‘Polygamy, Adultery, Forced Marriage’ - Uh Mr. Dolan . . . I got news for ya. Comparing marriage equality to adultery, polygamy, and forced marriage DOES make you anti-gay.

Related post - Will the Catholic Church declare war on Obama over gay equality?

Land: Gay Activists Seek Full-Blown "Sexual Paganization Of Society" - Okay, who told him? Can't us gays stop revealing "our plans?"

Hate group angry at Republican for wanting to repeal DOMA

The anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council is furious that a Republican in Congress is co-sponsoring a bill which would repeal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).

On Friday, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) became the first Republican to co-sponsor the legislation that would repeal DOMA and yesterday, FRC attacker her position, claiming that she is harming children:

Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) has joined the dark side by becoming the first Republican to co-sponsor bills that boost counterfeit marriage while effectively closing down most Christian adoption services.

. . . What the Stark/Ros-Lehtinen bill, (deceptively named "The Every Child Deserves a Family Act") would do is shutter Christian adoption agencies nationwide, despite the large number of lives these organizations impact. Put in a dramatic but truthful way, supporters of the bill would rather see orphans kept without parents than to see them placed in loving homes with a mother and father!

Of course FRC fails to mention that the problem is that these "Christian adoption agencies" receive tax dollars while specifically barring gays from adopting children - a position having to do more with religious beliefs than with actualities. And it's not that these agencies are "forced" to close down, it's that they refuse to function without these tax dollars.

But the most ironic statement with FRC's attack is the following:

The GOP leadership has done a lot to protect marriage, mostly by appointing a top-notch lawyer to defend DOMA . . .

FRC omits the fact that this "top-notch" lawyer (Paul Clement) has been called to the carpet by Democratic legislators for his use of junk science in defending DOMA.

In all honesty, however, seeing that FRC itself is no slouch when it comes to utilizing junk science, maybe not mentioning that Clement is doing the same is an "innocent oversight."

Democratic lawmakers not happy with Boehner's DOMA defense

Hot damn! This is BIG!:

Democratic lawmakers don't like the "harmful and unreasonable arguments" being used by House speaker John Boehner's lawyer to keep the Defense of Marriage Act on the books.

A contingent from Congress, including all four of the gay members, wrote to Boehner demanding a chance to confront the lawyer with what they say is "discredited" and "biased" research on homosexuality that was used in a legal brief representing Congress in court.

 . . .several Democrats — Tammy Baldwin, David Cicilline, John Conyers, Barney Frank, Jerrold Nadler, and Jared Polis — say Clement doesn't represent them or even the scientists he cites in his legal arguments.

 . . . They cite, for example, professor Lisa Diamond's complaint that Boehner's lawyer has "completely misrepresented my research." A lot has changed since DOMA was passed 15 years ago, they say, but Clement's ideas on why it should remain "do not withstand the test of time or scrutiny."

The representatives are asking Boehner, for the second time, to grant them a briefing about the case so they can hear more about a court strategy they say isn't based in fact.   

Why is this big? Because a while back, not only did Diamond complain that Clement was distorting her work, but at the same time, I published a post clearly showing that Clement was also using junk science and bad studies in his defense of DOMA.

In his defense of DOMA, Clement cites the work of Case Western Reserve University law professor George W. Dent, Jr.

But Dent's work - which Clement uses -  cited both Paul Cameron and George Rekers, two discredited researchers. Cameron has been censured or rebuked by several organizations for his bad methodology in his studies and Rekers lost a lot of credibility for last year's scandal when he was caught coming from a European vacation with a "rentboy."

Also, Dent cited the work of Walter Schumm's study Children of Homosexuals More Apt To Be Homosexuals? A Reply to Morrison and to Cameron Based on an Examination of Multiple Sources of Data.

Schumm's study was criticized for using the same false methodology as Cameron's work. i.e. citing sources "from general-audience books about LGBT parenting and families, most of which are available on Amazon.com"

Furthermore, Dent cited a book called Straight & Narrow by Thomas E. Schmidt to make criticisms about gay health. However, Schmidt is not a credible researcher in the field of gay health. He is a professor of New Testament Greek at Westmont College in Santa Barbara and according to Rev. Mel White of the group Soulforce, Schmidt cited Cameron's discredited studies many times in Straight & Narrow (5th letter to Jerry Falwell.)

And last, but not least, Dent cited the work of the American College of Pediatricians. The American College of Pediatricians is not a credible organization, but an organization created to give credibility to junk science about the gay community. Last year, over 14,000 school district superintendents in the country were sent a letter by ACP inviting them to peruse and use information from a new site, Facts About Youth. The site claimed to present "facts" supposedly not tainted by "political correctness."  Of course these were not facts, but ugly distortions about the gay community, including:

Some gay men sexualize human waste, including the medically dangerous practice of coprophilia, which means sexual contact with highly infectious fecal wastes

As for now, it is not known how or if Boehner will respond to the Democratic legislators. But still, their actions of questioning Boehner on the material that his lawyer is using is a good thing because it puts a spotlight on the distortions those on the right use to defend anti-gay laws.

And it's about time. 

President Obama condemns booing of gay soldier and other Monday midday news briefs

Obama: Booing of Gay Soldier 'Not Reflective of Who We Are' - Thank you, Mr. President.

Toledo Pastor Erects 9 Gay-Hating Billboards, Says He Loves Everyone - Cause we all know that it's not The Church's duty to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide comfort, but waste a bunch of money on anti-gay billboards.

NEW YORK: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Signs Landmark Bill Aiding LGBT Seniors - Way to go, Gov. Cuomo.

Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid - I like what the Southern Poverty Law Center said about this - "Calling out groups for their hatred isn't offensive. Claiming bigotry as a Biblical value is."

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen’s Opposition To DOMA May Be Guided By Personal Experience, Transgender Son - Fascinating piece on Republican representative who opposes DOMA.

Bigot - gays are winning 'culture war' and taking prisoners

Scott Lively

"Many Christians are only now awakening to the seriousness of the threat to our society posed by the homosexual movement. But, unfortunately for us all, it is only the sounding of the victory trumpets by "gay" activists that has stirred Christians from their slumber. The watchman's walls have been broken and breached, the village is in flames, and triumphal "gay" culture warriors are leading a long string of young prisoners by their necks into the woods. Most disturbingly, many of the captives, including some of the children of these still sleepy-eyed Christian parents, seem happy to go."

The above ramblings is paranoid homophobic bigotry of the highest order. And it would be hilarious except when one realizes who it is coming from.

Scott Lively, head of the SPLC-declared hate group Abiding Truth Ministries and author of the discredited piece of garbage, The Pink Swatiska (a book claiming that gays were responsible for Hitler's Nazi Party), wrote the piece which appeared last week in World Net Daily.

And it is pretty much the same vein of trash which Lively has made a living in declaring - i.e. claiming that gays are secretly plotting to take over America, "indoctrinate children," and cause all sorts of mayhem.

It's the same trash one would hear from folks like Matt Barber and Peter LaBarbera, except for one thing. As odious as LaBarbera and Barber are, neither person has the death of an innocent on their heads.

Don't believe Santorum's claim about not hearing the audience boo the gay soldier

There continues to be so much fall out from the recent Republican presidential debate in which the candidates stood by and said nothing while members of the audience booed a gay solder. The gay soldier was merely asking will the candidates make it harder for folks like him to serve openly in the military in spite of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Now a few candidates, John Huntsman and Gary Johnson,  have gone on record saying that they thought the booing was inappropriate. Others, such as Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney, have dodged responding to the controversy. But one candidate, Rick Santorum, really stepped into it with his answer:

“I didn’t hear it. I didn’t hear the boos,” Santorum told ABC News. “I heard the question and answered the question, so I’ve heard subsequently that happened. I’ve heard varied reports about whether they were booing the soldier or the policy.”

“I don’t know what they were booing,” he said. “If you can go out and find the people who were booing and find out if they were booing because a man was gay or because of a policy they don’t agree with.”

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson simply isn't buying Santorum's explanation:

Johnson added that he could hear the boos from the stage and believes that the other candidates – despite Santorum’s denial – could as well.

Frankly, I don't buy Santorum's explanation either. And even though Santorum later went on record condemning the boos, I think the entire situation reveals something about his character; or lack thereof.

Folks like Santorum claim that they are ridiculed because they believe in "values" and "morality" in a society in which such things are not trendy.

But that's a lie. Folks like Santorum are ridiculed because so many of us don't buy their chest thumpings and phony martyrdom. You see folks like Santorum talk a good game when they can attack other people and call other people's values into suspect. But when it comes down to showing a little integrity, little humility or - in this case - a little honesty, they fail miserably.

To them, Christianity is merely a pedestal to place themselves above others. Christianity is merely a club used to bash others. Christianity is like a barrier which separates them from those of us they consider "untouchables" or the "undesirables" who shall never - at least in their minds - be seen at the same level as them.

But it's always about actions, never words. And  Santorum's actions in this situation - claiming that he did not hear the boos of the audience - is an outrageous lie.

In other words, Rick my friend, many of us don't like you because you are a hypocrite and a liar.

Frank Turek is a liar

The National Organization for Marriage has began a new project which it calls Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance. This project will spotlight folks who are the supposed victims of imaginary gay intolerance:

“If you have been threatened, harassed, or made to feel afraid because you believe in the great, foundational truth of Genesis –we are born male and female and called to come together in love to give children mothers and fathers—Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is here to help you: you are not alone.

We want to hear your story, connect you with others who share your deepest beliefs, with legal and other practical help, and with other Americans of good will, who (regardless of their views on marriage) want to put a stop to the shaming and the fearmongering of our fellow citizens. The goal of the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is to create a supportive community for those who have been threatened for standing for marriage, to nip the climate of fear being created in the bud, to expose for fair-minded Americans on both sides of the debate the threats being made, to conduct high-quality qualitative and quantitative research documenting the extent of the harm, to develop legislative and community proposal to protect Americans right to engage in the core civil rights: to organize, to vote, to speak, to donate, and to write for marriage.

Isolated and alone, we can be suppressed and intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.“

In other words, this group will exploit controversies to create new religious right cause celebres who have been supposedly victimized because of their "morality" and push them hard on the American public before the truth comes out that these folks are not victims but individuals who think that their beliefs regarding homosexuality should shield them for normal consequences of acting like homophobic fools.

And first up in the MADA spotlight is a man called Frank Turek. Turek was consultant who lost several lucrative gigs because of his sidework of denigrating the gay community. Take the following video with a grain of salt.



Turek makes himself sound like a pitiful victim. I am of the belief that private companies - who employ gays - have every right to pick and choose who they have as consultants. Some may disagree.

But what we cannot disagree with is the simple fact that Turek is being highly misleading. He makes it seem that his dismissals and inability to get gigs is due to his stance on gay marriage. But he omits the time when he:

said that gays and "radical Muslims are teaming up to destroy Western Civilization because they hate "Judeo-Christian natural law"



Or the time he compared homosexuality to alcoholism and pedophilia:

[B]eing born a certain way is irrelevant to what the law should be. Laws are concerned with behaviors not desires, and we all have desires we ought not act on. In fact, all of us were born with an “orientation” to bad behavior, but those desires don’t justify the behaviors. If you are born with a genetic predisposition to alcohol, does that mean you should be an alcoholic? If you have a genetic attraction to children does that mean you should be a pedophile? What homosexual activist would say that a genetic predisposition to anger justifies gay-bashing? (Don’t blame me—I was born with the anti-gay gene!) Certainly, those that oppose alcoholism, pedophilia and gay bashing are not “bigots”—they are wise.

Or the time he compared gays to sociopaths and gay bashers:



 The question is why didn't Turek - or NOM for that matter - mention his other comments on the video.

But the real fact of the matter is this - Turek has every right to speak his mind, but no company is bound to hire him, particularly if the company has lgbtq employees.

Furthermore, if Turek had said the same awful comments about African-Americans or people of the Jewish faith, we would not be having this conversation.

Is Turek a victim of "gay intolerance?" No. He is a liar who tries to make himself out to be a victim. And he is a man who seems to think that he should be shielded from the normal consequences of being a homophobic bigot - i.e. ostracization from the job market.

Know Your LGBT History - Gay characters from children's television show and movies

I found the following hilarious video on youtube which looks at characters from children's television shows and movies who supposedly show lgbtq sensibilities.

What do you think of the choices?




Past Know Your LGBT Posts: 

GOP candidates condemned for not sticking up for gay soldier and other Friday midday news briefs

Conservatives And Media Criticize GOP Candidates For Not Condemning Audience Boos Of Gay Soldier - How is this for a day of miracles? Me, GoProud, and the Christian Post actually agree on something.

NOM's new Chair: Homosexuality is modern day 'barbarism'- NOM's new chairman is channeling Marcus Bachmann . . . shut up.

Ugandan First Lady Affirms Support For “Kill The Gays” Bill - Here is a first lady we all can dislike.

LaBarbera Joins Mefferd To Lash Out At "Homo-Fascism" - A day we can drive Porno Pete crazy is always a good day.

Perry Endorser Suggested New Hampshire ‘Sold’ Adoptees To Same-Sex Couples - Lord, hammercy!

FLASHBACK: Before He Was At Fox, Keith Ablow Embraced Transgender People On Television - Can you say phony, boys and girls?
  
Gay people, get your heads in the game! - I am only adding this because I don't think that I pissed off a sufficient enough amount of people when I posted it this morning. LOL

Gay people, get your heads in the game!

The moment that everyone is talking about regarding last night's Republican debate is below when the audience booed a gay soldier who asked a question about DADT:



And candidate Rick Santorum didn't help matters by giving a sleazebag answer conflating gays serving openly in the military to sexual intercourse.

This piece is not a sell for Obama but a plea for the gay community to recognize who our true enemies are. I know that so many of us are angry at the president because we think he has not moved fast enough on our issues. Fair enough. But those always ready to lodge a comment on how worthless Obama is forget one thing:

Electing Obama was only half the work.

Let's be honest. So many of us expected that when Obama won, the sky would open, heavenly choirs would cascade down from the skies, and automatically the lgbtq community would gain instantaneous equality.

It doesn't work like that. It never has and it never will. The mistake of so many of us in the community is the simple fact that we viewed Obama's election as an end rather than yet another facet in the plan which would ensure our equality.

We sat back as if we ordered a meal in a restaurant and expected Obama, as the waiter, to bring us what we ordered, specifically to our specifications.

The struggle for equality is not that easy. Obama needed to be prodded to do the right thing, but instead of recognizing this simple fact, some of us complained about it.

I personally didn't give a crap that he needed to be prodded. I did care that he responded to our prodding. You think "President John McCain" would have cared that several folks chained themselves to the White House fence? You think any Republican president for that matter would respond to any protest by Get Equal?

Of course not.

Last night's shameful moment should send a signal to the lgbtq community that our equality is not dependent one person, no matter how powerful they are. Furthermore, if we are waiting for a magical moment such as when President Lyndon Johnson adopted the language of the civil rights movement during one of his presidential address in a show of solidarity, we are going to be waiting for a long time.

It's time we stop expecting a hero and be our own heroes. It's time we start talking into account the cold fact that our struggle for equality is like a game of chess.

And it's time we stop pussyfooting and start mastering the game.

Good riddance to Maggie Gallagher

This afternoon, as probably many of you have probably heard, Maggie Gallagher has stepped down as chairwoman of the National Organization for Marriage.

Details are extremely sketchy, but NOM has put on a brave face on the announcement by giving accolades to Gallagher and introducing, with much fanfare, her replacement - law professor and tea party favorite, John Eastman.

Personally, I am not impressed. Most likely, Gallagher stepping down is probably the best thing for the organization. I for one have never bought into the idea that Gallagher herself personally founded NOM.

Let's face facts - Gallagher was probably more likely a figurehead, a puppet picked by shadowy individuals out to stomp out the progress of marriage equality. And if that was the case, she wasn't a good one.

Gallagher had an awful television presence in that she was combative and evasive. She did well in front of audiences who agreed with her opinions regarding marriage, but on televised debates when faced with someone from the Human Rights Campaign or any other lgbtq group, Gallagher came across as phony. She tended to talk over folks, shout a bit, and if all else failed, pretended to be personally offended when someone actually called her out on her lies.

Other times when questioned about NOM's tactic, she deferred to an absent Brian Brown - NOM's president, leaving folks to wonder how much was she in the loop as NOM's chairwoman if she couldn't answer basic questions about how the organization is spreading its message.

It didn't matter to the lgbtq community that Brown was president. With her faults outnumbering her attributes, we did good job of "gingriching" Gallagher, i.e. making her the persona folks would think of when NOM's name came up.

Any success NOM has had is due to only one thing - its deep pockets. When it's all said and done, one could easily pinpoint NOM's finances as the reason why the organization is able to motivate so many "leaders" to its cause and blanket each area of its choosing with so much inaccurate literature via brochures and commercials.

To this day, NOM continues to fight tooth and nail in order to hide its funders even after losing several court cases. So in hindsight maybe it is a good idea for NOM to pick a lawyer to lead it. I have a feeling that the organization will need a good one very soon.

The Catholic Church and the 'political process' and other Thursday midday news briefs

North Carolina's leading 'protect marriage' group: Gays die early -- see, Paul Cameron says so! - Ugh. Do you notice a trend amongst these "morality groups" and junk science?

NC Anti-Marriage Amendment Language Leaves Off Key Provision - Speaking of NC, look what those "we need to protect marriage" dunces forgot to do.

Thomasson Suggests Larry King Provoked His Own Murder - Blaming a murder victim for his own death. So classy.

Catholic Priests Removed Over Anti-Gay Remarks - From the article - "The Catholic Diocese condemned Rodriguez’ 'intervention in the political process,” saying that it “is not permitted under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.'" Oh really? Well what's the explanation regarding NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan's letter to President Obama? We need some clarification here.

Focus on the Family is having justifiable money problems

According to media reports, Focus on the Family - the anti-gay group started by James Dobson - has been having revenue problems and subsequently was forced to layoff several employees:

The antigay ministry Focus on the Family announced . . . it will eliminate 49 more jobs, reports Denver Post.

The Colorado Springs-based organization had a $105 million budget this fiscal year ending September 30, but its officials now estimate it will receive donations of only $90 million to $95 million.

No one likes to hear about layoffs, but it's hard for me to feel sorry for FOF when it pushes nonsense like the following:

What better way to capture a child’s imagination than with a heart-warming story about cute, fuzzy little animals?

That’s the latest method homosexual-advocacy groups are using in their efforts to reach the youngest minds in our public school system.

Whether it’s stories about penguins, guinea pigs or even elephants, they’ve figured out how to use fun anecdotes about animals to familiarize children as young as preschool with the idea of homosexuality and gay marriage.

After all, they know if they can capture the hearts and minds of the young, they can permanently change the culture.

So according to FOF, the gay community is intentionally using stories about "cute, fuzzy animals" in order to "indoctrinate" children.

And here I thought we were using Spongebob Squarepants.

No, I don't feel the least bit sorry for FOF for its money problems, particularly when its executive director, Tom Minnery is begging for funds.

That's the same Tom Minnery who was publicly embarrassed by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) during a Congressional hearing for misrepresenting a study to make the case against same-sex households.

No doubt the irony using a man who lies about studies in an effort raise money is lost to FOF.

But not to me and certainly not to others.

Will the Catholic Church declare war on Obama over gay equality?

NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan

In something which should be remembered - because I have a feeling that it may be the opening salvo to something huge and sinister - NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan has sent a letter to President Obama claiming that he is alarmed about recent actions by the President's administration that supposedly "escalate the threat to marriage and imperil the religious freedom of those who promote and defend marriage."

These "threats" named by Dolan are positions made by the Obama Administration to ensure lgbtq equality. They include:

1. The Justice Department no longer defending DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) and raising questions about the law's constitutionality.

2. The Obama Administration supporting the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in foster care and adoption placement

3. Sexual orientation sensitivity training for federal employees

4. The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Dolan claims that these actions undermine what he calls the "natural family:"

In sum, these recent actions undermine certain fundamental truths about the nature of the human person—the equal importance of mothers and fathers to children, and the unchangeable meaning and nature of marriage as a communion of the sexes. They also oppose the deeply rooted consensus among the American people in support of the authentic definition of marriage and laws that reflect it. These actions also harm the common good by imperiling the religious freedom of those who hold these truths and defend these laws.

Dolan also makes what can only be seen as sort of a passive-aggressive threat to the President in regards to Catholic bishops speaking against the Obama Administration:

The Justice Department's move, in addition to other troubling federal decisions occurring recently, prompts me yet again to register my grave concerns. The content of this letter reflects the strong sentiment expressed at a recent meeting by more than thirty of my brother Bishops who serve on the Administrative Committee of our episcopal conference. I know they are joined by hundreds of additional Catholic bishops throughout our nation. My observations are offered in the spirit of respectful, but frank dialogue.

The Catholic Bishops stand ready to affirm every positive measure taken by you and your Administration to strengthen marriage and the family. We cannot be silent, however, when federal steps harmful to marriage, the laws defending it, and religious freedom continue apace. 

In lieu of how the Catholic Church is suspected of funding the National Organization for Marriage - an organization attempting to stomp out marriage equality in all 50 states - and the fact that next year is an election year, one would be dumb not to take Dolan's words as a threat.

While I respect Dolan's beliefs and his position, he is way out of his bounds here.  Furthermore, I think Dolan is dangerously stuck in the past. We no longer live in the time of the Middle Ages where government decisions had to be agreed upon by the Catholic Church before they are made.

The laws of this country are governed by the Constitution, not papal authority. No one elected Dolan to public office and he has no standing - other than that of an ordinary American citizen - to demand that the President reverse his standing on DOMA or any other law or decision.

 Dolan forgets that he does not live a theocracy, but a secular country which is home to many different people with many different religious beliefs.

And also different families.

Not every family has the mother and father dynamic but that does not make them inferior to those who do. All families which provide love and support to their children should be embraced and supported.

That's the most obscene thing about Dolan's letter. It is totally disrespectful to these families. It sends a message that since they don't abide by his definition of what makes a family, they are automatically inferior.

That same message of inferiority is also sent to those of us who are lgbtq. Granted, Dolan's letter includes the customary "we value all human beings and reject any hatred or unfair treatment of all people" line that's present in all religious right dogma in regards to the lgbtq community right before they lower the boom on us.

But the fact of the matter is the boom is still lowered, making us feel that we are not worthy of equal treatment.

So as a gay man, I don't buy Dolan's phony platitudes of love.  And as a citizen of this country, I am highly offended by his letter.

Lastly, I would suggest that before Dolan or any Catholic official takes it upon themselves to attempt to dictate policy to our elected officials, they follow the homily about "tending to their own gardens."

Based upon what I hear in regards to the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church, some folks have been letting their gardens go to rot. 

Related post:

Is the Catholic Church overstepping its bounds in marriage equality fight?

Bigot sending nasty tweets about DADT repeal and other Wednesday midday news briefs

The Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber just can't help himself with the nasty tweets. The following is what he said last year during President Obama's State of the Union address when the President promised to overturn DADT:

The sad thing is that as you can see, Barber hasn't stopped sending hateful tweets. But he did block me from seeing them after my post on his attack of  the DADT repeal last year. It's just as well though. Ignorant #^! like Barber only make our victories taste sweeter.

In other news:

Maggie Gallagher Attends Staged Reading of “8″ In New York - Good. As much money as she makes off of our community, it is about time that she give some of it back.

Fox News Largely Ignores Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal - Color me surprised.

Gay Buffalo Teen Kills Himself After Years of Bullying - UNACCEPTABLE! Pray this young man's family. And also let us work to do more to protect our children.

Nashville paramedic suspended for anti-gay postings - I DARE the religious right to make this new man their "gays are persecuting Christians" cause celebre.

Hate group promising to 'monitor' DADT repeal

As I noted yesterday, several folks on the right aren't happy with yesterday's repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

But now, the SPLC-designated hate group, the Family Research Council, has weighed in with a nonsensical scathing attack on President Obama and an ugly promise to "monitor" the effects of DADT:

FRC will continue to monitor the consequences of this reversal of 236 years of American military policy, limit the damage--and demand that the Defense Department do the same. Expect to see celebrations from homosexual groups and fawning stories in the media about how "the sky has not fallen." That's only because there will be no press releases from the new victims of sexual harassment or assault, the soldiers exposed to HIV-tainted blood, the thousands of servicemembers who choose not to reenlist rather than forfeit their freedom of speech and religion, and the untold number of citizens who choose never to join the military. It's clear this President is more interested in appeasing sexual revolutionaries than in fighting America's enemies. 

Knowing FRC's history, the organization's definition of "monitoring" will probably mean passing along inaccurate anecdotes about gay soldiers allegedly "harassing" heterosexuals or gay soldiers allegedly "harassing" chaplains, etc.

Case in point seen here is FRC's resident phony researcher and spokesperson, Peter (gays should be deported out of the United States and 'homosexual behavior' should be made illegal) Sprigg in a one-sided interview with Pat Robertson's 700 Club:

Religious right launches another silly attack on GLSEN

Matt Barber

What is it about GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) that drives the religious right crazy?

One would think that after witnessing how GLSEN publicly spanked the Family Research Council for spreading lies about it, religious right talking heads would steer clear of the group.

But they haven't. As a matter of fact, two of them - Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel and Linda Harvey of Mission America - are doubling down on the very same technique which got FRC in trouble, i.e. claiming that GLSEN is encouraging pedophilia:

According to People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch, Barber and Harvey spread the following nonsense last Saturday:

Barber: Now let me be very clear for those leftists and sexual anarchists who monitor your program, and you know they do, who are going to try to grossly misrepresent what we’re saying here.

Harvey: Of course they are.

Barber: Are we saying that all homosexuals are pedophiles, of course not.

Harvey: No.

Linda Harvey

Barber: Are we saying the GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network, is a pedophile, pro-pedophile movement? Well, yes and no. And here’s what I mean by that, look who the founder is, Kevin Jennings, look who his mentor was, Harry Hay, a pedophile activist. Now GLSEN, I have said the terminology that Harry Hay used was that parents and families and friends of gays should be running interference for pedophiles because the best thing for a kid, for young boys was to have sex with an adult man, this is according to Harry Hay.

Now GLSEN is in keeping with that mentality, they have tacitly as you know all too well Linda, they have tacitly advocated adult-child sex through their recommended reading list for kids in the past that portray in very favorable terms and in a favorable light the idea of boys having sex with men, as you mentioned as part of the empowerment and coming to terms with their in-born sexuality. So again, the left, guys you’re without excuse here if you misrepresent what we’re saying here, but GLSEN cannot get away from the fact that they have recommended reading that portrays in a positive light pedophilia.

For the record, those of us on the "left" don't misrepresent anything Barber says. We generally let him cut his own throat with his dumb comments. And he is in rare form here when he tries to connect Jennings  and GLSEN with pedophilia. The accusation about Jennings and Hay has been around for a while.  In 2009, it was the centerpiece of the religious right's unsuccessful campaign to get Jennings fired when he worked for the Obama Administration.

For the record, Harry Hay started the one of the first gay right groups in 1948. Many decades later while in his elderly years, however, Hay expressed support for NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association), a group that does advocate pedophilia.

Here is the thing which Barber omitted - Jennings expressed his admiration for Hay's earlier work - starting the first gay rights organization. Jennings has never expressed any admiration for Hay's support of NAMBLA.

It's a classic case of bearing false witness. Or if we wanted to follow Barber's point to its logical conclusion:

Christians during the Spanish Inquisition tortured and murdered over 2,000 innocent people, therefore Barber and Harvey - being Christians - supports torture and murder.

And then there is the lie regarding GLSEN's reading list, which was yet another attempt of the right to get Jennings fired.

This time, Barber not only omits a crucial fact about GLSEN's reading list, but he also tells a blatant lie.

First the omission - Barber neglects to mention that GLSEN recommends that adults peruse the books before allowing children to read them because some of the themes are highly mature.

Now the deception - when Barber claims that books portray pedophilia in a positive light, he is shamelessly lying. Some of these books are personal stories; they come from a place of sadness and rejection. They are the stories of how some of our lgbtq children went through a rocky process to a place of love and self-acceptance.


Are some of the books mature? Yes. But they aren't pornography anymore than a personal experience of rape should be considered as pornography.

Studies have shown that isolation and rejection push lgbt children into depressive and self-harming behaviors such as drug use and unsafe sex. And some of the stories in these books bear that out.


These books are not encouraging children to have sex with adults. Some of these books are cautionary guides in that they are letting us know what lgbtq children have to go through when they are isolated from society. They are telling us that we have to do more to keep our lgbtq children out of harm's way.


Not that this sort of thing matters to Barber or even Harvey.  After all, Harvey doesn't even think that gays exist. And Barber seems to be so obsessed with gay intercourse that he can't get through one conversation about the gay community without mentioning sex.

I have a hard time believing that these two liars are Christians. If so, God has an interesting sense of humor.

Hate group urging ice cream boycott and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Schweddy Balls Make AFA Squirm - The irony is delicious. At the same time homophobic groups are whining that gays are complaining to Paypal about the anti-gay hate groups using its services, the American Family Association is urging a boycott of Ben&Jerry's ice cream simply because the name of a flavor - which will send sales through the roof.

Using board to build cross: Chino Valley official seeks 'Godly' teaching, shunning of 'certain lifestyles' - This would be funny if it weren't so mean-spirited. Apparently one of the things this man has a problem with is "children who make two Mother's Day or two Father's Day cards during the holidays." How dare a child talk about his or her same-sex family!

Obama Celebrates End Of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Praises Gay Soldiers - It's a good day for us all!

Mainstream Christians Must Stand Up to the Religious Right - And I hope they do it soon.

Bad Medicine: Fox News Physicians Are A Prescription For Misinformation, Scientific And Otherwise - Apparently Keith Ablow's attack on Chaz Bono only scratches the surface when it comes to bad physicians on Fox.

DADT repeal - celebrate now but remember the enemies at the gate

Elaine Donnelly needs to get another job.

Today's repeal of DADT is a day which many gays and lesbians have been fighting for and waiting to see for a long time.

And of course, there will be a lot of celebrations.

With that in mind, pardon me for being the "one who lapped up the water like a dog " (it's a Biblical reference from the book of Gideon) by checking out what folks on the other side of the DADT repeal feel about this historic day.

First up is Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness. Donnelly has fought tooth and nail over the years against not only the repeal but also against the concept of gays and lesbians serving in the military, period.

The irony being, of course, the simple fact that in spite of the official sounding name of her group and how she is looked at as an "expert" by some, Donnelly has absolutely no military experience.

Naturally, she isn't happy about losing her gig:

The CMR leader predicts litigators for homosexual activists and the homosexual movement are going to have a field day. "Without the law on the books, they will go into court and challenge anything that stands in the way of what they perceive as a civil rights issue," she warns.

Of course Donnelly's comments are nothing compared to the comments from the conservative wolf's glenn, Free Republic. Those folks abandoned rationality for venom a long time ago. However, the repeal of DADT seems to have especially brought out the hate. Don't read the following without a crucifix or holy water handy:

Eleven years ago, an 'ex-gay' leader walked into a gay bar and changes lgbtq equality

While everyone is celebrating the fact that DADT will be officially repealed tomorrow, today marks another anniversary of something in regards to the gay community which is near and dear to my heart.

From Box Turtle Bulletin:

John Paulk

An Ex-Gay Leader Walked Into A Bar: In 1998, the supposedly “ex-gay” John Paulk and his “ex-lesbian” wife Anne were the centerpieces of a massive publicity push by Focus On the Family to promote the pray-away-the-gay therapy offered by Exodus International. They appeared on 60 Minutes and Oprah, as well as in full-page newspaper ads and on a 1998 cover of Newsweek. Their 1999 book, Love Won Out, became the title for a series of promotional ex-gay conferences put on jointly by Focus and Exodus International. Paulk was an employee at Focus, serving as manager of the organization’s Homosexuality and Gender division, and he had also served as Board Chairman of Exodus International since 1995.

John Paulk busted

On September 19, 2000, Paulk traveled to Washington, D.C. on Focus business when he walked into a dark and seedy gay bar known as Mr. P’s in the heart of D.C.’s Dupont Circle gayborhood. A few of the patrons there, employees at the Human Rights Campaign, recognized him immediately and watched as Paulk ordered a drink and struck up conversations with other bar patrons. One of the HRC staffers called Wayne Besen, who was also working at the HRC at the time and who had already written about the ex-gay movement. When Besen finally arrived at the bar 20 minutes later, he found Paulk on a barstool chatting with patrons. Besen confronted Paulk and tried to photograph him, but the bar’s bouncer, citing house rules prohibiting photography, stepped in and asked Besen to leave. Besen waited outside the bar and when Paulk finally came out the front door, Besen snapped another photo as Paulk was leaving.

Desperate bigot rails against DADT repeal and other Monday midday news briefs

Rob Reiner Previews ’8′: Proponents Of Proposition 8 ‘Made Our Case For Us’ - And in other headlines, water is wet.

Peter Sprigg says Prop 8 witness proves gays can change; proves why his side does so poorly on (and fears) witness stands - And speaking of which, Peter Sprigg shows his tremendous degree of ignorance. Uh Peter, you do know that you all lost that case, don't you?

NOM Still Promoting Bogus Link Between Pedophilia And Homosexuality - Ugly habits are so hard to break, isn't it, NOM?

Spiritual community split about gay marriage vote - Meanwhile in North Carolina . . .

Wash. Times Op-Ed Demands Congress "Take Our Military Back" From LGBT Activists - The desperation of bigots is sometimes so much fun to watch.

SC veterans celebrate the end of DADT

An awesomely moving video courtesy of SC Equality:

NOM creating false division between NC NAACP and the black church community

On its blog, the National Organization for Marriage has the following:

Local TV Surveys Battle Lines in NC: Black Church vs NAACP

Now under this headline is a video which is talking about the anti-marriage equality amendment vote in North Carolina (the video is from NOM's youtube site, thus the false headline):



The segment in question which NOM is using for its headline featured a reporter talking to only one pastor - Patrick Wooden of the Upper Room Church of God - who supports the amendment. He made a claim that the "average African-American on the street" supports the amendment.  Wooten also claimed that African-Americans in NC overwhelmingly supports the amendment.

The report then points out that the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP put out a statement opposing the amendment.

That segment of the video starts at 30 seconds and ends at 1:05. There is nothing else in the video which talks about the black church, the NAACP, or the black community in general.

From that very brief segment of the video, NOM is trying to sow division between the NAACP and the NC black church community.

It is a sloppy attempt for a multitude of reasons. Aside from the fact that the video in question doesn't even mention a division between the black church and the  NAACP, one should also remember that the president of the NAACP, William Barber, is a minister himself.

In addition, hundreds of clergy in North Carolina have voiced a letter opposing the amendment. And how many of them are from black churches you ask? Quite a few. As a matter of fact, a wide variety of churches and denominations (Jewish, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, etc.) have been very vocal in opposing the anti-gay amendment.

NOM is discovering that in NC it won't necessarily corner the market on church support, so to speak.

And is probably the reason for the phony claim on NOM's blog.  I think the organization recognizes that the NAACP jumping into the situation is putting a dent in its usual game plan of exploiting the black church and the black community in general.

One more thing. Keep on eye on Wooden because I'm sure that NOM will be trotting him out in front of the cameras. Wooden has a  history of nasty behavior towards the gay community (which I am sure he will say that was done in love), including saying the following in 2004:

"We have to block the use of euphemisms when we talk about homosexuals. They are not gay. We've got to use terms like 'deviant' and 'abomination.' "

Know Your LGBT History - Gay documentaries, past and present

You want an example of how far the lgbtq community has come? Check out documentaries looking at our lives.

The Homosexuals (sounds sinister, doesn't it?) was a CBS documentary which premiered in 1967. I will just break it down in two words - it stunk.

From Wikipedia:

Three years in the making, "The Homosexuals" went through two producers and multiple revisions. The episode included interviews with several gay men, psychiatrists, legal experts and cultural critics, interspersed with footage of a gay bar and a police sex sting.

As you can tell, it was not a fair documentary to our community. In all honesty, though, we are talking about 1967. Harvey Milk hadn't even come on the scene yet. And the Stonewall Riots were two years away.

Still, as the following clips shows, there is a reason why Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out called this documentary "the single most destructive hour of antigay propaganda in our nation's history."



If you closed your eyes, Wallace would remind you of Peter LaBarbera or Peter Sprigg.

Now take a look at a clips from a documentary which will be premiering next week to commemorate the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell:




The phrase "as different as night and day" is a cliche, but in this case, it is a very apt cliche to use.

We have come a long way, haven't we? And we haven't even finished accomplishing what we are going to accomplish in this world. Don't let the haters get you down. Always fight and never give up.


Past Know Your LGBT Posts: 

Boehner's DOMA problems, Rick Perry's prayer event lies, and other Friday midday news briefs

Boehner Claims Homosexuality Is A Choice In Effort To Preserve ‘Defense Of Marriage Act’ - More and more, the case for DOMA is becoming a repeat of the case for Prop 8. I hope that the outcomes will also be similar.

Perry's Prayer Rally, The AFA, And Champion The Vote - Rick Perry lied when he said that his prayer event wouldn't be political.

New York Clerk Could Face Lawsuit for Marriage License Refusal - The religious right no doubt wants this. I say bring it on!
  
New analysis shows startling levels of discrimination against Black transgender people - And folks, this does not look good.

NC's leading 'protect marriage' group: Homosexuality is 'unnatural', 'biologically destructive', caused by 'abuse or acquired taste', 'changeable' - Ugh, I say. Ugh!

Social Security Ends ‘Gender Matching’ For Employee Records - Let's end with a bit of good news.

Why Americans for Truth is an anti-gay hate group

Americans for Truth about Homosexuality is one of the so-called "pro-family" organizations labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Of course the leader of this group, Peter LaBarbera (otherwise known as "Porno Pete") takes offense to this label. He said the following in a recent interview:

"They're treating pro-family groups like pariahs," the AFTAH founder compares. "It's a very dirty tactic, because we're not about hate; we're about loving people enough to tell them the truth . . ."

LaBarbera at the time was whining about how the media wasn't covering the fight between groups like his and the gay community as he thinks it should be covered, but let's look at his claim about "telling the truth."

The following are LaBarbera's idea of "telling the truth":

This is a badly doctored photo of openly gay Congressman Barney Frank. LaBarbera posted it on his site to accompany a ridiculous claim that gay TSA agents are getting their thrills by groping men.

No doubt Labarbera claims that it was a joke, but it's  a rather tasteless attack on the gay community and its par for the course for LaBarbera.

Other things LaBabera has done to earn his organization's hate group status includes:

1. attempting to smear GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) days before its annual Day of Silence event via a fake controversy involving pictures on a facebook page not even associated with GLSEN.

2. Smearing gays via a CDC report on an increase on HIV while intentionally downplaying the part of the report which clearly places the blame on this increase on homophobia (while at the same time implying that the report "dispels the homophobia causes AIDS propaganda")

New site spotlights heterosexual youth bullied into suicide by gay peers

I'm speechless.

There has been a lot of attention given to gay youth who have been bullied by their peers into either suicidal thoughts and actions.

And now it seems that the "worm has turned," so to speak. There is now a webpage focused on how many heterosexual youth have been bullied into suicide by members of the gay community.

Check out the site, Bullied by Gays, for more information.

The site is well-made and to the point. Like I said before, when I saw it, I was rendered speechless.

Hat tip to Think Progress.

Republican presidential candidates attending hate group summit and other Thursday midday news briefs

'Values Voter' catering: Canapés on the tray, animus on the slate - The Republican presidential candidates attending a summit by the Family Research Council, a hate group. How nice.

Related post - 16 reasons why the Family Research Council is a hate group

GOP Makes Last Ditch Effort To Postpone Repeal Of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell - My heart bleeds for these folks. Really it does.

A Christian Parent in Support of the CA FAIR Education Act - This is something which should get more press. Much more press.

Fischer Wants Departments of Education, Transportion, Agriculture, and HHS Eliminated - And replaced with the "Department to get rid of all of those pesky homosexuals." Okay that last part is not true. But then again, this IS Bryan Fischer we are talking about.

Religious right doom - DOMA trial a repeat of the Prop 8 trial?

According to Equality Matters, the government's case for the Defense of Marriage Act (taken up by Speaker of the House Boehner after the Obama Administration refused to defend the law) may be a repeat of the the disastrous Proposition 8 defense in 2010.

That defense was so pitiful that those defending Prop 8 (the law that outlawed gay marriage in California) could only muster two witnesses and both witnesses actually helped the case against the law.

Equality Matters breaks the similarities of the two cases down in three ways, bringing up information which the gay community should take note up (don't worry - I highlighted it):

Same Old Arguments

Last month, Paul Clement – the lead attorney hired by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) to defend DOMA in federal court – filed two motions to dismiss the case of Windsor v. United States, one of several current legal challenges to the 15-year-old marriage law. The briefs revived a long list of typical anti-gay talking points: children need a mother and a father, ‘traditional marriage’ is necessary to encourage procreation, etc.

These arguments are nothing new: many of them are the same ones that were used (and rejected) in the 2009 First Circuit case Gill et al v. US Office of Personnel Management, which found Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional. 

They’re also the same arguments put forward by proponents of Proposition 8 in the 2010 district court case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger. In Perry, each of those arguments was thoroughly dismantled, first by the plaintiffs’ attorneys and eventually by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s “factual, well-reasoned, and powerful” 136-page decision. Walker found that, even under the most deferential standard of judicial review, there was no rational basis for denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. 

( Editor's note - I published a post earlier looking at the pitiful junk science Clement is using to defend DOMA)

Same Old Non-Witnesses

In the Windsor case, Clement has had a difficult time securing credible experts and witnesses to provide testimony in defense of DOMA. As AMERICAblog’s Joe Sudbay has noted, Clement tried to rely on the ‘work’ of anti-gay activists like Maggie Gallagher. Windsor’s lawyers filed a motion to strike Maggie’s work from the record, citing their lack of an opportunity to cross examine her in court. 

A similar situation arose during the Perry trial. Defense attorney Charles Cooper found himself unable to put forth more than two ‘expert’ witnesses – one who was quickly dismissed as lacking “the qualifications to offer opinion testimony” and another who’s testimony was given “little weight.” Cooper’s inability to find credible experts to support Prop 8 eventually led Judge Walker to ask:

Seven million Californians, 70 judges and this long history that you described. Why did you present but one witness on this subject?

(Editor's note - For all of Maggie Gallagher's talk of "protecting marriage," why won't she allow herself to be put in a position to be cross-examined. The fact that the gay community has allowed this crucial contradiction to slip by unexploited - yes I said "unexploited" - is a huge problem in our fight for marriage equality.)

And Now, Same Old Shame


Monday it was reported that the House’s Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) would oppose video recording the courtroom proceedings in Golinski v. United States, another case challenging DOMA’s constitutionality in federal court. BLAG’s opposition effectively ensures that the proceedings won’t be videotaped, as all parties must agree before the arguments can be recorded. 

BLAG’s position is reminiscent of the ongoing battle to prevent the public from viewing the footage of the Perry trial.  

For months, Prop 8’s proponents have been fighting “tooth-and-nail” to prevent the release of the trial footage, claiming that their anti-equality witnesses might be harassed and targeted for opposing same-sex marriage. This claim makes little sense: transcripts from the trial are publicly available, and both anti-equality witnesses had national profiles well before the Perry trial began.

As the American Foundation for Equal Rights – which represented the plaintiffs in the Perry case – has pointed out, it’s much more likely that Prop 8’s defenders are embarrassed about what happened during the trial. The defense’s witnesses admitted to lacking specific knowledge on a number of issues, contradicted themselves, and on several occasions, even agreed with the arguments made against Prop 8.

If these trends continued to hold, then we will probably be seeing a repeat of what happened last year when Prop 8 was overturned - i.e. the gay community dancing in the streets while the religious right and their supporters trying to cover up their faulty case by blaming the judge.

I'm already shopping for my dancing shoes