Mike Pence's claim about his anti-gay law contradicted by picture of him with lobbyists

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will have you to believe that the recent 'religious liberty' bill he signed into law isn't anti-gay. He claims that beliefs of the alleged anti-gay animus of this law is some sort of campaign of mis-education.

Don't believe Pence.  He is lying. And the proof comes from the signing ceremony of the bill.

While the signing of the bill was private, this particular picture was released on Pence's twitter account. It shows the governor with  priests, nuns, orthodox Jewish leaders, and lawmakers:

HOWEVER, this picture below shows the governor with a different group of folks, i.e. lobbyists who pushed for this bill. Thanks to GLAAD and Twitter user @SeaMonkey237, we know who these folks are. Their names and what they have to do with anti-gay activism are clearly described (click on pictures if you need to enlarge them.):

Just in case you need the links concerning the folks in the second picture and their  history of vicious anti-gay activism:

www.glaad.org/cap/micah-clark

www.glaad.org/cap/curt-smith

www.glaad.org/cap/eric-miller

Based upon this picture we now know why Gov. Pence wasn't forthcoming about his "religious liberty/freedom" law on 'This Week.'

If he had said no when asked does the bill allow for anti-lgbt discrimination, he would have been clearly lying.

And that picture of him with those anti-gay lobbyists is the smoking gun.

Failure Alert! Indiana Gov. Mike Pence fails to clarify anti-gay law on 'This Week'

In reviewing the interview of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Sunday's edition of 'This Week,' two adages come to mind:

"It's not always about what's said, but what's not said" and "give your enemy enough rope and he will hang himself."

No doubt, Pence thought he was going to cast the image of righteous defiance in supporting that awful anti-gay "religious freedom" law his state passed and he signed last week. His interview was part of his effort to somehow reclaim the narrative which was lost the moment he signed the bill. However, he failed on a monumental scale and this was chiefly because of his not answering interviewer George Stephanopoulos's direct question of whether the law allows anti-gay discrimination. And Stephanopoulos asked the question more than once.

Needless to say, Pence did nothing to quell the controversy started by this law and I think he significantly hurt his image . Don't be surprised is his interview only adds to the the constantly growing backlash:

Indiana restaurant begins barring gays thanks to new 'religious freedom' law

Whether the following is a hoax or not, it just made the brush fire started by Indiana's new "religious freedom" law explode into a veritable firestorm. To say the religious right and other supporters of "religious freedom" laws have lost the narrative would be an extreme understatement:

An Indiana business owner went on a local radio station and said that he had discriminated against gay or lesbian couples even before Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed a law on Thursday protecting business owners who decide to discriminate for “religious liberty” reasons. He then defended the practice and suggested he would do it again.

The business owner, who would not give his name or the name of his business, said he had told some LGBT “people” that equipment was broken in his restaurant and he couldn’t serve them even though it wasn’t and other people were already eating at the tables. “So, yes, I have discriminated,” he told RadioNOW 100.9 hosts. The hosts were surprised the owner said he was okay with discriminating.

“Well, I feel okay with it because it’s my place of business, I pay the rent, I’ve built it with all my money and my doing. It’s my place; I can do whatever I want with it, “he said. “They can have their lifestyle and do their own thing in their own place or with people that want to be with them.”

You can hear the audio here

As Indiana deals with an ugly backlash from businesses and celebrities such as Broadway's Audra McDonald, this audio only makes things worse. The old adage of "being careful what you wish for" definitely comes to mind here.

'Did Georgia provide the pathway to kill anti-gay 'religious freedom' bills?' & other Friday midday news briefs

How To Kill A Discriminatory ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill: Call The Bluff - One lesson we should learn from what happened yesterday in Georgia to possibly kill that state's "religious liberty" bill is a way to wreck other "religious liberty" bills which may be proposed in other states. And if the bills aren't destroyed, we would still win the narrative, which is equally important.

Gay Money Is No Good in Indiana - MEANWHILE, Indiana is learning a lesson regarding bigotry and the inanity of anti-gay propaganda. The religious right tells us that lgbts don't need protection from discrimination because we are in a high income bracket. So why are they proposing reasons for us to withhold ALL OF THAT MONEY we are supposed to be making.

 7 Entities That May Boycott Indiana Over New LGBT Discrimination Law - Second verse, same at the first (damn, this is so much fun!)

 Hillary Clinton condemns Indiana discrimination law - Now you KNOW if Hilary is wanting a piece of the "Indiana beat down," things just got real.

  Court blocks implementation of FMLA rule for same-sex couples - Okay, time to come down from the high so we don't get victory disease. We still have a long way to go to secure equality.

Eleven Republicans Vote For Benefits For Married Same-Sex Couples - A nonbinding vote, but wait until you read the list of Republicans who voted for it.

 Rand Paul Suggests Gay Marriage Is The Result Of A 'Moral Crisis' In America - My God, if I hear ANOTHER PERSON talk about how this country "needs a revival" or "great awakening," I am going to DO SOMETHING (and I seriously don't know it is yet, but it will be spectacular). They've been saying that junk for the longest time. Jerry Falwell said it decades ago. Jesse Helms said it decades ago. Perhaps those claiming how this country "needs a revival" would do well to see if THEY THEMSELVES need said revival before pointing fingers. 

Jerry Boykin Calls Upon 'God's Army' To Rise Up And Fight The 'Evil' Of Gay Rights - Uh sorry. I think that God's Army is too busy feeding hungry, clothing the naked, and generally helping mankind. You know, that stuff that Jesus did when He was alive.

Georgia's 'religious freedom' bill gutted & tabled after unexpected move

While Indiana is dealing with the consequences of passing their "religious freedom" bill, a bit of unexpected drama caused a similar bill in Georgia to be tabled by the folks who proposed it:

Last minute dramatics capped off a two-hour long meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, as an amendment adding protections against discrimination passed, which led to a successful vote to table the bill. If the bill would have passed in today's hearing, it likely would have reached the House floor for a vote as soon as Friday. Now the bill's future is in serious jeopardy as the days left in this year's legislative session dwindle.

The amendment was proposed by Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven), who stated that he was inundated with calls and emails from constituents concerned about the bill's effects. After several minutes of debate and a call to vote on the amendment, Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem) gave a stern warning to the committee that if the amendment passed and anti-discrimination language was included in the final version of the bill, he would vote no on it.

"This is the amendment that will gut this bill," he said emphatically. The committee then voted 9 to 8 to pass the amendment. Joining Jacobs and the six Democrats who voted in favor of the amendment were Rep. Jay Powell (R-Camilla) and Rep. Beth Beskin (R-Atlanta). Beskin's vote is notable in that she voted against a similar amendment in Wednesday night's hearing, only to vote in favor a day later. Following passage of Jacobs' amendment, Fleming made a motion to table it, got a second and the bill was tabled.

Check out the full story in the Georgia Voice.

If this bill does not pass, it would be a huge psychological defeat for the religious right. A situation in Atlanta involving that city's fire chief, Kelvin Cochran, supposedly being "dismissed for his faith" was used as a rallying point for supporters of these "religious freedom" bills in general.

Homophobia just cost Indiana the services of a $4 billion company

Today we are canceling all programs that require our customers/employees to travel to Indiana to face discrimination. http://t.co/SvTwyCHxvE
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) March 26, 2015

Sometimes, lessons have to be learned the hard way. The above tweet belongs to Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, a $4 billion software company.

Thanks to that awful "religious freedom" bill which Indiana legislators passed and Gov. Mike Pence just signed, Safeforce has canceled its programs in the state.

I hope it hurts like hell.

And I have a feeling that this will be only the beginning.

'Anti-gay victory in Indiana may signal bigger loss against lgbt equality' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Breaking: Indiana Governor Mike Pence Has Signed 'Religious Freedom' Bill Into Law - Gov. Pence signed that awful bill into law, as everyone knew he would. Don't let what happened fool you. "Religious liberty" bills are a sad, desperate attempt from folks who can't stop marriage equality. And as the tweets in this article shows, no matter how much they crow about it, the anti-gay right has to know that these sort of bills will backfire. The next step for us is to get engaged, stay engaged, keep the conversation going on how these bill will allow discrimination, and wait for someone to "use" this bill. And shield ourselves as we maneuver the fireworks.  

Indiana's governor signs bill allowing businesses to reject gay customers - And already, the religious right have lost control of the conversation, as this CNN headline demonstrates.  They say it's not about discrimination, but no one is fooled. "Pop! Pop! POP!"

What Fundamentalists Are Missing About Religious Freedom Bills - The irony about these bills is that they are now moving us into the territory to discuss religious doctrine vs. public policy. This is no longer solely a conversation about lgbt equality, a tactical error on the part of those pushing these bills. 

 Blast From the Past: States Using 'Religious Freedom' to Justify Segregation - Yep. A serious tactical error if we as a community can show it. 

 Klingenschmitt: Transgender People Are Driven By A Demonic 'Predatory Spirit Of Sexual Exploitation' - This would be funny, except for the simple fact that fear-based rhetoric like this . . .  

Virginia School Board Votes To Force Transgender Student Out Of Bathrooms - . . leads to junk like this. No child should be treated like this.

Sandy Rios of the AFA gets martyrdom mixed up with injustice

How did I miss THIS idiocy?

The following video below is radio talk show host and American Family Association director of governmental affairs Sandy Rios at a recent religious right event. She pushes the usual "bathroom fears" about the transgender community and other lies about marriage equality.

Then she says something which is supposed to be serious, but comes across as inane. She says folks should be ready for "martyrdom"

Martyrdom, or sacrificing your very life for a cause, be it your faith or whatever. Martyrdom because this is soooo much better for America?:



And this is so much worse?:

Apparently Ms. Rios has gotten it backwards. Historically, it is for the cause of justice that people lost their lives, i.e. defending the little man, providing comfort and assistance to those in need, or just simply speaking out in the face of violent oppression. Gays getting married and transgender males and females not being looked at as predators is simple justice overcoming injustice. No one has EVER become martyrs for the cause of injustice. And that's not going to change. Period.

''Religious freedom' bill could backfire against Indiana' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Gen Con Threatens To Take Popular Convention, And Millions, Out Of Indiana Over Religious Freedom Bill - Indiana legislators passed an awful "religious freedom" bill and Gov. Mike Pence says he will sign it. Okay. It's on. . .

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) reconsidering 2017 convention in Indianapolis if RFRA is signed into law - And on . . .  

Businesses take stand against Religious Freedom bill - And on. Make no mistake about it. Any victory for the "religious freedom" folks in Indiana will be purely pyrrhic. And it's only the beginning and not just for Indiana. 

In other news: 

 Gay U.S. ambassadors take part in Newseum panel - Not bad. It's a beginning, though the panel needs some tweaks here and there.  

NOM resorts to blatant lying in its 2015 #March4Marriage materials - By the way, NOM is having ANOTHER "March4Marriage," or as it is known -  Battlefied Earth Part 2 .

 Senator Proposes Budget Amendment That Would Force The Government To Hire Anti-Gay Employers - Uh excuse me . . .

Pat Robertson: 'So-Called' Gay People Have 'Destroyed Marriage'- Careful, Pat. You have been highly amusing lately, but do no mess with gay families. 

 18 Small Businesses Who Support Marriage Equality - THIS is wonderful!

Anti-gay American Family Association defends idiotic full-page SCOTUS ad with even worse explanation

Okay, here is a secret about anti-gay groups which you probably already know.

It is almost impossible for them to admit that a course of action they have taken was wrong, misguided, or too extreme.

No matter how stupid it is, or how much criticism they receive, they won't back down. It's a somewhat admirable trait sometimes. But not all of the time. We are all human and, as such, tend to make mistakes. When we do make mistakes, we do need to acknowledge such.

So why am I saying all of this? Because of today's absolutely bat-crazy full-page ad in The Washington Post by the American Family Association. The ad implied a warning of damnation to the Supreme Court if  it rules for marriage equality later this year:

The Supreme Court hasn't even heard the case as of yet and AFA is implying eternal damnation should it rule the so-called wrong way.

Real smart, guys. And the usage of the famous painting "The Creation of Adam" was almost a nice touch. We'll just forget the fact that the artist, Michelangelo, was reputed to be gay.

And like I hinted  before, the AFA refuses to back down.. According to Right Wing Watch, its president, Tim Wildmon, issued a defiant (and scatterbrained) defense of this idiotic full-page ad:




Real nice guys. I hate to see what plans you think of to get your agenda across when you ARE using your brain.

'Anti-gay group tries to 'move' Supreme Court with full-page ad against marriage equality' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

American Family Association ad

Look: AFA Threatens Supreme Court To Decide Marriage Biblically In New Washington Post Ad - Cause threats of Biblical damnation have ALWAYS moved the Supreme Court. Really . . . I swear . . .

Ted Cruz Announces Presidential Campaign At Religious Right School Stacked With Anti-Gay Activists - Yesterday, many of us laughed at the idea of Sen. Ted Cruz running for president. Today, let's look at Liberty University, the so-called Christian school where he made his announcement. I feel sorry for these students and you will too when you read who is employed there.

Russia’s Bid To Curtail LGBT Benefits At The UN Fails - Yeesh! What IS Russia's problem?

 Michigan Planet Fitness Sued By Woman Who Claims They Are Too Kind To Transgender People - Girlfriend, you KNOW that is a frivolous lawsuit!

 About those children of fractured families who keep blaming same-sex parenting for their issues... - I HIGHLY recommend this post to ANYONE who thinks that same-sex couples raising children is somehow a danger. Just a simple masterpiece of love and joy.

 Pat Robertson: Denying Service To 'Ungodly' Gays Like Refusing Idol Worship - Pat Robertson . . . Lord . . . Pat Robertson.

Indiana passes very broad 'religious freedom' bill. We've been here before.

We will probably be seeing and hearing more from Lambda Legal.

And the latest phase of lgbt equality begins:

In a landslide 63-31 vote, the Indiana House of Representatives alarmed LGBT advocates Monday by passing a sweeping religious freedom bill that allows private parties — including businesses open to the public — to invoke a religious defense in legal cases.

The bill cleared Indiana’s senate in February.

Gov. Mike Pence resisted calls to veto the bill Monday evening, issuing a statement that said the measure “is about respecting and reassuring Hoosiers that their religious freedoms are intact. I strongly support the legislation and applaud the members of the General Assembly for their work on this important issue. I look forward to signing the bill when it reaches my desk.”

 . . .  The bill’s prime sponsor in the house, Republican Rep. Timothy Wesco . . . said the law is “modeled” after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Passed by Congress in 1993, that law and others like it at the state level prevent government from burdening a person’s exercise of religion.

. . .  However, the Indiana bill is broader than federal law. While the Indiana bill says that a “governmental entity may not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion,” it also applies those rules to businesses and interactions between private parties “regardless of whether the state or any other government entity is party to the proceeding.”

You can read the full story on Buzzfeed.

However, before any of you become angry, discouraged, or upset in any way, it's best to put this in perspective.

We've been here before. Before we could even fully celebrate the overturning of the sodomy laws at SCOTUS in 2003, the anti-gay right bombarded us with statewide anti-marriage equality bills. The irony was at that time, a lot of us (me included) didn't even conceive the idea of gays and lesbians getting married.

It took a while - quite a long while - but many of us got in engaged in the struggle for marriage equality and thanks to our perseverance and the tendency of our opposition to either go too far, underestimate us, or over overestimate themselves, we are looking at the possibility of a huge victory this year.

This is not to say that we should take these "religious freedom" bills lightly.  They are certain to pass in several other states and we are going to have to dig down and fight against them.

It's just a matter of perspective. The late social reformer and civil rights activist Frederick Douglass once said "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." 

We've been here before.
 

Kerry Washington gives stirring speech at Saturday's GLAAD Media Awards

Many positive things have been said about Kerry Washington's speech at Saturday's GLAAD Media Award when she received the organization's Vanguard Award.

Here is her speech in its entirety:



' Now to play "devil's advocate," some folks did make some good points about her comments regarding African-Americans. A good friend of mine, Viktor Kerney, had this to say:

Here’s the tea, we (African-Americans) are not overly homophobic. In fact, if we were so homophobic, we would be leading these state and national charges to take rights away from us. Black folks are not leading the National Organization for Marriage, Focus on the Family, the American Family Association, the Concerned Women of America, or Million Moms, and we’re not so drenched in hate that we can’t see.

So, again, Kerry… I feel you, but please give Black folks more credit than that.

I, personally, would go far as to say that behind every African-American prominently manipulating the black community against lgbts or marriage equality is a white hand emanating from a conservative or anti-gay group and giving out cold hard cash.

I think the discussion needs to go to a deeper level than homophobia in whichever certain community.

Let's talk about the money.

'Look out, lgbt community! Ted Cruz is running for President' & other Monday midday news briefs

Ted Cruz 'Imagines' Government Defending 'Sacrament Of Marriage' In Presidential Speech - Sen. Ted Cruz's speech announcing his candidacy for president in 2016 is what just about everyone is talking about. Naturally Cruz isn't planning to be a friend of the lgbt community. 

GLAAD Awards: Kerry Washington, How to Get Away with Murder, Transparent Among Winners - Congratulations to all of the GLAAD Media Award winners (unfortunately I was not one of them, but kudos to Autostraddle for receiving 'Outstanding Blog')  

The new attack on same-sex families is nasty and rude . . . but will still fail - This morning's post is literally burning up reddit. We need to pay attention before the anti-gay right starts pulling more "folks who were raised in same-sex household" out of the woodwork to bash us.  

Idaho Lawmakers Call On Congress To Impeach Judges For Marriage Equality Rulings - Why? Aw heck, why not?

  Monday 3/23 Marks Five Months Since Andre Gray Disappeared in Pittsburgh - PLEASE provide any help that you can. 

 German Couple Talks About Life Together And Being Gay In Germany - I personally recommend this piece.

The new attack on same-sex families is nasty and rude . . . but will still fail

Same-sex families provide much love and support.

The groups backing up  Lopez, Stefanowicz, Warwick, etc. don't provide homes. They take away homes. They don't offer solutions. Instead they trot  out pretty boxes of perfect family lives to the American people. Unwrap those boxes and you will find an emptiness with an echo as loud as the one in their chests, where their hearts, souls and integrity should be.

Already in 2015, we have seen surreptitious, but nonetheless, vulgar attacks on same-sex families.

Earlier this year, anti-gay groups and spokespeople rallied behind four individuals who filed an amicus brief to the federal courts speaking against marriage equality. What was different about this brief was that these four individuals are adults who were allegedly raised in same-sex households.

According to Zack Ford from Think Progress:

All four are in the spotlight now for their amicus briefs urging federal courts to uphold state bans on same-sex marriage. In these briefs, they explain how having a gay parent scarred them for life. They missed out on a “vital dual-gender influence,” they argue, and allowing same-sex marriage will similarly harm other children because “the gay community” doesn’t put children first, instead using them as “props to be publicly displayed.” In turn, “children lose forever their rights to know and be raised by their married biological father and mother.”

In addition to their briefs — which they are expected to replicate for consideration by the Supreme Court — their own additional writing is attracting a lot of attention. One of the four, Katy Faust, published a piece at conservative outlet Public Discourse . . . asking the Supreme Court to consider her experience. It has been shared about 150,000 times and even crashed the site due to its traffic. Brittany Newmark Klein, writing under a pen-name, followed suit at The Federalist.

Ford also pointed out that the four (Robert Oscar Lopez, Dawn Stefanowicz, Brittany Newmark Klein, and Katy Faust) are known for either their anti-gay rhetoric or aligning themselves with anti-gay groups over the years (Editor's note - click on the above links to read past statements and posts about Lopez and Stefanowicz).

As if that isn't enough, a "child's right activist" by the name of Heather Barwick published a column this month presumptuously called  Dear Gay Community: Your Kids Are Hurting. In this piece, which was  published by The Federalist (the same publication which published Klein's piece), Barwick claimed that she was raised in a lesbian household, and thus was deprived the love of a father:

Same-sex marriage and parenting withholds either a mother or father from a child while telling him or her that it doesn’t matter. That it’s all the same. But it’s not. A lot of us, a lot of your kids, are hurting. My father’s absence created a huge hole in me, and I ached every day for a dad. I loved my mom’s partner, but another mom could never have replaced the father I lost.

Together these five, as if by coincidence, repeat anti-gay dogma that same-sex households raising children cause harm because they allegedly deprive children of the "traditional mother and father dynamic."

And they also omit or ignore the mitigating factors which led to their alleged "deprived upbringings," such as the Barwick's father abandoning her or Stefanowicz's father being an all-around negative individual which was independent of his sexual orientation.

'Wonderful response to anti-gay attacks on same-sex families' & other Friday midday news briefs

Dear Heather Barwick, Don't Blame the Gay Community - VERY IMPORTANT PIECE. Recently, Heather Barwick, a woman supposedly raised in a same-sex household, published a piece condemning such households. The piece took a  deceptive "gentle and kind" tone. Anti-gay groups and personalities have been pushing the piece hard. THIS is the answer back courtesy of someone whom we can verify is being raised in a same-sex household. It's simple but powerful. 

 Navy Debunks Fox News' Defense Of Anti-Gay Chaplain - Todd Starnes, Fox News, the Family Research Council, and the rest (sounds like a homophobic version of the Gilligan's Island song) are peddling a story of "religious persecution" in our Armed Forces. Turns out the truth is a bit more complicated and it continues the unfortunate idea that citing your "religious beliefs" is a "get out of jail free" card to all sorts of ugly behavior. 

Uganda spent 600 million on PR to deal with anti-gay law backlash - See, if Uganda didn't pass that law in the first place, the country would have those shillings to spend on something worthwhile.  

An Imperfect Spokesperson: The Transgender Backlash Against Zoey Tur - A wonderful article by my friend Zack Ford of Think Progress. It serves as a lesson to not only the transgender community, but also the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community as to who is out in the media as our "spokespeople." As African-American author Zora Neale Hurston once said, "All my skinfolk ain't my kinfolk."  

Org that infamously vowed to 'drive wedge between gays and blacks' equates marriage rulings with slavery - The National Organization for Marriage is pulling the "Dred Scott" card again, y'all. I would love to be in that board room when their leaders think up these ideas. 

 Texas Attorney General Sues Feds To Stop Same-Sex Spouses From Taking Care Of Each Other - Oh come on! Let's not be so cruel.

Attempt to stop marriage equality in Oklahoma may backfire BIG TIME

When some Oklahoma legislators began pushing a bill which they hoped would prevent marriage equality in the state, I knew it had a loophole.

But I didn't know the loophole was THIS big.

 From Reuters:

A bill overwhelmingly approved this month in the state’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives would allow only judges, retired judges and members of the clergy to issue marriage licenses, cutting county clerks out of the business.

Yet as the measure was making its way to the floor, a rush of same-sex marriage supporters applied to become ministers with the intention of registering as clergy authorized to perform weddings in the state.

“I registered so I could marry same-sex couples. I have the confirmation email. The Oklahoma County Courthouse site is very vague about the paperwork necessary to register,” said Rose Marie of Oklahoma City, who applied for her minister license online in February after the measure was first introduced.

When I first heard of the bill, I thought that gay couples could simply find lgbt-affirming pastors. I never dreamed that the bill could possible create MORE lgbt-affirming pastors.

This inquiring mind wants to know what Oklahoma state legislator, the very anti-gay Sally Kern thinks about this.

Whatever the case may be, I just HOPE this is only the beginning of THIS controversy.  Any retaliation from Kern and company will swiftly move this issue from one of marriage equality to one of religious liberty.

Only they won't be in the position to portray themselves at the victims.

'Anti-gay activist: Ben Carson is "DEAD in my eyes"' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Matt Barber

Barber: 'Ben Carson Is Dead In My Eyes' After Apology For Anti-Gay Comments - Because of his apology for that ridiculous comment using prison as an excuse to claim that homosexuality is a choice, Ben Carson is catching flack big time. Anti-gay spokesman Matt Barber says Carson is "dead in my eyes." Apparently someone besides myself has been watching too many mobster documentaries. 

CBS Shows How Easy It Is To Properly Cover A Transgender News Story - Thank you CBS for showing how easy it is to properly report on transgender issues. All it takes is a little common sense.

  A Spiritual Battle For America's Future: Five Takeaways From The Religious Right's Awakening Conference - In a nutshell, gays want to put Christians in jail, Islam is evil, gays want to put Christians in jail, abortion is evil, gays want to put Christians in jail. Did I mention gays want to put Christian in jail. Now I COULD BE wrong about this but I don't think the Family Research Council attended this conference. If that is the case, how out there do you have to be to not have FRC on board?  

Erick Erickson's Campaign For A Draconian Anti-Gay Law In Georgia - Somebody put a muzzle on this viking. But the article points out a good point which the next news brief will hit on in further detail.  

The Religious Right Operative Who Helped Write Utah’s Nondiscrimination Law - Just how many anti-gay laws past and present have sprung from the board rooms of anti-gay groups. This is not a precedent. Long-time anti-gay activist Robert Knight helped to write the viciously anti-gay DOMA decades ago. 

 Michigan May Allow Adoption Agencies To Refuse Service To Gay Couples - And speaking of one of these anti-gay laws . . . I've been accused at times of being sadomasochistic (because of how I dive headfirst in anti-gay dogma and propaganda for this blog), but even I object to any entity being allowed to freely take my tax dollars while discriminating against me and claiming that "it's for the children."

Bryan Fischer, just stop it! You are a disgrace to bigots and homophobes all over the world!

Bryan Fischer is an embarrassment even to the religious right.

According to Right Wing Watch, the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer made an interesting statement on his radio show:

Bryan Fischer asserts that "43% of homosexuals admit that they've had more than 500 sexual partners in one lifetime." (Editor's note - if you click on the link, Fischer says this at 7:14)

Of course Fischer doesn't say where he got this statistic from, but I am guessing that he got it from the book Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity among Men and Women, which was published by Alan Bell and Martin Weinberg in the late 1970s. (Editor's note - Pan down to Distortion - Homosexuals have a lot of sex partners and their relationships do not last Part 1 in this link)

The two wrote the book from a study they took regarding gay white men in the city of San Francisco earlier that decade. This being the case, certainly the statistic cited by Fischer can't be used to generalize about all gay men. Bell and Weinberg even said the following in Homosexualities:

“. . . given the variety of circumstances which discourage homosexuals from participating in research studies, it is unlikely that any investigator will ever be in a position to say that this or that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals.

It's not by accident that Fischer didn't reveal his source. But what gets me is his phraseology:

  "43 percent of homosexuals admit that they've had more than 500 sexual partners in one lifetime."

There is something seriously wrong with that phrase. In a lifetime? Wouldn't that mean you have lived your entire life, died, and then was buried?

So how in the hell can you tell anyone how many alleged sexual partners you had?

Can Bryan Fischer raise people from the dead? And if so, isn't it creepy that possibly the first question he would ask that person he brought back to life is not about Heaven or Hell or about angels, but about their sexual behavior before they died?

Naturally, I am speaking strictly tongue-in-cheek here but I think you get the gist.

It's always hilarious how foolish how some folks look when they sink to the depths of homophobia. And the fact that they don't even realize it only make their idiocy much more enjoyable.

'Who will argue for marriage equality in front of SCOTUS?' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Marriage Equality Advocates Stall On Decision About Who Will Argue At Supreme Court - With it all being assured by the "experts" and others that the Supreme Court will strike down marriage equality bans, now is the unfortunate time for an unseen issue to sneak in and reduce those predictions to rubble. HELLLLLOOOO unseen issue. 

Nation’s Largest Presbyterian Denomination Embraces Inclusive Definition Of Marriage - Was there a change in the "memo" from national headquarters. I thought we were working to "recruit" children and "jail" Christians. 

 When it comes to health care, young gay men are falling through the cracks - Yes they are and it is because of the SAME problems as before, i.e. lack of trust, fear, homophobia. 

 A Mother Comes To Terms With Her Transgender Child - Wonderful article!

This New Film Tells The Stories Of Kids With Same-Sex Parents - "Synthetic children," my a$$!  

Texas Lawmakers May Have Set A Record For The Most Anti-LGBT Bills In The History Of Any State - Relax, folks. It's not supposed to be easy. If you are wanting to wring your hands and weep in fury, save it. Weep later. Fight now.

Why are gays angry at Dolce & Gabbanna? Read this letter and you will know

Lopez

You want to know why the lgbt community is angry at Dolce & Gabbanna's awful words against same-sex families with language about "synthetic children" and "rented uteruses," aside from the fact that they attack our children.

They give the opposition all sorts of fodder to do the same.

The National Organization for Marriage is calling them 'Wonderful Advocates for the True Definitions of Marriage and Family.'

In addition, a group of supposed adult children from same-sex families issued them a "letter of support." And proving that he has neither scruples nor respect for his own people,  Stefano Gabbana thanked these "individuals" for the letter.

But the kicker, the very essence of vile audacity is how one of those who signed that letter, Robert Oscar Lopez, exploited the controversy to attack same-sex families yet again.

Lopez has in the past, said:

 that by siding with the majority to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor failed to connect the dots between same-sex parenting and slavery

claimed "The Gay Movement is an International War on Black People"

insisted same-sex parenting is "creepy gay child abuse masquerading as gay rights"

 directly compared gay parents to slaveowners:

As difficult as it is to believe, his attack on same-sex families today was much worse than any of the above (by way of the blog Goodasyou):

The completely petulant and histrionic response from gay parents like Ryan Murphy to Dolce & Gabbana's comments can give average Americans a small taste of what children in such homes will have to deal with. You can't be a good parent and want to have absolute control over what your kids think and feel, in addition to what the whole world thinks and feels about you and your kids. It's a recipe for emotional abuse of whoever is under your power. Look at the punitive urge, the lust for vengeance, the despotism. That is what I see in Ricky Martin, Jeremy Hooper, Ryan Murphy, and Elton John. These are men who will terrorize human beings if they can, if they are within their striking distance. They acquired children the way they get everything they want in all aspects of their lives: through economic leverage, intimidation, and sheer arrogance. Imagine being a helpless and confused child longing for a mom, and being under the power of a dad who throws out clothing and calls for all-out destruction of anyone who hints that you have lost something by being denied a mom. Imagine not one such man lording over you, but two. This is horrible. These people are disgusting. I hope and pray that Dolce and Gabbana do not capitulate to them. These repulsive tyrants must learn at some point that they are not gods, and they cannot bring the world to their knees.  

That's why we are angry. It takes an absolutely clueless, self-absorbed sort of nastiness to give fodder to those who want to make your own people second-class citizens. And then thank them for the privilege.

Why should Dolce &  Gabbanna care? They are wealthy. They are totally untouched by the fires they have set. They can tune out the voices of the families they have harmed. 

They are clueless so-and-so's who should have at least have the decency to know what is going on in our fight for equality or, at the very least, not post a "thank you" to folks who don't even look at them as worthy of having families.

Here is a little tip for you, Dolce & Gabbanna. To Robert Oscar Lopez, NOM, and the rest of those on the right praising your words, you are undeserving, sinful "fags," just like the of us.

And if you are going to jump headfirst into this so-called culture war, you had better know which side to be on.

Because when they are done praising your words, what do you think they are going to do to you when your backs are turned to them?

'Jon Stewart gives new anti-gay bills the disrespect they clearly deserve' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Jon Stewart demolishes anti-gay marriage groups: Even Walmart thinks you’re “out there” - I am sooooo going to miss Jon Stewart when he leaves The Daily Show. 

Roy Moore’s son blames his latest drug arrest on liberal plot to ‘destroy’ his family - I wonder what who he blames his other drug arrests on. Uh Roy, you need to leave us lgbts alone and take care of business at home.  

The Rise Of  LGBT Rights Is An Existential Threat To Conservative Religious Groups - In a nutshell, there are a huge number of folks who are proving that the lgbt orientation and religion can be intertwined in a positive way. I love it!  

Florida Proposes "Stand Outside My Loo" Law - For God's sake, why not a "here is your complimentary cup to pee in" law. (Shut up, Alvin. Don't give the opposition ANY ideas).  

Mat Staver: Second American Revolution Needed To Stop Gay Marriage - To paraphrase Mrs. Howell on Gilligan's Island, "what does one wear to a second American Revolution?"

'Take a stand against marriage equality' . . . because all of those other 100s of times were just practice

It's not the fact that the man in the video below, Steven Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas, is announcing an anti-marriage equality march.

It's the language that he uses which intrigues me:



Partial Transcript:

 It’s time for Christians and conservatives to rise up and take a stand for God’s truth about marriage! We must draw a line in the sand. This is a call to action.

It's a long speech so he goes on and on about "militant homosexuals" and "liberals" while asking people to assemble at the State House.

Actually a rally is rather moot right now when it comes to whether or not Texas will be receiving marriage equality, seeing that the issue will be soon in front of SCOTUS.

But notice the language. Not being trying to be snide or anything, but just how many times have you heard some from the conservative or anti-gay right proclaim that "they have to stand up" or that "they have to draw a line in the sand."

It makes you wonder what the heck do they think they have been doing all of this time.

Hotze is propagating the victimhood meme that lgbts and our "allies" are picking on "Christians" and attempting to move them out of the public square while snatching away their rights to boot.

I personally don't like to see anyone's rights snatched away so I am glad that this idea is false. On the other hand, anyone who believe Hotze's drivel has obviously been having asleep these past years, particularly since 2004 when all of this mess exploded.

Christians like Hotze have hardly been sitting down and quiet. They have drawn so many "lines in the sand" that there is now nothing but gravel. And quite honestly, some of them have been "called to action" so many times that I suggest they take a "toke" to calm themselves down.

'Gay father explains why he will boycott #BoycottDolceGabbana for his child' & other Monday midday news briefs

Dolce & Gabbana Respond To Backlash Over Their Remarks About Gay Families - I don't know Dolce & Gabbana from frick and frac, but long term readers of this blog know that when someone starts picking on gay families and their children, it's time for me to snatch off the earrings and the good shoes. 

Yes, I will absolutely #BoycottDolceGabbana. For my kid. - And yet there are some who are either talking about how "intolerant" gays are, whining about free speech, or saying we should ignore the mess. They don't seem to understand that Dolce & Gabanna touched a nerve which goes beyond the gay community. It's a primitive and justifiable idea for a parent to see read when their children are attacked. Jeremy Hooper puts it in better terms.  

Why LGBT Women Face A Uniquely High Risk Of Poverty - This is NOT good.

 I’m Proud To Be a Transgender Catholic - Religion and the lgbt orientation should NEVER be seen as polar opposites

 Pat Robertson: Treat Gay Son Like A Drug Addict - Pat Robertson needs Jesus. The end.

'Religious liberty' supporters don't want to own their bigotry

For all of their talk about religious liberty and wanting the right not to serve lgbt customers, some folks don't want to own their bigotry:

An attempt to pass a law in Oklahoma that would allow businesses to refuse certain services to LGBT people has stalled, and it could be partly due to an amendment introduced by an opponent to the bill.
Earlier this year, Republican state Rep. Chuck Strohm introduced his ‘Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act’ (HB1371). If passed, this would allow businesses to deny services to customers if they felt that such services were ‘against the person’s religious beliefs’. The bill was aiming to allow businesses such as cake makers and florists the freedom to decline providing services for same-sex weddings.

Describing herself as ‘adamantly opposed’ to the proposed legislation is Emily Virgin  a Democratic member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. This week, Virgin introduced an amendment to the bill. In brief, the amendment stated that if you were planning on refusing to serve LGBT people on religious grounds, then you must display a public notice to this effect. ‘Any person not wanting to participate in any of the activities set forth in subsection A of this section based on sexual orientation, gender identity or race of either party to the marriage shall post notice of such refusal in a manner clearly visible to the public in all places of business, including websites,’ said the amendment. ‘The notice may refer to the person’s religious beliefs, but shall state specifically which couples the business does not serve by referring to a refusal based upon sexual orientation, gender identity or race.’ On her Facebook page, Virgin explained the reasoning behind the amendment. ‘This would save same-sex couples the trouble and embarrassment of going into that business just to be turned away.’

 . . .  ‘If you want to discriminate under this law if it passes, then you’re legally allowed to do that, but you need to own it. You need to fess up to it,’ Rep. Virgin told kfor.com. Yesterday, it was announced that the bill has stalled. House leadership did not take up the proposal for discussion. For it to return to the House, it would need to be added to another bill, but Virgin has indicated that if that happens, she would act again. 

I personally like the idea. If you don't want to serve potential lgbt customers, there should be a way for us to know it beforehand so as to not waste our time. The irony is that for all of their talk about the willingness to lose their businesses for their moral beliefs, my guess is that a lot of these businesses would object for the specific reason that they would lose business.

Discrimination of any kind is a bad practice not only to lgbts but also heterosexuals and announcing that you would engage in the act wouldn't make you a hero in the eyes of many in the public.

But it would awaken their righteous indignation.

'Bogus religious liberty argument could harm our military men and women' & other Friday midday news briefs

How Marriage Equality Opponents’ Arguments Are Getting Turned Against Them - Really, it was bound to happen. In all of the chaos and anger in the early years of the fighting for marriage equality, it's not difficult to see that we never considered this possibility. 

Jindal, Huckabee And Santorum To Join Far-Right Activists At Liberty Counsel's 'The Awakening' - Just think. These three guys are most likely going to be running for president. Take a look at who they consort with and if it doesn't creep you out, YOU creep ME out. 

 After Shaming Gay And Unmarried Female Sailors, Navy Chaplain Wants To Keep At It - Another example of how the bogus argument of religious liberty goes to far. It can put our service men and women in harms way.  

Ala. House approves bill allowing judges, ministers to refuse to marry gay couples - Let's not lose our heads over these ridiculous laws. I know that there are some lgbt-affirming judges and ministers out there. 

 I'm An 18-Year-Old Boy Who Wears Blue Nail Polish -- Get Over It - Fascinating article.

So . . . when exactly did you decide to become gay?

In a tribute to Ben Carson, the site Funny or Die decided do a man on the street interview and ask folks when exactly did they decide to become gay?

Just in case you are wondering about me, I decided somewhere between the seventh episode of the Wonder Woman television series, Diana Ross's Caesar's Palace Concert, or when I really wanted to be one of those teenaged back-up singers in the Tempted video by that group Squeeze.

Gay People Tell Us When They Chose To Be Gay from Dan Abramson

'Lgbts, allies think of awesome ideas to combat homophobia' & other Thursday midday news briefs

This is a WONDERFUL media campaign. It educates folks about the transgender community and turns an anti-gay lie on its head:

Hey @TX_Republicans. Are you sure that is is what you want? pic.twitter.com/6zzsjkxEvp
— transadvocate (@transadvocate) March 11, 2015

 
Buzzfeed goes into more detail about this campaign, which as you can tell, I support big time.

In other news:

Oklahoma Dem amendment: Christian businesses must post notice of anti-gay discrimination - Another wonderful idea. Why not? If you don't want to serve lgbts, then why should we find out when we come to your business. That's just wasting OUR time. Really though, I think this brings home just how devastating these bogus arguments of "religious liberty" are. It's easy to talk about hypothetical situations, but put it in real-life demonstrations and see what happens.  I wonder if these folks talking about their "religious liberties" have the guts to do this.

Anti-Gay Pundits: Ignoring 'Disgusting' Homosexuality Is 'Like Trying To Talk About The Holocaust Without Showing Pictures' - I hate to be the one to point it out, but it's a surfeit homophobic craziness on Religious Right Watch today. This is just one of the least crazy items.

 Christian College Tried To Stop Bake Sale For Homeless LGBT Youth, But They Raised Thousands Anyway - A happy ending for some of our lgbt children.  

Utah Legislature Passes Extraordinary LGBT Nondiscrimination Bill By Huge Margin - Forgive my cynicism but what's the catch?

Idea of full marriage equality scares the #&@! out of the anti-gay right.

I think its downright hilarious just how the idea of gays having the right to marry in all 50 states scare  the anti-gay right and their supporters.

Just how scared do they get? Allow me to show you with the help of my good friends at Right Wing Watch:

Roy Moore

Cruz: Marriage Equality Decisions 'A Real Danger To Our Liberty'

Right-Wing Activist: Flee America Before Gay Marriage Causes God To Destroy Us

Matthew Hagee: Gay Marriage 'Is Taking Away The Ability Of ... Society To Survive' End Times 

Preacher: Gay Marriage Victory Will Lead To God's Wrath 

Roy Moore: SCOTUS Gay Marriage Ruling Paves Way For Government To 'Take Your Children' 

Scott Lively

Lively: America Will Face 'Calamity And Judgment' If Gay Marriage Is Legalized 

Matt Barber

Barber: Gay Marriage Will Be 'The Sledgehammer Used To Crush The Church'

Brian Brown: Gay Marriage Victory Threatens Gun Rights, Future Of The Republic

 Roy Moore: Ban Gay Marriage To Keep Bisexuals And 'Transgendered' From Marrying Multiple People
 

Scott Lively Warns That SCOTUS Could Unleash The Antichrist By September 2015  

Mat Staver: Marriage Equality Might Turn Kids Gay

I've got a prediction. The idea that gays can freely marry in all 50 states will transform the anti-gay right and their supporters into simpering "drama queens."

Oh look. It's already happened.

'Bathroom bill' bounties, Fake anti-Christian panics & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Texas Bill Would Create $2,000 Bounty for Turning in Transgender Students Found in Bathrooms - Oh mercy! If it hasn't already been declared official, then I hereby declare the ridiculous fear of transgender men and women using restrooms and the "moral panic" of the year. 

 Senate GOP Invites FRC's Tony Perkins To Politicize Hearing On 'Religious Freedom Abroad' - This is happening today and it is why I get angry when folks refuse to take folks like Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council seriously. I doubt that any US senator would invite Peter LaBarbera or Linda Harvey to testify in front of any committee. But they invited Perkins because FRC has credibility, no matter how much the organization lies and distorts.  

Anti-gay Family Research Council still can't prove accuracy of alleged Feldblum quote - Speaking of Perkins and the FRC, it is that time again when I put a past post in the news briefs because I feel that it is an important post for us to read, pass around, and publicize. In a nutshell, it is how the Family Research Council spread a faked quote from an Obama appointee and is presently using it as a part of its "religious liberty" narrative. FRC was caught in the middle of its subterfuge, but more people NEED to know about the situation because it's a guide to how anti-gay groups create false panics about so-called anti-Christian persecution in America. 

 Fox News Defends Navy Chaplain Who Allegedly Discriminated Against Gays, Women - Speaking of fake panics about so-called anti-Christian persecution . . .  

Allowing Transgender Youth To Transition Improves Their Mental Health, Study Finds - Pay attention because this is important to cite later on numerous occasions.

Anti-gay Family Research Council still can't prove accuracy of alleged Feldblum quote

Feldblum wins. FRC loses

Hold on to your horses.

The Family Research Council has answered my question regarding a quote it attributed to the EEOC's Chai Feldblum.

First a little background.

Last week, I wrote how the Family Research Council falsely attributed a quote to EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) member Feldblum to further a narrative that the rights of evangelical Christians would be hindered because of lgbt equality.

The alleged quote, "Gays win. Christians lose" was supposedly an answer to a question posed to Feldblum years ago when she was asked about dynamic of religious beliefs vs. lgbt equality. And it was a quote which traveled through right wing circles for a number of years.

I sent a tweet to the Family Research Council asking that they correct the assertion that Feldblum made the statement. The organization said it would get back with me. Today it sent the following tweet:

@holybullies Here you go: http://t.co/5jSMGSWIUy
— FRC (@FRCdc) March 10, 2015

That tweet was a link to a" fact sheet" (a better word would be a smear sheet) on Feldblum and why FRC felt she shouldn't serve as an EEOC commissioner. On page two of the sheet was the following:

Was the lead drafter for ENDA, which she would be responsible for enforcing if she is confirmed to the EEOC. When questioned on the rights of Christians hiring employees of their choice, Feldblum stated “Gays win; Christians lose.” Thomas Peters, “Chai’s ENDA vs. Religious Liberty,” American Principles Project, October 26, 2009.
http://www.americanprinciplesproject.org/blogs/chais-enda-vs-religious-liberty.html.

However that link is dead. When you click on it or type it in, you will see that the article no longer exists.

Still, it would appear that the Family Research Council has, at least, a little bit of justification in citing the false "Gays Win. Christians Lose" quote.

Not so fast.

'Silly overreaction over transgender woman in gym sparks unnecessary controversy' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Gym Stands Up For Trans Woman, Kicks Out Member Who Wouldn’t Stop Complaining - The anti-gay right has been attempting to exploit this story to show the so-called dangers of pro-transgender inclusive anti-discrimination laws. But as Zack Ford from Think Progress clarifies, this is really an example of an extremely silly overreaction of one former gym member and an example of the nonsense that our transgender sisters have to go through. Much props for Planet Fitness for standing its ground and the transgender sister for coming public to demand her respect.

A Record Number Of Voters Support Gay Marriage, New Poll Finds - This DID NOT happen overnight. We fought tooth and nail for this. 

 Christian University Forbids Fundraiser Benefiting LGBT Homeless youth - Because apparently Jesus told an alternative story of  'The Good Samaritan' where everyone left the robbed traveler on the road to die.  

Matt Barber's overcompensating bravado again helps our side more than his own - In which the anti-gay spokesman Matt Barber provides proof of anti-gay animus against marriage equality (which of course never helps his side in the courts) and auditions to be a low-budget (and I am talking extremely low-budget) Dr. Seuss.  

More gay black characters on TV series these days: 'Empire,' 'Being Mary Jane,' 'The Haves & The Have Nots' - It's about time. NOW let's talk about a J.R. Ewing/Alexis Carrington Colby gay character. And call me for auditions when there is one to be created.

  LaBarbera: GOP Will Fall If It Stops Talking About Gay Kisses On TV - Now what are my news briefs without a little bit of "crazy?"

Family Research Council is 0 for 2 in attacks on EEOC's Feldblum

Last week, I wrote how the Family Research Council falsely attributed a quote to EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) member Chai Feldblum in order to make her seem like a fierce opponent of "religious liberty." When I confront the organization with the truth via twitter, its representatives promised to "look into it."

Naturally, FRC has not gotten back with me on that. In the meantime, however, it did put out the following about Feldblum:

RT @tperkins: Faith-based adoption orgs do vital work. Help us protect their #religiousfreedom http://t.co/rC70qgWIbQ pic.twitter.com/8atUeCDW69
— FRC (@FRCdc) March 9, 2015

Believe it or not, FRC actually got that quote right. HOWEVER, whereas last week FRC falsely attributed a seemingly anti-Christian quote to Feldblum, this week the organization took one sentence from an article in order to paint a false tone of her.

The article from which that quote was derived was published in 2006 by the conservative Weekly Standard. 

The article, Banned in Boston,  was written by Maggie Gallagher, who later became head of the anti-marriage equality group the National Organization for Marriage (which should give you some clue about the article's objectivity or lack thereof), and dealt with the controversy of the Catholic Charities stopping adoption services because it couldn't discriminate against same-sex couples while using tax dollars.

'Opposition to marriage equality leads to full marriage equality' & other Monday midday news briefs

Same-sex marriage: Why people really oppose it - Ironically, the reason why some folks oppose marriage equality is the very reason why it may become a reality. 

23 Things Black Gay Men Are So Tired Of Hearing - YES LAWD! YES LAWD! YES LAWD! 

Huckabee Asked To Provide Example Of Negative Impact Of Marriage Equality, Draws A Blank - Probably not the first time. 

 Mark Regnerus Defends Flawed Research On Same-Sex Parenting - Give it up, Mark and enjoy the money you made selling out your integrity. 

 'Complete Intolerance': GOP Lawmaker Doubles Down On Claim Gays Have No Right To Be Served - What was the saying about when those who oppose you proceed to hang themselves . . .

Australian anti-gay marriage ad bombing big time on youtube

This Australian tv ad, using the same nonsensical semantics and phraseology marriage equality opponents in America do about "how marriage equality will keep children from having a mother and a father" didn't exactly catch on:

Rodney Croome, national director of Australian Marriage Equality, says in a statement that the Australian Marriage Forum campaign is in fact 'harming the many Australian children being raised by same-sex couples because it defends discrimination against their families.' 'According to the Bureau of Statistics tens of thousands of Australian children are currently in the care of same-sex couples, and these children deserve the same opportunities as other children, including the opportunity of having married parents.' He added that the advertisement's timing highlights how 'out of place' anti-gay prejudice is in Australia's 'increasingly inclusive and respectful society.'

On youtube, it's even worse. Feel free to go there and continue to overwhelming reject it.

Related article:

Australia: New fearmongering TV ad by anti-marriage equality lobby group slammed

Dan Savage drops huge truths on Ben Carson about sexual orientation

I have not always agreed with Dan Savage but I will give him props. He is a fierce defender of our community and I am glad that he is on our side: