‘Religious liberty’ argument reignites interest in homophobic propaganda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Alvin McEwen

Email: charlekenghis@aol.com

Text message: 803-447-4874

Tweets such as this are exposing hypocrisy of religious liberty argument.

 

‘Religious liberty’ argument reignites interest in homophobic propaganda

COLUMBIA, SC -- An online booklet on anti-gay propaganda published in 2013 is enjoying a huge resurgence of readership because it exposes the homophobia behind some of the religious right leading voices who claim their positions are based on religion, not animus. And this is taking place at the very time in which these voices are moving to enshrine anti-gay discrimination into the law under the guise of “religious liberty.”

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America was published by lgbt blogger and activist Alvin McEwen in January 2013. It is a short, graphics-intensive booklet which demonstrates how religious right groups distort research, science, and religious beliefs in order to create negative memes about the lgbt community; memes such as gay men molest children at a high level, the lgbt community has a shorter lifespan than heterosexuals, and that homosexuality in general is a lifestyle more dangerous than cigarette smoking.

At the time of its publishing, the booklet found a receptive audience through social media, particularly on Twitter where much of this conversation played out.

Two years later, the audience has become larger and even more receptive due to SCOTUS declaring marriage equality legal. Religious right groups began converting their message from one of blatant anti-gay animus into one of victimhood against a supposedly encroaching gay agenda in attempts to pass “religious liberty” laws which would legalize various forms of anti-lgbt discrimination.

In response to this, McEwen converted snippets of past homophobic statements made by religious right leaders from his booklet into jpegs and sent them out on Twitter along with a link to the booklet. The response has been immediate and remarkable. In less than a month, How They See Us garnered over 7,000 hits.
 
McEwen said his actions were an effort to keep these groups from conveniently omitting their past history of homophobic actions and statements.  He also said he has been receiving various reactions from the tweets but he regards it all as positive. 

“People have expressed either amusement or repulsion, but the vast majority of them have clicked on the link to the booklet and then began retweeting it,” McEwen said. “And that’s the fact which matters the most as far as I’m concerned. The information is getting out on a level it didn’t before.  People want either new information about these groups or reminders of the homophobia they peddle." 

In his booklet, McEwen exposes religious right groups such as the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, and the National Organization for Marriage. One particular group which McEwen focuses briefly on is the Liberty Counsel. The Liberty Counsel has been in the news recently for counseling a Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, to not give out any marriage licenses to gay couples in spite of the fact that a federal judge ordered her to. The organization would have people to believe that it is solely concerned about Davis’s “religious liberty.” However, unprofessional statements published in McEwen’s booklet - which he also tweeted – by Liberty Counsel member Matt Barber demonstrates how homophobic animus is playing a huge part in the organization’s actions.

McEwen said aside from reminding people about the religious right’s bigotry, awareness of how they stigmatize the lgbt community is important because this stigmatization plays a part in negative lgbt health issues. According to groups such as the Centers for Disease Control, members of the lgbt community do in fact have serious issues with depression, alcoholism, and sexually transmitted diseases. However, the CDC has never said these negative health issues are indicative of being lgbt. Instead, the CDC places the blame on homophobia, societal rejection, and how this causes lgbts to not receive good health care or feel isolated.

“When anti-gay groups and personalities cite CDC data, they emphasize the negative health issues in the lgbt community, but omit that the CDC also said these behaviors are the effects of homophobia and societal rejection,” McEwen said. “By doing this, anti-gay groups add to the aura of stigmatization which create these negative health issues in the first place, which they then exploit to falsely claim that homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle.  It’s the equivalent of a bully repeatedly striking his or her victim while saying ‘stop hitting yourself’ after each blow.”

How They See: Unmasking the War on Gay America is free and can be accessed directly from Adobe Acrobat by pressing this link.

The following are various other tweets sent out by McEwen:

Alvin McEwen is 44-year-old African-American gay man who resides in Columbia, SC. McEwen's blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and writings have been mentioned by Americablog.com, Goodasyou.org, People for the American Way, PageOneQ.com, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Crooksandliars.com, Thinkprogress.org, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, Newsweek, and Foxnews.com.  He is a two-time GLAAD Media Award nominee, three-time nominee of the Ed Madden Media Advocacy Award from SC Pride, and a 2015 recipient of the Pride Index Esteem Award.

SC Pride attacked by ministers who want to stereotype the festival

Supposed Christian ministers are attempting to smear SC Pride.

I KNEW that this was coming. There have been groups behind the scenes in Columbia, SC either planning to cauyse trouble for the state's lgbt community. Led by former lgbt ally, Councilman Cameron Runyan, these groups have been content to be somewhat hidden. And now, here they are, ready to start trouble

From WISTV:

Top officials for two religious organizations have asked Columbia City Council members to eliminate funding for gay pride activities.

Leaders of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and South Carolina Pastors Alliance appeared Tuesday afternoon at a council work session.

Council members were examining plans to allocate money generated by the city’s accommodations and hospitality tax programs.

The latest draft of those plans identifies 94 potential recipients, ranging from performing arts and theaters to schools, merchants associations, museums and environmental activists. The groups also include the South Carolina Pride Movement. The spending plan recommends $47,500 for SC Pride. Baptist Convention Public Policy spokesman Mark Hendrick told the council he could not in good conscience support “drag queen performances and things like that.”

“It’s very offensive to me and my family,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick’s position was echoed by Mike Gonzales, who serves as executive director of the South Carolina Pastors Alliance, which he says represents more than 500 churches statewide.

Gonzales says his group is “very offended” the city would allocate any money for a gay pride march. “We just want to be very clear that we are opposed to any taxpayer money going to any of these things,” Gonzales told the council.

Hendrick and Gonzales were not scheduled to speak to the meeting.

They were introduced by Councilman Cameron Runyan, who has been heavily criticized for his views by members of the city’s LGBT community.

I doubt these men have ever attended an SC Pride. I have attended several and for their edification, allow me to clarify certain things. SC Pride is a family friendly event which brings a lot of revenue to the city due to the attendance and attention it garners.

It sounds as if these ministers want to stereotype the SC Pride festival as a free-for-all of nudity event complete with, wanton lasciviousness, and immoral behavior. Sorry guys. but that's simply not true. Unless you think celebrating the diversity of South Carolina's lgbt community, complete with, yes ,drag queens, a petting zoo for the children, and lgbt-friendly churches, as wanton lasciviousness and immoral behavior.

The good news is that for now, the whines of these folks will probably fall on deaf ears for now. The bad news is that I have a feeling that this is the opening salvo to an ugly war of lies on South Carolina's lgbt community.

'Anti-gay right angry at T.D. Jakes' & other Tue. midday news briefs

T.D. Jakes

Editor's note - Tomorrow morning, I will be posting some exciting news about my booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.  Because of the new fight over lgbt equality vs. so-called religious liberty, there has been a huge spike in readership. Look for the press release!

Religious Right Freaks Out About TD Jakes Comments on Gay Rights, Church-State Separation - This is rich! Bishop T.D. Jakes says that it is possible that the black church and the lgbt community can co-exist as well as other comments on the separation of church and state and the self-appointed right-wing Christian moral squad has come after him screaming "apostasy!" It could be worse. At any other time in world history, these folks would have been screaming "heresy" and already had Jakes fitted for the stake they would use to burn him.  This is not to defend Jakes, but rather to point out the hypocrisy of those who claim that we lgbts are attempting to force "our way of life" on other Americans.

 Michael Sam, the First Openly Gay NFL Player, Leaves Football - Only good thoughts flowing from me to Michael Sam. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his bravery because it's not easy being a pioneer. I hope he gets his stuff together and returns to the sport he loves.

 Republican National Committee Endorses Anti-Gay Discrimination - And we are surprised because . . .? A fight is on and it's going to take more than shouting in the streets and calling people vulgar names on Facebook. AND I just LOVE a good fight!  

Church Kicks Out LGBT Catholic Groups During Papal Visit - Ain't that a . . .
 
What It Is Like Having an LGBT Parent: Let's Get the Facts Straight - Wonderful blog post by a young lady defending her father!

Judge gives anti-gay KY clerk a little leeway to lose yet again

Kim Davis

Those of us hoping for a swift resolution in the case of Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refuses to give marriage licenses to gay couples, got disappointed yesterday.

From The Washington Blade:

A federal judge has given time to a Kentucky clerk seeking to appeal an order requiring her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples — but attorneys involved in the case are split on the meaning of the decision. In a seven-page order, U.S. District Judge David Bunning, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, denies a stay request from Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis on his earlier injunction requiring her to give marriage licenses at her offices to all couples — gay or straight — as litigation against her proceeds to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

 Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex couples, Davis, an Apostolic Christian, enacted a “no licenses” policy in her office based on her religious beliefs for all couples seeking marriage license regardless of their sexual orientation. Bunning says he’s basing his denying of the stay on the perceived unlikelihood that she would succeed on appeal, dismissing arguments Davis would be harmed if she had to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples before the Sixth Circuit renders a decision.

 . . . But at the same time, citing “the constitutional issues involved, and realizing that emotions are running high on both sides of the debate,” Bunning issues decides to “temporarily stay this order” pending Davis’ appeal of the initial order to the Sixth Circuit. 

So Judge Bunning denied a stay request from Davis on his earlier injunction which required her to give out marriage licenses. However, he temporarily stayed THAT ruling because he is sure that the Six Circuit court won't overturn it.

Okay then.  Personally I'm not worried. 

It's just a matter of time before justice bends our way again. No doubt, the anti-gay right wants to exploit Davis as a martyr on the altar of religious liberty vs. the so-called radical gay agenda. But they picked the wrong person.

For as long as Davis holds out, people will not see a Christian forced to choose between her faith and her job. They will see a government official discriminating against those who pay her salary  while expecting to be paid for the trouble.

I like the way that looks and we should all do what we can to consistently hammer that image into the minds of Americans.

We will miss Julian Bond

Saturday night, a wonderful man and a legendary activist passed away.

Civil rights legend Julian Bond went home to his reward at the age of 75 after a lifetime of activism and standing up for justice.

The following video gives a wonderful view into his life:

There were so many things to admire about Julian Bond. However for me, it was the fact that he wasn't just an ally of the lgbt community, he was the epitome of a perfect ally. He never allowed himself to be dragged into the black vs. gay quagmire of nonsense. Rather, he spoke about the commonality of dignity, respect, and the right of self-determination which both communities strive for and are entitled to:

'Senate confirms first openly gay black federal judge' & other Mon midday news briefs

Judge Darrin Gayles makes LGBT, Black history.

Editor's note - It turns out the item I posted on Judge Gayles took place last year. I'm still going to keep it up. Even us bloggers are allowed to make mistakes every now and then.


Florida’s attorney general won’t pay legal fees after losing fight against same-sex marriage - So FL Attorney General Pam Bond thinks the state doesn't have to reimburse the lawyers who represented gay couples in the state's losing case against marriage equality. Humph! She gonna learn today. 

US Senate unanimously confirms first openly gay black federal judge - Another milestone for lgbts of color, which I WILL be referring to during Black History and LGBT History months.

 Detroit Police Plan LGBT Outreach After Another Trans Murder Victim Is Identified - This needs to happen and not just in Detroit and definitely NOT after murders.

Flashback - Chairman of anti-gay KY clerk's counsel allegedly lied to Congress in 2014 - This morning's post. It must nice be able to lie to Congress, get away with it, and STILL have a degree of credibility as a moral, religious organization.
 
 How An Alaska Lawmaker Is Trying To Sneak Anti-LGBT Discrimination Into The Law - Just try us, fool. 

Flashback - Chairman of anti-gay KY clerk's counsel allegedly lied to Congress in 2014

Editor's note - This is a 2014 post but it bears repeating in light of the fact that the Liberty Counsel has taken a leading voice in the false argument of "religious liberty," particularly in the case of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis. The Liberty Counsel claims that it is in defense of "religious liberty" that it is advising Davis to ignore a federal judge's ruling to give out marriage licenses to gay couples. But, just like the post I published Friday, this post proves that the Liberty Counsel's motivations is less about "religious liberty" and more about the petty undermining of the legal practice of same-sex marriage in a malicious attempt to deny gay citizens their rights and deny the entire lgbt community their dignity. The fact that this revelation hardly got any hype last year only goes to prove how the media is derelict in exposing those who push anti-gay propaganda in the name of religion. If an lgbt organization had been in the center of the controversy below, Congress would have probably still be having "investigations:"

June 11, 2014

Mat Staver

It seems that Liberty University's Mat Staver's recent testimony in front of a Congressional committee has become more than he bargained for.  The online publication Raw Story is now asking did he tell the committee a lie:

At a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the head of a conservative legal group may have misled the committee when he said that he does not support the implementation of Russian-style anti-gay laws in the United States.

On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a hearing on “The State of Religious Liberty in the United States” to study the rise of “religious freedom” laws in some U.S. states, under which people of faith cannot be compelled to perform their jobs or provide goods and services if to do so would conflict with their personal beliefs.

 . . .  Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) asked Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, “There are certain antigay laws they have in Russia. You, I believe, have advocated for something similar to that, have you not? Do you support the Russian antigay laws?”

Staver replied, ”What I am concerned about is having people of Christian, uh, Judeo-Christian beliefs be forced to participate in a ceremony or an event that celebrates something that is contrary to their religious beliefs.”

“Okay,” said Cohen, “so you’re not in favor of the Russian antigay laws and what I read was wrong?”

“I don’t know what you read,” Staver said. “I haven’t spoken on the Russian laws.”

 However, Right Wing Watch reported in January that Staver and the Liberty Counsel’s Matt Barber both voiced their support for anti-LGBT laws like those in Russia, Uganda and Nigeria during an edition of their “Faith and Freedom” radio show.

 That would be this below:

Transcript: 

Staver: President Obama has been going in a direction to really deconstruct this and to create this idea of same-sex marriage, which is really an oxymoron. But, at the same time, the rest of the world seems to be going exactly opposite of the president and some of the states.

Barber: Yeah, and it's encouraging to see what's happening around the world. I think many nations, you think of Russia, you think of some of the African nations around the world, are looking to a liberalized Europe and are looking to the United States under this Obama Administration and they're rejecting this notion that you can take the institution of marriage and radically redefine it by sanctifying what every major world religion and thousands of years of history and uncompromising human biology have long held: that homosexual behavior and conduct is both immoral, unnatural and self-destructive to the individuals engaged in the behavior and that you don't have a marriage built upon this immoral behavior. ...

Staver: Well, it seems as though, if people are having AIDS and most of that, as the CDC comes down and says, it is transmitted by male homosexuality, by and large, what are you going to do? Are you going to say, are you going to elevate that to a preferred status and say, well yeah, men ought to be able to marry men? That's an oxymoron. What Nigeria has done by reaffirming marriage as between one man and one woman is what a number of countries are doing around the world. They're reaffirming marriage as one man and one woman. Russia is one of those countries recently that did that. Latin American countries have reaffirmed marriage as one man and one woman. Then other countries around the world are reaffirming marriage as one man and one woman and rejecting this radicalized homosexual agenda. ...

Barber: This is a very dangerous lifestyle that countries like Russia are, in addition to reestablishing and saying no, marriage is what it's always been, they're saying additionally we are going to stop this homosexual activist propaganda from corrupting children in our nation and we need to see that right here in the United States. 

Feel free to draw your own conclusions. MY conclusion is simple. Liberty Counsel head Mat Staver lied to Congress in June of last year when he said he had not spoken in favor of Russian anti-gay laws.

And it leads me to again advise the lgbt community, our leaders, allies, etc to stop devoting so much attention to Kim Davis that we ignore who is pulling her strings. She is nothing but a puppet, to be used and discarded when she no longer serves the needs of the Liberty Counsel.

This argument of preserving religious liberty is nothing more than a homophobic dodge by the Liberty Counsel and the anti-gay right in general. It's yet another angle in their war on lgbt equality and dignity.

'Glenn Beck wants to stop Texas county schools from banning anti-gay discrimination' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Glenn Beck

 
Glenn Beck wants to stop Texas county schools from banning anti-LGBT discrimination - Glenn Beck is making personal steps to stop Texas schools from protecting lgbts from discrimination and he is inviting his followers to join him. OH GOD!  

Priest tells kids: Gays having anal sex same as ‘cramming a bagel in your ear’ - If folks are concerned about children learning about sex too early, they should stop bothering gay folks and keep people like this priest away from children.  

Kentucky clerk's 'Christian' counsel was named anti-gay hate group - Post from this morning. Highly important. Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who is defying a judge's order to issue licenses to married couples is being represented by an anti-gay hate group. Religious liberty my tuckus!

Colorado appeals court backs gay couple in wedding cake dispute - Just in case you didn't hear, the false argument of "religious liberty" failed again. 

 STUDY: Houston Media Help Misrepresent Equal Rights Ordinance - Because talking about "men in women's restrooms" is a HOT angle no matter how false it is. 

 Dobson's Dire Warning: Gay Marriage Ruling Will Destroy Christianity And America - Yes, Mr. Dobson. Tell us for the one-trillionth time how marriage equality is a plot to recruit churches, put children into jail and destroy . . I mean recruit children, put Christians in jail, and destroy the church. It's not like you haven't said that SO MANY TIMES BEFORE.

Kentucky clerk's 'Christian' counsel was named anti-gay hate group

Tweet sent out by Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who defied a federal judge's order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and her defenders would have you to believe that her case is one of religious liberty, i.e. someone being forced to act in direct opposite of their religious beliefs.

However that is a lie on two counts. First of all, Davis is an elected official.  She has sworn to do her duties in accordance to the law. And the law says that gay couples can legally marry.

Secondly, when one looks at the organization defending her and advising her to defy the judge's orders, the Liberty Counsel, one can easily determine that this is not a case of religious liberty, but one of homophobia.  The Liberty Counsel claims to be an  "international nonprofit litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family . . ."

However,  the Southern Poverty Law Center  considers the Liberty Counsel to be an active anti-gay hate group because of the organization's history of denigrating the lgbt community via lies and distortions (such as the above tweet by Liberty Counsel employee Matt Barber).

SPLC also said:

The Counsel also has been active in battling same-sex marriage, saying it would destroy the “bedrock of society.” In 2005, the group’s blog said: “People who … support the radical homosexual agenda will not rest until marriage has become completely devalued. Children will suffer most from this debauchery.” A 2007 blog posting said same-sex marriage would “severely impact future generations.”

Mat Staver

The lgbt group GLAAD has tracked the Liberty Counsel and its employees, particularly it's chairman, Mat Staver. According to the group, Staver has made many eyebrow-raising statements about marriage equality and the lgbt community in general, including

claiming that LGBT advocates are doing "the bidding of the devil"

claiming that negotiating with what he calls 'homofascists' (i.e. advocacy groups like GLAAD) is 'almost like negotiating with terrorists

suggesting marriage equality should lead opponents to rise up and fight “another American Revolution.”

claiming that children with gay parents will end up “behind bars for committing violent crimes.” (0:00 - 0:56)

Matt Barber

GLAAD also called Matt Barber (who sent out the above tweet) one of the Liberty Counsel's most visible spokespeople.  Barber has:

said that gay male relationships constitute "one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it ‘love’”

called same-sex marriage: "Fake 'gay marriage' is fake 'consummated' through squalid & feculent abuse of the reproductive & digestive systems"

has called President Barack Obama an "anti-American" "enemy" who is "determined to destroy America"

What's going on here is clear. Ms. Davis is allowing herself to be used by a group who has an absolute hatred for the lgbt community. This group (the Liberty Counsel) is advising her to continue to not follow a judge's order probably in hopes that she be found in contempt and jailed. They will then work  to make Davis into some sort of martyr of "religious freedom."

The sad truth is that Davis is not a martyr. She is a pawn, not just of the Liberty Counsel, but of her own hubris. She seems to be aware of the so-called Biblical verses against homosexuality, but she should really familiarize herself with the one about pride going before a fall.

Because she is heading for one and the Liberty Counsel's not there to cushion her blow. They are there to make the fall as hard as possible. The better for them to get more press, more money, and direct more animus towards the lgbt community.

America, God has divorced you for having a gay affair

According to anti-gay activist Rick Wiles, God is treating America like a man who forgives his wife for many heterosexual affairs, but finds himself unable to forgive her for having a gay affair. I kid you not.

 Transcript:

 "America has dealt treacherously with me as a treacherous wife. And He said, ‘She wants what’s beautiful and good and then she began to commit adultery with other men and I forgave her, and she did it again and I forgave her, and she did it again and I forgave her, and she did it again and I forgave her. But now she’s committing homosexual sex with another woman and I cannot look at her anymore. He said, ‘I can’t even look at her, she’s not my wife anymore. The divorce is final.’ He told me that on the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, God went to court too and he got a divorce.”

Well I really don't think I can add anything to that except one question - who gets the children?

'Kentucky clerk defies judge, refuses to give marriage license to gay couple' & other Thur midday news briefs

Kim Davis

Kentucky Clerk Defies Federal Judge's Order, Refuses To Issue Marriage License To Gay Couple - An update on yesterday's post. Rowan County clerk of court (Kentucky) Kim Davis is still refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples even after a judge's ruling. She is appealing yesterday's ruling and asking for a stay of the injunction. AND here comes to boom - just hours after a judge ordered her to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, her office turned away a gay couple asking for one. Apparently her counsel at the anti-gay Liberty Counsel is advising her to not comply. Word to the wise for the anti-gay right who may attempt to use Davis as a cause celebre. I've read many comment sections regarding this case and the vast majority of folks are not on Davis's side, simply because this is not a matter of victimization but a stubborn government official who wants to discriminate AND be paid for it. If the anti-gay right attempts to exploit this situation, it has the potential of wrecking their entire argument of "religious liberty." 

Kentucky High School Allegedly Omits Gay Basketball Player From The Yearbook - Kentucky is simply batting a 1,000 today. How dare the school treats a child like this!  

Chelsea Manning may face solitary confinement for having Jenner Vanity Fair issue - This is a big load of crap. So she is in jail, that doesn't mean she gets treated like an animal.

 Staver: Gay Juvenile Offenders Were Probably Sexually Abused, Which Is Why They Need Christian Counseling - Uh no. The Liberty Counsel seems to have all of its hands in icky pies. They won't win this one either. LGBT juvenile offenders do not need some fool coming in tell them that they are sinners.  

On Fox, Rev. Franklin Graham Calls For Boycott Of Target Over Removing Gender Labels From Some Children's Products - Franklin Graham is swiftly becoming a demagogic clone of his father, who was NO demagogue.

Judge - Kentucky clerk MUST do her job and issue marriage licenses to gay couples

Kim Davis

That gigantic boom you just heard were members of anti-gay groups running to their computers in order to fire up fundraising emails. Let them go ahead. We are ready:

From WXVU:

U. S. District Judge David Bunning has issued a preliminary injunction in the case involving a Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk who refused to grant marriage licenses to two same-sex couples and two opposite sex couples. Clerk Kim Davis must now issue marriage licenses to April Miller, Karen Roberts, Jody Fernandez, Kevin Holloway, Barry Spartman, Aaron Skaggs, Shantel Burke and Stephen Napier.

"IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Doc. # 2) against Defendant Kim Davis, in her official capacity as Rowan County Clerk, is hereby granted.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Kim Davis, in her official capacity as Rowan County Clerk, is hereby preliminarily enjoined from applying her “no marriage licenses” policy to future marriage license requests submitted by Plaintiffs."

The ACLU called it "a victory for our clients and for all of Rowan County."

At a July court hearing Davis said she is an Apostolic Christian and believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. She says she prayed and fasted before making her decision. In court, she argued that by issuing licenses she is saying she approves of same-sex marriage.
 
 . . . However, Judge Bunning writes in his decision that Davis' religious freedoms are not being infringed.

"(Davis') religious convictions cannot excuse her from performing the duties that she took an oath to perform as Rowan County Clerk. The Court therefore concludes that Davis is unlikely to suffer a violation of her free exercise rights under Kentucky Constitution."

The big question is how long before she goes on the "Christians are in danger of losing their religious freedom" tour with NOM or the Family Research Council.

'Anti-gay activists using their false story of 'persecution' to shut lgbt equality' & other Wed midday news briefs

The Kleins are causing trouble for lgbt equality in Arkansas

ARKANSAS: Activists Booted From Anti-Gay Rights Rally Led By Martyred Oregon Bakers [VIDEO]- Serious trouble for the lgbt community in Fayetteville. Melissa and Aaron Klein, the Oregon bakers who FALSELY claimed they were persecuted by the lgbt community because their "Christian faith" forbade them to make a cake for a lesbian couple, are helping in attempts to kill an anti-discrimination bill in Arkansas. And it's getting ugly with people getting kicked out of meetings. 

Out candidates win big in Utah primaries - Lgbt candidates are winning in Utah. Sorry for those who "hate the system," but I believe that changes can also be made by working in that same system.  

Mississippi Ban on Adoptions by Same-Sex Couples Is Challenged - This is gonna get gooooood!  

Illegal robocalls attack gay Mississippi candidate’s family; Pickering denies involvement - Speaking of Mississippi . . .

This Kenyan pastor and his partner have become the first to publicly marry – and now they have to flee - My prayers go out to this very brave couple.

  It's Okay to Be Gay, So Long As You're White - Posted with two snaps up!

Sen. Ted Cruz, Christian voters, & 'gay Nazis'

What's wrong with American Christianity Part 1001, courtesy of Right Wing Watch:

As we noted yesterday, Sen. Ted Cruz was scheduled to stop by the headquarters of the American Family Association, an anti-gay hate group, during a campaign swing through Tupelo, Mississippi, this morning for an interview with AFA president Tim Wildmon. Cruz indeed stopped by and told Wildmon that the key to saving America was to mobilize conservative Christians to vote.

Transcript:

"Nothing is more important in the next 18 months than that the body of Christ rise up and that Christians stand up, that pastors stand up and lead," Cruz proclaimed. "In this last election, 54 million evangelical Christians stayed home ... If we can simply bring Christians to the polls — is it any wonder we have the government we have, we have the leaders we have if believers stay home and leave electing our leaders to unbelievers. We get exactly what we deserve and nothing is more important that having people of faith stand up and just vote our values, vote biblical values and that's how we turn the country around."

As a lot of us know, the American Family Association is considered by the Southern Poverty Law Center to be a hate group because of the nasty and inaccurate things it says about the lgbt community. Most specifically because some very ugly venom coming from the mouth of AFA employee Bryan Fischer, which you can read about here or at the tweet below which I took the liberty of creating to commemorate Ted Cruz's visit:

@SenTedCruz just talked about Biblical values with a group which employs THIS GUY http://t.co/ekhANAN85Q #LGBT #gay pic.twitter.com/XAmS2LK27z

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) August 11, 2015

I think there is something seriously wrong with talking about "Biblical values" with a group known for bearing false witness and vicious lies. Of course I also think there is something wrong if Cruz gets away with it. And that is something the lgbt community should blame on ourselves.

Some of us are always talking about "taking to the streets,"  when it looks as if a situation has progressed to a "do-or-die" point. Has it ever occurred to us that if we get ahead of  said situation (like this one with Cruz waving his hypocrisy around like a white banner), we could get more progress out of it than we would if we waited until it created serious problems.

'Two anti-gay activists have ugly public feud' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Even other anti-gay activists don't like Scott Lively.

Austin Ruse To Scott Lively: You Can’t Sit With Us- What happens when two equally vile anti-gay activists begin a public feud? Unfortunately not spontaneous combustion.

 White House downplays GOP hopefuls’ power on LGBT rights - And that's being polite. If I was asked about the subject, I would have said "if any of these nuts get elected, lgbts folks can kiss their asses goodbye." 

 Fox & Friends Host Complains About Target Removing Gender Labels From Children's Toys - As usual, Fox & Friends pushes covert anti-lgbt discrimination. 
 

Watch GLAAD's CEO Explain Away Fox News' Panic Over Target Ditching Gender Labels - Thank goodness someone called out the nonsense. 

 Biphobia Is a Destructive Force in Our Community -- And It Needs to Stop - My apologies for not posting anything regarding the bisexual community, seeing that there is a lot of ignorance out there.  

Australia: Prime Minister Tony Abbott Blocks Same-Sex Marriage, Suggests Nation Votes After 2016 - Not a good idea, Mr. Abbott.

South Carolina attorney general ordered to pay $135,276 in fees for marriage equality loss

SC AG Alan Wilson

Let's see anti-gay groups attempt to make something out of this one. That is if they can get away from their futile "ban Planned Parenthood" crusade.

From The Post and Courier in Charleston:

State Attorney General Alan Wilson must pay $135,276 in legal fees and costs to lawyers whose federal lawsuit forced open the doors to same-sex marriages in South Carolina, a judge ruled Monday. 

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel cited the attorneys’ overwhelming legal victories against Wilson and “reasonable and necessary” request for payment in granting 89 percent of what they sought.

“This complete litigation victory has benefitted themselves and thousands of other same-sex couples in South Carolina,” Gergel wrote in his ruling. “Plaintiffs’ success in this litigation weighs heavily in favor of a reasonable attorney fee award.” 

The money must be paid by Wilson in his official capacity, Gergel ordered, and will come from state coffers. It will go to the gay rights advocacy groups South Carolina Equality and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. 

Of the seven attorneys involved, four work full time for Lambda. The other three are in private practice and worked voluntarily for S.C. Equality. They will donate their fees to that nonprofit, said M. Malissa Burnette, a Columbia attorney who is among them. 

Wilson's office has yet to say whether or not it will attempt to appeal Gergel's order. If it does, one can probably guess that a certain attorney general will be running for Governor after Nikki Haley leaves office and will also be using this situation to demonstrate how he supposedly stands up for "South Carolina values."

Ohio judicial board: judges cannot refuse to marry same-sex couples on moral, religious, or personal grounds

Judge C. Allen McConnell

I  bet the anti-gay right will attempt to make this a new clarion call about gays persecuting Christians. However, I doubt they will get any new converts. In reading the comment section about cases such as these, I've noticed that the majority of those responding aren't exactly on the side of government officials who won't do their jobs:

From the Associated Press:

Judges who perform marriages in Ohio can't refuse to marry same-sex couples on personal or moral grounds or because of religious beliefs, according to a state judicial conduct board.

In addition, judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be interpreted as biased and could be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue, according to an opinion by the Ohio Supreme Court's Board of Professional Conduct issued Friday and made public Monday.

The ruling followed a request for guidance from a Toledo judge who refused to perform a same-sex wedding last month.

Municipal Judge C. Allen McConnell said he didn't marry a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs after the U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in all 50 states in June.

McConnell said Monday he would abide by the board's opinion and would marry a same-sex couple if requested.

Judges' oaths to support the state and U.S. constitutions also require them to honor court interpretations of constitutional matters, the judicial board said in its opinion.

The article goes on to say that though the board's decision is nonbinding, it can be used by the Ohio Supreme Court for guidance should the question arise again.

Read more here.

'Will Beyonce stand up for lgbt equality in Houston' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Will Beyonce stand up for lgbt equality in Houston?

Why Houston Is Asking Beyoncé to #BeyBeAHERO - WONDERFUL idea. If I am not correct, Beyonce did reference the gay black ball community in the song "Get Me Bodied. (Snap for the kids, snap for the kids.Snap in a circle three times). We will see if this reaps success. 

Pat Robertson: Gay And Gay-Accepting Christians Going To Hell - Cause apparently God has sublet the act of condemning folks to hell to THIS guy.  

For once, Larry Kramer, don't talk. LISTEN - This morning's post on Holy Bullies. I didn't get a chance to share it like I generally share a post. I have much respect for Larry Kramer and understand what he is trying to say. But the dismissive manner he talks about the controversy over the Stonewall movie bothers the hell out of me.

 Straight Lawmaker Claims He Faked Gay Sex Scandal As A Ploy To Smoke Out His 'Mafia' Blackmailers - Chyle PLEASE! You couldn't GET me high enough to believe THAT. 

 Two men walk down the streets of Jerusalem holding hands- It DID NOT go well.

 Ugandans Celebrate Gay Pride, But Stigma Tempers Joy - THIS is bravery and something we should remember whenever we get too comfortable or complacent.

For once, Larry Kramer, don't talk. LISTEN

Kramer

There is a lot of anger and confusion about the upcoming Stonewall movie. Based upon what was seen in the trailer, many lgbts are worried that the movie, which chronicles the riots in New York, which many feel led to the modern lgbt equality movement, will omit key lgbt of color personalities during those riots.

In other words, they are fearful that the movie will "whitewash" the entire incident. Because of that, there have been petitions, threats of boycotts, and an online storm of condemnations. Now I am not one to judge a movie solely based upon a trailer. However, on the other hand, trailers are generally shown to garner interest in a movie so there is nothing wrong with people expressing their displeasure if a trailer causes the opposite reaction.

So to tell the truth, I'm not necessarily concerned either way. However, I am concerned by the recent remarks made by  legendary lgbt activist and playwright Larry Kramer:

don’t listen to the crazies. for some reason there is a group of “activists” that insists on maintaining their prime importance and participation during this riot. unfortunately there seems no one left alive to say “it wasnt that way at all”, or “who are or where the f— were you.” as with so much history there is no way to “prove” a lot of stuff, which allows artists such as yourself (and me I might add) to take essences and attempt to find and convey meaning and truth. i sincerely hope this boycott your film s— peters out. we are not dealing with another “Cruising” here. keeping your film from being seen is only hurting ourselves. good luck and thank you for your passion. larry kramer

While Kramer does somewhat make a good point,  I found his tone to be rather ignorant and indicative of the problem.

You see, my opinion is that this anger regarding Stonewall is not just about the movie. It is about the lgbt equality movement in general.  I've always felt that the movement was too limited by what we are told to embrace, what we are told to believe, and what we are told should be our history.

When people talk about my ethnicity (African-American) or my region (the South) when it comes to being an lgbt, I get a mixture of pity and sadness. There seems to be this belief in our community that if you live in the South, you are disconnected from the community, except for being something like a Morlock in a homophobic No Man's Land.

And when you are black, you are pulled into transitory conversations about diversity and such, but you still never know what your history is when it pertains to lgbts.  All of the prominent spokespeople in our community you hear about who made a visible impact - from Frank Kameny to Larry Kramer - are generally white and male.  You ask where were the black lgbts who led organizations or who wrote books and were given a platform such as the cover of The Advocate magazine. Hell, where are they now?

In general, I guess I am trying to say that the anger over the Stonewall movie is merely a reaction to the fact that many prominent folks in our community aren't acknowledging that we are becoming not only more diverse but outspoken. And one thing we are speaking out about is that we are tired of the same visuals which does not include lgbts of color being visible leaders.

No disrespect meant, but what bothers me about Mr. Kramer is I don't know if he is aware of that.  This one time his blustery "tell it like it is" attitude isn't exactly "telling it like it is." Kramer is "telling it like it was," but it's not that way anymore.

'Anti-gay lawmakers caught attempting WEIRD cover-up of affair' & other Fri midday news briefs

Two anti-gay Michigan lawmakers caught covering up affair in weird manner.

Anti-Gay Lawmakers Caught In Affair, Bizarre Cover-up - From the Department of What the HELL! - Two heterosexual anti-gay lawmakers have been caught not only having an affair, but also attempting to create a rumor that one of them was having a gay affair in order to take the shock off of the revelation of the actual affair when it would be revealed. This is NOT fiction.

Judge Rules Nebraska's Ban On Gay And Lesbian Foster Parents Is Unconstitutional - Yes there are areas which still have this archaic prohibition. Nebraska just stopped becoming one of them. 

 The Most Ironic Moment Of The First Republican Debate, Courtesy Of Rick Santorum - Hold on to something. . .  

The Reaction John Kasich Got For Embracing Gay Marriage Shows How Far The GOP Has Come - Yes there was actually a somewhat pro-lgbt moment at last night's debate. And that "somewhat" is a personal downgrade because it WAS a Republican debate.  

Texas Bakery Kicks Off 'Welcome Everyone' Campaign To Combat Homophobia - THIS is pretty cool! 

Photo courtesy of  The Detroit News

Mike Huckabee insults transgender soldiers during GOP debate

Last night's GOP debate was the slow moving train wreck it was predicted to be. However, the following is the most disgusting moment and it's courtesy of Mike Huckabee (which is no surprise):



The "it's not the place for social experiment" talking point is an old anti-gay talking point usually reserved for gay adoption and parenting. As you can see above, it can be used in any situation to paint a fact about the normalcy of the lgbt community into something odd and dangerously new.

Let me put it this way. Transgender soldiers are already a fact. And they are fighting for our freedoms. Mike Huckabee as president? Now THAT is a dangerous social experiment.

Anti-gay right lie about marriage equality & the church, attempt to undermine it in the secular square

Kim Davis trying to undermine marriage equality

Pay attention, folks. As dubious as this case is,  I am willing to bet that it will be the one the anti-gay industry will attempt to take all the way to SCOTUS:

A Kentucky clerk, sued for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, has filed her own lawsuit against the governor, claiming he trampled her religious freedom by telling all clerks that they must either issue licenses or resign.

On June 26, the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled gay marriage bans unconstitutional, Gov. Steve Beshear directed the state’s 120 county clerks to comply and begin issuing licenses to all couples. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis filed the federal lawsuit against Beshear on Tuesday, alleging that the directive violated her “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Davis and several other clerks refused to issue licenses, and 17 sent signed letters of protest to Beshear’s office. The governor maintained they must either adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling or step aside.

Four couples sued Davis last month after she denied them licenses.

The conservative law firm Liberty Counsel filed a third-party lawsuit on Davis’ behalf, claiming that the governor should be liable for the couples’ claims against her. She also asked the judge to force Beshear to find a way to accommodate her Christian conviction that limits marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

This situation has me thinking about how slick anti-gay activists are. While some of them, such as Rick Scarborough and Mike Huckabee are falsely claiming that marriage equality will lead churches and ministers to be forced to marry gay couples (a lie helped along by Fox News ), anti-gay organizations like the Liberty Counsel are actively attempting to undermine it in the secular sphere by pushing "religious beliefs" of individual government officials into the mix.

Besides fighting these small brush fires, the lgbt community should call attention to the overall goal of all of this nonsense. Religious liberty is merely the excuse used by anti-gay groups to undermine and possibly eventually reverse marriage equality.

Sitting on your behind claiming that it will never happen is probably exactly the thing which will make IT happen.

'TX AG faces contempt charges for illegal denial of rights to dying gay man' & other Thur midday news briefs

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas AG Faces Contempt Charge for Not Recognizing Same-Sex Marriage - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is already facing corruption charges. Apparently he wants to add to the charges by illegally being a complete drag to legally married gay couples. 

The Mistreatment Of A Dying Gay Man In Texas Goes ‘A Step Beyond Even Westboro Baptist Church’ - More details about the above. That Paxton is simply cold . . . "because of Jesus," no doubt. Of course Jesus would have probably healed the dying gay man, leading to a round of condemnation from Fox News and the anti-gay right.  

RNC nixes proposed anti-gay resolutions - Santa Claus just called, Dave Agema. No resolution about the so-called physical dangers of homosexuality for you.  

NFL includes sex between men as part of AIDS awareness - Wonderful idea. Of course it underlines the problem why it's difficult for gay men to get good health information. Anti-gay groups tend to lurk and corrupt, thereby scaring away folks.  

Social Conservatives’ Plan To Win The Culture Wars: ‘We Will Eventually Breed Them Out Of Existence’ - The joke's on them. Lgbts are created by mostly heterosexual families. HAHAHAHAHA!  

Religious Right Preacher: God Using Donald Trump And Fox News To Save America - FIX IT, JESUS! JUST FIX IT!!  

Voters Will Decide On Houston's LGBT Equal Rights Ordinance - By extreme crook, the opponents of this lgbt ordinance got their referendum. But they may lose it.

Maggie Gallagher's marriage equality 'report card' leads me to 'file a claim'

Maggie Gallagher

Below is Maggie Gallagher's report card on the Republican candidates' position on the SCOTUS marriage equality ruling. Feel free to go to this link if you want to find out more about it:

Now sometimes, certain things just can't be responded to with simply words so PLEASE forgive me for posting the following, very true reponse to Gallagher's "report card:"

'T.D. Jakes makes good arguments about lgbts, equality, & faith' & other Wed midday news briefs

T.D. Jakes

Bishop T.D. Jakes On The Black Church's Shifting Stance On Homosexuality - Hold on to something for what I am about to say - T.D. Jakes is sounding like a very reasonable and intelligent voice when it comes to lgbt equality, marriage equality, and especially lgbts and faith.

 Ghost of marriage campaign past still haunts Maine legal system - A long-winded but necessary way to say "Ha! Ha! You lost again, NOM!!!" 

Trans Teens Are Sharing Their Inspiring Personal Stories In Hopes Others Will Do The Same - Wonderful!

 Conservatives Are Scaring Indiana Towns Out Of Passing LGBT Protections - I absolutely "double dip Dr. Dre dare" anyone to tell me that the battle for lgbt equality is anywhere NEAR close to the end. 

 President Obama Says Racism And Homophobia Come From The Same Mindset - Yes it is!!  

NOM’s Brian Brown: Ending Anti-Gay Discrimination Means Giving 'Believers' the Shaft - Brown's choice of words was NOT an accident. I absolutely bet you that it wasn't.

Activist completely destroys anti-lgbt talking point about "bathroom bills'

Part of the problem in this so-called culture war over lgbt equality is when anti-gay groups and personalities create a meme, their supporters tend to repeat it almost word-for-word.

When someone on our side says a stone fact, we tend to not repeat it. The following is worth repeating.

From Media Matters:

An LGBT activist in Houston, Texas shut down a local TV news host's misleading questions about the city's non-discrimination ordinance, dismantling a right-wing lie about non-discrimination protections that has infected local and national media coverage of the fight for LGBT equality. In July, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) - which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and a host of other factors - must be repealed or put on the ballot for a vote in November. Opponents of the ordinance have spent months falsely claiming that HERO would allow sexual predators to sneak into women's restrooms by pretending to be transgender - a myth that local media outlets have been all too willing to run with.

But during the August 2 edition of Houston's ABC 13 Eyewitness News' "City View," local LGBT activist Noel Freeman shattered the transgender bathroom myth:

Transcript:

FREEMAN: Non-discrimination ordinances that are LGBT-inclusive have existed in the United States for more than 40 years. And in those 40 years across the entire country, zero, zero times has somebody committed an act in a bathroom and claimed a non-discrimination law as a defense. [...] It's simply not true. The fact of the matter is it has never happened across the entire country in 40 years. It's never happened. Plano went through this about a year ago. They said it was going to happen, it didn't happen. San Antonio, two years ago, didn't happen. Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, 10, 15 years ago - didn't happen. It's just not true. [...] Somebody who's intent on breaking the law doesn't care what the law is. But the reality is that Houston has laws that makes that illegal. And so the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance isn't anything about this lie and this bathroom myth that's being presented by opponents of the issue. 

Sweet! Now the question is are we going to use what Freeman said to shut down the constant lies about "bathroom memes?"

Anti-gay activist -'religious freedom' reserved ONLY for Christians

As much as I despise the infamous anti-gay activist Scott Lively, I suspect he did us all a favor during the first portion of this video interview when he defines his version of  "religious freedom." And I suspect that he is not the only religious right  or anti-gay activist who feels this way. He simply the only one dumb enough to be vocal about it. But the big question is this - when the media interviews folks like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, will they ask about Lively's selfish idea of "religious freedom?"

'Child molester irony smacks anti-gay activist squarely in the face' & other Tues. midday news briefs

Klingenschmitt

Klingenschmitt

Klingenschmitt makes an error THIS big.

GOP Lawmaker Who Claims Gays Are Child Molesters Praises Activist With Child Molestation Convictions - A supremely ironic moment that no doubt Klingenschmitt won't take to heart. 

Homophobic couple wants to erect 1,000 billboards decrying gay marriage - Forgive me for being presumptuous but I really think this is something Jesus would NOT do. 

Trans People Are Using #TransHealthFail And It’s Making A Difference - Why I simply LOVE the transgender community. In this case, they took awful experiences and made them into something educational and positive.  

This Man’s Story Explains the Emergence of South Korea’s Anti-LGBT Movement - DISGUSTING! Sorry but that's how I feel.

 GOP 2016 Contenders Are Courting Erick Erickson, The Anti-Gay Pundit With A "Pattern Of Being Disrespectful To Women" - The LESS I say about this fool, the better.

Why can't I ever get any decent hate mail

It's been said that you can always tell the effectiveness of your work from the hate mail you receive. If that's the case, then I am a little depressed. This guy screams across the board via stuff he has read on my blog along with stuff I haven't even talked about in this email (published exactly how I received it) but he says nothing about yours truly. Come on, you could have at least said "and by the way, you got cooties."

 BERNIE SANDERS is a ZIONIST JEW!

The really sad thing is that we already have too many ZIONIST JEWS in CONGRESS, in the IRS, in the NSA and in the DHS!

The SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW SINNERS, the ANTI-DEFACATION LEAGUE and the ANTI-AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION are all ZIONIST JEW, ANTI-WHITE, ANTI-CHRISTIAN, ANTI-CONSERVATIVE, ANTI-AMERICAN HATE GROUPS!

"LIBERALISM is based on the PRIMISE of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, which we all know is a LIE!" (TRAINAISM)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for the ADVANCEMENT of WHITE PEOPLE - 2015