Fear rules in Houston, but the lgbt community will take the throne eventually

They say "cash rules all," but in Houston last night, fear stole the throne:

Houston voters struck down a non-discrimination ballot measure Tuesday, delivering a blow to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement that had campaigned heavily for passage.vProp. 1, known as Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance, would have barred discrimination on the basis of race, age, military status, disability and 11 other categories in a variety of areas. (Religious organizations and institutions would be exempt from the requirements.)  It was HERO's protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, however, that attracted the most attention and made the ballot measure the center of the LGBT community's efforts this election.

 . . . Conservative activists -- who were heavily outspent by LGBT advocates -- dubbed Prop. 1 the "bathroom ordinance" and adopted the slogan "No men in women's bathrooms," playing up fears that passage could lead to male sexual predators dressing up as women and entering women's restrooms. This factually dishonest message proved to be incredibly effective: Many Houston voters seemed to think the measure was solely about access to restrooms and were unaware of the broader nondiscrimination protections in the measure. The most recent TV spot released by the anti-Prop. 1 coalition Campaign for Houston, for example, showed a man entering a bathroom stall with a young girl. 

And that, my friends is what the anti-gay industry is all about. We hear them talk about Scriptures, morality, and values. But in the end, the only thing they know how to do is conjure fear and lies to stoke homophobia. And why should they stop? It's very effective.

In the 70s, former beauty pageant queen Anita Bryant led the charge to defeat a non-discrimination ordinance in Florida by claiming that gay men will recruit children. In the early 80s, discredited researcher Paul Cameron helped defeat one in Nebraska by falsely claiming that a gay man mutilated a young boy in a restroom. And these are just two of so many examples.

Throughout the annals of anti-gay politicking, you will always find a conjuring up of images of oversexed gay men, violent lesbians, confused bisexuals, and oddball transgender folks looking to convert, harm, or "recruit" children. It's their main bread and butter. Whether subtle or direct, that is always one talking point which will be in the center of almost every fight against any form of lgbt equality.

So it's like this. We ain't getting around it. I don't care what focus groups say or highly paid consultants say. We can't sidestep this. We can't ignore it. It won't bounce off our chests. It never does.

We have to address this as well as other bits of propaganda the anti-gay industry uses to exploit the fears of the public. And we had better figure out a way soon because as we all know via the fight for marriage equality, once they get a successful talking point, they tend to use it in other fights.

So expect to hear the mantra of "no men in women's bathrooms" again and in other parts of the country.

The "honeymoon period" generated by the complacency our community went under since we won marriage equality is over.

Personally, that's just fine with me because I've always believed that anything worth having is worth fighting tooth and nail for. So I have one message for the anti-gay right and their lies.

Let's dance, bitches!!

Editor's note - Educate yourself on anti-gay propaganda by reading How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America

Defense of Texas governor's tweet puts Houston lgbt drama in sad perspective

Yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that voters should say no to the Houston Equality Rights Ordinance (HERO) while using the inaccurate talking point about male predators invading female restrooms. I sent him a tweet back decrying his attack on the transgender community. Today, I got an answer, not from Abbott, but from a source which puts a sadly ironic perspective on the entire situation:

 I snipped the exchange just in case the person decided to erase the message. And for the record, this person is no joke. I snipped other tweets and I'm surprised that this racist had time to send me a tweet, with all of the Holocaust denying and attacking African-Americans:

 

 

I would love to show that last tweet to all of the African-Americans who voted against HERO. If segregation had ever been put to a public vote, people this bozo would be saying "No negroes raping White Women." with as much vigor as some folks are repeating the lying talking point of "No men in women's bathrooms."

'Homophobia causing youth to turn away from religion?' & other Tue midday news briefs

Young Americans are becoming less religious — and anti-science, anti-gay rhetoric may be a factor: Pew - It appears that homophobia is causing the next generation to become less religious. 

Why Is The LGBT Movement Struggling To Uphold A Simple Law In Houston? - Homophobia such as this. Should Prop 1 (HERO) lose today, Dominic Holden has already written a definitive article as to why. It's not because people haven't worked tooth and nail to keep the ordinance. Many have and they should be commended for it regardless of what happens. Holden's article is involves an old tactic by the anti-lgbt industry - sidestepping the real argument and endlessly repeating a mantra about how lgbt equality will harm children. Holden demonstrates how this mantra can take root and grow like a weed. 

 Religious Right Activist At World Congress Of Families: Anti-Gay, Anti-Choice Africans Will 'Save the World' - Just disgusting.

  Ohio Gets Huge Bill For Battling Same-Sex Marriage All The Way To The Supreme Court - Yes sir, gotta pay that money!  

A gay dad sounds off on the “purity” parents who want to keep LGBT info out of sex ed - THANK YOU! When things like this happen, people always quick to forget that lgbts are parents, too. 

 Federal Authorities Find Chicago School District Violated Transgender Student’s Rights - Wonderful!

Photo courtesy of HRC.

Five most homophobic attacks on Houston Equal Rights Ordinance

It's election day and while the eyes of the nation are NOT on Houston, a significant portion of us are watching.

Will the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) prevail or will the opposition's overwhelming lie about "men in ladies restrooms" carry the day.  Whatever the ending will be, I'm betting we can always count on the religious right and the press to hyperbole it to death.

Right Wing Watch has come out with a wonderful post which looks back on the five most vicious, bigoted attacks on HERO. You can look at all five by going here. However, for my money, the most telling has to be the vindictive rambling of Sen. Ted Cruz's bottom-feeding father Rafael Cruz.

His attack on the Houston's mayor, Annise Parker, simply because she is a lesbian:




No matter how they attempt to paint themselves, homophobes can't help but to bare their fangs. It's not about safety of women and children. It's about what it has always been about - i.e. keeping those "sinful homosexuals in their place."

What's going to happen today? We will see. But I think it's safe to say "we've only just begun."

And I, for one, am thrilled. Things were getting a bit too dull and complacent around here.

Huckabee, Jindal, Cruz teaming up with 'gays should be thankful for AIDS' pastor

Kevin Swanson

It's not just that rabid anti-lgbt pastor Kevin Swanson made this vile statement above about how gays should be thankful that God punished our community with AIDS. And it's not just that he has made other incredibly vicious comments (catalogued here) about lgbts.

The giant problem is even after all of this is known, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and Bobby Jindal will be joining him in a "religious freedom summit" while either the mainstream press won't bat an eye:

The organizer of the “National Religious Liberties Conference” in Des Moines, Iowa, announced today that Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal have committed to speaking at the summit, which will take place next month. One speaker at the conference, Iowa radio host Steve Deace, has said that Ben Carson has also RSVP’d for the event, although Carson’s name was not included in today’s press release.

 Kevin Swanson, the conference’s chief organizer, is a far-right pastor and host of the “Generations Radio” program, on which he has frequently claimed that the government should put gay people to death, warned that the Girl Scouts and the movie “Frozen” turn girls into lesbians and blamed natural disasters on gay people and women who wear pants. (Update: Swanson is not the only activist speaking at the conference who backs the death penalty for homosexuality). 

 Or if questioned about it, those three bozos will instantly whine about how they are being "persecuted" because of their Christian faith.

Either conclusion serves to make me nauseous and die a little inside

'TX Gov push anti-transgender lie, smears Hillary Clinton' & other Mon midday news briefs

Editor's note - I apologize for not sending out this morning's post, Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance relying on an ugly lie to gain victory, to all the folks I usually send posts out to. Please take a look at it because it is very apropo to the story at the top of today's news briefs

@GregAbbott_TX @HillaryClinton how can u bear false witness like that and call yourself a Christian, Gov. Abbot?

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) November 2, 2015

What you are seeing here is the main reason why Christianity is getting a bad reputation and so many folks are abandoning it. Also, why so few trust politicians. It's sad when any elected official, much less a governor, caters to and spreads lies about a piece of legislation. 

 GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Urges “NO” Vote On Houston LGBT Rights: “No Men In Women’s Bathrooms” - Joe Jervis has more about this lie. Mark my words, if the pro-lgbt ordinance in Houston (HERO) loses because of this consistently refuted lie about "men in women's bathrooms," expect things to get "real." It's going to be the aftermath of the Prop 8 vote all over again (although I HOPE lgbts spend less time figuratively shooting at each other and instead, pushing for education and conversations about anti-lgbt propaganda. In the 70s, Anita Bryant derailed a pro-gay ordinance using the same fear tactic. The fact that it may still be successful over 30 years later is a damn shame.)

 If You Think You Understand Houston’s ‘Bathroom Ordinance,’ You Probably Don’t - HERO has NOTHING to do with "men in the women's restrooms." THIS is what it has to do with.  

Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance relying on an ugly lie to gain victory - Repeating this morning's post to give background on this mess.

Outraged Conservative Christians Claim Chick-fil-A 'Goes Gay' - Yes, I am as shocked as you are. 

Watch: HBO to Debut Vice Doc About the Quest for an AIDS-Free World - Good for HBO!

 Franklin Graham Praises 'Gay Propaganda' Law, Critizes US 'Secularism' In Russia Visit - Simply sad. We need that national conversation on anti-lgbt propaganda.

Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance relying on an ugly lie to gain victory

Lies like this have peppered the city of Houston

By consistently putting out the message that predators will invade women's restrooms (even after the claim has been repeatedly refuted by city officials, professionals who work with sexual abuse victims, and others), opponents of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) have closed the polling gap and some experts have predicted a win for them in Tuesday's referendum.

From The Washington Post:

The campaign to pass the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, or HERO, has become a priority for national gay rights groups and the city’s gay mayor — as well as for local business leaders, who fear an economic backlash similar to the one that hammered Indiana earlier this year if it is not adopted. But with an election set for Tuesday, polls show voters are divided on the measure — and some analysts are predicting defeat. 

One reason, they say, is the provocative claim that the measure would permit “any man at any time” to enter a women’s bathroom “simply by claiming to be a woman that day.” Opponents have dubbed the measure “the bathroom ordinance.”

“Houston voters do not want men in their women’s bathrooms,” said the Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastors’ Council. “It’s an invasion of privacy, an invasion of a safe space for women and girls.”

It’s also completely untrue, supporters of the measure say. They accuse Welch and others of fearmongering, noting that the ordinance would not only protect the rights of transgender people, but also challenge discrimination on the basis of race, sex and a dozen other factors, including military status.

“I don’t care who you are, you belong in one of those 15 categories. This literally is going to protect everyone in the city,” said Lou Weaver, 45, a transgender activist who is working to pass HERO. “Trans women are literally being painted like boogeymen here, the monster under the bed.”

Whatever happens Tuesday, the lgbt community and its allies should take note. No matter how happy we are because we won marriage or how much we think this so-called culture war is over, now is not the time to ease up. And for God's sake, stop underestimating the organizations who fight against lgbt equality. They still have pull, influence, and as you can see, lies which they can exploit tremendously. Folks, we have to start a national conversation on anti-lgbt propaganda and those who push it.  And before things like this happen.

And as for the city of Houston, should HERO lose,  in the words of Shakespeare:

"To willful men, the injuries they procure must be their own schoolmasters."

'Iowa legislator on witch hunt against lgbt youth group' & other Fri midday news briefs

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NOM's Brian Brown - use religious liberty laws to undermine marriage equality

Brian Brown

Supporters of religious liberty laws contend that these laws protect the businesses, livelihoods, and integrity of Christians by keeping them from facing possible legal consequences of discriminating against married gay couples.

However, some of us believe that these laws have a more sinister purpose than merely "protecting Christians," and thanks to National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown, we have a bit of confirmation about this.

Where else but yesterday at the World Congress of Families (i.e. Legion of Homophobia) conference did Brown put his foot in his mouth.

From Right Wing Watch:

Brian Brown from the National Organization for Marriage followed (Cathy) Ruse (of the Family Research Council) and matched her tone of defiance against “our unelected masters.” The Supreme Court didn’t change the definition of marriage, he said, it “put a lie into the law” — just like slavery and the Dred Scott decision. Brown said that there’s no time for activists to be depressed. Citing the history of Christian martyrs, abolitionists and civil rights activists, he mocked people who don’t want to take a stand because some of their Facebook friends might say mean things about them.

“Instead of being depressed, we should savor the fact that we live at a point in history, like those times before, in which we can stand for the truth, make a difference, and God has put us here for some reason. This fight is not over. It has just begun.” 

 Brown proposed four goals for the anti-marriage-equality movement:

Affirm continually and publicly that marriage is by nature a union of a man and a woman.

 Reject the Supreme Court’s decision as illegitimate

Overturn the decision, perhaps through decades of struggle or perhaps with new Supreme Court justices appointed by a Republican president elected in 2016

Contain the damage in the meanwhile by passing laws that allow public officials and businesspeople to refuse to have anything to do with gay couples’ marriages.

Brown's goals are laughable, but number four is the one we should pay attention to because it confirms all of the negatives lgbts and allies have been saying about religious liberty laws.

Religious liberty laws are not about protecting faith. Faith has nothing to do with it but be a diversionary ploy. When you strip the diversion away, you are left with the same message segregation gave African-Americans, i.e. that they are inferior and have no right to dignity.

By that same token, religious liberty laws are not to designed to keep a bakery or a flower shop from participating in something that's against the owners' faith.  Rather, these laws are designed to send a message to gay couples that their marriage is and will always be inferior or nonexistent in the eyes of some people.  Now anyone can have this personal opinion about marriage equality, but attempts to enshrine this nastiness by way of law is just plain wrong.

And exploiting faith to undermine any couple's love and legal rights is simply ugly.

'Peter LaBarbera admits anti-gay movement sees him as a liability' & other Thur midday news briefs

LaBarbera

Peter LaBarbera Laments That He's Too 'Anti-Gay' For Rest Of The Politically Correct Anti-Gay Movement - I've heard rumors about this for a long time and now "Porno Pete" just confirmed it. To a movement attempting to drift away from blatant homophobia and a direct reliance on junk science and cherry-picked science to  very false portrayals of "persecuted Christian family advocate victims," activists like LaBarbera are now liabilities. Much like racists claimed not to be "anti-black, but pro-white," the anti-gay industry is now claiming that they aren't "anti-gay, but pro-family," but LaBarberas of that bunch are helping to ruin the game because they are too stubborn to change or move out of the way." Stand your ground, "Porno Pete!" 

Dear Ben Carson: Actually, You Are a 'Homophobe' If You're Opposed to Marriage Equality Now - An answer to Ben Carson's mea culpa that the lgbt community has heard SO MANY TIMES from anti-gay folks.  

Spotted: Ben Carson’s PAC Joins Anti-LGBT World Congress of Families Conference - And then there is this teaming up with the "Legion of Homophobia" which NO ONE in the media will probably EVER ask him about.

 Wherever does Robert George find the time to do anything for Princeton University? - Speaking of well connected anti-lgbt groups and personalities, while we fix too much attention on public faces, people like Robert George are building nasty alliances behind the scenes. We need to pay attention to stuff like this.

Lesbian Couple Files Lawsuit After Hawaii Cop Arrested Them For Kissing - Not the last we will be hearing of this case.

GOP presidential candidate's father - LGBTs want to legalize pedophilia

Who else but Rafael Cruz, father of Sen. Ted Cruz:



The above video comes from the duo efforts of Right Wing Watch and Political Research Associates:

Ted Cruz’s father and campaign surrogate Rafael Cruz addressed today’s convening of the anti-LGBT World Congress of Families in Salt Lake City, where he told one attendee following his remarks that one of the goals of the LGBT community is to legalize pedophilia. The elder Cruz, who has previously claimed that gay members of the Boy Scots are “potential sexual predators” and criticized gay rights as a demonic, dangerous and anti-American agenda, said in a video posted by Political Research Associates that “the thing that they’re going to push is to try to legalize pedophilia.” He made the comments while speaking to J. Lester Feder of BuzzFeed News, who asked him about similar statements he had made linking the gay rights movement to pedophilia earlier that day. When the questioner asked if he thought “the LGBT community is going to push that,” Cruz replied, “Yes I believe so.” PRA told us that the question initially posed to Cruz was: “During the panel, several speakers alluded to a connection between LGBT people and pedophilia. Do you think that’s true?” 

And it gets better. According to Feder, WCF attempted to distance itself from Cruz's statements:

 In a statement, Janice Shaw Crouse, the executive director for the World Congress for Families IX, distanced the organization from Cruz’s remarks, writing, “While Pastor Cruz’s remarks may represent his opinions, they are not those of the World Congress of Families. Collectively, the World Congress of Families’ agenda advocates for life and the natural family in a civil, constructive and transparent way.”

The grand irony of this incident is that yesterday, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins and FRC spokesman Peter Sprigg were claiming that lgbts want to "silence" the WCF conference.

Are they kidding? I haven't had this much fun spotlighting the anti-gay right in a long time. Let them talk some more.

'Flashes of truth plague anti-gay conference' & other Wed midday news briefs

Another truth bomb from yesterday's session of the anti-gay World Congress of Families (i.e. Legion of Homophobia) conference courtesy of  Brian "The Weasel" Camenker from the anti-gay hate group Mass Resistance. When I'm done, WCF are going to be so sorry they invited him to speak.  

Meet The Anti-Gay Foundation Behind The Utah World Congress Of Families - Surprise! The World Congress of Families receives funding from the same source which paid for the discredited Regnerus study. If I had no scruples, I would declare that I am in the wrong business. Yes, I'm on the right side of history, but this queen has a fascination with faux fur coats and those suckers don't come free. 

Editor's note - The Human Rights Campaign has an entire page devoted to WCF. Check it out. 

 Utah Agrees To Pay $24,000 To Same-Sex Couple It Denied A Joint Birth Certificate - Give it up! Turn it loose!

 Justice Kennedy: Public officials who refuse to follow the law should resign - That means you, Kim Davis! 

 Former Major League Baseball Player Brags He Paid Investigators So He Could Blackmail Gay Umpires - Put this fool UNDER the jail!

World Congress of Families conference participant - It's okay to insult and degrade the gay community

The World Congress of Families, a "supergroup" of anti-gay organizations who are attempting to globalize homophobia (which is why I call them the "Legion of Homophobia") is having their ninth conference in Utah even as I write this.

Thank goodness I don't have to cover it. I'm very thankful for sites like Right Wing Watch for having the stamina to deal with these idiots.

Thus far the conference is sparsely attended by the same anti-gay participants collecting the same big paychecks by repeating the same junk they have repeated for pver the past decade. I especially despise the "love the sinner, but hate the sin"  self-righteousness they attempt to push

But through every veil of nonsense always comes a degree of truth in terms of how these folks feel about us. In this case, we should point to Brian Camenker of the anti-gay hate group Mass Resistance for providing it when he says it is okay to be insulting and degrading to lgbts.

I had the "luck" of meeting Camenker publicly once and just so you know, he is more weaselly looking and acting in person.

To paraphrase "Star Wars," we will be observing his homophobia this week with much interest.

For more about the WCF conference, see Right Wing Watch.

The anti-gay right and their exploitation of children

As many of you already know, I am working on an update of my 2013 online booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.

I had wanted How They See Us to be a booklet that anyone could pick up and begin to understand the inner workings of anti-lgbt propaganda. I'm of the opinion that our community and leaders have not fully done the right job of educating the masses (instead of our cliques and circles who seem to approach this material with an annoying jadedness) as to what exactly is anti-gay propaganda and how do the purveyors of this propaganda exploit people of faith.

I think I accomplished just a little of this. My booklet was a huge smash with over 50,000 hits and downloads. With this update, I hope to excise some things, add new things, and in general talk about marriage equality and the religious liberty farce.  I'm not going for shock with this update, but I don't intend to hold anything back. I make NO promises that I won't offend some folks on our side of the spectrum with some of the images I will show. Nothing violent, mind you. But I want a reaction. Anything which can yank some of us out of our apathy about anti-lgbt propaganda.

Don't worry regarding Kim Davis. I'm trying not to include much of her because we've seen enough of THAT woman already. However, one thing we haven't talked about enough is how anti-gay groups, personalities, and their supporters exploit people's fear of lgbts around children. That's one subject we really need to discuss because the hallmark and center of almost every anti-lgbt campaign is the lie that gays want to recruit, indoctrinate, have sex with, or basically harm kids.

One of the additions to the update will be an entire page devoted to images over the years of this  lie. Below are just a few of the images I will be presenting, as well as some words of truth from an anti-lgbt leader himself about how the folks on his side are clearly lying. But I won't tell you about those words. Just look at the images. Even in rough draft form, they make me ill. And about that last image from the Equality Ordinance fight in Houston? The image which demonizes the transgender community? Oh, it will be used.

 

'Gay comedian of color talks about lack of diversity in comedy' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Funny Is Funny: Homophobia, Misogyny and the Lack of Diversity in Comedy - My favorite lgbt comedian, Sampson, makes it on the front page of Huffington Post Gay Voices!

Court sides with transgender widow in fight over estate - Wonderful!

Someone Needs To Tell These Struggling Guys That Being Gay Is Amazing - So many of us have been at this point when we needed some assurance.

 New Law Would Make It Illegal To Come Out As Gay In Russia - Just a mess and check out my last post to see who is helping to foster this junk.

World Congress of Families spreads homophobia on a global scale

As the anti-gay World  Congress of Families (or as I call them, the Legion of Homophobia) is set to begin their "conference" in Utah today, the following video shows just how damage it has done to the livelihood of the global lgbt community thus far:

'Legion of Homophobia' hate group looks to criminalize gays on global scale

This group is DEADLY to the lgbt community

I've said it before and I will say it again. Homophobia is more insidious than a bunch of idiots saying ridiculously anti-gay things. There is a movement afoot to enshrine anti-gay policies on a global scale. I've talked about the World Congress of Families and the groups which are a part of it on several occasions recently.  I refer to WCF as the "Legion of Homophobia" and based on the Media Matters report on a conference it will be having beginning tomorrow, WCF more than earns my moniker:

On October 27, mainstream political figures, members of right-wing media, and domestic and foreign anti-LGBT extremists will gather in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the World Congress of Families' (WCF) ninth international gathering. While the World Congress of Families bills itself as a global coalition of "pro-family" organizations, it has deep ties to extremist anti-LGBT movements abroad, and its gathering will serve as a meeting point for well-known US anti-gay extremists to interact with mainstream US politicians and conservative media figures, along with international anti-LGBT activists who support efforts to criminalize homosexuality. 


WCF Describes Itself As A "Pro-Family" International Alliance.  From the group's website:

Organized by the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, the World Congress of Families was founded by Dr. Allan Carlson in 1995 as a pro-family advocacy group and a way to forge an international alliance of organizations of goodwill which celebrate and affirm the natural family as the fundamental unit of society. We now have 42 organizations in 14 countries, on five continents, affiliated with us as Partners and work with pro-family leaders in more than 80 countries. [World Congress of Families, accessed 10/6/15]

WCF Is Based In The US, And Its Entire Board Is American. [Human Rights Campaign, July 2015]

WCF Has Been Identified As An Anti-Gay "Hate-Group." In February 2014, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) added WCF to its list of anti-gay hate groups. SPLC designates certain anti-gay organizations as hate groups based on their "propagation of known falsehoods" and "groundless name-calling" about LGBT people. [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 10/21/15; Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 9/10/15]


WCF's Anti-LGBT Activism Has Been Linked To Russia's Wave Of Extreme Anti-Gay Legislation. WCF's work in Russia has been attributed to the country's rise in anti-LGBT legislation, most notably the controversial anti-gay "propaganda" law passed in 2013.

 WCF Has Also Been Linked To A Rise In Anti-LGBT Sentiments And Legislation In Africa. WCF's Nigerian coordinator, Theresa Okafor, has been influential in advancing anti-LGBT legislation in Nigeria and Uganda.

'VIDEO - SC Pride rocks the Carolinas in a good way' & other Mon midday news briefs

SC pride festival brings hundreds to Main street - Gotta brag on my people. South Carolina Pride happened last week and the festival Saturday was "off da chain" as usual. It's amazingly sad how much progress us Southern lgbts can make happen, yet we get ignored until an anti-gay character shows his or her figurative ass.

Letter to the Editor: Daily Gamecock Pride article offensive, unacceptable - Unfortunately there was ONE minor thing needing to be taken care of. Sometimes journalists have to be corrected when it comes to telling our stories. 

 How Hillary Clinton's and Bernie Sanders' DOMA Revisionism Harms LGBT Rights - Love 'em both but they have to come correctly about lgbt history. That being said, I still got my mind on the big picture and my shoulder to the grindstone when it comes to 2016.  

POLAND: Anti-LGBT Right Wing Party Takes Parliament - Because, as you can see, it don't look good for us in some areas of the world. 

 Texans Owner Demands Houston’s LGBT Opponents Refund His $10,000 Contribution - Just in case you aren't aware, THIS wonderful incident happened over the weekend.

  New Anti-Gay Initiatives In Europe Backed By American Religious Right - Meanwhile, the "Legion of Homophobia" continues its work. If doesn't prove that lgbtq equality is a global struggle, nothing else will.

Anti-gay hate group leader tweets to remind me how much he despises me

Austin Ruse

Austin Ruse is the president of Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-Fam), a religious group which purports "to defend life and family at international institutions and to publicize the debate."

That's a fancy way of saying that C-Fam is an anti-gay group working to push homophobia on a worldwide scale. It is considered to be an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Ruse has a very public role with C-Fam:

 Ruse -- C-Fam’s most visible spokesman -- has made many inflammatory statements over the years, including a claim that a priest from the Holy See delegation at the UN guaranteed him absolution if he “took [Hilary Clinton] out -- and not on a date.” . . . He has also publicly voiced support for Russia’s draconian anti-LGBT laws and called “‘the homosexual lifestyle’ harmful to public health and morals.”

 According to Right-Wing Watch, the organization had a HUGE role in endangering the rights and lives of lgbts in Africa and Russia with its rhetoric and approval of lgbt persecution in those areas.

C-Fam is also a part of The World Congress of Families, a "supergroup" of various American anti-gay organizations. It's a group which I today dubbed the "Legion of Homophobia."

As you can see above, Ruse isn't exactly a good friend of mine. He blocked me after an incident last year in which I helped certain comments of his to go viral, thereby causing him much humiliation and scorn.

Hey, it's not my fault. It's not like I used powers of mind control to make Ruse say that “the hard left, human-hating people that run modern universities” should “all be taken out and shot.”

But, since he made the comment, I felt it was my job to put him on blast. After which, he canceled his twitter account.  Naturally when he came back, I was on the top of his hate list.

For some reason tonight, though, Ruse took it upon himself to remind me that he still bears his grudge. Maybe that "Legion of Homophobia" comment caught his ear and his goat.

Whatever the case, I'm so touched that Ruse has been thinking about me.

 It make my heart swell to know that common people still care.

UPDATE: Apparently Ruse has been sending other unsolicited tweets to other lgbt activists via twitter. That bitch! I thought I was special. Ain't that JUST like a man!! LOL

'Subtle attacks on transgender men, The Legion of Homophobia' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Opponents Of LGBT Protections Are Clueless About Transgender Men - Zack Ford points out that when transgender women are portrayed as "predators," transgender men are generally portrayed as invisible. 

World Congress of Families Culture Warriors Battle Repro, LGBT Rights In Europe With Help From US Friends - More about how a "supergroup" of anti-lgbt organizations are taking the war against women and lgbts overseas. I said the World Congress of Families are like a JLA of homophobia. I take that back. The acronym JLA has the word "justice" in it and there is NOTHING "just" about this vile group. I will now refer to the World Congress of Families as "The Legion of Homophobia."  

Muslim caller to radio show host: Gay people should all die - This fool DOES NOT represent all Muslims. Remember that.  

Florida Lawmaker Proposes Expansive Bill To Allow Discrimination Against LGBT People - Can you say overreach? They just don't learn.

 New York Governor Plans To Ban Transgender Discrimination - Wonderful! Do it!

Video of how Fox News helped the anti-gay right's bogus 'religious liberty' argument

I don't remember if I posted this before or not, but whatever the case,it bears repeating. It sticks in my craw how easy it was for the anti-gay right to pivot the country to the bogus "religious liberty" argument. But then I remember that they had an entire propaganda news network helping them.

'Parents go anti-gay ape@!&# over ELECTIVE sex ed class' & other Thur midday news briefs

In today's news briefs, Chris Kluwe sticks up for lgbts.

WATCH: Screaming conservative parents ignite chaos at Omaha meeting on optional sex-ed class - This awful incident in Omaha is for all of you jaded folks who claim that if we ignore religious right groups, figures, and their lies, these things will suddenly go away. Take lgbt students, bad information about Planned Parenthood, an ELECTIVE class about sexual education (which means parents can opt their children out) and some ignorant, highly excitable parents concerned about purity and whether their children will be taught sexual positions and you've got yourself a PUAAARTY!!!!! (and NOT in a good way). 

Everything you need to know about the anti-LGBTQ World Congress of Families (WCF) - I sent this out on its own, but it bears repeating. The anti-gay right has a veritable homophobic "Justice League of America" here. We could have a pro-lgbt  Justice League if we could get along to trust each other. So many lessons from this article . . . 

 Kluwe Rips Texans Owner Bob McNair - THIS is what an lgbt ally looks like and does.

 How Did A Gay, Married Actor End Up In An Anti-Gay TV Show? - The only reason why I am posting something about this is because the situation is complex and it would do our community well to take that into account rather than turn on the cannons . . . YET. 

 Dad Rips Haters Who Called Son 'Faggot' Over His Homemade Kitchen Playset - THIS is called sticking up for your child. There is NOTHING wrong with a little boy wanting to play in a kitchen playset. There IS something wrong with folks who will attack a child.  

Where Are All The Queer Superheroes? - As a fan of superheroes, I ask this question, too. My hero would be a bald androgynous black man in a leather suit (of course with matching boots) whose intellect AND Machiavellian skill of planning, karate, sword and gun play makes him formidable as hell. Of course his name would either be Hades or The Countess.

Anti-gay activists gather to make stale homophobia sound new

Editor's note - I owe my readers an apology. As some of you may have noticed, I have been going slow on the posting. My push to update my booklet, How They See Us combined with a certain weariness after nine and a half years of posts is tiring me out. Stay with me as I pop that spark back up. Thanks, y'all.

Next week promises to be "fun" as a bunch of familiar anti-lgbt activists get together to trade stale information and attempt to make it sound new:

When Michelangelo Signorile coined the phrase "It's Not Over," this is part of the mess he was talking about. This conference is called
:

 And it will feature probably the same old homophobic tripe wrapped in new packages, like so:

 God help me, I'm actually interested in learning about the "censored medical and social science research."  My guess is that the "research" they talk about hasn't been censored, but  refuted. Inaccurate information generally is.

Far be it from me to be bitchy, but the only thing new I see coming from this conference are the online hook ups.

Ode to the hypocritical religious person consumed with lgbts and sex . .

Editor's note - A very good friend of mine, Jennifer Barber, wrote this short, very on-point poem about how some religious folks are consumed with gays and sex. I personally like it so I want to feature it:

WTF?Hypocrite

You sayin we need to be straight . . .

But in your spare time, do you masturbate?

That's what I though! Another hypocrite!

Full of his lies and religious bullshit!

Wake up people & see what they are doin . . .

Cuz they callin' you out while they in the back screwin!

 

'Anti-gay hate group FURIOUS that the press called them an anti-gay hate group' & other Wed midday news briefs

Mat Staver, anti-gay hate group leader

Kim Davis' Attorneys Attack Associated Press For Identifying Them As A "Hate Group" - Awwww! The poor babies! How DARE the Associated Press tell the truth! 

Survivors Open Up About Trauma Of Gay Conversion Therapy - One of these poor souls was even forced to through a "gay exorcism." 

 10 Examples Of Nonbinary Genders Throughout History - Listverse is a trivia site I like to read every morning. This morning featured a list very apropo to the lgbtq community. 

 Let's not wait to combat homophobia, transphobia - Some folks objected to this piece I posted yesterday, which is my call for some type of national conversation on anti-gay propaganda. Only one objection - a concern about safety - was plausible. Folks, we have to stop pretending this junk is going to go away if we ignore it. IT WON'T! When  the anti-gay right reaps success using anything to denigrate us, they use it to death.  

Mormon leader speaks out against Kim Davis, urges balance in religious freedom disputes - I'm as shocked as you.  

New Federal Lawsuit Is Potentially Bigger Than Obergefell For Gay Rights - Hot damn! That headline is NOT clickbait. It tells the truth. 

 World Congress of Families In Denial Over Promoting Homophobia Globally - Another group insisting they aren't homophobic, but with a paper trail which contradicts their mea culpas.

Let's not wait to combat homophobia, transphobia

My last post, which featured on that awful anti-transgender ad in Houston depressed the hell out of me.

The droll comedian in me, however sees a bit of humor in how anti-gay groups and their spokespeople demonize the transgender community. In the nine plus years which I have run this blog, they have gone from claiming that transgender men and women want to corrupt children in the classrooms:

 to claiming that transgender women want to invade women's bathrooms and locker rooms:

My guess is that they will be soon claiming that transgender women will be wanting to inject pregnant women with some type of formula which will make their infants come out of the womb as transgender.

However, one thing won't change. The anti-gay will continue to smear transgender women as predators as long as they can get away it, just like they attack gay men the same way. There is that fear tactic about a "man victimizing a woman" that they cling to. And it depresses me because I have to remember that no matter how many times I work to refute it, there is still work to do.

'Houston homophobes dial up crazy with extreme anti-transgender cartoon' & other Tues midday news briefs

Trailing In Polls, Houston Equal Rights Opponents Continue Desperate Anti-LGBT Ad Campaign - Folks who want the pro-lgbt ordinance in Houston to pass would do good to turn up the heat. We've seen this before. When the opposition is behind in the polls, they dial UP the crazy as the above video shows. And when the crazy is dialed up, ANYTHING can happen.

 LGBTQ Prisoners Are Routinely Targeted For Beatings, Rape, And Harassment, Report Finds - Just because some folks are in correctional facilities does not forget we don't forget them. Justice for all. 

Court upholds reprimand for airman who opposed gay wedding - This article highlights that often times when anti-gay groups bring up anecdotal stories of attacks on "religious liberty," they never tell us the entire story.

 Ted Cruz Welcomes The Endorsement Of Anti-Gay Hate Group Official And Radio Host Sandy Rios - Basic politeness keeps me from commenting on this one. . .

Bryan Fischer - Anti-gay hate groups don't HATE gays

Bryan Fischer

"Disagreement is not hatred, and the truth is not hate speech. Somebody needs to tell that to President Obama."

When I read the above quote from the American Family Association's spokesman Bryan Fischer, I nearly choked with laughter. It comes from an awful column in which Fischer is claiming that President Obama and the Southern Poverty Law Center is declaring war on Christians because of the lgbt community. He is especially raising a fuss that his group, AFA, and the Family Research Council were designated at anti-gay hate group by SPLC.

Of course being an egotistical self-righteous boob like Fischer, he defines the Christian community as folks who believe as he does, particularly about the lgbt community:

The plain truth is that we at FRC and AFA don't hate a living soul. We love homosexuals enough to tell them the truth about the physical and spiritual dangers of the homosexual lifestyle. We want something better for them than the darkness and disease associated with homosexual behavior. We want them to come out of that darkness into the light of the gospel of Christ. We are for the homosexual, and so we must be against the normalization and promotion of homosexuality. Note the SPLC is no longer accusing FRC and AFA of hate or of violence based on some objective standard. They have simply made a purely subjective assessment that our beliefs about human sexuality and our defense of natural marriage are so offensive to them that we must become the target of the unlimited resources of the federal government. Do we disagree with the homosexual lobby about homosexuality? Of course. Do we hate them? Absolutely not. Do we advocate violence against them? Never have, never will. We are simply determined to tell the moral, spiritual, and physical truth about non-normative sexual behavior.

The comical thing about  the above passage is that Fischer is so oblivious to the fact that he, AFA, and FRC have a paper trail more than a mile long which contradicts his ridiculous mea culpa. In all fairness, neither group has advocated violence against lgbts, but their rhetoric is no better than the rhetoric of anti-Semites talking about the Jewish community or racists talking about the African-American community. As you can see by the following videos, Fischer and his "pals" have more than earned the "hate" designations they have been given:

'Ted Cruz accidentally shows ugliness of 'religious liberty' argument' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Sen. Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Plans ‘Religious Liberty’ Rally At College That Claimed Bible Backing For Racist Policies - LOVE that "religious liberty" card.

Twitter Attacks Mets Star Infielder Daniel Murphy Over Anti-Gay Comments - Whine about lgbts not showing "tolerance" for anti-gay opinions till the cows come home if you want. People generally object to the dignity of their lives reduced to a talking point about a "lifestyle." 

Right-Wing Pastor Tells Christians To Boycott Same-Sex Weddings. These Christians Disagree. - Another example of right-wing evangelicals attempting to bogart the discussion of marriage equality.

 On Being Black and Gay - WONDERFUL post. 

  'Simpsons' Executive Producer Opens Up About The Show's Legendary Gay Episode - What the hell. It's a slow news day.

Hate group - Give us money or the 'homosexuals' will take over and persecute Christians

Tony Perkins and FRC scaring up the money.

One of these days, supporters of the Family Research Council will realize that its "give us money or the homosexuals will take over" requests are simply bull.

Unfortunately, I don't necessarily see that day coming soon. You have to give FRC points for pushing the "fear card," but none for truth. The following is a little snippet via an email signed by its president, Tony Perkins:

Emboldened by the Supreme Court decision, President Obama, the IRS, Justice Department, Department of Defense, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and even corporate America, are saying with one voice that sexual liberty trumps religious freedom.

Affirming same-sex marriage and accommodating the so-called transgendered will become an official litmus test. The religious organizations that refuse to get in line with this new "morality" will face devastating financial consequences. If radical activists get their wish, many churches, Christian colleges, missions, and other faith-based institutions could lose their tax-exempt status and may have to close their doors!

Think what our country would be like without churches ministering to the spiritual and physical needs in our communities.

It would be a sad day for America.

But that is where we are heading as a nation if we don't act now. A bill backed by the far-left Human Rights Campaign was recently introduced in Congress that would protect sexual orientation and gender identity in virtually every federal law -- all at the expense of religious freedom.

If passed, this sweeping legislation could be used to punish Christians who uphold traditional marriage and adhere to the biological fact that a person is created male or female.

The Human Rights Campaign has even pressured corporate giants to coerce the federal government to target those of us who refuse to surrender their biblical values to those sexual revolutionaries who want to redefine God's established order.

As I said recently in Kentucky outside the jail where Clerk of Court Kim Davis was being held, "Given the crisis our nation is facing, the time for being a spectator is over! It is time for all God-fearing Americans to take a stand!"

If we think there's nothing we can do and sit on the sidelines, their radical agenda for your family and mine will become a reality!

I believe God has positioned FRC for "such a time as this." No other organization in Washington, D.C., does more to further the American values of faith, family and freedom -- and we will continue to do so.

If God has positioned the Family Research Council for anything, I envision that He did it with the same droll sense of humor He used when "He told" Michelle Bachmann to run for president.

Anti-gay hate group doubles down on clueless defense of Rand Paul's homophobia

Sen. Rand Paul

Yesterday, I posted how presidential candidate, Sen. Rand Paul made an ignorant comment conflating being gay to strictly sexual behavior in answer to a question about lgbt equality:

"I think, really, the things you do in your house, just leave those in your house and they wouldn't have to be a part of the workplace, to tell you the truth,  . . .I think society is rapidly changing and that if you are gay, there are plenty of places that will hire you."

I also pointed out that while he is being justifiably criticized for his absolutely ridiculous comment dehumanizing lgbts lives and familes, Paul has been attempting - and failing - to backtrack and clarify. At the same time, the anti-gay hate group the Family Research Council has been defending him exploiting his original comments as an ongoing part of its continued mission to demonize lgbts.

Today, FRC continues to double down on its clueless "defense," thereby continuing to keep the issue in the limelight:

 . . .Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who took an outspoken position against gender confusion bills, is being blasted by the media and a handful of college kids. According to a Des Moines newspaper, some students left the speech where Paul urged people to leave their sex lives at home and started peeling Rand Paul 2016 bumper stickers off their cars.

"I thought, 'What century does this guy live in?'" said one LGBT activist. "He exhibited such bias, real homophobia and transphobia," she said. All Senator Paul suggested is leaving employers alone to make the decisions that are best for their businesses -- not what's best for the gender confused. And somehow conservatives are the intolerant ones? It's ironic. Liberals want to be free to visit the public restroom of their choice, but they don't want to extend that freedom to people to express their choice in public policy!

If I didn't despise FRC so much, I would give the group props for audacity. As you can see in above comments by its president, Tony Perkins, FRC is attempting to tie Paul's statement with the fight in Houston to keep the city's pro-lgbt ordinance as law. And like all other anti-gay groups when talking about lgbt equality laws, FRC has reduced the ordinance to unproven fears about the transgender community as bathroom predators.

It's kinda sad how the vile can attempt to make the vile sound reasonable rather than the bigoted hogwash that it is.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton rubbed salt in the wound by a simple but stunning tweet to Paul

The feeling when a GOP candidate says it's acceptable to be fired for being gay. https://t.co/cF9mw5k8fq pic.twitter.com/cYFvcW27mQ

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 14, 2015

Say what you will about Hilary Clinton, that was pretty damn cool. And if I were Paul, I would have a serious talk with FRC. I don't forsee him gaining any advantage in his faltering campaign with this controversy. The more the organization "defends" him, the harder it is for him to recover the controversy.

'TX Attorney General cooking up ugly plans for lgbt community' & other Fri midday news briefs

TX Attorney General Ken Paxton

More Than 6 Million Americans Have Come Out on Facebook - That's because we love our technology. Lgbts are one of the fastest groups to adapt. That's how we have survived. 

The Texas Attorney General’s Thorough Plans To Discriminate Against LGBT People - Geez! What is HIS problem? It's not we are the reason why he is under indictment. 

Here’s Why Major Corporations In Indiana Are Now Pushing To Expand LGBT Rights - The lesson Indiana Gov. Mike Pence learned when he pushed his anti-gay nonsense should come through to Texas. I hate it when some people choose to learn the hard way. "To willful men, the injuries they procure must be their own schoolmasters." (Bet you didn't know I could quote Shakespeare).  

NFL Owner Donates $10K to Repeal Houston's LGBT Discrimination Protections - This is NOT good. The Houston Texans are at the top of my @^!# list.

 Robertson: Don't Let Your Gay Grandson Bring A 'Friend' To Thanksgiving Dinner - Dear grandfather listening to Pat Robertson, your grandson is gay. He is not "coming out of that lifestyle." However, YOU will miss a lot of magic moments that you shouldn't and in the future, you will be blaming yourself for being so bullheaded.  

Mormon Church Bleeding Members Over Gay Marriage - That's what you get for pushing Prop 8.