Anti-LGBTQ industry will speed up usage of religious beliefs as a discrimination weapon after SCOTUS loss

I don't think the anti-LGBTQ industry were prepared for their loss at SCOTUS on Monday. When we defeated the sodomy laws, they were already knee deep in constructing the narrative against marriage equality. When we won marriage equality, they had a ready-to-go narrative on how our right to marry would harm "religious liberty."

Monday's decision caught them by surprise. And they continue to sputter. From Family Research Council head Tony Perkins:

The question now is, where do we go from here? Let's start by putting the ruling in context. Will it mean a ferocious fight on religious liberty from here on out? Almost certainly -- but to be fair, any result would have done the same. LGBT activists weren't going to surrender to the justices' opinion and abandon their cause no matter what the court decided. Nor should we. A positive ruling might have kept some of the fiercest questions at bay -- and given faithful Americans some much needed relief -- but let's face it: the waves of extremism never stop. 

What about Gorsuch and President Trump? Can we trust them? While the Harris case has given Gorsuch fans cause for concern, we don't have to guess where this president stands. For three and a half years, his administration has taken every opportunity to protect religious freedom in executive orders, rules, and guidance that reaffirm the politically incorrect truth about sexual orientation and gender -- often at great political cost. Every agency from HHS, Defense, and Education to HUD, Agriculture, and Justice have stuck their necks out to roll back the radicalism of the president who first opened this Pandora's box. 

As for Trump's judicial nominees, voters have to ask themselves: would they rather have some uneasy feelings about one -- or know with certainty that every single pick is a died-in-the-wool liberal activist, like we would under Joe Biden? This is a single, devastating judgment in what has so far been a stellar couple of years for Trump's first Supreme Court pick. It may confirm concerns that some had about Gorsuch, but this should set the stage for the next nominee to be beyond reproach when it comes to the meaning of words and adherence to the constitutionally defined role of the court.

Right-wing media furious over SCOTUS pro-LGBTQ ruling' & other Tue midday news briefs

The Supreme Court ruled that it is illegal to fire folks for being LGBTQ, and right-wing media are furious - Eat it and suffer. 

Politicians Praise Supreme Court’s Decision On LGBTQ Worker Protections - A step. So much more left to do, though.

Trump administration wants to change rules so homeless shelters can turn away trans people - And the fights continue. 

Trump vague on LGBTQ rights ruling: ‘We live with their decision’ - What did y'all expect this jerk to say?

Neil Gorsuch embarrasses his conservative backers with pro-LGBTQ ruling

A lot of folks - including yours truly - remain floored over Monday's Supreme Court ruling declaring LGBTQ people protected under federal employment discrimination laws.  The victory was unexpected. Of course the thing not to be unexpected were the roars of anguish and rage from conservatives and the religious right. It's what they always do whenever we get a huge victory. One conservative gripe, from right-wing activist Carrie Severino, caught my attention:

Severino is the head of the Judicial Crisis Network, a right-wing group which spends a considerable amount of dark money to get conservative judges on the bench. According to Jeremy Stahl of The Slate, the Judicial Crisis Network spent $10 million in the 2018 fight to get SCOTUS justice Brett Kavanaugh confirmed. The year before, JCN spent the same amount in the fight to get SCOTUS justice Neil Gorsuch confirmed.

Severino even attended Gorsuch's swearing-in:

'HRC will sue Trump Administration for eliminating anti-discrimination healthcare protections' & other Mon midday news briefs

HRC To Sue Trump Administration for Eliminating Anti-Discrimination Health Care Protections - Spare me talk about "Gay, Inc." This is a "all hands on deck" moment if there ever was one. And I don't think it will be the last before this month is out.

New immigration rule would allow judges to refuse transgender asylum seeker claims without hearing - Second verse is the same as the first. 

Understanding the generation gap within the LGBTQ community - Should be required reading. 

For This Lesbian Physician Assistant, Being Out at Work Is Essential - A lesbian hero during this coronavirus pandemic.

Repost - Trump broke all of the promises he made to the LGBTQ community, but the media doesn't care enough to ask why

Editor's note - With the news today that the Trump Administration has rolled back LGBTQ non-discrimination healthcare protections and a decision by SCOTUS with regards to LGBTQ job protections (the Trump Administration argued against LGBTQ  job protections) coming out any day now and probably not looking good for us, I am reposting this piece I published in 2018.  Now it's highly pertinent.  Trump promised to fight for our people and as it turns out, he lied. We all knew that he would, but the most important thing is making sure everyone KNOW that he lied. And uniting with those who give a damn.




An annoying mantra constantly repeated by Trump supporters in praising his performance, particularly conservative evangelical groups and public figures, is "promises made, promises kept."

But that's a damn lie.

I remember that Trump, while running for office, made promises to the LGBTQ community (see the video above).

According to Newsweek:

During his 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Donald Trump boasted his advocacy for LGBT Americans. "Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs," he wrote in a June, 2016 tweet.

This tweet below as a matter of fact:

The Newsweek article also points out that in his first year in office, Trump backpedaled on supporting the LGBTQ community, particularly calling for a ban on transgender men and women serving in the military. 

Vox goes into more detail as to all the ways the Trump Administration practically declared war on the LGBTQ community during his first year in office:

• He tried to reinstate a ban on trans people joining and openly serving in the military. The Obama administration in 2016 announced plans to reverse the ban in 2017. But Trump, in a series of tweets last July, announced he would bring it back, arguing that trans-related health care is expensive. (Research from the RAND Corporation indicates that it would make up “a 0.04- to 0.13-percent increase in active-component health care expenditures.”) So far, Trump’s ban has been stymied by the courts — and trans people are now allowed to openly enlist and serve.

• Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to replace the consistently anti-LGBTQ Antonin Scalia. Although Gorsuch had a vague record on LGBTQ rights when he was nominated, civil rights advocates argued that, based on some of his past writings on marriage equality and religious issues, he could be a big opponent for LGBTQ equality. In just a few months on the bench, Gorsuch has proven advocates right; for one, he dissented against a Supreme Court ruling that requires states to list same-sex parents on birth certificates.

• Nearly one-third of Trump’s judicial nominees have anti-LGBTQ records, according to Lambda Legal. These nominees, if accepted by the Senate, may rule on major LGBTQ issues over the next few years, from anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers to trans access to bathrooms.

• The Trump administration rescinded a nonbinding Obama-era guidance that told K-12 schools that receive federal funding that trans students are protected under federal civil rights law and, therefore, schools should respect trans students’ rights, including their right to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. The Trump administration took back the guidance altogether, arguing trans students aren’t protected under federal civil rights law.

• Trump’s Justice Department also rescinded another Obama-era memo that said trans workers are protected under civil rights law. This has enabled the federal government, including its army of attorneys, to now argue in court that anti-trans discrimination isn’t illegal under federal law. The courts are ultimately independent of the Trump administration, but the federal government can play a big role in legal arguments by throwing its people and resources behind a case.

• In a major Supreme Court case, Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Trump administration argued in court in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, a bakery that’s claiming First Amendment rights to discriminate against same-sex couples. The case could have potentially enormous repercussions — opening a big loophole in anti-discrimination laws, particularly those that protect LGBTQ people, by letting business owners cite religious or moral justifications to discriminate.

• Trump’s Justice Department argued that anti-gay discrimination is legal, filing a friend-of-the-court brief claiming that the federal Civil Rights Act doesn’t protect gay and bisexual workers. The lawsuit in this case was filed by Donald Zarda, a skydiving instructor who says an employer, Altitude Express, fired him due to his sexual orientation. The Justice Department in effect argued that this was legal under federal law.

• The Justice Department has similarly taken anti-LGBTQ steps in other cases across the country, including one about North Carolina’s anti-trans bathroom law and one about discrimination against trans people in health care. “We’ve gone from a position where LGBT people are protected to one where we’re not,” Esseks of the ACLU said.

• The Trump administration sent out a “religious liberty” guidance to federal agencies, essentially asking them to respect “religious-liberty protections” in all of the federal government’s work. It’s unclear what kind of impact the guidance will have, but LGBTQ organizations worry that it will be used to justify discrimination against LGBTQ people within the federal government and its work.

• The Department of Health and Human Services enacted a new regulation and created an agency, the Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom, that will purportedly work to ensure health care providers’ religious liberties aren’t violated. LGBTQ groups argue this agency will effectively give doctors, nurses, and other medical staff cover to discriminate against LGBTQ people, because providers will now get protection from the federal government if they cite religious or moral objections to refuse service to LGBTQ patients.

• Without explanation, Trump fired all the members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. “It’s outstanding,” Isaacs said. “HIV isn’t only in the LGBTQ community, but it largely is.”

• Trump failed to recognize LGBTQ Pride Month.

In addition, according to an article earlier this year in Politico, the Trump Administration's actions at the Department of Health and Human Services was a part of a larger move to dismantle LGBTQ health initiatives in general.

 The changes at the Department of Health and Human Services represent "rapid destruction of so much of the progress on LGBT health," said Kellan Baker, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health who worked with HHS on LGBT issues for nearly a decade. “It’s only a matter of time before all the gains made under the Obama administration are reversed under the Trump administration, for purposes that have nothing to do with public health and have everything to do with politics.”

Meanwhile, he has practically given the evangelical right the keys to the candy shop. Trump seems to work on the idea of "I'll do for you if you do for me," so he is giving conservative evangelicals all sorts of access because they voted for him in a large number. But that's not how our president should act. He should represent us all, not just a small cadre of entitled fake Christians willing to ignore their own-so-called integrity enough to close their eyes, pucker up, and kiss his ass.

And on that same note, I find it sad that the media hasn't made enough noise about this. We know why Fox News won't do it, but there has to be some members of the media out there will to tackle this issue and begin the conversation. The way Trump has betrayed the LGBTQ community thus far should be a metaphor as to how corrupt and vile his Administration is (and will be remember as such in history if I have anything to say about it.) By his broken promises, Trump is sending a message to the LGBTQ community that we don't matter in HIS America. We already know that the evangelical right doesn't think we matter in any version of America. But the media's ignoring of this issue pretty much says they also feel that we don't matter.

And that's the saddest realization of them all. 

'Holy gaslighting! GOP issues brief on Trump's LGBTQ 'achievements'' & other Fri midday news briefs

Trump is trying to gaslight LGBTQ people again.

Republican Party issues brief on Trump’s LGBTQ achievements. Seriously. - I refuse to even give these idiots points for nerve. This gaslighting is a major insult.

“Harry Potter” actors are lining up to denounce J.K. Rowling’s attacks on transgender people - Good. I am glad she is getting much deserved pushback.

21 Black Queer-Owned Brands And Designers To Support Right Now - Write them down and remember them. 

Gay Pride embraces its roots by teaming up with U.S. black activists - Damn right.

Coronavirus Camp Classic 6 - 'Mahogany'

To the African-American community, particularly gay black men, Mahogany (1974) is a classic. It may not be considered a camp classic by most, but I think it's a hoot.

Fresh off of her 1972 Oscar-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, Diana Ross again took center stage in this movie. Mahogany is the story of an aspiring fashion model/designer from the ghetto who reaches the pinnacle of international success only to discover how empty it is without the person she loves (Billy Dee Williams).

Where to start with this one? One place has to be the scene in which Williams scolds Ross for being too egotistical with her success with a line sappier than the one people remembered from Love Story:

 . . . success is nothing without someone you love to share it with.

Another place of note is the wild performance by the late Anthony Perkins as the fashion photographer who discovers Ross's character, gives her the name of 'Mahogany,' guides her career, and then attempts to destroy her spiritually - and physically - when he is unable to "pleasure her" in a highly awkward scene. An in-the-closet gay man who turns homicidal when he can't finish intercourse with a woman? Yeah. That's original.

'Beyonce empowers grads - including LGBTQ grads - with her speech' & other Thur midday news briefs

Beyoncé has empowering message for LGBTQ grads: 'Your queerness is beautiful' - Thank you!

Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars Are Going To Schools That Push Conversion Therapy - THIS is terrible! 

 LGBTQ athletes urge NCAA to nix events in Idaho over anti-trans sports law - Yes!

Waiting for SCOTUS: The Nerve-Wracking Monday LGBTQ Ritual - Yes it has been and it's a big one. This is going to probably be a major ruling on our rights either way.

Anti-LGBTQ hate group tries to defend Rowling's transphobia, gets its 'wig snatched'

As many of you may or may not be aware, 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling has been going at the transgender community via ignorant and awful tweets. An unfortunate side effect of this has been how members of the anti-LGBTQ industry have come to her defense by falsely portraying her as a victim.

Media Matters pointed out that it was pretty much a feeding frenzy of distortions and junk science about trans people. One group, the American College of Pediatricians, tried to be especially "cute:"

The American College of Pediatricians has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center due its repeated attempts to spread cherry-picked science and junk science about the LGBTQ people under the guise of  "science."

One attempt took place in 2011, when it attempted to pass lurid information to schools about LGBTQ people (Editor's note - I wrote the article which appeared in the Huffington Post about the situation).

Information such as the following:

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

That was something I felt the need to remind the group of:

Needless to say, the American College of Pediatricians did not appreciate my tweet. At all:

So touchy!  The American College of Pediatricians should remember not to stroll into a situation attempting to be "cute." It's the easiest way to get your "wig snatched."

'Gay rumors come back to haunt Lindsey Graham during tough re-election campaign' & other Wed midday news briefs

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Gay rumors come back to haunt Lindsey Graham during a tough re-election campaign - We are watching you Lindsey. If he does lose, his ties to Trump will be the thing which does him in.

Chicago Cop Being Investigated for Calling Protester an Antigay Slur - Oh look. On top of everything else . . .

Spying Before Stonewall: How the FBI Secretly Tracked Gay Activists in the 60s - How's this for a spooky bit of queer history? 

23 Black LGBTQ Actors Who Deserve More Airtime - YES!!

The Lincoln Project is dragging Donald Trump by his roots

When all of this madness is over, I suggest that the LGBTQ community take notes from the Lincoln Project when it comes to attacking. This organization - made up of Republicans who oppose Trump - have been dragging him hard for months with brutal ads like the ones below. I would love to hit the anti-LGBTQ industry like this.

'Biden campaign launches massive LGBTQ voter outreach program' & other Tue midday news briefs

Joe Biden

Biden campaign launches massive LGBTQ voter outreach program - Good. The LGBTQ community really needs to be engaged in this particular election. 

Pride 2020: How LGBTQ Pride Month went from movement to marketing - I say this is a good idea to a point. Others may disagree.

Thomas Roberts launches new program to share positive LGBTQ-oriented news - I love this idea. It's definitely needed. 

He Left Us Better Than He Found Us: Remembering Activist Ron Simmons - Amen.

A homophobe and grifter proves Mike Pence's concerns about racial injustice to be a joke

Harry Jackson (top pic) Candace Owens (bottom pic) prove that VP Mike Pence isn't interested in having an actual discussion on race relations.

After the firestorm following the murder of George Floyd two weeks ago, one would think that that White House would be taking serious steps to talk about racial injustice.

No chance. A true president would lead the country in a serious look at racial inequality. But we were cursed with Donald Trump. His VP, Mike Pence isn't any better. What he did by comparison nearly makes Trump's lack of leadership look inspiring. On Thursday, Pence hosted a roundtable about race relations with black conservatives - ie black Trump supporters -  and one person invited justifiably raised eyebrows.

According to the Daily Mail UK  - by way of Right Wing Watch:

Black conservative activist Candace Owens was included in Vice President Mike Pence's roundtable on race relations Thursday, despite being criticized for calling George Floyd a 'horrible human being.' Pence tweeted out that he had met with some black Americans, explaining that the group had disussed ' how we can move our Nation forward in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd and the protests and rioting that have ensued.'
 Pence did not tag Owens in the picture, but did tag three black conservatives: Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James, Center for Urban Renewal and Education founder Star Parker and Elroy Sailor, who previously served on the Trump transition team. A DailyMail.com request for comment and more details about the meeting went unreturned.

'Lindsey Graham's Queer Predicament' & other Mon midday news briefs

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham's Queer Predicament - There have been rumors about Graham for years. If they turn out to be true, I don't feel sorry for him or his privacy. Any closeted LGBTQ with any power who is using that power against their own people should be outed.

LGBTQ communities are elevating black voices during Pride Month in solidarity - It's about time.

J.K. Rowling Goes Full TERF in New Series of Transphobic Tweets - Siiiiigh! Simply awful.

Marque Snow could be the first LGBTQ person of color in the Nebraska Legislature - THIS would be awesome.

'The Bunker Boy' - Randy Rainbow's newest song parody pokes fun at Trump's bad week

Last week was probably the roughest time in Donald Trump's presidency. He deserved every bit of turmoil and disdain which crashed on his head. And who better could put it into easy-to-understand terms than song satirist Randy Rainbow in a simply brutal denunciation. Randy has been doing this to Trump during his entire presidency, but I really think that this one will make Trump respond.

'NBC honors 12 LGBTQ people getting us through COVID-19' & other Fri midday news briefs

PRIDE 2020: OUT ON THE FRONTLINE - NBC honors 12 present-day heroes of the LGBTQ community in the midst of pride during COVID-19

20 LGBTQ historical figures you should know - More LGBTQ heroes you should know.

Olympic medal-winning skater Guillaume Cizeron comes out as gay - Don't know who that is, but welcome to the gay mafia. 

Anti-LGBTQ Steve King loses GOP primary to anti-LGBTQ challenger - From one bleech to another but King was especially a bleech.

Coronavirus Camp Classic 5 - 'Death Becomes Her'

We need to keep our sanity during this madness with the coronavirus and other vestiges of the Trump Administration. Even in the midst of one of the biggest fights of our lives, there is nothing wrong with taking a little time out to replenish  your spirit. And laughter is a great way of doing it, which brings me to the latest Coronavirus Camp Classic - Death Becomes Her (1992)

Two hateful rivals (Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep - who is incredibly good at screwball comedy) competing over a plastic surgeon (Bruce Willis who plays totally against character and is excellent at it). Throw in the late Ingrid Bergman's daughter, Isabella Rossellini as a mysterious socialite pushing a potion of eternal youth and beauty and you have the makings of an instant gay comedy classic.

Even if you don't see the entire movie, the scenes above are more than enough to get you screaming.

'Trump Administration to SCOTUS: Let adoption agencies reject LGBTQ families and get tax dollars' & other Thur midday news briefs

If the Trump Administration gets its way, same-sex families will be undermined.

Trump admin to Supreme Court: Let adoption agencies reject LGBTQ families - Voting matters, people. Either way, they will not get away with this nonsense.

Police warn of homophobic 4chan cyber attack on LGBT+ Pride month celebrations - You have been warned just in case something happens.

Inside Operation Pridefall: 4chan's Attempt to Bring Down Pride 2020 - More about the situation.

Minneapolis police union chief blames trans people for city’s budget woes - Yeah. It was the trans community which led the city to hire bad cops. That's it. Sure.

Pat Hackett Could Become Indiana's First Out Member of Congress - Sweeet!

Franklin Graham deliberately ignores attack on protesters while praising Trump's Bible photo op

People have said no matter how low Trump goes, he never hits bottom. There is always level he is willing to stoop. That characteristic obviously goes for the evangelicals who defend him.

Rev. Franklin Graham has come out with a statement about Monday's event in which unarmed protesters and priests were tear-gassed so that Trump could have his picture taken holding up a Bible in front of a church. And it leaves me confused as to whether or not Graham is getting senile or he decided to outright lie.

I was asked if I was offended by the President walking out of the White House, which is his back yard, and walking over to St. John’s Church. Offended? Not at all. This made an important statement that what took place the night before in the burning, looting, and vandalism of the nation’s capital — including this historic house of worship — mattered, and that the lawlessness had to end. 

And I’m not offended that he held up the Bible — as a matter of fact, I was encouraged! I appreciate it. I believe that God’s Word is the only hope for each individual and for our nation. The problem we are facing in this country is a spiritual and moral problem. New laws and more government give-away programs are not the answer. It’s a heart problem, and only God can change the human heart. 

I’m disappointed that some of the President’s harshest critics about going to the church were clergy. They have publicly (to the media) criticized the President for walking to the church and for holding up the Bible. That’s unbelievable. They should be thanking him rather than criticizing him! They are nitpicking his gesture, also saying he should have prayed while he was there. So critical. Well, maybe they should invite him back and pray for him as he leads this country through a very difficult time in our history.

Oh my God? What the hell was that? Graham doesn't simply defend Trump. He totally gaslights his readers about the incident. The entire article is a master class in deception even down to the picture accompanying it, which does not show Trump holding up the Bible (probably because he held it upside down)

'Trump won't issue Pride proclamation, but wants you to buy his LGBTQ MAGA t-shirts' & other Wed midday news briefs

President Trump misses Pride Month for third time - And we are surprised because . . .

Trump refused to issue a Pride proclamation. He’s selling Pride campaign t-shirts instead. - He does this because he thinks he can get away with it.

Cuban LGBTQ activists and media correspondents harassed with death threats - The struggle is real and it's worldwide. 

 How to Support Black LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health - Amen.

MLK's niece among Trump supporting evangelicals silent after tear-gassing of unarmed protesters

Evangelicals supporting Donald Trump, including MLK's niece, Alveda King (on the far left), have yet to fully comment on Monday's events in DC where unarmed protesters and priests were tear-gassed so that Trump could have a photo-op with a Bible.

A day after yesterday's DC event in which unarmed protesters and priests - were exposed to tear gas to make way for a photo op of Donald Trump holding a Bible, his evangelical supporters remain conveniently silent.

Of course they never seem to be silent or inconspicuous whenever there are cameras around as they make sure to be seen in prayer with Trump.

And they certainly love making public pronouncements of how Trump is a savior of and an ally for Christianity - at least the version they embrace:

But for now, they have either sidestepped or made themselves scarce in the wake of Monday's unbelievably shameful events. They didn't even say a word about Trump holding the Bible upside down. Their silence tells lot more than anything they would have said. Some people have told me it's because they like what he's doing for them in pushing their agenda. I think it's more than that. I  think that evangelicals also fear Trump. They know that he's a unrestrained, petulant jackass - they've known it from the beginning - and are afraid that getting him angry will get them cut off from access and power. And they are probably right.

'Support for same-sex marriage in America at a record high - even among Republicans' & other Tue midday news briefs

Sorry Mike Pence, but support for same-sex marriage in the US is at a record high – even among Republicans - Good news definitely needed at a time like this.

Human Rights Campaign Alphonso David on MSNBC: “Pride Month has its roots in the struggle in protest” - Preach!!

Black, gay journalist Keith Boykin arrested covering George Floyd protests - Case in point. 

Amid Protests, LGBTQ Activists Seek To Return Pride To Its Radical Roots - This promises to be interesting.

Trump had protesters tear-gassed so he could use the Bible as a prop. What say you, evangelicals?

Remember these photos because they are important. They are the personification of how right-wing evangelical leaders have publicly debased themselves for Trump.

On Monday afternoon, Trump finally addressed the nation after the protests and riots which followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minnesota police. Did Trump console the nation? Did he offer words of comfort and leadership which are sorely needed after we've seen yet another example of black men becoming moving targets?

Of course not. This is Donald Trump. What he did was posture in the Rose Garden about "dominance" and "law and order"  and threaten to deploy troops in cities across the nation. He did this, mind you, as police fired tear gas  at unarmed protesters outside the White House.

'Same-sex marriages have contributed $3.8 billion to the US economy' & other Mon midday news briefs

Same-sex marriages have contributed $3.8 billion to the US economy - You'd better believe it!

LGBTQ groups call to bring into movement anti-racism, end to white supremacy - Racism is an LGBTQ issue. Especially within the community.

Lou Sheldon was an evil, homophobic SOB and I hated his guts - A very personal blog post from me about an awful bigot who recently passed away. I posted it Saturday but would appreciate more people reading and sharing it. 

Pride Month moves online - NOTHING stops Pride.

Lou Sheldon was an evil, homophobic SOB and I hated his guts

Lou Sheldon

I got word earlier today that one of the enemies of our equality, Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, passed away.

From the New Civil Rights Movement:

Reverend Lou Sheldon, founder of the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), a conservative Christian anti-LGBTQ hate group that lasted from 1984 to 2018, died this week at age 85. Good riddance. His cause of death hasn’t been revealed. Sheldon served as the California executive director of Anita Bryant’s 1977 Save Our Children (SOC) campaign, the first-known anti-gay political organization. SOC successfully opposed municipal ordinances protecting gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens from discrimination in cities across America.  

The SOC did this largely by painting gay people as godless sluts who wanted to cross-dress and rape children. The group’s public face, singer Anita Bryant, compared LGB people as prostitutes, thieves, murderers, and child molesters.

Lou Sheldon was an evil homophobic son of a bitch. His rhetoric mutilated our minds while  encouraging others to mutilate our bodies. With him, there was no nonsense about wanting to save our souls or loving the sinner while hating the sin. Lou Sheldon HATED LGBTQ people. And he made it his life's work to disrupt our lives and cause us as much turmoil as he possibly could.

From the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2010:

In 1985, Sheldon suggested forcing AIDS victims into “cities of refuge.” In 1992, columnist Jimmy Breslin said that Sheldon told him that “homosexuals are dangerous. They proselytize. They come to the door, and if your son answers and nobody is there to stop it, they grab the son and run off with him. They steal him. They take him away and turn him into a homosexual.” 

 Sheldon later denied that he made the comments, but his website today includes strikingly similar language: “[S]ince homosexuals can’t reproduce, they will simply go after your children for seduction and conversion to homosexuality.” Elsewhere, it claims that “[t]he effort to push adult/child sex … is part of the overall homosexual movement.” The TVC also asserts that “it is evident that homosexuals molest children at a far greater rate than do their heterosexual counterparts” — a falsehood based on conflating male-male molestation with homosexuality. Gays, it says, molest children at “epidemic rates,” adding: “As homosexuals continue to make inroads into public schools, more children will be molested and indoctrinated into the world of homosexuality. Many of them will die in that world.” With regard to LGBT teen suicides, TVC, under the headline “Homosexual Urban Legends,” claims that “[t]he cold, hard fact is that teens who are struggling with homosexual feelings are more likely to be sexually molested by a homosexual school counselor or teacher than to commit suicide over their feelings of despair.”

'Betsy DeVos's Education Dept threatens funding for pro-trans schools' & other Fri midday news briefs

Betsy Devos's Education Dept. Threatens Funding for Pro-Trans Schools - I beg your pardon. What kind of messed up junk is DeVos pushing?

Rep Eric Swalwell shreds gay Trump administration official Richard Grenell on Twitter - Yes! Twitter-drag that fool!

Black Trans Man Murdered By Tallahassee Police, Conflicting Reports On If He Was Armed - We are seriously in the middle of the screwed up time in American history.

IKEA manager in Poland charged for firing worker over anti-gay comments - The future of so-called 'religious liberty' in this country if we aren't careful.

Trump supporter Scott Baio calls out Wanda Sykes over defense of Biden. Discovers he can't handle the smoke

Wanda Sykes.

Far be it from me to cover a celebrity feud on this blog, but this one is choice. It involves a certain Trump supporter who tried to call out an incredibly talented black queen. And got more smoke than he could handle.

Last week, Joe Biden made an absolutely stupid comment on a radio show about black people voting for either him or Donald Trump. The blowback was vicious and understandable. He apologized for what seemed like a stupid attempt to make a joke. However, Trump supporters, desperate for any advantage to combat the Orange Menace's crashing poll numbers, got on Twitter decrying Biden. The vast majority recognized the cries of outrage as pathetic and hypocritical. However, one Trump supporter thought he would go the extra mile.

Scott Baio, famous for portray Chachi in 'Happy Days' a long time ago, decided to go after openly gay comedian Wanda Sykes after she defended Biden:

Baio was referring to the incident in 2018 which saw comedian Roseanne getting fired from her own show after making racist comments about former White House aide Valerie Jarrett. Sykes apparently didn't see Baio's comment until days later. But when she did,  one can easily say she got the final word:

I don't think that Baio commented back. I'd say he was too busy picking his face up off the floor and attempting to glue together the cracked pieces.

'Tributes pour in honoring Larry Kramer and his legacy' & other Thurs midday news briefs

Larry Kramer

Whether or not you liked him or disliked him, you simply have to give Larry Kramer his props. LGBTQ people - and the world in general - are in a much better place because of him.

Celebrities mourn Larry Kramer: His ‘rage helped lift us out of invisibility’

Hollywood & Broadway Remember Larry Kramer: Says Elton John, “We Have Lost A Giant Of A Man”

Leaders in Health, HIV, LGBTQ+ Rights React to Larry Kramer's Death 

In other news:

Someone keeps destroying a beach town’s rainbow crosswalk so the city keeps repainting it - We can hold out just as long as the vandal.

Study: Seeing LGBTQ+ People in Ads, Media Makes Viewers More Accepting - This is the very thing which scares the anti-LGBTQ industry.

Texas lawmakers to push LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill next session - This promises to be interesting.

100,000 reasons why Donald Trump completely owns the most failed presidency in American history

The response to the coronavirus pandemic was probably Donald Trump's first true test as president. After spending the majority of his term taking credit for Obama's work and dodging -with help - the repercussions of his own behavior,  Trump had an opportunity to prove right the folks who voted him in office. And he failed miserably. As the video above shows, his awful stewardship is the reason why the United States presently leads the world in confirmed coronavirus deaths with over 100,000. I know I sound like a broken record here but it's important to repeat these facts. There are entities out there who are doing their level best to absolve Trump from all responsibility for the state we are presently in.

'Pandemic devastating to Black LGBTQ community' & other Wed midday news briefs

'In Survival Mode': The Pandemic Is Devastating the Black LGBTQ Community - Multiple indicators are suggesting that LGBTQ people of color - like me - are catching hell because of the coronavirus pandemic.

5 Tips for Warding Off Depression During Quarantine - Y'all, we all need these tips.

Costa Rica becomes first Central America country with marriage equality - Just in case you didn't hear.

First lesbian couple to get married in Costa Rica had their wedding broadcast live on television - I LOVE this!

Marie Cau is The First Trans Mayor Ever Elected in France - Progress is wonderful.

Family Research Council spins another lie that gays are trying to bully people of faith

Just when we thought hate group the Family Research Council was spending too much time milking its new cash cow of fundraising on the persecution card - the notion that lockdown policies designed to shield us from coronavirus infection is actually a plan to silence the church - it goes right back to the classic lie of "gays are trying to bully Christians." And apparently "big business" is in on the plot as seen by the graphic above from FRC's webpage

I will spare you the link, but it's just so upsetting to me. All of this "fun" stuff that gays are attempting to do to people faith (omitting the fact that we are also people of faith) and I have never gotten one memo from National Headquarters.

How can I be a decent "radical homosexual leftist radical" if I'm not getting the memos?

'19 celebrities who have come out since last year's Pride' & other Tue midday news briefs

LGBTQ Hollywood 2020: 19 Stars Who Have Come Out Since Last Year’s Pride - Yes this is still needed. When I was young, it was an unheard of thing to do. And I still get goosebumps of joy when a celebrity comes out.  Any message saying to be open and unashamed is a good message, particularly to our kids.

Chechen leader responsible for “gay purge” rushed to Moscow hospital for coronavirus - I ain't saying a word.

That time a proud mom placed a newspaper ad announcing her teen son had come out as gay - Looking back at a 2016 incident which still rules!

Disney's New Animated Short Film Features Man Coming Out to His Family - THIS happened over the holiday weekend. And it's still slamming!

Video - Can LGBTQ Americans afford four more years of Donald Trump? H@ll No!

As hard as it is to believe, there are some people out there who think that the LGBTQ community should support Donald Trump in the upcoming election. And some of these folks include LGBTQ people. I know this because I know a few LGBTQ Trump supporters. I honestly can't tell you why they are acting against their own self-interests. I can only say that watching the video above puts things in perspective in terms of what they are deceiving themselves about. And for that matter, it should serve as a reminder to all LGBTQ people that this isn't something to be nonchalant about. Trump declared a silent war on us four years ago. And we cannot afford another four years of his stealthy war on our rights, families, and safety.

'Queer Chechens share terrifying stories of abuse, torture in new documentary' & other Fri midday news briefs

Queer Chechens Share Terrifying Accounts Of Abuse, Torture In New HBO Documentary - A sad but necessary documentary. 

An Innovative Neighborhood In Durham For LGBTQ Seniors Welcomes New Residents - Wonderful idea.

Arkansas LGBTQ shelter closes abruptly, leaving former residents struggling - Not everything is good news. Some of our folks are being left behind.

Over half of LGBTQ Europeans are not out about their identities, report finds - Wow!