The Slate publishes a blow by blow account of how Donald Trump killed thousands of Americans

William Saletan of The Slate points out how Donald Trump made the coronavirus pandemic worse for the country.

Thank you, William Saletan and the Slate magazine for saying the thing about this coronavirus pandemic which needed to be said in the manner that cuts through the bull.

In meticulously thorough article, The Trump Pandemic, Saletan points out how Donald Trump knew the pandemic was coming, refused to get the country prepared for it, and then interfered with the fight against it every step of the way. It's a sad story of negligence which I wish more in the media would have the guts to tell instead of dancing around the subject. 

When you have some time, this article is required reading :

The story the president now tells—that he “built the greatest economy in history,” that China blindsided him by unleashing the virus, and that Trump saved millions of lives by mobilizing America to defeat it—is a lie. Trump collaborated with Xi, concealed the threat, impeded the U.S. government’s response, silenced those who sought to warn the public, and pushed states to take risks that escalated the tragedy. He’s personally responsible for tens of thousands of deaths.  

 This isn’t speculation. All the evidence is in the public record. But the truth, unlike Trump’s false narrative, is scattered in different places. It’s in emails, leaks, interviews, hearings, scientific reports, and the president’s stray remarks. This article puts those fragments together. It documents Trump’s interference or negligence in every stage of the government’s failure: preparation, mobilization, public communication, testing, mitigation, and reopening.

The article contains so many instances of ineptitude and deliberate undermining by Trump that it's almost impossible for me to choose just one excerpt which epitomizes just how badly he bungled this situation.

'New York county agrees to 'landmark' transgender jail reforms' & other Fri midday news briefs

New York county agrees to 'landmark' transgender jail reforms - Damn right.

Lawmakers dress in rainbow colors in silent protest at Polish president’s inauguration - Good for them. Brave folks.

LGBTQ+ People Flee Poland as Homophobic President Is Sworn In - Speaking of Poland . . . sigh . . .

Love, Loss And Drag: How COVID-19 Has Radically Changed These 3 Queens’ Lives - Fascinating personal views.

Mike Pence upset that Justice John Roberts isn't trying to be a completely biased right-wing judge

VP and hypocrite Mike Pence

What can you do when you and your party devote a considerable amount of time, effort, and money to put people the Supreme Court who will rule the way you want just to have your plans go up in smoke because one of your designated picks refuses to play ball?

If you're VP Mike Pence, you have a biased interview with a religious right hack to complain about it.

From Politico:

Vice President Mike Pence described Chief Justice John Roberts as a “disappointment” to conservative voters, explicitly seeking to cast the Supreme Court as a campaign issue ahead of the November election. 

“Look, we have great respect for the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States,” Pence told the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody on Wednesday. “But Chief Justice John Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives — whether it be the Obamacare decision, or whether it be a spate of recent decisions all the way through Calvary Chapel.” 

The vice president’s criticism of the chief justice’s jurisprudence comes after Roberts sided with the high court’s Democratic appointees on several occasions in recent months, dealing the Trump administration defeats on issues including LGBT workplace discrimination, immigration and abortion. 

According to USA Today:

 The vice president pointed to Roberts' 2012 vote upholding the Affordable Care Act and "a spate of recent decisions," including the Calvary Chapel case last month, a 5-4 ruling that went against a church seeking exemptions from Nevada's coronavirus restrictions. 

Those other decisions, by way of CNN, included:

.  . . the Supreme Court's decision in June to strike down a controversial Louisiana abortion law that critics said would have closed nearly every clinic in the state. Roberts delivered a fifth vote to the liberals -- the first time the chief justice had voted against an abortion restriction.

. . . Roberts also sided with an opinion that extended anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ workers and upheld the program allowing undocumented immigrants who came into the US as children to remain.

This post is not to crown Roberts a bastion of liberalism on the bench. He has made some rulings which I don't agree with, such as a dismal ruling on the Voting Rights Act.

 The point is it should bother more people that Pence expected a SCOTUS judge to be biased and is loudly expressing his disappointment that said judge isn't biased. Aren't justices supposed to be impartial?   Even before Trump came on the scene, Pence has more than once demonstrated himself to be an overzealous religious hypocrite.

I guess now that Trump is in office, he's trying to go all extra.

'LGBTQ candidates win primaries in several states' & other Thur midday news briefs

Out Candidates Advance in Washington, Kansas, and Michigan Primaries - Ah yes, this is nice right here.

Former D.C. politico wins primary in bid to be Michigan’s first out gay congressman - More on one. This would be very nice.

Black LGBTQ Americans Face Disproportionate Economic Hit From COVID-19, Study Finds - Yep. We got PROBLEMS.

The Supreme Court ruled on a landmark LGBTQ rights case. The DOJ has yet to enforce it. - GET the show on the road, people.

Fired Trump appointee's claim of anti-Christian persecution blows up in a cloud of humiliating smoke

Former Trump appointee Merritt Corrigan is having a bad week.

How many of you saw the conclusion of this story coming miles away?

Merritt Corrigan is a former Trump appointee who was fired this week from the U.S. Agency for International Development after it was discovered that she tweeted a bunch of inappropriate comments about LGBTQ people, women, refugees. At the time of her dismissal, Corrigan claimed that she was being persecuted because of her Christianity. She also said she would be holding a press conference on Thursday to expose "anti-Christian" bigotry.

As of now, that press conference is not going to happen. According to Raw Story:

Merritt Corrigan, the former deputy White House liaison to United States Agency for International Development who was fired this week for posting inflammatory anti-LGBT tweets, now says she was the victim of a scam by notoriously inept right-wing operative Jacob Wohl. 

 The Daily Beast’s Will Sommer reports that Corrigan is now claiming that Wohl and his associate Jack Burkman seized control of her phone and sent out tweets that attacked USAID for promoting LGBT rights abroad and that leveled baseless allegations of soliciting prostitutes against Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), who is the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Affairs Committee.

Sommer's article said:

Corrigan, who is/was apparently dating Wohl, announced that she’d be appearing Thursday in front of Wohl associate Jack Burkman’s Northern Virginia house—a site that has previously hosted farcical attempts to smear Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) with lurid sexual allegations. There, she would further denounce USAID, accuse a Politico reporter who covered her resignation of stalking her, and demand that Engel debate her and Burkman. In a press release announcing the press conference, Burkman and Wohl claimed that Wohl, who is currently facing two felony charges related to security sales in California, had “been working behind the scenes with Corrigan for months.”

Sommer said that on Tuesday afternoon, Corrigan deleted tweets whining about anti-Christian discrimination, while Wohl and Burkman claimed she was talked into backtracking.

'Trans people are terrified about Trump Administration's New Housing Rule' & other Tue midday news briefs

Trans People Are Terrified About the Trump Administration’s New Housing Rule - More disasters from Trump.

Democratic Platform Promises Bold Action for Racial, LGBTQ+ Equality - NOW get them elected.

'Proud parents' Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union praise daughter Zaya at GLAAD Awards - Good for them!

Activists Got A Chicago Children’s Hospital To End Intersex Surgeries. For Them, It's Just The Beginning. - A victory in the right direction.

Trump reveals his inability to handle the COVID-19 pandemic during 'trainwreck disaster' interview

This frazzled look by Trump was a common occurrence during a recent interview with Axios's Jonathan Swan. The interview has rightfully been called a major disaster for Trump.

The scuttlebutt right now is a disastrous interview that Trump had with Axios's Jonathan Swan which was released on Monday. I don't know who told Trump it would be a good idea, but whoever it was is obviously attempting to bring down his presidency from the inside.

As if Trump needed help with that.

The fall out has been extensive and pretty much negative, with Trump getting blasted for his poor showing and interviewer Swan getting praised for his unrelenting style and questioning. The interview was so bad that Fox News is ignoring it, while the rest of the right-wing propaganda media - which generally praises everything Trump does - is struggling to defend him.

The best way I can describe the interview is a smorgasbord of tasty soundbites for anti-Trump political ads. It's almost difficult to say where Trump stumbled the most, from the claim that he did more for African-Americans than anyone else to his griping that recently deceased civil rights legend John Lewis didn't attend his inauguration.

But without question, the following comment he made when it comes to his poor handling of  the coronavirus pandemic will probably be the thing which will haunt him. And as you can see below, the Biden campaign got the same impression as I did:

Thousands of Americans are dying every week. The President's response?

"It is what it is." pic.twitter.com/GT59hr14kb

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 4, 2020

That's a huge schadenfreude enabler for those who remember how Trump and his allies exploited Hillary Clinton's  "deplorables" comment from the 2016 election.

Even though I still say that it's too early to count Trump out, I will also say that his re-election campaign is starting to resemble a slow moving three-hour long 1970s disaster movie with so many cast members,  that you just know there will be a new calamity almost every minute and a body count to rival that of Cecil B. DeMille's.

'Murder of trans people in U.S. could hit record high in 2020' & other Tue midday news briefs

Murders Of Transgender People In U.S. Could Hit Record High In 2020 - This is depressing. Be careful, brothers and sisters.

'LGBTrump' activist arrested twice for defacing Black Lives Matter mural - Give me a break, you moron.

Polish 'LGBT-Free' Cities See Funding Cut by European Union - Ha ha. No money for you.

Martina Navratilova Supports Idaho's Ban on Trans Female Athletes - An absolutely STUPID move on her part. Lesbians teaming up with hate groups and bigoted legislation because they fear trans rights are merely digging two graves. If her new "allies" put trans rights in one grave, just who does Martina think will be going in the next?

Former Trump appointee has deliciously homophobic Twitter meltdown on same day she was fired

Merritt Corrigan, the former Trump appointee too homophobic for even HIS administration.

This is delicious.

In June, I wrote about Trump appointee Merritt Corrigan. At the time, she was the deputy White House liaison for the U.S. Agency for International Development who got into trouble because of a bunch of nasty tweets she put out in the past directed towards LGBTQ people, women and refugees. Please bear in mind the past tense tone of my statement. As of today, Corrigan is no longer the deputy White House liaision for US Agency for International Development.

She was fired. And boy is she pissed.

From CNBC:

Merritt Corrigan, a deputy White House liaison for the U.S. Agency for International Development, was fired Monday, on the same day she ranted about LGBTQ issues on Twitter, according to two former Trump Administration officials who spoke to NBC News. Corrigan, who had held her post for just months, wrote on Twitter that she had been targeted for her “Christian beliefs.” 

“Ms. Merritt Corrigan is no longer an employee at the USAID,” the agency’s acting spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala said in a statement to NBC News. ″USAID takes any claim of discrimination seriously, and we will investigate any complaints of anti-Christian bias Ms. Corrigan has raised during her tenure at the Agency,” said Jhunjhunwala. Corrigan, an appointee of the Trump administration, joined the nation’s international development arm several months ago. 

She had written on Twitter on Monday, before her termination was announced, “For too long, I’ve remained silent as the media has attacked me for my Christian beliefs, which are shared by the majority of Americans. Let me [be] clear: Gay marriage isn’t marriage. Men aren’t women. US-funded Tunisian LGBT soap operas aren’t America First.”

My guess is that Corrigan was told that she would be let go beforehand, hence her Twitter hissy fit.

'North Dakota GOP's platform is so homophobic, no one wants to say who wrote it' & other Mon midday news briefs

North Dakota GOP’s Platform Is So Anti-LGBTQ Nobody Will Say Who Wrote It - What a bunch of cowards. If you write it and put it out there, you should "own" it.

Grocery store’s sign about COVID masks says LGBTQ people “spreads deadly diseases” - I guess someone wants to go out of business.

10 must-read LGBTQ stories from July - Just in case you missed them.

El Salvador police officers sentenced to 20 years for killing trans woman - Justice is served. At least partly. She should have never been deported in the first place.

Here Are All the Winners From the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards - Last, but not least, congratulations to all of the 2020 GLAAD Media Award recipients, particularly my friend Mark S. King. His blog, 'My Fabulous Disease' won the award for 'Outstanding Blog' This was his fifth nomination. 

Audio - Nixon did NOT like LGBTQ people

Nixon

How's this for a history lesson?

Before Trump sauntered his repulsive self into the White House, Richard Nixon was probably considered by many to be the worst president in American history. Though some would argue that he did some good things while in office, the Watergate scandal which mushroomed and caused him to resign before he would have most likely been kicked out of office, is the thing he's most remembered for.

And that takes away from things like the following audio of him bashing the television show 'All in the Family' and gay men in general. Nixon espouses the same nonsense that the majority of us have heard about we being the downfall of society. The irony is that, well this is Nixon whining about immorality. Nixon!

Still, it is absolutely jarring to hear the President of the United States slurring gays, particularly in contrast to the progress our community has made since then.

Homophobia lurks in Doctor Demon Semen's 'America's Frontline Doctors' group

America's Frontline Doctors , the group featuring Stella 'Doctor Demon Semen' Immanuel (center in the photo) has a love of  homophobia to go along with its taste for fraudulent information.

People are still talking about the press conference Monday featuring a group of physicians and the right-wing network which helped them push a load of false information to the American public.

Because of the outrageous background of a member,  Stella "Doctor Demon Semen" Immanuel, took up a large part of the attention, certain facts about the group, which calls itself  "America's Frontline Doctors," haven't been focused on as much as they should've.

For example, the group reeks of homophobia.

Immanuel herself is a veritable sepia Anita Bryant when it comes to the LGBTQ community.


According to Media Matters:

Immanuel has a history of anti-LGBTQ remarks, including claiming that homosexuality is the “agenda of the Devil” and is “perverted, vile behavior that is being taught to our children.”

Media Matters references journalist Will Sommer of The Daily Beast for the following:

“Immanuel has also used her pulpit to preach hatred of LGBT people. Shortly before before the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, Immanuel warned her flock that gay marriage meant that ‘very soon people are going to be seeking to marry children’ and accused gay Americans of practicing ‘homosexual terrorism.’ In the same sermon, she praised a father’s decision to not love his transgender son after a gender transition.” . . .In her 2012 book Jesus Help The Church Has Been Caged, Immanuel told readers, “We are now teaching tolerance to something as vile as homosexuality – even to our grade-school children. This demon has been released to infect our generation.”

Lastly, Media Matters also points out that Immanuel, who is also a pastor,  is the head of an organization called Fire Power Ministries. This organization is extremely homophobic even to the point of having  a "deliverance prayer against homosexuality and sexual perversion" on its web page

Immanuel apparently isn't the only one in the group to have anti-LGBTQ beliefs.

The site Gizmodo put a spotlight on Immanuel as well as the other physicians involved in America's Frontline Doctors.  The "credentials" and biases of the members are as bad as you would think.

One in particular is Robert Hamilton, a pediatrician from Santa Monica, CA. According to Gizmodo, he wrote the following letter to the Los Angeles Times in 1993:

The schizophrenia in the gay movement was clearly demonstrated by this article. Homosexuals want to come out of the closet, but yet they seem to strangely not want people to really see what they do in the closet. Homosexuals stage gay pride parades in major cities to demonstrate and celebrate their lifestyle, yet they cringe at any serious evaluation of these events. The fact remains most Americans are completely unaware of the essence of the homosexual world. When they see homosexual behavior in the raw, most are repulsed.  

ROBERT C. HAMILTON MD  

Santa Monica

That would explain why groups like the Family Research Council and the American Family Association are so eager to support Immanuel and the rest of this group. They all seem to share a love of conspiracy theories and a spooky fascination for LGBTQ sex.


Related post - The website SNOPES has a very thorough article on America's Frontline Doctors and the organizations behind it.

'LGBTQ Pride flag burning not a hate crime in SD' & other Thur midday news briefs

LGBTQ Pride flag burning not a hate crime in SD - Well that sucks. 

These Are the Trans People Lost to Violence in 2020 - We have to do better to protect our own.

Horrific Sexual Abuse of Gay and Bi Men, Trans Women Reported in Syria- The struggle is real, y'all.

Dems vow to protect trans health, push Equality Act in 2020 platform - More reasons to vote for Democratic come November.

Conservative evangelical groups line up behind Trump to defend 'Doctor Demon Semen'

Donald Trump defends this woman, so conservative evangelical groups are also defending her.

Eager to play the central role in what's becoming a political version of the German legend of Faust (a philosopher who sells his soul to the devil), conservative evangelicals groups have given a bit more of their soul to Donald Trump in return for political power.  In all honesty, these groups never had that much of a soul, if any to begin with, but I think they've given so much of what they do have to Trump that they're down to soul "stamps." This latest spiritual capitulation involve an incident on Monday. I think you know what I'm talking about, but I will give a short recap:

The far right publication Breitbart streamed a press conference involving individuals claiming to be medical professionals who proceeded to push insane conspiracies about COVID-19 cures.

According to NBC News:

A dozen doctors delivered speeches in front of the U.S. Capitol on Monday to a small crowd, claiming without evidence that the coronavirus could be cured and that widely accepted efforts to slow its spread were unnecessary and dangerous. It was the latest video to go viral from apparent experts, quietly backed by dark money political organizations, evangelizing treatments for or opinions about the coronavirus that most doctors, public health officials and epidemiologists have roundly decried as dangerous misinformation. 

 . . . Dressed in white coats with "America's Frontline Doctors" stitched on the chest, the stars of the Facebook video claimed that business and school closings, social distancing and even masks were not needed, because hydroxychloroquine, a drug commonly used to treat malaria, could both prevent and cure the coronavirus. In fact, the FDA has warned against using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, citing serious health effects and the conclusions from randomized clinical trials that have shown little benefit from the treatment. "We don't need masks. There is a cure!" said Dr. Stella Immanuel, a licensed pediatrician from Houston.  

In one of the event's most fiery speeches, Immanuel, who claims to have effectively treated 350 COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine out of her medical clinic, but declined to provide data, referred to doctors who declined to treat patients with hydroxychloroquine as "good Nazis" and "fake doctors," and called published research "fake science."

'LGBTQ people clean up at Emmy nominations except for two huge snubs' & other Wed midday news briefs

Pose’s Groundbreaking Trans Cast Members Snubbed by Emmys for Second Year - Billy Porter - last year's Emmy winner - received another nomination but other members of the cast did not. AND the series didn't get the nomination for 'Best Dramatic Series.'

LGBTQ Shows and Characters Pick Up Emmy Nominations - Other than that rather HUGE omission, the LGBTQ community didn't do bad with Emmy nominations.

Local media keep misidentifying trans murder victims, and the police are often to blame - Yes they are. 

Coronavirus kills hospital ICU chief who 'selflessly' cared for patients during pandemic - Hoax, my foot. One of our own just sacrificed his life caring for folks with COVID-19.

The Family Research Council sets aside time to scare people about gays, sex, and children

Aside from attempting to run defense for Donald Trump (via attacking Black Lives Matters and defending his pushing federal agents on cities who clearly didn't asking for them), the Family Research Council devoted a little time to what it's known for:

Scaring people about gays, children, and sex (click on picture to make it larger):

I will wager that FRC is attacking how schools are acknowledging the existence of same-sex parents and gay families raising children. It's not enough that the hate group refuses to acknowledge this fact. Via fear tactics and inferences made to dehumanize same-sex families and parents into objects of sexual behavior, the group seeks to force the rest of us to play it's ugly game of erasure.

Attacks on our lives and families, though less successful than it would have been a few years ago, are still nonetheless vile. And should always be remembered and brought up every time FRC plays the martyr while pushing its false idea of "religious liberty."

'Study says puberty blockers lower suicide risk for trans people' & other Tue midday news briefs

Puberty blockers linked to lower suicide risk for transgender people - Horror stories about puberty blockers shot all to pieces:

Transgender individuals who received puberty blockers during adolescence have a lower risk of suicidal thoughts as adults than those who wanted the medication but could not access them, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Pediatrics. “These results align with past literature, suggesting that pubertal suppression for transgender adolescents who want this treatment is associated with favorable mental health outcomes,” the study states. The finding suggests that a major — and politically controversial — aspect of transgender health care for minors could help reduce the trans community’s disproportionate risk of suicide.

Here’s why ageism takes an especially heavy toll on LGBTQ seniors - A conversation the community needs to have. 

Nigerian man opens 1st NYC shelter for asylum seekers - Way to take the lead in solving a problem!

23 Anti-LGBTQ Moments From TV Shows That I Genuinely Can't Believe Got Aired - This list is very fascinating. It reminds of when I used to spotlight anti-LGBTQ moments from past television shows and movies. It also calls out some stuff I never considered when watching some of the episodes listed.

John Lewis was one of the truest allies LGBTQ people ever had

John Lewis was not only one of the greatest Americans who ever lived, he was one of the truest allies ever LGBTQ people had. While he lies in state, I wanted to post a video of him speaking on behalf of our rights. And I didn't just find one. I found many videos encompassing many years of this man standing up for us - especially on the floors of Congress, encouraging us to speak for ourselves, and always reminding us that we are worthy of dignity.

Let's never forget him nor his words of encouragement and power.

'Family of gay officer who died of COVID-19 denied insurance benefits' & other Mon midday news briefs

Family of gay officer who died of COVID-19 denied insurance benefits - Even though the reason right now doesn't sound like homophobia, it's still some shady stuff that insurance agencies are stereotyped to do to keep from paying out claims.

Washington state may elect a progressive bisexual woman to Congress in November - That would be nice. More of us in Congress is always a good idea.

Incidents prompt outrage among rural central Pa’s LGBTQ community, advocates - We have a problem in Penn. 

Anti-LGBTQ+ Professor Found Dead at North Carolina Home - AWFUL man. I won't celebrate his death but he was an awful man.

In remembrance of the 150,000 Americans killed by Trump's incompetence

By the time you read this, 150,000 Americans will have already died from the COVID-19 pandemic. As the video above from last week shows, it didn't have to be this way.

The coronavirus pandemic should be the single most important issue of the 2020 election. Not only because there is no end in sight right now, but because it also underscores the failure of the Trump presidency. For three years, he was coasting on the successes of the Obama administration, bragging about the low unemployment rate, particularly in the black community, when it actually began under Obama. He bragged about the good economy, even though that also began under Obama. He even took credit for stuff which was passed under Obama.

And the mental drug pushers on Fox News, evangelical power hungry fools like Franklin Graham, and low-budget wannabe entrepreneurs wishing to copy his skill in making a fast buck mixed all of his lies together to create buckets of propaganda which Trump sprinkled to his supporters in rally after rally like a farmer feeds garbage to a hogs. In return, they gave him what he craved the most - undying adulation and respect which he used to feed his ego, making himself feel like a success. In reality, he was a low-budget wannabe dictator,  not even on the level of Hitler, but of Mussolini. The only thing missing which separated him from Il Duce was the macho physical posturing

Then came the coronavirus, which exposed it all. Being president is more than soaking in adulation and relying on entities with ulterior motives to place you on a pedestal. Sooner or later, you are going to have to do the work. And the work you do separates the people who were supposed to be in the Oval Office from the poseurs.

 I am probably preaching to the choir, but sometimes if you stop preaching, the choir forgets the words to the song it should be singing. And some of the words to this song was written by former First Lady Michelle Obama:

 "Being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are."

We no longer have to guess who Trump is because we now have 150,000 answers. The question is do we really need to know more?

'LGBTQ groups team up to condemn mocking of trans physician' & other Fri midday news briefs

LGBTQ groups slap Bloomsburg Fair with "demand letter" over controversial Facebook post - As they should. It was an ugly attack on a trans physician who is helping with the COVID-19 response.

Pro boxer James Hawley dropped by management company after anti-LGBTQ video goes viral - You got canceled. Deal with it. 

Transgender man files discrimination suit after Maryland hospital cancels hysterectomy - Go for it! Handle yo' business! 

Donald Trump is trying to distract us from his deplorable coronavirus response - And that ain't gonna happen.

Podcaster Joe Rogan & right-wing author team up to equate trans people with a cult and 'demonic possession'

Joe Rogan should invite people with expertise on trans issues to his podcast.

In case you haven't been noticing, the anti-LGBTQ industry has new scapegoat. Spooking people about LGBTQ folks in general and rights such as marriage equality are still popular, but doesn't get as many hot and bothered reactions as spinning lies about the trans community.. And because of this, many on the right are seeking to add their voices to the cacophony of misinformation in hopes of notoriety and big bucks.

Media Matters spotlit once such example.

In an episode of his show uploaded to YouTube, podcast host Joe Rogan and his guest, Wall Street Journal writer Abigail Shrier, spent nearly two hours spreading misinformation about trans youth, including claiming that being transgender is a contagion comparable to having anorexia, “demonic possession,” and joining a cult. YouTube has policies banning content that claims groups of people are “mentally inferior, deficient, or diseased” and has taken down content similar to the interview in the past. 

Rogan is one of the most influential podcast hosts in the world. He recently signed an exclusive licensing agreement worth more than $100 million with Spotify, where his show The Joe Rogan Experience will begin streaming on September 1. In a press release, Spotify said the show “has long been the most-searched-for podcast on Spotify and is the leading show on practically every other podcasting platform.” It continued, “Bringing the JRE to Spotify will mean that the platform’s more than 286 million active users will have access to one of culture’s leading voices.”

During the July 16 interview, which has been viewed over 1.8 million times on YouTube at the time of publication, Shrier promoted her new anti-trans book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughter and, alongside Rogan, encouraged parents to reject the identities of their trans kids. Rogan has previously used his podcast to oppose gender-affirming health care and to lead a crusade against trans mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox, including calling her a “fucking man.”

 Joe Rogan is a former actor whose podcast obviously exploits the talk radio technique - talk shit because you don't know shit. Just make your voice loud and ultra macho sounding and people think you're some type of expert. Abigail Shirer sounds like the latest dime-a-dozen predatory parasitic right-wing "writer" feeding off of an LGBTQ issue and counting on the extensive conservative network to buoy her on podcasts, talks shows, and other speaking engagements while buying bulk copies of her book to shoot her name up best seller lists.

'Awful joke about shooting gay men for holding hands rocks sheriff's race in Michigan' & other Thur midday news briefs

‘Where is my fricken gun?’: Homophobic texts rock Alpena County sheriff’s race - Not funny you jerk.

Transgender man named Michigan Teacher of the Year - I love it! Positive visibility for the community, particularly our transgender kids.

Police chief to retire over alleged remarks about gay deputy's COVID death - Bye!

North Dakota GOP approves anti-LGBT rhetoric in policy statements - WOW! This was crude.

Family Research Council eagerly supports Trump's 'surge' of federal agents to Chicago

By now, you have heard of Trump's latest attempt to divert attention away from how he screwed up the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and catch up to Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the polls.

Just in case you haven't -

President Trump is sending federal troops across the nation — but says it won't be another Portland-style siege. 

As federal agents arrested protesters in Portland, Oregon's streets, some for seemingly no reason, Trump warned he might send more agents to other cities if their protests against racism and police brutality continued. And on Wednesday, that threat became reality, with Trump announcing he was deploying "hundreds" of federal agents to Chicago and "other cities," including Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

"Murderers and violent criminals are breaking a wide range of federal laws," Trump said on Wednesday to justify his deployment of FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF agents to Chicago. But Operation Legend won't be a "Portland-style deployment," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday, citing what the Trump administration told her. These forces will apparently bolster current law enforcement efforts, not patrol the streets like they have been in Portland, Lightfoot said.

Justifiably, Trump's plan is being blasted because many rightfully see it for authoritarian hot mess which it is. Trump can't come up with a decent pandemic response, but we're supposed to believe that his sending federals agents to Chicago won't be a disaster?

One group supports him, though. Guess who?

In a tone of nonsensical hysteria it generally reserves for LGBTQ people, anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council organized and ran an ad in the Washington Times supporting Trump's latest nonsense.

I hope no one reading this is fooled. This has nothing to do with rioting or supposed lawlessness in American cities. It's about an incompetent bozo creating one disaster to take attention away from his first disaster. But no matter what incompetent junk Trump does, he can always count on support from the Family Research Council because the group cares more about the access he gives it than being a voice of morality.

If Trump were to urinate on himself in the middle of a press conference, the Family Research Council would credit him for watering the grass. 

'Four myths about trans athletes, debunked' & other Wed midday news briefs

Four Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked - And it's about time, too. Please read and share this information. There is a LOT of ignorance out there when it comes to trans athletes and the trans community in general.

Dem AGs sue Trump admin. to stop reversal of transgender health protections - A coalition of 23 states. Good for them.

COVID-19 is quietly ravaging the LGBTQ community - Take it from me. This piece don't lie.

Finally! The United States condemns queer purges in Chechnya - It certainly took you long enough.

'Trumpfeld' - all interviews with Trump should include a laugh track

By all counts, Trump's interview with Fox News journalist Chris Wallace was yet another disaster for the Orange Menace. However the Lincoln Project added a little something extra which accentuates the point - a laugh track. Check out 'Trumpfeld.' It would be funnier if it wasn't reality.

'Hockey commentator claims NBC firing was anti-straight discrimination' & other Tue midday news briefs

Hockey commentator claims NBC firing was anti-straight discrimination - Oh please. He made a vulgar comment and paid for it. 

The right is dominating Facebook engagement on content about trans issues - This is not good. People seem to like arguing more than educating.

Trump’s ‘Unalienable Rights’ commission brands LGBTQ equality a ‘divisive social and political controversy’ - Slowly moving from supporting LGBTQ rights and safety on a worldwide scale. 

18 Hilarious Gay Tweets From This Week - We all need this.

Homophobic black conservative comes for John Lewis. Not today, fool!

While the late civil rights movement legend and Congressman John Lewis (first picture) is honored for his service, Jesse Lee Peterson (bottom picture) took it upon himself to attack Lewis and his legacy. Not today, fool!!

Civil Rights legend and long-term Congressman John Lewis passed away last weekend at the age of 80. Tributes from all over poured in to honor this wonderful man who spent a good portion of his life fighting for justice and equality for all people, including the LGBTQ community. And unfortunately, with the good comes the bad, courtesy of right-wing radio host and all-around bozo, Jesse Lee Peterson. Peterson, a black conservative who is the head of a phony organization, makes a name for himself by being saying things about black people which white racists love to hear.

He's a regular Candace Owens with very little charm. And Candace Owens has no charm to begin with.

From Right-Wing Watch:

“I can think of many words to call ex-Congressman John Lewis,” Peterson said. “Hero would not be one. Well, maybe he is a hero, because she [Oprah] is a daughter of Satan and he is a son of Satan, so maybe in that world, he’s a hero in that he pushed evil.” 

“Congressman John Lewis—he dead—was a race hustler, a loser,” Peterson continued. “John Lewis was not a hero. He was a zero, not a hero. … We knew he was a race hustler. He divided the races, he did not unite them, and just because he marched in a rally down in Alabama or Georgia or wherever he was, that doesn’t make him a hero. John Lewis did not do anything to earn becoming a [member of] Congress for so long. He didn’t make things better. He made them worse.” 

“John Lewis did not apologize for dividing the races, for calling America a racist society,” Peterson added. “He was a phony. He was a race hustler. I don’t know where he went when he died, but I do know according to all reports, he dead. But he was not a good man. I don’t know what he said to God before he died, but I know he did not apologize to this country for dividing and lying and doing what he did to America. He used black people for his own personal gain. John Lewis was an evil man.”

Oh really? Let's compare Lewis and Peterson.

'Sec of State Pompeo says U.S. should limit which human rights it defends' & other Mon midday news briefs

Sec of State Pompeo

Pompeo says U.S. should limit which human rights it defends - I am not liking this direction at all.

LGBTQ rights supporters remember civil rights icon John Lewis - A good man and a strong ally of LGBTQ people took his final rest last weekend. 

John Lewis Was A Vocal Champion Of LGBTQ Rights During A Time When It Had Little Public Support - More about Congressman Lewis.

New military ban on Confederate flags also bans LGBTQ Pride flags - "Well thanks for the sour persimmons, cousin." 

LGBTQ-Inclusive Movies Rise As Racial Diversity Plummets, GLAAD Report Finds - Folks like me can't have "one or the other." We have to have both - LGBTQ-inclusive movies and racial diversity.

Equality Forum announces list of honored icons for upcoming LGBT History Month

October is LGBT History Month and the Equality Forum isn't going to let a pandemic keep it from its annual event of devoting each day of the month to honor an icon of our community. The video above announces the honorees of 2020. The list contains quite a few newly crowned icons and some which will lead you to say "what took them so long to be honored."

And, on the risk of sounding egotistical, I hope that one day in the future, I am included in this list. Of course any actions I do for the cause of LGBTQ equality and safety isn't for honor or glory. However, it would be a personal victory for myself in terms of who I am, how far I have come as a gay black man, and the folks who sacrificed to get me here.

'The White House claimed that Trump is pro-LGBTQ. The 'receipts' say different' & other Fri midday news briefs

The White House claimed Trump is pro-LGBTQ. His policies show he isn’t. - Nope, nope, nope. You are NOT gaslighting LGBTQ people!

LGBTQ political representation jumped 21 percent in past year, data shows - Good. It's time more of us ran for public office. People can't victimize us by the political progress if we are inside legislatures instead of outside. 

Facebook said it will ban content promoting conversion therapy. It should start by removing these pages. - Get to work, Facebook.

Hallmark promises to make the yuletide extra gay this year - I'm already enjoying the thoughts of a possible right-wing freakout.

#NotMyChild ad says Trump willing to sacrifice America's children for his re-election

I thought the Lincoln Project ads were brutal to Trump. This one from Don Winslow Films pretty much tops them all. And it's facts. It also pertains to the LGBTQ community. We are also raising children and they, just like the rest of America's children, are being used as props for Trump's re-election desires via his demand that school reopen in spite of the country still being crippled by COVID-19.

'15 Cartoon Shows with Awesome LGBTQ+ Characters' & other Thur midday news briefs

PBS animated series 'Arthur' is one of 15 cartoons with a decent LGBTQ character

15 Cartoon Shows with Awesome LGBTQ+ Characters - Not bad. Not bad at all. It's a simple reflection of reality.

We Asked 3 Bisexual Men to Weigh In on Their Lack of Representation in Netflix Shows - We've got a long way to go, but we've already traveled many miles.

Transgender women win elections for the first time in West Virginia & Louisiana - And the transgender community continues to win in elections. 

Russia Begins Targeting LGBTQ+ People, Per Putin's Orders - What Putin is doing in Russia is what the religious right wants to do in America. Count on it.

The Top Best LGBTQ+ Teen TV Couples

This particular post is yet another seemingly frivolous and fun one, but it also carries a message of defiance.

 To the religious right and the anti-LGBTQ industry in general, the thing which sparks anger - other than us winning court cases and living our lives in the splendor of normalcy - is anything which spotlights the existence of LGBTQ youth.

Nothing bums out so-called traditional groups more than the inability to claim that we are freaks and that our existence harms children. And the visibility of  LGBTQ youth really depresses them. They don't like being reminded that  LGBTQ youth get together, form friendships, and even (gasp and shudder) date each other.

With that in mind consider the above post, The 10 Best LGBTQ+ TV Teen Couples, to be a big middle finger to those who would want our children to be gripped with so much fear that they can't go through the normal passages of adolescence, including falling in love and dating.  Granted, the lives of our LGBTQ kids aren't as dramatic as what's on the small screen, but the general point remains that hiding in fear is becoming passe. We're not completely there yet, but we are moving at a good pace. More importantly,  consider it to be a message to LGBTQ youth. There is nothing wrong with who you are and what you're feeling. There is nothing wrong with being open about enjoying the thrills and pangs of your first relationships.

 And most importantly, we've got your back.

'Did homophobic activist lose his job because of his 'tour?' & other Wed midday news briefs

Mike Heath

Christian who tried to launch a “Fa***ts Are Maggots” tour lost his job delivering FedEx packages - If this is the case, I DARE anyone to defend this one as a "victim" of cancellation.

Nonprofit hopes to build 20 'tiny homes' for Black transgender women - This is a wonderful idea.

Family Research Council homophobic pamphlet works better as lining for your birdcage - My post from last night. I really want people to read it. 

Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ people live in the South. Here's how LGBTQ activists of color are transforming the area.- Yes we are! 

Fauci: No clear evidence HIV heightens coronavirus risk - Thank you. We need information like this to be made public.

Family Research Council homophobic pamphlet works better as lining for your birdcage

Cathy Ruse just published a silly pamphlet.

The Family Research Council is shocked! I repeat, shocked about the following:

The LGBTQ movement demands that homosexual relationships be presented to children as good, healthy, and equal in every way to heterosexuality within man-woman marriage. Many sex-ed developers and providers are all too happy to comply. 

 Parents in Illinois were alarmed when they learned that their preschool children were being instructed: “If you have two mommies, they can be called LESBIANS. 

 In Austin, Texas, schools introduce sexual orientation and gender identity concepts to third graders and have sixth and seventh graders play a sexuality matching game with terms like “bisexual,” “gay,” “lesbian,” and “homophobia.” 

 . . .California law instructs public school teachers to emphasize homosexual relationships: “Teachers should… actively use examples of same-sex couples in class discussions.”

This hysterical junk is only a small portion of FRC's newest pamphlet -Sex Education in Public Schools: Sexualization of Children and LGBT Indoctrination and it's a doozy.

A hot mess.

What you should know about FRC's pamphlets, "research papers,"etc is that none of them contain any legitimate information. In the past, the group used to rely on junk science and legitimate science its employees rigorously cherry-picked to denigrate LGBTQ people.The group generally reduced us to being called a "dangerous lifestyle."

Things have changed tremendously. Thanks to the efforts of bloggers like yours truly and groups like SPLC who took the time to call out those lies, FRC relies less on distorted science and more on anecdotal horror stories from legitimate news sites and biased homophobic right-wing propaganda news sites all sewn together with alarming phraseology. The goal is to create the same connotation as past reliance on bad science did - that LGBTQ people are not normal and are dangerous to America, particularly children.

The passages I cited at the beginning of this post speak to that effect. Same-sex marriage is legal in America. Same-sex couples, as well as single LGBTQ people, are raising children in a large number. They have been doing this for many years and are doing it very well. The existence of LGBTQ children is a simple fact. And as these LGBTQ children are coming out earlier and earlier, more education and information is needed for the sake of their physical and mental well-being.

But to hear FRC talk, these situations are not facts, but aberrations. And the results of a so-called plot to take over America and supposedly "recruit" children.  It's less about equipping people with information and more about exploiting ignorance to create fear. That fear creates more ignorance which creates more fear and so on and so on.

'Gay couple successfully fights off muggers' & other Tue midday news briefs

Muggers thought a gay couple would be an easy target. They picked the wrong men to try to rob.- I'm posting this to show that some situations like this can have happy endings. But please be careful if you are caught up in mess like this. Don't try to be a hero.

WH press secretary dodges on trans military ban, insists Trump is pro-LGBTQ - A certain somebody was obviously high during her press conference. 

Poland exit polls mean victory for homophobic Andrzej Duda — and misery for LGBTQ people - Ya'll, the struggle is real and it is universal. 

Everyone Agrees: Velma Is Gay - Too easy. It should have been Daphne.

Family Research Council throwing hissy fit over Facebook, Instagram banning promotion of fraudulent therapy

In spite of much criticism they receive with regards to the posting of inaccurate information, Facebook and Instagram may actually be taking a step in the right direction when it comes to LGBTQ people.

From CNN on Friday:

Instagram and Facebook will ban any content that promotes conversion therapy, the social media platforms told CNN on Friday, after activists called on it to block providers from advertising their services online. 

Facebook said it would expand its existing policies on hate speech worldwide to include posts that advertise or promote the practice, in a move that applies to both platforms.
Conversion therapy, a pseudo-scientific process that professes to change a person's sexuality, is widely discredited and condemned as harmful by major medical associations. But it is legal across most of the world, including in the United States and the United Kingdom. The decisions follow appeals from users to remove an Instagram account used by Core Issues Trust, a UK-based promoter of conversion therapy.

And of course, anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council is all upset over this news,

While the rest of Big Tech openly uses its power to censor, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has stood out. Unlike his peers, he's had the refreshing sanity to reinforce free speech -- a position that hasn't exactly endeared him to the intolerant Left. Now, months into his First Amendment experiment, one of the lone holdouts on open debate is considering a policy that would silence the voices keeping some users alive. 

Everyone is entitled to information, Facebook has argued. Except, maybe, people struggling with their sexuality. According to European sources, Zuckerberg's platform, along with its subsidiary Instagram, may be trying to keep those hurting users from getting the information they're looking for. On the table, CNN says, is a proposal to block positive reviews or testimonials about sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), including counselors who specialize in the field. One British group, Core Issues Trust, has already been affected -- at least temporarily -- and executives warn that U.S. advocates may be next. 

Other platforms have been more proactive. "A Twitter spokesman said their platform already enforces against content that promotes conversion therapy under their 'no harm' rule," which is ironic, FRC's Peter Sprigg points out, since the whole point of SOCE is to help people from being harmed by their lifestyle choices. 

Like others beholden to the far-Left, social media moguls don't want to admit that change is possible because it undermines the whole linchpin of their LGBT activist friends: that being gay or transgender isn't a choice. So, they ratchet up their misinformation machines, insisting that all counseling is torture. But, as survivors like Walt Heyer would tell you, the real torture is telling people who want help they can't have it.

First of all, Walter Heyer is a fraud.

'Black Trans Lives Matter: The LGBTQ fight comes to Hollywood' & other Mon midday news briefs

Black Trans Lives Matter: The LGBTQ fight comes to Hollywood - About time.

Virtual GLAAD Awards to Feature Dolly Parton, Lil Nas X, Dwyane Wade - Way to go GLAAD!!

Members of Congress call upon White House to implement Bostock ruling - Good luck with THAT one. Still, the law is on our side. 

Janelle Monáe Wants to Play X-Men's Storm - THAT would be wild!