Trump blows off questions about America reaching 200,000 coronavirus deaths

I have so many reasons why I hope Trump loses in November, but this exchange which just happened reaches number one:

Trump's message about the US hitting 200,000 coronavirus deaths is to try and pass blame to China pic.twitter.com/Z2OlvxG7dy

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 22, 2020

Right now, I know that so many of us are angry and galvanized about the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the eagerness of Trump and Republicans to put a hardline conservative on SCOTUS in her place. And of course we should be. But we cannot be distracted from his past and continued undermining of the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. 

On Monday night during one of his "rallies," Trump said the coronavirus affects "virtually nobody."  I thought that was the worse thing he could have said about the pandemic, but the exchange today with the media tops it.  It proves that Trump didn't botch the response to the COVID 19 pandemic via incompetence alone. He simply didn't care. And he continues not to care.

The nearly seven million Americans who are infected and the over 200,000 Americans who have died  aren't nobodies. They were somebody's children, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, husbands, wives, etc.  Most of all, they were people who Trump swore to defend and protect when he took the oath of office. And he failed them. 

Deliberately. 

There should be no lie which any Trump supporter (including those in the media) can spin about the economy, Joe Biden's supposed dementia, conservative judges, political correctness, or anything else which should alter or mitigate in the least any contempt we should feel towards him for this pandemic disaster. Trump has blood on his hands. And if he's reelected, America is saying that we are okay with it.

'Group's leaked texts call for hanging gays 'in a loving way'' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

Christian group’s leaked texts call for hanging gays “in a loving way” - I'm not going to ask how to hang people "in a lovingly way." 

Vote like your life depends on it': Pete Buttigieg's message to LGBTQ youth - That goes for ALL of us.

Exclusive: New $1.5 million HRC ad buy blames Trump for empty queer bars - Whatever it takes. And it is an accurate ad. 

Antigay activist says his gay sex email to senator was blocked, thus proving homosexuality is a sin - Oh sit down and shut up.

'Evangelical' hate group trying to distract voters from Trump's COVID-19 incompetence by scaring them about transgender Americans

FRC head Tony Perkins

In between being conveniently silent about how Trump undermined efforts to beat down the coronavirus pandemic and hoping that he picks a conservative justice for SCOTUS, the Family Research Council has found time to spook its supporters about voting. I received the following via an email from the group and president, Tony Perkins:

It goes without saying that none of these hysterical attacks on the Equality Act or transgender men and women are true. One would think if FRC were actually concerned with faith and morality, it and Perkins would have at least commented  once about Trump undermining the pandemic.

However, for a group which places itself on a pedestal as an arbiter of faith and morality, FRC depends a lot on fear.   Why change a successful, albeit hypocritical, formula for a seemingly little thing like integrity?

'Will Mississippi elect its first black LGBTQ lawmaker?' & other Mon midday news briefs

Fabian Nelson

Fabian Nelson could be the LGBTQ lawmaker Mississippi needs - A black LGBTQ lawmaker in the Mississippi State House? I'll believe when I see it, but it has been a year for it. 

Discrimination against gay men who can't donate organs is arbitrary, archaic — and deadly - Like it or not, we are attached.

LGBTQ TikTok Users Fear Losing ‘Safe Space’ As Trump Bans Downloads - Even when it's not his prime intent, Trump simply can't stop harming LGBTQ people.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, champion of LGBTQ rights on the bench, dies at age 87 - Last but not least. We mourn but we also fight. We've can do both at once. God knows how many times we've had to in the past.

Biden burns Trump with new ad using his own promise from rally

While we are rightfully distracted as to how the future of the Supreme Court and our country in the wake of the passing of Justice Ruth Ginsburg, something interesting happened Saturday night. Trump held another one of those annoying rallies (with no masks or social distancing) where he makes a rambling fool of himself. During this one, he made a promise, which I hope he keeps. Apparently a lot of other people feels the same as I do because Biden burned him via an ad about his words. And it's already gotten over 10 million hits.  Sweet!

I’m Joe Biden and I approve this message. pic.twitter.com/TuRZXPE5xK

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 20, 2020

 

'Trump Administration trying to get around pro-LGBTQ Supreme Court ruling' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

How the Trump administration is getting around Bostock to allow anti-trans discrimination - You know Trump. He thinks he should be higher than SCOTUS.

 'This is about my safety': Trans Americans on November's high-stakes election - The above article is a good case in point.

15 Hilarious Gay Tweets From This Week - Yes we all need this.

20 Must-Sees for LGBTQ+ TV Viewers in Fall 2020 - Sweet!

Former Pence staffer - Trump once said maybe the coronavirus was a good thing because he wouldn't have to shake hands 'with these disgusting people'

 

 

Olivia Troye, former homeland security, counterterrorism and coronavirus adviser to VP Mike Pence, just came out with a video announcing that she is voting for Joe Biden and why.

To put it succinctly, girlfriend isn't simply spilling the tea. She is throwing it.  Troye said that her decision to vote for Biden came from seeing firsthand Trump's "disregard for human life." Central to that disregard, Troye claimed, is how Trump didn't take the pandemic serious and the following about the people he met.

From The Huffington Post:

Troye also condemned Trump in a video released by the group Republican Voters Against Trump, saying Trump once mused that the coronavirus was a good thing because he wouldn’t have to shake hands with as many people.“I don’t like shaking hands with people,” Troye recalled the president saying. “I don’t have to shake hands with these disgusting people.”

 Troye says in the video that she’s a lifelong Republican but would “come home at night and look myself in the mirror and say, ‘Are you really making a difference?’” “I am voting for Joe Biden because I truly believe we are at a time of constitutional crisis. At this point it’s country over party,” she concluded. Troye joins several other Trump administration officials to speak out against the president ahead of the election, including former national security adviser John Bolton and former defense secretary Jim Mattis. 

 The White House and Pence’s office both dismissed Troye as someone who was miffed over her ouster. She is “disgruntled that her detail was cut short because she was no longer capable of keeping up with her day-to-day duties,” Lt. General Keith Kellogg, Pence’s national security adviser, told the Post. But Troye told the Post she was was deeply involved in the coronavirus task force and helped organize and attend “every single meeting” it held from February until July.

Don't be blase or nonchalant about this. It's a huge crack in Trump's dome.

'Cable news stopped covering anti-trans violence after Pride Month' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Cable news stopped covering anti-trans violence after Pride Month - But it's a year-round problem. 

 DL Hughley mocks Andrew Gillum for coming out “halfway” as bisexual - Longtime fan of yours, DL. But that was simply stupid to say.

Sarah McBride Poised To Become First Transgender U.S. State Senator - Wonderful! 

The more LGBTQ people in government, the better.Lifetime announces its first LGBTQ Christmas movie -  Are you going to watch it?

Trump subordinate - If Trump loses the election, 'the Left' will come after all of us, including your children

Charlie Kirk channels desperation

Longtime Trump subordinate - albeit not directly - Charlie Kirk took a page out of the religious right book of homophobia to make a prediction of what could happen should Trump lose his reelection campaign in November.

 And for those of you that say "Well, it really doesn't impact me, I don't care if Trump goes to prison." Well, first of all, you absolutely should care. Because if we lose, they're going to come after the churches, they're going to come after the organizations, they're going to come after the people, they're going to come after the social media accounts, they're going to come after the bank accounts, they're going to come after every single person that played any form and role into trying to defend President Trump. But social media banning, following in the streets, targeting in every form and fashion. If we lose, if the President loses, they will come for us all. They will come for your children. They will come for your schools. They will come in every fashion. And they won't stop. This idea that the left is all of sudden going to embrace the Christian ethic of forgiveness and moving on, is so short-sighted.

 

Kirk wasn't specifically pointing a finger at the LGBTQ community. He was speaking about "the left" in the deliberate way conservatives like himself tend to dehumanize Democrats and liberals by painting them as rabid hordes not unlike the zombies in the motion picture  World War Z.  It  would be rather naive for anyone to think that we aren't included in  his characterization.

The grand irony of Kirk's silly paranoid claim is that recently he and his group, Turning Point USA, was discovered to be recruiting teenagers to post disinformation online.

According to Raw Story:

On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported on a stealth “troll farm” by Turning Point USA, the right-wing youth group led up by Charlie Kirk, to recruit teenagers to post disinformation on social media — sometimes getting around policies that sites like Facebook and Twitter use to prevent the spread of false political information. “Teenagers, some of them minors, are being paid to pump out the messages at the direction of Turning Point Action, an affiliate of Turning Point USA, the prominent conservative youth organization based in Phoenix, according to four people with independent knowledge of the effort,” reported Isaac Stanley-Becker. “Their descriptions were confirmed by detailed notes from relatives of one of the teenagers who recorded conversations with him about the efforts.”

This latest incident is not the first time Kirk and Turning Point USA have made headline for nefarious behavior. Media Matters for America has an entire page devoted to several conspiracy theories and out-and-out lies pushed by Kirk. And Turning Point USA has gotten into trouble because various members of its leadership have been called out and dismissed for racist comments, postings and associations. This includes a former national field director who once texted:

“I HATE BLACK PEOPLE. Like fuck them all . . . I hate blacks. End of story.”

It sounds like America - and our children - would be safer in the hands of those opposing Kirk and company. And especially safer in the hands of those opposing Donald Trump.

''Former trans person' in political ad only identified as trans AFTER joining hate group' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

“Former trans person” in political attack ad only identified as trans after he joined a hate group - Good job, LGBTQNation. It is signficant because it looks like he was never trans at all. 

 Texas Board of Education rejects proposed LGBTQ lessons as part of sex education revision - Color ME surprised.

Facebook slaps fact check on ads stoking fears about transgender kids in girls sports - Group behind lie in first article just got caught in another one.

"10,000 Portraits of Queer America" Bring Joy and Sanity - yes it does. Thank you for this.

Every Donald Trump rally . . . in 74 seconds

 

My vision of hell without of doubt would involve being eternally trapped in a Donald Trump rally. I avoid watching them and to this day have never seen one. As the following tweet from the Lincoln Project demonstrates, they are pretty much all the same - an inept fool incoherently rambling while a bunch of mind-sucked sycophants hang on his every word as if it's the necessary ingredient for their survival. But the Lincoln Project added and subtracted a little something which breaks down this particularly rally, the one held recently in Nevada, tolerable and downright funny. If you ask me, it's more coherent than an actual Trump rally. Though you may feel it is 74 seconds too long.

Trump's Minden, NV speech in 74 seconds. pic.twitter.com/Jvo2CTDSj0

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 14, 2020

'CA governor Gavin Newsom signs law equalizing punishment for gay & straight sex offenders' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

California governor Gavin Newsom

CA governor signs law to equalize punishments for gay & straight sex offenders - Conservatives have told all sorts of lies about this bill. Here is what it actually does. 

YouTube comedian Randy Rainbow breaks silence on past racist, transphobic jokes with awkward Donald Trump ‘interview’ - Works for me. No one is perfect and those truly apologetic over past behavior should be given slack. To a degree.

Marvel Just Revealed This Iconic X-Men Character Is Bisexual- Surprise! I was sure it would have been Wolverine.

LGBTQ: The letters Republicans didn’t utter - Preach!!

Religious right leader thinks that recent bad press proves conspiracy against Donald Trump

Gary Bauer thinks Trump's recent troubles prove that there is a conspiracy against him.

A recent news story about Donald Trump disparaging our troops by calling them "suckers" and
losers" and another one detailing how he misled America about the coronavirus should signal to the country how much of an incompetent and gigantic mistake he is as leader.

But to one religious right spokesperson, it only proves a conspiracy geared to destroy Trump:

OneNewsNow approached Gary Bauer, president of American Values, about these latest condemnations – but he points out the left has been relentless in its attacks since before Trump was even elected. "They saw Donald Trump as an existential threat to them," he states. "They tried to do everything they could in his campaign in 2016 to stop him. After he won, they then tried one fact scandal after another." 

 Turning to the more recent anti-Trump accusations, Bauer describes the Woodward book and the Atlantic article as attempts to sway the electorate. "Now here we are in the final 60 days [of the campaign] that will determine whether President Trump can continue to take the country down this new road of reform [through] all the things he's doing – and the left will stop at nothing . . .  I fully expect that literally every day there will be a new a line of attack to try to prevent the president from being re-elected."

Bear in mind that Bauer is the same dude who undermined the fight against the AIDS crisis when he worked in the Reagan Administration. Allegedly, he felt that AIDS was God's judgement and those who had it deserved what they got.

Bauer provides no proof of his claims which regards, which he probably sees as a minor concern when there is a juicy conspiracy theory to push. If there's one thing Bauer adores, it's implying that shadowy groups are in dark rooms spinning destructive plans against everything good and righteous. Or something like that. It's better than admitting that he and other religious right leaders pitched their wagons of support behind a con man whose house of cards is hopefully collapsing on his head with just enough cards left over to give them a couple of  well-deserved bonks.

Truth be told, if there is a conspiracy against Trump then he should look in the mirror to see the ringleader. More specifically, look in the mirror and then direct his eyes downward. To his mouth. 

'Trump allegedly called 'The Apprentice' contestant a 'black f**'' & other Mon midday news briefs

Former 'The Apprentice' contestant Kwame Jackson

Donald Trump allegedly called a contestant on The Apprentice a “Black f**” - And who should be surprised. Even so, it's still worth knowing.  I'm rather chomping at the bit to see how Fox News will defend this one.

Same-Sex Partners Win Right to Social Security Survivor Benefits - Good for them! 

Mike Pompeo Plans to Push His Anti-LGBTQ Commission at the UN - Such a "lovely" Secretary of State.

The attacks on gay candidates keep getting even more disgusting this election cycle - Y'all know it's going to get worse. But what's progress with no struggle?

How a gay producer Allan Car ruined his career in 11 minutes

 As we ease into this week, which promises to be as chaotic as last week, let's look at a slightly comedic, but highly cautionary tale about a backfire of camp.

Once upon a time, there was a successful and openly gay producer by the name of Allan Carr. He invested money in several successful Broadway productions such as La Cage aux Folles and motion pictures such as Grease. He even won a Tony award.  He also managed the marketing and ad campaigns for the motion pictures Tommy and Saturday Night Fever, which were also successful. In addition, he was known for his lavish and wild parties. All of that success meant that he could withstand a few failures, such as the motion picture disaster Can't Stop The Music.

Then came 61st Academy Awards, which he was hired to produce in 1989.  It was a disaster. To put it honestly, it was tacky as hell  The aftermath was like fire from the sky.  The show was viciously condemned, sued by Disney, and ended up generally wrecking Carr's career? the late actor Gregory Peck was allegedly so mad that he threatened to return his Oscar?  

But was it actually as bad as it was made out to be. I think so.  But you decide after seeing the 11 minute opening which was the center of a lot of condemnation, including Disney's lawsuit (which was later dropped.)

 

Carr's career never fully recovered. He spent the rest of his life in seclusion until his death in 1999. 

 If you want to read more on the situation (God help you) please read The Worst Oscars Ever or this brutal article in Marie Claire.

'Gay councilman calls on NYPD union leader to resign after 'homophobic' tweet' & other Fri midday news briefs

Gay councilman calls on NYPD union leader to resign after 'homophobic' tweet - Go for the jugular, my brotha.

Gay hotel forced to remove BLM banner after anonymous complaint to city - Unfair horsesh!t.

New Trump Rule Threatens Public Universities That Don’t Support Religious Clubs - More peanuts from Trump to his evangelical supporters.

Texas is revising its sex education standards, but they'll likely remain silent on LGBTQ issues - For now. But you can't keep us nor our children behind the door and in the closet forever.

Fox News ghouls care more about Donald Trump than the Americans harmed by his pandemic incompetence

I am glad someone put this together. Of all the things Fox News and its personalities have done over the years, this has to be the worst.

 On Wednesday, we learned that Donald Trump knew that the coronavirus pandemic was serious but still continued to undermine efforts to combat it. This is a grade A scandal which should be seen as comparative to or worse than Watergate - the scandal which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.

But Nixon didn't have what Trump has - an entire network working to undermine the righteous indignation people are feeling and rationalize all of his lies. I'm talking about Fox News and its personalities. The channel is probably the single reason why Trump has been hanging on by his fingernails even after all of his lies and basic incompetence. It is the number one news network in the country and it operates by over emphasizing Trump's few successes, hiding his many failures, and spinning his poor leadership to the point of inanity.

It's so bad that a lot of people are generally blase about Fox News and treat it like be splashed by a puddle or having bad day with the mindset being that it's simply one of those things which can't be helped so get over it.

But courtesy of the video above,  this time is different.

'Trump gives shortlist of anti-LGBTQ SCOTUS possibilities to distract from latest scandal' & other Thur midday news briefs

Trump’s SCOTUS Shortlist is Filled with Anti-LGBT and Extremist Judges - Yesterday, Trump tried to take attention away from the scandal involving his downplaying of the pandemic even while knowing how serious it is by revealing a list of judges he would appoint if reelected. Long story short, this list would lead to more hell for LGBTQ people.

Candace Owens: Affirming Transgender Children “Is Actually Satanic” -  Awww. Ms. Thing thinks she was doing something this weekend by picking on trans folks. Makes me especially glad that afterwards, she went after Cardi B and Ms. B handled her on Twitter. 

Department of Education sends mixed messages on transgender student protections - Betsy DeVos has gotta go.

'Transgender Black Marxists' seek to overthrow U.S., Trump backer Michele Bachmann says - Girl, what?!

Trump supporting evangelicals silent on revelation that he knew seriousness of pandemic while calling it a hoax

The group of evangelicals supporting Trump have been conveniently silent as his latest scandal tears the country apart.

 

Unless you've been hiding under a rock or in a cave with fingers in your ears, you've probably heard about the latest involving Donald Trump. It's another huge scandal

According to Raw Story:

Watergate reporter Bob Woodward’s new book is coming out next week — and the leaked excerpts in it contain multiple damaging bombshells for President Donald Trump. The new book, entitled “Rage,” contains multiple revelations on a wide variety of topics ranging from the president’s handling of the novel coronavirus to his relationship with the American military to his strange affection for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. 

Raw Story outlined five shockers in this book, but the one which has virtually taken everyone's breath away is the following:

Trump said that he knew the coronavirus was five times more deadly than the seasonal flu — then admitted to playing it down in public.Audio recordings show that Trump told Woodward in early February that COVID-19 spread through the air and was much more deadly than the flu. Despite this, he continued to downplay its significance in multiple public statements. Just over a month after that, Trump admitted to Woodward that he deliberately downplayed the virus because he didn’t want to create a “panic.” “I wanted to always play it down,” Trump said on March 19th, shortly after he declared a national emergency. “I still like playing it down.” 

Trump lies so much that there is little doubt that he downplayed the pandemic - even when knowing how serious it was - to help only himself regardless of what he claims. The following video expresses it better than I can:

 

 The video captures just a small extent of the brutal tug of war Woodward's revelation has led to. There are some folks, especially the contributors and employees of Fox News, bending over backwards to defend Trump via talking points which induce more shock than agreement.

But I've noticed that one group has been conveniently silent - Trump supporting evangelicals.

'Feds capture man who detonated bomb in front of a gay gym' & other Wed midday news briefs

Feds capture man who detonated bomb in front of a gay gym - Something you haven't heard about on the  national news, no doubt.

HIV-Positive Service Members Get Their Day in Court Against Trump - Pluck that turkey! 

An all-Black version of The Golden Girls hits the internet today - Why not? Sounds like a good idea to me.

High schools must teach LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in England - Good.

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters celebrates 14 years of calling out homophobic liars and keeping receipts

Sunday marked the 14th anniversary of this blog. It's been a bunch of wild, successful, and at times, very frustrating years.

I've had much success (waves to my 2017 GLAAD Media Award from across the room), lots of positive press (The Advocate, Newsweek, MSNBC), met lots of new friends and allies, and raised a little ruckus (blocked on Twitter by Tony Perkins, Bryan Fischer, 'Porno' Peter LaBarbera, Ryan T. Holmes, Matt Barber, multiple members of the Alliance Defending Freedom, Mass Resistance, and the Liberty Counsel. Blocked from commenting on Lifesite News and World Net Daily.)

I hope that I've succeeded in my original aim, which was to shine a bright spotlight on how religious right groups distort and cherry-pick science to denigrate LGBTQ people as unhealthy, diseased others out to 'recruit children,' 'wreck Christianity,' and cause general chaos.

So how long will I do this and what's my next move?

'Gay Trump official gets angry when called out for 'smoke and mirrors' initiative' & other Tue midday news briefs

Richard Grenell

Gay Trump official throws tantrum when asked about homosexuality initiative - No matter how much frosting and icing you coat on manure, it's still manure Richard.

WATCH: Homophobic street preacher has sermon interrupted by big gay dance party - We do what we do and we do it well.

For His Birthday, a Gay Atheist Is Raising Money for an LGBTQ-Inclusive Church - Wonderful story!

Texas Assistant AG Fired for Anti-LGBTQ+ and Other Outrageous Tweets - Bye fool. Felecia said "don't use my name."

Michael Cohen: Trump made fun of his evangelical supporters before winning the 2016 election

 

According to some reports, our fighting men and women of the military aren't the only group that Donald Trump has a low opinion of behind closed doors. 

Conservative evangelicals make up a gigantic amount of his base and led by folks like Franklin Graham and Robert Jeffress and groups like the Family Research Council, they have stuck by Trump in spite of every discovery of dishonesty, every lie, and every bit of chicanery learned about him.

And Trump definitely appreciates their support. In front of cameras, of course. But, if his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is to be believed what you see in front the cameras isn't exactly true: 

 President Donald Trump spoke condescendingly about evangelical Christians after holding a meeting with religious leaders before the 2016 election, his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen has said in a new book. Cohen, who broke with Trump to cooperate with the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, is releasing a memoir Tuesday titled "Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump." The Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the book before its release, reported one passage in which Cohen details what he says happened after Trump met with prominent evangelical leaders at Trump Tower in 2016 before winning the presidency. After the meeting was over, Cohen says, Trump said: "Can you believe that bulls---? Can you believe people believe that bulls---?" 

"The cosmic joke was that Trump convinced a vast swathe of working-class white folks in the Midwest that he cared about their well-being," Cohen added, according to The Post. "The truth was that he couldn't care less." It's unclear what meeting Cohen was referring to, but Trump did meet with conservative Christian leaders in New York City in June 2016, according to NPR, which was allowed inside the private event.

Of course if this excerpt gains legs, expect evangelical leaders to engage in the usual rationalizations of their support of Trump. From "God chooses imperfect people" to "He was a baby Christian then. His faith is stronger," my guess is that their explanations will be epic and totally transparent. Cohen's revelation simply reveals the predatory relationship Trump and conservative evangelicals have. Most likely, Graham, Jeffress, and the rest know what Trump thinks about them. And while they can claim he has changed, they know he hasn't. One can easily measure Trump's behavior from the beginning of the 2016 campaign until now and easily come up with the the fact that Trump hasn't changed for the better. If anything, he's gotten worse.

If there has been any change since Trump took office, it's within the evangelical community. They no longer talk about values as much as they used to. They no longer pretend to look heavenward because their eyes are more on Trump than Jesus.  And in some ways, they are working to somehow mingle Trump with Jesus. And it's not working. They are so busy trying to point to the halo they claim exist over his head that they are totally oblivious to horns and tails which have appeared on their persons due to their close proximity to him.

But they don't care. As long as he gives them power and appoints judges they think will rule their way, particularly against LGBTQ equality and abortion, Trump could urinate publicly on the White House lawn and they would call it nectar from heaven.

'Georgia church splits from United Methodists over gay rights' & other Fri midday news briefs

21 Gay People And Couples That You May Or May Not Know Have Children - LGBTQ celebrities and their children. This is so cute! And it embraces how important visibility is. No matter what some fools try to tell us or mandate for us, we can have families. And we should have families if we want them. 

 Georgia church splits from United Methodists over gay rights - Faith and religious beliefs are two more things we should have regardless of what some people think because when it's all said and done, only God gets to judge us.

This Former Log Cabin Republican Is on a Mission to Stop Trump - Good for her!

The 100 Greatest Movie Insults - How many do you recognize?

 As I've said so many times during this awful pandemic, one can't allow himself to get so serious. While it's true that we have no idea if it will end any time soon, keeping ourselves from going insane with fear involves taking some time out from the seriousness of it all to laugh.

And while this blog mainly focuses on calling out the lies of the anti-LGBTQ industry, I also want people to come here for comfort as well as knowledge. With that in mind, the above video is embraces the gay stereotype of "scary bitchy." One hundred movie insults? Come on. You know there's a gay one in there somewhere. 

'LGBTQ people notch legal win against Trump's health care rule' & other Thur midday news briefs

LGBTQ advocates notch legal win in fight against Trump health care rule - Good for us! 

 Who’s your Newsmaker of the Year? - I'm an old softie. I would vote for them all.

Supernanny's Jo Frost Discusses Same-Sex Parenting During COVID - Definitely a needed resource. 

'The Boys in the Band' trailer reunites Broadway cast For Netflix film - I don't care how dated it is. I want a happier ending. I refuse to watch until it's rewritten.

Franklin Graham's deluded support of Donald Trump finally leads to a backlash

Franklin Graham

No matter how low Trump stoops, how badly he flails, or what off-the-wall thing he says, he can always count on the support of one person - Franklin Graham.

Graham, who apparently functions with his eyes closed and his fingers stuffed in his ears, not only support Trump, but seems to believe that his reelection will cause God to 'spare America.'

From CBN:

"I think God brought him here for this season, for these four years. I'm just asking that God would spare this country for another four years to give us a little bit more time to do the work before the storm hits. I believe the storm is coming. You're going to see Christians attacked; you're going to see churches close; you're going to see a real hatred expressed toward people of faith. . .God uses men. He works through men and I believe Donald Trump is the president for a reason. I think God has put him in this position. Western civilization as we have known it, he is defending that."

'Congressional candidate raises $100,000 after GOP anti-LGBTQ smear effort' & other Wed midday news briefs

Gina Ortiz Jones

Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones Raises $100,000 After GOP’s Anti-Gay Smear Effort - Way to go, Ms. Jones!

Jacob Blake's Transgender Cousin Responds to Anti-LGBTQ+ Threats - Ignorance and hate is everywhere and is, unfortunately, so easy to partake in.

Meals on heels: San Francisco drag queens deliver amid pandemic - Creative and heartwarming.

These 56 Celebrities Came Out in 2020 - Sweet! I remember when we were lucky to have just one every few years. If at all. And YES! It is still an important thing to do.

M.Signorile: GOP convention speech proved that Trump does not care about LGBTQ people

Don't let him fool you. Donald Trump doesn't care about LGBTQ even when exploiting us for reelection.

When openly gay Trump pick Richard Grenell spoke at last week's Republican National Convention, some folks took it as a sign that Trump was attempting to get LGBTQ support for his faltering campaign. Maybe or maybe not. However, radio show host and long-time gay activist Michelangelo Signorile wrote a piece which disputes any idea that Trump actually care about LGBTQ people.

And Grenell's speech proves it. Not by the speech itself, but by what wasn't said in the speech Grenell didn't say a word about LGBTQ rights.

 An excerpt from Signorile:

. . . if Grenell was set to speak on Trump’s supposed LGBTQ rights achievements, he or someone else decided against it at the last minute. Unlike Black and female speakers who were used to try to soften Trump’s image regarding women and people of color by speaking about Trump supposedly championing their issues, Grenell mostly promoted conspiracy theories about unwarranted surveillance against Trump by President Obama. He also peddled the boilerplate nativist and racist ideas of Trumpism, lauding Trump’s “America First” policies and expressing that he was proud of “being called a nationalist.” 

 But oddly, nowhere in the speech by the man who preposterously championed Trump in the Log Cabin video as the “most pro-gay president in history,” did he state he was gay, let alone say anything about Trump and LGBTQ rights on the stage. This was a far cry from Trump’s 2016 convention, when Peter Thiel, the gay billionaire and Paypal founder, who was used by the RNC to convey an inclusive message, was very clear

The entire piece deserves a reading. And while you're at it, subscribe to the Signorile Report

'Gay man joins anti-LGBTQ group founded by Pat Robertson' & other Tue midday news briefs

Richard Grenell now works for Pat Robertson's group.

Trump’s favorite gay Republican joins anti-LGBTQ group founded by Pat Robertson - Richard Grenell continues to be a backstabber only concerned with his own status.

Cher raises $2 million for Biden at LGBTQ virtual fundraiser - Sweet!

Trump's Press Secretary Repeats Lie That He's Pro-LGBTQ+ - Girlfriend must think we're drunk AND stupid.

Niecy Nash's wedding begins a needed conversation. Black LGBTQ people need to get a word in.

A huge topic on Monday was the news that television star, comedian, and multiple Emmy nominee Niecy Nash came out and announced her marriage to singer Jessica Betts.  To some folks, this is not major news because so many celebrities have publicly come out. However, to many folks it is a big deal because the vast majority of those celebrities are white.

It has caused much conversation and controversy in the black community with folks either congratulating the couple, whining about how could Nash "choose" a woman over a man,  and even making ridiculous comments about Betts' appearance.

But let's ignore the fake Afrocentrics and the idiotic fools determined to psychologically dissect the LGBTQ and black identities. Nash's decision to go public is yet another chance for the conversation to begin in both the LGBTQ and black communities, so I want to spotlight a few videos featuring African-American LGBTQs talking about us. These videos are just a small segment of  the diversity of LGBTQs of color. And it's just my attempt of beginning an accurate conversation which is long overdue.

Unfortunately when conversations about being black or being LGBTQ come up, there are assumptions made by both communities when it comes those of us who encompass both identities. There's not enough listening. Even on this blog. When I post blog entries featuring LGBTQ people of color, they aren't generally popular. And that's a real shame. Too many folks in both communities claim that they want to accept us but they forget that this acceptance includes listening to us.

'NYC must pay $5.9 million to settle after transgender woman's death' & other Mon midday news briefs

New York City will pay $5.9 million to settle suit after transgender woman’s death- Good. get up off the money.

Federal judge: State Department must recognize U.S. citizenship of gay couple’s daughter - Damn skippy! 

The World Is Finally Ready for Trans Musical Genius Glenn Copeland - Sounds promising.

Antigay lawmaker cooks up revenge plot against primary opponent who beat her - A shame and a disgrace.

The Top 10 Most Famous Celebrity Coming Out Moments

As we move into this week which, because of the election in November, promises to be tumultuous, let's enjoy a little history. Two years ago, the site Ms. Mojo came up with a list of the Top 10 Most Famous Celeb Coming Out Moments.

How do you feel about the list and the folks on it two years later? Particularly the top moment? Have there been other celebrity coming out stories more interesting than these?

Four years in 'Trump's America' is enough!

Donald Trump's attempt to blame Joe Biden for his failures as a president creates a first for him. It's the first time he has given someone else credit for HIS work instead of the other way around.

'TX teacher reinstated in spite of complaints about LGBTQ and BLM posters' & other Fri midday news briefs.

A teacher in TX nearly got into trouble because of posters in her virtual classroom.

Teacher reinstated after parents complained about Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ posters - Good. Stand firm.

New Orleans shelter to be ‘forever home’ for homeless trans people - This is wonderful news. And I hope others will follow the lead. 

HHS sued for ending data collection on tribal, LGBTQ youth in foster care - Sock it to them! 

Gay Trump Appointee Grenell Spreads Falsehoods at GOP Convention - 'Gaslighting Grenell' lied his bony white ass off. 

National Republicans Are Ordering Up Attacks On A Democrat’s Sexual Orientation - Nasty is as nasty does.

Video - Donald Trump would not protect America from COVID-19. He doesn't deserve a second term.

On Thursday night, Donald Trump will officially accept the Republican nomination for a second term in the White House. Expectantly, he will lie, distort, and basically conjure up bullsh!t reasons as to why he deserves a second term.  There are so many reasons why he is undeserving, but the one which really should stand out is his failure to protect America from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 A true leader would have made decisive and intelligent moves instead of spotty and incompetent actions. A true leader would have listened to medical experts instead of worry about his re-election. A true leader would have made protecting Americans his first priority instead of rushing to get things supposedly back to normal.  But we don't have a true leader. We have Trump. And he screwed it all up. Forget his speech because the one minute and 16 seconds it takes to watch this video is all you need to know.

'Log Cabin Republicans trying to duplicate Grenell's attempt to gaslight LGBTQ people for Trump' & other Thur midday news briefs

Richard Grenell

Log Cabin’s new project seeks to duplicate success of Grenell video - The gaslighting attempt continues.

Ric Grenell’s Claim Trump Helped Legalize Homosexuality Worldwide Is a Lie, Activists Say - This relates to the above post. 

 GOP resolution condemns org that tracks anti-LGBTQ hate groups with ties to Republican politicians - Another silly and useless attack on SPLC. 

U.S. appeals court sides with transgender student over bathroom access - Just in case you didn't hear, another victory for our community. 

What a second Trump term could mean for LGBTQ people - It wouldn't exactly be nice. It was already hell throughout these years but we gave as good as we were given and actually came out with some surprising victories. Still, it would be better to beat this beast by eliminating the head.

Donald Trump gave LGBTQ Americans lots of broken promises. Anyone telling you different is a liar.

Richard Grenell thinks he can fool LGBTQ Americans into supporting Donald Trump.

On Wednesday night during the Republican National Convention, openly gay former diplomat and Trump pick Richard Grenell is going to make a argument that Trump is pro-gay. It's a continuance of a video in which Grenell anointed Trump as the most pro-gay president in American history.

As proof of this claim, Grenell is no doubt going to pull out some human rights initiative by the Trump Administration which sought to decriminalize homosexuality around the world.   As luck would have it, an article came out in Wednesday's edition of the Daily Beast which said this initiative was nothing more than "smoke and mirrors" and that it accomplished absolutely nothing.

I wish I were surprised.

No matter what Grenell might say, please don't be taken in. Donald Trump is not pro-gay NOR is he pro-LGBTQ. In fact, the method in which Trump has dogged LGBTQ Americans should be considered the epitome of how Trump has dogged America in general.

If there is any group who has been the prime victim of 'Trumpism,' it's LGBTQ Americans. You know what Trumpism is, don't you? It's the art of stabbing people in the back while trying to make them grateful that you're touching them in the first place. Perhaps Trump believes that we are into psychological sadomaschism. Either that or he thinks we're stupid. Or maybe highly forgetful.

LGBTQ Americans are none of those things, especially that last one. We seldom forget when we've been done wrong. It goes along with the measured cynicism we have. It's a quality which we, to paraphrase a line from All About Eve, acquired the day we realized how different we were from other little boys and girls.

And when it comes to four years under the Trump Administration, we not only don't forget. We've been taking notes. Many, many notes.

Allow me to be blunt. Anyone claiming that Donald Trump is even a little bit pro-gay is either delusional or a liar more concerned with his status than with the rights and safety of LGBTQ people. Allow me to be even more blunt. By unashamedly helping to create a false narrative that Trump is pro-gay,  it is obvious that the only community Grenell seems to care about is comprised of only himself and maybe whatever  barely legal twink he has managed to corral for a time. (yeah, I know it's a stereotype, but this is war).

LGBTQ Americans do not forget that while running for office in 2016, Trump sent us this tweet:

Nor do we forget that after he was elected, Donald Trump instead silently declared an unofficial war on us, including the following seen below:

'COVID lockdown has led to depression in LGBTQ people' & other Wed midday news briefs

Coronavirus lockdown has led to depression in LGBTQ people - Yes it has. We really need to be there for each other, y'all.

Nigerian lesbian love film to go online to avoid censorship board - The struggle is real and it's universal, y'all. 

LGBTQ+ Californians Know Kamala Harris, We Know She Will Fight for Us - Amen. 

Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Years of LGBTQ Hypocrisy End With the Splash of a Pool Boy - And another one bites the dust. Junior gives us the karma we were denied with regards to senior.

Trump Jr's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, becomes the national laughing stock after insane speech at RNC convention

I feel the need to be "gay bitchy" today. That's being bitchy with a severe dash of evil. And Monday night's edition of the Republican National Convention provides so much material.

No matter how the GOP tries to spin it, last night's most memorable moment was the bonkers speech of Kimberly Guilfoyle, former Fox pundit and present girlfriend of Donald Trump, Jr. No doubt she was hoping to give this speech to a packed house. However, COVID put a dent in her plans. Still, girlfriend thought she was a "true diva" and decided to carry on.

She really shouldn't have as this shows:

No doubt when she screamed that the best is yet to come, she was thinking about the increase of pay she will be asking for should Trump get elected. Being Trump Jr's "girlfriend" and a "fundraiser" is obviously hard work.Expensive outfits, good teeth, hair, etc don't pay for themselves. And $15,000 a month simply isn't enough.

But folks decided look at her speech in other ways:

'Republican National Convention features racists, homophobes, and con men' & other Tue midday news briefs

Republican National Convention will feature racists, anti-LGBTQ activists & con men - No shit. But still, let's remember and take in account.

Looking Back at Kellyanne Conway's Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric - Guess who's leaving the Trump Administration because of "family" issues.

 A straight guy confronted anti-gay preachers on the street. They landed him in the hospital. - Be careful, folks. 

Donald Trump is trying to blame Joe Biden for the divided America which 'Trumpism' created - My post from last night deserves another look.

Bonkers preacher (who once said gays stick cellphones up our butts) claims Kamala Harris is trying to recreate Sodom and Gomorrah

Editor's note - When you're done reading this post, check out the post below it - Donald Trump is trying to blame Joe Biden for the divided America which 'Trumpism' created. Both of them prove that we have some screwed up people we need to fight (instead of each other and those wanting to represent our interests.)

 Patrick Wooden Declares That Kamala Harris Is ‘Trying to Turn America Into Sodom and Gomorrah’ - Well that nails it down. I'm REALLY supporting Senator Harris now. A little information about Patrick Wooden:

 Wooden is a preposterously vehement anti-gay activist who has claimed that gay men regularly shove objects such as cellphones, baseball bats, and animals up their anuses and has insisted that by the time gay men reach middle age, they “have to wear a diaper or a butt plug just to be able to contain their bowels” because of “what happens to the male anus.”

 Oh yeah. He naaasty! And a liar.

Donald Trump is trying to blame Joe Biden for the divided America which 'Trumpism' created

 Because he has absolutely no way to justify a second term, Trump is attempting to scare voters. He claims that Democratic nominee Joe Biden will create a violent and divided America. However, the images in this Don Winslow Films video show that Trump has already done just that during the four years we have been cursed to have him in the White House. It's not an easy video to watch but it is necessary for us to remember what we are fighting against. Especially during the Republican National Convention.

'State Dept fighting to deny US citizenship to gay couple's child' & other Mon midday news briefs

State Dept. fighting to deny US citizenship to gay couple's child - The Trump Administration lost but its appealing just to be ugly.

Los Angeles police slam 'callous' witnesses who filmed attack on 3 transgender women - Everything about this situation pisses me off. Let's NOT forget the bastards who stood by and did nothing or laughed when this was going on. 

Chasten Buttigieg gets blunt with Fox News during live interview - Oop! 

Mom asks LGBTQ people to send cards to trans teen left paralyzed after being brutally beaten - Address enclosed. Please do this if you can.

Court rejects anti-gay 'Save Chick-Fil-A' lawsuit

While we await the beginning of the upcoming disastrous nonsense (or as its called by its common name, the 2020 Republican National Convention) here is some recent news which I hope will be considered as sort of a good look charm for the week.

From the San Antonio Current:

A Texas appellate court has rejected a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio by conservative activists angered by council's decision not to allow Chick-fil-A to participate in an airport concessions contract. 

On Wednesday, the Fourth Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's ruling that allowed the suit move forward. The appeals court agreed with the city's argument that law protects it from being retroactively forced to rebid the contract. 

“We’re pleased that the Fourth Court of Appeals has dismissed this suit," City Attorney Andy Segovia said in a statement. "The plaintiffs tried to use the court to advance a political agenda, and we’re glad to see this matter put to rest.” 

The five plaintiffs sued last September after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law prohibiting local governments from discriminating against businesses for their owners' religious beliefs. The plaintiffs argued the decision not to include Chick-fil-A in the contract stemmed from its donations to Christian groups.

Let's hope the rest of the week goes well in general for us all, especially LGBTQ people.