'Trump's Labor Dept goes through with gutting LGBTQ workplace protections' & other Tue midday news briefs

Trump’s Labor Dept. Goes Through with Gutting LGBTQ Workplace Protections - See, this is why the jerk lost. We will get them back.

'Your kind is not welcome': Homophobic confrontation sparks debate in Wyoming - This is reality. Not the mess pushed by the anti-LGBTQ industry.

A gay Christian from Oklahoma finds identity and niche as athletics administrator at Stanford - Good for him!

16 celebrities who have come out as LGBTQ in 2020 - Because visibility matters.

Supreme Court hands huge victory to transgender youth with regards to locker rooms and bathrooms

I never thought I would be writing a post like this and though it's good news, I still don't trust the Supreme Court we have..

From the Associated Press:

The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up an appeal from parents in Oregon who want to prevent transgender students from using locker rooms and bathrooms of the gender with which they identify, rather than their sex assigned at birth. The case came from a school district near Salem, Oregon’s capital city. The federal appeals court in San Francisco had upheld a Dallas, Oregon, school district policy that allows transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Parents sued over the policy in 2017, saying it caused embarrassment and stress. A lower court refused to block the policy and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling, writing that the school district did not violate students’ constitutional rights or a law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs.

This case, at least for right now, is a huge victory for our transgender children.

'Biden pledges to lead the 'most pro-equality administration in American history'' & other Mon midday news briefs

President-Elect Joe Biden

Joe Biden makes pledge to lead the “most pro-equality administration in history” of America - Alright. You heard him, LGBTQ America. Keep him to his promise.

Orgy Organizer Says Politicians Across Europe Attend His Sex Parties - Looks like we have a huge scandal in the making. 

Pelosi holds firm to support for transgender kids under hostile questioning - Good for the Speaker!

It's a record year for LGBTQ representation in holiday movies - That's good . .. I guess.

'Drunk History' presents Incredible Moments in LGBTQ History

. 

Drunk History is a television show, created in 2007, in which a drunk person attempts to talk about a historical event.  The rendering is accentuated with actors portraying a historical figure and lip syncing the drunk person's words. The person telling the anecdote is usually a famous actor, podcaster, etc and they do actually get drunk while telling the story. 

According to the creator Derek Waters, it's not scripted. What you are seeing is genuine, albeit the end result of a long process which you can read about via this link. The main thing is that what you end up seeing is not staged. A inebriated person is telling a historical event, which is mostly historically accurate. The dialogue of the actors in the historical anecdote isn't accurate but the gist is always true.

For the purpose of this blog, the above video is about the Stonewall Uprising and Edie Windsor's successful marriage equality lawsuit. Regarding Stonewall, there have been a lot of vehement disagreement about who was there and what actually happened. Some people may get slightly peeved at this rendition of the uprising, while others may feel that an inebriated and comedic retelling of our history in general trivializes our struggle. 

Personally, I think Drunk History is as an interesting and refreshing perspective on historic lessons.

'Anti-gay Hungary prime minister is furious about top ally being arrested at a gay sex party' & other Fri midday news briefs

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is incandescent with rage over a top ally being arrested at a raucous gay sex party - Don't you just HATE it when that happens. LOL

A major insurance company is refusing to pay for a trans teenager’s health care - His family is suing and I hope they win. 

Comedian Leslie Jones verbally obliterates Donald Trump and his presidency in 55 seconds - Last night's post. Leslie Jones's rant was so therapeutic that I want to give it more coverage. 

House Dems pick openly gay lawmaker to lead campaign arm - Good. I'm all for it. 

Russian Activists Just Won an Important Battle Over LGBTQ Rights. But the War Is Far From Over - The struggle is real AND universal.

Comedian Leslie Jones verbally obliterates Donald Trump and his presidency in 55 seconds

Thank you, Leslie Jones for a very astute summary of Trump and his presidency.

The title of this post may seem like an exaggeration, but I think it's an understatement of what comedian and Saturday Night Live alumni Leslie Jones did to Donald Trump when she gave commentary of his nonsense. And even though she was commenting on his latest "the election was rigged" lie, Jones went all in on Trump, setting rhetorical fire to not only the lie but his entire presidency in 55 seconds. I firmly believe if she did this in his face, Jones would have reduced Trump to tears. Her commentary has already gone viral and has been described as "hilariously cathartic."  All I know is that she articulated what I've been wanting to say for four years. Definitely NSFW.

This is FUCKING EMBARRASSING!! pic.twitter.com/8fszMT8pbm

— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) December 3, 2020

'North Carolina ban on local protections for LGBTQ people expires' & other Thur midday news briefs

A New Day for Queer People in the South: North Carolina’s ban on local protections for LGBTQ people expires today. But more fights lie ahead. - Always the fight.

Corporate America loves LGBTQ people & anti-LGBTQ politicians - Geez, corporate America!

LGBTQ Organizations Urge Media to Stop ‘Deadnaming’ Transgender Stars After Elliot Page Comes Out - Amen. 

Nickelodeon Wants Its Next Kid Star to Be Trans or Nonbinary - I'm all for it.

Hate group 'expert' Peter Sprigg tries to pass off phony paper on 'ex-gay' therapy

Family Research Council fake analyst Peter Sprigg

Peter Sprigg is an employee of the SPLC- designated hate group the Family Research Council. When you read his biography, you see that he has no qualifications when it comes human sexuality, LGBTQ people, or any issues in general regarding the LGBTQ community.

But FRC pegs him as an expert in LGBTQ issues and as such, he has published many papers and studies on the community. Never mind that they are generally piss-poor and misleading. Sprigg just came out with another one in the same vein on the heels of the disastrous ruling I talked about  yesterday regarding 'ex-gay' therapy and minors. He summarizes it as such:

 

Sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), referred to by critics as "conversion therapy," have been criticized by LGBT activists for decades. Nevertheless, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA) continue to seek help in reducing homosexual conduct and SSA. In 2012, California became the first state to prohibit SOCE for minors by licensed mental health providers, and a number of states and localities have since imposed similar restrictions.

Critics use two arguments against SOCE -- that such therapy is ineffective, and that it is harmful. This paper addresses the latter argument, evaluating the scientific evidence of SOCE harms. A recent book noted 79 studies of SOCE. I found that 18 of the 79 studies (23 percent) do not contain any assertion or even discussion of the possibility of "harm" to individual clients resulting from SOCE. Another 28, or 35 percent, do assert or suggest that SOCE may be harmful, but feature no study subjects.

 Only a minority of the sources (33, or 42 percent) include studies or case reports on individuals who have undertaken SOCE. Only six studies (reported on in 11 of the sources) involved sample sizes of 50 or more SOCE clients. 

If you want to analyze Sprigg's nonsense, feel free. I chose not to for two reasons. The first is that Sprigg contradicts the premise of his paper in his own summary:

While these 79 studies do provide anecdotal evidence that some SOCE clients report the experience was harmful, they do not provide scientific proof that SOCE is more harmful than other forms of therapy, more harmful than other courses of action for those with SSA, or more likely to be harmful than helpful for the average client. If alleged "critical health risks" of SOCE cannot be found in these 79 studies, then it is safe to conclude that they cannot be found anywhere.

The claim that the evidence is "anecdotal" seems to be Sprigg's addition, i.e. the religious right tactics I pointed out yesterday -  cherry-picking scientific data and minimizing other scientific data which contradicts their desired conclusions.

The second reason why I refused to analyze Sprigg's silly paper is because the book he claimed to have received the studies from was published by an ex-gay activist. That raises a  serious question of credibility.

So in other words, Sprigg claims to have analyzed 79 studies used in a book by an ex-gay activist and from this analyzation, he further claims that "ex-gay" therapy isn't more harmful than any other type of therapy. That is except for, as he put it, "anecdotal evidence." But Sprigg fails to provide a definition of what he considers "anecdotal evidence."

That would be a good question to ask him. Another good question would be why did he choose that book while ignoring statement after statement after statement from legitimate medical groups and experts about the harm of "ex-gay" therapy?

Or how about the statement from several former "ex-gay" leaders who came together to condemn the practice and say it doesn't work?

Or how about the testimony of people who survived "ex-gay" therapy?

Or are the answers to these questions that obvious?

'Member of Hungary's anti-LGBT government resigns after getting caught at alleged sex party' & other Wed midday news briefs

Member of Hungary's anti-LGBTQ government resigns after fleeing alleged sex party - Ooooooo! Y'all nasty! Hypocritical AND nasty! I say 'y'all' cause he wasn't the only one.

 
Federal judge rules requiring “proof” of gender identity for a passport is unconstitutional - Thank God we still have impartial courts for now. 

Two Lesbians of Color Named to White House Communications Staff - Keep it coming! Visibility matters! 

Biden recognizes LGBTQ survivors in World AIDS Day statement - What a true president does.

Bad ruling for 'ex-gay' therapy is a warning to LGBTQ Americans. Trump's judges have no problem showing their biases against us.

A bad ruling for 'ex-gay' therapy courtesy of two Trump appointed judges (Barbara Lagoa - top pic and Britt Grant - bottom pic) should send a message to LGBTQ Americans. The courts may become biased against us.

Last week, courtesy of two Trump-appointed justices, there was a shamefully bad ruling with regards to ex-gay therapy and minors.

From OnTop Magazine 

A federal appeals court on Friday struck down two local ordinances that prohibited therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT youth. Such therapies go by names such as “conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy,” “sexual orientation change efforts” or “ex-gay therapy.” A three-judge panel on the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta found that bans in the city of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, Florida violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The 2-1 decision was written by U.S. Circuit Judge Britt Grant. Joining Grant in the majority was U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa. Both judges were appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump.  

 What makes is especially awful was how the justices reached the decision. According to Atlanta Journal Constitution, one of the justices who struck down the ban, Britt Grant:

 . . . cited a 2009 report from the American Psychological Association that found there had been a complete lack of “rigorous recent prospective research” on the practice.

But as for evidence which proved the ban was necessary, Grant took a different point of view.

'Little Ben Shapiro all upset because holiday movie features a lesbian couple' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro complains about the holiday film Happiest Season for featuring a lesbian couple - Gasp and swoon! A holiday movie included LGBTQ people. Everyone knows that half of us go back to our Satanic cocoons during the holidays while the other half plots our evil plans for the coming year. Which half is usually decided by a coin flip.

New Study Shows Association between Negative Media Portrayals of Transgender People and Adverse Mental Health Outcomes - From the Department of "No Shit, Sherlock." 

Gay parents shouldn't both be on child's birth certificate, Indiana AG argues - Oh come on! Don't be so petty.

This frontline healthcare worker is changing the conversation around transgender people - Sometimes, our heroes are the ones you don't notice.

Reminder - Donald Trump waged a silent but deadly war against LGBTQ America. Here are the 'receipts'

Reminder of Trump's 2016 broken promise to our community.

Far be it from me to be "that guy," but I have to point out that there are still some people out there who do not think that Donald Trump did any harm to the LGBTQ community during his four years in power. And to compound this awful belief is that some of these folks are our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. 

Yep, believe it or not, there are some members of the LGBTQ community who think that Donald Trump did no harm to us. 

I could spend a long time deconstructing and analyzing this fact, but I think it would serve us better - at least for now - to list some of the ways the Trump Administration undermined LGBTQ safety and equality. 

Here are just a few courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign:

In the Workplace  

Supported employment discrimination against LGBTQ people: The Trump administration   submitted amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting discrimination against LGBTQ people. 

Banned transgender service members from the military: Against the expert advice of military leadership, medical authorities, budget analysts, 70% of Americans and the armed forces of allied countries, Trump and Pence banned transgender people from serving in the military. 

Rolled back Obama-era non-discrimination protections: Trump’s Department of Justice upended previous DOJ interpretations of the Civil Rights Act that protect transgender and non-binary workers from employment discrimination and ceased enforcing non-discrimination protections as well as taking a hostile stance to LGBTQ workers in court. 

Issued rule to license discrimination: Trump’s Department of Labor issued a regulation designed to allow federal contractors to claim a religious exemption to fire LGBTQ workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

'Former Starbucks employee claims she was fired for not wearing Pride t-shirt. Situation may be more complicated' & other Mon midday news briefs

Starbucks lawsuit may be less about religious beliefs and more about behavior.

Barista fired after telling coworkers they “need Jesus” if they wear a Pride t-shirt. She’s suing. - Before Fox News and the rest of that crowd begin spinning lies, please be informed about what allegedly happened. She claims Starbucks fired her for refusing to wear a "Pride t-shirt." However, Starbucks is claiming that her comments during the situation caused problems. Guess which side of the story Fox News and company will be furiously pushing. 

What Happens in Georgia Will Affect Every LGBTQ+ American - Two elections in Georgia could mean control of the Senate. The Democrats get that and more pro-LGBTQ bill could be passed. 

Nearly half of LGBTQ adults are religious, U.S. study finds - So this idea that there is a "gays vs. religion" narrative is false.

How We Became The First Real-Life Gay Couple In A Starbucks Holiday Ad — And Why It Matters - Wonderful article.

Biden wanting to undo damage Trump did to LGBTQ rights

President-Elect Joe Biden

According to the Associated Press via  Talking Points Memo, President-Elect Joe Biden is planning to repair the damage done to LGBTQ rights and equality by the Trump Administration. Two acts he may be looking into are the passage of the Equality Act and removing Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military. 

Any action Biden undertakes promises be a fight and no doubt the religious and anti-LGBTQ right will be ready to fundraise and spread lies about gays "recruiting" children, gays wanting to "imprison" or bankrupt" Christians, "men using bathrooms with little girls," or whatever horror story they work up.

Goodness knows, there is no end to the boogiemen and horror scenarios they will spew should Biden be prepared to do these things:

Appoint an array of LGBTQ people to federal government positions. There’s wide expectation that Biden will nominate an LGBTQ person to a Cabinet post, with former presidential contender Pete Buttigieg among the possibilities.

Reverse Trump administration policies carving out religious exemptions allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people by social service agencies, health care providers, adoption and foster care agencies and other entities.

 Reinstate Obama administration guidance directing public schools to allow transgender students to access bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams in accordance with their gender identity. The Trump administration revoked this guidance. 

 Allocate federal resources to help curtail violence against transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. Rights groups say at least 38 transgender or gender-nonconforming people have been killed in the U.S. this year.

 Support legislative efforts to ban so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors.

 Bolster federal efforts to collect comprehensive data about LGBTQ people in the U.S. by adding questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to national surveys. 

Ensure that LGBTQ rights are a priority for U.S. foreign policy and be prepared to use pressure tactics, including sanctions, against foreign governments violating those rights.

As the article further points out, Trump's ability to create a conservative-majority SCOTUS and place conservative judges on the bench in general  could mean that any legal fight LGBTQ people have will be brutal and any victory we receive will be hard-won.

People are angry about Hallmark's gay Christmas movie. Good. Let them stay mad.

Hallmark gay holiday movie, 'The Christmas House' has some people upset. Let them stay mad.

The Hallmark Channel recently made LGBTQ history:

The festive card company, which has released a slew of holiday-themed films through its TV network, the Hallmark Channel, has previously faced criticism for a lack of diversity. The Hallmark Channel showed its first same-sex wedding earlier this year, in the film Wedding Every Weekend, which debuted in August. The Christmas House follows Brandon Mitchell (played by Mean Girls’ Jonathan Bennett) and his husband Jake (Brad Harder) as they try and adopt their first child

The movie premiered Sunday and, as Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune put it, "the Earth continued to spin on its axis."

That is with the rest of us. Amongst the anti-LGBTQ right and its supporters, it struck like a calamity of Biblical proportions. The usual cast of characters threw a fit. They made sure to treat the situation like a case of LGBTQ people acting like the zombies of World War Z, albeit better dressed and with a more festive attitude, while we "forced" Hallmark to cater to our supposed agenda. 

One anti-LGBTQ activist said the following:

Monica Cole of One Million Moms says she saw it coming. Hallmark executives began feeling the pressure last year, she recalls, when powerful LGBT groups pushed for more “inclusive” content after the channel, owned by Crown Media, stirred up their anger by caving to Cole's group over a TV ad. In a two-week tug-of-war, Cole and One Million Moms had convinced Hallmark to pull a Zola ad featuring kissing lesbians only to watch the other side howl in protest. Hallmark reinstated the ad and apologized for the "hurt and disappointment" it had caused.

But Cole's objections can't even begin to rank to the anger expressed by those sending in comments on the same site which quoted her (click on the graphics to read them):

'YouTube removes anti-trans PragerU videos' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

YouTube removed anti-trans PragerU videos for violating hate speech policies - YouTube does something right. 

Kristen Stewart on 'gray area' of only gay actors playing gay characters - It is a very gray area and I don't feel just one way about it. I do, however, recognize the need for gay actors to have more opportunities. 

See the Full 2020 Out100 List Here - Congratulations to all of those who made the list, which I one day hope to be a part of. 

Trump’s Anti-LGBTQ Agenda Has Been Hidden in Plain Sight - So true. Amen.

Bye Don - Video recreates the sweetness of Donald Trump's election loss

 Editor's note - I apologize for not posting today. A medical situation happened in my family. It's not big deal and everything is fine.

While posting this video may seem petty to some, it's just a reminder of what Americans can do when we work together. Trump will most likely be remembered as the worst president of all time and a scourge on the greatness of this country. In addition all of his sour grapes lawsuits are failing, thereby creating an even sadder legacy.

But as of now, he won't be remembered for having two terms. We caused that to happen.

Anti-LGBTQ religious right pushing passive-aggressive support of Trump's attempted election coup

Gary Bauer (top pic) and Tony Perkins (bottom pic) are just two members of the anti-LBGTQ religious right giving passive-aggressive support to Trump's attempt to steal election from Joe Biden.

How does the anti-LGBTQ religious right stand on Trump's attempt to cheat his way to second term in spite of the fact that he clearly lost the election to Joe Biden?

Do I even have to ask? 

On Thursday, Trump's legal team, led by former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, held a press conference about the matter. It was panned as bizarre and surreal but totally devoid of any proof that Trump had been cheated out of a second term.

According to one Mediate article:

Not even Vincent LaGuardia Gambini could successfully litigate the groundless voter fraud cases being brought to various state courts by President Donald Trump’s campaign. But that isn’t stopping Rudy Giuliani from trying — by summoning the spirit of the titular lawyer from the ’90s comedy classic My Cousin Vinny, no less. In an utterly bizarre sequence during a Thursday news conference in Washington, the former New York mayor channeled his Big Apple compatriot, actor Joe Pesci, in an effort to claim that Trump campaign representatives were stationed too far away to meaningly observe the ballots being tallied. (The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected this claim on Tuesday.) 

 And Giuliani wasn't the only one called out for oddball behavior:

Rudy Giuliani got things off to a wild start at the press conference held by President Donald Trump’s legal team, but Sidney Powell was next up to speak, and she cranked things up a notch…or several. Powell, known for representing Michael Flynn before Trump, spoke days after after claiming that the CIA is involved in the Dominion voter fraud conspiracy theory, which has been embraced by Trumpworld since the 2020 election ended. She began by claiming that the “massive influence of communist money through Venezuela, Cuba, and likely China” is the reason why Joe Biden won.

And besides Twitter, several members of the media were highly critical. CNN's Jake Tapper called it a "hot mess" while Fox News's Kirsten Fisher played fact-checker supreme by pointing out the many lies Giuliani and company told

However at One News Now, a "news source" run by anti-LGBTQ hate group the American Family Association, the reaction to the press conference was, shall we say, a bit more positive to Trump's point of view. Not only that, but the article included comments from various religious right figures which left me wondering just what press conference had they viewed:

"I just found myself hoping and praying that enough Americans were hearing [this new conference] because through the filter of the news, many of them will never know any of that. And I think no matter what side you're on, you're going to be concerned if you hear the evidence that Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell laid out about the corruption in this election." - Sandy Rios, American Family Association 

 "We haven't seen the evidence yet – we today heard it described and it's very troubling … and I certainly believe that Donald Trump and Mike Pence won the presidential election. But courts are going to be very reticent to take the risk of throwing out legitimate votes because other votes were illegal or produced from fraud." - Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families 

 "The Trump campaign conference this morning gave me hope: hope that there are still some truly great Americans who love this country enough to go to the mat to save it." Janet Mefferd, Christian radio talk-show host

And it gets more interesting. 

'Karine Jean-Pierre is 'top candidate' to be Biden's press secretary' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Karine Jean-Pierre

Lesbian political powerhouse Karine Jean-Pierre is the “top candidate” to be Biden’s press secretary - Oh that would be sweet! Representation matters.

Two terrifyingly anti-LGBT+ candidates running for Virginia governor want to make queer people ‘second class’ citizens - This is bad. Really bad. 

New York to Offer ‘X’ Gender Marker on Driver's Licenses - Good for New York! 

LGBTQ advocates call 1st Islamic school for transgender students in Bangladesh a "positive step," but not enough - The struggle is universal, y'all.

Catholic League's Bill Donohue falsely claims Biden is launching 'assault on life, marriage, the family, and sexuality'

Catholic League head Bill Donohue isn't smiling when he thinks about Joe Biden as president. Maybe that's not a bad thing.

While some members of the religious right may be holding out for the ridiculous notion that Donald Trump's frivolous lawsuits will give him a second presidential term, the Catholic League isn't taking any chances.

The Catholic League, rumored by many to be only one guy - Bill Donohue - and a fax machine, recently went all out in attacking President-Elect Joe Biden.

From The New Civil Rights Movement:

A Catholic lobbying organization with close ties to the Catholic Church in America has just issued an attack on President-elect Joe Biden. The Catholic League says Biden’s policies will “create confusion” among the Catholic faithful, and his religion – Biden is a devout Catholic – “complicates matters” for the Roman Catholic Church. The group doesn’t even assert that Biden is President-elect, a jab at the top Democrat who has served his country as an elected official for 44 years. “Assuming Joe Biden is chosen as president next month by the Electoral College, he will pose a problem for the bishops,” Catholic League President Bill Donohue says in his latest press release. He adds that “the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop José Gomez, indicated this week that the bishops are already beset by Biden.”

Donohue claimed that Biden's position is an “scheduled assault on life, marriage, the family, and sexuality [which] looks to be on automatic pilot.”  By this, Donohue meant Biden's stance on abortion. And, of course, LGBTQ equality. Particularly that of the transgender community:

(Donohue) goes on to attack transgender people as engaging in a “fictional quest,” and calls the LGBTQ Equality Act “the most serious assault on religious liberty ever countenanced.” He warns it “would lead to an assault on the autonomy of Catholic hospitals and ensure that boys who think they are girls can compete against biological girls, sharing locker rooms and showers with them.” 

So that's the second false accusation against Biden with regards to the transgender community in two days. The first was from former Focus on the Family head James Dobson.

I think we can predict a pattern of possibly how the anti-LGBTQ industry will go after Biden here/.

'YouTube helping PragerU fundraise off of transphobia' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

YouTube is helping PragerU fundraise off of transphobia - What the hell? Get with it, YouTube! 

Candace Owens gets backlash from Harry Styles fans over 'bring back manly men' tweet - Bring back people who get fame by honestly working for it instead of exploiting resentment. Her BLEXIT gimmick is dying so Owens needs a new thing to keep the little bit of relevancy she has. 

Lil Nas X shut down a failed Republican candidate that came for him on Twitter with just seven words - Second verse. Same as the first.

Do homophobic attack ads work? It's complicated. - Something worth knowing.

James Dobson mourns Trump's loss, spews transphobic lies at Biden

James Dobson

Whether they like it or not, the religious right has to deal with the fact that Donald Trump lost the recent presidential election and come January will no longer be president. This means they are going to lose all of their access to the White House and the ability to meddle in and muck up policy issues. 

While some are spinning portents of doom and despair, others are handling it with a heavy heart such as former Focus on the Family head James Dobson: 

There is a heaviness within my spirit today on behalf of our beloved nation. I’m sure I share that sentiment with many of you. In a sense, Shirley and I are also grieving over the potential passing of an era, during which I believe God gave America a spiritual reprieve. President Donald Trump was partially responsible for this crucial change of trajectory.

Dobson neglects to say exactly why God chose Trump to be the vessel of a spiritual reprieve for America. I guess he was too busy attempting to paint Trump as a hardworking Christian man besieged by people attempting to destroy him at every turn.

 People who know the President best tell us he is one of the most hard-working and dedicated men ever to serve in the Oval Office. We saw that indefatigable nature during his final campaign, when he once held nine rallies in two days. He is also remarkably resilient. The media and his political opponents hammered him every day for four years. There was never a respite. President Trump arose every morning knowing he would be unfairly ridiculed and attacked from morning to night. . . . Yes, I admire Donald Trump. He is sometimes brash and aggressive. But as a New York entrepreneur and as a president under siege, he has had to be tough to deal with his challenges. But there is no doubt that he loves America and its people. Speaking personally, I will miss his presence on the national stage when he is no longer our President. 

For someone who opposes gay marriage, Dobson seem to be making a strong case why he will divorce his wife and marry Trump.

'Paramount releases trailer for its gay holidays romance' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

WATCH: Paramount releases trailer for its gay, holidays romance - This promises to be good.

Meet the trans teen becoming one of the first female Eagle Scouts - Way to go!

In Poland, hate is spreading against LGBTQ, Jews, Muslims - Just like that, our people have a serious problem in Poland.

Gillian Anderson’s portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Crown is bringing up painful memories for the LGBT+ community - I never realized how much Thatcher was disliked until after she died. She was an appallingly awful woman, particularly when it came to LGBTQ people

LGBTQ Trump supporters get reminded of 'their place' at 'Million MAGA March'

Some LGBTQ people are still under the illusion that Trump supports us.

Last weekend, a few thousand Donald Trump fans went to DC to protest his election loss to former Vice President Joe Biden. Urged on by Trump, these silly folks contended that the election was rigged and thereby stolen from Trump. Of course the only proof they had were bad conspiracy theories and a lot of resentment that the Trump presidency was pretty much over. However, they refused to let that bother them aathey wrapped themselves up in American flags, donned their bright-red MAGA hats and demonstrated their ignorance before God and Man alike.

According to LGBTQNation, two of the organizers of the event were gay Trump supporters:

Brandon Straka, a hairdresser who founded the “Walk Away” movement meant to convince LGBTQ people to abandon the Democratic Party, will co-host a Sunday morning “Rescue America” rally with other third-rate Twitter activists and pundits. Scott Presler, another gay man who has made a name for himself online with his rabid support for President Donald Trump, will speak at the main event on Saturday.

The publication was also quick to point out how these folks were uniting with several not-necessarily LGBTQ supporting groups such as white supremacists, wannabe Nazis, and militia groups. Regardless, apparently Straka, Presler, and any other LGBTQ people supporting Trump actually made it out of the event in one piece. However, something did take place which puts the sad irony of being an LGBTQ Trump supporter on display.

'Does Justice Alito's anti-gay bias present a problem at the Supreme Court?' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

SCOTUS Justice Alito

Justice Alito begins full-court press on LGBTQ rights by claiming that marriage equality ruling censors people - Justice Alito was never afraid to show his anti-LGBTQ bias and this presents a huge problem. And also a huge asset. 

For the LGBTQ community, family brings extra benefits and costs - Yep! Always. 

Ritchie Torres Never Dreamed He’d Be First Black Latino Gay Man Elected To Congress - But you are, Ritchie! You are! (Sorry for the bad Baby Jane impression there). 

Why Lena Waithe says being a Black queer woman has helped her in Hollywood - Good article.

Video Details The Top 10 Scandals of the Obama Administration

 

 

The above video by The Daily Show needs a wider audience because it opens up a conversation that America is too scared (and/or "too white") to have. I've always believed that things are chaotic now because of one thing - the election of Barack Obama as president. 

Why? 

Because a black man becoming president was such a new concept, it caused extreme trepidation in a lot of Americans. And unfortunately, our media - PARTICULARLY Fox News - chose to exploit this fear by constantly insinuating that Obama was a "Manchurian leader," that "he hated America," that he "bowed to foreign leaders," etc., etc.  They took the most ridiculous situations and pumped them up to scandalous proportions.

They told so many lies about how Obama is trying to destroy America that it ultimately led to where we are now - an America fearful and totally untrustworthy of our own institutions. An America which elected an incompetent fool who not only led us to the brink but also is presently challenging truth itself  in hopes of a second term in spite of losing the recent election. And what's worse, he has a lot of Americans backing him up; Americans have been fed garbage for years by the media who was supposed to give us objective truth but decided to err on the side of exposure, bias, and greed.

The above video is proof of how it all started. It would be hilarious if it all weren't true. But seeing that it is true, it's downright scary.

'How will Biden support LGBTQ rights' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

Biden talked a big game on LGBTQ rights. Here's what his agenda may look like. - Nothing wrong with asking about it.

Lena Waithe talks Black LGBTQ representation, 'bittersweet' election win for Kamala Harris - A really good interview. 

Trump’s gay outreach director thanked a war criminal for his “service” on Veterans Day - Because Richard Grenell is a basic moron.

West Virginians Sue Over State Ban on Gender-Affirming Health Coverage - And I hope they win.

'Bury Your Gays' trope is powerful reminder of what LGBTQ people are fighting against

 

From YouTube:

Throughout the many LGBTQ stories that have been told onscreen, there is one dominant theme: suffering. From the "Bury Your Gays" trope that sees queer characters dying far more frequently than straight characters, to stories that foreground the struggles of LGBTQ lives, we rarely allow them to be happy. So why have we insisted on making queer characters miserable? Here’s our Take on how this trope has dominated LGBTQ representations over the years, and whether we can get to a place where suffering isn’t always part of their story.

The video is powerful and worth watching. It's reminder that in terms of LGBTQ progress, the struggle isn't over.

Related post - Bury Your Gays

'Biden adds transgender veteran to his transition team' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

President-Elect Joe Biden

Biden adds transgender veteran to presidential transition team at Department of Defense - In addition to several other LGBTQ people added to Biden's transition team. This is good so far.

Wentworth Miller Says He’s Done With ‘Prison Break’ And Playing Straight Men - This is an interesting first. 

New ‘blueprint’ lights way for Biden to reverse Trump policies on LGBTQ rights - Wonderful! Let's get it started. 

"10,000 Portraits of Queer America" Bring Joy and Sanity - I think I may have posted this as a news brief item a while back. If I did, so what. I'm posting it again. Such a wonderful project. It brings me comfort to simply see the pictures.

Franklin Graham's support of Trump ignites a family feud over Billy Graham's legacy

 

According to a very juicy article in Mountain Xpress from Asheville, NC, Donald Trump has ignited a feud between the family of the late prominent pastor Billy Graham.  On one side stands his son and very vocal Trump supporter Franklin Graham. And on the other is his grandchildren, Aram Tchividjian,and  Jerushah Duford, and their mother and Graham's daughter Gigi Graham Tchividijian. Apparently this feud partly stems from Franklin's claim in 2019 that his father voted for Trump in 2016. 

I hadn’t shared who my father @BillyGraham voted for in 2016 but because of @CTMagazine’s article, I felt it necessary share now. My father knew [Trump], believed in him & voted for him. He believed Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in the history for our nation. 

 

Tchividjian, while not outwardly calling his uncle a liar, got highly shady with his response.

I’ll never forget that day in 2016 when my grandfather @BillyGraham, shrugged off the symptoms of Parkinson’s and hydrocephalus, got up out of bed for the first time in a year, drove down to the polling station, and cast his vote. What a glorious memory!

 

According to Mountain Xpress, this exchange blew open the door: 

 For those who hadn’t followed the insular world of evangelical Christianity, this exchange blew into full view a rip in the Graham family’s fabric that mirrors a larger split within the entire evangelical community – a split likely to be accelerated by Trump’s defeat for re-election. Tchividjian and his more outspoken sister, Jerushah Duford, whose mother, Gigi Graham Tchividijian, is Billy Graham’s oldest daughter, have emerged as the family’s most visible critics of their uncle and of Trump. Both have written several books, separately and together, about their grandfather and his worldwide ministry, which was rooted in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville. Although they are not the first among evangelicals to publicly charge Franklin Graham with undermining the memory of his father, the fact that they are bringing the charge from within the family brings powerful momentum to it. Graham declined to comment through a spokesperson.

In an exclusive interview with the publication, Duford called out her uncle for his support of Trump, which she also contends is hurting her grandfather's legacy and the overall integrity of Christianity:

“My grandfather’s goal was to introduce people to the saving love and grace of Jesus and he stayed out of politics for the most part because he knew that he would alienate an audience if he was involved,” Jerushah, 42, said, then adding a reference to her uncle: “He is too polarizing of a personality to be introducing people to Jesus. People outside the church are not going to listen to Franklin.” Her brother, two years older, said that his uncle Franklin’s public claim about Billy Graham voting for Trump was “such blatant baloney” that he couldn’t resist responding with the sarcastic tweet. Tchividjian said that he now regards his uncle and Trump as “two peas in a pod.”

The article deserves reading and sharing. It also proves yet again that karma does not play. 

'Embrace Your Bullsh!t' - The Top Five Times the Religious Right practically swooned over Donald Trump

One thing we must never forget about the Donald Trump presidency is how quickly and often the religious right pandered to him.

Remember, while presently watching this mess going down with Trump refusing to concede the election wihch he fairly lost, the increase in COVID infections, and the general chaos, how conservative evangelicals contributed to it all.  These self-appointed religious leaders have done nothing and said nothing to quell the situation.  They only cared about what Donald Trump gave them and as long he gave them goodies (access to the White House, photo ops, policies favoring their desires, conservative judges), they threw plaudits after him as if he were the Second Coming of Jesus. They didn't give a damn about the damage he was doing to the country. Most likely, they still don't.

 

First is Gary Bauer. His claim to fame is being the first president of hate group the Family Research Council and undermining the fight against AIDS while working in the Reagan Administration. According to Reagan's Surgeon General, the late C. Everette Koop, Bauer undermined his ability to communicate to Reagan the severity of AIDS because he felt it "God's punishment."

Next is former Focus on the Family head James Dobson, the one who thinks that gays have thousands of sexual partners.

I'm including two times from Franklin Graham because honestly if kissing Trump's ass was an Olympic sport, they would have to create a special medal in Graham's honor.

And last but not least, the following is simply an embarrassing display of obsequiousness:

You love Donald Trump? Good Lord, James Dobson!
 

'Aspiring transgender soldiers call on Biden to restore their right to serve' & other Tue midday news briefs

Aspiring Transgender Soldiers Call On Biden To Restore Their Right To Serve - Damn right! Keep the promise, Joe.

Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Will Move to States, With Trump Judges to Defend Them - And here we go. Let's gear up for battle. 

Adrian Tam defeats local Proud Boys leader, becomes 1st gay Asian American in Hawaii House - Good for him. 

Don Lemon celebrates Biden’s victory, rips into antigay Trump supporters who’ve made his life hell - Give em hell, Don.

Michelle Bachmann wants God to use 'iron rod' to smash the 'delusion' of the presidential election

Michele Bachmann

While some conservative evangelicals such as Franklin Graham and Tony Perkins are playing coy with the news of Trump's defeat, others are reacting badly. And by badly, I mean hilariously. Far be it from me to make fun of the disappointment of others, but these folks exploited their faith for worldly power and now it's blowing up in their faces.

Sympathy should not be on the menu for them. 

But if you ask me, the one who wins the booby prize has to be former Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann. Bachmann, who has been known for basic homophobia, took it upon herself to appeal to God to use his "iron rod" in order to smash the outcome of the recent presidential election . . . in a figurative sense of course.

Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann calls on God to "smash the delusion, Father, that Joe Biden is our president. He is not." pic.twitter.com/gqoFP97ipT

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 9, 2020

I'm trying to keep from making corny jokes. Really I am. But it's hard. Harder than the rod Bachmann wants God to use (whoops! there I go!)

'Fort Lauderdale out mayor faced intimidation & slurs. He was still reelected' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

Fort Lauderdale’s out mayor faced intimidation & slurs from Trump supporters. He was still reelected. - Perseverance defined. 

Congress will have record number of LGBTQ lawmakers next session - Sweet! 

Claire McCaskill Sorry for Blaming 'Transsexuals' for Democrat Losses - Yes you should be. Totally wrong and inappropriate on so many levels.

LGBTQ rights may be safe at the Supreme Court -- for now - Emphasis on "for now."

With Trump's loss to Biden, anti-LGBTQ evangelicals will hopefully lose their White House access

With Donald Trump losing the election to Joe Biden, anti-LGBTQ Trump officials such as Roger Severino (bottom pic) will hopefully be out of a job and conservative evangelicals (posing with Trump in the first pic) will lose their ability to dictate White House policy. 

There are a lot of reasons why I, as a gay man, am looking forward to  the upcoming Biden Administration. Probably at the top of the list will be an elimination of the open door policy the White House had with the anti-LGBTQ right. 

Because of the support white evangelicals gave Trump in 2016 and beyond, he pretty much became their sugar daddy. When not personally obliging their wishes (such as creating a nonsensical ban on trans people serving in the military based on false information) he let them run amok in his administration and they not only did a lot of what they wanted to endanger LGBTQ equality and safety, they also bragged about their access.

 

The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins said in August (2017), “I’ve been to the White House I don’t know how many more times in the first six months this year than I was during the entire Bush administration.” The Susan B. Anthony List’s Marjorie Dannenfelser said she visited the White House seven times in Trump’s first 100 days in office. 

Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America said in September, “I’m told from people before me that even under George W. Bush, we didn’t have this kind of access. It certainly is unprecedented and we’re very grateful.” Land gushed about evangelicals having “unprecedented access” to the White House, adding that there “are more evangelicals in this administration as personnel than any administration in my lifetime.”

 In exchange for access and help on their policy priorities, Trump has earned the love of the Religious Right. Some called his election a miracle. Others determined that he must have personally come to Christ. Many have gone to bat for Trump’s most controversial comments and positions. An early campaign faith adviser started a group called POTUS Shield that is dedicated to shielding the president from spiritual attack. 

 

In exchange, Perkins and company continued to give Trump support or cover whenever his excesses attracted too much negative attention. The word "mulligan" comes to mind.