'Advocates brace for anti-LGBTQ backlash at state level after Biden victory' & other Wed midday news briefs

Advocates brace for anti-LGBTQ backlash at state level after Biden victory - Let's do this thing. Equality ain't supposed to be easy.

 
Montana House rejects transgender bill, advances abortion bills - One partial victory (women's health is an important issue)

Transgender birth certificate bill defeated, then given new life in the SD Statehouse - Well that sucks.

The Resistance hasn’t won yet. The war isn’t over. - So true.

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins lies about Trump's trans troops ban while attempting to smear Biden

FRC's Tony Perkins tells so many lies, he probably doesn't remember the definition of truth.

Yes, I know that to LGBTQ Americans, the fact that Family Research Council head Tony Perkins has has a habit of telling lies is rather passe. He and his group have told so many lies about us that if they ever accidentally told the truth, that would be the story.

But anti-LGBTQ industry lies about us are like lumps in oatmeal. Every time one pops up, you have to beat it down.

And this latest lie about President Biden is a doozy. Perkins is attempting - like the rest of the right, no doubt - to create a belief that some Americans are now having rethinking their votes for Biden. The fact that Perkins is attempting to pass along this talking point is simply more proof his hypocrisy. It wasn't that long ago that he and his group were a part of an effort to claim that Biden's win was the result of election fraud. So how can there be voter remorse if there was election fraud?

But it gets better. The entire theme of Perkins's piece is that Biden's honeymoon as president is supposedly over because he is costing Americans their jobs and prioritizing things like transgender rights:

Just three days in, the hashtag #BidenRemorse started popping up on social media. By then, the new president had stopped work on the border wall, shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline, and issued an oil and gas moratorium for drilling on federal land -- firing tens of thousands of workers in the process 

Yeah that's a lie. In a 2015 post, Media Matters (a group which catalogs conservative distortions) said the following:

 . . . an exhaustive study by the State Department concluded that the Keystone XL project will result in just 50 jobs, including “35 permanent employees and 15 temporary contractors.” Further, the report stated that spending on the project would support only 3,900 temporary construction jobs if construction lasted one year and just 1,950 temporary construction jobs if construction lasted two years. The report also states that a majority of potential other jobs supported by the project would come from “indirect and induced spending,” yet a recent Washington Post article detailed how the “indirect” job estimates themselves don't hold up, as some have already been created in anticipation of the pipeline, and most would last for less than a year . . .

But the centerpiece of Perkins' distortions about Biden is - guess who - us. Or more specifically, the transgender community. Ever since Biden took office, the religious right has accelerated lies and horror stories about transgender men and women. This particular lie has to do with his repeal of Trump's trans troops ban.

Unfortunately for our troops, the new president doesn't seem to care how his social experimentation affects our actual warfighting. Unlike Donald Trump, who insisted the military study the comprehensive effects of such a policy, Joe Biden -- from the so-called "party of science" -- has not asked for any updated information. In fact, he claimed this morning that opening the doors to transgenderism "does not have any meaningful negative impact on the Armed Forces" and "minimal" effect on "readiness and health care costs." 

 That's interesting, since the findings of then-Secretary James Mattis in 2018 were that the Obama administration had to ignore stacks of research to justify the change. After wading through 21 months of actual fallout, the DOD believed that introducing this type of gender chaos into the military presented a "considerable risk" to its "effectiveness and lethality." The memo does a great job dismantling the flawed and outdated RAND study that both Presidents Obama and Biden have used to prop up their decision. After almost two years of seeing the real impact on troops, the DOD argued that RAND had "mischaracterize[d] or overstate[d] the reports on which it rests its conclusions" (p. 39). "In fact," officials write, "the RAND study itself repeatedly emphasized the lack of quality data on these issues and qualified its conclusions accordingly" -- a fact the Biden administration hasn't bothered to mention.

So many lies:

'Black HIV leaders on what they want from Biden in 2021' & other Tue midday news briefs

Black HIV Leaders on What They Want From Biden in 2021 - Good article.

Honduran lawmakers vote to lock in bans on abortion, same-sex marriage - Come on folks. Don't be so hateful.

Biden DOJ nixes last-minute Trump administration memo on LGBTQ rights - Took place two days ago. Still nice to mention. 

Wentworth Miller Is Done With Gay Roles Defined By Struggle - I definitely see his point. Let's see some LGBTQ action heroes.

Do not forget the lies and liars who made Trump's trans military ban a reality

There are times when the LGBTQ community gain a victory, we don't wrap up loose ends. This generally puts us in a situation where we find ourselves in a new battle with the same forces we defeated before. Then we busy ourselves wondering how we can combat their techniques this time while forgetting that they were same techniques used against us in the last fight.

The recent situation regarding Biden's repeal of Trump's ban on transgender troops is a good example of what I'm talking about. Now when Trump announced the ban, he claimed that he consulted with his military leaders. But this turned out to be a lie. They too were caught by surprise. 

In that same month, America learned that the ban did not come about from genuine concern about the military. It actually came from the minds of the anti-LGBTQ industry with assistance from former Vice President Mike Pence.

According to LGBTQnation:

Multiple sources are saying that Mike Pence – along with some anti-LGBTQ activists – wrote the report behind Donald Trump’s new transgender military ban. The White House released a plan on Friday night to purge transgender people from the military, which revoked the previous transgender military ban that was announced last year. 

 Accompanying the new plan was a memo signed by Defense Secretary James Mattis and a report from the Department of Defense. Multiple sources told Slate that Mike Pence “played a leading role in the creation of this report,” along with anti-transgender activists Ryan Anderson and Tony Perkins. 

Anderson works at the right wing Heritage Foundation and recently wrote When Harry Became Sally, a book that claims that being transgender is a mental illness based on the narratives of “ex-transgender” people. Perkins works for the Family Research Council, an SPLC designated hate group. Another source told Think Progress that the report was a product of a “working group” led by Pence that produced a report with different conclusions from Mattis’s committee report. The source said that Pence “overruled” Mattis’s report, but did not explain exactly what that meant.

'President Biden eliminates Trump's transgender military ban' & other Mon midday news briefs

Joe Biden Repeals Donald Trump’s Transgender Military Ban - More proof that voting matters. Instead of a Trump second term in which more attacks on our rights, health, and safety were assured, LGBTQ Americans now have a president with our best interests at heart. And determined to fight for them.

Transgender Youth Bills Reflect Deep Divisions Across U.S. States - Reflect deep divisions my ass. It's simply the new wedge issue for the religious right And this right here is goddamn lie: 

Christiana Holcomb, legal counsel at the conservative nonprofit organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the plaintiffs in the Connecticut suit, said she is seeing a growing trend where lawmakers across the country are recognizing that it’s “a real problem” when state athletic associations or school districts allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports. 

 The ADF goes from state to state pushing this madness up, writing anti-LGBTQ bills for state legislators to pass, and then defending the mess in court. There is NO trend. Just them instigating and pushing lies. 

Anti-LGBTQ politician who proudly opposed conversion therapy ban is kicked out of his party - Happened in Canada, but still ding dong, the fool is gone.

They lived a 'double life' for decades. Now, these gay elders are telling their stories. - Sweet! 

Biden Admin Will Have LGBTQ+ Envoy, Allow Pride Flags at Embassies - Welcome back.

Roger Severino, the Trump appointee who targeted LGBTQ health, is out of a job

Since being appointed by Trump as director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS in 2017, Roger Severino seemed to have made it his mission to strip LGBTQ Americans of basic health rights. With Biden's victory in November, he is out of a job.

Editor's note - Ever since Biden won last November, I've been waiting with much anticipation to announce this news.

As of now, LGBTQ Americans have one less homophobe in government to worry about. Thanks to the Biden Administration, that is.

Roger Severino is gone from Health and Human Services. 

In March 2017, Severino was appointed by former president Donald Trump as director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His appointment created immediate and intense consternation within the LGBTQ community because he had a long history of employment with groups who worked against our rights and safety, such as the Heritage Foundation and the Becket Fund.

While with those groups, his job was to specifically target our rights. And while employed at HHS, he continued that endeavor:

In 2018, The Advocate claimed that he was attempting to "erase trans people out of existence" by pushing a memo which would say that gender identity doesn't exist and that gender is set at birth and defined by genitalia. 

Severino was also responsible for an attempt to create a rule which would roll back protections for the trans community against discrimination through Obamacare, and  a "conscience rule" which said any healthcare worker could deny services to LGBTQ people based on "moral or religious" reasons. In November 2019, three different federal courts struck down the rule and one court found that HHS exaggerated a justification for the rule. Severino was pointed out in an NPR article to have contributed to that exaggeration. 

While probably not as attention-grabbing as the Trump Administration's other exploits against LGBTQ Americans, Severino's actions had to potential to garner more negative repercussions. The Centers of Disease Control  and other major medical centers have pointed out that a major impediment to good LGBTQ healthcare is a fear of discrimination and stigma. We are scared of being outed, being humiliated, or even of possible violence This makes us less likely to seek out good physicians and the medical care we need. In addition, the stress created by this situation makes us more susceptible to depression, drug abuse, and STDs. 

Anything which undermines our ability to receive decent medical care, even if it is a rule which discriminates against us under the deceptive tone of "anti-religious discrimination," has the potential to have a negative effect our health. And the results would allow the anti-LGBTQ industry to exploit the evergreen trope of "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle."

My opinion is that Severino  knew this. And had Trump won a second term, he would have been able to do more damage to us.

But now, Severino is out of a job. He is no longer employed at HHS. Dismissed. Purged. Given "the old heave ho." No matter how you phrase it, that turkey is gone and I am extremely glad about it.  His page on the HHS site is also gone and in place of his name on the HHS leadership webpage is Robinsue Frohboese as 'acting director.'

From what one of my sources tells me, Frohboese previously served as principal deputy director of OCR (Office of Civil Rights). In addition, Frohboese worked for 17 years in the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, first as Senior Trial Attorney and subsequently as Deputy Chief. Lastly, Frohboese has played a key role in many civil rights initiatives and OCR’s implementation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.  

Isn't it nice to have a qualified person in this position instead of an overpaid lackey for anti-LGBTQ think tank? 

'Will Montana set up battle with Biden Administration over transgender rights?' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

Montana Pushes Anti-Trans Bills, Sets Up Battle With Biden Admin - And here we go. It's gonna be interesting. Whatever happens, the religious right will jump on this train and ride it for all it's worth. 

Biden inauguration attendees see promise in new day for LGBTQ Americans - I'm optimistic.

'The Prophets' imagines what's missing from Black queer history - Focusing on black gay men during slavery. Sounds intriguing even if it is fiction. And it should start more discussion on how Black LGBTQ history is limited. 

Advocates View Health Care as Key to Driving LGBTQ Rights Conversation - Yep. The religious right especially targeted us in health. Make it difficult for us to have healthy options and then blame the negative fallout on the so-called "homosexual lifestyle."

Homophobic reactions to Cadbury Eggs commercial get hilarious pushback

After four years of Trump, I guess we're back to normal with the religious right snatching up its petticoats and screeching about "homosexual indoctrination," boycotts, and cries of "won't someone PLEASE think of the children."

I received this email via the American Family Association:

 If you look forward to having your annual Cadbury Crème Egg each Easter season, you might not like how the company celebrates the risen Savior. Cadbury just released a commercial that has resulted in a backlash of comments from Christians and non-Christians alike. Everything from "disgusting" and "very disappointing" to "yech" and "gross." 

 Todd Starnes best describes the ad this way: "It's like Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp' scene where the two dogs share spaghetti. Except, it's two grown men spinning around in a circle and sharing a creme-filled chocolate egg in a sexualized way." 

 The 10-second segment is part of a longer commercial called "Crème Egg Golden Goobilee," showing ways to eat a Cadbury Crème Egg. You can see it here. Warning: This video is graphic and offensive. Cadbury makes a huge push to sell its Crème Eggs in America during the Easter season each year.

 A portion of each sale goes to help finance Cadbury's social agenda that has nothing to do with chocolates and candies. If U.S. sales are strong, Cadbury just might bring this ad to American televisions for your children to see. Taking a stand now will send a strong signal that their eggs are cracked up.

First of all, there is no controversy about this commercial (except for the AFA) and Todd Starnes (who probably wishes he had someone to share a Cadbury egg with). But as hinted by AFA and confirmed by an LGBTQNation article, this ad isn't even running in America. 

It's a British commercial.

But since grifters have to grift, AFA linked to a 10 second segment about the ad:

'Ban on transgender troops strongly looking to be a thing of the past' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

Joe Biden’s defense pick wants to allow trans people to serve in the military again - Damn right. Kiss that ban goodbye.

Biden to reverse transgender military ban imminently, White House says - More on this issue.

LGBTQ+ Americans Express a Weary Hope With Biden-Harris Inauguration - We are tired but still pressing on.

San Diego’s First Gay Mayor Of Color Plans To Reshape America’s ‘Finest City’ - This sounds interesting.

Religious right leader ignores facts to assert that he isn't ashamed of supporting Donald Trump

Donald Trump is gone. He is no longer president. In his place is Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. With their ascension comes optimism that America can repair all of the damage Trump caused over a course of four years.

But he is not without his defenders. Chief amongst them is anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council and its president, Tony Perkins. Perkins took it upon himself to praise Trump in long diatribe saluting not only the former president, but the members of his administration who  stayed until Biden took over so that they could add last minute policy changes and rules.

These policy changes and rules include a  ridiculous piece of something attacking trans athletes here, something enshrining the right-wing bastardization of "religious freedom" there, and a bit about abortion sprinkled throughout. Hopefully now that Biden has taken over, these policy changes and such will be eliminated. However, they are a  good personification of the relationship which Trump had with religious conservatives these past four years. It had nothing to do with integrity or values.  It was all about what Perkins and company wanted, what Trump gave them,  and what he got in exchange. He gave them the bigoted legislation and policies and the conservative judges they wanted and they kissed his butt as if it were a holy relic left over from Jesus' crucifixion.

The last part of Perkins' cloying piece is especially nauseating:

 . . . while the media and far-Left drone on about how ashamed Americans should be for supporting this president, I refuse to be. This administration wasn't just about one man -- it was about thousands of people living out their conviction for us. They leave these four years exhausted, but they should also leave them proud. Because regardless of how the chapter ended, the story of what they achieved matters. 

 Really Tony? You refuse to be ashamed of supporting Trump simply because of what you were able to get from him. Let's talk about the costs of a Trump administration:

This video should probably be considered irrelevant 

if you think  that 400,000 deaths from COVID thanks to Trump's incompetence is irrelevant to a proclamation on the National Sanctity of Human Life Day 2021. Because apparently saying that you're "pro-life" always outweighs actually doing the work which saves lives,

if you think that it's perfectly fine to support a leader who has told over 30,000 lies if he makes it allowable for "faith-based" groups  to discriminate against the LGBTQ community while receiving our tax dollars, and

if you think that the 26 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct don't matter because his administration pushes anti-transgender rules based upon the false notion that trans women have an unfair advantage against cis women in sporting events. 

Perkins doesn't have to be ashamed of his support of Trump. The rest of us have enough shame for him. And history will definitely heap on more.

''Straight Pride' organizer arrested in connection to Capitol insurrection' & other Wed midday news briefs

“Straight Pride” organizer arrested in connection to MAGA riots - Whoops! Lock 'em up!

After Trump 'onslaught': What LGBTQ advocates want from Biden's first 100 days - Heck, I've got MY list.

Pa. Trans Health Secretary Rachel Levine Tapped by Biden for HHS - In case you haven't heard. Wonderful news on so many levels.

Indiana's first home dedicated to LGBTQ youths set to open - And we need more in other places.

'Seasons of Trump' - Randy Rainbow's deliciously wicked goodbye song to Donald Trump

 

 

Randy Rainbow sustained our sanity and helped get us through four awful years of the Donald Trump Administration, so he deserves the final word as we say GOODBYE (and please don't come back) to the Trump White House. And his final world is a barn burner. Months from now, you will still be talking about Seasons of Trump.

'Homophobic employee fired from restaurant after kicking out married gay couple' & other Tue midday news briefs

Gay married couple ‘kicked out’ of restaurant by homophobic employee for daring to show affection in public - And the fool got fired. Bye bye! 

Founder of two hate groups is scared that the “radical left” will “bring more LGBTQ propaganda” - Dobson says propaganda, we say equality. Deal with it, Dobson.

Conservative legislators want transgender kids' lives as the new battlefield in their culture war - We've been forewarned so let's not sit on our asses and allow the scapegoating of our trans children to happen.

New Documentary Series Zooms Into Transgender Lives In The Trump Era - So that we don't forget.

New conspiracy claims Trump and Biden will exchange faces (and Facebook put me jail) - The Last Two Days of the Trump Years

While we are rejoicing the last days of the disaster that is the Trump presidency, things are winding down in interesting ways:

1. While attempting to clamp down on misinformation and the violence which can lead to it - ie the riot at the Capitol two weeks ago -  Facebook has restricted a bunch of accounts for pretty much no reason at all. 

And yes, mine is one. 

Until January 23, I can't share any blog posts or personal opinions in any groups accept the ones I moderate. But there are ways to read my stuff. And above all, please feel free to share.

Go straight to my blog or @holybullies on Twitter. Or join the Facebook groups -  I Bet This Turkey Can Get More Fans Than NOM and How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America

2. According to a friend of mine, the following message was left on the far-right site 4chan. Another friend said it was also shared on the pro-Trump site Parler. It's so ludicrous that one has to think that it's a satire. 

But Trump has left this nation in such a ludicrously abysmal state that some people are actually taking it seriously while the rest of us can't tell if it was posted as satire or in true belief.

God help us cause we got a long way to go to get back to normalcy. Thanks, Donald! 

(jackass)

Franklin Graham shamefully implies that Trump's impeachment is like the betrayal of Jesus

Franklin Graham is furious that Donald Trump was impeached for a second time. So much so that he left messages on Facebook and Twitter voicing his displeasure. Graham especially railed against the 10 House Republicans who joined the Democrats to vote for impeachment:

As comical as that one is, it is the one of Facebook which will probably gain more attention. There, Graham implies that Trump's second impeachment is like the biblical betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.

 For those who don't know, this betrayal led to Jesus's crucifixion:

Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday. After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back and betray him so quickly? We have never had a president like him in my lifetime. He gave us lower taxes, a strong economy, and low unemployment. He made NATO take notice and pay their own way. He had the guts to take on North Korea and meet with their leader personally. He didn’t let China walk all over us. Just his Mideast peace initiatives in the last couple of months deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. He has defended religious liberty like no president before him, and that matters to all people of faith. He has worked to bring prison reform and secured our southern border. He defeated the ISIS caliphate in Syria, and he strengthened our military. He was also the most pro-life president we have ever had. But the House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can. And these ten, from his own party, joined in the feeding frenzy. It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that Speaker Pelosi promised for this betrayal. President Trump isn’t a perfect person. I don’t support or agree with some of the things the President said and did the last couple of weeks. January 6 was a low point in his presidency. We knew he had flaws when he ran for office in 2016. But I, and millions of others, voted for him because of the platform and policies he promised. I still support those. The Democrats have been trying to get rid of the President since the day he took office. What they did yesterday only further divides our nation. I hope President-elect Biden will keep his word and work for unity as he has said.

Thirty pieces of silver,  according to the Bible,  is what Judas was paid by Jesus's enemies to deliver him to them. Which he did by giving him a kiss. Knowing how homophobic Graham is, I'm surprised that he didn't work in a dig against LGBTQ people.

But the comparison of Trump's impeachment to the betrayal of Jesus is embarrassing enough. It almost distracts from his ridiculous tangent about what Trump has "done for" America. But let's not leave it unmentioned. Trump's crappy stewardship has left us practically waist deep in a pandemic which has taken over 397,000 American lives and wrecked our economy. His basic incompetence has made us the laughing stock of the world while losing the respect of our allies.  His general immature behavior has served as a rotten model for our nation, leaving us poorer, more selfish, more angry, more resentful, more prejudiced, and more susceptible to con artists pushing conspiracy theories. Basically, we are so deep in the hole, it may take years for us to recover. 

In weighing what Trump has done for America, perhaps impeachment is too light of a punishment. Perhaps he deserves a complimentary kick in the ass.

And I haven't even mention last Wednesday's insurrection at the Capitol, which was the reason for Trump's second impeachment. His constant lie about the election being stolen from him was the singular thing which led his supporters to invade the Capitol in an attend to keep Biden's win from being certified. They failed to stop the certification, but their attempt left five people dead, the Capitol building wrecked and the entire country fearful of further repercussions. But apparently we are supposed to overlook that because of what Graham claims are good things Trump did for the country.

If Trump has done something positive for America, it would have to be the revelation of so many bogus moral leaders, ie the folks who eagerly discarded all of the values they professed to hold  in exchange for a little bit of political power and White House access.

And guess who's number one on that list, Mr. Graham?

'Trans athlete sues USA Powerlifting over competition ban' & other Thur midday news briefs

Transgender athlete sues USA Powerlifting over competition ban- Good for her. I hope she wins.

Anti-LGBTQ Republican says Trump “will remain in office” & that’s why Democrats want to impeach him - Honey, you are so delusional.

Eliza Byard Steps Down as GLSEN Executive Director - She steered GLSEN through some wild times against the religious right. 

The 22 Funniest Queer Jokes From LGBTQ Comics - Cause we all need a good laugh after this week.

While Trump earns 2nd impeachment, FRC's Tony Perkins follows him down the rabbit hole of public humiliation

First, I must post this letter of congratulations to Donald Trump.

Dear Donald Trump, 

Congratulations on your second impeachment. While you probably will never receive the Nobel Peace Prize, your dubious honor today ensures that you will serve a special place in American history as the worse president we ever had.  And I would like to especially commend you on the fact that you earned every bit of this dubious "honor" of being the first and only president in the history of this country to be impeached TWICE.

WOW! You must be thrilled.  I should also alert you to be on the lookout for messages of congratulations from Hillary Clinton and probably the family of the late President Richard Nixon.

Now then, while a lot of us greeted the news of Trump's 2nd impeachment with glee and satisfaction, some of his supporters are livid. One is even so livid that in his raging, he practically "owned" himself. Or in layman's terms, said something which made him look like a huge fool.

Who else but Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council? 

Of course he is  upset about the events of today and claims that it is proof of the supposed hypocrisy of Democrats:

While the repressive hand of the Democrats and their Big Tech allies will only fan the flames of resentment and hostility, it may very well leave many of those who voted for Biden on the promise unity and healing questioning their vote. Surely today's spectacle, an exercise in reckless, selfish, retaliation, isn't what they signed up for. Not only does it destroy their trust that Democrats can be the adults in the room, but it exposes them for the hypocrites they are. Men and women like Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) are blaming Trump for starting an "insurrection." They argue that the senators and congressmen operating within their constitutional rights to object to the election results should "resign."  

Where were they in 2000, 2004, and 2016 when Democrats protested the presidential results in battleground states "Thirty-one Democrats voted to overturn the presidential election results in Ohio in 2005," Rachel Bovard tweeted. Ten of them are still in Congress. They serve beside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who herself insisted in 2017, "Our election was hijacked. There is no question. Congress has a duty to protect democracy and follow the facts."

I can tell Perkins where they weren't in 200, 2004, and 2016. They weren't at the Capitol in DC attempting to physically overthrow an election that their candidate lost. They were trying to break in or vandalize offices. They weren't leaving poop all over the place. They certainly weren't beating up and killing security officers. And they especially weren't filming themselves while doing all of these things.

The people who did those things were Trump supporters who were goaded by his words. 

Comparing what Democrats did to protest presidential elections to what Trump supporters did as if the two are similar is an attempt of abject desperation. And desperate is  no doubt what Perkins is right now. He and FRC abandoned any idea of false integrity to follow Trump. In doing so, they gained political power and access. In exchange, they made excuses for his excesses and explained away his lies. But now their time in the sun is pretty much over and the bill is due. 

Apparently Perkins and company are finding out that following a false  god generates a cost they can't afford to pay. 

That's just too bad. Or maybe not.

Personally, I think it's glorious. 

 

'Montana Republicans target transgender youth' & other Wed midday news briefs

Montana Republicans target transgender youth in two new bills - They just won't stop. And neither should we.

North Carolina Towns Push For LGBTQ Protections As Moratorium Ends - Good for them! 

Gay WWII Veteran Tells Harrowing Tale of Survival in Animated Short - Learn and remember our history. 

 VIDEO: Ex-Log Cabin leader cheers for Trump at WH despite U.S. Capitol attack - Dumbass.

FRC's Tony Perkins angry that social media sites won't tolerate the violence and racism on Parler

 Editor's note - my posts should not be considered 'gotcha moments.' They are truths which we constantly need to be reminded of.  There are groups and personalities out there who claim to be religious. They claim that they are morality and integrity-based, but their tactics are deceptive. They deliberately traffic lies which harm LGBTQ rights and safety. And, as we  see with this post, the modus operandi they use when stigmatizing LGBTQ people is also being employed in other areas. 

FRC president Tony Perkins 

After last Wednesday's riot at the Capitol, online services are clamping down on those who have been spreading false stories which contributed to the situation.  An online app geared to conservatives, Parler, has  been removed from several social media sites. 

Since 2018, Parler was the home for many kicked off of Twitter for violating its rules of conduct. It's also the home of many conservative and Republicans, including members of Congress, conspiracy theorists and far right activists. Some of these individuals post violent content, which Parler does not clamp down on in the name of "free speech." Because of this and in view of last Wednesday's terrorist attack at the Capitol, companies such as Amazon, Google Play, and Apple removed it from their stores. 

But to hear the Family Research Council and its president, Tony Perkins tell the story, this clamping down is censorship on conservative views.:

Most Americans thought they understood censorship. They've watched it evolve and expand this last decade, scooping up more people in its nets in the name of "tolerance," "diversity," and "non-violence." But what happened this weekend was not a tweet blocked here or an account suspended there. No, this was much more ominous. What Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Amazon did by locking out the president wasn't just a heavy-handed punishment of Donald Trump and his supporters -- it was a scorched-earth campaign against the tens of millions of people who dare to think differently than they do and the open forums that give our movement a voice.

 "Amazon will be shutting off all of our servers," Parler's John Matze announced to stunned surprise on Saturday. It was the second major bombshell to drop in the new war between Big Tech and the other half of the country. After careful, behind-the-scenes coordination from Silicon Valley's chiefs, the popular alternative to Twitter was scrubbed from the Apple store, Google Play, and any other place users could download the app. "We will try our best," Matze insisted, "to move to a new provider..." But in the meantime, the message to conservatives is clear: Big Tech isn't just coming for Trump. They're coming for all of us -- and corporate America isn't far behind. 

 The Tech giants used the claim that Parler allowed its platform to be used to advocate and coordinate violence at the capitol last week. If there was ever a case of the pot calling the kettle black, this is it. Homeland Security was forced to weigh-in this past summer in a letter to the social media giants saying the popular platforms appeared to play a role in facilitating "burglary, arson, aggravated assault, rioting, looting, and defacing public property." Are Twitter and Facebook responsible for the burning of Portland or the siege of Seattle? Then why are they holding Parler to a different standard? . . .  This isn't about upholding any rules. This is about cutting off the oxygen to free speech on the Right.

But Perkins, like he has done so many times in the past,  is committing the sin of omission According to The Independent:

Amazon had told Parler that it had seen “a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms”. Amazon Web Services sent a detailed letter to the company including instances of such violent content and making clear that it believed Parler did not have an effective process to comply with the AWS terms of service.

Google had the same issue.

'Will the religious right suffer any consequences for its role in Trump insurrection?' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

Will the religious right suffer any consequences for its role in the Trump insurrection? - I honestly don't know. Very few people are bringing them up.

Top Golfer, Justin Thomas, Uses 'Inexcusable' Homophobic Slur - And is in big trouble for it. As he should be. 

Conservative opposition to LGBTQ inclusion jeopardizes Arkansas hate crime bill - For crying out loud!

Equality Virginia outlines 2021 legislative agenda - Meanwhile, the work continues.

Rioter at the Capitol upset and overwrought because police dared to mace her

I am not attempting to make light about last Wednesday's madness, but something happened during the situation which underscores how entitled those rioters were. And  it not has gotten enough attention.  One of them, who identified herself as "Elizabeth from Knoxville," got maced while trying to break into the Capitol and she was not happy about it:

 

Naturally, she is the subject of much ridicule on Youtube and Twitter. Hands down, this is probably one of the best:

As bad as Wednesday was, I don't feel the least bit guilty about laughing at her. What did she expect?

'FRC's Tony Perkins blames Capitol riots on supposed removal of God in public life' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins

Hate group leader blames the Capitol riots on a lack of “polite conversation” & God in politics - The Family Research Council supported Trump, made excuses for his behavior, and now pretends they didn't have a hand in causing the attack at the Capitol.

#GaysOverCovid: Maskless parties lead to rift within LGBTQ community - Yes it has because they are bunch of selfish SOBs. 

Amid coup chaos, Trump quietly erases LGBTQ protections in adoption, health services - Just in case you did not hear... 

Richard Grenell Is Still Spreading Lies About the Election - The first six words are enough.

Randy Rainbow's 'Sedition' reminds us who is responsible for Wednesday's chaos at the Capitol

Last week's incident on Wednesday was not only awful, it was spirit-killing. I don't really want to talk about it anymore right now. I will let Randy Rainbow handle it in a way which can at least bring some semi-lighthearted facts into the situation. And if Randy Rainbow is too tame for what you are feeling, then go on Twitter and hashtag #blacktwitter. You will get what you need there. Either way, enjoy:

An open letter to Evangelicals for Trump - You failed America by not denouncing Trump in the past. You need to denounce him now.

Dear Evangelicals for Trump,

There is no use hiding. America knows who each and every last one of you are. Goodness knows as many times as some of you were so quick to appear in photo ops with Donald Trump, the country would have had to have been in a coma to not know how close you are to him.

I'm sure you've heard what happened at the Capitol on Wednesday and I know several you offered standard statements and comments such as "we are all sad" and we need to pray to God." 

That's all well and good, except those statements will never do. You're gonna have to be a little bit more extra. And that's simply because you all contributed to the chaos yesterday. 

Now I know what you're going to do. Don't pull that fake shocked routine. Don't pretend to be offended and don't even think about pulling out that cross from your closets which you intend to nail yourselves on while attempting to steal the role of the victim in this situation.

That role is already taken. 

In the Bible, which I know you are aware, there was a king named David. He generally a upstanding God-fearing man. But once he messed up by lusting after a married woman he viewed bathing herself. He slept with her, she got pregnant, and to cover it up he had her husband killed.

The prophet Nathan, who advised David, came up to him after it was all over and said (I'm basically paraphrasing here): "You know you weren't right. What you did was wrong and you need to check yourself."

That's what an religious advisor to a leader should do - call him or her out when they are wrong. 

But none of you ever did that with Trump.

Not when it came to prejudiced immigration policy,

not when it came to his constant lies,

not when it came to his absolute abysmal handling of the COVID pandemic,

not when it came to his lies about his election loss,

and finally not when it came to the storming of our Capitol on Wednesday, which he clearly instigated.

Over the past four years, you've taken time to tell everyone how much you loved him when he gave you things you wanted:

anoint him as a "great defender of Christianity:

Or generally kiss his ass:

And you also embarrassed yourselves making excuses for his behavior or declaring that you're giving him "mulligans." 

Why didn't you call him out when he was wrong?  Your deliberate inability to denounce Trump's past behavior got us to this point where a rampaging mob - a lot of them no doubt follow you - thought it was appropriate to storm the Capitol in his "defense." Why weren't you the moral voice before then when they needed you.  You failed  them because you portrayed Trump as an angel when you knew he was the devil. 

Was it worth it? Did you stop abortion? What about LGBTQ rights? Have they been done away it yet? 

Now that we are struggling in the aftermath of Wednesday, where are some of you now?

 I will be honest. I never liked any of you. I've always viewed you as self-righteous, entitled hypocrites who are more concerned with scapegoating 'the other' and playing victims when the rest of us won't play your game. I've always believed that when you had to choose between your own interests and that of the country, America would lose.

That time is now. As much as I hate to admit it,  I am very disappointed to be proven right.  

America needs you to be honest for a change and denounce Donald Trump. How difficult can it be? If you find it hard, just pretend he passed a law helping LGBTQ people. You seem to never be a loss for words when denouncing things like that. 

What are you scared of? Do you think he's going to rain fire from the sky on you? Do you think he's going turn you into a pillar of salt? Do you think in the last remaining days of his piss poor presidency, he's going to take away your access and privileges to the White House? 

Or have you gotten everything you wanted from him and, like some cheap john, attempting to sneak away without leaving the money on the dresser. 

America is waiting for you to say something.

'Were the 'Gays for Trump' present at Capitol terrorist attack?' & other Thur midday news briefs

Gays For Trump allegedly spotted waving rainbow flags at Capitol terrorist insurrection - This right here is a hot mess.

 
Trump stacked courts with judges 'hostile' toward gays, rights group says - One problem gone. Another always takes its place.

Tulsi Gabbard tells Tucker Carlson gender-neutral language denies the “existence of women” - Rubbish. I'm so glad she is no longer in Congress.

Video montage: Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media are to blame for the attempted coup at the Capitol

I am not rehashing what happened at the Capitol on Wednesday. I want blame to be meted out.  Trump is to blame. The terrorists making fools of themselves are to blame. But there are others.  Fox News network personalities and others members of the right-wing media are also to blame. They stoked up emotions with constant lies about a "rigged election." And please don't give me any nonsense about "this being not the time to blame anyone." This is the perfect time to call the liars to the floor.

'Trump's secret campaign lawyer has a homophobic reputation' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

Cleta Mitchell

Trump’s secret campaign lawyer is so anti-gay even Republicans call her “a nasty bigot” - I bet she's a gas at parties.

7 Moments of Queer Triumph That (Almost) Redeemed 2020 - Heavy on the 'almost.' 

Top 10 national news stories of 2020 - From the Washington Blade. 

Woman pleads guilty after threatening to bomb gay-inclusive Catholic school - Girl, bye.

Wednesday = Donald Trump's Ragnarok

On Wednesday, Donald Trump  and his supporters are going to have to face the truth that he lost the November election. That's the day when Congress convenes to certify Joe Biden's victory. But don't think they won't be kicking and screaming. While his supporters will gather on the streets of DC whining about election fraud, 140 Republican members of the House of Representatives and 12 Republican senators will challenge Biden's win citing the same discredited information which has been dismissed in courtrooms throughout America.

It won't do any good. Biden will be certified as the election winner and later this month, he and Sen. Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as the newly elected president and vice president of the United States. It's unstoppable and inevitable. But for the sake of education, the above video is a sad reminder of what these idiots are fighting for and what we must never allow to taint the White House ever again.

'Five things social media platforms can do to combat anti-LGBTQ disinformation' & other Tue midday news briefs

 

5 things social media platforms can do to combat anti-LGBTQ disinformation - Write this down and take it to heart.

Paramedic Proposes To Nurse Boyfriend During COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment - Awww! That's cute!

Georgia Senate race holds far-reaching implications — especially for LGBTQ Americans - Come on, Georgia. We need you to do right.

Gay Republican Says Fiancé Was Fired for Attending Trump's NYE Bash - Read for complete story. Totally reckless what these two did. I don't feel sorry for them NOR their pets.

Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council - Homosexuality is sin. Lying to steal an election for Donald Trump is not a sin.

 

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council

As we get nearer to Joe Biden officially taking over as president and Trump becoming more and more desperate to keep power, one notices a certain segment of Trump supporters, who were practically his entourage when he had power, are slowly becoming conveniently silent.

Probably attempting to recover from the humiliation of falsely predicting that God ordained a Trump victory, some conservative evangelicals seem to be moonwalking into the shadows and downplaying their support as Trump and other allies engage in pathetic schemes and lurid conspiracy theories all focused on the impossible probability of him receiving a second term.

But to claim that they have totally given up on Trump would be a mistake. On Monday, the People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch posted this item:

A group of right-wing movement leaders signed a Dec. 30 letter to Senate Republicans urging them to “protect the republic” by contesting electors from battleground states won by Joe Biden. Also signing the letter was Cleta Mitchell, the right-wing lawyer who took part in President Donald Trump’s instantly notorious call badgering Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” new votes and “recalculate” the results of the 2020 presidential election to deliver the state’s electoral votes to Trump. On the call, Mitchell said she has been working with Trump’s team for “weeks.”

 The letter was released by the Conservative Action Project, which is affiliated with the Council for National Policy, a secretive and influential network of leaders spanning different sectors of the right-wing movement. Many of its leaders have been active in the so-called “Stop the Steal” campaign to overturn Biden’s victory. The group released another letter a few weeks ago, signed by many of the same people, urging state legislatures to overturn swing state results. 

 The new letter says the Constitution gives state legislatures “plenary power” to choose electors. But, the letter claims, since state election laws were “ignored or violated” this year, “the decisions regarding the electors must revert to the constitutional procedures.”

Right-Wing Watch goes on to say that the letter contains the following:

Following the 2020 election, substantial evidence has been presented to courts and state legislatures of clear and extensive election irregularities, violations of state law, and large numbers of illegal votes that were counted and certified. In several states, there are more illegal votes included in the certified numbers than the margin of victory for the certified winner from the state. More than 50 million American voters believe the election was stolen or somehow illegitimate due to the large number of irregularities, illegal votes improperly counted, the myriad state laws that were ignored or violated, and elections that were conducted in a manner significantly inconsistent with state law.

One of the signers of the letter was Tony Perkins, president of the so-called Christian group the Family Research Council. This pretty much means that they support the letter. And that's odd.

 Perkins and his group supposedly stand for a "biblical worldview" and it is for that reason that they oppose LGBTQ equality and rights. In their eyes, the lives we lead is a violation of that "biblical worldview." I won't go into detail about this stance because I've written about it enough times. But for the purpose of this particular post, allow me to point something out regarding the above passage of Mitchell's letter regarding "voting irregularities" in the 2020 election.

That part of the letter is a blatant lie. 

Nothing has been proven with regards to "election irregularities." "illegal voting" or  fraud of any kind. There have been several recounts proving that Joe Biden fairly won the election. At the time of Mitchell's letter, Trump had lost 59 cases claiming voter fraud, including a huge one at the Supreme Court. Under oath, his lawyers have said there is no evidence of widespread fraud. 

Trump and his allies have claimed that he lost the cases because the judges have refused to look at their evidence, such as affidavits from witnesses of the alleged fraud. That claim turned out to be another lie because justices in several cases did in fact look at the so-called evidence and witness statements, calling them hearsay, conjecture, speculation, and third hand information.

So all of that leads me to ask one simple question - aren't Perkins and FRC being highly hypocritical here? If you had a discussion with Perkins about homosexuality,  he will no doubt quote  biblical verses while calling it a sin and against God's will. Perhaps someone should ask him to quote the biblical verses which says it's perfectly fine to lie in order to steal an election from the rightful victor.

Or could it be that Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council care more about grabbing and keeping power instead of truly maintaining a "biblical worldview."

'These are the transgender people lost to violence in 2020" & other Mon midday news briefs

These Are the Trans People Lost to Violence in 2020 - I HATE posting stuff like this, but it's necessary for so many reasons.

2020 election saw increase in “Equality” voters that prioritize LGBTQ rights - About damn time. Because our rights are human rights. 

Biden’s Team Tells Senate Democrats To Send Him Judicial Nominees ASAP - This is good!

LGBTQ people can finally get domestic violence protections in NC, court rules - About time!

Top Lesbian Movies of 2020 via glboom

I get a lot of questions from my lesbian sisters asking what movies would be wonderful for them to see. With the help of gbloom, a Youtube site celebrating positive portrayals of LGBTQ women in general media, I think I'm on my way to answering that question.

Joe Biden beating Donald Trump was the greatest moment of 2020 for LGBTQ people

Editor's note - Hands down, the greatest moment of 2020 was the victory of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice Presidential-Elect Kamala Harris. Enjoy the video clips. Then, if you are so inclined, read my post about 2020. What I wrote came out due to frustration of four years of idiocy, especially 2020 in general. Barring a juicy religious right scandal, this will probably be the last piece I post for 2020. Have a Happy New Year. Be careful, be safe, and wear your dang mask! 

As always, thank you all for the support you've given this blog over the years.

   

  

As 2020 winds down to a close (thank God), I feel like I'm in the aftermath of one of those fights I used watch during high school. In those fights, punching is the least effective measure you can do. Those fights were wild. I'm talking head-slinging, hair-pulling, ripping, tearing, body-tossing, body-slamming frenzies of madness which generally involved everyone in the vicinity. Who cares if they weren't directly involved in the outbreak of chaos. Everyone was busy ducking bodies and avoiding whatever projectiles  flung through the air. 

In that same manner, 2020 has been a riotous, chaotic year  The important thing though is that we got through it or, in this case, almost through it.  We lost a lot of good friends, felt much too much pain and fear regarding the future, and got angry on an unhealthy level more times than we would like to admit.

But we had many surprising and hard-fought victories. One was in June when the Supreme Court said that we are protected from workplace discrimination by federal law. That was a victory which I was not expecting and even now, months later, continues to blow my mind. 

 And it came no thanks to Donald Trump. He promised to be our ally when running for president, but then used his Administration to undermine our safety and rights in so many avenues. He had nothing to do with any of our victories, especially the one in June.

This victory would have been greatest moment of 2020 if it were not for a certain election in which LGBTQ people joined a larger community of African-Americans, other people of color, white people Democrats, Republicans, Never-Trumpers, older Americans, progressives, conservatives, and all-around fed-up folks to topple Trump's undeserved presidency and place President-Elect Joe Biden  and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris in the White House.

There is so much I have to say about Donald Trump and to his supporters, particularly those who believe his bogus crap about how the election was "stolen" from him. 

The election wasn't stolen. It was relinquished.

'Six victories for the LGBTQ community in 2020' & other Wed midday news briefs

 

Here are just six victories for the LGBTQ community that came in 2020 - Every victory was unapologetically hard-fought. 

HUD appears to have given up on anti-transgender homeless shelter rule - Victory number seven? 

Jose Antonio Vargas Opens Up About Being Undocumented and Gay - I met him once. He is a nice guy.

Gay cricket star Alex Blackwell says she’s tired of lesbians in sport being ‘profiled as predators’ - Amen to that!