'New TV series reboot of horror movie 'Child's Play' being called 'scary gay'' & other Thur midday news briefs

 

The Upcoming ‘Chucky’ Reboot Is So Gay It’s Scary - You wanna run that by me again?

Rachel Levine on facing transphobia: “I am really able to channel that emotion into my work” - Good for you, Ms. Levine. I am the same way.

Antigay activist banned from Canada is absolutely losing it over how gay Netflix has become - 'Porno' Pete LaBarbera still around. Like a cockroach he never really goes away. 

Nearly half of trans people have been mistreated by medical providers, report finds - Simply awful. 

Uganda president declines to sign queerphobic bill - Loophole! Although I don't know if it's good or bad for LGBTQ people.

Would gay people please stop trying to dictate how to be gay to other gay people?

HBHM blogmaster Alvin McEwen channeling Nina Simone realness.

So yesterday, I had to deal with bigoted folks who had a problem with Pete and Chasten Buttigieg becoming parents because they are gay. Today, I had to deal with LGBTQ folks who had a problem with Pete and Chasten Buttigieg being parents because they think the idea of gays getting married and raising children is too 'heteronormative.' I say I'm gonna need a guide book if this madness keeps up. 

Apparently to some in the community, LGBTQ folks wanting families are trying to copy heterosexual lives. Those complaining are the same type whining that LGBTQ people are becoming too "mainstream" and are losing our 'sense of danger' and adventure. What kind of nonsense is that? If you ask me, I think some members of our community have romanticized certain behaviors and actions which we had to undertake in the past because the homophobia in society made it so difficult for us to have decent relationships. 

 I am not a self-hating gay guy but it makes me bristle when I hear people whining about we are too "mainstream" or respectable, as if someone gave them the right to dictate how LGBTQ people are supposed to be. I always want to know who gave them the right to determine or mandate these things? Who are these folks to interject themselves into the individual lives of LGBTQ people and start tossing out rules of conduct. The fact of the matter is that some of us do want the life with the one partner, the white picket fence and maybe the 2.5 kids. And some of us don't. There is nothing wrong with either desire so what's with some folks wanting trying to make it all a competition? What's with all of the shaming?

I hated it when homophobes wanted to limit me based upon their ignorant definitions of who I am. I equally despise being told by members of my own community that my life and desires as a gay man  are artificial because they don't measure up to some legendary stature of homosexual 'coolness' which they conjured up in their minds. And I really despise it when someone throws academic or esoteric language at me; language which they obviously got from a confab of out-of-touch progressives who think they are going to change the world for the better while embracing the same tools of oppression used by anti-LGBTQ bigots.

This is what I know - I have never regarded being gay as daring or adventurous. I do not see myself as a 'sexual outlaw' or engaging in 'respectable politics.' My desires are not a representation of a self-hating homosexuality. I am a Southern gay black male. As such, my life has value in and out of the community.  My desire for perhaps a simple date and maybe a slow dance to a nice 50s tune isn't any indication of how I supposedly want to mimic heterosexuals. Nor is any other desire I may have for a family and children.  They come from me wanting to define my life by my own terms. I will not bow and scrape to anyone else's orthodoxy of the LGBTQ community no matter if it's one created by the religious right  or another being forced upon me by self-entitled LGBTQs with an inflated sense of their own ideas.

I have no time for folks with their noses so high up on the air that they can't even smell their breathe, no matter which side of the spectrum they come from.

And neither should anyone else in the community.

'Anti-vaxx, anti-LGBTQ Catholic cardinal now on ventilator with COVID-19' & other Wed midday news briefs

Viciously anti-LGBTQ Catholic cardinal now on ventilator with COVID-19 - A not necessarily all-together person. That's all I'm gonna say. 

Oregon School Board Passes Motion to Ban Pride Flags, BLM Signs - Come on folks. This is some straight-up nonsense. 

WNBA star Breanna Stewart and wife welcome first child - Wonderful! It's not just the Buttigiegs welcoming bundles of joy.

LGBTQ freedoms — all of our freedoms — depend on restoring voting rights - Amen!

Countries urged to offer refuge to LGBTQ Afghans - And QUICK!!

Far right conservatives go apoplectic over news that Pete and Chasten Buttigieg are going to become parents

Peter and Chasten Buttigieg are going to be parents and the far right simply cannot handle the news.

By now, unless you've been living in a cave with a huge rock as the door, you know that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, are going to be parents.

For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 17, 2021

The news was met with many expressions of joy and kind words for the lucky couple. But not in every area of the country and every area online.  On the far right site Free Republic (as in further to the right of Vlad Tepes, Elizabeth Bathory, Ivan the Terrible, and Delphine LaLaurie) conservatives were furious. To say that their comments were just downright ugly is an understatement:

Paedophiles gonna be paedophiles. 

excuse my while I puke... 

Can you imagine explaining to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Patton and Davy Crockett that two butt diddling sickos can get married and have a kid... oh yeah... and be in the president’s cabinet. What a sick country!

 Is it coming out of one of their anuses? Rhetorical question, because these men are not "having" anything. They're BUYING a baby to satisfy their own needfulness, and forcing it to grow up in a highly disordered household.

There is a famous, impossible to prove story that George Washington was in despair over the dwindling chances of victory and many urged him to decide on terms of surrender, and that he went into a reverie and envisioned an impossibly modern future USA with tall buildings, and states and population centers stretching all the way to the Pacific Ocean. He went back to address his officers and told them he would not surrender and they must find ways to strike back. The story might have a sad new ending as he saw 2021 with Buttigieg and his “husband”, sex changes pushed onto children, CRT classes, BLM, bags of shoplifted goods carried out of stores without anyone stopping the criminals, carjackings, teen thugs pouncing on innocent people every day and America descending into socialism.

If you really cared about privacy, then why would you announce to the world on Twitter that you’re doing this, or that you’ll be announcing more later? What a convenient time for a member of the Biden administration to announce that they’re going to have a baby. Wag the dog. Diversion diversion. 

Like hell they are going to be parents. They are two homosexuals who are taking advantage of a morally bankrupt system to procure a child legally. My heart goes out to the poor, innocent baby, and millstone and a lake for the ones who paved the way for this to happen. 

Sick f’n turkeys. They should be turned over to the Taliban. (sic)

Poor kid. I wish “it” luck. 

Remember when a child being raised by two perverted homosexuals would be disqualified as parents for adoption? I miss those days.

There were a lot of comments I excluded, particularly those about the expected child, as well as illustrations (illustrations which are better left not even talked about in detail). But as disgusting as it is, isn't it nice? 

Like the last comment had fond reminiscences about, there was a time in which gay couples couldn't adopt children. Those who opposed us back then conjured up fake reasons to make their side look genuinely concerned about children,  but their reasons actually encompassed bigotry and hate. As time went on, their claims were exposed as false  and the only thing left for them is what you read above - a bunch of crude comments uttered by sad, pathetic individuals because their hatred won't allow them to comprehend past the prejudices which straightjacket their minds and prevent them from acknowledging a wonderful event.

If they want to miss out on this blessing, then who cares what they think. In the end, haters can only hate. That's their entire reason for existing. So let them hate. Flash lights on their hate. Let the world see them for what they are.  Exposing and acknowledging hate doesn't allow it to grow. It only reveals how small it is.

'Tori Cooper is first black trans women appointed to presidential HIV council' & other Tue midday news briefs

Tori Cooper

Fearless advocate Tori Cooper is first Black trans woman appointed to presidential HIV council - Not bad at all.

The Dire Plight of LGBTQ+ Afghan Refugees - Many may support our withdrawal from Afghanistan, but it present some SERIOUS problems.

Blame game: 10 absolutely absurd excuses people have used for acting like bigots - The excuses are always so entertaining. 

Illinois expands legislation to protect LGBTQ service members - Way to go, Illinois.

Out Olympian brutally attacked on the street, sent to the hospital for surgery, in likely random attack - Good Lord! Trigger warning - some of the pics are from the aftermath of the violence. 

Marriage equality victory can be dangerous if the LGBTQ community forgets what we had to defeat for it

There was an article in Monday's Politico which claimed that the GOP is giving up on the fight against marriage equality, disappointing their religious right allies. I don't buy the premise for a minute, but we would all be blind to not notice that there has been somewhat of a cultural shift. Marriage equality is a reality whereas years before, many of us never saw it as a genuine possibility.

It's a good shift, but also one which contains the danger of future generations being jaded about the overall struggle for LGBTQ rights in general. Marriage equality is a wonderful victory, but overall, it is merely a pitstop. We still have not attained full equality as a community and we are saddled with the same enemies who made the above video. Just because they failed in one attempt to undermine our rights doesn't mean they won't stop trying. As you look at the above video and either reminisce about the lies we had to fight against or gape at what you're probably seeing for the first time, remember that  our struggle for equality isn't over yet. Not by a long shot. 

'Court rules Hobby Lobby discriminated against trans woman employee for nearly a decade' & other Mon midday news briefs

Court rules Hobby Lobby has discriminated against trans woman employee for nearly a decade - Score one for the good guys and girls.

Most LGBTQ adults in America have gotten or will get vaccinated against COVID-19 - Ninety-two percent in a recent survey have gotten or will get vaccinated. Okay folks, get hopping. 

Oregon School District Votes To Ban Clothing, Flags Supporting Pride And Black Lives Matter - This after conservatives funded with outside monies won seats on the school board. They always target school boards because no one seems to catch on. 

Remember Your First Queer Crush? - Lance Kerwin, Jackie Earle Haley, Ike Eisenmann, Stephen Geoffreys . . . 

James Hormel, first openly gay U.S. ambassador, dies at 88 - I remember how THAT situation regarding his appointment was a fireblast.

Video: Richard Hunt - The Gay Man Behind the Muppets

 

Last week, I posted about a ridiculous claim by conservatives that the LGBTQ community was using the Muppets to "entice" children to become transgender. Right now, I want to focus on the fact that there is an actual historical link between the LGBTQ community and not only the Muppets but also Sesame Street. 

From the above video, courtesy of  LGBTQ historian  Matt Baume:

For over sixty years The Muppets have been entertaining kids and adults alike. You probably know their creator, Jim Henson, who brought everyone together, and you might be familiar with Frank Oz, Jim’s close collaborator. But there’s another Muppet performer you might NOT know — part of the core group who was there from almost the very beginning, and in the 1970s became one of the most famous gay men in the world… who nobody recognized.

'YouTube is providing a platform for transphobic lies, hate' & other Fri midday news

 

YouTube Offers Platform to Anti-Trans Hate, Says New Report - YouTube provides good educational videos about LGBTQ people. But then there is the other stuff like this.

YouTube fails to protect trans people from misgendering or deadnaming - More on this situation from the direct source. 

Virginia school board passes LGBTQ inclusivity policy that sparked protest, resignation - It got ugly, as it always does, but in the end this policy will benefit all of the children in the district. 

Conservatives are obsessed with White House COVID vaccine video starring Jen Psaki & a gay comedian - Outrage is the conservatives' business model. 

LGBTQ Adults Are Facing Hunger At Almost Twice The Rate As Others, New Data Shows - A new issue we need to combat.

Lighten up you conservative idiots. The Muppets are not 'recruiting' children to become transgender.

In between their hysterical fits about "critical race theory" and coronavirus vaccines, it looks like the religious right (and conservatives in general) have found time to yet again falsely accuse LGBTQ people of 'recruiting' children. Apparently we are attempting to get children to 'transition' their gender by exploiting a character in the Muppets:

Catholic League president Bill Donohue stands in disbelief about the latest LGBTQ activism targeting children, which saw the popular Muppet, Gonzo, change into a female – and try to get other Muppets to "transition," too.

 "Why would Disney – the alleged family-friendly entertainment giant – want to encourage kids to reject their sex, and why aren't the media covering this story?" Donohue pondered in a Catholic League press release last week. 

 As left-wing corporate activism – through companies from Facebook to Coca-Cola – continues to use its influence to move the country into what critics call a form of Marxism, children are not being left out of the new vision for America … a vision being brought about through racial division, anti-Americanism, the culture of death, climate change and LGBTQ+ propaganda.

Donohue argues that Gonzo's transition signifies a lot more than playing dress-up or make-believe. "The Muppet character, Gonzo, has 'transitioned' to a girl, Gonzorella – that is why he is wearing a dress to the 'royal ball,'" the Catholic leader recounted. "He does more than wear a dress – he instructs Miss Piggy and Summer that 'doing things a little different can be fun.'"

Donohue is just one of many conservatives having a hissy fit. Conservative dust kicker Candace Owens also whined about the situation:

“I can’t believe I’m tweeting this but.. they are pushing the trans agenda on children via muppet babies. This is sick and PERVERTED. Everyone should be disturbed by predatory cartoons meant to usher children into gender dysphoria. Bring back manly muppets, anyone?” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, conservative 'news' sources such as Fox News and NewsMax also sounded phony alarms. So is their freak out legitimate?  Does that question even need to be asked? 

According to Romper:

In an episode of Disney Junior’s Muppet Babies called “Gonzo-rella,” the sweet blue muppet wants to wear a dress to the ball along with Miss Piggy and Summer. And his “fairy rat father” makes his wish come true.The entire muppet baby gang is preparing to go to a royal ball in an episode of the CGI show when Gonzo sees the “royal handbook” and finds a dress he just loves. “I’d love to wear a dress like that to your royal ball,” he tells Miss Piggy, Summer, and Rizzo the Rat. 

Unfortunately he’s told by Summer and Miss Piggy that the girls wear dresses and the boys go as knights, according to the royal handbook. He looks crushed. Rizzo notices how sad he is and then shares the good news that he is a “fairy rat father” who can make his dream of wearing a “splenderific” dress come true, complete with glass sneakers, a mask, and an egg transformed into a “hard-boiled convertible” to drive him to the ball. 

Much like the original Cinderella, Gonzo only has until midnight to be “Princess Gonzo-rella,” and has the time of his life with his friends. Who, spoiler alert, accept his desire to wear a dress when he eventually confesses that he was the mysterious Princess Gonzo-rella.

So just because Gonzo is a male character who wants to wear a dress and the episode got positive comments for teaching children about accepting simple differences in themselves and their peers, conservatives are spinning it as some evil plot to endanger children. That's always the narrative with these bloodsuckers. Their fear mongering is stale and blase but always seem to strike a cord because it exploits fear of the unknown along with the fear that children will be harmed.

And it's ridiculous on so many levels. The episode has nothing to do with "enticing" children to 'become transgender.'  The idea that anyone, especially children, can be "enticed" to 'become transgender' is just plain ridiculous. It is an insulting and ugly simplification of  the complexity of transgender lives. The idea is so devoid of good sense that it doesn't deserve to be directly addressed except to say that anyone believing it should slap themselves. Hard. I'm talking Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in the letterbox edition of Mommy Dearest with a free wire hanger included in the DVD box set hard.

Secondly, the character of Gonzo has always been pegged as an odd muppet who has been dressing in drag since 1975 (as one person pointed out in a retweet to Owens). He has also dressed in drag on several episodes of the 80s animated show Muppet Babies. And not only him, but also several other characters.

Lastly (what the hell are 'manly muppets,' Candace Owens? Okay that's not the last point, but it's a damn good question) . . . lastly, what is the problem here other than the desire of some people to make their coins by scapegoating and denigrating other folks. Seems to me that the danger to children in this situation is the conjuring up of false phantoms by people and entities who obviously lack the will or desire to make an honest living. They see big bucks in elevating innocuous situations into Godzilla-type moral panics which, other than getting everyone worked up over nothing, gives them more online hits, more interviews on various media shows, and more attention.

It seems to me that the real danger in this situation to children - and to adults - is the message that respecting and accepting simple differences in people is a message which can be weaponized for fear and filthy lucre.

'Conscience clause increases could increase mental healthcare barriers to LGBTQ kids' & other Thur midday news briefs

Conscience clause increases barriers to mental health care for LGBTQ youth, advocates say - This fake concern about religious liberty could harm our kids. 

Ariel Nicholson is U.S. Vogue's first transgender cover model - Congratulations, Ariel! 

Joe Biden tells press what infrastructure deal taught him about LGBTQ rights - Oh? How so . . 

Gay Asian man & his parents beaten near Kamala Harris’s home in DC by man yelling slurs - I HATE posting stories like this, but they are good reminders for us to be careful. Some people are still tripping.

Flashback video - Transgender student defends his rights during hostile school board meeting

 

With the coordinated attack against our trans kids by conservatives still prevalent, this video clip is incredibly pertinent. In 2015, trans teenage Gavin Grimm sued his school board in Virginia for the the right to use the boys bathroom. It was a long and arduous fight which he finally won in June of this year when the Supreme Court allowed a lower court victory he attained to stand.

It wasn't an easy victory. You can see in this video how in the past, Grimm had to speak at a school board meeting attended by some very adversarial people. Some of the things he says are very poignant, particularly when it comes to the behavior of adults as opposed to children when talking about trans kids in general. We would all do well to listen and remember.

'Anti-LGBTQ, anti-vax school board official has 'meltdown' while resisting arrest' & other Wed midday news briefs

Psychotic school board official has homophobic meltdown while resisting arrest and OMG you guys - Girlfriend obviously lost her damn mind.

Heroic mom grabs phone from man following her trans son to the bathroom to take pictures of him - He's lucky she only took his phone. 

Robin comes out as bisexual in the latest Batman anthology from DC comics - This is Tim Drake, the third Robin in the Batman mythology. 

 And while we are on the subject of LGBTQ comic book characters, here is 15 more from a 2017 article - 15 Influential LGBT Comic Book Superheroes 

Hundreds of US Catholic leaders endorse LGBTQ protections - This is a huge development.

Conservative pundits, politicians make fools of themselves as their attack on 'woke' Olympic athletes backfire

📽 NEW VIDEO

The un-American right wing traitors who rooted against the Team USA in the Olympics are the real LOSERS! RT to congratulate Team USA for taking home the most medals in the world!#WokeIsWinning pic.twitter.com/MLoeSgMpKq

— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) August 10, 2021

Just like they made "liberal" into a dirty word, conservatives are trying to do the same with the word "woke."  We've heard a lot about that word lately. It means being alert of and speaking out against racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia and other societal prejudices.

To hear conservatives tell it though, "woke" is a word which denotes hypocrisy and weakness. And they will attack anyone or any entity which they think shows an inkling it. It's how they connect with their resentful audience.

This includes Olympic athletes. Various conservatives on Fox News and other places went after our Olympic athletes because many of them were "woke" or outspoken against various societal prejudices. Right-wing pundits, personalities, and politicians actually rooted against America in the Olympics and cheered loudly when our athletes lost games or failed to win medals.

There was just one problem with that, as the video above shows.  America didn't exactly do so bad in the Olympics. In fact, America did well, winning the most gold medals and overall medals in the games. It only goes to demonstrate the depths some conservatives stoop in order to exploit resentment and jealousies of their audience. Nothing is genuine with them. It's all so fraudulent and pathetically artificial.

'Family of gay teacher caught in predator 'sting' sues saying cops hid evidence proving his innocence' & other Tue midday news briefs

Family of gay teacher caught in predator “sting” sues saying cops hid evidence proving his innocence - These stings are nasty and at times they tend to entrap people. This sounds like something really ugly. 

Smith College Alums Rally Funds for Gay Student Cut Off By Parents - Good looking out to the folks coming together to help this young lady. 

Senators urge Biden administration to protect LGBTQ asylum-seekers - Do the right thing, President Biden. 

NJ conversion therapy “experts” lose big in court to tune of $3.5 million - Give it up, turn it loose. Get up off the money. 

Snickers apologizes for wildly homophobic commercial - Uh uh, Snickers. You wasn't right for this.

To the religious right from the Gay Mafia - How dare you dump us over the COVID pandemic!

Dear Religious Right Groups (i.e. the Family Research Council, the Liberty Counsel, the American Family Association, et al),

As the official spokesman for the Gay Mafia, allow me to put on record that I am shocked, appalled, and hurt over how you have abandoned the LGBTQ community. Apparently our 40+ years together mean nothing to you. 

Remember the good times we had?  Our bizarre, yet very fruitful-for-you relationship? Remember how you used to accuse us of recruiting children, stuffing gerbils up our butts, and having lots and lots and lots of sex? Remember when you exploited the stereotypes about our lesbian sisters to make it seem that they liked beating each other up? And how you used religion to cover up your lies and basic prejudices? Weren't those times good enough for you? Didn't you scare enough people and make a lot of money via fundraising?

How dare you dump us for the COVID pandemic!

Don't lie. We  read what you have been saying about vaccines and masks and lockdowns. Our cousin's sister's baby daddy's niece told us everything. We heard all of the stuff you claimed about how President Biden and the Democrats are going to use pandemic to take away freedoms, especially from Christians. And about how they are going after the children in schools.

You modeled that argument strictly for us! How dare you use it on some slutty pandemic! That bitch!

Aren't we owed something? We gave you the best years of our lives. We made it easy for you to attain power by scaring people with lies about our health and habits. And just because some young and mysterious pandemic shakes its little tail in front of you, you gonna kick us to the curve?

Whatever happened to commitment? Whatever happened to stability? Were we the problem? Did we win too many cultural battles against you?  Are you angry at us because we knocked the sodomy laws, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and won the right to marry and adopt? Are you still upset because those little victories you won, just as the Masterpiece case, turned out to be loses for you in the long run? Are you hurt because all of that stuff you continue to claim about the transgender community isn't sticking as much as you thought it would? Granted, your relationship with transgender Americans isn't over yet and you still tripping. But you won't be winning. We told you what would happen if you kept using the same tired and easy to refute lies. 

Well whatever. You and your hefa  COVID  can go your own way if you want. See if  talking about vaccines and masks can give you what we gave you when you talked about us having sex and putting Christians in jail. I'll give you six months before COVID dumps you.

When that happens, don't come back to us. We want a divorce and palimony. That's right. We want half. You will be getting the papers tomorrow. And don't even think about coming back. We've changed the locks.

And one more thing. You better tell COVID-19 that we better not catch its ass in the street.

With warm regards,

The Gay Mafia

P.S. - You nasty bastards!!

Editor's note - just in case you haven't figured it out yet, this letter should be taken strictly tongue-in-cheek while noting just how religious groups exploit the popular fears to amass money and power. These days, it's difficult for people to note satire.

''Team LGBTQ' earns 32 medals at Tokyo Olympics' & other Mon midday news briefs

'Team LGBTQ' earns 32 medals at Tokyo Olympics - I may be wrong but this was the most high-profile Olympic games for the LGBTQ community and I hope a sign of things to come. 

Texas governor once again orders GOP legislators to try banning trans youth from sports - Here we go again.

DaBaby Deletes Instagram Apology To LGBTQ Community Days After Posting - I cringe to think what may come next.

Congressional candidate’s campaign ad shows him being kicked out of the navy for being gay - Caught MY attention. 

Tucker Carlson praises anti-LGBTQ Hungary prime minister - Because Tucker Carlson is a mediocre trust fund baby.

Right-wing media attacked LGBTQ athletes during Tokyo Olympics

Olympic silver medalist Raven Saunders was one of the LGBTQ athletes targeted by the right-wing media.

 Along with the success of American athletes during the 2021 Olympic games came the success and high-profile visibility of various LGBTQ athletes. And unfortunately with that success came the ugly words and tweets of many in the right-wing media. 

According to Media Matters

Right-wing media are attacking LGBTQ Olympians competing at the 2020 Tokyo Games, including by misgendering, deadnaming, and calling individual athletes a “fascist woketard,” “pudgy, out of shape,” and “an anti-American piece of trash.” 

Media Matters also said the right-wing media especially targeted several specific athletes:

According to Outsports, there are at least 182 openly LGBTQ athletes at this year’s Olympics, “more than triple the number who participated at the 2016 Rio Games.” Several of these athletes have been subjected to right-wing media harassment, including New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, U.S. women’s soccer team player Megan Rapinoe, Canadian soccer player Quinn, and American track and field athlete Raven Saunders.

I will spotlight two of  the four athletes who were the focus of the Media Matters article and give just a few examples of the ugly things said about them.

Raven Saunders:

Shot-putter Raven Saunders, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics, made waves for her split-dyed hair, incredible performance, and gesture on the podium to represent “all people who are oppressed.” The gesture was being probed “as a potential breach of rules banning protests on medal podiums” but was suspended when her mother Clarissa Saunders died. Saunders tweeted, “My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me.” Right-wing pundits attacked Saunders during her time at the games, zeroing in on her protest and saying it “wrecks the games

.”Fox News’ Tomi Lahren attacked Saunders and other Olympians who protested at the games, saying their protests are a “attention-seeking display” and “crybaby, whiny, bratty stunts.” 

White nationalist sympathizer Michelle Malkin asserted that Saunders is “a sorry example of Olympic competition. You've got one job: win. If you can't cut it, find a different calling, and share your troubles with a therapist, not the world.” 

 Breitbart’s John Nolte called Saunders a “moron” and asserted, “​​These woketards are such woketards; they’re just making shit up now. At least she won a Silver.”

'Homophobic drama with rapper DaBaby yields educational opportunities' & other Fri midday news briefs

DaBaby

The recent homophobic controversy with rapper DaBaby may actually have positive repercussions:

National LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS organizations call for educational meeting with DaBaby in open letter 

Megan Thee Stallion Says 'It Is About Time' that Rap Tackle LGBTQ Hate: 'It Is Really Crucial' 

In other news:

LGBTQ family featured in ad for grocery store flees Russia after death threats - Talk about your ugly hot messes.

Coalition of Orthodox Jewish rabbis publicly flaunt their hypocrisy in opposing Biden's pick for religious freedom coalition - My post from last night. It's important to me because I am so tired of those on the right attempting to define religious freedom for the rest of us.

Milwaukee Marks 60th Anniversary of Pre-Stonewall Bar Uprising - Know your history. All of it.

Coalition of Orthodox Jewish rabbis publicly flaunt their hypocrisy in opposing Biden's pick for religious freedom coalition

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

And the award for blatant religious hypocrisy goes to:

A coalition that represents some 1,500 Orthodox Jewish rabbis condemned President Biden's move to nominate Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, a leader of the LGBTQ-focused Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, to the U.S. Coalition on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), saying it sends a "counter-productive" message amid threats to religious freedom.

 Kleinbaum is the spouse of American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten. 

"A person's sexual preferences should be a private matter, and certainly irrelevant to prayer. Kleinbaum, by contrast, leads a congregation that insists ‘LGBTQ’ is a matter of identity," Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the managing director at the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), told Fox News on Thursday, ahead of Biden's Friday announcement. "At a time when religious people are persecuted worldwide for their personal, sincere beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman, and gender is permanent, biological, and determined at conception, placing Kleinbaum on a commission devoted to ensuring religious freedom sends precisely the wrong message and could hardly be more counter-productive."

Rabbi Menken and the Coalition for Jewish Values underscore the hypocrisy of how religious freedom is popularly defined by those on the right. Some people of faith have a belief that the LGBTQ identity and religious beliefs are in two opposite camps, never to intersect. They see the LGBTQ identity as a sin. They have every right to believe this, however many others, including many LGBTQ people, don't follow that narrative. They have no problem with the intersection of the LGBTQ identity and religious beliefs. 

Don't they also have the right to religious freedom? 

And just what exactly gives Rabbi Menken and his coalition the right to define religious freedom for the rest of us?  What gives Rabbi Menken the right to define what is or isn't irrelevant to prayer? When did God give him the right to decide just what is or isn't a feasible subject for prayer?

It is Rabbi Menken and his group who are sending the wrong message about religious freedom. They throw around the phrase, but what they seem to want  is "religious supremacy" for themselves.  They seem to think that true religious freedom is all about their beliefs being placed upon a pedestal above other religious beliefs. This not only an ugly contradiction, but it's simply embarrassing for Rabbi Menken and his coalition to not recognize the stain of hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance it places on them. It's also embarrassing how they publicly flaunt their false sense of religious entitlement.

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has every right to be a member of the U.S. Coalition on International Religious Freedom as anyone else because her religious faith is just as valid. That's all there is to it.

'Lil Nas X continues chart success with 'Industry Baby'' & other Thur midday news briefs

Lil Nas X continues his chart success.

Five Burning Questions: Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow's 'Industry Baby' Debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 - More success for Lil Nas X. One thing is certain. You cannot call him a one-hit wonder.

Shelters for LGBTQ asylum seekers on Mexico-US border ‘overwhelmed’ - Oh this is a problem . . . 

Russian TV Hosts Mocked LGBTQ+ Olympians With Wigs, Slurs - Losers make fun because they lack the skill and capacity to do anything else. 

'Misunderstanding' delays LGBTQ ordinance in Montgomery - Hopefully the misunderstanding will be handled.

Federal prosecutors declined to prosecute 82% of hate crimes - Why?

Video - Six Myths About Bisexuality

 

This blog doesn't talk about anti-bisexual lies and that's my fault. For that, I apologize. Myths about bisexual men and women are very prevalent and that includes in the LGBTQ community at large. I don't think I even gave it as much thought as I should have until watching this video. It features an online buddy of mine, Christian LGBTQ activist Justin Lee (or you can call him GeekyJustin) calling out six myths about the bisexual community. I bet you'll be surprised about how many you unconsciously believed or took for granted.

'Two transgender children sue Tennessee over school bathroom law' & other Wed midday news briefs

Two transgender children sue Tennessee over school bathroom law - Good. Make them defend their ridiculous laws.

2 dads say teachers at a New York school blamed their gay son for the 'horrific' homophobic bullying he endured and now they are suing for 'justice' - I swear that some folks are going to have to learn the hard way about how they treat our kids.

From ‘kiss of death’ to competitive edge: Out athletes finally score big endorsements - About time. 

‘It doesn’t leave you’: the toxic toll of LGBTQ+ conversion therapy - Painful but much needed conversation.

Olympic Diver Jordan Windle Credits & Thanks Gay Dad For His Success - Awwww! I'm not crying at all.

Religious right author claims COVID-19 is God's punishment for attempted 'recruitment' of kids by LGBTQ community

Religious right author William Koenig claims that God is punishing America with the COVID-19 pandemic because LGBTQ people are allegedly trying to recruit children. 

It was bound to happen. The LGBTQ community has been blamed for the coronavirus pandemic. The religious are always blaming us for calamities, natural disasters, etc. so this is not a surprise. Except for the fact that it took so long.

From Right Wing Watch:

 

End Times author William Koenig was a guest on Jan Markell’s “Understand The Times” radio program Sunday, where he claimed that the global COVID-19 pandemic was the judgment of God on the United States for its tolerance of the LGBTQ community. Koenig has built a career out of chronicling the ways in which God supposedly sends natural disasters to America as punishment for failing to stand with Israel, which was precisely what he blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on last year. 

But on Sunday, Koenig asserted that the pandemic was now God’s judgment for American culture being “so pro-LGBT.” When Markell said that LGBTQ activists are trying to get children to “question their sexuality so they can be groomed and be evangelized,” Koenig readily agreed.

“I really sense that COVID is part of the judgment,” Koenig said. “We had a national shutdown last summer. We had every major sports league that favored the LGBT agenda, that even took on states for their bathroom bills. When you think about Hollywood was shut down. We thought fashion was shut down. Retail was shut down. All these areas that were so pro-LGBT, the COVID shut them down, and I don’t know if they’ll ever recover.”

 “Don’t touch the children,” he continued. “This crosses the line. It is tragic to see what they’re doing, and our God is going to respond even greater. This is judgment. This is a pattern of judgment. Everything about this fits the pattern of judgment; I’m sorry, there’s no other way to put it.”

It goes without saying how much nonsense Koenig is full of. I have a couple of ways to put it but I can't voice any of them without being vulgar.  (Okay, I got one - I wonder who Koenig blames his face on. No offense, that is one ugly man. Aaaaand I'm done.)

'Soccer player Quinn becomes first out trans athlete to win medal at Olympics' & other Tue midday news briefs

Soccer player Quinn becomes first out trans athlete to win a medal at the Olympics - Happy for her. Not happy that her team beat Team USA for the honor. 

Biden Nominates Lesbian Rabbi to Religious Freedom Commission - Nice! Religious freedom goes both ways. 

Ghana poised to vote on ‘worst anti-LGBTQ bill ever,’ advocates warn - Mercy! Some folks love messing with us. 

Nonprofits working to get LGBTQ vaccinated against COVID-19 - Damn right. Get vaccinated, y'all.

DaBaby credits God for making him an “icon” after homophobic remarks, Twitter responds accordingly - This did NOT end well for him.

Family Research Council undermines vaccinations while giving a passive-aggressive defense of Jan 6th insurrectionists

Tony Perkins and his group, the Family Research Council, are undermining Biden's efforts to curtail the COVID pandemic and defending the Jan 6 insurrectionists

When the Family Research Council is not demonizing LGBTQ people or scaring people specifically about transgender Americans, the hate group walks a fine line between undermining the fight against the COVID pandemic and, believe it or not, defending the Jan 6 insurrectionists.

Displaying the same accusatory verbiage it uses to portray LGBTQ people as evil outsiders attempting to put Christians in jail, 'recruit children,' and cause general chaos, FRC president Tony Perkins  pushes nonsense that somehow President Biden is exploiting the pandemic to attack individual freedoms:

Joe Biden isn't a doctor, and he's certainly not your doctor. But that hasn't stopped the president of the United States from making every Americans' health decisions for them. The "scare-monger in chief," as former Civil Rights Division leader Roger Severino calls him, has decided that when it comes to COVID, the facts, the law, and the science don't matter. You will be vaccinated, this Democratic leadership says -- and surrender every constitutional right to privacy, employment, personal safety, and free speech until you do.

But that's just the prelude. In the same Washington Update, Perkins gave  a passive-aggressive defense of those who attacked the nation's Capitol on Jan 6 seeking to overturn Biden's victory in the 2020 election:

If you think China and North Korea are the only countries with "political prisoners," think again. According to some conservatives in Congress, some of the January 6th rioters have been held in jail for months under what they consider abusive conditions. At a press conference earlier this week, Republicans warned about the possible mistreatment of some defendants and demanded that they be treated fairly. "If they're guilty, they need to be charged accordingly," 

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) told the Washington Times, "but they need to be treated just like any other criminal." Stories continue to circulate that even the "nonviolent trespassers" have been put in solitary confinement for several hours a day. "Sadly, two systems of justice exist in America today," Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) (a former state judge) argued, "one for former President Trump along with those who support or don't hate him, and the other for everyone else." His colleague, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) agreed. "To my knowledge, none have been charged for insurrection, so I don't consider them insurrectionists."

Perkins seems to have no problem quoting members of Congress who went out of their way to minimize the damage or outright lie about what these insurrectionists did to our country with their violent attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Here are several facts he didn't mention about these lawmakers:

• Rep. Gohmert has downplayed the events of Jan 6th by inaccurately claiming that the insurrectionists were not armed. The fact of the matter is they were armed.

• Rep. Thomas Massie voted against legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to officers who defended the Capitol because he objected to the incident being called an insurrection.

• Rep. Gosar has not only lied about the Jan 6 insurrection by calling the participants peaceful, he has also attempted to make one of them, Ashli Babbitt, into a martyr. Babbitt was shot and killed on that day as she attempted to crawl through a window at the entrance of the Speaker's Lobby. Gosar - and others - have falsely claimed that she was executed for murdered. 

If these legislators bent over backwards to either lie about the Jan 6 insurrection or undermine the damage it did, why should their complaints about the insurrectionists receive any credibility?  That's definitely a question one should ask Perkins. 

And on that same note, he should also be asked just whose side is his organization on with regards to COVID-19 and the Jan 6th insurrection.

Because it's damn sure not  America's side. 

'Christian adoption agency gets 'canceled' for serving LGBTQ people' & other Mon midday news briefs

Christian adoption agency gets canceled by fundamentalists for serving LGBTQ people - So "religious freedom" only counts if used against LGBTQ people. Who knew? 

This Family Is Leaving Texas Because of Anti-Trans Bills - This right here is simply wrong. And it's probably an intended result, though. 

How Lendale Johnson Is Changing Tennis for Black Gay Players - Oh? 

Lollapalooza music festival cancels DaBaby performance after homophobic remarks - Between u and me though, I don't like the idea of this festival in general in the middle of a pandemic. Making homophobic remarks may have actually benefitted DaBaby. Wouldn't that be . . . something.

Olympic silver medalist Raven Saunders wasn't protesting. She was celebrating.

Everyone (and we do mean EVERYONE) needs to hear this👇

Thank you, @GiveMe1Shot, for sharing such an emotional and POWERFUL message 👏👏👏#OlympicHERstory | #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/t5gxSrkHw3

— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) August 1, 2021

The 2021 Olympic games will be remembered for how many times LGBTQ athletes stood up, gave notice, and showed out. Here is one time really close to my heart because it touches so many levels which affects me personally:

Olympic silver medalist Raven Saunders celebrates her win with a shout out to the LGBTQ, African-American, and all other oppressed communities.

Team USA’s Raven Saunders used her second-place win in Tokyo to speak up for the “oppressed,” she said, likely violating Olympics rules on political protest during the games. Saunders, 25, raised her hands in an "X" formation above her head on Sunday during a photo op at the podium following the medal ceremony where she accepted the silver for the women’s shot put event. 

When asked what the symbol meant, she told the Associated Press, “it’s the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” "Shout out to all my Black people. Shout out to all my LGBTQ community. Shout out to all my people dealing with mental health," Saunders said. She later spoke to reporters about how meaningful the win was for her, having struggled with financial hardship and depression.

 Saunders, a native of South Carolina and who is openly gay, said her win was about so much more than herself. “I feel amazing, because I know I'm going to inspire so many people,” Saunders said. “About to inspire so many young girls, so many young boys, so many LGBTQ people, people who have battled suicide. So many people would have almost given up...it's not, it's not just about me.”

Some folks, petty little children they are, may be whining about what she did but who cares. This time and this moment belongs to Saunders. She earned it. Saunders wasn't protesting. She was celebrating.

Related post - Raven Saunders: What the Olympian's X protest means to her

'Is rapper T.I. trying to use DaBaby controversy to settle grudge against LGBTQ community?' & other Fri midday news briefs

T.I. tries to defend DaBaby's homophobia.

T.I. Says Rappers Are Bullied by the Gay Community - Bullshit! 

 Related post from 2011 - Hey T.I., violence against gay children is NOT funny - T.I. just mad cause we called his ass out in 2011 when he defended comedian Tracy Morgan for making an ugly joke about stabbing his son if he found out he was gay. T.I. can kiss my a.s.s.

Stephanie Dolson is first out American athlete to win Olympic gold medal - Good for her!

Fight over trans student policies moves to Virginia’s school boards after lawsuit gets dismissed - Score another victory for the transgender community. 

BNT: Buck case highlights intersection of race & sexual orientation - This case depresses me but it needs to be spotlighted A gay rich older white man targeted younger black men down on their luck. He entices them with money to allow him to pump them full of drugs. Two ended up dying. He was put on trial and found guilty of their deaths, as he should have.

How Fox News & the TERF community turned an unverified story at a spa into a 'nightmare scenario' for the transgender community

Apparently the situation last month at WiSpa, the Los Angeles Korean spa where someone claimed that a naked trans woman exposed herself to a woman and a child, was uglier than we thought. Even though the alleged incident was unverified,  Fox News, the TERF community from places as far as Canada and Britain, and assorted conservative groups stoked the controversy until it led to two violent protests which saw people beaten, stabbed, and simply targeted for being transgender:

As The Guardian puts it:

The episode, experts said, offered a case study in how viral misinformation can result in violence, and provided clear evidence of the links between anti-trans and far-right movements, including QAnon conspiracy theorists, who believe that a cabal of elite pedophiles is manipulating the American government.

In a detailed article, A Nightmare Scenario: how an anti-trans Instagram post led to violence in the streets, The Guardian shows just how one unsubstantiated claim by a person with little credibility ballooned into chaos because of the prejudices and ulterior motives of the parties exploiting the claim:

On 24 June, an Instagram user with the name @CubanaAngel posted footage of herself inside the lobby of Wi Spa loudly confronting numerous staff members about a “man” who was naked in front of women and girls. In her video, an employee tried to explain that the spa cannot discriminate based on gender identity. A male customer walking by asked the woman filming if the customer she encountered was, in fact, a trans person. 

The woman filming, along with another woman complaining to staff, responded with transphobic language, denying that trans women exist, suggesting that the person was a “pervert”, and saying they would be defending women and girls “in Jesus’s name”. It is unclear whether a trans woman was actually present. There was no footage of anyone inside the changing room and no other witnesses have since spoken out to corroborate the account. A local LGBTQ+ paper reported that a spa employee said there were no trans patrons with appointments that day, leading some to question whether the incident was staged.

Nevertheless, some folks took the claim and ran with it: 

Cubana Angel’s original Wi Spa Instagram video quickly went viral on Twitter and Facebook, shared by accounts and pages with names such as “Conservative Update”, “Latino Exit From the Democratic Party” and “Women for Trump”, according to data from CrowdTangle, an analytics tool. Rightwing sites presented the woman’s claims as fact, and in several cases used a misleading screenshot of a male customer as a main photo, falsely implying he was the trans woman. 

 . . . In one week, Fox discussed Wi Spa in six segments, said Brennan Suen, LGBTQ program director at Media Matters, which tracks rightwing media. The host Tucker Carlson repeated, without evidence, that a “man” was naked in the “female kids section” of the spa. Another host warned that what happened at Wi Spa will occur “all across the land”.

 . . .The video was also shared by feminists who advocate against trans-inclusive policies – sometimes referred to as gender critical feminists, or trans-exclusionary radical feminists (Terfs). Moro documented a flurry of posts on Ovarit (a site for users banned from Reddit due to transphobia) and Mumsnet (a platform for UK mothers, which has attracted anti-trans feminists). An “LGB” group in Canada – part of a fringe movement of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who argue against trans rights – claimed with no evidence that the Wi Spa video raised concerns about pedophilia.  

What happen next was pure madness, including the targeting of a transgender activist after she was inaccurately accused of being the transgender woman in the middle of the controversy. There were also two protests in front of WiSpa between protestors and counter protesters with the police in the middle.

It went exactly how you think it would. The Guardian includes pictures of the battles and it's not pretty. And while it looks settled down at least for now, one thing was clear.

The tale of the transgender woman allegedly exposing herself to children and other women still has not been verified as truth.

You can read the entire article here. 

'Rapper DaBaby facing universal condemnation for homophobic comments' & other Thur midday news briefs

DaBaby

Celebrities, activists condemn rapper DaBaby’s homophobic comments - First of all, who the hell is this?

Rep. Katherine Clark leads bill to blunt discrimination against LGBTQ students at higher ed institutions - We'll see how it turns out. I'm highly cynical.

Lesbian Fox host says she wishes she could give back her COVID-19 vaccine - The LGBTQ community wishes we could give Tammy Bruce away. 

Illinois Decriminalizes HIV Exposure, Adds Gender-Neutral Birth Certificate Option And More As Pritzker Signs LGBTQ-Affirming Laws - Way to go, Illinois!

We need more Dorothy Zbornaks (from 'The Golden Girls') in America today

 

I interrupt my regularly scheduled beatdown of the anti-LGBTQ industry to let y'all know that I am burnt out and exhausted with the evil, corruption, and basic dishonesty in this country where people and groups are unfairly exploited for money and clout. Where idiots go online not to get educated, but suddenly think they are educated. Where any fool with a Twitter address anoints themselves as experts in subjects they can't even appropriately spell.  The solution? We need more Dorothy Zbornaks from The Golden Girls to lay the smack down on some people. Either that or I may be tempted to start grabbing more people by their hair and whipping them around like I'm Wonder Woman with her magic lasso.

'These kids had questions about trans athletes. So they asked one' & other Wed midday news briefs

These kids had questions about trans athletes. So they asked one. - For all of the false fears about children and LGBTQ issues, we find that there is really nothing to worry about. Children tend to understand these things better than some adults.

Infertility treatment coverage expanded for LGBTQ community under bills Pritzker signs to ‘chart a new path forward’ - Good! More possibilities for LGBTQ families. 

Antigay GOP candidate Josh Mandel’s deep obsession with LGBTQ people reaches new heights - People like this guy are so damn creepy.

Gay athletes more comfortable living their lives openly — and that’s a good thing - And it's about time, too.

VICTORY! Appeals court rules against web designer who challenged Colorado's anti-discrimination law

A Colorado appeals court just ruled that this will not be a legal reality in the state.

The religious right's attempt to exploit the concept of 'religious liberty' as a tool to strike LGBTQ non-discrimination laws failed on Tuesday afternoon.

According to The Associated Press:

A U.S. appeals court has ruled against a web designer who didn’t want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples and sued to challenge Colorado’s anti-discrimination law, another twist in a series of court rulings nationwide about whether businesses denying services to LGBTQ people amounts to bias or freedom of speech. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver on Monday denied Lorie Smith's attempt to overturn a lower court ruling throwing out her legal challenge. 

 . . .  In the 2-1 ruling, the panel said Colorado had a compelling interest in protecting the “dignity interests” of members of marginalized groups through its law. The anti-discrimination law is the same one at issue in the case of Colorado baker Jack Phillips that was decided in 2018 by the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court decided the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had acted with anti-religious bias against Phillips after he refused to bake a cake for two men who were getting married. But it did not rule on the larger issue of whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to LGBTQ people.

Smith's case was handled by anti-LGBTQ hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom, which should surprise no one. Her case is one of many in which the group has tried to make a case that LGBTQ-nondiscrimination laws are automatically an affront to the idea of "religious freedom" because they supposedly force people to promote messages which are against their religious beliefs.

Luckily, the appeals court saw through that subterfuge. Lambda Legal submitted a brief defending Colorado's law.  The organization's senior counsel, Jennifer C. Pizer, broke it down rather nicely what this case was all about:

“This really isn’t about cake or websites or flowers. It’s about protecting LGBTQ people and their families from being subjected to slammed doors, service refusals and public humiliation in countless places — from fertility clinics to funeral homes and everywhere in between.”

'Woman doesn't know if she should invited her grandmother to her gay wedding. Her grandmother is Anita Bryant' & other Tue midday news briefs

Anti-LGBTQ activist Anita Bryant's gay granddaughter doesn't know if she wants to invite her to her wedding.

The granddaughter of a notorious anti-gay rights activist is marrying a woman — and she's not sure whether to invite her grandmother to the wedding - Uh I don't think you should invite her.

 
Michigan board rejects petition to include LGBTQ protections in civil rights law, organizers vow appeal - Keep fighting, y'all. 

Atlanta mayor hosts job fair for LGBTQ applicants - This is a WONDERFUL idea. 

Out judo star Amandine Buchard wins silver medal 1 month after publicly coming out - Good for her!