Anti-LGBTQ group's 'red wave' turns to pink from embarrassment after claiming victory before midterm votes were even tallied

Out all of the folks on the right eating crow due last week's midterms, the sweetest to watch are the anti-LGBTQ groups and personalities who attempted to exploit bigotry to get their favorites into office.

Ari Drennen and Media Matters for America pointed out how several personalities took it upon themselves rub our faces into our anticipated midterm losses.

There was Matt Walsh.

and Christopher Rufo.

Ms. Drennen pointed out something about Rufo which I found hilarious. He does have a tendency of bragging about his upcoming nefarious plans as if he were a James Bond. For that reason, I've nicknamed him "Little Blofeld." I don't think he appreciated that because he blocked me.

But the one group which takes the prize when it comes to embarrassing pre-celebrations of the midterms has to be the American Principles Project and its president, Terry Schilling. APP led the charge of far-right groups with a lot of cash and an aim of influencing the midterms by making people think that the Democrats are trying to turn their children transgender.

Their overall goal was to mingle in the predicted "red wave" and then use that success to grab more cash and more influence to spread more lies about the trans community.

 According to Media Matters, Schilling sent out the following tweets on Election Day last week before the votes were even tallied:

As it turns out, the ads are now kinda my favorites too. And I will tell you so before each one. I think you will figure out what I like them so much.

There was this ad they ran against Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He was re-elected.

Then there was this ad against they ran against Maine Governor Janet Mills. She was re-elected by double digits.

There was this ad against Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto. She also won reelection. In fact, it was her victory which allowed Democrats to retain control of the United States Senate.

This ad was against Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. He also won re-election.

The group also supported Michigan GOP nominee Tudor Dixon and U.S. Rep nominee John Gibson in the Republican primary when they defeated their opponents. In the general election however, both Dixon and Gibson lost to the Democratic incumbents.

Of course Schilling had to brag about AAP's first victory - helping Glenn Youngkin defeat Terry McAuliffe in the race for VA gov, marking the occasion by designating McAuliffe's loss as the first "scalp" on a wall they are hoping to create.

And Schilling's bragging ends with the following.

But as we know, APP is not winning. The "red wave" the group was trying to attach itself to didn't materialize. And their attempt to transform transphobia into a winning midterm issue also failed.  So what has Schilling been tweeting now? A jumbled hodgepodge of blaming Mitch McConnell, blaming the entire GOP, claiming that the opponents his group supported weren't really that good, whining that a lot of people do not want to support 'culture war issues.'

Schilling is basically trying to distract from what a gigantic ass he and his group made of themselves. And that should tell us something. They may have lost huge this time but they won't be backing down. With their money and the influence they do have in far-right circles, I am sure we are going to deal with APP repeatedly in the future. It's sad, but it's also a fact.

But we have a victory over them. And with that victory, we know their routines and gimmicks. Schilling was so nice to give us a front row view of it all. Let's take advantage of his generosity.

'Pink trickle - right-wing media failed at backlash against LGBTQ equality during midterm elections' & other Fri midday news briefs

Right-wing media promised a backlash against LGBTQ equality would fuel a midterm tsunami that failed to materialize​ - But that doesn't mean they aren't going to continue to target us. 

A 'rainbow wave' spreads across the U.S. as hundreds of LGBTQ candidates win elections - Bears repeating. 

MAGA author who complained about kids seeing drag queens says kids should be taken to Hooters - Hypocrisy watch. 

Colorado Board of Education approves adding contested LGBTQ, POC language back to social study standards - Good!

Video - Fox News pundits choking on all of the 'red wave' crow they have to eat.

Not necessarily an LGBTQ-related post per se, but still I think you will enjoy this. One of the best things about how the supposed Republican red wave fizzled on Tuesday is how Fox News ended up eating a lot of crow.  Sean Hannity is now saying he isn't sure where the talk of the "red wave" came from. As you can see via this video, all he had to do was turn was to watch his own network. Watching this video is so delightful that it should be both fattening and a sin.

LGBTQ candidates dominate the midterms in the approaching shadow of DeSantis

Well I am back from my day-long hiatus and apparently I missed a lot of good stuff. Maybe I should start taking hiatuses on more election nights. Aside from the big news that the GOP's expected "red wave" was mostly a pink trickle, there was other wonderful news from the midterms. While I am sure the mainstream media will conveniently omit it, the LGBTQ community had a history making  night.

Wait a minute. That's putting it too nicely. 

We kicked MAJOR ass!!!

From Metro Weekly:

For the third straight electoral cycle in a row, LGBTQ candidates for political office broke a previous record, with at least 340 out LGBTQ candidates winning races at various levels of government as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday. 

 While many races have not yet been called due to the heavy volume of mail-in ballots (one of the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed voting behavior), the number of successful candidates eclipses the previous record, set in 2020, of 336 out elected candidates. In total, 1,065 out LGBTQ people ran for office in 2022, with 678 making it to the general election. 

With 340 of those 678 winning, even if no additional LGBTQ candidates were to win in yet-to-be-called races — which is highly unlikely — it means more than half, or 50.15%, of all LGBTQ candidates appearing on general election ballots were victorious.

Among the victories, we saw three states elect and re-elect openly gay people as governors. Former Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey became the first openly lesbian governor in the country. She didn't have to wait long for there to be a second one. Tina Kotek won the gubernatorial election in Oregon. In addition, openly gay Colorado governor Jared Polis won a second term.

According to USA Today, other victorious LGBTQ candidates include:

Democrat James Roesener, a bisexual transgender man, was elected to New Hampshire House of Representatives, District 22 Ward 8. He is the first openly transgender man to win in any state legislature election. 

 First out LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress  - Democrat Robert Garcia, who is gay, was elected in the race for California's 42nd congressional district. He is currently the mayor of Long Beach. According to his online bio, Garcia immigrated to the United States at age 5 and was raised in Southern California. 

Democrat Becca Balint was elected in Vermont to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first woman and openly gay person to represent the state in Congress. 

Democrat Patricia Contreras is one of the first out lesbian Latinas elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. 

 Democrat Liz Bennett, who identifies as a queer woman, was elected to the Iowa State Senate, District 39. She currently serves in the state House of Representatives.

According to The Hill:

 Democrats Zooey Zephyr of Montana and Leigh Finke of Minnesota each defeated their Republican opponents in landslide wins to become the first transgender women elected to the state legislature. 

 Minnesota voters also voted to elect Alicia Kozlowski to the state House as the legislature’s first nonbinary member. . . . 

Jennie Armstrong, Andrew Gray and Ashley Carrick — all Democrats — made history Tuesday evening, becoming the first openly LGBTQ lawmakers elected to the Alaska state legislature. All three will serve in the House. 

 Democrat Kameron Nelson also won his House race Tuesday in South Dakota, becoming the state legislature’s first openly gay member. Former state Rep. Angie Buhl, also a Democrat, came out as bisexual after being elected to her first term.

 But there is bitter with the sweet when it comes to one victory. According to LGBTQNation:

In a historic first for the country, two gay candidates ran against each other in a general election for Congress. George Santos – a Trump-loving Republican who has called himself “a walking, living, breathing contradiction” – beat out Democrat Robert Zimmerman to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District and become the first out LGBTQ member of Congress from Long Island, getting 54% of the vote with 93% of precincts reporting. While Zimmerman ran on a platform of LGBTQ equality, Santos has said abortion is as barbaric as slavery and has voiced support for Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

How Santos will handle himself promises to be interesting.

All in all, LGBTQ people had a wonderful midterm. Metro Weekly points out the irony of these victories in an environment in which our rights were under attack by Republicans in state legislatures from books about us to school officials who supported us to policies designed to protect trans students. It seemed that all of it was for naught because we rose to the occasion.

But there is a problem. A huge shadow on the horizon. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won re-election easily by a large margin. And by doing so, he has positioned himself as the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 election. DeSantis' success came in part with attacks on the LGBTQ  community via the infamous 'Don't Say Gay' law and now an attempt to outlaw gender-affirming treatment for transgender children.

Pink News rightfully called his re-election is a bad omen for LGBTQ Americans:

Editor and film critic Jon Negroni tweeted: “The real question is whether or not the guy’s politics translate to the rest of the country, and no one really knows that for sure, yet. “But I think it’s obvious to anyone with a brain that he’s a stronger presidential candidate than that other guy… The stakes here are extremely high. “A DeSantis presidency and republican congress in 2025 could bring about a rollback in rights for LGBTQ people that can’t be understated. We could be seeing federal bans on all gender affirming care, even for adults.”

I have a solution to the possibility of DeSantis using LGBTQ Americans as scapegoats much like he did in Florida. That solution is that we continue to do what we are doing. DeSantis's successes thrived in ignorance, whether it be ignorance of same-sex families, LGBTQ kids, or what gender-affirming care for trans youth actually entails in contrast to the ugly connotative images pushed by the anti-LGBTQ industry

Live openly, tell our stories. And above all, encourage more of us to run for office. These victories demonstrate that there is  place for us in America as we want it to be instead of what some try to determine for us. We need more people representing us and speaking for us. We need intelligent and rationale voices to articulate our lives and break the fever of fear and ignorance which is exploited to undermine our lives.

Let's celebrate what happened in the midterms, but let's also not be lazy. Let's not rest on our laurels. There is more work to do and, as the midterms show, the harvest promises to be plenty.

Editor's Note - I apologize for the victories I did not mention, as well as the losses. There were some of those too. However, I encourage everyone to read The Victory Fund's webpage and interactive map for more information about the LGBTQ candidates.

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters will take a day-long hiatus

As many of y'all know, this has not been a good year for me, particularly because of my mother's passing. Today was especially bad because my mother and I always went to the polling place and voted together.

So I am going to take a day long hiatus from posting. Regardless of how the midterms go I will see you all tomorrow evening.  And if you haven't yet, get your ass out there and vote.

'Black voters overwhelmingly support LGBTQ rights except when it comes to trans athletes' & other Tue midday news briefs

Black voters overwhelmingly support LGBTQ rights except when it comes to trans athletes​ - A window into the misperceptions people have about trans athletes and athletes in general.  More discussion and education is needed.

30 LGBTQ+ Congressional and Statewide Candidates On the Ballot - Keep your fingers crossed. Positive history will be made. 

Man who won gay rights case at Supreme Court agrees to settlement - Another victory.

As anti-LGBTQ rhetoric grows, voter ID laws create obstacles for thousands of transgender voters - New challenges will cause our transgender brothers and sisters to rise to the occasion and take care of business. Again.

Enjoy these scenes from 'Young Frankenstein. Also don't forget to VOTE!

 Tuesday is the mid-term election and regardless of the narrative, polling is all over the place. I highly emphasize that we get out and vote and please ignore the polls no matter what direction they may be going. Don't get too happy or too discouraged. Remember that it is a process and those of us fighting for fairness should never stop and never give up. Having said that, I plan to take two melatonin gummies and retire early tomorrow evening. Whatever happens, I refuse to deal with it until Wednesday morning.

In the meantime, enjoy these clips from one of the funniest movies of all time, Young Frankenstein. It's a reminder that sometimes you shouldn't take life so seriously. No matter what.

'Schools having to deal with bad rumors of furries and litter boxes in classrooms' & other Mon midday news brief

Schools all over are being forced to deal with parents angry about furries & litter boxes​ - This right here is some seriously insane mess. It underscores how certain people with power aren't being good gatekeepers. You still have a responsibility to not say anything you feel you want to.

As election nears, some conservative groups have ramped up anti-trans campaign ads - Desperation always leaves an odor.

A Daily Wire hit piece smearing Arizona gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ husband’s work with trans youth has spread across right-wing media - So much for economic concerns. 

Suspect Indicted for Setting Fire to LGBTQ+ Spaces in Manhattan - Good.

Tenn lawmaker wants to ban drag show for lewdness. Says questions about lack of proof is 'distraction.'

Conservatives are still raising hell about drag shows, even to the point of making fools of themselves. 

From The Jackson Sun in Tennessee:

Legislators in Madison County and a number of members of the First United Methodist Church have filed a request for an injunction against the city of Jackson to halt a portion of the Jackson Pride event, which is slated to occur on Saturday — raising First Amendment violation concerns. 

Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, is leading the charge to suspend the event along with Sen. Ed Jackson, R-Jackson. Controversy is swirling around the festival after Jackson Pride organizers announced the inclusion of a “family-friendly drag show” in their third annual celebration of the area’s LGBTQ community. . . .The injunction request asks that a judge prohibit the performance of a drag show in conjunction with Jackson Pride, as well as declare Jackson Pride’s usage of the center be declared a public nuisance and prohibit them from ever using the facility again.

 Here is the funniest part of the entire situation. Todd admitted that he hasn't spoken to any of the entertainers nor the organizers. He has no proof that the show will be lewd. Organizers, by the way, spoke to the Jackson Sun and assured the publication that the drag show is family-friendly. The kicker of it all is what Todd said when asked about his objections to the drag show: 

When asked how he could declare an event “lewd” if he had not inquired about the contents of the show, Todd said such questions were a “distraction.” 

“These are simple distractions and diversions,” he said. “That’s all those comments are. Because they have no sound legal grounds to argue the point. So they detract and divert the attention to something else. The info of what these drag shows are about is clearly in public domain and can be viewed online and on their individual social media platforms. It is very clear what they do.” 

 So Todd wants to ban a family-friendly drag show because he thinks it will be lewd. But when asked how can he assume the event will be lewd if he hasn't talked to the organizers, he calls the question a distraction. The article rightfully points out that there are First Amendment concerns with what Todd wants to do.

That's not the only problem as far as I'm concerned. I'm gonna need aspirin to handle all of the gaslighting. 

Mayor gets roasted online for hypocritical attack on 'all ages drag shows'

Glenn Jacobs

Earlier this week, Knox County, Tennessee Mayor Glenn Jacobs sent out the following tweets about 'all-ages drag shows.'

As far as it is known, no one seemed to know what Jacobs was talking about. However, he got blasted online by many people who reminded him of his former occupation. 

You see before Jacobs was a mayor, he worked as a professional wrestler at a company called World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). For those who don't know,  pro wrestling is an entertainment  genre which is a cross between a sports game and a soap opera.  In it,  the physical fights, called wrestling matches, are staged and are the result of intricate storylines called "angles." The wrestlers themselves are actors playing characters,   It's been a popular attraction for many decades, bringing men, women, and children to arenas around the world. 

The WWE is probably the most well-known wrestling company. But one can't actually call it "kid-friendly." Over the years, the WWE has had such characters as 

Val Venis - a former porn star

Rikishi - An overweight wrestler wearing a thong, which he hikes up in his rear before rubbing his buttckeeks in his opponent's face - a move called "The Stinkface."

The Godfather - a pimp who comes to the matches with his stable of prostitute (called "hoes")

 

Jake "the snake" Roberts - a man who carries a python (yes a python) to his matches and drapes it on his opponents after he wins.

And the storylines from the WWE aren't kid-friendly either. They can be as simple as two wrestlers ruining their friendship in match over a championship, as intricate as a tag team turning on each other during a wrestling match, or as mind-bogglingly idiotic as a 77-year-old woman having a sexual relationship with a 20-something black man and giving birth to a hand.(yes, I said a hand.)

Those were three actual plotlines in the WWE at one time or another. Including the one about the hand.

Jacobs himself  has portrayed three different characters over the years. The most successful one was Kane, the half- brother of another  WWE wrestler named The Undertaker, who everyone thought died in a fire years ago.  I told you the storylines were intricate.

In addition, Jacobs was the central figure in a few controversial storylines including

One in which he rapes a female wrestler and gets her pregnant

Another in which he wrestled the WWE's owner's son and ties a car battery to the young man's testicles

Then there was the Katie Vick storyline which involved necrophilia (sex with a corpse). And I really don't want to talk about that one but you can read about it at this link.

All of this leads me to ask a question. What is it about drag queens and drag shows which bring out hypocritical sanctimony in some people?

I'd like someone to tell me. Seriously.

'Ron DeSantis mocks LGBTQ people in campaign mailer' & other Thur midday news briefs

'Keep it classy,' Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis Mocks LGBTQ People In Campaign Mailer To Florida Voters - Mark my words. If DeSantis gets anywhere NEAR the White House, us LGBTQ Americans are going to have MAJOR problems.

Republican book banning attempt defeated after community stands up for LGBTQ people - In Greenville, SC of all places. 

Analysis: GOP mocks Paul Pelosi attack as gay lovers’ spat - Simply disgusting. Republicans didn't used to be like this. Or at least could fake being rational. This new batch doesn't even try. 

11 LGBTQ-friendly movies and TV shows for your 'cuffing season’ date night - Interesting.

Joe Rogan admits not being able to verify story of litter box in classroom for child supposedly 'identifying' as furry

Joe Rogan

When I was young, we got our news from more credible sources than we do now. There were at least very high standards. So much so that if you were caught telling a lie, you were history and your career was ruined. Not today, however. These days, any fool who looks good in a suit or a tight dress is deemed a credible journalist. Any idiot with a podcast is anointed as the "voice of regular Americans." And mistakes are just small blitches on the road to attaining power, clout, and money.

Case in point, Joe Rogan. He used to be a no-talent actor and a semi-successful comic. Now, thanks to his podcast and the pathetic delusions of many, he is seen a a credible voice. It would be funny except for when he makes a mistake, repercussions are nil:

From a Wednesday article in Mediaite:

Joe Rogan says the story he told to Tulsi Gabbard about public schools allowing students to use kitty litter boxes in the bathroom, had no proof behind it. Early last month, Rogan made headlines when he interviewed former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and discussed a bizarre incident he claimed happened to his friend’s wife who is a public school teacher. 

 In October,  according to LGBTQNation, Rogan said

“My friend, his wife is a school teacher, and she works at a school that had to install a litter box in the girls’ room because there’s a girl who’s a furry, who identifies as an animal and her mother badgered the school until they agreed to put a litter box in one of the stalls,” 

Rogan claimed without telling where this allegedly occurred. “So this girl goes into the litter room or to the girl’s room and urinates or whatever — I don’t know if she poops in it, that’s pretty gross.” “That’s the worst thing in the world about owning cats, you gotta clean that box of piss every day,” 

Rogan continued. “Imagine how f**king crazy that is. You’re a human and you prefer a litter box? You want to piss into a pile of sand rather than use a bathroom, flush a toilet, wipe yourself, like a normal person. Like, you’re so crazy with what you think an animal is that not only have you said this, but you’ve conned the school into putting this f**king litter box in a girl’s room. That’s just bananas.”

On Wednesday during a talk with author Michael Shermer​:

“The kitty litter boxes is a weird one,” Rogan said.

“It’s like an urban legend,” Shermer proclaimed. 

 “I fed into that and let me — I should probably clarify that a bit. I have a friend and my friend’s wife is a school teacher and she told him that there was discussions in the school that a mother wanted to put a litter box in one of the bathrooms,” Rogan began. 

 “And he told me this and I talked about it on here and then people were saying, ‘That’s not true, it’s an internet rumor.’ So I contacted him again and I said, ‘Tell me exactly what she said and contact her and find out.’ She no longer works for that school. She works for another school. She contacted the other school. She didn’t get a response,” Rogan added. 

 Let me break it down. According to Rogan, "his sister's friend's mama's baby daddy's cousin" told him this story and naturally he repeated it on his show before even bother to verify it.

Shermer is right. The story about litter boxes in classrooms for children who "identify" as furries is a lie. It's a story used to denigrate efforts to keep LGBTQ kids safe in schools. Rogan isn't the only one who repeated the story. According to MSNBC, 20 Republican elected officials and candidate have repeated the story in an attempt to scare parents about supposedly what schools are teaching their kids.

But back to Rogan.  He is an idiot so we should blame whoever hired him. 

It's obvious that whoever put  him in this position doesn't care about standards or accuracy. As long as blowhards like Rogan talk, as long as nothing-happening nobodies get an inflated sense of self-esteem by listening to him and as long Rogan's bosses are able to count the money, nothing else matters.

'New legal twist in Florida to block 'Don't Say Gay'' & other Wed midday news briefs

There’s a new legal twist in Florida to block “Don’t Say Gay” and this time there are receipts​ - Oh really. 

Far-right figures appear to be testing Twitter's boundaries for anti-LGBTQ speech - That they are. These are some really sad people.

LGBTQ+ youth are target of a massive fear-mongering campaign​ - And we need to recognize it. 

Transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney responds after Caitlyn Jenner misgenders her - Take her to school, gurlfriend!

Bigots have meltdown after PBS News Hour posts article defending drag

Recently on its webpage, PBS News Hour amplified a very good article by Jeff McMillan of Associated Press about the history of drag performances. The article gave a wonderful history of drag performances and debunked several myths repeated by a certain segment who claim that drag queens are supposedly "sexually grooming kids."

Opponents of drag story hours and other drag events for audiences of children often claim they “groom” children, implying attempts to sexually abuse them or somehow influence their sexual orientation or gender identity. The term “grooming” in a sexual sense describes how child molesters entrap and abuse their victims. Its use by opponents of drag, as well as by protesters in other realms of LGBTQ opposition, seeks to falsely equate it with pedophilia and other forms of child abuse. Perpetrators of the false rhetoric can then cast themselves as saviors of children and try to frame anyone who disagrees — a political opponent, for example — as taking the side of child abusers. 

 . . . In another tactic to discourage attendance, drag opponents have been known to attend performances, take and post a video that lacks context, and then troll or “dox” the performer or venue. One such video clip showed a profane drag act in front of a young child and framed it as abuse — though the child was with adults and the venue had advised attendees about coarse content, suggested parental discretion and required any children to be accompanied by parents. Other undermining efforts include a false claim that a performer flashed children at a Minnesota library and another false claim that the head of the Drag Queen Story Hour organization was arrested for child pornography.

Those who take offense to kid-friendly drag shows and Drag Queen Story Hour  descended on PBS News Hour's Twitter page and voiced their objections with intelligent and thought-provoking arguments.

Oh who am I kidding? 

They just screamed "groomer! groomer! groomer!" at PBS News Hour until it was forced to shut down its replies. Some of the attacks included the following:

 

And as I said before, some folks actually did nothing but scream the word "groomer" in various forms

Personally, I find these people hilarious. In their minds, they are so intent on supposedly "saving" children that they see nothing wrong with acting as if they are children.

'Elon Musk's Twitter already looking grim for LGBTQ community' & other Tue midday news briefs

Elon Musk’s Twitter already looks grim for the LGBTQ community - No surprise there. 

Open season on trans people? Far-right celebrates 'liberation of Twitter' - More details. 

Caitlyn Jenner has social media meltdown after getting called out for her transphobia - Yes, you read this right. 

LGBTQ bars in Milwaukee are banning Jeffrey Dahmer costumes for Halloween​ - As well they should. It's not funny in any shape or form. People died because of him and families are still dealing with the grief. There is NO excuse for making fun of it. 

Recent witness in anti-trans legislative hearings claims that trans people “did not even exist in 1939” and could not have been victims of the Holocaust - Fake expert spewing lies.

Video - State legislators introduced over 340 anti-LGBTQ bills this year. It may have an opposite effect of what they hoped for.

Republicans have complained intensely about crime and inflation. So to remedy that, they are trying to pass laws which demonize trans people, deny healthcare to trans kids, and accuse drag queens of "grooming kids."(insert sarcasm button) According to this MSNBC segment, state legislators have passed over 340 anti-LGBTQ bills. But it could be backfiring in getting us and our allies to speak out more as well as run for political office:

.@BeccaBalintVT: "whenever we make progress, we see the backlash...it was really lovely to watch this amazing ally in Tennessee speaking up for the members of her community. That gave me so much hope because that's what it's gonna take." pic.twitter.com/ymoOjaqqeL

— Ari Drennen 🏹 (@AriDrennen) October 31, 2022

Hat tip to Ari Drennen

'Conservative Christians launch boycott of Disney's 'Ironheart' because a drag queen is in the movie' & other Mon midday news briefs

Conservative Christians launch boycott of Disney’s “Ironheart” because a drag queen is in a movie​ - Just tell me - does the drag queen get to fight and kick ass? 

LGBTQ+ Journalists Raquel Willis, Sue Kerr Do Monica Roberts Proud - Huge applause to you both. Hey, Sue! My buddy! 

Florida medical board votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors - The meeting in which they did this was a sham. It's not final yet, but it doesn't look good. 

Kroger to pay $180K after firing workers who refused to wear logo allegedly resembling Pride flag - The ruling is insane because Kroger still contends that the logo had nothing to do with supporting the LGBTQ community. But the employees still pulled a "religious freedom" card.

Do conservatives want America to follow Russia's lead on LGBTQ rights?

 

According to this clip from DW News, Russian government officials are looking to make it illegal to refer to LGBTQ people and issues in a positive manner. This means on television, films, social media, and everywhere else in the country.  And that has everything to do with what's going on in America. You see, Russia passed this law in 2013  to initially "protect children from LGBTQ influences."  Now officials are trying to expand the law because apparently they think all Russians need "protection" from LGBTQ influences.

At least that's the story they want to tell.

If Russia's initial reasoning to create the law in 2013 sounds familiar, you would be correct.. "Protecting the children" was the reasoning behind Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law as well as the national version some members of Congress want to pass.  Call me paranoid, but I think some people in America are watching Russia's trajectory on LGBTQ rights with a mind to copy it.

''Opportunist' Matt Walsh attracted all sorts of extremists at his anti-trans rally' & other Fri midday news briefs

Matt Walsh

Death threats, Proud Boys, and homophobic bigots: Matt Walsh’s anti-trans rally drew a crowd of extremists​ - Usually filth attracts pigs. This time the pig attracted the filth. 

Angry mom goes viral after giving an anti-LGBTQ commissioner hell during a public meeting - You GOTTA see this. Sister girl went OFF! 

South Carolina’s Governor Openly Opposed Marriage Equality in Debate - We haven't had a good governor since Jim Hodges. 

Libs of Tik Tok targeted my state's pride celebration - Post from last night cause I really want folks to read it.

Libs of Tik Tok targeted my state's pride celebration

Earlier this month my state, South Carolina, hosted its annual Pride event in the capital city of Columbia. I went and had a good time. My goal was to take some pictures to post, but I got lazy.

Unfortunately, someone else did take pictures and videos (Editor's note - some of what you are about to see will probably scare you):

Libs of TikTok targeted SC Pride. 

For those who don't know, Libs of TikTok is a Twitter address run by a woman named Chaya Raichik and supposedly its goal is to save children from being "sexually groomed." Unfortunately, Miss Thing has the idea that LGBTQ people are the ones "grooming" kids (we are all she focuses on). Via videos and pictures taken out context and posted on her Twitter address, Raichik has built up a loyal following of bigots, homophobes, transphobes, and all-around pathetic individuals who have nothing going on in their lives so they immerse themselves in the pathetically sad delusion of "saving children."

You know, trash. You can see that plainly in the comments from her followers under the pictures and videos she posted. They are the ones spinning morbid fantasies of killing LGBTQ people.

Raichik through Libs of TikTok has gotten a reputation with her lies. She's gotten teachers fired, was a figure in the development and pushing of Florida governor Ron DeSantis's 'Don't Say Gay' law, and even caused  bomb threats against children's hospitals by spreading the false story that they were giving trans kids hysterectomies.

She must be slumming to if she felt the need to slither down to my state and cause trouble. As I said before, I attended Pride and I saw nothing X-rated or out of the ordinary. Raichik implies  misbehavior and allows the mindset of her readership to fill in the blanks even when there are no blanks. No matter how much they may deny it,  her audience's anger doesn't come from anything being done in the pictures or videos. It's about who the participants are. A child and a drag queen. A child and LGBTQ culture. 

You see, Raichik  is successful because of who she attracts.  I'm sorry, what she attracts. One part of her audience are hardcore bigots who live for screaming the "f-word" at folks. Then there is the other part, who don't see themselves as homophobes. We know the type, i.e. the ones who say things like "I don't have a problem with gays but . ."  or "Hey to each his own as long as . . ." 

That type isn't saying that they don't have a problem with LGBTQ people. They are implying that they need something to fill in the blank so they don't have to own their internal bigotry.

It's  similar to when Obama became president in 2008. Amid the celebrations was a little unspoken discomfort amongst some white Americans. A black man in the White House was a new dynamic and they were fearful of the unknown. They weren't open about it because they also feared being labeled as racist.

Pretty soon, conservative entities like Fox News began to fill in the blanks by outlining and highlighting problems with Obama's character. The problems were mostly manufactured, but they gave these uncomfortable people excuses to dislike Obama. They were able to transform their fear of the unknown into seemingly genuine reasons to dislike Obama such as: 

He doesn't put his hand over his heart when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited.

He is so conceited. We know this by the number of times he says the letter "I" in his speeches. 

He's not a genuine America.

He wants to make America like Russia

He puts mustard on his hamburger

He wore a tan suit

No matter how ludicrous the excuses were, folks clung to them as if they were truth.

In that same manner,  Raichik and her site gives people an excuse to hate and fear us. What she posts is generally nothing to be alarmed about. She deliberately mischaracterizes much of what she posts and then feeds off her audience's fear after she gives them a reason to dislike the LGBTQ community

They can say things like:

"I don't have a problem with gay people, but why do they have to bring children in it?"

"To each his own, but I draw the line when they go after children. Let kids be kids, They shouldn't have to deal with stuff like sexual orientation and gender."

To these people, a drag queen reading to kids is dangerous because a child may become "exposed" to LGBTQ people and want to be one.  That's rather stupid because when I was a child, someone read to me while dressed as Superman. I didn't try to fly.  I knew it was make believe. On that same note, my first grade teacher used to read Bible stories to my class and I certainly never felt the inclination to put on her girdle.

 To these people, a child giving money to a drag queen performing a dance and lip sync routine is part of a secret plot to "groom kids" to  . . . I don't know. Want to be Beyonce, put on make-up, perform intricate dance routines, . . .it really doesn't make sense when you give it some thought.

To them, any interaction between an LGBTQ person and a child is a no-no because us LGBTQ people have nothing going on in our lives other than sex. Any and everything we do is centered around having or getting sex. That includes paying bills, cooking, cleaning, going to church etc. etc. It's all about sex and if kids hang around us, they are going to catch the "sex, sex, sex virus" from us.

To these people, children and any part of the LGBTQ culture - however innocent - should never mix. They have this adult-oriented image of the LGBTQ community and how dare we interrupt their illusions with reality. 

 Raichik profits from their dishonesty.

She reminds me of characters from books I read as a child.  Only they weren't using social media. They were too busy making gingerbread houses.

Hat tip to Ari Drennen

'Father sues school district over LGBTQ pride flags in the classroom ' & other Thur midday news briefs

Father sues Florida school district over LGBTQ pride flags in classroom​ - For Pete's sake, this is a stupid and frivolous lawsuit.

In a historic first, LGBTQ Americans will be on the ballot in all 50 states - "A record 678 LGBTQ candidates will be on the ballot this November, amid a spike in anti-LGBTQ legislation and a resurgence of homophobic tropes." Let's do this! 

Growing up in a small town made this couple realize not all gay people dream of big city life - Yep. 

Fox News contributor defends Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's proposed trans bathroom ban under the auspice of “parents' rights” - Junk.

GOP national 'Don't Say Gay' bill is a brazen attack on LGBTQ existence

I don't think anyone can honestly say when right-wing attack on drag queens and other facets of our community via Libs of TikTok and other sources began. But I am going to go off on a limb and make two observations. 

1. That this was planned.

2. It was leading to something. 

And that something is an attempt to push a national version of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law. I've blogged about it before, but it's very crucial that the LGBTQ community learn more about it and prepare ourselves to fight it because it's coming in one form or another. Folks have pointed out that even if the bill can get out of Congress, Biden would veto it.

That may be, but Biden can't veto statewide forms of the bill. In the meantime, these videos courtesy of MSNBC gives a good breakdown of what LGBTQ Americans will probably be facing in the future

   

'Sen Marsha Blackburn targeting trans woman online' & other Wed midday news briefs

GOP senator targets TikTok influencer with anti-transgender taunt​ - So damn immature. So damn trashy. 

Ron DeSantis Calls Gender-Affirming Care 'Castration' in Debate - What a liar. If DeSantis becomes president, I fear for the LGBTQ community.

Peruvian capital’s mayor-elect raises eyebrows among LGBTQ activists - Hooo boy!

Proud Boys aim to disrupt South Bend drag event but are outnumbered by LGBTQ advocates - Ha! Ha! Their threats backfired.

Kari Lake's homophobic pandering is warning to LGBTQ community - be careful of phonies and false allies

AZ GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake with a former drag queen friend when she 'liked' drag queens.

Has anyone made a complete pandering fool of themselves in this midterm election more than Arizona GOP governor candidate Kari Lake? And before you answer that question, look at the evidence:

Lake has been attacking the LGBTQ community in her campaign:

That was before it came out that  she was once good friends with a drag queen:

Richard Stevens, who has been performing as Barbra Seville for more than 25 years, wrote on social media that Lake is a friend who has attended many drag shows over the years and even hired him to perform at a family event in her home. "I've performed for Kari's birthday, I've performed in her home (with children present,) and I've performed for her at some of the seediest bars in Phoenix," Stevens wrote on Facebook.

Now Lake seems to be  bending over backwards as a way of establishing  her "bonafides" when it comes to attacking the LGBTQ community and undermining our rights. She has been doubling down with some outrageously homophobic claims and rhetoric:

Recently, Lake accused President Joe Biden of promoting “grooming,” claiming that he is “withholding National School Lunch Program Funds from schools that don’t adopt his perverted sexual agenda.” In reality, what happened is that the Department of Agriculture released guidance that would prohibit anti-LGBTQ discrimination in any program that receives federal nutrition money, including many school lunch programs. Notably, the guidance only applies to those specific programs; schools that follow the guidance in those programs while discriminating against LGBTQ students in other ways would continue to receive funding. Lake has frequently stated her opposition to LGBTQ inclusion in schools. In a March interview on KNST radio, she blasted schools that teach students about gender identity, claiming that they are promoting “confusion.” 

All of this pales to her latest endeavor. According to Mother Jones, Lake is airing an ad featuring an extremely homophobic pastor:

The spot was paid for by the Yuma County Republican Central Committee and authorized by Kari Lake, the Trump-endorsed election denialist who is the GOP candidate for governor. It covers the Republican basics: A seemingly conscientious and decent owner of a small business—and his family—is dealing with economic hardship and feels endangered by those liberal Democrats. But the ad leaves out important information: Erickson is not merely a local business owner concerned with inflation; he is a homophobic and Islamophobic pastor.

How homophobic? Very. Erickson pulls out anti-LGBTQ propaganda from way back in the day. We're talking the Paul Cameronesque type lies:

In a 2014 sermon on homosexuality, Erickson proclaimed that “fifty percent of the homosexual LGBT-Now-Q community, 50 percent have AIDS. One in twenty are child molesters, on the sex offender registry.” These numbers were way off. In 2014, Gallup found that about 9 million Americans self-identified as LGBT, and a different study concluded that about 700,000 gay and bisexual men were living with HIV, far fewer than half the gay and lesbian population. 

Moreover, Erickson’s stats about LGBT child molesters were dangerously false. Under his math, about half of the 800,000 or so people on sex offender registries would have to be gay, yet according to one study, heterosexual pedophiles outnumbers homosexual pedophiles by 11-to-1. He was recklessly and inaccurately depicting LGBT people as threats to children.

It gets worse:

 In that sermon, Erickson also claimed, “80 percent of homosexuals have STDs, and—how sad is this?—2 percent, 2 percent of homosexuals in the LGBT community make it to the age of 65. The average lifespan for an average person in our world is 75. Those is the LGBT community, most of them don’t make it to 39.” There seems to be no scientific basis for these claims. Though HIV still presented a health risk for gay men, the American Journal of Public Health in 2016 noted, “no general population-based survey, to the best of our knowledge, has examined whether self-identified lesbians, bisexuals, or gay men are more likely than are heterosexuals to experience early mortality.”

 Erickson claimed that the “average homosexual has had in a lifetime over 500 sexual partners. Eighty percent admit that half of them are absolute total strangers. Thirty percent of those who commit homosexuality, 30 percent, have had over 1000 partners. Three hundred different people a year.” A 2013 study found that the mean number of male sexual partners for gay and bisexual in the preceding year men was 2.3—which indicates the “average” gay man does not have hundreds of sexual partners.

I'm just surprised (and relieved) that Erickson didn't pull the "gays stuff gerbils up their rectums" lie.

Lake's two-faced pandering may actually take her to the governor's mansion in Arizona. At the very least, it should serve as a warning to the LGBTQ community. Some people who smile in our faces or claim to be our allies will turn on us when it is most convenient for them. When they hug you, they are looking for the right place  in your back to jam the knife.

'President Biden takes a swing at trans health care bans' & other Tue midday news briefs

President Biden

Joe Biden takes a swing at trans health care bans: “No state should be able to do that” - Of course the opposition tries to make it sound like President Biden is for harming kids, but that ain't gonna work. 

Heritage Foundation’s New Model Legislation Combines Attacks on Trans Youth and Public Education​ - And we continue to fight the battles. 

LGBT+ Center Orlando cancels drag queen story hour after Nazi threats, director says - I understand the need for safety but the more we give in, the more homophobes are empowered. 

30 Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet - I did not know there were that many.

Video tribute to Leslie Jordan and how he made us laugh

Longtime actor Leslie Jordan died today after an auto accident. A lot of folks, particularly in the LGBTQ community, are saddened because he was an icon of comedy as well as being unashamedly gay. If anything, while he made us laugh, he also showed that here was nothing wrong with being gay and honest about who you are. And not letting negativity bring you down.  Life to him was always a parade and that's what we should remember as we mourn his passing.

The video above is from where he will be most remembered - as a cast member of the hit show 'Will and Grace.' He had been in many movies, television shows, and even made a gospel album. But his Emmy award-winning portrayal as Beverly Leslie, nemesis of Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) made him a household name. 

'Latest study destroys transphobic lie about gender-affirming care' & other Mon midday news briefs

An overwhelming majority of trans youth continue gender-affirming care as adults​ - Another anti-trans trope bites the dust. 

These 10 LGBTQ candidates could make political history in November - This would be so SWEET!

Va. Department of Education holds hearing on proposed revision of trans, nonbinary student protections - LGBTQ folks made a good showing here. 

Moving Beyond the ‘Bury Your Gays’ Trope: Reclaiming Queerness in Horror Films - Nice! I love this!

1966 video shows where conservatives and Republicans want to drag LGBTQ people back to

Boys in this 1966 video listens to a police officer telling them that if they are "involved" with homosexuality, they will be caught.

"Don't kid yourselves about it. They can be anywhere. They can be judges, lawyers. We ought to know. We've arrested all of them. So if anyone of you have allowed yourselves to be involved with an adult homosexual or with another boy, and you're doing this on a regular basis, you'd better stop quick because one out of three of you will turn queer. And if we catch you involved with a homosexual, your parents are going to know about it first."

A 1966 video of a policeman 'warning' kids about the so-called dangers of homosexuality is where some folks want to drag us back to. It is a desired result of all of the legislative and social media attacks against  the LGBTQ community. It's one thing for conservatives, Republicans, and various right-wing personalities to see LGBTQ people as a criminal threats, but they want to take it further. They want that vision to be reality. So much so that they are willing to disrupt our lives, our families, and kids to make it so.  They want to mold us into the monsters of their imagination because they feel entitled to edit out parts of our lives which contradicts prejudices.

'In a football first, HBCU player comes out as gay' & other Fri midday news briefs

In a college football first, HBCU player comes out as gay​ - I commend him.

'Changed my life': Trans teen testifies against nation's first ban on gender-affirming care - Our future is in good hands.

Fla. OK's Sweeping Anti-LGBTQ+ Rules in Schools After 'Don't Say Gay' - Because they are in DeSantis's back pocket. 

National 'don't say gay' bill would force LGBTQ community to live by Republican lies - My post from last night. I really want folks to read this because the bill is dangerous on so many levels. 

How the conservative parents’ rights movement — fueled by LGBTQ backlash — is shaping Heidi Ganahl’s campaign - Messy and trashy. This woman is the type of person I talked about in the above post.

National 'don't say gay' bill would force LGBTQ community to live by Republican lies

Earlier this week, I posted about a bill pushed by Republicans which can be called a national 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Granted, I know our community has a habit of being aware of coming danger, but  not doing anything about it until it pops up on our front stoop (and then talking about "raising hell like in they did at  Stonewall," as if  a few hours or marching and shouting will fix everything) but this is something which cannot wait. 

I don't think a lot of us get the implications of this bill Republicans are pushing. And we're being a bit nonchalant about what it could lead to. And especially what it means.

From People magazine:

A new Republican-led House bill is being described as the national equivalent of Florida's controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which was passed into law earlier this year. On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana and 32 other congressional Republicans introduced what they're calling the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which would prevent the use of federal funds from developing or funding "any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10, and for other purposes." The bill, if passed, would prevent schools from providing books about LGBTQ topics to children under 10. And beyond that, it would impact federally funded facilities like public libraries, schools, hospitals and more.

 The big kicker is the following: 

 As NBC News points out, the bill defines "sexually-oriented material" as "any depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects."

This is what that above paragraph means:

The bill is the first introduced at the federal level that characterizes LGBTQ people and concepts as inherently sexual, and follows some Republicans calling LGBTQ-inclusive curricula, or drag events, "grooming," which NBC reports as false moral panic about LGBTQ people. Framing sexual orientation and gender identity as "sexually explicit" in all contexts is deceiving and harmful.

"A new NATIONAL bill by Republicans would ban 'any exposure to transgenderism to children under the age of 10,'" activist Erin Reed wrote on Twitter. "This would fire all trans teachers, Trans workers in hospitals that serve children, counselors, social workers. It defines being trans as 'sexual.'" Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School, also spoke out about the proposed bill on Twitter, writing that "equating LGBTQ people to sexually explicit material is dehumanizing and disgusting."

What they want to do is codify by law the false belief that the LGBTQ orientation is about sexual intercourse and everything having to do with us, including our families, kids, even mundane parts of our lives is all about having sex. And therefore is dangerous to children

Think of it as being just like how Donald Trump and his cohorts have been whining about a stolen election. They can't handle the fact that Trump lost in 2020 so they have been trying (unsuccessfully) to craft a new reality in which he won by a landslide but was cheated out of his victory

That's what we have here with this vile bill. 

Certain people have an ugly opinion of us. Whether it be religious beliefs or just plain bigotry, some folks can only see us with biased vision.  They see us as personifications of  the worst form of vulgarity - flippant, irresponsible, mentally messed-up and unable to function like mature adults, selfish, and completely by driven our sex drives. To them that makes us  highly toxic and especially a danger to the well-being of children. 

They have every right to feel the way they do about us, after all people have a right their opinion. The problem is when certain people attempt to make their opinion a reality based upon their personal feelings instead of facts.  LGBTQ people not indicative of  negative characteristics. We are not vile or toxic. Our lives aren't filled with scores of sexual activity.  And we certainly aren't a danger to kids. We've proven that point continuously over the years via court cases, telling our life stories, or simply living our lives in accordance to who we want to be, not what someone decided what we should be.

LGBTQ reality don't suit certain people, so they want to create, by rule of law, a reality where we are a danger to children because they feel entitled to make it so. That is ironic because their entire narrative is how LGBTQ people are "forcing" people to accept us. They say we are "forcing" people to sanction our supposed "lifestyle."  None of that is true. 

We aren't the ones attempting to create laws designating an entire group of people as toxic simply because we want it to be that way. 

'The growing religious alliance to ban LGBTQ books' & other Thur midday news briefs.

Genderqueer has been the subject of several school and library book bans.

The Growing Religious Alliance to Ban LGBTQ Books - Ain't this a trip? The only thing which can get conservative Christians and conservative Muslims united is an attack on LGBTQ people. 

A high school artist was chosen to paint a mural. Then came the outrage - Some people have too much time on their hands in this country. 

Schools will now call parents if students want to check out this LGBTQ book​ - I wonder if this madness will continue after the mid term elections. 

LGBTQ+ Topics Rarely Discussed in Schools, New Study Finds - Not surprising, unfortunately.