Family Research Council's Tony Perkins thinks that protecting gay marriage means persecution

Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council love portraying themselves as victims of persecution.

By now you've heard that the United States Senate advanced the Respect for Marriage Act, hopefully assuring its passage. The Act is supposed to give married gay couples a bit more protection should the Supreme Court try to overturn the Obergefell decision, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

I'm sure there will be a lot of discussion on whether or not this bill adequately protects same-sex couples should it become law. But I want to focus on the negative response lodged by  Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council. Maybe I'm being petty here. FRC and Perkins are still in shock about last week's midterms in which Democrats managed to keep the Senate. They are definitely caught off guard by the Respect for Marriage Act. 

But not too off guard not to play the victim. Perkins posted a hysterically nonsensical piece claiming that this Act would mean the persecution of Christians. Ironically, he cited examples of alleged persecution from foreign countries. But he still managed to play the drama queen rather well with passages like such:

“We’ve all heard of people being cancelled, thrown off social media, even fired from jobs … But how many years before a Christian minister [who speaks] on marriage and sexual orientation is reported [to] a government anti-terrorism program?” For Reverend Dr. Bernard Randall, that time has already come. The chaplain of a Church of England School was suspended, fired for gross misconduct, and reported to child protective services simply for restating what the Church of England believes. If his story sounds like a distant outlier, it’s not. Randall’s nightmare will be every Christian’s nightmare if our Senate passes the Respect for Marriage Act. 

 “I was doing my job as per the job description,” Randall told a roomful of religious liberty advocates this July. Yet for being a Christian in a Christian school, he was painted “as a potential violent extremist [who] might draw others into violent extremism.” This, despite the U.K. Human Rights Act that declares, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” (Article 9, 1998). How long is it going to take for this to happen in the United States, he asked? “Is it under Biden? Is it under a second term of Biden-Harris?” 

 If congressional Democrats get their way, it happens now.

 

Oh please. To paraphrase the words of Thelma Ritter from All About Eve:

"What a story. Everything but the hounds snapping at his rear end."

 Folks like Perkins are always claiming that there will be negative repercussions if LGBTQ people get any type of support. It's always something with them

In the 70s, they claimed that if gays got rights,  they would "sexually recruit" kids.

In the 80s, it was all about fear tactics undermining the fight against AIDS and HIV.

Then there was "gays want special rights" claim

After that came "we have to protect marriage from gays."

And of course there was "giving LGBTQ people rights will put the rights of Christians in danger. We need to protect religious liberty."

Now it's "we have to protect women and girls in locker rooms, bathrooms,  and in sports competitions from trans women and girls who are actually predators with an unfair advantage in sports."

And in the midst of this latest argument,  they've reverted back to the "we have to protect children from them" lie by combining hysterias to create a type of "Anita Bryant on steroids" narrative  that LGBTQ people want to sexually groom kids in schools and then subject them to dangerous "surgeries" in an attempt to change their gender.

People like Perkins have dragged the LGBTQ community through all of these lies because of  one thing. They have a religious belief that being an LGBTQ is a sin. The only reason why they've manufactured all of these bogus reasons against LGBTQ people throughout the decades is because they cannot admit to themselves that they have no right to force the rest of us to conform to their religious beliefs

It's perfectly fine for them to believe that LGBTQ people are living in sin. The problem lies with how they attempt to assert this belief in the creation of public policy. Laws in this country should never be made based upon the belief that certain people are living in sin and therefore deserve no legal protections.  That's why they've manufactured other "reasons" why LGBTQ rights should be undermined. 

In reality Perkins seems to think that not making people live their lives in accordance to his religious beliefs is persecution.

If Perkins wants to know what persecution actually is, he should have a talk with the families of trans kids who had to flee Texas when its governor declared war on them for simply being supportive and affirming of their kids.

Or the teachers who were fired because demagogues used the power of social media to falsely claim that they are "sexually grooming" children.

Or various children's hospitals across America having to deal with bomb threats because the same demagogues are trying to undermine trans kids receiving basic healthcare.

Or trans kids in various states having to defend their right to receive healthcare in the face of idiots spreading lies and lawmakers believing the lies instead of doing their damn jobs to protect these kids.

That is persecution. 

What Perkins is actually mourning is the death of his privilege. And he really should get over it because the privilege shouldn't have been his to begin with.

'U.S. soccer's training center in Qatar shows support for LGBTQ community' & other Wed midday news briefs

U.S. soccer team’s training center in Qatar shows support for LGBTQ community - Good for them. 

Daily Wire host calls the US soccer team “treasonous” for using rainbow colors in one of their crests at the World Cup - And of course the haters have to get their two cents in about it.

Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider to testify against trans youth health care ban​ - Thank you. We need more public trans voices speaking out against these attempted bans.

This Incoming Gay Congressman Is Coming for Marjorie Taylor Greene - Oh it's on! 

The Grammy nominations are here and queer: 6 honorees we’re most excited about - Not surprising. LGBTQ folks and our allies always rule at the Grammy awards.

What's next for LGBTQ Americans after rainbow wave at 2022 midterms?

As we all know, last Tuesday's midterm elections was supposed to be a red wave, but ended up as a rainbow wave (a little confession - that wasn't an original thought by me. It's been repeated ad nauseum by other sources). A historic number - over 340 - LGBTQ candidates were elected to public offices.

So what happens next?

National Public Radio (NPR) published a good story on Monday which talks about this very subject. The entire article is worth a read, particularly three points it made. 

1. Generation Z is identifying as LGBTQ in high numbers and it could bode well for future elections. 

To reach equitable representation, the U.S. needs to elect more than 35,000 additional out LGBTQ people to office, according to Victory Fund. Meloy said that Millennials and especially Gen Z are identifying as LGBTQ at levels never seen before. He thinks that fact may mean some of the gap will naturally be filled as younger generations run for office. 

 

2.  When LGBTQ people win elections, it encourages more of us to run for office.

 When LGBTQ people win elections, more members of the community follow them, Meloy added. He hopes that the election of New Hampshire's James Roesener, who just became the first trans man ever elected to a state legislature, will inspire other trans men to run for office. He cited the uptick in trans women candidates after Virginia State Delegate Danica Roem won her race in 2017.

 

3. Attacks on the trans community don't always add up to wins at the polls 

Erin Reed, a content creator and queer legislature researcher who shares LGBTQ news, (Editor's note - And one of my sheroes) noted that not only were many LGBTQ candidates elected, but many voters rejected anti-trans sentiments. "The loss of anti-transgender candidates from the school board level up to the state level sends a clear message that basing your candidacy on hate does is not a winning strategy," 

Reed told NPR. "So many candidates thought they could rely on beating up on transgender people for an easy victory and they left election night disappointed." Reed said this won't stop attacks on transgender people. "I anticipate 2023 will be the worst year for anti-trans legislation ever," Reed said. "But it does send a clear message that voters are not moved by anti-trans laws."

'Senate to vote on marriage equality bill this week' & other Tue midday news briefs

Schumer: Senate Will Vote on Marriage Equality This Week​ - Keep your fingers crossed. It looks good. For now.

Bipartisan senators revive effort to pass bill codifying same-sex marriage protections - More details.

Zachary Quinto says there are still tons of gay male celebrities afraid to come out - Let them come out on their own time and in their own way. 

Feds Thwart Planned Mass Shooting on Gay Clubs, Synagogues - Thank God. 

District to revive student newspaper axed after LGBTQ issue - Not good enough.

Anti-LGBTQ $50 million midterm election gambit failed. This time.

Social conservatives in Michigan spent $50 million to get GOP gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon (seen here) and other Republicans elected by in part scapegoating the transgender community. They failed big time.

One story of the 2022 midterms which needs more attention is how social conservatives used Michigan as a battleground for their war on transgender Americans. According to a November 7 article in Semafor, political writer Dave Weigel said that Michigan Republicans and social conservatives spent an enormous amount of money on attacking trans people in hopes of winning big in the state.

Republicans and conservative groups have spent at least $50 million this cycle on a topic that wasn’t a focus of their 2020 campaigns – transgender rights, and Democratic support for gender-affirming care for young people. 

In Michigan,(GOP gubernatorial nominee Tudor) Dixon and attorney general candidate Matt DePerno have campaigned to stop sexually explicit materials in schools, while a campaign to beat a pro-abortion rights ballot measure has framed it as a plot to legalize “sterilization” — the amendment would codify a right to procedures like vasectomies — as a backdoor to gender surgeries for minors.

A September 18 article in MLive said that several other Republicans were also echoing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in an attempt to reach their base and fundraise. The article said that they were receiving a backlash from both Democrats and Republicans for their "playground taunts." Some questioned the tone of the rhetoric such as when Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock called openly gay Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a “weak little girl ”on Twitter.

As we all know, this attempt by Dixon and other Republicans failed tremendously and it wasn't even close. 

Michigan Advance said the following:

Democrats in Michigan have made history for the first time in four decades by taking back control of both chambers of the state Legislature. Voters also reelected the entire Democratic ticket for governor, attorney general and secretary of state  . . .

In addition, conservatives who ran for local school boards in the state (exploiting bigoted sentiments pushed by Dixon) also did poorly.

And to top it off, some Republicans blamed Dixon the sweeping losses. Michigan Republican Party chief of staff Paul Cordes blasted Dixon on several points in a memo. One of the points  called her out for focusing on 'culture war' issues.

He also pointed to Dixon’s emphasis on culture wars, implying Dixon would’ve been better served concentrating on the economy. “There were more ads on transgender sports than inflation, gas prices and bread and butter issues that could have swayed independent voters,” Cordes wrote. “We did not have a turnout problem – middle-of-the-road voters simply didn’t like what Tudor was selling.”

The big story here is while the attempt to infuse anti-LGBTQ arguments into the midterm campaign failed, it doesn't mean the opponents of equality will stop.  There will be a next time. Any one person or any group willing to spend $50 million to undermine our rights and wreck our lives should never be taken lightly.

'Michigan LGBTQ community celebrate midterm victories but trouble arises in Tenn' & other Mon midday news briefs

Michigan’s LGBTQ+ Community Breaths a Sigh of Relief as Lesbian AG Dana Nessel, Allies Win Elections​ - Michigan was a focal point of all of the smears used against us in the midterm. The victory against that is a major deal.

Bills Introduced in Tenn. to Ban Drag Shows, Gender-Affirming Care - And that's simply because things are about to get a bit more rowdier.

Drag shows dragged to the political stage after shows canceled across East TN - The article underscores the harm of all of this anti-drag hatred and ignorance.

LGBTQ advocacy group sues Pentagon, Army over ban on HIV-positive recruits - Awesome.

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.