Louisiana Senate kills anti-trans bill and let's talk about Pride and Target

Two items. First, good news out of Louisiana.

From The Hill:

A Louisiana Senate committee on Wednesday killed a bill that would have banned gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, dealing a rare victory to LGBTQ people in the largely GOP-controlled South. Louisiana’s House Bill 648 failed Wednesday during a final vote in the state Senate Health and Welfare Committee, where Republicans have a one-seat majority. State Sen. Fred Mills, a Republican from south-central Louisiana, voted with all Democrats to defer the bill. Mills, a pharmacist, said during Wednesday’s vote that he trusts physicians more than legislators to make medical decisions that are in the best interest of patients.

 “I always in my heart of hearts have believed that a decision should be made by a patient and a physician,” Mills said. Gender-affirming health care for transgender youths and adults is supported by most major medical organizations, including the Americans Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Mills also said that a Louisiana Health Department study on gender-affirming health care last year helped influence his decision to vote against the bill. 

 The report found that no gender-affirming surgical procedures were performed on Medicaid-enrolled minors in the state between 2017 and 2021. The prescription of medications including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy to treat gender dysphoria in minors during the same time period was also exceedingly rare, the report found. 

 More to this article on The Hill. 

 Second item - People are flipping out because Target is said to be moving some Pride items due to some people are coming in causing a commotion and threatening workers. Those doing this nonsense are empowered while members of our community - at least some - are weeping, raging at Target, or (and most annoying) using this situation to whine about capitalism and such. But here is something to keep things in perspective:

These are photos from a Target in my area. The Pride stuff is in full display here just as it was last year - in the middle of the clothing section with huge displays. I talked to a worker to commend the store. She laughed and said thank you. And I've read that there are Target displays of Pride items still up in other areas around the country.

 This is not to defend Target because the chain clearly 'didn't have a handle on the hysteria.  I am simply trying to remind folks about what's actually going on before you begin sad sacking, spinning portents of doom, or begin knitting the burial shroud for the LGBTQ community.

My point is yes, the opposition is threatening, and they are causing problems. But it's good to remember that a lot of them - especially Matt Walsh - engage a lot in self-aggrandizing superhero shadowboxing. They tend to inflate their power and the effects of their actions. They do this because it feeds their ego and also, it's a psychological tactic designed to make us fear them. 

 Part of their power is fear and with that fear comes chaos which causes us to lash out. DO NOT take the bait.   Everything about them is fake, particularly their screams of "let kids be kids" or leave the kids alone."

If these idiots actually cared about children, they would be protesting and organizing to stop child hunger and gun violence in schools. If they really cared about children, they would be raising hell at the churches who hide pedophiles.

We should remember this when we deal with them and when we react to what they are doing to Target. Yes, I am disappointed with Target to an extent, but I am also mindful as to who the real enemy is and how it is in my best interest not to allow them to play games with my head. They want us scared. They want us off of our heels and shrieking every which way. But that's not who we are. We've come too far to allow some haters to bowl us over with old lies.

 It is our Pride and our power. They have no right to diminish it with their lies.  And they won't as long as we remember who we are and act accordingly.

Anti-LGBTQ activists spreading lies about Target and trans-friendly swimwear for kids

Editor's note - There probably won't be any news briefs for Wednesday. I have another funeral to attend. My uncle - my mother's closest brother - passed away recently. So until tomorrow evening, enjoy this and please share it on Twitter, etc. Pride Month is coming up and based on this post, the anti-LGBTQ activists have already begun to start trouble. 

I say bring it on, b!tches. I am not scared of these fools and neither should the rest of you be.

LGBTQ Pride Month is coming in June and anti-LGBTQ activists are gearing up. They've already started cause problems with department store Target by doing what they do -  lying their hateful asses off.

From The Associated Press:

CLAIM: Target’s Pride collection features a bathing suit for kids that is labeled “tuck-friendly.” 

 AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The “tuck-friendly” swimsuits are only offered in adult sizes, according to a spokesperson for the company and Target’s website. Kids’ swimsuits in the collection do not feature this label. 

 

Why is this a big deal? For the benefit of those who don't know, tuck-friendly swim wear allows trans women who have not had gender-affirming surgery to conceal their private parts. It shouldn't be a big deal but anti-LGBTQ activists and wannabe poseurs spin lies about how Target is making this swimwear available to kids with the inference being another thread in their noxious conspiracy theory that kids are being 'groomed' to become transgender. Geez, I miss it when they used to say that we were 'grooming' kids to be gay. I guess that stopped being a money-maker and attention getting for these fools. 

The Associated Press further said

 

 THE FACTS: Target’s seasonal collection of clothes for Pride month collection has been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users claiming the retailer is selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits designed for kids or in kids’ sizes. Many of the posts criticizing Target have also urged people to boycott the company, following similar threats and transphobic commentary from conservative social media personalities towards brands including Bud Light and Nike over promotional campaigns featuring transgender people. 

 Posts criticizing Target shared photos or videos of either a one-piece swimsuit with a bright pink, orange, green and blue colorblock pattern, or black swim bottoms with colorful line stitches. Both feature a circular tag that reads, “Tuck-Friendly Construction,” and “Extra Crotch Coverage.”

 “Did you know @Target also sells ‘tuck-friendly’ bathing suits for children in the Pride section? Well now you do,” reads one post sharing a photo of the tag on Twitter. The post has received more than 4,000 likes. 

 Another video on Instagram, which had more than 100,000 likes as of Monday, shows footage of the tag on the one-piece swimsuit, and claims that while it is not specifically in the kids’ section, it is available in kids’ sizes.

 However, the swimsuits labeled “tuck-friendly” are only in adult sizes, and are not available in kids’ sizes, Kayla Castaneda, a spokesperson for Target, told The Associated Press. 

 Both the colorful one-piece and black swim bottoms seen in the photos and videos online are clearly labeled on Target’s website as adult swimsuits. Both pages list the products as coming in “general adult sizing” and offer adult XS as the smallest size for sale. “The ‘tuck-friendly’ swim suits are for adults only,” Castaneda said. The kids’ swimsuits in the Pride collection are not the same design or construction and do not have the same label, Castaneda confirmed. 

 I doubt that this will hinder the anti-LGBTQ activists from spreading their lies. I'm sure that when confronted with the truth, they claim that Target is lying while eagerly spewing the phrase "okay groomer" to whomever dare to challenge their pitiful assertions that they are somehow saving children.

But never forget no matter what these people are

Some are liars and haters filled with fear which is motivated by their prejudices. They are nothing but empty vessels with nothing to do but transfer the abject pitifulness of their lives into some fantasy that they are somehow stopping evil and saving kids. Then there are pathetic culture warriors who delude themselves into thinking that they are part of some movement. It keeps them away from their reality filled with unfulfilled life goals while intoxicating them with fantasies of acclaim; fantasies which they recognize as basic bullshit when they come down from the high of causing chaos. That reality is their constant companion but they are powerless to do anything about it except blame their scapegoats.

.And then there is the third segment - users and manipulators trying to get an easy payday by exploiting prejudice. They move from issue to issue by inflaming the gullible and feeding off of their rage which makes them feel like they are messiahs of a new order.  The issues are different but the underlaying emptiness of their souls are like mythical monsters -  always hungry no matter how much food they receive. They can't ever be filled or satisfied. And the saddest thing of it all is they see this as an attribute instead of what it is - the quality which makes them the most pathetic.

LGBTQ people will survive like we always do. And we will win, like we always do. We do this by refusing to back down while continuing to be our authentic selves. Unlike our haters.

'Moms for Liberty leader says is Biden is behind effort to make kids LGBTQ' & other Tue midday news briefs

Moms for Liberty chapter chair Darcy Schoening thinks President Biden is trying to make kids LGBTQ.

Moms for Liberty Leader Says Biden Behind High-Level, Coordinated Effort to Make Kids LGBTQ (Video)​ - Mercy! She is as spacey as she sounds. Old lies never die. They are simply the basis for new attacks. 

FactCheck - Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment - This has to continuously be repeated because like so many anti-LGBTQ tropes, when they are refuted, the anti-LGBTQ industry tries to drown out the truth but constantly repeating their lies. 

School district’s book ban created “hostile environment” Dept. of Education says - Hopefully another lawsuit is imminent.

Illinois Senator Says All-Gender Restrooms Will Cause Violence "From Dads Like Me" - This idiot knows nothing about these bathrooms. They are always threatening violence but if their threats lead to actions which backfire against them, then they will play the victim.

Orlando restaurant, Hamburger Mary's, is suing DeSantis and Florida over anti-drag law

Hamburger Mary's is suing FL Gov Ron DeSantis over the state's new anti-drag law.

I am glad this is happening. DeSantis pushed for this law, now let him and his people try to defend it:

From The Orlando Sentinel:

Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida in federal court, claiming the restaurant has been deprived of its First Amendment rights and is already losing customers under a new law affecting drag shows. 

 Gov. DeSantis signed bills last Wednesday taking aim at transgender treatments for minors, pronouns in schools, bathroom use and children attending drag shows. The changes included penalties for venues letting children into “adult live performances” and potential first-degree misdemeanor charges for violators. 

 Hamburger Mary’s filed the lawsuit Monday, which also names as a defendant Melanie Griffin, secretary of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, is asking the court to stop the law from being enforced. 

 And while defenders of the law saying either that it doesn't target drag or it only calls out sexually explicit performance, Hamburger Mary's lawsuit puts both assertions into question.

The restaurant, which opened in 2008, has hosted drag performances that include bingo, trivia and comedy. On Sundays, the downtown Orlando restaurant has “family friendly” drag shows to which children are invited, the lawsuit said. 

 After the law was signed, the restaurant told customers that children would not be allowed at any drag shows and it lost 20% of its bookings for Sunday and future events, according to the lawsuit. “They simply cannot take the chance that their business or liquor licenses would be suspended for hosting a drag show where children attend,” the lawsuit states. “In addition, the criminal penalties of the law put individuals at risk of prosecution because of the content of their speech.”

 The lawsuit argues the law is broad enough to include “even the most innocent drag performances, to reach into the private homes of Florida citizens, and to determine on behalf of parents what is and is not appropriate entertainment for their children.

'Dodgers facing backlash for disinviting drag charity group after right-wing complaints' & other Mon midday news briefs

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

The Dodgers booted the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Then came a big-league backlash - See what happens when you cave in to right-wing pressure nonsense. 

Court temporarily blocks N.J. school district policy to out LGBTQ students​ - The block is a product of the state attempting to stop the school from pushing a bad policy instead of the other way around. 

Here’s how the Biden administration plans to fight trans sports bans - And both sides are waiting. 

Kirk Cameron's Anti-LGBTQ+ Children's Book to be Released On First Day of Pride Month - I don't think he is going to get as much attention as he wants here.

AP - Anti-trans bills are 'ready-made' products of far-right groups, critics complain about how they deliberately distort science

While they certainly took their sweet time doing it, the national media is finally putting an in-depth focus on these bills and the parties behind them.

And it shouldn't be surprising to a lot of us what they found. The Associated Press recently published an article, Many transgender health bills came from a handful of far-right interest groups, AP finds, detailing the following:

At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, though judges have temporarily blocked their enforcement in some, including Arkansas. An Associated Press analysis found that often those bills sprang not from grassroots or constituent demand, but from the pens of a handful of conservative interest groups. 

 Many of the proposals, as introduced or passed, are identical or very similar to some model legislation, the AP found. Those ready-made bills have been used in statehouses for decades, often with criticisms of carpetbagging by out-of-state interests. In the case of restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths, they allow a handful of far-right groups to spread a false narrative based on distorted science, critics say.

 . . . The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures from Plural, a public policy software company, and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the conservative groups Do No Harm, which also criticizes efforts to diversify staffing in medicine, and the Family Research Council, which has long been involved in abortion restrictions. One of the clearest examples is in Montana, where nearly all the language in at least one bill can be found in Do No Harm’s model.  . . .  

 . . . Do No Harm’s model and the 2021 Arkansas bill endorsed as a model by the Family Research Council also have many similarities, including the assertion — rebutted by major medical organizations — that the risks of gender-affirming care outweigh its benefits. 

 . . . Such bills often distort valid science that supports gender-affirming care for youths, said Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who edited the section about gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual. Do No Harm cites the manual in its model bill. 

 “These bills are not at all interested in patient care,” Drescher said.  “These bills are designed to inflame.” 

 It’s problematic “any time policymakers are cherry-picking isolated studies or scientific research that arrives upon a different conclusion than the rest of the community or that relies upon studies without having that expertise,” said Marty P. Jordan, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University. “It’s problematic for the individuals that the legislation could impact. It’s problematic for the larger public, and problematic for democracy writ large.”

Anti-LGBTQ bigotry never changes and never goes away. It simply gets sanitized.

 This from 1985

has turned into this in 2023. 

In reality, it never actually changes. It simply gets repeated after some minor sanitization.

But it's still lies motivated by hate.

'Disney yanks $1 billion development project from Florida in latest salvo in conflict with DeSantis' & other Thur afternoon news briefs

Editor's note - unless something juicy happens, see you Sunday night.

Disney cancels $1 billion development project in Orlando — costing Florida 2,000 jobs - On Wednesday, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis was on cloud nine after signing several anti-LGBTQ bills into law. On Thursday, Disney taught him the first rule of playing the game of chicken with a shark. Don't do it. And just in time for his presidential run announcement. I am loving this. 

Reminder of DeSantis' slate of hate - Ron DeSantis' new law allows trans kids to be taken from their parents 

Texas to Face Lawsuit Over Its Recently Passed Ban on Gender-Affirming Care - You better believe it.

NH House Indefinitely Postpones Bill That Would Have Forcibly “Outed” LGBTQ+ Students - Good news out of New Hampshire.

Unmasking Moms for Liberty - Newest astroturfed anti-LGBTQ hate group is causing problems.

NC Lt Gov spins lie about clinics performing trans surgery on five-year-olds' & other Thur midday news briefs

NC Lt Gov Mark Robinson

NC Lt. Gov. falsely says clinics performed “transgender surgery” on 5-year-olds​ - And this fool is supposed to be a 'Christian.' We are full swing into the war now. Bring it on. 

Nebraska GOP Lawmakers Break Filibuster on Banning Trans Care and Abortion - Uh oh. Thursday may be a problem. 

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis just suffered through his most humiliating night yet - The night before he signed those awful bills, Ron DeSantis got a warning via an election night upset of a candidate he supported. He didn't heed it of course. Keep your eye on this because it could be a preview of coming attractions. 

Church and state: Kansas Republicans target ’eminently exploitable’ LGBTQ community - Pretty much.

LGBTQ Students Face Barriers to Getting Student Loans Without Parents’ Participation - Another issue needing to be taken care of.

Ron DeSantis' new law allows trans kids to be taken from their parents

When Florida Gov Ron DeSantis isn't targeting LGBTQ people, he attempts to make himself look congenial. It doesn't work.

We already know that on Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a slate of anti-LGBTQ bills into law. You can see this link to read more about them. 

I want to focus on the following law because it's so damn cruel.

According to The New Republic:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a horrifying bill Wednesday that will let the state take transgender minors away from their families if they are receiving gender-affirming care. 

 The new law will allow the state to take custody of a child if they have been “subjected to or [are] threatened with being subjected to” gender-affirming care, which includes puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy. Florida courts could modify custody agreements from a different state if the minor is likely to receive gender-affirming care in that second state. The text refers to gender-affirming care as “sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures” and qualifies this care as a form of “physical harm.” 

 Medical facilities would have to give the state Department of Health a signed attestation that they neither provide gender-affirming care to any patients under the age of 18 nor refer people to providers that do. Their medical license renewal is contingent upon sending in this attestation. 

And it doesn't just target trans kids.

 But the bill also targets trans adults: Only physicians are allowed to offer gender-affirming care (not nurse practitioners). Anyone who violates the law could be charged with a misdemeanor. Minors who have already begun transitioning will be allowed to continue to do so, but they are no longer allowed to receive care via telehealth, including for prescriptions. 

Their doctors have to tell them about the “risks” of gender-affirming care, and patients will have to sign an informed consent form, which the ACLU has pointed out often contains misinformation. Doctors who violate any of these new rules could be charged with a felony.

This news law is simply evil in itself. But it becomes more insidious when one takes into account the allegation that the state may have manipulated data to justify creating it. Independent journalist Erin Reed breaks it all down in a very thorough article:

On August 11th, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration banned gender affirming care coverage from Medicaid. Meanwhile, the board of medicine proceeded to ban gender affirming care for transgender youth. To do this, they relied on a newly created “Standards of Care” for the treatment of gender dysphoria that was rife with errors and omissions. Now, new court filings show that the Florida Surgeon General’s Office and the Agency for Health Care Administration purposefully manipulated this research to justify banning gender affirming care, including a flow chart produced before the “research” was commissioned with the explicit end goal of “care effectively banned.” Worse, they utilized a consultant from a religious conversion therapy organization to do so.

Gender-affirming care for trans people, including trans kids, is safe and supported by over 20 major medical groups including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  The government has no business interjecting itself into private family decisions by way of laws passed through lies and deliberate misappropriate of studies.

This attack on gender-affirming care is a fraudulent undertaking motivated by lies, prejudice, and - in the case of Ron DeSantis -  a craven desire for higher office. It's very similar to past attacks on gay rights, even down to the fake experts and the horror anecdotes about children being indoctrinated. 

'Parents file a police report after teacher makes LGBTQ-themed book available to her middle schoolers' & other Wed midday news briefs

Parents file a police report after teacher offers LGBTQ-themed book to her middle schoolers​ - This has become way past a pain in the neck.

Man outed to parents after they spot him in Janelle Monáe’s queer-tastic ‘Lipstick Lover’ video - Oh mercy. 

Anti-Trans Gays are Turning New Hampshire Into the Next Transphobic Battleground - THIS is a hot mess. 

Chasten Buttigieg shares secret for ‘fighting back’ against anti-LGBTQ trolls -Don't get me started.

Investigation of teacher for showing students a Disney movie with gay character may prove that FL law does unfairly target LGBTQ community

It looks like Florida Gov Ron DeSantis may be in another self-made mess. This one comes from the 'Don't Say Gay' law he pushed through the legislature in order to build up his "culture warrior" reputation in anticipation of his all but certain presidential run.

According to The Miami Herald:

The Florida Department of Education could visit a K-8 school in Hernando County as early as Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into a fifth-grade teacher’s decision to show a Disney movie featuring a gay character in her classroom. 

 The Tallahassee Democrat broke down how all of this began:

 A Florida teacher is under investigation by the state Department of Education after what she believes is a targeted attack by a school board member who took issue with a Disney movie shown in her classroom. 

 At a Hernando County School Board meeting Tuesday, fifth-grade teacher Jenna Barbee alleges school board member Shannon Rodriguez reported her to DOE for showing her students Disney's 2022 movie "Strange World." It's the first Disney movie with an out, gay character. Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters K-8, said during public comment the Disney movie tied into her students' Earth science lesson and did not have sexually inappropriate content.

The Miami Herald went on to say:

 The expected visit would be the first time a department official is to visit the school since the investigation’s onset. On Monday, the department confirmed no one from the state had visited the school, “nor has contacted any students” about the movie. Barbee, however, said some students last week were questioned about the event by school administration. 

 . . . Barbee has spoken publicly about the incident and defended her decision, arguing the movie was related to her students’ science lessons and did not have sexually inappropriate content — now a polarizing political issue in the state. 

The Parental Rights in Education Act, passed last year and known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” prohibits educators from teaching about gender and sexual identity in kindergarten through third grade, and in older grades in cases when the lessons are deemed to be not “age appropriate.” Educators, however, have routinely expressed concern about the law’s vague wording and the subjectivity of deciding what is considered age appropriate.

The vague wording of the law was what DeSantis and his allies were counting on to refute claims that it targeted LGBTQ people. DeSantis has said on more than one occasion that the law was necessary to keep children from being exposed to sexually explicit discussions.

So much for that claim.

'Florida agencies accused of manipulating research to ban trans care and coverage' & other Tue midday news briefs

Florida Agencies Manipulated Research To Ban Trans Care And Coverage​ - Manipulate and cherry-pick research are the same tactics the opposition did to undermine gay rights. 

Turning Point efforts to export drag queen attacks and 'take back universities' marred by fringe associations and farcical missteps - Their hate don't seem to be working that well overseas. 

Residents vote against school funding after rightwingers protest “demonic” trans bathroom policy- They are only hurting themselves and their children. That's the saddest part. 

Inclusive church in Henderson County targeted by anti-LGBTQ protestors - So much for religious liberty.

Video - Trump supporters give reasons why they think drag queens are more dangerous than guns

This video doesn't need much of an introduction because the title is enough. Just be prepared for the most mind-boggling bit of insanity you will probably ever hear. And as hilarious and spooky as this video is, it helps to keep things in perspective. Folks who have no problem in wallowing in the mud pits of ignorance have always existed. They have always allowed themselves to be led by the nose and they have always wreaked havoc. The important thing is not to get discouraged. Accept folks like these folks for what they are because such is life. Yes, they vote and yes they raise hell. But so do we. And we're much better at raising hell.

'Florida teacher investigated by state for showing Disney cartoon movie in class' & other Mon midday news briefs

Florida teacher investigated by state for showing Disney cartoon movie in class​ - Ron DeSantis' vision for America, no doubt Part 1.

Ron DeSantis Signs ‘Right to Discriminate’ Law That Could Be Used Against LGBTQ+ Patients - Ron DeSantis' vision for America Part 2.

GLAAD Awards: ‘Fire Island,’ ‘Anything’s Possible,’ ‘We’re Here’ Among Winners - Congratulations to all of the GLAAD Award recipients, particularly Mombian for its second win in the category of 'Outstanding Blog.' 

West Virginia’s Bob Huggins agrees to $1M pay cut, 3-game suspension for homophobic slur - Wow! What was this all about?

Picture proves that the biggest danger to women are transphobic bigots

As disgusting at this picture is, it makes a salient point.

We are always hearing from the transphobic set about how trans women present a danger to cis women in intimate settings such as locker rooms and bathrooms, but this woman in the picture is simply minding her own business. She's not bothering anyone. She's not "sneaking peeks" or any of the ugly things transphobic bigots imply about trans women.

On the contrary, she is the one being harassed. And while some people may give the culprit accolades and plaudits, she is the one actually encouraging women to be harassed.  Her behavior is akin to idiots not only physically attacking trans women for using restrooms, but also idiots who harass cis women if they don't fit the stereotypical descriptions of what a woman is supposed to look like.

More to the point, her behavior encourages those actions.

And the harasser, who I refuse to give the respect of acknowledging her name, has done nonsense like this before. To put it nicely, she is a trashy individual who, while running for office, claimed that high schools in her area are accommodating "furries," or students who supposedly "identify" as animals. It was a lie, but I doubt she cared. Just as I doubt she cares about the possible harm she could wreak on all women. Whether the woman she targeted was transgender or not isn't the point. The fact of the matter is that woman should have been left alone. She didn't deserve to be harassed and anyone who claims to want to protect women would know that.

'With leaders locked up, Proud Boys embrace anti-LGBTQ activism' & other Fri midday news briefs

With Leaders Locked Up, Proud Boys Embrace New Cause: Anti-LGBTQ Activism - This is a group whose founder slid a dildo up his own butt on live television to supposedly 'own' gays. The irony is stark. 

Gays Against Groomers says Target is grooming children with Pride clothing - Somebody's swag sales must be down. 

Here Are 9 LGBTQ+ Shows Shut Down By the Writers Strike - Well this sucks. 

Florida Rejected Social Studies Lessons — You'll Never Guess Which Ones​ - Easy guess.

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins gives tone deaf praise to Trump for supposed commitment to life after disastrous town hall

On Wednesday night, CNN hosted a town hall meeting featuring Donald Trump as he seeks the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

It was a disaster. An embarrassment for CNN, the country and truth itself. 

Between inane claims about about abortion (no, Democrats do not want to kill babies after birth), continuing to claim that the 2020 election was rigged (he lost fair and square), making fun of E. Jean Carroll (who had just beat him in a court case about him sexually abusing and then defaming her), defending the Jan 6th insurrectionists while smearing officers who fought against them and, all-around basic lying, Trump mad a mockery out of the CNN. And in front of a crowd of supporters who apparently the network handpicked.

The town hall was justifiably condemned.

But apparently someone ignored the forest of it all to settle for one big tree. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins  praised Trump for the town hall. In a piece in FRC's Washington Stand, Trump Townhall Underscores Life as a 2024 Issue, Perkins completely ignored all of what transpired and talked about Trump's supposed commitment to life. I will give you a small excerpt: 

 During his Wednesday town hall in New Hampshire, he said of his pro-life record, “I am honored to have done what I did.” President Trump noted several times during the event that pro-abortion activists are radical. And radicals are unreasonable and never satisfied. This is why, in last November’s elections, Democrats spent at least $320 million in advertising to attack the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The Biden administration has authorized nearly half a billion dollars of taxpayer funds that can be used to subsidize abortions and abortion businesses. Republicans spend only a fraction of this amount celebrating unborn life. 

 Here's the part which really catches my attention: 

 I deeply appreciate the pro-life, pro-family policies that President Trump’s administration advanced. As we move into the 2024 presidential election cycle, my role will not be to endorse in the primary election but to work with the candidates, like President Trump, to ensure the issues impacting faith, family, and freedom are understood and advanced. My focus will be ensuring that the sanctity of human life, upholding the true, God-given purpose of human sexuality, and the myriad policies that affect the family — ranging from religious freedom to tax policy — remain front and center. It is encouraging to see that Mr. Trump remains committed to defending the little ones in the womb.

Just as much as we need a reminder that Donald Trump is an incompetent disaster and has no place near the White House, we also need to be reminded that conservative evangelical leaders like Tony Perkins are single-minded power hungry fascists who have no problem with weaponizing religion and faith in attempts to control other people's bodies and minds.

Let's not be fooled by the language Perkins uses. He doesn't support Trump because of any commitment to life. He supports Trump because Trump gives him wants when it comes to the issue of abortion. And for all of his posing about Christianity and values, Perkins is perfectly willing ignore the other things about Trump

such as  the false claims that he won in 2020,

the downplaying of the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol,

 his botched COVID response which cost scores of lives,

and the many, many other times that Trump has shown that he doesn't give a damn about anything but himself.

Perkins  is similar to Trump in that he simply doesn't give a damn about anything but what he wants.  He claims that Trump's town hall underscores that life is a 2024 issue, but whose life he is talking about?

Not the election officials who have been threatened, harassed and basically pushed out of their jobs because of Trump's lie about a rigged election.

Not those who suffered unbelievable violence on Jan 6th because of Trump continuing to lie about the 2020 election. Definitely not anyone who died because of the violence that day 

Not the scores of Americans who died and continue to die in connection to how Trump and his administration botched the response to the COVID pandemic. Not to mention others who are alive but continue to suffer.

It all comes down to the fact that idiots like Trump are a dime a dozen. They always come and go. It's people like Perkins  who we really need to look out for.  It's ironic seeing how so many have accused  Perkins of coddling up to a devil like Trump. The truth is Trump was merely the puppet.

Conservative evangelicals like Perkins are the devils.

'GOP Kentucky governor candidate promises 'no transgenders' in schools & other Thur midday news briefs

Kelly Craft 

GOP Kentucky candidate for governor promises no “transgenders” in schools​ - That's what she said and it's spooky to contemplate what she meant: 

 During a telephone town hall event on Monday, Craft was asked how her administration would “combat the transgender agenda” in Kentucky schools. “Under a Craft-Wise administration, we will not have transgenders in our school system,” she responded. As the AP notes, Craft did not specify any policy actions she planned to take regarding transgender students. 

Indiana school cancels play with LGBTQ characters so students produce it themselves - The next generation always gives me hope. 

Black queer college students want to explore their identity – but feel excluded by both Black and LGBTQ student groups - I've been there. 

Lauren Boebert rages at school’s LGBTQ+ club: They’re “talking about sex with kids”! - Lauren Boebert has made a political career out of being full of sh!t.

'MA high school newspaper exposes school officials undermining LGBTQ student health and safety' & other Wed afternoon news briefs

Editor's note - There are so many things going on, some many important stories people need to know about, I decided to post an afternoon news brief instead of a traditional blog post.

‘It’s life or death’: failure to protect trans kids at ARMS a systemic problem - You know this country has serious media issues when a school newspaper does better work than the national press when it comes to exposing transphobic school officials and the havoc they cause: 

 Over the last two years, Amherst Regional Middle School students, parents, and staff members voiced concerns to district leadership about adjustment counselor Hector Santos and current eighth-grade guidance counselor Delinda Dykes, noting that the two routinely misgendered and deadnamed transgender students and staff, invoked anti-LGBTQ prayer at school, allowed religion to overflow into conversations with students and staff, and failed to provide support to students who were facing gender-based bullying or intimidation at school. Santos also posted religiously worded anti-LGBTQ material on a public Facebook page. 

 This year, when Santos’s daughter Tania Cabrera was brought on to serve as the seventh-grade guidance counselor, staff and students told The Graphic she also misgendered trans kids, told staff that a trans student had reverted to using their legal name when they had not, did not report on an anti-LGBTQ harassment incident that was reported to her, and told a trans male student who went to her for support that she sympathized with his parents, who had “lost their daughter.” 

Library Official Resigns After Publication of Her Secretly Recorded Inflammatory Comments - One less bigot poisoning our kids is fine with me. 

Anti-LGBTQ Christian Nationalist Andrew Wommack Vowed To ‘Take Over Woodland Park.’ Then He Did - Like we saw in 2016. When you get too comfortable and lose sight of the wolves, they get you. 

‘Trump was great at this’: How conservatives transformed a Colorado school district - A longer explanation about what happened in the above article with the solace that their actions is turning the entire community against them, including hardcore conservatives.

'Exposed as a hypocrite, Bryan Slaton's downfall complicates GOP 'groomer' smear' & other Wed midday news briefs

Former TX lawmaker Bryan Slaton

Exposed as a hypocrite, Bryan Slaton’s Texas House downfall could complicate GOP fight against 'groomers'​ - You mean it complicates their war of disinformation on LGBTQ people. My heart bleeds for them AND him. 

Transgender youth sue over Montana gender-affirming care ban - Lawsuits in several states, including Montana, have been initiated against these awful bans. Keep your eyes on them. 

School board renews contract of teacher who allegedly used anti-LGBTQ+ slurs in class - This right here is some bullsh!t. They apparently aren't listening to the students. 

Missouri school board member resigns and plans to move over anti-LGBTQ bills - I hate it when stuff like this happens. 

Union Pacific, 300+ other corporations sign letter opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation - Good for them!

Dear Franklin Graham, what do you have to say now about Donald Trump?

Editor's note - some may think the following isn't an LGBTQ-oriented issue, but with how Franklin Graham has railed against us over the years, I say it is. It underscores the basic hypocrisy of the religious right conservatives like Graham.

In case you haven't heard, Donald Trump was found liable  on Tuesday for sexual abuse and defamation afterwards of writer E. Jean Carroll and ordered to pay five million dollars:

In 2019, E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a New York City Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s. Trump vociferously denied the accusations and launched a series of attacks on Carroll, all leading to her suing him for defamation and a separate civil claim for the alleged rape. The ex-president’s deposition included several shocking moments, including one where Trump — who had been adamant that Carroll was “not my type” — mistook a photo of her for his second wife, Marla Maples.

It's simply the latest episode in the justifiable humiliation of Trump after his insane election as president, the wreckful abomination of his presidential administration, his two impeachments, his colossal COVID response failure, his false claim of being cheated on which led to the violent insurrection in DC on January 6, 2021, his indictment earlier this year of over 30 counts related to business fraud . . .

Did I leave anything out? If so, it's understandable. Recounting all of the evil this man has done is exhausting. But religious right conservatives considered Trump to be a wonderful president. They bragged about how he gave them more access and influence over White House policy than any other president.

And during his presidency, they bent over backwards to defend him. One wonders what they will do now that this mark in on his record, which is already filled with other red marks.  I noticed that one of his biggest defenders, Franklin Graham is conveniently quiet.  I doubt that's inadvertent, seeing how many times Franklin used the power of his name to cast Trump as comparative to the Second Coming of Jesus via his tweets:

What do you have to say now, Franklin Graham. What do you and your religious right friends who constantly go on and on about values and morality have to say about supporting Donald Trump,  a man who has now been found liable of sexual abuse?

We're all waiting. 

TX lawmaker who attacked drag shows as 'sexualizing' kids resigns after sex scandal involving intern

Former TX lawmaker Bryan Slaton on May 4. A week before he resigned after sex scandal involving intern.

This was Texas lawmaker Bryan Slaton in June of last year as he planned to propose legislation against  minors attending drag shows, no matter how g-rated they would be:

“Children don’t need to be focused on sex and sexualization, and we need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as they’re getting closer to being an adult."

Much has happened between last year and now. Slaton did push anti-drag legislation. He also pushed for classifying gender-affirming healthcare for trans kids as child abuse. And all for the sake of protecting the innocence of children. To keep them from becoming 'sexualized, he claimed.

But Slaton was being a hypocrite and it caught with him on  Monday.  Apparently, he was doing some grooming of his own.

Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, a far-right Republican who equated drag performers with “groomers” who sexualize children, resigned from office Monday after a state-led investigation found he engaged in a sexual relationship with his 19-year-old intern, plied her with alcohol and demanded her silence. Slaton, who is 45 and married, turned in his resignation, effective immediately, one day before the Texas House was set to vote on expelling him and two days after the House General Investigative Committee released an explosive 16-page report on Slaton’s behavior ― neither of which he mentioned in his letter of resignation to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

 . . . According to the five-person committee’s report, Slaton invited his 19-year-old intern over to his home on March 31, and she arrived with two other young women working as legislative aides at the Capitol, along with one of their boyfriends. While there, the intern said, Slaton “kept refilling” her drink with rum to the point that she was “really dizzy” and had “split vision.” She declined to answer investigators’ questions about any sexual activity with Slaton, but according to the other women present that night, she later told them she’d “lost her virginity” to Slaton after the rest of the group left and described the encounter in great detail, saying she was “in love” with him. Days later, according to the probe’s findings, Slaton hinted to the intern that it would be a problem if their relationship got out. He then said that “everything would be fine” but that “everyone involved just has to stay quiet.”

And according to The Texas Tribune:

An unnamed representative who had learned of the allegations called Slaton to confront him, the report said. The representative asked if Slaton “invited a young staffer to your condo and you guys had sex,” to which Slaton responded “yes, that’s true,” but declined to answer further questions. In a later conversation on the House floor, the representative said Slaton asked him to keep the phone conversation “between us.” Instead, that lawmaker reported Slaton to the investigative committee, as did three other House members the report also did not identify.

No doubt, my LGBTQ brothers and sisters are probably yawning in that annoyingly "I've seen it before" desensitized tone which always hurts us in this so-called culture war.

Yes, you've seen in before because it happens so many times. The latest person who claimed that LGBTQ people and culture are a danger to kids was revealed as being as the true danger. Yet another person who implied that we are pedophiles or sex perverts just caught with his zipper down.

 Every time - which is few and far between - the religious right finds even one of us remotely looking like we are doing something nefarious, they blast it everywhere, particularly on social media, until it becomes the narrative or prevailing story. What we do when inundated with the constant times that right-wing moral crusaders are caught boiling in their own pots of hypocrisy?

We wave it off instead of vigorously pointing out the hypocrisy. Then it's forgotten until the next time our opponents are caught doing the same thing. Then the cycle repeats itself.  Our community is continuously being given weapons by the enemies of our equality,  but we act too snobby to use them.  We really need to do better. Start acting like fighters instead of targets.

Editor's note - For those interested, the Twitter hashtag #NotADragQueen and the address @antifaoperative keeps track of the many times those who calls us perverts end up being the perverts themselves. Folks should make it a point to follow them.

Photo of Slaton courtesy of Twitter - Texas Tribune reporter James Barragan.

'Anti-LGBTQ bills signed into law across the country spark increase in people seeking help' & other Mon midday news briefs

Anti-LGBTQ bills signed into law across the country spark increase in people seeking help - Simple madness what legislative bodies across the country are doing. 

How Tennessee’s drag performers are planning on beating the state’s draconian drag ban​ - And they are being smart about it. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches More Attacks on Trans Community - Don't attack trans people to take attention away from your felony indictment, Paxton. 

Texas AG to investigate Austin children’s hospital over transgender care for minors - More details about the above story. 

Churches targeted by hateful fliers fight back with rainbow-colored messages of love - Good. Don't let that hatred destroy you.

Gays Against Groomers is a gaslighting lie

 

The above tweet from is from a group not as well known but equally as insidious as that disgusting Libs of Tik Tok group. Gays Against Groomers (what they call themselves) claims to have chapters in several cities. Although I'm of the opinion that those "chapters" include few actual people and a lot of conveniently anonymous Twitter addresses.  As seen by the above tweet, the group claims to be comprised of LGBT people who are supposedly sick and tired of the  "queer and transgender ideologies."

Of course it's a bunch of bullshit.

To be honest, I think the Gays Against Groomers is one part astroturfed and one part including actual LGBTQ people. But the motive seems to be monetization of hatred and fear. To hear them tell it, legislation attacking drag shows, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQ equality in general isn't the fault of those pushing these acts. It's the fault of the "radials in our community" who are trying to "target" children and society in general with changes which would send us all into chaos. 

This is classic gaslighting. The narrative is that "the LGBTQ community would be fine if it weren't for these queer and trans activists perverting the message and grooming our kids." It's similar to the argument used by racists during the Civil Rights Movement - "Our Negroes were happy and fine with their lives until them uppity ones started putting ideas in their heads."

But there is a bit of cleverness to it. We know where Libs of TikTok stand. That particularly group thinks that our entire community is dangerous. The Gays Against Groomers folks are a bit more insidious. They don't the point the finger against the community in general. The group selectively pick who they deem as " radical queers and trans ideologists" who are causing problems for the so-called normal gay folks. Instead of casting a net over us all, Gays Against Groomers target the most seemingly vulnerable members of our community - transgender people (especially kids), drag queens, or anyone they categorize as 'odd' in our community - in an attempt to get the rest of us to scapegoat them.  And they use the phraseology to dehumanize them that the rest of the anti-LGBTQ industry uses to demonize all of us.  To them:

"Radical homosexual activists target children" is transformed to "radical queers and trans ideologists target children."

"Radical homosexual activists are grooming kids" is transformed to "drag queens are trying to groom kids" 

"Radical homosexual activists are trying to force society to accept their perversion" is transformed into "radical queers and the trans cult are trying to force society to accept their perversion."

But the new phraseology always comes with the inference of "and they are going to spoil things for the rest of the community who fought hard for their rights."

Remember when the religious right and conservatives freely said this about ALL of us.

Nothing has changed. But Gays Against Groomers helps them disguise their malice. It doesn't matter if they are astroturfing heterosexuals or self-hating LGBTQ folks trying to make the rest of us suffer for their own self-esteem issues. Or even worse - LGBTQ folks who don't care how many of their own people they hurt. The fact is Gays Against Groomers is a colossal lie and none of us should buy into their game. 

People leading attacks against drag queens and other facets of LGBTQ culture and equality do so because they are ignorant. No one is forcing them to do it. They certainly aren't doing it as a last result to a problem. They are doing it because they are either willfully ignorant or downright hateful of LGBTQ people. They accept the nonsense and cherry-picked lies they hear and act accordingly to because they refuse to know better.

And that's what these so-called Gays Against Groomers are feeding into. They know what they are doing. The key is for the rest of us in the LGBTQ community to not be fooled by it.