Family Research Council unveils poor effort to stop gay equality

With the fight over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) heating up, we can always count on organizations like the Family Research Council to be the "loyal opposition," even if they have to distort the issue.

The organization has recently announced a special site entitled Stop ENDA in which it lists reasons why it's not a good idea to protect lgbts from employment discrimination. Granted the reasons are highly specious and should lead to more questioning of FRC spokespeople at to their claims. My guess is that Tony Perkins and company will not be asked to speak specifically to them or will dodge if asked:

ENDA is a "one size fits all" solution to alleged discrimination that erases all marriage-based distinctions. It grants special rights to homosexuals while ignoring those of employers. The federal government should not force private businesses to abandon their moral principles.
FRC Action opposes this legislation on the following grounds (which by the way FRC offers absolutely no proof of):

• Such legislation affords special protection to a group that is not disadvantaged.

• The issue is not job discrimination.

• The first "religious exemption" clause is very narrow and offers no clear protection to church-related businesses.

• The second "religious exemption" clause fails to offer protection for all hiring by church-related organizations or businesses.

• It is unlikely that the "religious exemption" included in the bill would survive court challenge.

• ENDA would mandate the employment of homosexuals in inappropriate occupations.

• ENDA violates employers' and employees' Constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and association.

• ENDA would approvingly bring private behavior considered immoral by many into the public square. 

Between you and me I really want to know what does FRC mean about "the employment of homosexuals in inappropriate occupations." My guess is FRC is implying that gays shouldn't be school teachers.

And then to top it off, FRC includes a video about an alleged incident involving a Christian ministry ordered to undergo "sensitivity training."

 

 But there are several problems with this video, including:

• it's about a Canadian ministry,

• the video is from a year ago, and

• none of the principal parties are interviewed. FRC's Peter Sprigg interviews an editor from a conservative news organization on the incident.

If this is FRC's best effort in its attempt to stop ENDA, then the organization needs to go back to the drawing board. FRC offers no proof that ENDA isn't a good idea, but instead displays the prejudices which prove just why ENDA is necessary.

The Daily Show attacks 'gay intolerance'

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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This is EPIC! The Daily Show takes on the semantic argument from the religious right that gays are "intolerant" of their "intolerance" and proceeds to thrash it within an inch of its life.

'Five-year-old takes on, defeats homophobic church' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

First a request:

 

Kudos to my buddy Scott Wooledge for creating this image for my booklet. I ask that you do me the favor of copying and pasting it along to your friends Facebok. I know I have driven you all crazy with the promotion of my booklet, so it's only fair that I give you an explanation of why it is so important to me.

Through 'How They See Us,' I hope to precipitate a sea change or a war of rhetoric, if you will. Yes, I said a war of rhetoric and by that I mean a knock-down, dragged out war of words. In our zeal and eagerness to strive forward, our community often forgets the things which held us back, i.e. the dark places we were shackled due to the ignorance and hatred of others.

We forget that physical violence, negative legislation often began with lies, pseudo-science, and distortions designed to appeal to both people's religious beliefs and their fears. We now laugh at the rhetoric while forgetting how powerful it was in its past naked form and how even more dangerous it is while covertly pushed. For over 30 years, the religious right created a body of lies and junk science based on fear, exploitation, and blatant lies.

And I simply can't let it go. When I was a child, I had the unfortunate chance to be seated on the front row as this rhetoric killed a loved one. He wasn't beaten to death. No one struck him physically. They just sliced at his soul with their words and actions until his spirit was extinguished. Death was the next logical step for him.

And that's why we must never forget the lies told about our community by these organizations. How many more of us had our spirit slowly extinguished because of these lies? They are responsible for so much pain, self-hatred, suicides, near suicides (including my own), and so much more vile hatred.

That's why I get angry when I see and hear folks on our side of the spectrum take this stuff lightly. To so many, particularly our children, hearing and reading this stuff without someone challenging it is the difference between life and death.

But enough about my soap box.

In other news:

Westboro Baptist Church Responds To 'Lemonade For Peace' Sale With Anti-Gay Taunt - A five-year-old takes on and defeats a hateful church and  - surprise - they are such sore losers.

Federal judge rules against nurse disciplined for comments critical of homosexuality - Good for the judge. Religious beliefs is no excuse for not respect your co-workers.

FRC back to scanning Google Images for drag queens; ENDA must be back in news - Hence the point I was trying to make with my first post.

Daily Show calls out recent incidents of anti-gay protests

John Oliver of the Daily Show analyzes the recent progress of lgbt equality and skewers those who oppose it.

Nomoredownlow.tv is an excellent series which needs more attention

Nomoredownlow.tv is probably the best online serious you have never heard about. It covers lgbt issues from a people of color perspective. In this particular episode:

Are we under the microscope? Is the media sensationalizing our failed relationships?  Has our quest for equality led to more public scrutiny? In this edition of the award winning web series, NoMoreDownLow.TV, we examine the media’s coverage of African American same gender loving people and their relationships. Then, we’ll also meet Kai, a Transman who made a bold decision to become the person he wanted to be. Plus, we’ll introduce you to Dr. Boogie, one of Hollywood’s most sought after celebrity hair stylists and discover his passion for breading Italian Mastiff Dogs. Co-host Janora McDuffie & Kendell are on location at One National Gay & Lesbian Archives on the campus of the University of Southern California.

'Documentary explores the 'gay is the new black' argument' and other Monday midday news briefs

Goodbye Pam’s House Blend: after nine years, closing the coffeehouse July 1 - First a little sad news. One of my best buddies and mentors, Pam Spaulding, is retiring her blog, Pam's House Blend. The Blend was one of the most important and powerful voices for the lgbt community and stood on the forefront of how online activism shaped the lgbt community for the positive. On a personal note, Pam was one of the few people who encouraged, guided, and pushed me to be a better blogger. I owe her tremendously. 

Are LGBT People ‘The New Black’? - This sounds like an awesome documentary! 

To NOM, The Children Of Gay Couples Are Just ‘Accessories’ - Good grief, NOM. Can you get even more mean? 

 NJ Assembly Committee Moves Conversion Therapy Ban - one step in a long but necessary process to protect lgbt children.  

Conservative Group Warns of Divine Punishment for Obama's LGBT Pride Event - Whatever, guys.

Anti-gay hate group leader supports homophobic Russian bill

Many of us in the lgbt community tend to laugh at Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth for good reason. The stridency in which he pursues his obsession to demonize the lgbt community has provided us with some seriously comical moments as well as opportunities to point out just how sad folks on his side of the spectrum are.

But then there are times in which LaBarbera does something which underscores just how also truly vile he is. Take this newest post on his webpage which supports a Russian bill supposedly banning giving any information to children regarding the lgbt orientation. This is how LaBarbera justified the law:

Now under that picture is the caption:

WHAT RUSSIANS DON’T WANT: A male drag queen activist with the San Francisco-based group “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” prepares for a local Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the anti-Christian homosexual activist outfit. (The same “Sisters” group sponsors the annual sadomasochism-celebrating ”Folsom Street Fear” in San Francisco.) Russians do not want to follow America’s reckless and decadent promotion of gender confusion, sexual perversion, and anti-biblical ideologies to youth. 

LaBarbera and others who support this madness claim that it provides a "pro-family" perspective and a protection for children. However this is what the law actually does:

Russia passed a bill providing jail terms and fines for anyone convicted of insulting religious feelings, and another bill forbidding homosexuality. Signed by President Putin, the bill says gay rights activists and religion insulters are criminals. 

Russia's parliament State Duma has unanimously passed a federal law banning gay propaganda in the course of Kremlin’s push to enshrine deeply conservative values that critics say has already led to a sharp increase in anti-gay violence. The law passed 436-0 Tuesday, with only one deputy abstaining from voting on the bill which bans the spreading of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors. The new law makes it illegal to equate straight and gay relationships, and the distribution of material on gay rights. It introduces fines for individuals and media groups found guilty of breaking the law, as well as special fines for foreigners. 

The fact that LaBarbera would push the "protect the children" angle and ignore the other aspects of this awful law simply underscores his dishonesty.  And what makes it so much more insulting is how he exploits an innocent picture of a child with a drag queen in order to exploit fear.  So what if the child is talking to drag queen. Big deal. 

I personally prefer that picture to this one below, Nikolay Alexandrovich Alexeyev a Russian gay rights activist,  getting punched during a protest of that awful bill:

It's kind of telling how LaBarbera distorts an innocent picture to provoke fear and ignores an actual picture which displays end game of the fear that he exploits.

But it also should serve as a reminder. As funny and pathetic as LaBarbera is, we should never forget, while poking fun at his foolishness, just how truly sinister he is.