'Anti-gay right determined to fight marriage equality to the end' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

The Right's New Strategy After Gay Marriage Loss: Finding the Gay 'Partial Birth Abortion' - As this excellent article by Michelangelo Signorile demonstrates, the anti-gay right is determined to continue the fight against marriage equality in spite of their losses. The lgbt community would do itself good to pay attention to their plans and tactics. We celebrate when we get full marriage equality. Until then, we fight like hell. 

Ugandan President Worries Anti-Gay Laws Might Lead To International Trade Boycotts - Now that's a good idea. And a reminder that the struggle for lgbt equality encompasses more than marriage in the United States. 

 RNC Chair Just Praised Hate Group Head On Gay Marriage: 'Tony Perkins Is Right' (Video) - Reince Preibus has never shown an ounce of independent leadership as head of the Republican National Committee.  

The Religious Right Reacts To SCOTUS Gay Marriage Decision: 'Unconscionable, Unconstitutional, And Un-American' - BTW in case you don't know, the anti-gay right is FURIOUS over the SCOTUS decision.  

Annoying Problems You Have To Face When You're Bisexual - Fascinating video.  

The Erasure of 'Gay' From Black History & the Black Community Must Stop - And finally, a piece I wrote EXCLUSIVELY for The Huffington Post. It takes on the argument of comparing the lgbt civil rights movement vs. the African-American civil rights movement and then shoots it up to an entirely new level. I'm surprised at the immense positive reaction it has garnered. It is the fastest post I've ever written to go viral and it is still being shared.

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins spins deluded hellfire over SCOTUS decision

FRC's Tony Perkins

If liberals should be anything, it's worried. When it comes to marriage, time is not on their side. Deep down, the Left knows it needed the Court to force same-sex "marriage" on America before more people saw the fallout for Christians like Aaron and Melissa Klein. Or sportscasters like Craig James. Or CEOs like Brandon Eich. Ask them if same-sex "marriage" is just about two people who love each other. For them, it was about losing their business, their livelihood, and their freedom.

If the Supreme Court thinks America isn't ready for same-sex "marriage," they're right. As more states are forced to recognize it, people will see the ensuing attacks on religious freedom. They'll feel the wedge driven between parents and their children when school curriculum is changed to contradict the morals moms and dads are teaching at home. They'll shudder as more people lose their jobs because they refuse to celebrate (not just tolerate) same-sex "marriage." Maybe then they'll realize that the true goal is not about the marriage altar -- but fundamentally altering society. - Family Research Council president Tony Perkins' deluded statement  about the recent SCOTUS decision

Talk about your sore losers.

SCOTUS ruling heats up marriage equality fight in South Carolina

Wilson

In spite of today's SCOTUS ruling, SC Attorney General Alan Wilson will continue to fight for the state's ban on marriage equality:

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says he will keep fighting to uphold the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage. Wilson issued a statement Monday hours after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of a ruling allowing same-sex marriage by a federal appeals court with jurisdiction over South Carolina.Wilson says no ruling has been made in a lawsuit by a same-sex couple legally married in Washington, D.C., who live in South Carolina. They are asking to overturn the state's gay marriage ban. Wilson says he will keep fighting until there is a ruling in that case.

A lawyer for the same-sex couple, Carrie Warner, says she'll be filing paperwork soon asking for an immediate ruling in their favor.

Wilson's decision to keep on fighting, which is supported by Governor Nikki Haley, is going to be interesting because South Carolinians who support marriage equality and, no doubt invigorated by today's ruling, will be uniting on the State House steps in Columbia at noon on Wednesday.

Led by SC Equality, they will hold a press conference and a rally urging the state to allow marriage equality.

SCOTUS ruling creates shock, happy chaos for marriage equality supporters

Unless you were living in a cave with your fingers in your ears, you know the surprising decision the United States Supreme Court made this morning in denying appeals from five states regarding federal judges overturning their marriage equality bans. The collection of articles and tweets below will give you a picture of where it all stands. But I do say this - the lgbt community and especially our leadership organizations should be out of the gate not only explaining what these decisions mean but how we got to this point. The other side will immediately raise the talking point about "activist judges," when in fact it was their hubris, lies, and inability to fashion a coherent and logical argument against marriage equality which has led them down the path of loss.

The graphic above, taken from Think Progress, gives a view of what marriage equality looks like after today's SCOTUS decision 

SCOTUS Denies Appeals On Gay Marriage From 5 States - This article from Talking Points Memo is huge. It says that marriage equality has not only come to five states (Utah, Indiana, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin), but six other states will most likely eventually have marriage equality because of the SCOTUS ruling (Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming).

 Same-sex marriage legal in at least 10 more states after Supreme Court declines to intervene - Reuters confirms the second point made in the Talking Points Memo article.

 Virginia Attorney General: Same-Sex Marriage Should Begin ‘Later Today’ - Oh yeah. This is getting good.  

LIVE BLOG: The freedom to marry comes to 5 more states - Follow the Freedom To Marry blog for updates regarding todays' ruling. 

Meanwhile, the opposition is in a complete state of shock. Bryan Fischer issued this uncharacteristically boring tweet:
 

The Supreme Court, by doing nothing, just issued the de facto Roe v. Wade ruling of sodomy-based marriage.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) October 6, 2014

It's boring because we can usually count on him for visions of fire, brimstone, and an angry God knocking heads. Now Peter LaBarbera has a better, but more confusing tweet:

It's civil disobedience time in #Oklahoma + other states: OK (76% opposed) offers the best chance to reject the SCOTUS ruling on SSM. #tcot
— Peter LaBarbera (@PeterLaBarbera) October 6, 2014

What that hell does that mean? People who don't support marriage equality should refuse to attend gay weddings? Sure. Works for me.

Or does it mean come to gay weddings and interrupt the proceedings. Feel free to come to mine. We will sit you right next to the mothers of the grooms and when the preacher asks if anyone objects and you feel the need to stand up, we will take a 15 minute intermission to watch you get your behind whipped.

Bakery vs. gays is not just about cakes

It's sad how lazy people are when it comes to the case of the bakery in trouble for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.

It's not about a business having a First Amendment right nor is it about a lesbian couple refusing to take their business elsewhere.

It's about basic fairness. A secular business should not be allowed to use the "religious liberty" card to discriminate. 

The folks at the progressive show, The Young Turks, puts it better than I can:

'Being gay and under financial hardships' & other Friday midday news briefs

How Being Gay 'Decimated' This Man's Life Savings - Forget about that nonsense regarding the bakery. THIS STORY HERE is what we should be talking about.

 Influential Religious Right Donor Indicted For His Role In The Lisa Miller Kidnapping Case - Keep an eye on this case. Slowly but surely it's moving into some serious religious right inner circles.

Meet two activists who brought sweeping change to the gay rights movement - Two awesome individuals. One I know on a personal level (little complaint on the general scheme of things - are we ever going to hear about lgbts of color helping to change the gay rights movement one day?)  

Fearing Same-Sex Marriage, Louisiana Church Kicks Out Alcoholics Anonymous Group - Oh real Christian, guys.

'Ex-Gay Awareness Month' is a sad passive-aggressive farce

As fast as one anti-gay event is over (the Values Voter Summit), here comes another one.

Today marks the second annual 'Ex-Gay Awareness Month.' If you don't remember the first one from last year, it's because it was a tremendous flop.

Anyway, this is where supposed ex-gays (professional ex-gays who claim to be delivered from homosexuality so much that they get a pay check every time they portray themselves as such) gather with anti-gay groups and talking heads in a sad attempt to cast themselves as victims of gays who supposedly want to deny their existence.

 It's an interesting racket, except for the simple fact that no one is buying the crap they are selling because we all recognize it as a passive-aggressive way to cause the lgbt community more consternation.

For example, one of their goals this year is to lobby Congressional leaders to NOT pass pro-lgbt legislation.

Also, if you are a glutton for punishment, take a look at their itinerary of events and who they are aligned with.

And if you need further proof of how fake 'Ex Gay Awareness Month' is, check out this video of their featured speaker, Alan Keyes - a sad man who will be remembered by history only as the man whom President Obama defeated to become an Illinois senator and thus beginning his road to the White House: