'Ex-gay movement loses another spokesman and this one dishes info' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

“I won’t be a weapon anymore,” says former symbol of ex-gay movement - Not only does the ex-gay movement lose another spokesperson, but this one provides details regarding the movement's deceptions and hypocritical behavior. 

Cleveland.com's Editorial Board Stokes Fears Over Transgender Non-Discrimination Law - It is spooky to me as a journalist when an editorial board behaves like this one.

 Plano, Texas Passes LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections Despite Vocal Opposition - Even WITH exemptions (transphobic, of course), the opposition wasn't happy. 

 NOM asks for inspiring marriages, equality activists answer! - NOM is dying a slooooooow death.

  Court Orders Florida to Start Letting Gay Couples Marry in One Month - Another state!!

Homophobia thrives when we don't call it out

Now before you begin the jaded phrases of how our friend below, Gordon Klingenschmitt, is a relic of the past and his type is on "the wrong side of history" or we shouldn't give this man any attention, remember one thing.

He is now a fairly elected member of the Colorado state legislature. So someone has paid this man some attention and unfortunately, liked what they saw. What's that old say:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

And usually this happens when good men (and women) sit on their asses yawning when evil stares them in the face:

Family Research Council conveniently silent about anti-gay pastor, church it once defended

Anderson

Steve Anderson, the pastor of Arizona's Faithful Word Baptist Church, has caused shock and revulsion for his recent claim that the AIDS crisis would end if gays were executed. However through it all, folks are missing a point that only us wonky individuals would bring up.

In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center listed Anderson's church as an anti-gay hate group along with several other organizations. Of course much of the attention following this announcement had to do with the other groups SPLC listed, particularly the Family Research Council and the American Family Association.

In fact, it caused such a stir that FRC began a campaign entitled Start Debating, Stop Hating. Through this campaign, the group claimed that SPLC was trying to 'silence' Christian groups:

The surest sign one is losing a debate is to resort to character assassination. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal fundraising machine whose tactics have been condemned by observers across the political spectrum, is doing just that.

The group, which was once known for combating racial bigotry, is now attacking several groups that uphold Judeo-Christian moral views, including marriage as the union of a man and a woman. How does the SPLC attack? By labeling its opponents "hate groups." No discussion. No consideration of the issues. No engagement. No debate! 

FRC did not differentiate between itself and other organizations named as anti-gay hate groups. However the organization did run a full page ad in Politico. According to Talking Points Memo, several Republican leaders signed on to this ad:

The ad is undersigned by a number of leading Republican politicians, social conservative and mainstream alike: House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Sen, Jim DeMint (R-SC), Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Rep. Steve King (R-IA), and even Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. 

I should also point out that SPLC received considerable criticism from many circles for supposedly attacking "Christian groups."

So what's the point with me bringing all of this up? Certainly not to imply that FRC believes that gays should be executed.  However, it should be noted that FRC is tacitly silent about Anderson and his church right now, both of which the organization defended in 2010, as are the Republican leaders who supported FRC's campaign back then.

And it should also be noted that Anderson's recent homophobic spew only proves SPLC's point about anti-gay hate groups who hide their vindictive nature behind "Judeo-Christian" beliefs. And also that SPLC was not trying to "silence Christians."

I think certain parties owe SPLC a huge apology right now.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins continues to lie about DADT repeal, military sexual assaults

Perkins

Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council comes another lie about the repeal of DADT:

President Obama may have admitted that sexual assault is a serious problem in the military -- but what he hasn’t conceded are that his own policies have helped create it. For the past few years, the Pentagon has downplayed the effects of open homosexuality sexuality and the addition of women on the front lines. But it will have a tough time doing that now with the rate of male-on-male assault at its highest levels. A stunning 3,840 military men were raped last year, headlines screamed.

While outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel insists the military had made “real progress” on the problem, the latest numbers certainly don’t bear that out. The total number of sexual assaults (at least the known cases) actually climbed by another eight percent -- a statistic the administration pins on better reporting, not an actual spike in abuse. Either way, the message is clear: there has been a significant change in military culture, and reversing those trends will be nearly impossible with the radical sexualization of our forces.

“Almost 6,000 victims reported a sexual assault in 2014, up from 5,500 last year, according to the report… only 1 in 10 victims reported a sexual crime in 2012, compared to 1 in 4 this year.” And while the media is adept at burying the story, the real scoop is that in Rand Corporation’s survey “more than half of the victims are men.”

The White House has spent Barack Obama’s entire presidency turning the military into a social experiment, beginning with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Of course, what’s interesting about these statistics is that they were released at a time when the military is having trouble finding new recruits. Fewer people see the military as a “good choice” for their future. And given these statistics, it’s not difficult to see why.

In their attempts to blame the repeal of DADT for the sexual assaults of men in the military, Perkins and company are pushing ignorant ideas about sexual assault itself.

Open letter to Pastor Stacy Swimp - you can't omit African-American lgbts from black history

Stacy Swimp wants to omit people like Bayard Rustin from black history.

Stacy Swimp is an African-American Michigan pastor who right now is riding the crest of his ego.

Recently, he spoke in front of the Michigan House in opposition of a non-discrimination ordinance claiming that gays never suffered the indignities of discrimination as had African-Americans. The House, by the way, killed the bill because there wasn't enough support for it.

But Swimp's words, which if I reposted here would cause my blood pressure to go up again as it did when I first read about the story, is just yet another infuriating attempting from ignorant, homophobic African-American heterosexuals to again omit lgbts of color from black history.

And to make matters worse, a good friend of mine sent a link to his facebook page in which he attacked Laverne Cox for making the cover of Time magazine.  I won't repeat the negative transphobic nonsense he and his supporters brayed.

I will just repeat what I wrote as a response in the form of an open letter not just to Swimp but other holier-than-thou African-American heterosexuals who are attempting to slander lgbts of color and deny us our right in the rich plateau of Black History:

Good gosh, listen to you all. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, especially you, Mr. Swimp. I got news for you all, No matter how many verses of the Bible you cite (the same book which was used by the way to justify slavery and segregation), you will NEVER be able to omit African-American gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender folks from Black History. It's our history too. We were there during slavery, Reconstruction, and segregation. We were lynched, raped, abused, and scorned just like you heterosexual African-Americans. And we played a great part in the civil rights movement. You forget that Bayard Rustin, an openly black gay man, coordinated the 1963 March on Washington. You forget about James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Barbara Jordan, etc. 

You attempt to condemn us to the realms of your own ignorance because you are too limited to see us as anything but outputs of your lurid imaginations of what supposedly gays do in the bedroom. That's YOUR problem. You all are the epitome of ignorance. Arbitrarily accusing gays of pedophilia is no different than arbitrarily accusing black men of being thugs or black women of being sluts. What verse of the Bible gives you the right to bear false witness? What verse of the Bible gives any of you the right to bogart, slander, accuse, and attack? Whether you like it or not, black gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender folks aren't going away. 

Ms. Cox is looking mighty fine on the cover of Time magazine and rather than attack her, you should praise her for being open and honest. She is a role model to millions of folks, ESPECIALLY African-American transgender men and women. No matter how much it sickens you or how high and mighty you pretend to be, there is nothing you can do about HER or any of us lgbts of color. You can try but you can't erase us, you can't omit us, and most of all you can't condemn us. THAT right belongs to God and the last time I checked, NONE of you are him. God doesn't condemn us because he loves us the way we are. Tend to your own houses before you come knocking on our doors.

Related post: 

The Erasure of 'Gay' From Black History & the Black Community Must Stop

'Religious liberty bill pre-filed in South Carolina' & other Friday midday news briefs

Senator Files Bills on Guns, Same-Sex Marriage Refusal - South Carolina state senator Lee Bright just pre-filed a bill which would allow probate, clerk, and county employees the right to refuse to grant same-sex marriage licenses without fear of reprisal in terms of liabilities and punishments if the refusal is because of a "sincere religious belief." Bright has also pre-filed bills which would make it legal to carry guns on places like college campuses. Not that the bills have anything to do with each other but aren't they a fascinating juxtaposition. It sort of makes you feel as if it was actually Chuck Norris who delivered the Sermon on the Mount with an uzi strapped to his back
.

Some Religious Leaders Denounce Pastor Who Wants To Ends AIDS By Killing Gays - As much fuss as I raise when I don't hear Christians condemning mess like what this man said, I think I should showcase it when some do. 

 Michigan Advances ‘License To Discriminate’ While LGBT Protections Stagnate - Previews of things to come, folks. Pay attention and begin planning the counter offensive now. 

 Johnny And Todd's Story From The Let Love Define Family Series - This is sooooo cute!  

Garlow: Force Gay Marriage Supporters To Live In Houses With Improper Plumbing - I think there is a sexual insult in there somewhere . . .

Transphobia FAILS in Minnesota

In spite of this ad, Minnesota schools struck a blow for fairness for our transgender children.

In spite of the efforts of  some folks to confuse the issue by appealing to fear, Minnesota schools struck an excellent blow for our transgender children yesterday.

From Buzzfeed:

Amidst a week of victories for transgender rights activists, transgender high school students in Minnesota can play on boys’ or girls’ sports teams “consistent with the student’s gender-related identification,” according to a policy passed today by the state’s High School League. The policy, which will go into effect with the 2015–2016 academic year, also applies to certain extracurricular activities. 

Overcoming fierce opposition from critics, the league voted 18-1 on the policy that “allows participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression in an environment free from discrimination with an equal opportunity for participation in athletics and fine arts.” The policy outlines a process for transgender students to apply to a team, including providing evidence of their gender identity and a “written statement from an appropriate health-care professional.” The greatest point of contention in a packed hearing today was male-to-female athletes playing on girls’ teams. Critics warned that transgender girls could use their XY genetics, having developed larger muscles and bones, to give them a competitive edge in strength and speed over cisgender athletes.

In that vein, the Minnesota Child Protection League took out a full-page ad in the Minneapolis Star Tribune in November. The ad questioned if the policy would cause “the end of girls’ sports?” Featuring a photo of a girl with a baseball bat, the ad included text suggesting her dreams of a sports scholarship could be dashed after being displaced by a transgender female player, which the ad calls a “male,” and then adds, “and now she may have to shower with him.”

 . . .   A 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association report responds to beliefs that female transgender athletes pretend to be women or have a physical edge. “These assumptions are not well founded,” says the NCAA report. This is particularly true for transgender girls who start medically transitioning during adolescence. The report explains that “their participation in athletics as girls does not raise the same equity concerns that arise when transgender women transition after puberty.”
Minnesota is the 33rd state to approve a transgender-inclusive policy for high school athletes, according to MPR News.