'CNN's Chris Cuomo 'takes Roy Moore to church' during interview' & other Thursday midday news briefs

I heard a lot of positive buzz surrounding this interview. Apparently CNN's Chris Cuomo took Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore "to church." What do you think?

In other news:  

Coming Out At School Is Worth The Risk For LGBT Youth, Study Finds - Yes it is.  

NOM directly links its anti-gay, pro-discrimination cause to 1963 March on Washington - One wonders if NOM will complete the inaccurate analogy and find its own Bayard Rustin (i.e. the gay black man who coordinated the 1963 March on Washington). 

 Mississippi KKK Chapter Backs Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore In Anti-Gay Marriage Fight - Aw that's nice! Roy Moore has his own cheering section.

 Linda Harvey: This Valentine's Day, Fight Against LGBT Rights - Damn, Linda! Can't you do what the rest of us single people do on Valentine's Day - watch horror movies and porn.

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

Bayard Rustin

In celebration of Black History Month, the following piece I wrote and initially published by The Huffington Post is very appropriate. Throughout the piece are photos of famous lgbts of color:

As a gay African-American, I've heard the argument about how "you can't compare the gay civil rights movement to the African-American civil rights movement" more times than I care to count.
The constant so-called moral outrage of some African-American heterosexuals when the topic is mentioned has gotten me to the point where my mind automatically tunes out the monotonous drones of how supposed sinful homosexuals are "high jacking" the civil rights movement or how gays "can't compare their sin with black skin."

As such, I almost missed the epiphany which occurred two weeks ago.

Nell Carter

I was vaguely scanning comments on a conservative site by an anonymous African-American female as she went on and on about how gays were never subjected to slavery, segregation or declared three fifths a person. While the logical side of my mind was gathering up the customary argument of how wrong it was for disadvantaged people of any stripe to play the "Oppression Olympics," the emotional side of my mind struck immediately.

"This is the most ignorant crap I've ever heard," I thought. "Just where in the hell does she think gay black people were during slavery and segregation? On a spaceship orbiting the Earth? "

I was instantly struck by oddity of what I had thought. Not that my outrage wasn't coming from a place of truth, mind you, but how the simple fact never entered my mind that yes, gay people were subjected to slavery, segregation and racism because of our skin. Just as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people of color exist now, we existed back then. Then it suddenly struck me again that I've never recalled any acknowledgement of this fact during the myriad of discussions, I've read, listened to or seen regarding comparisons between the gay and civil rights movements.

And why is that?

Older gays give advice, younger gays should pay attention

Part of the mission of this blog is to provide our lgbt children with encouragement and strength as they navigate through life. With that in mind, this video courtesy of Buzzfeed of older gays giving advice is pure awesome:

'New Jersey case could destroy 'ex-gay' therapy' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

New Jersey Judge Slaps Down Ex-Gay Group: Being Gay Is Not A ‘Mental Disorder’ - There are just so many sweet spots about this case, but the best is that it is happening slowly, therefore the humiliation of ex-gay therapy is happening in delicious slow motion. 

This court ruling could mean the end of gay conversion therapy - And the repercussions would be like "so much crushed velvet."

 Gov. Robert Bentley doesn't want same-sex marriage disputes to hurt Alabama's image like 1960s did - I got some bad news for you, Gov. Bentley. We are waaaaay past that territory.

 Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback Rescinds Anti-Discrimination Protections For LGBT State Workers - Gov. Brownback isn't exactly known for being the lgbt community's best friend so I'm surprised that it took him THIS LONG to show his true color.  

How Conservatives Are Pushing Liberals Out Of Christianity - This is an important piece because some conservatives are pushing the lgbt community out of Christianity. The final judge is always God, so Man's talk of who is or isn't a Christian is always immaterial.  

Bill O'Reilly Invites Hate Group Representative To Attack SPLC After Ben Carson Added To "Extremist Files" - And they all play dodge ball. Sooner or later, that ball will get them. You can only dodge the truth for so long. 

 Alabama Marriage Mess Shows Dangers Of Distorted 'Religious Liberty' Claims - A serious plus in this Alabama marriage equality mess.

Anti-gay groups attempting to push new, error-filled study on gay parenting

Having learned absolutely nothing from their attempts to push through a soon discredited study  during the DOMA trial two years ago, anti-gay groups and conservatives are at it again.

According to Zack Ford from Think Progress:

Conservatives are excitedly promoting a new study that supposedly reveals negative outcomes for the children of same-sex parents. Like the infamously flawed Mark Regnerus study rushed out two years ago, the new study seems timed to impact the Supreme Court’s upcoming consideration of marriage equality for same-sex couples. It suffers, however, from some of the same flaws and biases as Regnerus’ study, and doesn’t actually support the argument against marriage equality that it tries to make.

The new study comes from Donald Paul Sullins, a Catholic priest and sociology professor at Catholic University of America. Sullins is a fellow of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute, a project of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council, and a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, which has funneled millions of dollars into fighting marriage equality over the past decade.

Those facts should destroy the study's credibility from the beginning, but in this environment of headless monsters (i.e. inaccuracies which continue to be propped up as fact no matter how many times they have been refuted), it's best that the beast, or this new so-called study, is completely refuted. And Zack does a wonderful job at pointing out its errors, including:

There is no information whether or not the same-sex couples were married,

The study has the same flaws as the infamous Regnerus study,

and lastly:

As a vehicle for opposing same-sex marriage, the study severely lacks integrity, as its political positions don’t jibe with its data. “Biology matters,” Regnerus asserts, and Sullins emphasizes that his study identifies “the importance of common biological parentage for optimum child well-being.” Nowhere, however, does Sullins or Regnerus suggest that this has any policy implications for adoption or foster care by different-sex couples. It might be a hard case to make given Sullins has two adopted children of his own.

The attempt to push this flawed work underscores the simple fact that the lgbt community shouldn't take anything as a given. The feeling now is that the Supreme Court will legalize marriage equality nationwide. However, with opposition so willing to stop this from being a reality and determined to stoop to all sorts of levels of distortion, it would serve the lgbt community to not be so quick to set wedding dates and be more inclined with remaining on the lookout for more distortions, smears, and lies.

'Complaints filed against AL probate judge for refusing same-sex marriage licenses' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Complaints filed against probate judge for refusing same-sex marriage licenses - Yes! If your refusal to do your job robs folks of their hard-won rights, you pay the price.  

Jeffress: Gay Marriage Is 'The Greatest Sign Of The End Times That We See In Our Country Right Now' - Whatever happened to the good old days when doom-and-gloom prophets looked the part. Somehow appearing on television shows, radio shows and in front of scores of folks while dressed like a GQ model (and I haven't even mentioned the bank account) kinda paints you as not credible.

South Dakota Lawmaker Says It Was A ‘Significant Error’ To Allow Transgender Student Athletes - For Pete's sake, stop picking on our transgender children! 

 Alabama marriage equality tantrum slap in the face to all Americans - From time to time, I will include posts I've already written in the news briefs because I feel said post makes a point which should be shared as much as possible. This is such a post. We need to emphasize the following point continuously: "Exploiting your religious faith to get your way when you lose in federal court is not American."  

How 'Respectablity Politics' Muted The Legacy Of Black LGBT Activist Pauli Murray - Another lgbt of color historical figure we don't know about yet . . .

Alabama marriage equality tantrum slap in the face to all Americans

“I will never perform a so-called same-sex marriage. A federal court can put me in jail for life, and I will still never perform a so-called same-sex marriage. As a believer in the Word of God… I cannot in good conscience participate in a purported marriage ceremony which I strongly believe would profane the sacred institution of marriage.”

 “This is not about hating people. Each of us needs to treat every other human being with dignity and respect, regardless of our diametrically opposing viewpoints on this divisive issue. But tolerance is a two-way street. Either there is tolerance for all or there is tolerance for none. I want tolerance for my personal religious viewpoint.”

Alabama Probate Judge John Enslen  thinks that not only his personal religious beliefs supersedes federal law and the rights of United States citizens who fairly win their court cases, but also mandates that he should get away with the dereliction of his sworn duty on the taxpayer's dime, even if some of those taxpayers are the people whose rights he is deliberately ignoring.

Regardless how anyone feels about marriage equality, it is an issue which is being decided fairly by the federal courts. We are not a theocracy but a secular nation of laws - - laws whose constitutionality are generally decided in the courts. Those states who oppose marriage equality have been unable to provide proof as to the constitutionality of their laws. Plain and simple. That's why they are losing. In spite of all of their rhetoric about "activist judges" and "black robed tyrants," those against marriage equality have provided no proof that any chicanery has been going on. Heck, they can't provided proof that their policies against marriage equality is sound. That's why they are throwing tantrums now. Because they don't have any other options.

But this next step Probate Justice Enslen, and a few other judges in Alabama are taking is dangerous to not only the rights of same-sex couples, but all United States citizens.

If state judges can get away with ignoring a federal ruling simply because they do not agree with said ruling on whatever grounds, they are giving themselves precedent to ignore any and all federal rulings they do not agree with.
Today it's marriage equality. Who knows what it may be tomorrow?

If this mockery of our legal system is not contained now, we are going to see lots of trouble in the future . . . and with other things besides marriage equality.

Exploiting your religious faith to get your way when you lose in federal court is not American. And it's certainly not Christian.