Anti-gay right sloppily dredge up 60 'legal scholars' to oppose Obergefell decision

Supposedly ' over 60 legal scholars' oppose Obergefell vs. Hodges decision.  Not quite.

Supporters of marriage equality (which is now LEGAL in all 50 states) should be on the lookout for the following bit of subterfuge which I gleaned from the webpage of the Americans Principles Project. The entire statement is too long to be printed, therefore I am posting an excerpt :

Statement Calling for Constitutional Resistance to Obergefell v. Hodges 

 . . . We stand with James Madison and Abraham Lincoln in recognizing that the Constitution is not whatever a majority of Supreme Court justices say it is. 

We remind all officeholders in the United States that they are pledged to uphold the Constitution of the United States, not the will of five members of the Supreme Court.  

We call on all federal and state officeholders: 

To refuse to accept Obergefell as binding precedent for all but the specific plaintiffs in that case.

To recognize the authority of states to define marriage, and the right of federal and state officeholders to act in accordance with those definitions.

To pledge full and mutual legal and political assistance to anyone who refuses to follow Obergefell for constitutionally protected reasons.

To open forthwith a broad and honest conversation on the means by which Americans may constitutionally resist and overturn the judicial usurpations evident in Obergefell.

 

We emphasize that the course of action we are here advocating is neither extreme nor disrespectful of the rule of law. Lincoln regarded the claim of supremacy for the Supreme Court in matters of constitutional interpretation as incompatible with the republican principles of the Constitution. Our position is summed up in Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address . . .

So what exactly is this? Well according to the National Organization for Marriage and anti-gay talking head Michael Brown, it's a statement made by "over 60 prominent legal scholars" who felt compelled, on the basis of their expertise, to announce that Obergefell vs. Hodges (the case which legalized marriage equality) should be resisted because it was wrongly decided.

Their reasoning makes no sense. However, I find their reasoning irrelevant when one takes a look at the signers of the statement , i.e. the so-called "prominent legal scholars." 

I list a few just as they are listed on the statement but also took the liberty to include certain omitted details in italics:

Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University, Founder of American Principles Project (George is one of the founders of the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes marriage equality. And he was also one of the main arranger of the funds given to Professor Mark Regnerus to conduct a study on gay parenting study, which has since been discredited. The study was created as an attempt to sway the Supreme Court against marriage equality)

John C. Eastman, Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service, Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University (the present chair of the National Organization for Marriage)

George W. Dent, Jr., Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Dent supplied the discredited information which the defenders of DOMA used in court to unsuccessfully defend that law.)

 Matthew J. Franck, Director, William E. and Carol G. Simon Center for Religion and the Constitution, Witherspoon Institute (Franck made the outrageous claim that judicial decisions for marriage equality was akin to the Dred Scott decision of 1857, which further stripped African-Americans of their humanity. His organization, the Witherspoon Institute, also contributed funds to Regnerus' discredited anti-gay parenting study.)

Walter Schumm, Professor of Family Studies, Kansas State University (Schumm has been criticized for shoddy research against lgbt equality. His  "expert testimony" against gay adoption in Florida  in 2010 was negatively called out by a lower court and an appeals court.

Lynne Marie Kohm, John Brown McCarty Professor of Family Law and Associate Dean of Faculty Development and External Affairs, Regent University School of Law (Regent University has fallen under a lot of criticism due to its stated goal  to "use the law to further the kingdom of God")

It's relatively easy for someone like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council  to vaguely cite the truncated "fact" that "60 legal scholars"  oppose Obergefell vs. Hodges decision without giving pertinent information about some of these "scholars.". In fact, I anticipate that Perkins, and several others on the right, will most likely do so.

However, it doesn't change anything. Marriage equality is the law of the land. And best of all, opponents of marriage equality continue to mire themselves in the same lies and oblivious lack of self-awareness which eventually caused them to lose the fight against marriage equality in the first place.

I swear, a part of me misses the days when highly immoral, questionable acts were done with a degree of covert style and technique instead of the mistaken belief that one can get away with lying openly and unashamedly.

Editor's note - The site which trumpeted the letter, Americans Principles Project,  was founded by Robert P. George and has former NOM head Maggie Gallagher on its board.

Related post:  Marriage Equality Opponents Need to Admit Actual Reason for Their Loss

'Magazine wins defeats anti-gay billionaire in court' & other Fri midday news briefs

We Were Sued by a Billionaire Political Donor. We Won. Here's What Happened. - Sweet! Progressive magazine Mother Jones was sued by anti-gay billionaire but won because truth is ALWAYS the best defense against charges of libel. 

No talk of 2016, Speaker mess at Log Cabin dinner - Okay, y'all. No picking at the Log Cabin Republicans. They are having a rough time of it right now.

 'Glorifying Unnatural Marriage': One Million Moms Steaming Hot Over Campbell's Soup Ad With Gay Dads - Apparently acknowledging that gays have families is wrong. For what reason, I don't know . . .

  This Trans Guy Documented His Transition By Taking A Selfie Every Day For 3 Years - The steps to being one's authentic self.  

Tony Perkins Blames Obama For UCC Shooting - Between attacking lgbts, FRC and Tony Perkins talk about having more guns. Well that's a bad combination.

Fox News caught pushing another false story about the transgender community, bathrooms

Fox News can't stop lying about the transgender community.

One thing the following item from Equality Matters proves - you don't need to follow any tenet of responsible journalism to work for Fox News:

Fox News reported a bogus story about a California mom who claims to have been kicked out of an REI sporting goods store for complaining about a man frightening her daughter in the store's women's restroom. Fox's reporting was based on statements made by an anti-LGBT hate group with a history of fabricating similar incidents in order to fearmonger about transgender people using public restrooms.

Fox Parroted Mom's Allegation Of Being "Booted" From Store. In an October 2 article on FoxNews.com, Fox News reporter Perry Chiaramonte reported a California woman's allegation that she was kicked out of a Santa Rosa REI sporting goods store after complaining that a man had frightened her daughter in the women's restroom:

A California mom who says she was recently kicked out of a sporting goods store after alerting a manager that man had frightened her young daughter in the women's restroom is demanding  answers - and a policy change - from the Washington-based chain.

The woman, who spoke to FoxNews.com but asked not to be identified, said she was shopping with her 12-year-old daughter and the girl's younger friend when her daughter told her what had happened moments earlier at an REI sporting goods store during a shopping trip in late August.

"We started to drive to another store and she said to me, 'Mom, I need to tell you something,'" said the woman. "I asked her what was wrong and she told me 'A man used the bathroom while we were in there and it scared me.'"

When the mother turned the car around and went back to the store to confront the manager of the Santa Rosa store, she said she was stunned to learn that the man, who she said was not dressed in women's clothes and did not appear outwardly to be transgender, had done nothing wrong in the eyes of the employees and other customers. [FoxNews.com, 10/2/15]

There ARE a couple of things wrong with this story. We don't know the identity of the woman who alleged this incident.  REI investigated and - surprise, surprise - couldn't find anything to verify the accuracy of the woman's tale:

After Investigation, REI Finds "No Evidence" Of Incident, Confirms Woman Was Not Asked To Leave. In a statement posted on their website, REI said store personnel had found no evidence to support the claim that a man was in the women's restroom. Additionally, the sporting goods retailer denied the woman's allegation that she was asked to leave the store (emphasis added):

And last but not least, according to Equality Matters, Fox News based its report on claims made by an anti-gay hate group called the Pacific Justice Institute.  PJI is not known to many folks, but the organization has a history of pushing false stories. Equality Matters gave two for an example:

PJI Previously Fabricated A Story About Transgender Bathroom Access. In 2013, the PJI was criticized after being caught fabricating a story about a transgender Colorado student who it said was harassing girls in a school bathroom. Fox Nation reported that bogus story without issuing a retraction. [Media Matters, 12/29/13]

Fox Was Recently Duped By Another Bogus PJI Story About LGBT People. In February 2015, Fox News contributor Todd Starnes fell for another another bogus PJI horror story about anti-gay students being bullied at a California high school. [Media Matters, 2/19/15]

It's  junk like this which should anger not only lgbts about Fox News, but also conservatives. Many at Fox News have said that the network exists to push the conservative point of view in the media. So I guess articles like this means that the conservative point of view is unverified slanders via "anonymous" sources.

'What LGBTQ person should know about their history' & other Thur midday news briefs

Editor's note - As some of you may have noticed, my postings have been a bit meager. The reason is I live in Columbia, SC and as you know, we have been hit with disastrous flooding. By the grace of God, my area has been mostly untouched (apparently my area is so ghetto, pizza deliveries AND natural disasters skip it). Still things have been chaotic around here as we monitor the damage done to the city and state. Keep South Carolina in your mind and prayers.

Southern Baptist Conference: ‘Struggling’ LGBT People Can Change Through Christ - Actually they are right in a way. It was my faith in God which led me to stop worrying about ignorant people who don't know me, but will condemn me and embrace my gayness as a wonderful gift from Him. And it is, too.  

Every LGBTQ+ Person Should Read This - Yes and double yes. Every lgbt person should read this to know the stock of their worth, especially our youth. I love this reminder of where we came from and how people like us changed history and transformed the world for the better. 

 A Kentucky Clerk Changes His Policy, Will Now Issue Marriage Licenses To Different-Sex Couples - Somebody is jealous that Kim Davis is getting all of the attention.

 Bryant assistant coach Chris Burns comes out - Becoming the first Division One men’s college basketball coach to ever publicly come out.

 10 Ways to Make It Easier for Your Child to Come Out - Pay attention and write it down.

Senator wants 1950s anti-gay blackmail, suicide case investigated

Senator Tammy Baldwin

It is actions like this which make Tammy Baldwin a wonderful Senator and and a genuine leader in the lgbt community.

From Yahoo:

In the wake of disclosures in a Yahoo News documentary , the Justice Department is facing new calls to investigate a Cold War-era antigay blackmail plot that led to the 1954 suicide of Wyoming Sen. Lester Hunt.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin — the first openly lesbian member of Congress — asks Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a letter to “help shine a light on a dark chapter in the history of the Senate” by investigating the roles that three U.S. senators played in hounding Hunt to his death by exploiting his son’s arrest for soliciting gay sex in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House.

The death of Hunt has been shrouded in mystery and controversy ever since the Wyoming Democrat went to his office on June 19, 1954, with a rifle and killed himself. Although the details were covered up for years, the event became the inspiration for the 1959 bestselling novel “ Advise and Consent,” later a popular Hollywood movie that had a huge cultural impact due to its frank depiction of the ways in which homosexuality was used as a political weapon at the time.

 “While decades have passed since this tragic incident, it remains a troubling example of the misdeeds of the McCarthy era and the role homophobia and bigotry has played in the history of our nation, including at the highest levels of federal government,” Baldwin wrote in a letter to Lynch last week. (A Justice Department spokeswoman said officials had not yet had a chance to review the letter and therefore couldn’t comment.)

I support this entirely. Looking into our past is something that the lgbt community has not done with as much fervor as we celebrate our present victories. Remember, someone paid dearly for what we have. We owe it to them to always remember their stories so that we never take anything for granted.

'Danny Pintauro raising eyebrows with HIV claim, message' & other Wed midday news briefs

Danny Pintauro

The Problematic Case of Danny Pintauro - Since announcing that he is HIV positive, the former "Who's The Boss" cast member has been raising eyebrows in a negative way regarding some things he said as well as how he presented himself in the media. Just goes to show that our community need not anoint every lgbt or lgbt-ally celebrity as a role model, leader, or spokesperson. Perhaps choosing people with no spotlight works better than attempting to bogart spotlight already created.

Brian Sims announces bid for Congress - The first gay man elected to the Pennsylvania legislature. I've heard nothing but good things about him. I hope he wins because he would be a great addition to other lgbts in Congress. Also, it could inspire more of us to run. We cherish the fact that we work outside of the system. Being inside the system also doesn't hurt.

 On Savage Lovecast, Equality Matters' Rachel Percelay Describes How Fox News Turns Transgender People Into Villains - Wonderful interview!  

Huckabee: Pope Should Fire 'Elitist' Staffers Who Distanced Him From Kim Davis - Put a sock in it, Huckabee!  

Judge Tells Hobby Lobby To Stop Discriminating Against Trans Employee - They aren't going to like that. (Good!)

Family Research Council can't stop lying about The Vatican, Kim Davis, and SPLC

Tony Perkins can't stop lying.

The push back by the Vatican on the claim that the Pope met with anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis has really struck a nerve with some anti-gay groups.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research added some spin to the situation:

Pouncing on the private nature of the meeting, everyone from Reuters to the Associated Press is casting doubt on the nature of the get-together, and whether -- in fact -- the Vatican actually invited the Davises to meet the Pontiff. Some reporters are now insisting it was a random encounter, which is laughable considering the amount of security involved in the Pope's visit. In a place like the Vatican Embassy, there's absolutely no way the two parties could have accidentally crossed paths. As Liberty Counsel explained, the Davises were actually transported to the meeting by van by the Vatican's own men. Kim was even asked to wear her hair up so that she'd be less recognizable.

Ultimately, the Davises ended up in a private room, where "no one else [was] present." When the Pope arrived, he stretched out his hands and encouraged Kim to "stay strong," something that wouldn't have made sense unless he was familiar with her case. Now, several days later, the Vatican's communications shop seems intent on giving the media a story where there is none. Pressed by reporters, Spokesman Federico Lombardi appeared to backtrack on the significance of the meeting, suggesting that no one should construe the invitation as an endorsement of Kim.

So Perkins is basically relying on the words of the Liberty Counsel, the organization whose credibility took a tremendous beating  over this incident and a certain other false claim it made recently regarding a Peruvian rally in Davis's honor.

Okay.