'Bathroom bills' scare merely a cynical shift in anti-gay lies

The right has abandoned this fear tactic because

this one is more successful.

The success of the anti-gay right with stopping a non-discrimination act in Houston has led the Family Research Council to heights of great audacity.

In Houston, anti-gay activists stopped the measure by claiming that  it would lead to male predators invading women's restrooms, i.e. exploiting ignorance about the transgender community. The Family Research Council is using the same distortions to stop a national non-discrimination ordinance, The Equality Act.

FRC spokesman Peter Sprigg had an interview with the American Family Association's One News Now in which he spouted off several lies:

Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council notes that U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) is sponsoring the "Equality Act," which would amend current federal laws to protect homosexuals based on claims of discrimination. Asked if the Equality Act mirrors the non-discrimination bill that was recently defeated by voters in Houston, Sprigg tells OneNewsNow that it is.

In fact, he says, it also includes the "public accommodations" requirement in Houston's HERO law. That allowance is the reason Houstonians described HERO as a "bathroom bill" and likely a reason it was soundly defeated. 

The Equalty Act would give homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals, trangender, and "gender noncomforming people" access to "places of public accommodations,"  Lambda Legal, a pro-homosexual legal organization, admits on its website.

"And it does not make any exception for facilities in which there's a normal expectation of privacy from the opposite sex such as restrooms, locker rooms and showers," Sprigg warns. "So it would be a bathroom bill on a national level being forced on all 50 states."

Sprigg and the rest of the religious are merely exploiting a useful hook. In the past, they spoke against ENDA, another national non-discrimination ordinance which lgbts were attempting to make into law, by claiming that children would be "trapped" in classrooms with "drag queen" and "cross-dressing" teachers:

It now seems that they have abandoned the classroom lie because focusing on bathrooms and locker rooms, where females are seemingly more vulnerable, reaps more success.

If you don't think so, check out the comment section under the Sprigg article.  The religious right know how to exploit a good scare when they see one.

Of course it's a lie. Transgender-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances will NOT lead to predators coming into women's restrooms and bathrooms. In fact, that has never been a problem with other areas which do have transgender-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances.

 The following graphic is courtesy of Media Matters:

But we know what they say about how hard it is for the truth to compete with a lie, particularly one draped in religion and false concerns about safety.  The sad thing is that people are either so scared or so exploited by their religious beliefs, they won't see that they are being used by folks like Sprigg and organizations like the Family Research Council

'Scalia compares legal protection for lgbts to protection for pedophiles' & other Tue midday news briefs

Scalia

Scalia Compares Legal Protections For Gay People To Protections For Pedophiles - Based on his logic, you can compare legal protections for African-Americans and women to pedophiles, too. To help answer your question, Scalia, minority groups whose behavior is not against the law and historically have been the victims of historical oppression should have legal protection. Folks, whoever wins the next presidential election gets to pick SCOTUS judges and Republicans want more judges like THIS $@!*

Charlie Sheen, HIV Stigma and Why the Media Panic Is Ugly - Charlie Sheen announcing his HIV positive status opens a much needed discussion on stigma.  

Breaking: Utah Judge Who Mandated Foster Child Be Placed With Heterosexual Parents Removes Himself - Just in case you haven't heard this piece of good news . . .

Manhattan Fed Judge Says Trans Equal Protection Claim Merits Heightened Scrutiny - Wonderful!

Here's How These Two Amazing Gay Dads Started Helping Other LGBT People Adopt - I need more "happy." THIS is happy.

Barbie doll commercial guaranteed to send anti-gay right into ORBIT

As a guy who collects male and female action figures (I own several Wonder Woman figures), I don't see anything wrong with this commercial featuring a boy with a Barbie doll. Of course you just KNOW not everyone will be as understanding. But, while my tastes don't run to Barbie dolls, the little boy is right. She is "fierce."

 

'New York Times blasts Cruz for appearing with death penalty for gays' pastor, media for not caring' & other Mon midday news briefs

Sen. Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz and the Anti-Gay Pastor - There should be other venues besides the New York Times calling out Ted Cruz AND the other presidential candidates for appearing with this nut. Still, it's nice that the press also gets called out for not caring.

 Tennessee pastor lashes out after Paris attacks: ‘There is no such thing as a good Muslim’ - And he even worked in some nasty crap about marriage equality. It's always sad how tragedy brings out the worse in some people. 

The POZ 100: Celebrating Long-Term Survivors - A wonderful issue which proves that HIV isn't a "death sentence."

 Linda Harvey: Obama's Support For Equality Act, Appearance In Out Magazine Are Signs Of God's Judgment - Crazy Linda always good for giving me gas.

 Mormon Church Punishes Children For Having Gay Parents. Hundreds Respond By Quitting Church - Just in case you haven't heard, the Mormon church has a little insurrection on its hands. And it's totally deserved. 

 15 Things You Really Shouldn’t Say To Trans People - Be honest. How many of us are guilty of this?

 Last but not least, Happy 10th anniversary to Box Turtle Bulletin!!

Saturday Night Live destroys anti-transgender bathroom horror stories

In less than three minutes, Saturday Night Live destroys the horror story of "men invading women's restrooms" - i.e. the lie which led to the defeat the non-discrimination ordinance in Houston:

UPDATED - 'Judge facing firestorm of criticism for removing infant from home of lesbian couple' & other Fri midday news briefs

Regarding the case in Utah of the judge removing an infant from the care of foster parents simply because the couple is gay, it would seem that the community, including Utah's governor, is rallying on behalf of the couple. This is a wonderful thing which demonstrates how people aren't as easily fooled by anti-gay propaganda when it comes to the ability of lgbt couples to raise children:

Utah challenging judge's order to remove baby from lesbian foster parents

UPDATE: Utah Governor 'Puzzled' by Judge Who Ordered Baby from Lesbians

Utah Judge May Have Violated Ethics Code in Blocking Same-Sex Adoption

 UPDATE - The judge has reversed his order because of the massive negative outcry.  Score a HUGE victory for the good guys!!

In other news:

Protesters Confront Caitlyn Jenner: 'You're An Insult To Trans People'- I don't believe that one person should be "chosen" as a representative of all people in one group and I don't believe that it's anyone else's right to anoint themselves as the guardian of how anyone in any group should act. I said this from personal experience because I've been verbally attacked by heterosexual African-Americans for my sexual orientation. That being said, the protesters did make excellent points and it was to Jenner's credit that she listened and talked with them. Life is a learning experience and no one is perfect in their beliefs.

 Christian UN staff in Kenya refuse aid to gay men fleeing persecution - THIS SITUATION RIGHT HERE is an insult to the body of Christ. 

Christians Are Leaving Homophobia Behind - Will Journalists Keep Up? - But not all Christians are like those above and journalists should explore the diversity instead of falling for the gay vs. Christian narrative. 

 What Reporters Should Know About Dallas' Updated LGBT Ordinance - Because you just KNOW that lie about "men in women's restrooms" will be pushed in Dallas.

Family Research Council seeks legislation which could bar states from protecting lgbt families, community

The SPLC-designated hate group The Family Research Council (so named because of its tendency to vilify the lgbt community via distortions and falsehoods) has announced that it wants to push statewide legislation which would supposedly "protect" those who "support natural marriage."

The group calls it the Government Nondiscrimination Act and claims:

The Government Nondiscrimination Act prohibits the state government from penalizing individuals and entities for their moral or religious beliefs that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. It also protects individuals and entities who believe that sexual relationships are properly reserved for such marriages—such as a religious school requiring students to refrain from engaging in any sexual activity outside of marriage. GNDA also protects individuals and entities from being penalized for believing that “man” and “woman” are biologically based. States should not be in the business of forcing individuals and entities to affirm same-sex marriage or other sexual conduct against their beliefs.

 . . .  The Government Nondiscrimination Act is focused on preventing government discrimination. Our government should never discriminate against, punish, or penalize people based on their sincerely held belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Like the First Amendment Defense Act at the federal level, states need to pass legislation now to protect individuals and entities from state discrimination on the basis of their beliefs in natural marriage.

This act appears to be so deliberately broad  that it could potentially prevent government entities from protecting married gay couples and lgbts (including families) in general from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. It also sounds like this act would prevent government entities from fairly keeping tax dollars away from entities which would discriminate against lgbts, such as Catholic adoption agencies.

And in light of the recent controversy involving a Utah judge who removed an infant from the home of its foster parents simply because the couple was lesbian, what potential effect would FRC's Government Nondiscrimination Act have in possible future situations involving officials who may cite their religious beliefs to keep gays from adopting children?

In a nutshell, the Government Nondiscrimination Act seems to be carrying "freedom of religion" a bit too far. You certainly should have freedom to worship. But no one should have the freedom to discriminate while exploiting their religion or "conscience" as an excuse to do so.