Bryan Fischer's latest rant transcends the very definitions of homophobia and hate

THIS RANT from anti-lgbt American Family Association's Bryan Fischer goes beyond almost everything he has said against the lgbt community in the past. It deserves a place by itself in the pantheon of homophobia. Fischer perfectly captures the religious entitlement, the ignorance, and the self-righteous mean-spirited cluelessness which has gone into the creation of the recent spate of anti-lgbt laws masquerading as "public safety" bathroom bills and "religious liberty" bills.

Just start calling him an liability to the anti-lgbt right:



Hat tip to Right Wing Watch. Go there to read what caused Fischer to go ballistic.

'VA Gov vetoes anti-gay 'religious liberty' bill & other Wed. midday news briefs

Gov. McAuliffe

Gov. McAuliffe vetoes bill that would have “legalized discrimination” against Virginia’s LGBTQ’s - THIS is leadership.  

No, Nothing Pat McCrory Says In Defense Of North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law Is True - And THIS is simply pitiful. The poor baby is trying so hard. 

NORTH CAROLINA: Hate Coalition Posts List Of Local Businesses Which Support The New Anti-LGBT Law - I guess this can be considered as the homophobic calvary. Thanks a lot my friends. We do need a list of folks we need to put pressure on.  

Family Research Council throws tantrum over losing messaging war of anti-lgbt laws - Reiteration of last night's post. Because watching the anti-gay Family Research Council throw a tantrum is always fun. 

Is the #GayMediaSoWhite? Gay Men of Color Exposed Racism in Gay Media on Twitter - THIS CONVERSATION needs to happen. The way the gay media is run these days, it enhances the false belief that Lgbts of color have contributed nothing to the struggle for lgbt equality. But how can there be knowledge of your work when your people don't acknowledge your existence, to say nothing about your intelligence. And I say that as one who has been a victim to this mindset.

Family Research Council throws tantrum over losing messaging war of anti-lgbt laws

The Family Research Council creates cute graphics but its lies fool no one.

In spite of all of the media attention telling the actual story regarding North Carolina's new anti-gay law, the Family Research Council continues to push the lie that  the law is merely about the public safety of women and girls.

In truth, the law also prevents NC cities and towns from passing ordinances which would protect the lgbt community from discrimination in such things as housing and employment. But the Family Research Council will not stop with its deliberately inaccurate messaging. And to make matters worse (or better if you enjoy reading FRC's meltdown because it is losing the messaging war over anti-lgbt laws), the organization is now lashing out at Georgia, Louisiana, San Francisco, and New York.

The group even attacks it own ally, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana:

North Carolina's policy may be settled -- but the dust certainly hasn't. After having their way with political squishes like Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal (R), liberals are beside themselves with Governor Pat McCrory's decision to listen to the voters of his state and repeal Charlotte's hugely unpopular bathroom bill. Big Business is hyperventilating, out-of-state leaders are boycotting, and the ACLU is suing. But does North Carolina regret its decision? Not one bit. Unlike Georgia, McCrory knows the best way to silence a bully is ignore it.

While Georgia tried to appease the unappeasable, North Carolina set aside the hysteria and did what was in the best interest of the people and children of the state. Seven or eight years ago, most Americans would have been appalled at the idea of letting grown men into girls' restrooms. Now, after two terms of this radical president, liberals are banning travel to a state because they won't allow it. Honestly, it's almost baffling that this is where we are as a nation. The governor of New York and mayor of San Francisco are so adamant about allowing men to shower with our daughters that they're forbidding "non-essential travel" to the state of North Carolina to promote it!

'NC Gov McCrory is deep in homophobic mess of his own making' & other Tue. midday news briefs

NC Gov McCrory was warned. He didn't listen.

NC Guv Blames Media For Backlash Against New Anti-Gay Law (VIDEO) - This interview with the Charlotte Observer proves that NC Gov. Pat McCrory is having significant trouble defending the state's new anti-lgbt law. And it gets better for us, worse for him. 

North Carolina AG won’t defend anti-LGBT law in court - Granted, he is a Democrat who will be running for governor himself, but the optics can't be good for McCrory. 

 Corporations threaten boycott over Georgia, North Carolina legislation seen as “anti gay” - An article from two days ago, but gives a great look at the trouble NC is having.

New York City and State, Seattle Employees Banned From 'Non-Essential' Travel to North Carolina - We are talking SERIOUS trouble.

 Gov. John Bel Edwards to Rescind Bobby Jindal's Horrific Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' Order - Good for him! That's the difference between a good official and a pathetic panderer. 

 Transgender Student Settles Locker Room Case With University Of Pittsburgh - Sounds like the case came out in the young man's favor. Good! 

 Lawmaker Delivers Mind-Bending Series Of Arguments Against LGBT Protections - Oh Lord! His comments are a hot mess.  

Mat Staver: The Fight To Reverse Marriage Equality 'Will Never Be Over' - Bring it on, bitch! 


McCrory photo taken from here

Fox News' Todd Starnes tells a sad lie about vetoed GA anti-gay bill

Todd Starnes can't stop lying.

There is a seriously disturbing trend regarding the recent spate of anti-lgbt laws. It would be a serious error on the part of our community to not raise hell about this trend.

The so-called "Christian" groups and spokespeople who support these anti-lgbt "religious liberty" laws have been deliberately lying and/or deliberating obfuscating the negative impact these laws will have on the rights of lgbt Americans.

Last week, I pointed out  how the Family Research Council tried to falsely paint North Carolina's recently passed anti-gay law as one of public safety for women and girls while omitting how it also prevents counties and cities in the state from protecting lgbts from any form of discrimination.

Today, Fox News personality Todd Starnes rang the alarm about GA Governor Nathan Deal's veto of a legislative passed anti-gay law masquerading as a "religious liberty" bill. Starnes, who already has a shady history of painting false stories of anti-Christian persecution, put on his best hand wringing performance in defending the vetoed bill:

Georgia’s Republican governor stunned the state’s religious community Monday by vetoing legislation that would have protected preachers who refuse to perform LGBT marriages.

“It’s open season on people of faith in our state,” said State Sen. Josh McKoon, the author of the 2014 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. “It’s a slap in the face to conservatives, to evangelicals and to the broader faith community,” he told me.

 . . .Simply put – the bill would have protected pastors from having to perform same-sex marriages. Faith-based organizations, like Christian schools, would also have been extended protection from renting its facilities to any organization that was contrary to its beliefs.

However, gay rights groups alleged the legislation would have essentially legalized discrimination.

“Discrimination and intolerance have no place in the 21^st century, and any town, city or state that enshrines it into law will not be judged kindly by history or by the American public,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a prepared statement.

Starnes' column is can be considered the top example in Obfuscation 101. His column omits the following details, via The Huffington Post:

 The bill would have prevented the government from taking action against organizations or people with “a sincerely held religious belief regarding lawful marriage between... a man and a woman.” It would have opened the door to all kinds of discrimination against same-sex couples. A state-contracted counselor, for example, could refuse to provide services to people in a same-sex marriage. Taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies could refuse to place children in their homes. Government employees, a la Kim Davis, could refuse to file official forms for same-sex couples.

It's not accidental that Starnes chose to omit a crucial part about GA's anti-gay bill just as it was not accidental that the Family Research Council is distorting NC's new anti-lgbt law.  What's truly sad about all of this are not just the distortions and lies or that FRC and Starnes are blatantly pushing these distortions.

The truly sad thing is that the lgbt community has probably gotten so desensitized to these day-to-day falsehoods about every level of our lives that a lot of us wave them off instead educating the world about them; the very thing we SHOULD be doing.

'Enemies of lgbt equality get wrecked in NC & GA, also get called out nationally' & other Mon midday news briefs

GA anti-gay bill gets vetoed.

Editor's note - Disadvantages of having a part-time blog is always coming to the party late. But hey, I always manage to still make it before the party is over.

Georgia Governor Announces Veto Of Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill - Good for Gov. Deal! Now hopefully there can be no override. 

  North Carolina Sued Over Anti-LGBT Law - Don't act shocked, Gov. Pat McCrory or the North Carolinians who supported that awful mess. You knew it was coming. And you knew it was going to be swift.

 The Religious Right 'Liberty' Icons Behind North Carolina's Appalling Anti-LGBT Law - NC is going to find out the hard way about following up the religious right. 

 Hypocrite Ted Cruz Attacks My Family While Declaring His Family Off-limits - Hypocrite because he attacks same-sex families. I totally agree!  

A Sexual Assault Survivor Explains The Hypocrisy Behind Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Bill" Proponents - Of all the news briefs today, this is the most important and the one we must take to heart and make the public aware of. Particularly THIS part: 

More importantly, perhaps, is the list of what the Heritage Foundation and other politicians who are using sexual assault survivors are NOT doing: 

They are not leading the effort to support the growth and funding of programs working on the prevention of sexual assault, such as the Violence Against Women Act. The Heritage Foundation in fact opposed the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act). 

They are not acknowledging that both men and women can be survivors, and that both men and women can be perpetrators. Instead, they are picking out just the one type of sexual assault that meets their needs and enforcing silence about all the others. How would they protect boys who shower or toilet with men? Is anyone talking about the needs of women and men whose female relative or babysitter molested them? 

They are not visibly demanding follow-up of the hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits that are gathering dust in evidence rooms nationwide. 

They are not conducting public education campaigns to tell people the facts of who abusers are and how they behave, so that people can start identifying and addressing actual dangerous situations. 

They are not proposing legislation to change statutes of limitations so that adults can prosecute the people who molested them as children, or backing other reforms that might change the fact that 98 percent of rapists never serve a day in jail. 

They are not funding or advertising quality trauma-treatment programs that can help survivors re-integrate into the world without carrying a debilitating fear of half of its inhabitants.

Will North Carolina's homophobia cause history to repeat itself?

Will North Carolina's law force a repeat of 1996's Romer vs. Evans?

Over the weekend, a lot of my friends and Facebook pals noted that the anti-gay law the NC legislature passed looked very familiar. And I think, to a point, they are right.

In 1992 via the same fear tactics that they exploited to pass state laws against marriage equality in the future (i.e. lgbts are boogeymen who want to corrupt society and recruit children) religious right groups convinced Colorado to pass a law similar to that in NC. At that time, it was an amendment to the state's constitution. Amendment 2 prevented any city, town, or county to pass any laws which would protect lgbts from discrimination. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court and in 1996, Amendment 2 was struck down by a vote of 6-3.

According to Lambda Legal:

In declaring Amendment 2 unconstitutional, the Court made clear that antigay sentiment does not justify governmental discrimination and shattered the “special rights” rhetoric of those who oppose equal treatment for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

 . . . This landmark victory was the single most positive Supreme Court ruling in the history of the gay rights movement when it was decided. The Court’s ruling made clear that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals have the same right to seek government protection against discrimination in the United States as any other group of people. The decision also marked a new level of legal respect for LGBT people and rejected the notion that it is legitimate for the government to discriminate against gay people based on moral objections to homosexuality.

Here is something else interesting about the case - The opinion of the court striking down Amendment 2 was written by Justice Kennedy while the dissent was written by . .. the now late Justice Scalia.

So how does North Carolina's HB2 differ from Colorado's Amendment 2 or does it even differ at all? That's for law experts to say and I personally have never studied law. Any legal experts reading this blog is welcomed to weigh in.

This is not to say that we should take for granted the possibility that NC's law will be struck down. Nothing is for sure ever in this world. The lgbt community should keep up the fight against NC's awful anti-gay law. It just worth noting that we've had this particular fight before. And it's also worth noting the sad obsession some folks have with depriving lgbts our equality in that they dig a rotten, unsuccessful idea from the past and go with it without even considering that folks would call them out on it.