Using religious liberty as a weapon for homophobia

Peter Montgomery,  a senior fellow at  People for the American Way, recently came out with a column dissecting how the anti-lgbt right uses the argument of religious liberty as a weapon against our community.

It should be required reading.

Here is an excerpt:

For the second year in a row, more than 100 pieces of anti-LGBT legislation were introduced in state legislatures during the first few months of the year, many of them promoted as measures to protect religious liberty. How did something as fundamentally American as religious freedom become a culture war weapon against LGBT people and their families?

The religious right has a long history of equating criticism with persecution, and portraying political losses and legal defeats as attacks on faith and freedom. Its followers have been told for years that feminists, liberals, and gays are out to silence people of faith, and even to criminalize Christianity.

There’s a sinister logic to the strategy: It is easier to convince fair-minded people to support discrimination against their gay neighbors if you first convince them that the gay rights movement is out to destroy their churches and families.

Read more of The Weaponization of Religious Liberty

'Trump starting to play 'kissy face' with anti-lgbt activists

Donald Trump Cozies Up To Anti-LGBT Activists - And here we go . . .

 Here’s how Trump could undermine LGBT rights - It's a plausible scenario. The only thing for sure is that nothing is for sure.

 Charles Barkley: 'We Need to Move the All-Star Game' Because of HB2 - Probably won't happen for now but let's keep up the pressure.

U.S. Saves Gay Man From Being Killed By His Anti-Gay Terrorist Family - The struggle and dangers are universal.

 James Dobson: Trans-Inclusive Bathroom Policies Violate Levitical Prohibition On Prostituting Your Daughter - Say what . . .

TBT - Anita Bryant rails against gays in 1978

For those too young to remember and the rest of us too old to forget, former beauty queen Anita Bryant was the first to demonstrate the power of anti-lgbt propaganda and stereotypes in legislative fights over lgbt equality. It wasn't just Dade County in Florida where she did this. Bryant undertook a nationwide campaign which saw some success before it eventually collapsed on her. Check out the above clips and note the language and semantics she and her supporters use. See how similar it is to the anti-lgbt propaganda being used now, particularly the invectives thrown against the transgender community.

'Interracial couple opposes marriage equality because of 'lust,' 'demons,' & 'dirty laundry'' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Editor's note - I would be remiss if I didn't issue a congratulations to Hillary Clinton for wrapping up the Democratic nomination for President. She becomes the first woman to do this and hopefully will be the first woman to become president. I have deliberately not weighed in on the primary between she and Sanders on this blog because the nature of some folks. However, I will say that this blog tries to concentrate solely on the needs of the lgbt community and anti-propaganda. Therefore, I would ask folks to remember what we as lgbts have gained. It is neither wrong nor selfish to do so. Freedoms won can be easily taken away without diligence on all fronts. That is all.




I'm posting this because it's funny and - in it's own way - a perfect example what I just said above. 

From Right Wing Watch:

 Ruth Bryant White, a fringe presidential candidate in 2008, and her husband Steve told (Gordon)Klingenschmitt that gay relationships are not legitimate because they are based on lust and violate the laws of God. Same-sex relationships, Ruth White said, are nothing like interracial relationships because "when you're dealing with someone of the same sex ... they're bringing their dirty laundry and bedroom stuff to the people and it is not a civil right." After she asserted that "God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the homosexuality" and that the Bible says that gays are consumed by "the lusts of the flesh," Klingenschmitt declared that the difference between gay marriage and interracial marriages like the Whites' is that "homosexuality is based on lust, which God forbids as a sin, but your marriage is based on love, which God commands between one man and one woman." "They're using it, saying that homosexuality is a civil right," Ruth White declared. "There is nothing civil about it in any way shape, form or fashion. And even if it was a civil right, God's word take precedence over anything that man's law can do ... Now we've got Christians who were living a straight life now that are going back into the homosexual lifestyle. That's a lust, that's a demon ... They put that over God and His word? And they're will to burn for eternity for that?"  

In other news:
 

Fox Doctor Keith Ablow Attacks Transgender Teen As "A Very Big Threat To Our Culture" - Fox News is filled with scumbags who won't stop picking on transgender children.  

AIDS at 35: Surprising Life Lessons From Living With HIV - Wonderful post!  

U.S. embassies, consulates acknowledge Pride month - Deal with it, folks. It's not being ugly to say that. We are people who will have our lives and contributions celebrated, just like every other respectable group.

Colbert destroys Louie Gohmert over 'no gays in space' speech

Recently, Congressman Louie Gohmert made a ridiculously rambling speech on the floor of Congress which climaxed with some odd idea of not allowing gay colonies in space:

The speech alone is comedy gold. But leave it to Stephen Colbert of The Late Show to rub in the idiocy of Gohmert's line of thinking:

Members of evangelical right conveniently silent about Trump's racist comments

One would think that with all of the Republican infighting about Donald Trump and his racist comments about a federal judge, members of the religious right would weigh in.

So far, there has been nothing but silence and stereotypical wolf howls emanating from that side.

On the pages of the American Family Association's One News Now - nothing

The Family Research Council - nothing, although the organization has been steadily tweeting not nice comments and biased articles about President Obama and the transgender community.

Phony historian David Barton, who before the racial kerfluffle about judges, said that evangelicals must vote for Trump, has been silent.

Franklin Graham, who never lets a public occasion pass without issuing some type of statement, because he seems to think he is "America's pastor," did issue a statement on his Facebook page. But it's more about the election in general:

It seems congratulations are in order to Hillary Clinton this morning. According to the Associated Press, she now has enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination, even though Bernie Sanders disagrees and pledges to fight on. As things stand right now, it looks like the presidential election this fall will be between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump. As I’ve said since the beginning of the election season, I’m not endorsing any candidates—but I am appealing to all Americans to pray. This nation is in serious trouble. Both the Democratic and the Republican parties have lost the moral vision for this nation. I pray that God will give us a president who is a strong and courageous leader and who has a vision for the future. We need a president who can lead this nation back to being one nation under God so that we can truly say “In God we trust!” May God bless America again!

Seriously, Mr. Franklin. After all of the nonsense you have said about lgbts and President Obama, after all of the long statements on Facebook implying how lgbts are leading America to moral decay, this is the best you can do? Really?

Seeing that Trump is set to meet with various religious right leaders sometime this month (including  Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, James Dobson, E.W Jackson, Harry Jackson, Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association, Ralph Reed,  and Pat Robertson), it may seem like good strategy for these folks to keep their mouths shut and hope that this latest mess regarding Trump blows over.

It may be good strategy but it doesn't strike me as moral or Christian.

 In times like these, genuine religious leaders need to be our moral conscience and speak out against needless attacks on federal officials and the outright demagoguery which Trump is displaying.

Of course, in the defense of the religious right, you cannot speak out against demagoguery if it is the quality which has propelled you to the high profile status you now enjoy. And  you can't show moral authority to call out racism when you are busy attempting court the favor of the one who is responsible for it whilst playing as kingmakers and power brokers? 

It's so much easier and less complicated to beat up on lgbts, isn't it? 

UPDATE - Probably to the surprise of no one, Bryan Fischer, affiliated with the American Family Association, is defending Trump's comments:

"The real question is not whether Donald Trump is a racist," Fischer said, "but whether the judge who's handling his case is and I think it's legitimate for Donald Trump to have questions about that. I'm not saying the judge is a racist either; I don't know enough to know, but I think there are legitimate questions about his ability to be impartial, objective and neutral."  

'Congressman tried to bring bathroom discrimination to Congressional restrooms' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Rep. Steve King

Congressman Tries To Bring Bathroom Discrimination To Congress’ Own Restrooms - Granted this is the same guy, Steve King, who once said that if gays were more quiet, we wouldn't have to worry about getting fired. 

NOM's Brian Brown: Obama Pushing 'Insane' Policies Because He Thinks He's A God - That's insane and WINNING policies, my friend.  

This Queer Fairytale Is Helping Kids Understand The True Meaning Of Love - After reading about Rapunzel getting pregnant, Red Riding Hood being eaten by a wolf, and Snow White living in a forest with seven guys she just met, I fail to see the problem with this.  

Ministers latest to challenge Mississippi ‘religious freedom’ law - Yet again MORE PROOF (and I've pointed out so much of it) that the media is allowing folks like Franklin Graham and groups like the Family Research Council to bogart discussions of religion and the lgbt orientation.  

Nigeria’s Anti-LGBT Law Could Be Revisited, Says The Former President Who Signed It - How about being eliminated rather than simply being revisited.