'GOP bull@%! reigns even after Orlando' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Congressman Denies Shooting Targeted Gay People Then Blocks Nondiscrimination Amendment - Oh yeah. I got your "moment of silence." Might I give it to you and suggest what you can do with it.

Gay GOProud Founder Chris Barron Launches Loathsome ‘LGBT for Trump’ Campaign - Or why legitimate lgbt activists (and a field marshal like myself)can't get any decent press in the lgbt media. Because folks like this fool sucks up all of the air in the room.  

NY Times Editorial Board Excoriates Republicans’ Anti-Gay Crusades In Wake Of Orlando Shooting - Sock it to them!  

MSNBC's Chris Hayes And Dan Savage Shred Trump's Attempts To Pit The LGBT Community Against Muslims - The lgbt community may be in mourning but we are not stupid or delusional.  

Orlando Shooting Vigil In London Turns Into Epic Vogue Battle - Let's just be truthful. WE RULE:

People asking if I've got more videos of the #SohoVigil vogue battle. Here's one: pic.twitter.com/3yYj9gnf16

— Zing Tsjeng (@misszing) June 14, 2016

Anti-lgbt hate groups Family Research Council, AFA upset at blowback from Orlando tragedy

The Family Research Council  and its president, Tony Perkins, is "ever so pissed" for what it claims is unfair blaming of groups and individuals like itself - folks who hold anti-gay animus - for the Orlando tragedy:

 . . .the Left's Christian blame game goes on. It's the religious right, columnists rant, who created this "toxic climate" with their Kim Davises and H.B. 2s. Citing North Carolina and Mississippi, liberals insist, "The Christian right has introduced 200 anti-LGBT bills in the last six months, and people are [pointing the finger at] Islam for this. No." First of all, people are blaming radical Islam because the shooter did. Secondly, it's a little ridiculous to suggest that disagreements over special rights for people who identify as LGBT are responsible, since even the gunman's ex-wife alleges he was gay. While the investigation is ongoing, the 29-year-old Islamist was reportedly a regular at gay clubs, tried to get romantically involved with a male coworker, and had profiles on several gay dating apps. It's time for liberals to stop tiptoeing around the obvious and embrace what the facts already do: which is that a hateful ideology -- not guns, Christians, or anti-Muslim sentiment -- is to blame.

For once I agree with you, Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, if only partly. A hateful ideology does have a share of  the blame for what happened in Orlando. Yours:

 

One more thing, guys. If you feel that people are unfairly blaming you, perhaps it's best not to give reasons to justify the blaming. Mentioning Kim Davis and the 200 anti-lgbt bills doesn't exactly help your argument.

UPDATE - Now the American Family Association, via its fake news service One News Now, is also complaining about being unfairly blamed for Orlando:
 

'Texas Lt Gov. gives weak defense of anti-lgbt tweet' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick Defends His Tweet - In this long-winded, weak ass explanation, I think Patrick said God directed him to send that awful tweet. I've heard more plausible explanations from men caught by their spouses butt naked and in the bed with farm animals. 

From the Radical Religious Right, An Outpouring of Sympathy That Rings Hollow - Regarding that awful Orlando shooter, it is now being speculated that he himself was gay and his actions were the result of self-hating homophobia. If that is the case, we really need a conversation on anti-lgbt propaganda in America. And not a weak gay vs. Christian narrative which is constantly pushed in our faces. We are not talking religions, but lies and distortions designed to make people fear lgbts and make lgbts hate themselves. 

 Pat Robertson: Gays & Islamists Are Allies So 'Let Them Kill Themselves' - Crap like this for example.  

The Other Group Mourning The Orlando Massacre: LGBT Muslims - We cannot forget this.  

These Are Some Of The Heroes Of The Orlando Shooting - Or this.

Family Research Council wants to ignore culpability in Orlando tragedy

The phrase which best describes the Family Research Council's comments on that awful attack in Orlando is "nauseating chutzpah."

In today's Washington Update, FRC makes sure to blame "radical Islam" for the attack:

It's happened again: American blood spilled on American soil by a radical Islamic gunman in what is the deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11.

The victims, shot down at an Orlando nightclub, were apparently targeted because of their sexual identity. Regardless of our country's profound differences on policies, lifestyles, religious beliefs, or anything else, we must make clear that no American -- not one -- should fear being attacked by a terrorist for any reason. Unfortunately, the attacks on U.S. soil have only grown in this administration's refusal to call them what they are -- Islamic terrorism. The gunman, a homegrown extremist who reportedly pledged his allegiance to ISIS before his bloody rampage, left little doubt about his motivation -- a motivation the president still refuses to confront. Almost eight years into his now fatal agenda of political correctness, President Obama couldn't even bring himself to say the words "radical Islam" in the speech following the attack. It was a stunning omission, one that left viewers' mouths ajar. Donald Trump, who is both revered and reviled for his tough talk on Muslims, argued the president should resign in disgrace. "People cannot... believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can't even mention the words 'radical Islamic terrorism.' There's something going on. It's inconceivable. There's something going on."

According to President Obama, there is no evidence that this awful man (whose name I refuse to address) was directed by a larger terrorist network. If anything, it looks like he was a "lone wolf" who was influenced by material over the internet.

But that's not the point of this post. The point is that days before the tragedy, FRC's Washington Update was  attacking Target for its trans-inclusive policy:

Target's slogan is "Expect more." And when it comes to safety, customers do. That's why Americans are so upset with the company's outrageous April policy that threw open the changing room and bathroom doors to anyone of either sex. Almost immediately, angry calls started streaming in to stores, eventually ballooning into a nationwide protest of more than 1.3 million people. If other CEOs were considering similar changes, they saw the heat Target was taking and backed off. Now, almost two months into their transgender free-for-all, the outcry shows no signs of dying down. At yesterday's Target shareholders meeting in Costa Mesa, protestors filled the streets outside with signs to boycott the store. "We're not afraid of transgender people," one of the demonstrators explained. "I've got nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and I'm worried that perverts will pretend to be women so they can get into women's restrooms." 

Of course there has been no proof that Target's trans-inclusive policy has opened the door to men attacking little girls in the ladies room, but FRC won't talk about that. Nor will it mention the simple fact that the bathroom predator talking point is an ugly myth designed to denigrate the transgender community, no matter the explanation folks try to trot out while pushing it.

Fall out from Orlando - sadness, ignorance, but in the end, love always rules

Orlando’s LGBT community comes together to grieve - We are all grieving with you, my friends and family. 

What We Know About The Orlando Shooting Victims - Never forget. I won't.  

Defeating ISIS Would Not Prevent Violence Against LGBT People - In THIS country, there is awful rhetoric against my lgbt brothers and sisters. We can't let it pass. No one can.  

Anti-LGBT Pastor Steven Anderson Applauds Orlando Massacre: 'There's Fifty Less Pedophiles In The World' - Like this. And this is an overt example. There are so many covert examples, i.e. "morality" groups working steadily to deny lgbts our equality and rights. Relying on fear tactics of "recruitment" and "bathroom predators" to gain their ends. Lies in the name of God are still lies. 

Finally, last night at the Tony Awards, Lin Manuel Miranda read a powerful sonnet he wrote for Orlando while accepting his award for Best Score for Hamilton: 

Orlando, My GOD, Orlando

Whenever the lgbt community would have a legislative setback or lose a marriage equality referendum, I would always play the tough guy. "Mourn now if you must, but get off your ass and prepare for round two," I'd say.

I can't say something like that now. Ever since yesterday, I've been moving slow. My spirit has been in disarray.  I've been walking around in a slight mental haze, unable to say or do anything to put myself on the road to mental recovery surrounding the events in Orlando.

There will be a myriad of rationalizations and issues raised regarding the night evil decided to take form of a madman and blanket The Pulse in the putrid cloak of death and insanity.

I've railed for almost 10 years against anti-lgbt propaganda, exposed the lies of false morality groups, and complained about how enough attention wasn't be paid to how this rhetoric dehumanizes our community, and especially our children.

One could argue one of the reasons why the shooting in Orlando happened was because of this rhetoric.

To me, that's like constantly warning people that the monsters are coming. And now that they are here, I can't be a bad ass. I can't wag my finger and say "see I told you so."

I can only mourn at their arrival.

The lgbt community will overcome this madness. We won't let it destroy us. We've lived through the rhetoric and violence propagated by countless people throughout history who sought to either cage and annihilate us. We've have lived and continue to live through the crisis of an awful disease and the deliberate ignorance of bureaucrats who watched that disease ravage our community.

We will get through this insanity, this attack on our safe spaces and the places where we gather away from the ignorance of some in the world.

But damn, it doesn't mean it gets easier .

Houston anti-lgbt group launch vile national ad campaign against Target, transgender community

It is always my hope that readers will feel that my posts are significant enough to share amongst their friends and the community at large. From time to time, I even will implore readers to  share certain posts which I feel are vitally important to the mission of this blog.

This is one of those times.

Yesterday, I published a post with the video below about how Anita Bryant was the first to demonstrate the power of anti-lgbt propaganda and stereotypes in legislative fights over lgbt equality:




That fact and the video in question is highly important because of the following video.

According to The New Civil Rights Movement:

A Houston-based anti-LGBT hate group has launched a national ad campaign against retailer Target featuring a remake of the disgusting TV spot that effectively deceived voters into repealing the city's Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) last November.
  
Steve Hotze and Jared Woodfill, both key players in the anti-HERO "Campaign for Houston," say they plan to spend $2 million on their "Campaign for USA," which calls for people to boycott Target over its policy, announced in April, allowing trans people to use restrooms and dressing rooms according to their gender identity in its stores.

Here's the new ad, which ignores that existing laws already outlaw predatory behavior:

This ad, like the ads above with Anita Bryant, are filthy lies which exploits two things - people's personal beliefs and/or ignorance about the lgbt community and the fear of every parent that their children will be put into danger.

They are  "headless monsters, i.e. negative beliefs which have been refuted continuously but remain powerful because their defenders continue to prop them up by claiming that they are true.

"Headless monsters"  pushed against the gay community are no different than those pushed against African-Americans by white supremacists groups or accusations lodged against the Jewish community by anti-Semitic groups. They are all preconceived notions rooted in fear and lies. The only difference being that anti-gay propaganda is sometimes mistaken as “personal deeply held religious beliefs” and expressions of the Christian faith.  And they are highly successful tools in turning people against lgbt equality and will continue to be successful until our community confronts them aggressively and BEFORE we are put into a situation where we are put on the defensive and having to play catch up.

It's a shame that we hae the same lies in 2016 that we've had to battle in 1978.  Perhaps it's time that we not only go after the lies but publicly call out the motivations of the so-called moral people pushing these lies.

Let's start putting THEM on the defensive for a welcomed change.

Related posts:

A Comprehensive Guide To The Debunked “Bathroom Predator” Myth - Everything you need to know about the "bathroom predator" lie pushed by "Campaign for USA."

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - a 16 page, graphics-intensive look at how religious right and anti-lgbt groups use lies, junk science, and cherry-picked science to demonize the lgbt community.