Evangelical right gather to sing Trump's praises & surrender last of their integrity

Those who follow this blog know how much I am not a fan of the evangelical/religious/anti-LGBTQ right. The purpose of this blog from day one has been to expose how they smear my community via junk science and out-and-out lies. Also it has been my mission to expose just phony and unapologetically craven these groups and personalities are.

A wise man once said the best way to defeat your enemies is to give them what they want. When you do that, they generally rip off their masks to show the face that you've been telling everyone they have. That's the only way I can suitably explain the tweet below via White House reporter from Bloomberg, Jennifer Jacobs.

One would think that with all of the lies, malfeasance, incompetence, and investigations surrounding the Trump Administration, conservative evangelical leaders, who are so quick to complain about how the country's off-track and needs to 'back to God," would be the first in line to decry the madness.

Not so much when Trump is giving them influence and practically hand delivering them goody and goody.

Just disgusting, as the following demonstrates:

Gay characters on the Disney channel spotlight a plain reality

As you all know, a while back some people got angry at the Disney channel because a featured show, Andi Mack, recently had a coming out storyline. If you really want to get these folks' blood pressure running, show the above video. Apparently the Disney channel has a good history of showing the reality of the gay community. 

'Religious leaders speak against exploiting 'religious liberty' to create discrimination' & other Mon midday news briefs

Supreme Court’s Wedding Cake Case Isn’t About Faith, Religious Leaders Warn - So true. Regardless of this case turns out - and I hope it's a victory - I am very encouraged how people are speaking out and directing attention to the complexities of religion when it comes to the LGBTQ community and discrimination. And I am especially encouraged to see the spotlight on other religious leaders. Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, the Family Research Council, and the rest of that nauseating bunch have dominated the argument over religion and the LGBTQ community long enough. No one group or facet, no matter how many times you see them on television, no matter how much money or false influence they have, no matter luring their deceptive argument may be, owns the patent on faith, religion, morality, or God.

Sinclair is forcing local news stations across the country to air multiple false attacks on the Southern Poverty Law Center - Sinclair makes Fox News look like angels of truth. And the network, aside from forcing local stations to air biased, pro-Trump propaganda, is attacking the SPLC for its hate group designations.

Bermuda is set to be the first country to end marriage equality - A minor change to the law but should serve as a warning about complacency for folks here. DO NOT assume that the religious right isn't planning to take away what we fought for and earned.

A White Supremacist Group Posted Racist and Homophobic Fliers Around a Dallas University - It really doesn't matter if one can or can't compare the LGBTQ equality movement to the African-American civil rights movement because both groups tend to have the same enemies and had better get on the ball to acknowledge this.

British pastors, MPs want Franklin Graham banned from entering England

His vocal support of Putin's crackdown on gays in Russia, which led to widespread anti-gay violence (first picture), is one of the reasons why some British pastors and MPs don't want Franklin Graham (second picture) to visit England in 2018.

Islamophobic comments and vocal support of Putin's persecution of the Russian gay community is now causing American pastor Franklin Graham much trouble. British pastors and politicians are undertaking an effort to keep him out of England.

From the Huffington Post:

Several British pastors and politicians are voicing concerns about a controversial American evangelist’s plans to preach in the U.K. next year. 

Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical pastor who has made blatantly homophobic and Islamophobic statements in the past, is scheduled to headline the Lancashire Festival of Hope in Blackpool in September 2018. Graham’s three-day event — similar to the “crusades” once led by his famous father, Billy Graham — is reportedly taking place with the blessing of more than 300 church leaders and members in England.

But not all residents of the area are enthused about Graham coming to town. Some have urged the U.K.’s home secretary Amber Rudd to ban the preacher from entering the country altogether, the Guardian reports.

Nina Parker, the pastor of a church in Blackpool, told HuffPost in an email that she’s worried that Graham’s visit could embolden those who are prejudiced toward Muslims and queer people to express that hate.

In addition, according to the Huffington Post, Parker is involved with an online petition asking the home secretary to keep Graham away from England. Presently, the petition has over 6,000 signatures.

The Guardian also reports:

 Paul Maynard, a minister at the Department of Transport and a Blackpool MP, has written to Amber Rudd urging caution over Graham’s visit to the UK. 

Gordon Marsden, another Blackpool MP who has called on the home secretary to consider refusing Graham entry, said the evangelist may have broken UK legislation on hate speech. 

“I think frankly the evidence is piling up that his visit to the UK … would not be a good thing and not probably in my view a very Christian thing.” Graham’s statements were “incompatible with what Jesus said in the Bible”, he told BBC Radio Lancashire. 

Afzal Khan, the Labour MP for Manchester Gorton, said he was concerned about the prospect of Graham sowing division in the UK. “His views are not welcome, and I will make representation to the home secretary if it looks like he is intent on coming,” he told the Guardian.

Both The Guardian and Hufffington Post list past comments by Graham which are the basis for the concern over his visit.

The Guardian:

The evangelist, who backed Donald Trump in last year’s US presidential election, has described Islam as “an evil and very wicked religion” and has equated the actions of extremist groups such as Isis with the faith. He claimed that Barack Obama was “born a Muslim” and had allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the US government at the highest levels during his presidency. He also said the Obama administration was pushing “a gay and lesbian agenda”, and he has spoken out against LGBT rights, saying Satan is behind same-sex marriage.

The Huffington Post:

Graham proposed a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. in July 2015, months before Trump did the same. Graham has also suggested that allowing LGBTQ people into churches or Christian homes is allowing the “enemy,” or Satan, to “devour our homes.” Graham praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 for protecting Russian children from the “damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.”

Photo of anti-gay violence in Russia taken from MotherJones.

Related post:

Franklin Graham Endorses Vladimir Putin’s Anti-Gay Crackdown

'By encouraging trans activist, Obama upstages Trump yet again' & other Fri midday news briefs

Obama

Barack Obama gave an inspiring reply to this transgender activist’s question - Even when he is as far away as India, Barack Obama reminds us AGAIN why he is a better president in his sleep than Donald Trump could ever be. And I'm not posting this just for folks to bellyache about how they miss Obama. Obama is not in the White House anymore, but we should still be inspired by his words and candor. We are still citizens of this country and we still have the power and means to fight. And that doesn't mean with desperation.

Anti-LGBTQ hate group fundraises for its UN work with swastika over a rainbow flag - Tacky, but not surprising from C-Fam 

Yesterday The Supreme Court Jolted LGBTQ People With A Frightening Reality - Even though I am hope that even if the baker wins the recently heard SCOTUS case, it won't be as far-reaching as feared to be, this piece my Michelangelo Signorile outlines the fears long after the case came to court. We need to stop being so quick to celebrate victories that we forget how they can come with caveats. This is a war over LGBTQ equality and every battle always leads to a new one. 

Trump seeks emergency court action to block transgender people from joining the military - Good luck with THAT one, fool!

America Needs Another 21,307 LGBT Elected Officials to Achieve True Equality - We only have 448 elected officials in this country. More is always better. It's a step towards success. Encouraging good LGBTQs to run for public office, then helping them to win.

Religious right Congressional ally Trent Franks resigns because of talk of surrogate motherhood

Trent Franks

On the same day that Democratic Senator Al Franken resigned over charges of sexual harassment (and I am so not happy about the entire situation),  the religious right and the GOP are now seeing an equal resignation:

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) announced Thursday he is resigning from Congress next year. Several news outlets reported Franks’ impending departure from the House earlier Thursday. In a statement, Franks said the House Ethics Committee is investigating his “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates, making each feel uncomfortable.” “I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress,” he said. “In the midst of this current cultural and media climate, I am deeply convinced I would be unable to complete a fair House Ethics investigation before distorted and sensationalized versions of this story would put me, my family, my staff, and my noble colleagues in the House of Representatives through hyperbolized public excoriation.” Franks said he has informed House leadership he will resign effective Jan. 31. In a separate statement, the House Ethics Committee announced it will investigate Franks to determine whether he “engaged in conduct that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment.”

. . . The eight-term congressman is a social conservative and one of the most aggressive anti-abortion legislators in Congress. He has led the charge, year after year, to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy nationwide and to limit abortion in the District of Columbia. Residents of D.C. protested his efforts in 2012 by lining up outside the Arizona congressman’s office with plastic rats and photos of pot holes, suggesting that he try to fix more pressing problems in the city than women having abortions.

According to Franks's statement, the situation seems to have stemmed from him asking two female aides to be surrogates for him and his wife:

'Anderson Cooper uses the power of 'shade' during wild interview with Roy Moore's spokesperson' & other Thur midday news briefs

Watch Anderson Cooper challenge Roy Moore's spokesperson to defend his past comments about "radical homosexuals," 9/11, and Obama birtherism - It's the interview just about everyone on twitter, etc. has been talking about. Janet Porter, the extreme right-wing spokeswoman of even more extreme right-wing GOP Senate candidate from AL, Roy Moore is interviewed by Anderson Cooper and frankly there should have been admission charged. Cooper, remaining calm throughout the interview and apparently borrowing extra powers to throw shade from the rest of us gay men,  basically annihilated Porter. He peppered her with questions regarding Moore's outrageous past comments and positions, leaving her befuddled and practically speechless many times. Let me put it this way - when a charge that transgender girls are carrying camera phones in locker room showers seems to the least memorable part of an interview, we are in pretty wild territory. 

My favorite part:

Porter: "May I finish . . " 

Cooper: "No." 


Marriage equality law passes Australia's parliament in landslide vote - By the way, THIS happened. Isn't it awesome! 

Gays, pedophiles, Nazis, and the Alliance Defending Freedom - My post from last night because as of this week, I have a special hatred of the anti-LGBTQ hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom and I intend to throw the truth out about this lying, bigoted group every chance I get. Every. Chance. I. Get.

Voucher Schools Championed By Betsy DeVos Can Teach Whatever They Want. Turns Out They Teach Lies. - This affects us too. You can just imagine what these "schools" are teaching about the LGBTQ community.