'CNN's Rick Santorum throws fit over gay cupcakes, gets schooled' & other Wed midday news briefs

Rick Santorum has a freak out about gay equality, gets schooled. 

CNN’s Rick Santorum throws a fit over gay cupcakes and gets smacked down by Jeffrey Toobin - What happens when homophobic Rick Santorum gets hit with calm facts. And yes, I know. But I ain't googling "Santorum."

John McCain will be replaced with a former Republican senator who rabidly opposes LGBTQ rights - Shit. Bring it on!!!! 

The Delaware Senate primary could be the biggest get for progressives this primary season - No one is making as much hay about this sort of thing than they did when that astroturfed tea party bullshit, but when an LGBTQ woman of color of pulling an upset in a Senate primary, it's a pretty big deal. 

 This Gorgeous Portrait Series Celebrates Older Trans And Gender-Nonconforming People - This is wonderful! I love this! 

Cancer Network Wins $2.5M for Tobacco-Related LGBTQ Cancer Research - Research is always good.

The Family Research Council forgets its homophobic smear campaign against Obama SCOTUS pick & how it encouraged GOP obstruction

The Family Research Council practices selective outrage at Brett Kavanaugh's hearing.

So today, after a very vibrant hearing of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Family Research Council head Tony Perkins issued a press release blasting Democrats for supposedly impeding the process selecting a SCOTUS judge:

Kavanaugh Hearing Offers a Snapshot of Where the Left Wants to Take America, says Family Research Council 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement in response to this morning’s U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh: “This hearing is a snapshot of where America is and where we will head if the Left has the reins of government. The idea that this is about reviewing millions of pages of documents is laughable. 

Remember, this is the party of Nancy Pelosi who said of the most expansive piece of government policy, Obamacare, that they would have to pass the 2,300 page bill and then read it. The audience outbursts and the obstruction by the Democrats was reportedly coordinated in a conference call yesterday. 

 “This really validates what President Trump told evangelical leaders last week. The Left will stop at nothing as evidenced by the violence of Antifa. The unhinged conduct of the Left should make it crystal clear what is not only at stake in the balance of the Court, but the future of our country. “America is at such a critical stage that for Christians or conservatives to step back for just one moment could result in the loss of not just the fundamental freedoms reestablished in the last two years, but the loss of the Republic as we have known it,” concluded Perkins.

It's amusing of the Family Research Council to cry foul over how the Democrats are merely demanding an open and full vetting on Kavanaugh's record.

'Rainbow Wave could help sweep midterms' & other Tue midday news briefs

Rise Of LGBTQ Candidates Could Usher In A 'Rainbow Wave' In 2018 - I put something like this out in August and as we get closer to the midterms, it's looking more like a reality. This a good thing and may it continue regardless of how 2018 turns out. It is a perfect example of the direction the LGBTQ community should go to attain our equality and self-determination. When those with legislative power are swayed by homophobes to vote against your very survival, you BECOME some of the ones with legislative power. It can be done. And don't give me that crap about not being a "single issue voter." When the single issue is whether your marriage is safe, your loved ones are protected, or you are able to engage in the normal processes of humanity, such as raising children, that "single issue" encompasses a huge amount of sub-issues.

She could be the first trans woman in the U.S. Congress. So we talked to her. - Her name is Alexandra Chandler and I hope she wins.

Couple Paint Home In Pride Flag Colors After Neighbors Allegedly Use Homophobic Slurs - Good for them! Two snaps up in a zee formation! 

People noticed that anti-trans junk science is, in fact, junk. Conservatives aren’t taking it well. - On nearing the 12th anniversary of the blog, this warms my heart. More folks are recognizing anti-trans bullshit as anti-trans bullshit. 

Vatican admits Pope lied about meeting anti-gay clerk Kim Davis. He knew who she was. - I haven't this surprised since the late Jim Nabors came out.


Image taken from Nevada Impact.

12 years & six million hits later, anti-LGBTQ propaganda must always be refuted

This month will mark the 12th anniversary of my blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters. Also, even as I read this, it will also have reached it's six millionth hit.

But a twitter argument I had this morning about the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal punctuates just why my blog exists and why entities like it continue to be needed:

It was nothing really. Just a child who got angry when his bad information was refuted. But it definitely brings up a point. The LGBTQ community must continue to fight lies and smears generated to dehumanize us.  We must always be vigilant. We can refute them constantly, beat them down, and render them to be basic lies. However as long as someone has a use for them, they will be brought up again.

Whether it be to explain away basic faults in their religious beliefs, or expedient excuses created by fake experts in overpaid think tanks, people labeling us as freaks or dangers to public health and children will always be useful for their selfish and cold agendas. Particularly when one takes into account the moments when the people and groups doing the smears are close to the thrones of power (such as now with Trump in office.)

So don't give up. Don't give in. Never surrender your rights or destiny. I certainly don't intend to.

And above all, fight like hell. With dignity, truth, and a finality of royalty laying the smack down.

Now that I intend to do. For as long as I can:

Supreme Court declines to hear case of anti-LGBTQ Catholic foster care agency

The Supreme Court just sent a Catholic agency in Philadelphia a message about its desire to have access to tax dollars while discriminating against gay taxpayers.

Nope, Uh uh. Forget it. It ain't gonna happen.

From Reuters:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to force the City of Philadelphia to resume the placement of children in need of foster care with a Catholic agency that refuses to accept gay couples as foster parents. In a decision that Catholic Social Services had said would force its foster care program to close, the justices refused the religious agency's request for an injunction compelling the city to allow it to place children in foster homes while litigation over the dispute continues in lower courts.  

 A spokeswoman for the agency could not immediately be reached for comment.
 In the brief order that did not include any reasoning for the decision, three conservative members of the court, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, said they would have granted the agency's request. Five of the nine Supreme Court justices are needed to grant an injunction, but the court is currently one member short since Justice Anthony Kennedy retired at the end of July. The court is split 4-4 between liberal and conservative justices. President Donald Trump has nominated conservative federal appeals court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Kennedy.

Conservative and religious right groups have been steadily attempting to justify why religious foster care and adoption agencies should be allow to discriminate against gays and still have access to tax dollars.  They've emphasized how supposedly children are best served by allowing this to happen. And they've implied that gay are being selfish for wanting to be treated fairly.

But one thing they couldn't do is make the argument as to how it is fair for gay tax dollars to go to entities which discriminate against gays. And that has been their Achilles heel.

Still, as ThinkProgress points out, the fact that three SCOTUS judges were willing to hear this case isn't necessarily a good thing.

Related posts:

Philly stops two agencies from placing foster children because they discriminate against gays

Philly Christian foster care agency agrees to work with gay couples, city stops suspension of its contract 

Federal judge sides with Philadelphia against anti-gay adoption agency

' Is Mike Pence hoping for Trump's collapse' & other Thur midday news briefs

According to a new book, VP Mike Pence thinks God is calling him to be president. Naturally that means hell for the LGBTQ community.

Biographer: Pence thinks God ‘calling him’ to be president- A reminder to those who want the smash and bang approach of impeachment to remove Trump from office. If you don't think Mike Pence isn't waiting for this to happen in wanton anticipation, think again. And what Trump has done to the LGBTQ community is nothing compared to what Pence probably has planned. We have to remember that Trump's removal from office is only part of the solution, particularly for the LGBTQ community.  

Simply a reminder:

Mike Pence’s top seven most homophobic moments (out of many)

A Timeline of Mike Pence’s Discrimination Against the LGBT Community 

Here's What Mike Pence Said on LGBT Issues Over the Years

Illinois Woman Claims She Was Assaulted Inside Retirement Home For Being Gay - Posting on this again because we need to protect all of our people who most vulnerable to homophobic ignorance. If someone has pushed over or spit on this woman in my presence, I would have gotten highly ugly.

Christian Theologian Warns Evangelicals: Trump Will Turn On You ‘In A Moment’ - And I am waiting on that day.

After cheering obstruction of Obama's judicial picks, Heritage Foundation whines about process being 'blood sport'

The right is simply chomping at the bit when thinking about what mayhem they can cause should Trump nominee Brettt Kavanaugh get appointed to SCOTUS.

And yes that includes the damage he could possibly do to LGBTQ equality. A group of progressive and LGBTQ groups have united to stand against Kavanaugh. And the Democrats have raised the alarm that much information regarding Kavanaugh is being kept from them.

Sensing panic, many right-wing and evangelical groups are whining that the Democrats are being needless obstructionists against Kavanaugh. One group in general is the *anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation. The organization sent out the following tweet:

With all due respect, the Heritage Foundation is full of shit. The organization seems to forget its behavior when Senate Republicans blocked Merrick Garland, Obama's pick for SCOTUS and other judges Obama wanted to appoint. Allow me to throw out some reminders via commentaries published on the Heritage Foundation's webpage:

Why Republicans Should Not Fold On Garland's Nomination

Behold the Left's Manufactured Hysteria About GOP Obstruction of Judicial Nominees

No More Obama Judges

In other words, after being the "Amen Corner" for GOP obstruction of Obama's Supreme Court pick and justices in general, the Heritage Foundation thinks it can pull the wool over everyone's eyes with the fake call for civility.

Who does that organization think it's kidding?

The Heritage Foundation could care less about wanting a fair process or fair judges. The organization simply wants judges it knows will rule in its favor even before cases come to court. The Heritage Foundation and the conservative right - especially the anti-LGBTQ right - have no justifiable arguments so they work on "gaming the referees." And unfortunately, they have been very successful thus far.


* The Heritage Foundation also employs anti-LGBTQ spokesperson and all-around charlatan Ryan T. Anderson. It also once employ Roger Severino, Trump's present Director of Office of Civil Rights (at Dept. of HHS). While with the Heritage Foundation, Severino had a long history of opposing LGBTQ equality, even defending the discredited "ex-gay" therapy.