'Judicial loophole gives anti-LGBTQ activist $1.2 million payday' & other Thur midday news briefs

Kelvin Cochran will receive a huge settlement from the city of Atlanta even though he lost his case.

He was fired for spreading antigay hate. His former boss just gave him a $1.2 million payday. - One of the religious right's "religious liberty martyr,"  former Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran, just got a fat settlement, but not because he won a court case. He didn't.

(Cochran) sued the city and lost his case last year, when the judge found that the city had not discriminated against him because he’s a Christian and had ample reason to fire him. But the judge’s ruling left open the possibility for further litigation when it comes to the city’s pre-clearance policy, which was mentioned in Cochran’s termination letter. The policy requires that city employees get clearance for outside-of-work speech like publishing books, which the judge said may be unconstitutional. It was this possible litigation that the Atlanta City Council decided to avoid with the settlement. 

In other words, because Cochran had the backing of a religious right legal group (the Alliance Defending Freedom) which could constantly keep the case in the courts and not cost him a penny, the city thought it was best to settle. It's not a loss for Atlanta, but simply a way to spray down a bug. 

Six ways to avoid being a 'slacktivist' on Spirit Day - It's Spirit Day! Stand up for our kids!  

Laverne Cox Describes Survivor’s Guilt She Experiences As A Black Trans Woman - A wonderful interview with a wonderful, trendsetting woman. 

 GOP lawmakers’ scores plummet on LGBTQ congressional scorecard - I haven't been THIS surprised since Leslie Jordan's character came out to Karen on 'Will and Grace.'

Anti-LGBTQ groups filing lawsuits hoping to take advantage of Kavanaugh being confirmed to SCOTUS

Kavanaugh

From Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade comes the news that the anti-LGBTQ industry is too hungry for court victories to even care about style points.  To say that they are happy that Kavanaugh is on SCOTUS seems to be an understatement:

Precisely on cue with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, anti-LGBT groups have filed lawsuits challenging LGBT rights that may in the near future serve to test the new justice on his position on the issue.

The complaints — two filed in federal court, one filed in state court — were filed in Texas and seek to challenge the City of Austin’s LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. agency charged with federal employment civil rights law, over its interpretation of Title VII to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in the workforce.

 . . . .Conspicuously, the two federal lawsuits were filed on Oct. 6, the exact date Kavanaugh was confirmed as a U.S. associate justice to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh won’t have a chance to act on the newly filed lawsuits anytime soon, but they will likely percolate through the courts, giving anti-LGBT groups the opportunity to file petitions for review.

The newly confirmed justice, chosen by President Trump from a list of potential nominees backed by the Federalist Society and the anti-LGBT Heritage Foundation, could be the fifth and deciding vote on whether to preserve LGBT rights if the petitions in the federal cases come before the Supreme Court. (The lawsuit in state court raising state claims will be left to Texas state court. Kavanaugh or the Supreme Court wouldn’t be asked to review the decisons.)

Now before you begin wringing your hands and spewing portents of doom, I suggest you do two things:

1. Read the article in its entirety.

2. Do not freak out and keep in mind that while it is (FINALLY) obvious to most that the right has a problem with defending their arguments in court and thereby have to create a rigged judiciary, that doesn't mean they are going to defeat us.  Their abandoning all pretenses of the morality and fairness will hurt them in the eyes of the public as long as we make an effort to point it out.

C-SPAN caller 'reads' conservative evangelical leader Tony Perkins for being a 'worshipper of Donald Trump'

For all of his whining about how opponents of him and his group won't debate, Family Research Council head Tony Perkins likes to insulate himself from having an actual debate. He tends to go on Fox News where he is pretty much pandered to. That's why what happened Tuesday on C-SPAN was a joy to watch. A caller confronts and "reads" Perkins to filth on how he and the evangelical right have perverted religion and sold out to Trump. Notice how Perkins sidesteps the caller's words in his answer:

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'Randy Rainbow wrecks Melania Trump's 'Be Best' nonsense & other Tue midday news briefs

Pay attention to Randy Rainbow, brothers and sisters. He is using his queeny cattiness for good. Study and practice it like Green Lantern learned to use his power ring.

FRC attacks the SPLC - Reveals why it is considered a hate group - The Family Research Council accuses the Southern Poverty Law Center of attacking "Christian" parents. Yet another lie from the hate group.

Trump broke all of the promises he made to the LGBTQ community, but the media doesn't care enough to ask why - My post from last night cause I feel that it needs to be repeated and shared. "Promises made, promises kept" my black ass. Trump used the LGBTQ community then has attempt to feed us to the rabid wolves with the cross burned in their fur pelts.

Helping Pediatricians Care for Transgender Children - YES!!  

Debunking “Trans Women Are Not Women” Arguments - PREACH!!

Trump broke all of the promises he made to the LGBTQ community, but the media doesn't care enough to ask why

An annoying mantra constantly repeated by Trump supporters in praising his performance, particularly conservative evangelical groups and public figures, is "promises made, promises kept."

But that's a damn lie.

I remember that Trump, while running for office, made promises to the LGBTQ community (see the video above).

According to Newsweek:

During his 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Donald Trump boasted his advocacy for LGBT Americans. "Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs," he wrote in a June, 2016 tweet.

This tweet below as a matter of fact:

The Newsweek article also points out that in his first year in office, Trump backpedaled on supporting the LGBTQ community, particularly calling for a ban on transgender men and women serving in the military. 

Vox goes into more detail as to all the ways the Trump Administration practically declared war on the LGBTQ community during his first year in office:

'Anti-LGBTQ activist compares Kavanaugh protests to Sodom and Gomorrah' & other Mon midday new briefs

Matt Barber

Matt Barber: Kavanaugh Protests Were Reminiscent Of Sodom And Gomorrah - It was bound to happen. Someone is linking the Kavanaugh protests to the so-called evil homosexual via the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
So if the folks protesting the sham of his appointment and hearing got their hands on him, they would have raped him? For someone who claims to detest so-called homosexual acts, Barber is reaching waaaay up in his tookis to pull out THIS point. 

These 3 anti-LGBTQ lawsuits outline new conservative strategy in Texas - Three "religious liberty" lawsuits planned within days of each other. No. It's not a plot or a conspiracy. It simply happened by accident . . .  

National Coming Out Day: 37 celebrities who’ve come out this year - THIS is wonderful! 

Philadelphia Archbishop: ‘Joy and wholeness’ requires denying existence of LGBTQ Catholics - I know lots of LGBTQ Catholics would disagree with this.

Eight Superheroes Who Are Openly LGBTQ

Especially for all of you superhero and comic book fans out there, here is something to ease us all into the chaos of Monday, i.e. another beginning of a week in the Trump regime. None of these characters surprise me, but with regards to number one, now you know the actual reason why he grabbed Colossus' butt cheeks in the movie: