'DC school refuses to play sports where Karen Pence teaches over anti-LGBTQ policies' & other Tue midday news briefs

Karen Pence

DC school refuses to play sports at school where Karen Pence teaches over anti-LGBTQ policies - The anti-LGBTQ school 2nd Lady Karen Pence has chosen to associate with is feeling the heat for its homophobic policies. Another school doesn't want to associate with it. Rather than taking in the irony, some folks are no doubt whining about being victims.

After years of bullying, this trans teen was named Homecoming Queen by her classmates - Sweet! Enjoy your victory. 

In ‘Single Record,’ Rapper Finds His Truth Could Cost Him A Career — And His Life - Fascinating and much needed.

Madonna to receive major LGBTQ honor at 2019 GLAAD Media Awards - Congratulations, Madonna!

Group accusing LGBTQ community of being racist has own problem with racism

E.W. Jackson (first photo) Peter LaBarbera (second photo)

A bunch of religious right leaders will be assembling a press conference on Tuesday for something they call the Gone Too Far Movement. 

Right Wing Watch mentions the event.

Scott Lively, Peter LaBarbera, Stephen Broden, E.W. Jackson and other anti-LGBTQ activists have founded something called the Gone Too Far Movement and will be holding a press conference in Washington, D.C., next week to “challenge the attempt to hijack America’s Civil Rights laws with the pending Equality Act H.R. 2282 in Congress.”

What it actually is the usual assemblage of predominantly white anti-LGBTQ activists so radical ('Porno Pete' Labarbera, Scott Lively) that "mainstream"religious right groups avoid them, sprinkled with odd and ends of black leadership (?)  willing to be used for some media attention, and all united to accuse the LGBTQ community of perverting society, molesting children, recruiting children, and attempting to grab the mantle of the Civil Rights Movement.

Here are two things you should know:

1. The Equality Act HR 2282 they are railing against is a bill which would provide massive anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community. That explains why these charlatans are so opposed to it. This is what they are claiming:

The GTFM (Gone2FarMovement) recognizes that the Equality Act H.R. 2282 is a dangerous, irresponsible, outlandish, morally perverse, and socially deleterious legislation. The Equality Act poses a direct threat to religious freedom and the dignity of Blacks and women by blending the immutability of sex and race with radical-LGBTQ theories, and H.R. 2282 aims to amend 59 existing federal laws and regulations. GTFM believes that H.R. 2282 if passed, will create a dangerous legal precedent creating social chaos and legal loopholes permitting reverse discrimination, and it has the potential to establish legal protections for previously illegal sexual practices and conduct. The GTFM will issue a Proclamation of Faith opposed to the Equality Act and call for the Congressional Black Caucus to resign. The Gone Too Far Movement is bi-partisan, interracial, interfaith, and a nationwide collection of Americans who want to protect and preserve faith, family, freedom, traditional values, and to counter the movement to legalize pedophilia.

2. And this is the funny part of it all - it's ironic that this group is specifically targeting the Congressional Black Caucus and claiming that the Equality Act would high jack the Civil Rights Movement, when one of its members, E.W. Jackson, is known for several eyebrowing raising and racist comments

E.W. Jackson: Men Wearing Earrings Is A Plot By Racist White Liberals To Emasculate Black Men

E.W. Jackson: America’s “Never Been” Racist Since “Arab Muslims” Started Slave

E.W. Jackson: Electing Muslims to Congress Is ‘Just Beyond the Pale’

E.W. Jackson Says Shooting Of Philando Castile Was Reasonable

E.W. Jackson: Black Lives Matter Is ‘Demonic’

Seems to me that if you are starting a group implying that the LGBTQ community is racist, maybe it's not a good idea to be joining up with someone who has been accused of being an actual racist.

'Transgender service members to attend State of the Union address' & other Mon midday news briefs

Transgender service members to attend State of the Union as guests - Wonderful. Let Trump stare these men and women in the face. They protect our freedoms, but he has the nerve to claim that they are unfit to serve. What a coward.

Federal judge says harmful conversion therapy is just ‘speech’ and shouldn’t be restricted - What kind of okie doke bullshit is this?

Disney Will Host Its First Official LGBTQ Pride Event This Summer - The first "official" LGBTQ pride event that is.

Black History Month: 11 black LGBTQ trailblazers who made history - Last, but not least . . . gone are the days when LGBTQs of color are ignored during Black History Month.

8 Inspiring Queer Black Icons You Should Know About- And if some of the names in this article are the same as in the above article, then good. You're less likely to forget who they are.

'Drag Queen Story Hour' opponents are hypocrites . . . featuring Bugs Bunny

There is a twofold purpose of this post - 1. To provide a bit of comedy  2. To poke fun at the hypocrisy of all the folks who have a problem with the Drag Queen Story Hour taking place across the country. You have a problem with a perfectly innocent event enjoyed by children and their parents simply because it is about drag queens reading to children? You have no problem when Bugs Bunny dresses in drag to entertain your children. Why do you have a problem with folks dressing in drag to entertain AND educate your children?

'Franklin Graham embarrasses himself in defending Donald Trump's lies' & other Thur midday news briefs

Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham Comes Up With A Brazen New Way To Excuse 8,000+ Trump Lies - One of the very few good things (and I don't even want to give the Orange bozo credit for that) with Trump being in the White House is how his presence is exposing the blind hypocrisy of the anti-LGBTQ right and their leaders like Franklin Graham. 

 And it's a wonderful to bring up this piece from 2011 in which Franklin embraced birtherism - i.e. the idea that Obama is not an American citizen. - Rev. Franklin Graham a birther?

Armed Man Disrupts Houston Library During Drag Queen Storytime - What the homophobic whine about Drag Queen Storytime can lead to. It is an innocent event popular with children AND their parents. And that is it.

This is what a local government thinks transgender people look like? - Oh good Lord . . . 

Report Finds Slowdown in Schools' LGBTQ+ Inclusion - It's all about deliberate erasure.

Jussie Smollett attack highlights amplified risks facing black LGBT community - So dang true.

Parents of trans youth remind us what is important in this 'culture war'

HRC's Parents for Transgender Equality National Council

When it comes to transgender issues, the anti-LGBTQ industry and activists generally bogart the conversation  so much that it's difficult to hear from transgender men, women, children and their families. That's why this recent event held by the Human Rights Campaign's Parents for Transgender Equality National Council is so important and needs to be elevated in the spotlight:

Today, HRC's Parents for Transgender Equality National Council, a group of the nation’s leading parent-advocates in the fight for transgender equality, met with members of Congress to discuss their families’ moving journeys and the urgent need for Congress to pass the Equality Act. The Equality Act is a comprehensive LGBTQ civil rights bill which is a priority for the U.S. House’s new pro-equality leadership and is expected to be re-introduced soon. 

U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy, III (D-MA), chair of the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force, hosted the convening of parents of transgender and gender expansive young people. Representative Kennedy was joined by U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Gil Cisneros (D-CA). 

“For transgender young people, passing the Equality Act would be life-affirming and, in some cases, lifesaving,” said Jay Brown, Acting Senior Vice President, HRC Programs, Research & Training. “These parents’ children need and deserve clear protections from discrimination throughout daily life, from welcoming schools to inclusive health care. The unique stories and voices of these parents have already changed countless minds, and they will be critical in continuing to push equality forward alongside allies like Representative Kennedy and the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force.” 

“For two years, transgender children have fought daily battles against intolerance in their schools and their communities, while the adults tasked with protecting them at the highest levels of this Administration offer words of bigotry and hatred instead,” said U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy, III, chair of the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force. “Listening to these parents today demonstrated once again that there is no force greater than a parent’s love and no force darker than a government that fails to see the humanity in her youngest citizens. We fight with those children and their parents because they should never doubt that they are heard and they are seen, and they should always know that they will never be erased.”

The entire story is here and deserves a read and a share.

''Radical feminists' unite with anti-LGBTQ group for bout of wanton transphobia' & other Wed midday news briefs

The Heritage Foundation plays divide and conquer with LGBTQ community.

A far right conservative group is aligning with ‘radical feminists’ to attack trans rights - When I told folks about this, they hardly believed me and I really couldn't blame them. Now here is confirmation from LGBTQNation. A bunch of so-called feminists are teaming up with a noted anti-LGBTQ group, The Heritage Foundation,  to attack the transgender community. And yes, there are lesbians involved in this awful effort. Seriously, what the hell? What makes these folks think that they can join in an anti-LGBTQ group's attack on one segment on their own community without any negative consequences for themselves?  Hate, fear, and ignorance are powerful things.

Poll: 70% of U.S. voters support transgender military service - In Qunnipiac University Poll results which will most certainly be challenged by the religious right, 70 percent of those surveyed oppose Trump's ban on transgender military men and women.

"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett had noose around his neck when officers arrived, police say - More confirmation on the Jussie Smollett story. BUT with that confirmation from the police about the circumstances, come also the twitter trolls. Because no suspects have been arrested as of yet, a lot of armchair detectives and wannabe "Lara Loomer" activist journalists have come out speculating. And you know how that turns out. My guess is that they waited for a day for no suspects and then uncaged themselves. This situation is still playing itself out. 

Husband/wife tandem working to ensure discriminatory, religiously biased regulations of Trump Administration - My post from last night because this situation needs more attention devoted to it.

Orthodox Jewish therapist claims NYC’s conversion therapy ban violates his rights - The continued weaponization of religious beliefs. Your beliefs shouldn't allow you to do participate in a fraudulent practice. And guess anti=LGBTQ hate group is pushing THIS lawsuit- the Alliance Defending Freedom. That group is trying hard to make itself the arch-enemy of the LGBTQ community.