Analyzing and refuting the inaccuracies lodged against the lgbt community by religious conservative organizations. Lies in the name of God are still lies.
During a recent edition of MSNBC Live with Kendis Gibson, a good friend of mine and a wonderful transgender activist Monica Roberts, who runs the GLAAD Media Award-winning blog Transgriot, was interviewed about how transphobic rhetoric leads to violence against community.
It goes without saying that she did a wonderful job. And it was definitely a refreshing thing to see a transgender American invited on a news program. Particularly in light of how the Fox News network and the rest of the right-wing media will practically bend over backwards to exclude the trans community in debates, while giving transphobic people and groups a wide berth to spew their lies.
Though some folks have criticized me for it, I like going through past written words and videos of groups who oppose LGBTQ equality. I do it for three reasons - 1. to educate myself on their arguments because they generally get recycled and repackaged 2. keep myself from becoming slack in refuting them. 3. marvel at how simplistically idiotic they are.
And the above video by the group TFP Student Action is a doozy. TFP Student Action is an offshoot of the American Society for the Defense Tradition, Family, and Property - a far-right Catholic group . Naturally, this means that another activity of the group is pushing the lie that the LGBTQ community is unhealthy to society. It was small, but very vocal, part of the conservative right's ultimately unsuccessful fight against marriage equality. And with arguments made in the video above, it's no wonder they lost.
All it contains is a hashtag of bad talking points backed by wishful thinking, religious entitlement, and deceptions (i.e. using President Obama talking about single parents to denigrate same-sex households and spinning the lie about the Massachusetts father who was jailed for allegedly trying to keep his son from being "exposed" to homosexuality in his school.)
Yet, this video contained the general arguments of those opposing our right to marry. And what the opposition ended up arguing in the courts. A special highlight comes at 4:28 when the only black guy in the video is some random person they filmed on the street going on about "Adam and Steve" as he and his facial piercings draw so close to the camera that you think he's going to lick it.
But I shouldn't be too harsh. What points the video loses on facts and logic, the participants make up for it by being vigorous. Extremely vigorous.
The most enjoyable thing about watching this video is knowing that a few short months after it was made, the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality, thereby telling TFP - and other religious right and conservative groups - to go play with themselves. And after watching this video, can anyone really blame SCOTUS?
No matter what they say, conservative white evangelicals prefer the guy on the left more than the guy on the right.
I read this last week and found it so on point that I decided to post it at a later date. Then I lost it. But lo and behold, it popped right back up again when I was considering what post I would publish today.
Much has been said and will be said about conservative white evangelicals shamelessly embracing of a Trump presidency in spite of the fact that they are supposed to stand against every quality he has brought into the White House - lying, hypocrisy, adultery, corruption. etc. To me, it all about power. As long as he freely gives them access and the power to influence public policy, conservative white evangelicals will contort themselves to justify or ignore all of his vile qualities.
How they contort hasn't been spotlighted as much as it should, except by theologian, speaker, and author Benjamin L. Corey. In an absolutely wonderful piece,10 Signs You’re Actually Following TRUMPianity Instead of CHRISTianity, he breaks down the 10 ways conservative white evangelicals have twisted themselves up in knots to justify their support of Trump and in essence, replaced Christianity for 'Trumpianity.'
The entire piece deserves your attention, but I am to going list Corey's 10 points. For more details on each, read how Corey broke them down:
10. You spent 8 years criticizing every move of Obama, but the minute Trump was sworn in you started telling everyone that “Christians should respect the president” and that being “divisive” is a sin.
9. You think, “but we’re a nation of laws” somehow trumps biblical teachings on how immigrants are to be treated.
8. Your church is planning a “patriotic worship service” for the 4th of July.
7. You instinctively applaud when Trump threatens to “bomb the shit” out of people, but quickly push back if someone quotes what Jesus taught about violence and enemy love.
6. You think that having a filthy mouth and boasting about sexual immorality is a sign of being unsaved, but when it comes to Trump you all of a sudden have a “Who am I to judge?” attitude.
5. You think it’s God-honoring to refuse to bow to a national statue, but that you should be fired from your job, kicked out of the country, or even charged with treason for refusing to stand for the flag.
4. You want the nation to return to “biblical values”… except for all those socialist sounding biblical things like caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, giving food to the hungry, etc.
3. Your church spends one month a year celebrating the story of refugee family who fled their violent homeland and secretly crossed the border to safety, only to return home years later where their son became another unarmed person of color killed by the state’s violent security forces because they “felt threatened”…
2. You claimed Barack Obama’s election was the result of evil forces, but the minute Trump was sworn into office you started quoting verses about how “God picks a nation’s kings and queens.”
1. You spent the 90’s saying “character counts” but now say, “We don’t vote for a national pastor.”
TERFs are so desperate for attention that some engage in stupidly counteractive stunts, such as kissing up to the right-wing media.
TERFs claimed they were being censored, but they found a safe space in right-wing media in 2019 - Any of my lesbian sisters who was involved in this madness, you need to wise up. Don't think for an instant that your "new allies" aren't going to plot to put your rights and safety into a grave next to the one you are helping them dig for our trans brothers and sisters. Knowing them, they are probably making measurements even now as they smile in your faces and direct your hands to jab the knives into the backs of your own people.
Here Are 20 LGBTQ Celebrity Coming-Out Stories That Moved Us In 2019 - Celebrity or not, people coming out is a good thing. And it will always matter. Particularly with our LGBTQ children. There is nothing wrong with someone publicly showing them to not be afraid to live their lives honestly.
