Randy Rainbow hilariously calls out Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene in brutal 'Little Shop of Horrors' song spoof

Say what you will about Randy Rainbow, his brutally acerbic talent for wrecking the most deserved via song parodies helped get us through the Trump years. And he hasn't run out of ways to express his dry candor as the above video proves. Via a spoof of the song 'Dentist' from Little Shop of Horrors, Randy calls out should-have-never-been-elected Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. I wish our so-called mainstream media had the gumption to check those two like Randy does.

'Poll - Majority of Americans Do Not Support Laws Banning LGBTQ Lessons in Class' & other Mon midday news briefs

Majority of Americans Against Laws That Ban LGBTQ Lessons in Class: Poll - This NEEDS to be trumpeted everywhere. 

Ad campaign celebrates trans athletes and the joy of youth sports​ - Yes! Give our kids a voice. 

Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Gender-Affirming Care Guidance - Go ahead and step deeper into that hole.

7 Gay, Bi, Lesbian, & Queer Movies Coming Out This Spring​ - Boom, baby!!

Gay cowboys, queer heroes & more: celebrate 20 years of incredible queer films - Just in case you need viewing material.

Sunday musings - 'Don't Say Gay' bill supporters continue to lie, Mr Humphries from 'Are You Being Served' is the funniest sit-com gay character ever

As we ease into this week, I'm taking sort of a bad news, good news point of view.

The bad news is that supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill are heavily pushing the lie that those who oppose it favor teaching lessons of sexual behavior to K-3 children. People such as Bill Maher and Franklin Graham are either ignorantly or deliberately trying to push that narrative. And they are getting help from anonymous fools on Twitter.

Like so:

Thankfully, as expressed by my retweet, a lot of folks are pushing back with corrections. Very few are buying the lie.

So what's the good news?

Very simply, there is nothing wrong with taking a step back from all of the madness and finding a way to laugh.  I did that last weekend by watching episodes of what I think is one of the funniest situation comedies of all time,  'Are You Being Served?'

It's a comedy from England which looks the day to day happenings of a department store and its employees.  What makes it so funny? Check out below:

All of the characters are hilarious, but Mr. Humphries is an especially wonderful character. Him being gay was never confirmed, but always hinted at in various comedic instances. Some folks may find him to be a stereotype,  but I disagree. He was hilarious and unashamed about who he was. Some folks may think that Jack McFarlane from 'Will and Grace' was the funniest gay character on television, but I think that honor goes to Mr. Humphries:

Supporters of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill can't even get their lies straight

The fact that Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill was going to become law was a given from the start because Republicans outnumber Democrats in both legislative houses. But opponents of the bill consistently - and accurately - pushed that fact that the bill unfairly targets LGBTQ people. 

The supporters of the bill tried to push two opposite messages and that didn't work out for them. There were some who claimed that the bill doesn't target LGBTQ people, such as hate group The Family Research Council:

But they have been severely undercut by other supporters of the bill who say that it does target LGBTQ Floridians. Supporters such as Fox News host Laura Ingraham who dog whistled about the 'gays want to recruit' children trope :

And the drafter of the bill, Florida legisaltor Dennis Baxley, who admitted that the bill was created because of how  'concerned' he was about kids coming out:

After hours of denying his bill singled out gays, Senator @dennisbaxley admitted the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill was drafted because he was personally concerned so many kids today identify as gay and see themselves as “celebrities.” @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/VI9cGiBNiN

— Jim DeFede (@DeFede) March 8, 2022

So while the bill will most likely become law, its opponents won a huge moral victory. The goal of the bill was to shut down LGBTQ voices. On that score, it's already failed. 

'Tennessee's 'Don't Say Gay' bill less vague, specifically targets LGBTQ people' & other Thur midday news briefs

Republicans in Tennessee advance their version of “Don’t Say Gay” - And here we go. More direct though. It's more direct that Florida's bill. That helps us. 

Defending Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Fox’s Tucker Carlson says teachers who talk to kids about gender identity should “get beaten up”​ - Please. I would kick Tucker's ass. Who is he to talk about such things.

Education Secretary reminds Florida governor that federal law trumps the “Don’t Say Gay” bill - Damn right. 

LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group to expand to Mexico - Definitely needed. 

Gay Democrat Challenges GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert With Vow to End 'BS' - Good luck to him.

Disney feeling the pressure as its CEO now denounces 'Don't Say Gay' bill (after it is approved by the Florida legislature)

Florida's LGBTQ community and their allies are winning the fight in spite of passage of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

UPDATE - Disney also pledged to donate $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign. HRC is saying no thank you until 'meaningful action' is taken against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

It looks like anger of Disney's inaction about Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill has yielded some success. 

According to CNBC:

The Walt Disney Company is now publicly opposing Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. On Wednesday, CEO Bob Chapek addressed the company’s stance on the bill and acknowledged that its original approach “didn’t get the job done.” Chapek told shareholders that he will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney will donate $5 million to organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, that work to protect LGTBQ+ rights.

 . . . Disney has faced pressure for not opposing the bill publicly, particularly after it was determined that the company provided financial support for some of the bill’s backers in the state legislature.

Variety had this to say:

“The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss the ways to address them,” Chapek said during Disney’s shareholders meeting Wednesday, when he confirmed for the first time Disney’s opposition to the bill, which would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

“Gov. DeSantis committed to me that he wanted to make sure that this law could not be weaponized in any way by individuals in the state or groups in the state to unduly harm or target gay, lesbian, nonbinary or transgender kids and families,” Chapek said, when asked by a shareholder during the Q&A what he expects to come up the meeting with DeSantis. DeSantis was “very open” to learning about how to prevent the law from being “weaponized” to target LGBTQ people in Florida, according to Chapek.

DeSantis' office had this to say:

UPDATE: Full response from DeSantis.

His staff says no meeting has been schedule with Disney and that "Florida parents who take their kids to Disney" should support the bill because they don't want their kids exposed to "inappropriate content about sex and gender theory" pic.twitter.com/28dVKFTFEW

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 9, 2022

Let's not bulls!t ourselves here. If DeSantis had truly cared about the bill targeting people, he would have taken steps about it long before Chapek called him. And if Chapek hadn't felt the pressure from Florida's LGBTQ community and their allies, Disney wouldn't have ever changed its position. 

Disney's shift demonstrates how Florida's LGBTQ community and its allies have been winning this fight. The passage of the 'Don't Say Gay' bill was assured from the beginning because Republicans outnumber Democrats in the state legislature. The real question was would the vote be easy or painful.  And those who opposed the bill have been very successful in making it as painful as possible by consistently arguing that the bill targets LGBTQ kids and families.

Supporters of the bill have yet to create an argument which proves this notion to be false. Some of have claimed that the bill doesn't target LGBTQ people because the words 'LGBTQ' or 'gay' isn't specifically in the bill. But then they undercut this argument by doing what DeSantis - and his spokesperson did - by specifically mentioning LGBTQ people or implying that those opposing the bill are 'pedophiles' and 'groomers.'

Disney's capitulation also proves that threats to the purse strings means more to some people than doing the right thing. But if that's what it takes to get things done, then I'm all for it. If we can't appeal to people's hearts to do us right, then we should aim at the pocketbooks. A backtrack and a promise of funding is nice, but it is by no means the end of it. Only a start. Disney is going to have do to more than that.

'LGBTQ authors of banned books speak out why their stories matter' & other Wed midday news briefs

LGBTQ authors of banned books speak out on why their stories matter​ - The across the board undermining of LGBTQ lives will be vigorously fought on all fronts.

South Dakota Ban on 'Divisive Concepts' in Education Heads to Governor - Another Republican exploiting fears about LGBTQ people for higher office.

Florida GOP senator claims 'LGBT is not a permanent thing' during debate on 'Don't Say Gay' bill - People like this is why the bill is becoming a law. 

Conversion therapy costs U.S. over $9 billion a year, study finds - Reframing of post from yesterday. Ca-ching.