Franklin Graham gives DeSantis 'Putin-like' praise for signing 'Don't Say Gay' bill

No matter how Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and his supporters attempt to spin the 'Don't Say Gay' bill as something to protect children, reality smacks them in the face.

And on Tuesday, that reality came in the form - of all people - Franklin Graham:

 Graham's comments should surprise no one. He is a bigoted homophobe who would praise anyone for any undermining of LGBTQ lives, no matter how big or small. Graham would even compliment Russian president, Vladimir Putin for anti-LGBTQ persecution. 

In fact, he has. 

In 2014, Graham praised Putin for signing a somewhat harsher law in Russia. The bill, passed in 2013, criminalized all positive LGBTQ speech and advocacy:

“In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues,” Graham writes. “Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.” “Our president and his attorney general have turned their backs on God and His standards, and many in the Congress are following the administration’s lead. This is shameful.” With the caveat that “I am not endorsing President Putin,” Graham nonetheless praised Russia’s get-tough approach toward gay rights. “Isn’t it sad, though, that America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue — protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda — Russia’s standard is higher than our own?”

In 2015, Graham went further in his defense of Putin and his attack on LGBTQ people:

I have met the president on several occasions. He’s a very nice person. But he supports and promotes policies that contradict the teachings of God. As a Christian I believe that abortion is murder, he supports it. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage — those are sins against God, and the president is promoting them. I’m not against homosexuals as people. But God commanded that marriage should be between a man and a woman. And I very much appreciate that President Putin is protecting Russian young people against homosexual propaganda. If only to give them the opportunity to grow up and make a decision for themselves. Again, homosexuals cannot have children, they can take other people’s children. I believe that President Obama (and I’ll repeat, he’s a very nice person) is leading America down the wrong road. He’s taking a stand against God.

Great company you're in, DeSantis. 

A bloodthirsty dictator  who signed a law which criminalized all pro-LGBTQ speech and a religious hypocrite who praised him for it

'President Biden blasts DeSantis for signing 'don't say gay' bill' & other Tue midday news briefs

President Biden

Biden, Florida officials and Disney blast DeSantis’ signing of ‘don’t say gay’ bill - Thank you President Biden for being a real president. 

Disney Vows to Help Repeal Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Legislation - Get to work, Disney. 

The 7 queerest moments from an unforgettable Oscars ceremony - The slap aside, it was a very good night. 

Utah Students Organize Queer Prom After State Passes Anti-Trans Bill - Good for them!

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs 'Don't Say Gay' bill during creepy photo op enlisting children as props

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hands out pens to children after signing the state's 'Don't Say Gay' bill into law.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed his state's 'Don't Say Gay' into law during an absolutely creepy photo-op as seen above. Throughout this entire drama, DeSantis has been attempting to portray himself as a protector of children. But signing a bill which sends a message to children that their families are somehow inferior isn't exactly a message that a protector of children would send. And then exploiting kids as figurative co-signers of that message is downright shameful. 

DeSantis is exploiting same delusionary mindset that Donald Trump has about the 2020 election, i.e. that he is on the side of good fighting evil and corruption.  The fantasy would be amusing except for the reality it obscures. The 'Don't Say Gay' bill is a fraud. It attacks a 'problem' which doesn't exists. It exploits a fear which shouldn't exist. It scapegoats an innocent group of people, which includes children. And its benefits are also nonexistent.

The only thing which exists right now is the fact that DeSantis eagerly exploited children in his attack on LGBTQ kids and families. The bill was unnecessary. The photo op was simply evil.

And the most tragic thing is that it's all performance. DeSantis is a very calculating politician. He knows that his bill is red meat to feed the GOP base and get him closer to the White House. In the long run DeSantis doesn't care about protecting children; not LGBTQ kids and certainly not the kids he enlisted in his photo op.

Ron DeSantis only cares about Ron DeSantis and he has no problem building a road to the White House paved with the the bodies, wrecked self-esteem, and spiritual ruination of LGBTQ people. But now, he has invited children to help him pave that road.

Americans should be more concerned with what DeSantis is teaching our kids. He seems to be the one doing the indoctrination.

UPDATE - and what's more, the signing was rushed. So much for fanfare. Cowardice seems to be the order of the day for DeSantis.

'DeSantis expected to sign 'Don't Say Gay' bill at charter school which has two anti-LGBTQ clubs' & other Mon midday news briefs

DeSantis expected to sign ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill at Florida taxpayer-funded charter school that has two anti-LGBTQ clubs - We now return you to your regularly scheduled bigotry.

Billboards saying “GAY” are up in Florida in protest of the Don’t Say Gay bill​ - Keep the fight up. DeSantis is a coward and hasn't signed the bill as of yet. 

A Gay Florida Educator on the Terror of What's to Come - And keep up educating people about it.

13 LGBTQ art shows worth traveling for this spring - This is hot!

Congresswoman mixes up her homophobia with transphobia, demands that Pete Buttigieg and his husband stay out of female restrooms

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't too bright from the get-go. But it's rather embarrassing for her to mix up her homophobia with her transphobia.

Marjorie Taylor Greene goes on a strange rant about Pete Buttigieg and says he “can stay out of our girls bathroom” pic.twitter.com/mflOliqc5R

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2022

From Business Insider:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband should stay out of girls' bathrooms while speaking at Donald Trump's rally in Commerce, Georgia, on Saturday. "You know what? Pete Buttigieg can take his electric vehicles and his bicycles, and he and his husband can stay out of our girl's bathrooms," Greene said at the rally. Greene seemed to be referencing ongoing debates about what bathrooms transgender people should use– but Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten are gay, not transgender.

 

It's both funny and exhausting. Funny because of obvious reasons. Exhausting because someone actually elected this woman to Congress, thereby elevating her power and voice. Every time you're tempted to laugh at her comment, pay attention to the folks in the clip cheering her on. They don't care what she said or how idiotic she sounds. As long as it reinforces their hatred.

TX attorney general Ken Paxton targeting LGBTQ people and 'Pride Week' to distract from brutal primary, legal troubles

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton seems to have a vendetta against the state's LGBTQ community. Weeks after issuing an opinion based upon distorted information which justified investigating affirming parents of trans kids for child abuse, he is at it again.

From The Hill:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said in a letter to the Austin Independent School District (AISD) this week that its Pride Week was "breaking state law." Paxton wrote Tuesday that by hosting pride week, the district "has, at best undertaken a week-long instructional effort in human sexuality without parental consent. Or, worse [the] district is cynically pushing a week-long indoctrination of [students] that not only fails to obtain parental consent, but subtly cuts parents out of the loop." The Texas AG also wrote that the Austin ISD's curriculum and lesson plans "deal head-on with sexual orientation and gender identity—topics that unmistakably constitute 'human sexuality instruction' governed by state law."

According to LGBTQNation:

Paxton didn’t send the letter privately – he posted screenshots of it to Twitter with the message, “Liberal school districts are aggressively pushing LGBTQ+ views on Texas Kids! All behind parents’ backs! This is immoral and illegal.” He then referred to LGBTQ people as “sexual propagandists and predators” and demanded they be held “accountable.”

But The Hill said he is getting pushback:

District’s superintendent Stephanie Elizalde responded to Paxton in a tweet, writing: “I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks.” District spokesman Jason Stanford told The Washington Post: “We’re going to react to this by doubling down on making sure our kids feel safe and celebrating Pride."

There are a multitude of reasons why Paxton has chosen to target the LGBTQ community and none of them are good. But the simplest reason is obvious. He's afraid of losing his job on two fronts.

Paxton is in a hotly contested run-off primary with 'further to the right than Atilla The Hun'  Congressional representative Louis Gohmert.  Paxton is also facing a corruption probe for bribery charges and allegations that he misused his power. And to top it all off, he also faces possible disbarment over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election on behalf of Donald Trump.

In his targeting of LGBTQ Texans, Paxton seems to be less concerned about protecting kids and more about protecting himself.

'Commentary - It's Not Just Florida. The GOP is pushing 'don't say gay' bills in 15 states' & other Thur midday news briefs

It’s not just Florida. The GOP is pushing “Don’t Say Gay” bills in 15 states now. - Oh it's on now. As much as part of me hates this mess, I like a good fight. "We didn't ask for this war, but it's on!" 

North Texas superintendent orders books removed from schools, targeting titles about transgender people​ - Constitutional concerns are being raised. 

Groups opposed to gay rights rake in millions as states debate anti-LGBTQ bills - Money doesn't take the place of truth. Your lies may get you over for a while, but truth always wins.

Joe Biden helps LGBTQ Ukrainian refugees with fast-tracked US resettlement - Trump would not have done that. 

Utah governor cites suicide rates for transgender youth in vetoing sports ban bill: ‘I want them to live’ - Facts.