Fox News helped spread lie that children's hospitals were giving hysterectomies to trans youth

 It should be of no surprise to anyone that Fox News amplified the attacks against children's hospitals. Network pundits practically rolled out the red carpet for the folks spewing lies that these hospitals were giving  trans children hysterectomies.

From Media Matters:

While children’s hospitals were facing a deluge of violent threats in August from an online campaign of intimidation and misinformation fueled by anti-LGBTQ trolls, Fox News repeatedly provided a platform for the individuals responsible for the harassment to amplify their attacks. Over the course of two weeks, Fox News — the most-watched cable network in the country — spent more time and ran more segments targeting three different children’s hospitals over false claims about gender-affirming care than CNN or MSNBC combined spent discussing the attacks.

 Led by conservative social media figures including Chaya Raichik and Matt Walsh, an online campaign began by targeting Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.,with false claims that they were providing hysterectomies for trans youth. The unsubstantiated claims were debunked by independent fact-checking websites and refuted by the hospitals, which did not stop right-wing media figures from taking up the attacks to malign all gender-affirming care for trans youth as “mutilation.”

 In reality, these hospitals do not provide genital surgery to trans youth. Rather, they follow the standards of care established by national medical organizations, offering medically necessary care that is supported by every major medical organization in America.

  . . . Amid the influx of threats against children’s hospitals, Fox News adopted the attacks as part of its ongoing effort to demonize trans health care for political points and at the expense of trans children.

 Between August 18, when the network’s first segment attacking Boston Children’s Hospital aired, and August 31, when Fox aired its most recent segment, attacking Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital, the network aired 7 segments and spent more than 20 minutes vilifying the hospitals. Notably, three of the Fox prime-time shows featuring the attacks are in the top 10 most-watched cable news programs in the country — Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Ingraham Angle, and Jesse Watters Primetime.

And while other Fox News prime-time shows similarly repeated anti-trans attacks on the children’s hospitals, Tucker Carlson’s program has been the most responsible for amplifying the misinformation campaign and the figures behind it.

The above excerpt is merely the beginning. Media Matters brings the receipts and this later may prove important. Fox News already has one lawsuit biting its ass. Another lawsuit calling out the network's sketchy relationship with truth would be lovely as far as I'm concerned.

'Peppa Pig, popular children's show, introduces first same-sex couple' & other Thur midday news briefs

'Peppa Pig' Introduces First Same-Sex Couple — Two Polar Bear Mommies — to Children's Show - Wonderful because same-sex families raising kids is a reality which needs to be seen and amplified. And the religious right freak out sure to come is simply icing on a delicious cake.

Trans Floridians sue to block Medicaid rule excluding gender-affirming care - Good for them. I hope they win. 

Federal lawsuit challenges Oklahoma anti-transgender bathroom law - Good. Another lawsuit via our side.

Ted Cruz says he will vote against marriage equality bill​ - Well duuuuuh.

Ben Shapiro accuses California of “allowing people to attempt to kidnap kids and gender change them” - That people like Ben Shapiro are considered great minds by anyone signals the fall of this country's intellect.

 

Court ruling against HIV medications reveal pettiness of 'religious freedom' argument

On Wednesday, a Texas judge (who is infamous for prejudicial rulings) ruled that employers did not have to cover HIV medications if they felt such medications would 'encourage homosexual behavior.'

From The Huffington Post:

A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that requiring employers to provide coverage for PrEP medications ― which prevent the transmission of HIV ― violates the religious rights of employers under federal law. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor said that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act provides a religious exemption from purchasing health insurance that complies with the Department of Health and Human Services’ preventive care mandate under the Affordable Care Act, which requires PrEP coverage. 

 O’Connor said the government must provide this religious exemption to eight defendants ― six individuals and two businesses ― who claim that being required to provide such insurance coverage violates their “sincerely held” Christian and “non-religious” beliefs rejecting “homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman.” By requiring them to provide insurance that covers PrEP, as well as the HPV vaccine and sex education, the government “would make [them] complicit in those behaviors,” O’Connor concluded.

 It's a bunch of bull and hopefully be overturned on appeal. But far-right pundits, sensing blood in the water, have already exploited the ruling to pull the old, but steady "pervertedly promiscuous homosexual" card. Mark Joseph Stern, a very talented writer from The Slate, had to drag one of them on Twitter.

This is an outrageous lie. Just one example to refute it: The CDC is fervently encouraging PrEP uptake among heterosexual Black women, who remain disproportionately affected by HIV. PrEP is NOT just for "promiscuous homosexual men." What a disgusting and dangerous allegation. pic.twitter.com/o5GCwXrS3V

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) September 7, 2022

Michael Knowles is notorious for racists and anti-LGBTQ comments in pursuit of clout chasing, so I doubt this will be the last we will hear from him.

The homophobic basis of the anti-PrEP lawsuit and the vulgarity expressed by Knowles is akin to when then Reagan White House employee and now Trump supporter Gary L. Bauer undermined the fight against the AIDS crisis. According to the late Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, Bauer felt that AIDS was "God's punishment" on gays and that they deserved to die:

[In 1986] President Reagan asked the surgeon general to prepare a report on AIDS as the United States confirmed its ten-thousandth case. Leaders of the evangelical movement did not want Koop to write the report, nor did senior White House staffers who shared Koop’s evangelical convictions. As Dr. Koop related to me, “Gary Bauer [Reagan’s chief advisor on domestic policy] … was my nemesis in Washington because he kept me from the president. He kept me from the cabinet and he set up a wall of enmity between me and most of the people that surrounded Reagan because he believed that anybody who had AIDS ought to die with it. That was God’s punishment for them.”

Once again, far-right evangelicals are weaponizing religion as a tool for discrimination. But now they are also putting people's lives in danger. There is no justifiable reason for this lawsuit except for the desire to be downright petty.  This is not about freedom of religion. It's about simple hatred of LGBTQ people. Don't let anyone tell you differently because it would be a lie. This type of hatred is primal. No amount of religious covering can disguise it.

 But under the cover of religion seems to be where it is always hiding.

'Anti-LGBTQ GOP nominee accused of trying to crash car with entire family inside' & other Wed midday news briefs

Kristina Karamo

'Fuck It, I’ll Kill Us All': Kristina Karamo's Ex-Husband Accused Her of Trying to Crash Car with Entire Family Inside​ - Well she is a Trump supporter . . . 

MI GOP nominates Satan-obsessed homophobe for Secretary of State - And surprise, she's homophobic. Or may not such a surprise. She has the nerve to call US evil. 

Country star raises over $100,000 for trans youth after denouncing influencer’s transphobia - Thank you Maren Morris for turning a negative into a positive. 

Trans Boy Kept Off Boys' Soccer Team in Florida Gets Apology - This happened last week. I'm sorry that I didn't catch it. A perfect example of how screwed up these anti-trans sports laws are. He got an apology because the law is against transgender girls, not transgender boys. 

Meta is profiting off ads baselessly slandering LGBTQ people as “groomers,” despite the company’s ban on the slur - You need to get it together, Meta.

Religious right attack on PA Pride Festival is laughably boring

Attempting to take part in the far-right sparked hysteria about drag queens, pride parades, and children, the American Family Association posted an article (via its 'news site' American Family News) about a Pride event in Pennsylvania entitled 'Family-friendly' pride festival was anything but'

There was just one problem with the article. In fact, a big one as far as I'm concerned. See if you can guess what it is.

From American Family News:

The American Family Association (AFA) of Pennsylvania recently addressed outgoing Governor Tom Wolf's "misguided" executive order banning so-called "conversion therapy" from the state. And last month, he fully supported and even gave $10,000 to fund a homosexual pride event in the central part of the state. He wrote a letter, specifically expressing support for the Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania, deeming it a time to "promote self-affirmation, dignity, and equality, and to minimize communities." 

 "As Governor, and on behalf of all the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I am honored to offer my support for Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania’s thirtieth anniversary," Wolf wrote.

 "This is actually the first year for the PA Pride Community Grant Program," reports Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of Pennsylvania. "Other pride organizations have been helped along, shall we say, with our taxpayer dollars through the Department of Community and Economic Development." 

 The viral video, posted by Libs of TikTok, depicts a shirtless man instructing a child — who appears to be a boy — wearing a rainbow tutu and headband. He is seen climbing a dance pole and then spinning around to the applause and cheers of onlookers. 

 There were 17 recipients of the PA Pride Community Grant program, which "supports Pride festivals and events throughout the commonwealth through September 2022." The Central PA Pride Festival, where this video is believed to have been taken, was among them.

 "As I've gone to some of these gay pride events, I've seen increasingly they have family zones, where they want to normalize their lifestyle, want to make it appear as if this is a family-friendly event," the conservative activist relays. "It's not, not at all. It's the exact opposite."

 Breitbart reports Carrie Fischer Lepore of the state Marketing, Tourism, and Film Department described the festival as an "uplifting" event that celebrated "belonging, accessibility, and inclusion" and sent the message that in Pennsylvania, "all are welcome to pursue their happiness."

Where is the salacious content? Where is the shocking footage?  Not even one picture?

All we have are two things. One is a video from a Libs of Tik Tok , a twitter address which just came off of suspension after spreading the lie that children's hospitals are giving trans kids hysterectomies. Libs of Tik Tok isn't exactly a bastion of truth.

And the other thing is a quote from Diane Gramley, an ancient right-wing pundit who sounds like if she did truly go to Pride events, she would hide under a bush because she'd be scared that a drag queen would use her body as a costume drape.

Is that it? Seriously? Nothing about a drag queen? I know somebody was passing around condoms or something.  At least one person had to be wearing leather, no matter how hot it probably was. A harness maybe?  Anything? Anything at all?

 Not even a one butt-cheek twerk? 

Oh well.

Little advice, Diane. The next Pride event you attend, instead of looking for things to condemn,  have a drink. In fact have a couple of drinks, grab some drag queens, and have a good time for a change. And if by chance you see a genuine stripper pole, hop on for a twirl. It would probably do you some good.

'Best selling novelist donates $50k to library defunded over books with LGBTQ content' & other Tue midday news briefs

Best selling novelist donates $50k to library defunded over books with LGBTQ content​ - Thank you, Nora Roberts!

Internet services company Cloudflare blocks fringe message board Kiwi Farms, citing 'targeted threats' - A horrible message board which scares even me has been shut down thanks to the hard work of several activists. Especially one in particular. 

5 things older gay men need to talk about more to survive and thrive - These discussion help. Tremendously. 

Over half of LGBTQ Southerners say their parents tried to change or repress their identity, report finds - I am not shocked at all about this.

Melbourne police shut down false story of sexual assault by trans student in school bathroom

 

I envision the DeSantis Administration getting angry that this incident was exposed as false before they could exploit it as yet another reason to undermine the state's LGBTQ community. Knowing them however, it wouldn't be a surprise if they used it anyway. 

From Florida Today via Yahoo News:

After a nearly three-week long investigation, Melbourne Police said in a report finalized on Friday that allegations of a transgender student assaulting a girl in the bathroom at Johnson Middle School were unfounded. Over the course of the investigation, police spoke to administrators at Johnson Middle School, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Children and Families, all of whom said no reports regarding a sexual assaults at the school had been made. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, and the parents that police spoke with were unable to give specific information, saying that they had heard the story of the alleged assault from multiple sources, including other parents and an unnamed teacher who did not work at Johnson Middle School. 

 Brevard Public Schools vehemently denied that any incident occurred at the middle school after Fine publicly called for Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz to investigate a potential sexual assault at Johnson Middle School on Aug. 11. Fine did not have firsthand knowledge of any assault, but said parents had reached out to his office. He blamed BPS' practice of allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of the gender that they identify with for making such an incident possible. 

 . . . Police traced the story of the Johnson Middle School assault to a conversation between retired BPS teacher Karen Parrish and a teacher who did not work at Johnson, then closed the case as unfounded when Parrish did not provide the name of the current teacher and no witnesses came forward.

 

 If the story had turned out to be true, we would be hearing about it all over social media and in the cable news media. But since it turns out to not be true, the vultures who exploit stuff like this are slinking away, hoping that it will be forgotten.