Co-conspirator in Trump's indictment formerly led once prominent anti-LGBTQ group

 

John Eastman

Just in case you've recently been in a cave with your fingers in your ears, former president Donald Trump was just indicted again, this time for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

This makes the third group of criminal charges for Trump.

From Raw Story:

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in connection to special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and plots to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. CNN was first to report the indictment and said a source confirmed Trump had been told. 

 The former president has been charged with four offenses: conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of witness tampering, and conspiracy against rights. The indictment also specifies six unnamed co-conspirators whom, according to CNN's Kaitlan Collins, include four attorneys, a DOJ official, and a political consultant. 

 The probe looked at a broad array of alleged schemes by the former president and his allies, including efforts to seat fake electors in a number of closely-divided battleground states that were carried by President Joe Biden, and a pressure campaign against then-Vice President Mike Pence to declare electors from those states invalid. 

 As of now, the unindicted co-conspirators have been named and includes one who should be of interest to the LGBTQ community - John Eastman.

According to The Washington Post:

“Co-conspirator 2” was an attorney “who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role overseeing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election," according to the indictment. Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, crafted a legal strategy that involved creating slates of pro-Trump electors in states that Joe Biden won. He falsely asserted, without evidence, that Trump lost Georgia in part because 66,000 underage people and 2,500 convicted felons had voted in the state that year.

Eastman has remained defiant, even as he faces potential disbarment for his role in aiding Trump. In June, Eastman defended himself before the State Bar of California on 11 charges stemming from allegations that he was the architect of the legal road map Trump followed to try to obstruct the electoral vote count in certain states. The State Bar also accused Eastman of making false and misleading statements regarding alleged election fraud, referencing claims he made at a rally at the Ellipse outside the White House that preceded the deadly riot. If Eastman is found culpable for the allegations, he could lose his license to practice law in California. 

 Before his involvement in the attempt to illegally overturn the 2020 election, Eastman played a prominent role in anti-LGBTQ activism. In fact he was president of the infamous group the National Organization for Marriage or NOM.

According to The Advocate:

Before Eastman, a former law professor, tried to throw the 2020 presidential election to Donald Trump, he was a major activist against LGBTQ+ rights. In 2011, he became chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage, a group with the primary mission of opposing marriage equality, although it has taken up some other conservative causes too. NOM's website still lists him as chairman and the well-known anti-LGBTQ+ activist Brian Brown as president.

 

. . . Among Eastman's other greatest hits, compiled by GLAAD and others, he has said marriage should be limited to male-female couples because it's for procreation; voiced support for Uganda's efforts to criminalize homosexuality, potentially imposing the death penalty; questioned Kamala Harris's eligibility to be vice president, even though she was born in the U.S., because her parents were not citizens at the time of her birth; said homosexuality is barbaric and will undermine marriage and all of civil society; and opposed gay-straight alliances and LGBTQ-inclusive lessons in schools.

Who knows what will happen to Eastman. Maybe he can claim that Jesus told him to help Trump cheat.

'Brooklyn dancer fatally stabbed for voguing at gas station' & other Tue midday news briefs

Brooklyn Dancer Fatally Stabbed for Voguing at Gas Station - I hate posting stuff like this but in this case, I will. The silence of the general Black community is sad here. 

TERFs are trying to boycott Etsy for banning transphobic products ​ - They will fail as all losers do.

Appeals court lets Kentucky enforce ban on transgender care for minors - Not surprising. The same appeals court made the same decision in Tennessee. 

Gays Against Groomers protested on the same side as Neo-Nazis - Whoops (if you say so . . .)

'31 Icons for LGBT History Month' a valuable asset to combat a year of attempted negativity

 

Each year, the Equality Forum names 31 LGBT icons for LGBT History Month in October. This year's list features such noted people as Chasten Buttigieg, Brittany Griner, Eddie Izzard and Leslie Jordan. They should remind us about how truly diverse and powerful we are as a people. And this year's list is important in light of all of the negativity we've been bombarded with. These icons attest to the resiliency of our community in the face of all of the hate. And how we always come out as winners.

To the transphobic bigot who came after my mother before the first anniversary of her passing . . .

UPDATE - Mr. "Protect the Kids" blocked me. Or maybe Facebook took care of it. I DID report him.

Friday, July 28 will be the first anniversary of my beloved mother's passing. As you can guess, I am not in a positive condition emotionally or spiritually.

My mother knew I was gay and she knew vaguely of my activism (my blogging, etc). We never really talked about it, but she gave me a lot of support, as all good mothers would give to their kids. One of my most cherished moments was being with her in the car when I received news that I had won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Blog in 2017.

But other than that, she was never really involved in the things I've done for the LGBTQ community.  I never felt the need to "pull her in," so to speak. So, you will forgive me for posting the following (click on the image to make it larger):

Apparently, this poor soul right here on Facebook (Picture below.) seems to think that since I support gender-affirming care for trans kids, I support "mutilation" and that makes me a pedophile. Subsequently to him, that makes my beloved mother . . . well you can read it for yourself.

He also threatened to shoot me.

Mr "Protect the Kids" also called me a racial slur (THE RACIAL SLUR) but he deleted that message. I guess he figured he had standards. But he did post the following on his Facebook page:

As strange as it seems, I am not angry in the least. Nothing he said about my mother hurts me. His ramblings can't ever diminish what a wonderful woman she was and how much I miss her. And to be honest, if he did physically come after me and she was present at the time, she would have whipped his ass. And that's no exaggeration on my part - my mother once used a chair very adeptly to defend my older brother against a physical attack.

But I recognize the opportunity this moron gives me to make a point about all of this hatred directed towards the LGBTQ (particularly the trans community) as of late.

I don't know this man.  I never met this man. He chose to engage with me because apparently, he read something I posted about trans kids which got him so upset that he felt the need come for me and my family. It wasn't enough for him to call me names or threaten to kill me. He actually took the time to mine through my material in a sad attempt to anger me. And he thought calling my late mother ugly names would garner an ugly reaction from me. Trash is what trash does.

That's hate my friend. It's evil, ugly, and so destructive that it's sad. And what's worse, he claims to be doing it for the sake of protecting kids.

But plainly speaking, he's the end result of all of that shit you hear from people like Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Chole Cole and groups like Moms for Liberty, Libs of TikTok and Gays Against Groomers. He owns the fertile mind of ignorance they exploit with their lies and horror stories about child mutilation, pedophilia, and grooming. He's the type of gullible fool they exploit for hits, social media status, and money.  And he is the type of monster they empower to bombard us (especially trans people) with the venom like you just read above on a daily basis.

What's genuinely sad is that there are more like him out there. Lots more. So when you hear people like me talk about people like him or the groups which feed into his mentality, it's not an overreaction on our part. It probably doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

Hitler-quoting hate group Moms for Liberty says 'health care has no place in public schools'

Alleged "parents' rights" group Moms for Liberty just showed its true colors yet again with the recent tweet:

Mental health care is health care Mr. President.

That’s why it has NO place in public schools. #ParentalRights https://t.co/a1uF6NV7Ec

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) July 25, 2023

 

And the group doubled down on the statement:

Yes. Health care has no place in public schools.

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) July 26, 2023

 

Moms for Liberty is a rapidly growing conservative group claiming to be for the rights of parents. In actuality, it is an astroturfed group created to undermine inclusive school curriculums and the rights and safety of LGBTQ students. The SPLC has designated Moms for Liberty as a hate group because of its ugly tactics and its desired goals:

Moms for Liberty and its nationwide chapters combat what they consider the “woke indoctrination” of children by advocating for book bans in school libraries and endorsing candidates for public office that align with the group's views. They also use their multiple social media platforms to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance a conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.

 . . .Moms for Liberty is an anti-student inclusion group that presents itself as a modern parents’ rights organization that seeks to “unify, educate, and empower parents to defend and protect their parental rights at every level of government.” The group’s website appears to align with this mission, featuring general information about the organization and its chapters, resources for parents, and links to press skewed in the group’s favor. The social media accounts and real-world activity of the national organization and its chapters reflect views and actions that are antigovernment and conspiracy propagandist, anti-LGBTQ and anti-gender identity, and anti-inclusive curriculum.

Those of us who stand against Moms for Liberty call them "Klanned Karenhood." And the name is definitely appropriate.  

While claiming to stand for "parental rights," the group has:

 Helped state legislators pass hateful anti-LGBTQ laws across the country,

Partnered with violent far right extremist groups such as The Proud Boys,

Been linked to several incidents of threats and harassment on school officials across the country, including:

The chairperson of the Monroe County, Pennsylvania, chapter was arrested on a “summary charge of harassment” after allegedly repeatedly harassing an individual with messages. 

The head of communications of the Lonoke County, Arkansas, chapter threatened gun violence against librarians. In audio obtained by Media Matters, the chapter’s head of communications and media, Melissa “Missy” Bosch, threatened librarians in the district, saying, “I’m telling you, if I was -- any mental issues, they would all be plowed down with a freaking gun by now.”

And then there was the "Hitler-quoting incident in June. According to VICE:

In the first ever edition of the Hamilton County, Indiana, Moms for Liberty newsletter, published on Wednesday, the group’s co-founders Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice blasted the Southern Poverty Law Center’s recent decision to label the group a far-right extremist organization.

 That statement might have carried more weight if the top of the very same newsletter wasn’t adorned with a quote from Adolf Hitler. The quote used in the newsletter was taken from a speech Hitler gave during a 1935 rally: “He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future.” It appeared just under the masthead for the “Parent Brigade” newsletter published on the group’s Facebook page on Wednesday night. It was first reported by the Indianapolis Star.

At the time, VICE called the Hitler quoting incident:

 . . . the latest evidence that Moms for Liberty’s pretense of being a wholesome, grassroots movement focused on protecting students is slipping.

Last month, CNN said Moms for Liberty was rapidly gaining influence in the Republican party by pointing out how GOP presidential candidates such as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley all attended its summit in Philadelphia in attempts to garner support.

One can only hope that these candidates will be asked about Moms for Liberty's opinion concerning health care in public schools. If there is any place healthcare should be, it would be in the public schools.

Any group actually concerned about the welfare of kids would know this.

'Another lie from anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court wedding case has been exposed' & other Wed midday news briefs

'This was a lie': Another fact in the anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court wedding website case was false - So many lies in God's name.

Parents protest school district’s no opt-out policy for LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum​ - See this is moronic. And before some folks willfully distort the issues, we are not talking about sex education. We are talking about curriculum which simply acknowledges the existence of LGBTQ+ people. THAT is simply not right and it's a deliberate distortion of the parents' rights argument. If you don't want your kids to acknowledge the existence of certain people, then you home school them. You don't get to erase the existence of groups of people. 

Gay Chechen Singer Killed on Order of Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov: Report - He was angry that he shook hands with a gay guy so he had him tortured and murdered. 

Booksellers sue over Texas law requiring them to rate books for appropriateness - And I hope that they win.

Congressional Republicans to hold transphobic, distortion-filled hearing on gender-affirming care (with no medical experts testifying)

I do not apologize for the headline. It is truth. Imagine holding hearings pushing the ideas that pedophilia and homosexuality are linked, or that gay men are so promiscuous that they stuff gerbils up their rectums. Those were false ideas once pushed by Republicans and conservatives.  That should give you an indication of the type of lies to expect Thursday when they attack gender-affirming medical care and trans people in their sham hearing.

 From The Advocate: 

 The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Consitution and Limited Government has scheduled a hearing this week ostensibly to discuss gender-affirming medical care. No doctors will testify. 

 Instead, during Thursday morning’s hearing titled “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Children,” lawmakers will hear from a former college athlete who took issue with a transgender team member’s participation, an anti-LGBTQ+ advocate from a conservative interest group, a member of the Federalist Society, and a person who had access to gender-affirming care, decided to detransition, and now advocates against the care for youth. 

 Republicans invited former University of Pennsylvania swimmer (and Lia Thomas critic) Paula Scanlan, detransitioner Chloe Cole, Director for Family Studies at the far-right anti-LGBTQ+ group Family Research Council Jennifer Bauwens, and Federalist Society member May Mailman, who is also a senior fellow at the conservative Independent Women’s Law Center, to testify. 

 Democrats, already frustrated with Republican efforts to strip funding from all bills benefiting the LGBTQ+ community, called the hearing a sham. "The upcoming House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee hearing is the latest attempt by extremist Republicans to weaponize Congress and inject their culture wars into families’ private health care decisions,” Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, tells The Advocate. “Gender-affirming care is safe, effective, medically necessary, and supported by every major reputable medical association. The science is not up for debate. This hearing is nothing more than a concerted effort to cultivate fear and stigmatize vulnerable communities in order to pursue an extremist agenda and political power."

 . . . “This Congress, extreme MAGA Republicans are using the appropriations process to further their radical agenda and attack the LGBTQI+ community,” said Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin in a press release. “Motivated by bigotry and the desire to appeal to the GOP extremist base, more than 40 anti-equality provisions across the 12 appropriations bills were passed. Last week, they went even further and cut millions of dollars in funding for members’ community projects that would have tackled LGBTQI+ homelessness and housing insecurity. I condemn these discriminatory attacks and remain committed to ensuring none of these awful provisions make it into the final funding bill that becomes law.”