'GOP Congressman gives support to Uganda's 'Kill the Gays' bill' & other Thur afternoon news briefs

Michigan Rep Tim Walberg is facing a backlash after speaking in favor of Uganda's 'Kill The Gays' bill.

Republican Faces Backlash for Praising Plan to Kill Gay People​ -The simple fact that this story isn't getting more coverage says it all about how the media doesn't give a damn about LGBTQ people. I thought it was bad when they glossed over Trump's ill treatment of us. This is worse:

"Though the rest of the world is pushing back on you...though there are other major countries that are trying to get into you and ultimately change you, stand firm. Stand firm," (Michigan Rep Tim) Walberg said about Uganda's anti-homosexuality law while delivering a speech at Uganda's National Prayer Breakfast.

LGBTQ+ groups band together to challenge school district over Don’t Say Gay policies - Good for them. 

Lawsuit challenging Alabama's trans care ban for minors will move forward, judge says - Wonderful! 

19 celebrities who came out as LGBTQ in 2023 - I LIVE for articles like this.

Citing 'parental rights,' federal judge temporarily blocks Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for trans kids

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush again.

 Another federal judge has temporarily blocked a bill banning gender-affirming care for trans kids just when it was about to become law. But this one is interesting. In blocking the bill, the judge cited 'parental rights, which is the argument used recently by conservatives to undermine LGBTQ rights and safety.

 From ABC News:

 A federal judge has preliminarily blocked an Idaho law banning gender-affirming healthcare treatments for transgender people under 18 years old. The law was set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and would have made it a felony to provide such care. 

District Court Judge Lynn Winmill ruled Wednesday that the law’s restrictions violate the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

 "Transgender children should receive equal treatment under the law," Winmill stated in his decision. "Parents should have the right to make the most fundamental decisions about how to care for their children." 

 He continued, "Time and again, these cases illustrate that the Fourteenth Amendment’s primary role is to protect disfavored minorities and preserve our fundamental rights from legislative overreach ... and it is no less true for transgender children and their parents in the 21st Century." 

 HB 71 was signed into law by Governor Brad Little in April. The law bans puberty blockers -- which allow children to explore their gender identity and pause the growth of permanent sex characteristics -- hormone therapies, as well as surgeries. Physicians interviewed by ABC News have said that surgeries on adolescents are rare and only considered on a case-by-case basis. The legislation provides an exception for children with "medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development," also known as intersex.

 Any medical professional convicted of providing such care could be convicted of a felony and imprisoned in the state prison for up to 10 years, according to the law's text. 

 At least 20 states have implemented restrictions on access to gender-affirming care, many of which have faced legal challenges. The law in Arkansas, the first legislation of its kind in the U.S., was also ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.

Federal judge says DeSantis pushed false information to justify trans healthcare ban

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

A major situation took place before the Christmas holiday and it doesn't surprise any of us who've tracked the tactics of the anti-LGBTQ industry and their allies.

According to Trudy Ring from The Advocate on December 23:

A federal judge Thursday ripped into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for spreading lies about gender-affirming care for transgender young people.

 U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle made the comments in court during closing arguments in the lawsuit challenging Florida’s ban on this treatment. DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, has repeatedly said the ban has stopped the “mutilation” of young patients, but in reality, genital surgery is not generally performed on people under 18, and the effects of puberty blockers are reversible, while hormones’ effects are largely so. Under Florida's ban these treatments are banned for minors along with surgery.

 “When I’m analyzing the governor’s motivation, what should I make of these statements?” Hinkle asked the lawyer defending the ban, according to the Associated Press. “This seems to be more than just hyperbole.” 

 . . . Hinkle has blocked the law’s provisions affecting trans minors while he hears the suit, but he let the portions dealing with trans adults — banning their treatment by anyone other than a physician — go into effect because, he said, they would not be irreparably harmed. The law allows the treatments for young people who don’t wish to transition genders but have another condition necessitating them, such as early-onset puberty, injury to the genitals, or genital anomalies. 

 During the Thursday’s hearing, Hinkle raised the question of whether DeSantis’s support for the law and statements about it were politically motivated. “The governor just says, ‘I know it’s going to be in the headlines. I know it’s going to be popular. Let’s go for it,’” he said, according to the News Service of Florida. 

John Gallagher of LGBTQ Nation said the following:

Hinkle acknowledged that he can’t fully know what’s going on in DeSantis’ head. He wondered if the plaintiffs could prove DeSantis supported the law “because he hates transgender people.” The attorney for the families said that the law is unconstitutional as written, so DeSantis’ motives aren’t the deciding factor. 

 Hinkle said that he thinks the law isn’t about preventing mutilation but about preventing trans youth from getting health care. That’s a pretty strong signal that DeSantis is about to get handed a defeat by the court. 

 It’s also another sign that DeSantis built his campaign around a losing idea. He’s been betting heavily on using his anti-trans credentials to deliver a strong showing in the Iowa presidential caucus. Meantime, with Nikki Haley on the ascendant and DeSantis’ campaign in disarray, things are looking shaky for him in Iowa. All things considered, Ron may be sorry to see 2023 end, because 2024 may be a lot worse.

Franklin Graham commits 'sin of omission' while amplifying story of trans teen removed from her parents' home

Franklin Graham

There is a case brewing in Indiana regarding a trans teen and her parents and it may go before the Supreme Court.

From Yahoo News:

Mary and Jeremy Cox are devout Christians who believe children should be raised based on their sex at birth, and the use of pronouns or names inconsistent with their biological sex is both immoral and harmful. But the Anderson couple clashed with their teenager, who is a transgender girl. The family's dispute that started with the Indiana Department of Child Services over care of the teen is now the focus of a case that could go before the U.S. Supreme Court.

 At issue, according to the Coxes' petition asking the court to take their case, is whether they have the right to raise their children how they see fit — and whether a court order keeping them from talking to their children about their beliefs on sex and gender violates their free speech rights.

 The case touches on some of the most controversial issues in Indiana, where conservative lawmakers have passed legislation targeting transgender rights, and LGBTQ+ advocates have turned to the courts to challenge some of those laws. The issue of parental rights has also gained political momentum, particularly among Republicans over the last few years, focusing on issues such as vaccination requirements, school curricula and gender-affirming care for transgender youth. 

 Naturally a case like this is going to get the anti-LGBTQ industry hopping. Certain conservatives are already amplifying the situation via their channels. 

Conservatives such as Franklin Graham:

A Christian couple's son was removed from their home by CPS because they refused to affirm his gender confusion. Pray for Mary & Jeremy Cox as they fight to protect other families & the @IndianaFamily Institute as they support their legal battle. https://t.co/Ol2QkB69XF

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) December 19, 2023

In his tweet, Graham omitted a very crucial part of the story. The teen was removed because the conflict between she and her parents caused her to have an eating disorder.

At the heart of the case is the rift between the Coxes and the teenage child over gender identity — and an Indiana court's decision to remove her from her parents' custody partly because of a severe eating disorder that could get worse if she's returned home, where she felt unsafe, according to court records. 

 

"A disagreement between parents and a child is not a reason to remove a child from the home," the Indiana Court of Appeals said in its 2022 ruling that kept in place a Madison County judge's decision to remove the teen, identified in court records as A.C., from her parents' home. 

But the appeals court added: "This is an extreme case where Child has reacted to a disagreement with the Parents by developing an eating disorder and self-isolating, which seriously endangers Child's physical, emotional, and mental well-being."

Graham is obviously more interested in scoring points in his culture war than giving the complete story and demonstrating genuine concern, particularly to the trans teen caught in the middle.

Hat tip to Assigned Media.

'Here is what the LGBTQ community won in 2023' & other Tue midday news briefs

For LGBTQ+ Rights, 2023 Was a Year of Fighting. Here’s What We Won​ - And we are still here and standing. 

From drag bans to sports restrictions, 75 anti-LGBTQ bills have become law in 2023 - But it was a hell of a year.

LGBTQ community reacts to Pope Francis saying priests can bless same sex unions - This is causing some huge shockwaves. 

LGBTQ+ Groups to North Carolina School District: State's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Is Discrimination - No kidding. 

Eviction, threats and suicidal thoughts: Uganda's LGBTQ community endures trying year - The struggle is universal.

Conservative Scrooges gin up the hatred for First Lady Jill Biden's Christmas video

The right-wing ecosystem feeds off of hate and resentment so why should Christmas be any different for them than any other time of the year? 

A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.

Enjoy! 💕 pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o

— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 13, 2023

Personally, I liked the video. However, the usual suspects used it as another opportunity to attack President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

From Media Matters:

Right-wing media immediately began attacking the Biden White House’s Christmas celebration after First Lady Jill Biden posted a video to social media showing a tap dance company performing among the White House decorations in costumes meant to represent the holiday classic The Nutcracker. Many of the objections from conservatives seemingly criticized the inclusion of Black performers as evidence of “wokeness” or diversity, equity, and inclusion programs undermining holiday tradition, or claimed that the dance company itself is “anti-white.” 

These bizarre attacks follow more than a decade of “War on Christmas” coverage from right-wing media, which claimed that Democrats would ban observances of the holiday and wove together isolated Christmas anecdotes to stoke outrage that they often covered over much more newsworthy events, including actual wars. 

Certain comments included:

Former Trump adviser Stephen Miller: “This is a crime against Christmas.” [Twitter/X, 12/14/23] 

 Newsmax host Eric Bolling said, “The Biden family has perverted just about every single one of our institutions. Christmas is inevitably on their list, too.” Bolling lamented that this interpretation of The Nutcracker is “garish, and replete with tasteless perversions,” calling it “avant-garde and beyond woke,” and saying: “Nothing is sacred. Nothing is normal.” [Newsmax, Eric Bolling The Balance, 12/14/23]

 . . . On Fox Business’ The Bottom Line, guest Monica Crowley attacked the Biden administration for choosing “a radical, left-wing, basically communist activist dance group to do this video for Christmas. …. Nothing screams ‘happy holidays’ like ‘defund the police.’” Co-host Dagen McDowell added, “We can assume, Monica, that Joe Biden and company agree with this group's platform. It has to be the reason they picked them.” [Fox Business, The Bottom Line with Dagen and Duffy, 12/14/23]

 

In all honesty, who are some of these folks to criticize any Christmas celebration for not being wholesome or being perverted. Bolling was fired from Fox News for sending unsolicited pictures of genitalia to several female co-workers and Crowley is probably still bitter because she didn't get a prime gig in the Trump Administration after it was discovered that she plagiarized a large number of passages for her Ph.D. dissertation. As for Miller, well he's so evil that he probably cried at the end of The Wizard of Oz because Dorothy successfully got home. Even members of his own family can't stand him.

None of these folks are exactly the type you'd want to invite over for holiday cheer. All they know how to do is rage farm, i.e. exploit the prejudices and grievances of supporters for engagement or social status.  

Amanda Marcotte of Salon magazine put it best.

Biden's haters dug up a statement of anti-racism from the troupe's leader, Michelle Dorrance, and held it out as some kind of gotcha. But they gotcha'd themselves, by dragging that subtext right into the daylight. Racism and homophobia are obviously what's fueling this tantrum. Getting outraged over an anti-racist statement is an unwitting admission of what they can't say out loud. (Well, most, anyway. There were a few MAGA types who flatly stated their objection: "This is gay as hell.") All the coded language about "weird" and "classless" and "smut" was just a thin veil over the real grievance: The people MAGA hates were up in the White House having a good time. 

Anti-LGBTQ activist Christopher Rufo latest conservative done in by 'receipts'

Christopher Rufo

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo recently threatened legal action against the Southern Poverty Center for a report it put out about junk science used against the LGBTQ community. 

According to The Advocate:

The comprehensive study, “Combating Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience Through Accessible Informative Narratives,” or Project CAPTAIN, revealed during a press conference on Tuesday, details the concerted efforts of these groups to undermine LGBTQ+ rights through the manipulation of scientific realities, particularly when it comes to gender-affirming care and the health care needs for transgender people. R.G. Cravens, lead editor and author of the report, highlighted the alarming trend of using pseudoscience to target these groups. 

 “The gender-affirming care model… represents a global medical consensus. But the attempts to undermine it that we detail in this report are manufactured,” Cravens explained. “If the pseudoscience goes unchallenged… it has real life and often life-threatening consequences for trans and nonbinary people.” The report identifies over 60 groups, including familiar names like the Alliance Defending Freedom and lesser-known entities such as the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine. It uncovers the connections between these groups and their strategies to influence public policy and opinion. 

 “This report is pretty groundbreaking in how we’re able to look at these connections and help expose all of the groups that are at the center of this moral panic that we’re seeing,” Emerson Hodges, a research analyst at SPLC, said. “This report was ultimately designed to help provide details on pseudoscience and has become a tool to help us map out the far-right and their attempts to manipulate public opinion and advance anti-LGBT policies.” 

 

It is a good report which I encourage folks to read and share. Rufo voiced anger about it in a tweet Wednesday.

As seen by this tweet exchange, Rufo got support from conservative colleagues and various right-wing tweeters as he went through his Joan of Arc act. But Rufo is playing petty game of 'exact wording.' New York Times contributor Ben Ryan called it out:

Christopher Rufo @realchrisrufo has threatened legal action against @SPLCenter for, he said, falsely claiming that he used the phrase "stop grooming our kids" in the context of gender identity. But Rufo has suggested that "schools are 'grooming' kids into gender ideology."

Rufo… pic.twitter.com/pmDnkNCR3Y

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) December 14, 2023

And of course, I have to get a little piece of the action. 

In June of last year, I published a post revealing how Rufo encouraged supporters to claim that 'trans strippers' were coming into schools. The post included the following tweets.

While Rufo may not have called anyone a groomer, per se, he has more than once implied it. And when he agrees with the claim that he has never used groomer rhetoric, he is lying. As seen in the above examples, he has on more than one occasion dealt in false tropes and blatant mischaracterizations of LGBTQ culture to imply that we are 'grooming' kids. 

And just in case you missed it, here is another example: