11-year-old defeats homophobia!

Via the Huffington Post, a very happy ending to today's lead news brief post:

A openly gay 11-year-old boy's campaign against a homophobic Tennessee representative has succeeded.

Marcel Neergaard is a Tennessee boy who was home-schooled for sixth grade and even contemplated suicide due to severe anti-gay bullying, bullying that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates say could have been fostered in public schools throughout the state if the "Don't Say Gay" bill had actually passed.

The bill, rejected in 2012, aimed at banning talk of sexual activity other than "related to natural human reproduction." It was resurrected by Representative John Ragan (R-Tenn.) this year as the "Classroom Protection Act." It included an amendment requiring school officials to inform parents if they have reason to believe the child might be gay. The bill also required schools to provide counseling for such students so as to prevent “behavior injurious to the physical or mental health and well-being of the student or another person.”

The proposed bill failed in March, but prior to that, in 2012, Ragan was honored with the educational "Reformer of the Year" award by StudentsFirst, a group dedicated to defending the interests of children in public schools and pushing for transformative reform.

Neergaard didn't think Ragan deserved such a title. So he started a petition on MoveOn.org to get the accolade revoked. And it worked. After getting more than 50,000 signatures, the bullied youngster's campaign caught the attention of StudentsFirst and today the group reneged Ragan's award.

See more of this article here.

' 11-yr-old teaches us all how activism is done' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

If this young man is the future of the lgbt community, then our future is in a very bright place. I'm floored by his courage. The following is the backstory of his petition:

Bullied Gay 11 Year Old Explains How ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills Lead Him To Consider Suicide 

 Go here for the Facebook page about the petition.

In other news: 

Tony Perkins: Gays less like 'Glee,' more like 'American Horror Story' - Oh good grief, Tony!

And as it turns out, Perkins makes up some statistics in his whine -  Perkins: 30 Percent of Characters on TV are Gay; Used to Shield 'Dangerous Lifestyle'

AIDS at 32: For Whom the Bell Tolls (32 Notables Share Their Stories) - an excellent piece.

Churches Move To Cut Ties To Scouts After Gay Policy Change - Come on guys. Don't be such meanies.

Heckling the First Lady was counterproductive no matter how much attention it gets.

Editor's note - I wanted to talk more about yesterday's pathetic anti-gay protest at HRC headquarters, but last night's heckling of Michelle Obama by a GetEqual activist is on my mind and it's moving me into a territory which I despise - publicly criticizing my own. But it has to be said, particularly because I was called an "Uncle Tom" by a member of my own lgbt community for daring to espouse such an opinion. I apologize for those who feel that this is free form rambling. But it is my opinion. And I should tell you that what you read below is not simply the product of my disappointment over last night's heckling, but how I have felt this year with some of my fellow lgbt activists: 

Last night's heckling of First Lady Michelle Obama by a member of the lgbt group GetEqual wasn't just dumb.

It was highly counterproductive. Furthermore, I have a serious problem with the idea that any attention is good, no matter how much of an ass you act to receive it. While I totally understand the why, I also believe in picking one's spots. Was the heckling indicative of the lgbt community needing to speak out or our forced silence? No. It is indicative of a mindset of self-described elite members of the lgbt community attempting to boggart the conversation and not caring who they hurt to get their attention.

While some may feel that what was done last night was awesome, many others feel that it is indicative of the mindset of a group of folks who cling so desperately to the Act-UP/Queer Nation mentality of 20 years ago because they are either too lazy, too rushed, or too limited to grasp the idea that perhaps new ideas are needed to fully embrace the lgbt community's present day status of being more inside the bubble than outside. These folks need to take into account that our struggle for equality is not centered around cliques, a circles of friends, or a bunch of like-minded pseudo intellectual folks who will either complicate the issue or refuse to do more to make the case for equality IN the community.

And then there is that nagging idea that this "shout your head off/show your butt" mentality is indicative of some in the lgbt community who don't want to embrace new and different folks who may be  - shall we say -  a bit less eastern and a bit more Southern, a bit less rooted in the stereotypical lgbt social strata, a bit less rooted in the clique mentality, a bit more methodical in our planning, or a bit more "ethnically challenged." In short, this heckling was dumb. It was ill-timed, slack, and counterproductive. It demonstrates the mentality of a group who - while having the potential to be the next generation of equality leaders following in the footsteps of past leaders - do not yet have the maturity.

NOM president 's Congressional tirade backfires

Robert Eastman, head of the National Organization for Marriage was testifying in front of a Congressional committee today in a sad attempt to attach his organization to the IRS scandal. NOM  is claiming that the IRS leaked the organization's information.

 And NOM and other folks on the right will be talking about the above video clip, no doubt claiming that Eastman "socked it to" the Democrats and the I.R.S.

 However, that's not the case.

As a good friend of mine, Viktor Kerney, pointed out on his blog, while Rep. Earl Blumenauer - a Democrat on the Congressional hearing committee - sat through Eastman's tirade, he took the time to respond in the Huffington Post:

Last year, internal National Organization for Marriage (NOM) strategy documents were leaked, stating that the organization seeks "to drive a wedge between gays and blacks" by promoting "African American spokespeople for marriage," thus provoking same-sex marriage supporters into "denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots," and "to interrupt the assimilation" of Latinos into "dominant Anglo culture" by making the stance against same-sex marriage "a key badge of Latino identity."

Does this sound like social welfare to you?

Social welfare organizations should work in the public interest -- not to divide, exploit, and conquer.

When I brought this up at the hearing today, Dr. Eastman, Chairman of the Board of NOM, angrily groused, "To say that defending traditional marriage doesn't qualify for defense of the public good is beyond preposterous."

To Dr. Eastman, I say that it is the denial of my constituents, and all Americans, the right to marry the person they love is preposterous. To exploit racial and religious differences so you can fundraise for and enforce your specific worldview is preposterous.

But your right to be preposterous should not extend to taking political positions under the guise of a social welfare organization, raising money and campaigning.

We all agree the IRS was wrong to target specific groups. But political organizations like the National Organization for Marriage can't have it both ways. If they want to engage in politics, that is their right, and they should register accordingly. But NOM's mission couldn't be farther from promoting social welfare -- and looking at the polls and recent ballot box victories, citizens across the country are proving that they agree.

Rep. Blumenauer's post is indicative of the fact that because of Eastman's testimony,  NOM seems to be facing renewed scrutiny of its not-so-moral actions. Less than an hour ago, Chris Geidner from Buzzfeed put out the following tweet:

Chris Geidner ‏@chrisgeidner 53m

NOM keeps complaining about the IRS & saying they're filing a lawsuit. I keep asking if they've filed &, if so, to see it. They haven't.

Someone should ask Eastman how does his foot taste since he put it so deep in his mouth.

'Anti-gay protest at HRC headquarters a miserable FLOP' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

As if it's any surprise (but come on, you want to know anyway), the anti-gay protest  by Peter LaBarbera and his merry cast of homophobes at HRC is a big bust. As I understand, it's still ongoing and no doubt there will more footage. But for now, enjoy the following picture and video as much as I have. The words are ridiculous, but the absence of people is just scrumptious.

Maybe I need to protest HRC if they are that welcoming.

 

 In other news:

Family Research Council Boasts Making Gay Illinois Legislator Cry - Dear FRC, you just KNOW we will remember that one.

Bar Association Group Issues Resolution Against Gay & Trans "Panic" Defenses -  Kudos to the American Bar Association!

Is National Organization For Marriage Bankrupt? - I sincerely doubt it but isn't it a pleasantly delicious thought?

Pictures and videos courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign. To cut the volume , click the mute button on the upper left hand of the videos. It's funnier that way.

When third-rate anti-gay activists protest the Human Rights Campaign . . .

When famously talented musicians team up for an album, the term used to describe this collaboration is a "supergroup."

If that's the case, what do you call a bunch of infamously homophobic stooges teaming up for a silly protest of one of the nation's foremost lgbt equality groups?

It's a thought to ponder because 11 a.m. today, several of them will be gathering in front of the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in order to protest Gay Pride Month as well as attempting to connect HRC to the IRS scandal.

Let's look at the ringleaders in this ecclesiastical hulapalooza:

LaBarbera

Leading the protest is the group Americans for Truth, led by Peter LaBarbera.  LaBarbera has been known to endorse any, and I mean any research that makes lgbts the bad guys even if that research is by discredited sources, such as  Paul (gays stuff gerbils up their rectums) Cameron or Ugandan "kill the gays" bill supporter and author of a factually-challenged book linking gays to the Nazi Party Scott Lively. Of course he is also known for attending leather events and "street fairs" with his camera, looking for "filthy images" to publicize on his webpage as an example of the so-called real face of lgbt America. And he always makes sure to give "loving detail" to the acts featured in the pictures.

And let's not forget his bad sense of humor, such as when he posted the following picture of openly gay former Congressman Barney Frank as a TSA agent on his webpage:

Barber

Then there is Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel, a man whom many - myself included - have accused of having an unhealthy devotion to talking about gay sex.  In 2009 during a conservative conference, Barber demanded that folks opposing lgbt equality start talking more about gay sex in order to expose the "ick factor" that people have about it. He claimed that this was the "Achilles heel" of the lgbt equality movement.

In fact, Barber will be remembered for one interestingly graphic statement he made about his idea of gays having sex:

“one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it ‘love."

Of course, less polite people than myself would probably accuse Barber of being jealous.  Other than that, Barber has made a nuisance out of himself with several homophobic actions, including tweeting an ugly statement about gay sex (he does talk about that a lot) during President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address and recently, sending out a very nasty cartoon in protest of the Boy Scouts allowing gay youth to participate:

Harvey

Rounding out this cast of characters is triple Z-rated activist Linda Harvey from Mission America, a homophobe who seems to never get called on by major religious right groups nor does she seem to never appear on television shows. It's probably because one gets the impression that her expressed views are too out there even for folks like Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council.

For example, there is the time in 2011 when she advised parents to not allow their children to see gay physicians. Or the time when she claimed that gays don't really exist (which would make today's protest irrelevant if you think about it). Or last month when she said that employees should have the right to fire gays in order to "uphold moral standards."

Activist Wayne Besen once called Harvey the "most homophobic woman in America." I think he said that because he felt sorry for her.  Harvey really serves no purpose in the religious right food chain other than aiding lgbt bloggers and groups such as People for the American Way prove that behind the lovey-dovey, "hate the sin but love the sinner" rhetoric of the religious right beats an ugly heart.

I'm almost jealous that I won't be at the HRC protest today. I haven't had a good laugh in a long time.

Related post - How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America

Gays are linked to Nazi Germany by the religious right (again)

I don't think Jeremy Hooper minds me taking this from his site to share with you. It's from a Liberty University radio show featuring Liberty University colleagues Matt Barber and Cynthia Dunbar. Skip this monstrosity until 8:55 where you will hear the two claim that gay activism we see now was the same "type" pushed in pre-Holocaust German. It certainly lets you know why we don't hardly ever see any professors from legitimate universities on Liberty Counsel's radio show.

I don't think they can handle the stupid. It even burns on my computer screen. Hooper slays this junk best with the following statement:

 . . . Dunbar fulfills Godwin's Law with a claim that the current push for LGBT activism is the "same type of thing" that happened in the run up to the mass murder of the Jewish people (and others, including gays).