Colbert Report spotlights LGBT ordinance of small town in awesome video

This segment of the Colbert Report, about Vicco, KY, becoming the smallest U.S. town to pass an LGBT fairness ordinance is just too awesome for words

'WWE supports openly gay wrestling superstar' and other Thursday midday news briefs

WWE Superstar Darren Young Comes Out As Gay During TMZ Interview - Knowing the world of professional wrestling, I withheld any belief that this was true. However, based upon the official statement made by the WWE, this is on the up and up:

 "WWE is proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality, and we will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar. Today, in fact, Darren will be participating in one of our Be A Star anti-bullying rallies in Los Angeles to teach children how to create positive environments for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation." 

Let's be honest. Young is the first openly gay WWE superstar, but he is not the first gay wrestler. There have been rumors of others for a long time and it is known that former long-time wrestler and WWE mentor, Pat Patterson, is openly gay and in a relationship.

In other news:

 NOM now officially an anti-trans organization - I think we are going to be seeing more of this, unfortunately.  

 Florida Condo Association Allows Married Residents Only: Sorry Gays - Yet another way not being allowed to marry encourages anti-gay discrimination.  

Federal Judge Allows Uganda Lawsuit Against Scott Lively to Go Forward - Sweet! Even if they don't eventually win, what Lively did in Uganda will finally come out in full detail.

Religious right exploiting fear, ignorance over law to protect transgender students

Recently,  California governor Jerry Brown signed what has been called a historic bill which guarantees transgender students equal access to facilities - including bathrooms - based upon their gender identity. The bill also allows them to compete on sports teams based upon their gender identities.

And naturally conservatives and the religious right are screaming bloody murder as well as conjuring up false images of boys invading girls' bathrooms and showers in order to rape them.

Of course none of these things has ever happened in the several other states who have protections in law for transgender students. However, we all know that people tend to forget their senses when it looks as if their children are threatened.

It's something religious right groups count on. A prime example of this hysteria comes from the following CNN debate:

CNN invited hate group leader Randy Thomasson to appear on the network to condemn a new California law ensuring the rights of transgender teens to use facilities and participate in programs corresponding to their gender identities. Thomasson appeared along with the Transgender Law Center's Masen Davis, a transgender male. At the end of the segment, Thomasson told Davis and host Brooke Baldwin, "Hey, good to talk to you ladies." Appearing on the August 13 edition of CNN Newsroom, Thomasson, president of the anti-LGBT hate group Save California, peddled standard transphobic tropes about "sexually confused" transgender individuals, before closing with his snide remark:

The truth of the matter is that there is nothing to fear with this law:

In reality, the measure would merely affirm current law which prohibits California public schools from discriminating against transgender students. Allowing access to appropriate facilities and participation on school teams is an important step to deal with the high rates of bullying and harassment faced by transgender students.  As a recent decision by the Colorado Rights Division stated, refusing this kind of access to transgender students “creates an environment that is objectively and subjectively hostile, intimidating, or offensive.”

Comedian tells the truth about being gay in the Black church

After all of this Donnie McClurkin crap, I want to spotlight something positive about lgbts of color. And something which will make me laugh.

Openly gay black comedian, Sampson, manages to do it for me. He is funny, refreshing, and an excellent role model for lgbts of color. Keep an eye out for this guy. He is very talented.

'World Net Daily accuses gays of turning Dr. King into 'a queen'' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

WND Columnist: "Homosexual Lobby" Trying "To Turn Dr. King Into A Queen" - So, with an absolutely preposterous column World Net Daily takes a break from pushing false claims about Obama's birth certificate to "defend" Martin Luther King, Jr's legacy from gays.  . . . stop laughing.

Cable News Networks Invite Hate Group Leaders To Discuss Transgender Inclusion - And of course they make complete fools of themselves but the point is where is the balance? 

September Is 'Ex-Gay Awareness Month,' According To Family Research Council Groups - Be still my gas. 

Harvey: LGBT Rights Leads to the 'Oppression' of Parents - Linda Harvey is ALWAYS good for a laugh.

Donnie McClurkin misleads during interview about his homophobic rhetoric

And the Donnie McClurkin game of lying continues.

The "ex-gay" gospel singer has been steadily making the rounds of the radio shows and Christian media after being unceremoniously dumped from Saturday's concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

McClurkin was uninvited due to past comments he made regarding homosexuality, including implying that homosexuality is linked to pedophilia.

On Tuesday morning, he was on the Tom Joyner Morning Show explaining his side of the story. It was a very sad interview because it was one-sided and totally inaccurate in a big respect. Joyner and co-interviewer Roland Martin pretty much did everything but reach into their pocket and hand McClurkin money for his troubles.

I found the interview extremely nauseating. But one exchange between Martin and McClurkin caught my attention. According to the transcript:

ROLAND MARTIN:  Do you believe it’s fair, Donnie?  I mean the comments that gays and lesbians are upset about you made more than a decade ago about formerly being gay, talking about it as being a sin.  You made those comments more than a decade ago.  Is it fair for an activist to, you know, a decade later to say, oh, because he made those comments in that period he shouldn’t do something today here in 2013?

DONNIE MCCLURKIN:  Well, it’s not fair, and it’s been an ongoing battle. It’s been an ongoing political battle.  But in fairness we’re talking about a peace rally.  And we’re talking about a group of people who have been lobbying for a long time for equality and tolerance.  But now to have none concerning anybody else who said anything that is against, or not through their agenda.  I don’t have a problem. 

But Martin is inaccurate. McClurkin's anti-gay rhetoric is more recent than a decade ago. According to Rod McCollum from his blog, Rod2.0 Beta:

In November 2009, McClurkin preached an incendiary attack against LGBT youth and newly out gospel singer Tonex at the Church of God in Christ's Holy Convocation Youth Service in Memphis. McClurkin's hateful sermon went viral across the internet. McClurkin compared LGBT youth to "vampires" and added: "I see feminine men, feminine boys, everywhere I go.

And a portion of this is on video beginning at 6:17:



Now in all fairness, Martin - being the interviewer - is allowed to get some facts wrong. But wasn't it up to McClurkin to correct him?

As a matter of fact, I noticed that in the interview, McClurkin made no attempt to address specifically his comments about gays, except for to say the following:

 You can’t call me a homophobic if I’ve been a homosexual. That’s quite a stretch.  But for them to think that it’s fair, or okay, or tolerant, to uninvite someone simply because they have opposing views, but have never said anything derogatory about them, just simply gave my testimony about what happened with myself.

He also said:

I believe that (the Mayor) owes the City of D.C., an apology. He’s done a disservice to the faith based community. And I can take the blow, but he needs to be more concerned about his constituency.  And to do something like this at a Martin Luther King peace rally is totally against what Martin Luther King stood for.

McClurkin should be aware that King also stood for honesty and before he continues to cling to his cross of martyrdom, he should practice a little himself.

The cruelest thing said about same-sex families thus far by NOM

When opponents like Jennifer Morse of NOM's Ruth Institute claim that they speak against marriage equality and lgbt rights because they supposedly love gays, keep the following Facebook comment in mind:

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.