Surprise! Children react positively to marriage equality and the world doesn't explode

Anti-gay groups are constantly complaining that any idea of marriage equality would harm children by supposedly confusing them or warping their minds. I think this video of children, ages 5-13, viewing two videos of marriage equality proposals destroys that silly theory.

'Senate likes ENDA, Boehner hates ENDA' and other Monday midday news briefs

Republican Senator Dean Heller Becomes Critical 60th Vote For LGBT Job Protections - The good news? ENDA looks like it will be approved by the Senate. 

John Boehner Opposes ENDA, Dealing Blow To Bill's Chances - Bad news? It's opposed by Speaker of the House Boehner, the same guy who spent an obscenely amount of taxpayer money on a crappy DOMA defense.  

Maine Congressman Michael Michaud Comes Out As Gay: ‘But Why Should It Matter?’ - Other than ENDA, THIS has been the talk of the morning. And he running for governor of Maine, too. Will Maine get a gay governor? I hope so.  

Klingenschmitt & Will Perkins: Gays Want Marriage Rights In Order To Gain Access To Children - Of course this makes no sense at all, but does it EVER make sense with these people?

How An 'Anti-Gay' Mississippi Town Stopped A Gay Bar From Opening - What was that song about Mississippi by Nina Simone? 'GODDAMN MISSISSIPPI!'

Know Your LGBT History - The Gay Deceivers

This trailer - and movie if you can find it - is something to watch the next time you complain about the lgbt images on television and the movies these days. The Gay Deceivers (1969) was a "comedy" which told the story of two men seeking to avoid military service by pretending they are gay. The following is from wikipedia:

  According to gay film historian Vito Russo in his book The Celluloid Closet, co-star Michael Greer, who played the flamboyantly gay Malcolm and who was himself gay, tried to work with the screenwriter and director to minimize the negativity of the characterization and present Malcolm in a positive light.

I don't think Greer was successful.

Supposedly it featured a twist ending of the two men not having to serve because the two investigators themselves were gay and were plotting to keep heterosexual men out of the military.

While watching this trailer, keep telling yourself, "Thank God they don't make movies like this anymore, Thank God they don't make movies like this anymore . . ."

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Anti-gay activist claims lgbts stole the word 'equality'' and other Friday midday news briefs

Professional anti-gay would appreciate it if you stop stealing his English language; he owns it—it's his - Porno Pete LaBarbera HATES for lgbts to use the word "equality." How ironic that I have so many choice words I can use to describe him. But such language would cause Armageddon.

Most Americans Don't Know People Can Be Fired For Being Gay, Only Half Support Law Preventing It - Thank you American media for keeping us halfway ignorant. 

Hawaii Republicans Try To Block Marriage Equality From Advancing - You can only keep away a rushing tide of momentum for only a second if at all.

  'A Day With HIV' Aims To Fight Stigma And Raise AIDS Awareness - An excellent post! 

FRC Asks God To 'Intervene To Prevent; ENDA From Passing - I think God has more important things to attend to.

Religious right counting on transgender horror stories to stop ENDA

Oh the lies they tell about ENDA!

Just as I predicted.

As the United States Senate gets closer to a vote on ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act), religious right groups are pulling out the "do you want your children taught by crossdressers, drag queens, and transgenders" card.

Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition (who always seems to be strangely silent except when folks start talking about ENDA) had this to say:

Andrea Lafferty tells OneNewsNow that the first impact might see transgendered people teaching in public schools. "We believe that children need a psychologically stable and emotionally secure environment to learn," says Lafferty. "And that is not the case when you put individuals who struggle with gender identity [into classrooms]." She argues that transgender people are "psychologically unhealthy individuals" who shouldn't be "forced on children and parents" in schools around the country. 

And of course the Family Research Council gets into the act via an email alert which spun other tales of lies:

ENDA would force religious business owners and workplaces such as Christian bookstores, religious publishing houses, pre-schools and religious television and radio stations to accept as normal any employee who has had a sex-change surgery, any employee who has changed or is "transitioning" their public "gender identity" (regardless of whether they have had surgery or hormone treatments), transvestites (people who dress as the opposite sex on an occasional basis for emotional or sexual gratification), and drag queens or drag kings (people who dress as the opposite sex for the purpose of entertaining others).

Making matters worse, "perceived gender identity" status does not require sex-change surgery, so ENDA would allow some biological males (who claim to be female) to enter and even appear nude before females in bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. Situations like this have already been reported in several states with ENDA like laws such as Maine, Colorado and California.

We had better get ready to hear more of this junk. It's all a matter of fear tactics.

Regarding "religious business owners," that's too broad of a field for my taste. Anyone employed in or owning a secular business should not get religious exemptions, no matter what their personal beliefs may be.  Tax dollars are being used to protect these businesses, i.e. the police department and the fire department, etc. And the last time I checked, LGBTs pay taxes.

Regarding bathrooms, locker room, and showers, let me ask you one question. We hear horror stories of what could happen, but have we ever heard any actual stories of things like this happening. Notice how FRC is deliberately vague about that. I can honestly tell you that here in Columbia, SC where there is a trans-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance, we have never had these problems. Transgender men and women aren't predators. They aren't trying to "sneak a peak."  They go about their business not trying to draw attention to themselves . . . just like everyone else.

Now about the biggie, i.e. schools employing transgender teachers. Let's ask ourselves an honest question about that? Just what harm would it do to children? Is there any case of children being harmed by being taught by a transgender teacher. Goodness knows, there are more than enough cases of parents freaking out over the possibility. But has the possibility ever become the actuality?

In 2010 Lafferty actually tried to dig up cases of children being harmed by transgender teachers. She cited three. However, as with the case of so many religious right spokesperson, she gave the cases inaccurate spins. I took it upon myself to dig deep and found that none of the cases involved children being harmed. In fact, what actually happened was that many of the children and their parents supported the teachers and a lot of the controversy and angry noise came from folks who didn't even have children attending the schools.

But who cares about truth, huh? It's a sad day when those who call themselves Christians and children of God appeal to fears and distortions rather than truth and love, especially to deny their fellow men and women their God-given right to equality.




 

'Anti-gay pastor denies comments even AFTER they were caught on audio and video' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Editor's note - I am pretty sure that folks have noticed that I haven't blogging as much as I have in the past.  I have been derelict in that department because I have been prepping my booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America, for a major national award nomination. On Monday, I will mail off the final paperwork. Wish me luck.

E.W. Jackson Resorts To Lying To Duck Questions About Anti-Gay Rhetoric - VA lt. governor nominee and anti-gay pastor has denied that he ever called gays sick and that God will stop blessing the military over gay rights. But there is one problem with his denials. He is ON AUDIO AND VIDEOTAPE making both statements. Sorry, Jackson but being a pastor doesn't give you the Jedi mind trick.

 10 Myths Conservatives Spread In Opposition To LGBT Employment Protections - Here are ten more conservative lies about ENDA.

Meet The Pacific Justice Institute, The California Group Behind Fox’s Anti-LGBT Horror Stories - Here is a look at the big bad "Christian" organization who resorts to smearing transgender children.

Orson Scott Card Calls Backlash To Anti-Gay Views 'Savage, Lying Deceptive Personal Attacks' - Now come on, Orson. You started it. Be honest.

 Maggie Gallagher Believes Her Fight Will Be Fully Lost Within Two Years - That's a nice thought. 

Trans Teen Won't Be Homecoming King, But Can Start a GSA - LGBT children are changing the world for the better!

'Top 10 Religious Right lies about ENDA' and other Wednesday afternoon news briefs

Last Three Democrat Holdouts To Support ENDA - There will be a vote on ENDA in the Senate and all the Democrats there support it. But you know what this means . . .

The ENDA is Near: The Top Ten Religious Right Claims About the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (UPDATED) - THIS is what the vote means. As much as you probably don't want to (and I don't blame you, familiarize yourselves with these ludicrous arguments because you will be hearing them soon.  

Yanel Valenzuela, Transgender Woman, Allegedly Barred From LA Fitness Locker Room - It was downright nasty how this young lady was done wrong.  

How Unjust Family Laws Are Keeping LGBT Parents Away From Their Children - Bar none, the scariest thing an LGBT parent will probably ever read.  

Good News: We Can All Stop Worrying About Bullying Now - Pay attention, boys and girls. This is how you use a strawman argument to minimize a huge problem.