Anti-gay right, conservatives falsely imply Obama is starting 'War on Christmas'

Obama is NOT declaring a 'War on Christmas.'

Thanksgiving isn't even here yet and some conservatives on the anti-gay right are already pushing the  "War on Christmas."

For the luckily uninitiated, the "War on Christmas" is a yearly event in which conservatives, Fox News, and anti-gay groups either outright lie or blow small incidents way out of proportion to claim that there is some type of  "conspiracy" to somehow strip the holiday of its supposed Christian  heritage.

In other words, it is merely a fear tactic used to generate big ratings or fundraising profits. And it must be working because America has been exposed to it for so long that many of us are now desensitized to how Christmas is exploited by this awful nonsense.

American Family Association's phony new service, One News Now, has already begun ringing the alarm:

"Those who deny that there's no war on Christmas just have a different reality in which they live," says Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver. The Christian attorney points to one recent example: the Veterans Affairs medical center in Salem, Virginia, which banned Christmas altogether – including the Christmas tree. "This year we've seen a number of attacks on Christmas – [one of them being] the absurd situation that Christmas trees are not permitted," he says, referring to the Salem situation. "That is probably one of the most absurd positions of any government official: that a Christmas tree cannot be permitted because it's Christian and establishes a religion – and yet that's exactly what was happening at Salem, Virginia." 

Remember how I said incidents are blown out of proportion?

'Will media ignore Ted Cruz's newest anti-gay alliance?' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Welcomes Endorsement From Pastor Who Linked Ebola To Gay Rights - After a lot of folks in the media, particularly our lovely overpaid pundits, pretty much ignored Cruz's alliance with a pastor who talked about the death penalty for gays, I'm not hopeful that this will be an "item." 

N.Y. farm appeals $13,000 fine for refusing lesbian couple's wedding - This is NOT a church nor a religious institution. It is a business and those who talk about how businesses should be allowed to discriminate should take in a history lesson on segregation.  

With Millions On HIV Treatment, AIDS Pandemic Tide Turns - BUT slowly...

The Upcoming Film About Black Trans Activist Marsha P. Johnson Looks Absolutely Legendary - THANK YOU! We need more films like this.

'It Gets Better' Launches Inspiring New Project To Celebrate 5th Birthday - Wonderful campaign we all can take part in.

Online publication Vox exposes the Liberty Counsel as an anti-gay hate group.

Staver

If Mat Staver and the Liberty Counsel raised "holy hell" with the Associated Press for merely pointing out that the organization is considered by some to be a hate group, I imagine that they are going to be extremely angry at the online magazine, Vox.

In a recent issue, Vox shined a bright spotlight on the Liberty Counsel, publishing a piece which should serve as a lesson on how to create a proper article.

German Lopez's article, Meet the little-known religious group that turned Kim Davis into a right-wing superstar, is detailed, thoroughly researched, and downright brutal. An excerpt is as follow:

The group presents itself as a reasonable arbiter of religious liberties in these fights, citing discredited scientific research and supposed experts. But a theme runs through all of these battles: Stop LGBTQ rights — even basic ones, like legally allowing consensual same-sex relationships — at any cost.

Here are just a few examples of Staver and Liberty Counsel's past work and comments, largely gathered from Right Wing Watch's archives:

• In 2003, Liberty Counsel submitted a brief to the Supreme Court arguing that the court should not strike down states' anti-sodomy laws, which banned gay sex. The brief stated, "Statistical evidence concerning the medical and social harms resulting from 'private, consensual' same-sex sexual conduct, together with recent legislative and judicial battles, underscore the long-term, devastating consequences of a decision declaring a fundamental right to engage in private consensual same-sex sodomy.

• In 2004, Staver argued in Same-Sex Marriage: Putting Every Household at Risk, "Homosexuality is a destructive lifestyle both physically and emotionally. Same-sex marriage cannot be viewed in isolation from homosexual activity and its consequences on those who engage in such practices, and especially on children raised in such an environment." He was citing the now-discredited work of psychologist Paul Cameron.

  . . .  Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told me that the long history of anti-LGBTQ activism and incendiary comments is what led his organization to classify Liberty Counsel as a hate group. "We do not list groups on the basis of opposition to same-sex marriage or the belief that homosexuality is a sin," Potok said. "We base it on the propagation of known falsehoods and, to a lesser extent, repetitive name-calling."

Staver denies that Liberty Counsel is a hate group, saying his comments have been taken out of context and noting that his group strictly advocates for nonviolent protest. But looking at the collection of all these statements, an obvious pattern emerges — one that is clearly demeaning to LGBTQ people.

But as offensive as these comments are, they're not even the most bizarre aspect of Liberty Counsel's recent anti-LGBTQ work. In the past month, Staver and the group have also been caught repeatedly lying — in what seem to be two failed attempts to appear as if the group and its anti-LGBTQ crusades are still a major, well-supported force in the world.

'Anti-gay backlash coming? Do I look scared?' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Vander Plaats

LGBT Leaders Warn of Looming Gay Rights Backlash - Those of us who study history know that this is inevitable. Historically, after any group becomes successful with attaining some form of equality, backlashes by other parts of society occur. The lgbt community does have one advantage. If we followed history, we know what to expect so we can launch a full-throated, unapologetic, aggressive defense of what we have attained. It beats standing out with your thumb in your ass waiting for the wave of homophobic backlash to knock you down. Make sure those folks know that "you have to bring some to get some."

GOP Candidates Seek Endorsement Of Iowa Anti-Gay Leader Bob Vander Plaats - The fact that many lgbts aren't familiar with Vander Plaats or will write him off as "simply a bigot" is a mindset that we need to overcome.  

Transgender Women’s Health Benefits From Transition Surgery, Study Finds - It's interesting and unfortunate that whenever the media talks about the transgender community, we hear more from pundits and religious right leaders rather than medical professionals and the transgender community itself. 

 I'll Go With You - A Mother's Personal Story About Her Trans Child And Public Bathrooms.  

Victory Fund won’t dump gay lawmakers over refugee vote - I respect the Victory Fund but I also feel that lgbt lawmakers should be called to the carpet, like any other lawmaker, when they do things which simply aren't right. And what these lawmakers did with regards to the Syrian refugee vote was shameful.

Heterosexuality can be cured . . .

No doubt, rampant heterosexuality is a major problem. The following video demonstrates how one can get help in overcoming it:



(In case you haven't realized it yet, this video is strictly satire. These days, it seems that you always have to clarify the obvious.)

'Why 'Transgender Day of Remembrance' is important' & other Fri midday news briefs

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2015: A Reporter's List - I wish days like this weren't necessary, but they are. Cases in point:  

Ted Cruz: Obama Administration Support For Trans School-Aged Children Is “Lunacy” - Idiots like this going for the low hanging fruit of ignorance and fear.  And ignorance and fear only fuels violence.

Wisconsin transgender 'bathroom bill' draws emotional public hearing - While deliberately ignoring the voices of the transgender community - men, women, and children who merely want to live their lives authentically. 

 As 2015 Sees A Record Number Of Documented Transgender Murders, A Glimmer Of Hope - Days like this are necessary because they remind us that there is A LOT of good which has been done, but there is A LOT more to do. 

 In other news: 

 Queer Voices: Do I Sound Gay? Does It Matter? - Or "does this imitation of Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues or Angela Lansbury doing 'Rose's Turn' in Gypsy make me look gay? I certainly hope so.  

US Embassy mocks Russian paper over fake ‘outing’ letter - Sock it to them!  

Gay, bisexual lawmakers support bill to block Syrian refugees - I am not, repeat, NOT happy about this.

Family Research Council falsely accusing Obama of discriminating against Christian refugees

There is no doubt that the situation involving the Syrian refugees has caused much controversy due to the attacks on Paris. Much of the controversy has to do with the fact that even though the perpetrators were identified as European nationals, many conservatives, GOP members, and religious right figures have exploited the situation to demonize not only the Syrian refugees but also those who practice Islam.

We've even had some folks, including presidential candidates such as Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, offer the idea that only Christian Syrian refugees should be admitted because - as the more coarse of their colleagues put it - "only Muslims are looking to harm people."

To accentuate that mindset comes a new, but callously inaccurate spin which accuses President Obama of favoring Muslim refugees over Christian refugees. And who else is helping to forward this lie but none other than Tony Perkins and the  Family Research Council.