'Anti-gay group distorts picture of Obama crying to create Islamophobic smear' & other Thur. midday news briefs

You see this jpeg of a twitter post:

It is a lie and an especially vicious lie. That picture of President Obama crying was taken from earlier this year when he spoke about the 2012  attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The organization behind this smear is Accuracy in Media. Its leader, and the author of the nasty piece referenced in the twitter post, is one Cliff Kincaid. Kincaid, as you can guess, isn't exactly the lgbt community's best friend.

This is why it is important to bring attention to the workings of anti-lgbt groups and activists. This smear also proves why the lgbt community must not allow the Orlando tragedy to turn us against the Muslim community.

There is always a third party waiting to exploit grief and tragedy.

Hat tip to Rude Pundit.

Perkins: Obama Fosters Environment For Terrorism In America - Tony Perkins of the anti-lgbt Family Research Council points to Obama instead of his group's anti-lgbt lies. One finger forward, three fingers back to you, Tony.

 Florida’s Attorney General Declared War On Anderson Cooper. It’s Not Going Well. - Anderson Cooper practically OWNED Florida's hypocritical attorney general on her anti-lgbt bigotry. She got angry, responded, and he owned her again.

  David Brock Explains How NY Times Editorial Correctly Highlights Trump Pandering To LGBT Community, While Undermining Their Rights - PREACH! We aren't falling for Trump's lies.

 ‘Ask The Gays’ Is The Best Twitter Meme Donald Trump Never Wanted - WE are not to be trifled with.

Franklin Graham proves he is part of the problem which led to Orlando tragedy

After all that's been said about the Orlando tragedy, the following by Franklin Graham on his Facebook page is just sad:

Isn't it just like Graham to get the entire situation wrong. For the record,  Trump gave an absolutely vile speech which was filled with inaccuracies and panned for its nonsensical demagoguery across all corners.

I'm really not surprised about Graham. Last year, he was defending Russia's anti-gay laws.

According to The Advocate, Graham reportedly said the following:

“I very much appreciate that President Putin is protecting Russian young people against homosexual propaganda,” Graham told Russian newspaper Moskoviskij Komsomolets, according to a translation by Right Wing Watch. “If only to give them the opportunity to grow up and make a decision for themselves. Again, homosexuals cannot have children, they can take other people’s children.”

Earlier this year, he said gay Christians were "the enemy."

And those are just two of the many nasty statements he made demonizing the lgbt community.

Graham has deluded himself and his supporters into thinking that he is a man of God. In truth, he is nothing more than a vulture whose false piety unfortunately blinds  many people when he swoops down to feed.

His statements of condemnation and irrationality provide no comfort or truth. They only fill his already grotesquely bloated ego on the pain and sadness of the  lgbt community.

'GOP bull@%! reigns even after Orlando' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Congressman Denies Shooting Targeted Gay People Then Blocks Nondiscrimination Amendment - Oh yeah. I got your "moment of silence." Might I give it to you and suggest what you can do with it.

Gay GOProud Founder Chris Barron Launches Loathsome ‘LGBT for Trump’ Campaign - Or why legitimate lgbt activists (and a field marshal like myself)can't get any decent press in the lgbt media. Because folks like this fool sucks up all of the air in the room.  

NY Times Editorial Board Excoriates Republicans’ Anti-Gay Crusades In Wake Of Orlando Shooting - Sock it to them!  

MSNBC's Chris Hayes And Dan Savage Shred Trump's Attempts To Pit The LGBT Community Against Muslims - The lgbt community may be in mourning but we are not stupid or delusional.  

Orlando Shooting Vigil In London Turns Into Epic Vogue Battle - Let's just be truthful. WE RULE:

People asking if I've got more videos of the #SohoVigil vogue battle. Here's one: pic.twitter.com/3yYj9gnf16

— Zing Tsjeng (@misszing) June 14, 2016

Anti-lgbt hate groups Family Research Council, AFA upset at blowback from Orlando tragedy

The Family Research Council  and its president, Tony Perkins, is "ever so pissed" for what it claims is unfair blaming of groups and individuals like itself - folks who hold anti-gay animus - for the Orlando tragedy:

 . . .the Left's Christian blame game goes on. It's the religious right, columnists rant, who created this "toxic climate" with their Kim Davises and H.B. 2s. Citing North Carolina and Mississippi, liberals insist, "The Christian right has introduced 200 anti-LGBT bills in the last six months, and people are [pointing the finger at] Islam for this. No." First of all, people are blaming radical Islam because the shooter did. Secondly, it's a little ridiculous to suggest that disagreements over special rights for people who identify as LGBT are responsible, since even the gunman's ex-wife alleges he was gay. While the investigation is ongoing, the 29-year-old Islamist was reportedly a regular at gay clubs, tried to get romantically involved with a male coworker, and had profiles on several gay dating apps. It's time for liberals to stop tiptoeing around the obvious and embrace what the facts already do: which is that a hateful ideology -- not guns, Christians, or anti-Muslim sentiment -- is to blame.

For once I agree with you, Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, if only partly. A hateful ideology does have a share of  the blame for what happened in Orlando. Yours:

 

One more thing, guys. If you feel that people are unfairly blaming you, perhaps it's best not to give reasons to justify the blaming. Mentioning Kim Davis and the 200 anti-lgbt bills doesn't exactly help your argument.

UPDATE - Now the American Family Association, via its fake news service One News Now, is also complaining about being unfairly blamed for Orlando:
 

'Texas Lt Gov. gives weak defense of anti-lgbt tweet' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick Defends His Tweet - In this long-winded, weak ass explanation, I think Patrick said God directed him to send that awful tweet. I've heard more plausible explanations from men caught by their spouses butt naked and in the bed with farm animals. 

From the Radical Religious Right, An Outpouring of Sympathy That Rings Hollow - Regarding that awful Orlando shooter, it is now being speculated that he himself was gay and his actions were the result of self-hating homophobia. If that is the case, we really need a conversation on anti-lgbt propaganda in America. And not a weak gay vs. Christian narrative which is constantly pushed in our faces. We are not talking religions, but lies and distortions designed to make people fear lgbts and make lgbts hate themselves. 

 Pat Robertson: Gays & Islamists Are Allies So 'Let Them Kill Themselves' - Crap like this for example.  

The Other Group Mourning The Orlando Massacre: LGBT Muslims - We cannot forget this.  

These Are Some Of The Heroes Of The Orlando Shooting - Or this.

Family Research Council wants to ignore culpability in Orlando tragedy

The phrase which best describes the Family Research Council's comments on that awful attack in Orlando is "nauseating chutzpah."

In today's Washington Update, FRC makes sure to blame "radical Islam" for the attack:

It's happened again: American blood spilled on American soil by a radical Islamic gunman in what is the deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11.

The victims, shot down at an Orlando nightclub, were apparently targeted because of their sexual identity. Regardless of our country's profound differences on policies, lifestyles, religious beliefs, or anything else, we must make clear that no American -- not one -- should fear being attacked by a terrorist for any reason. Unfortunately, the attacks on U.S. soil have only grown in this administration's refusal to call them what they are -- Islamic terrorism. The gunman, a homegrown extremist who reportedly pledged his allegiance to ISIS before his bloody rampage, left little doubt about his motivation -- a motivation the president still refuses to confront. Almost eight years into his now fatal agenda of political correctness, President Obama couldn't even bring himself to say the words "radical Islam" in the speech following the attack. It was a stunning omission, one that left viewers' mouths ajar. Donald Trump, who is both revered and reviled for his tough talk on Muslims, argued the president should resign in disgrace. "People cannot... believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can't even mention the words 'radical Islamic terrorism.' There's something going on. It's inconceivable. There's something going on."

According to President Obama, there is no evidence that this awful man (whose name I refuse to address) was directed by a larger terrorist network. If anything, it looks like he was a "lone wolf" who was influenced by material over the internet.

But that's not the point of this post. The point is that days before the tragedy, FRC's Washington Update was  attacking Target for its trans-inclusive policy:

Target's slogan is "Expect more." And when it comes to safety, customers do. That's why Americans are so upset with the company's outrageous April policy that threw open the changing room and bathroom doors to anyone of either sex. Almost immediately, angry calls started streaming in to stores, eventually ballooning into a nationwide protest of more than 1.3 million people. If other CEOs were considering similar changes, they saw the heat Target was taking and backed off. Now, almost two months into their transgender free-for-all, the outcry shows no signs of dying down. At yesterday's Target shareholders meeting in Costa Mesa, protestors filled the streets outside with signs to boycott the store. "We're not afraid of transgender people," one of the demonstrators explained. "I've got nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and I'm worried that perverts will pretend to be women so they can get into women's restrooms." 

Of course there has been no proof that Target's trans-inclusive policy has opened the door to men attacking little girls in the ladies room, but FRC won't talk about that. Nor will it mention the simple fact that the bathroom predator talking point is an ugly myth designed to denigrate the transgender community, no matter the explanation folks try to trot out while pushing it.

Fall out from Orlando - sadness, ignorance, but in the end, love always rules

Orlando’s LGBT community comes together to grieve - We are all grieving with you, my friends and family. 

What We Know About The Orlando Shooting Victims - Never forget. I won't.  

Defeating ISIS Would Not Prevent Violence Against LGBT People - In THIS country, there is awful rhetoric against my lgbt brothers and sisters. We can't let it pass. No one can.  

Anti-LGBT Pastor Steven Anderson Applauds Orlando Massacre: 'There's Fifty Less Pedophiles In The World' - Like this. And this is an overt example. There are so many covert examples, i.e. "morality" groups working steadily to deny lgbts our equality and rights. Relying on fear tactics of "recruitment" and "bathroom predators" to gain their ends. Lies in the name of God are still lies. 

Finally, last night at the Tony Awards, Lin Manuel Miranda read a powerful sonnet he wrote for Orlando while accepting his award for Best Score for Hamilton: