Gays remember the last time Mike Pence would not answer a simple question . . .

Trying to build some anti-Hillary Clinton momentum on a comment she made last weekend has probably backfired (at least I hope it does) on the Trump/Pence campaign.

Last weekend during a fundraiser, Clinton said half of Trump's supporters could be put in a "basket of deplorables". She was commenting on various racist, sexist, xenophobic, and all-around nasty comments these folks have made during Trump's campaign rallies.  Even though she had a point, the Trump campaign and various conservatives have been attempting to manufacture a "pivotal campaign" moment from it.

Because of the "magic" of the internet, they have been unsuccessful. Folks have been posting and referring to old videos and articles which proved Clinton's point. However, Trump and company have continued to milk her statement.

They really should have stopped. Today, Mike Pence, Trump's running mate, was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN and that led to this exchange in which Pence refused to denounce white supremacist and former Klan leader David Duke as "deplorable":

BLITZER: But [Clinton] said, there are supporters, and you know this, there are some supporters of Donald Trump and Mike Pence, who, David Duke, for example, some other white nationalist, who would fit into that category of deplorables. Right?"

PENCE: "As I’ve told you the last time I was on, I'm not sure why the media keeps dropping David Duke's name. Donald Trump has denounced David Duke repeatedly. We don't want his support and we don't want the support of people who think like him."

BLITZER: "You called him a deplorable. You would call him a deplorable?"

PENCE: "No, I'm not in the name-calling business, Wolf, you know me better than that."

The media keeps bringing up Duke because Duke has aligned himself with Trump, including saying that he and Trump share the same voters. Duke also endorsed Trump, who at first, would not disavow the endorsement.

Pence's reluctance to denounce Duke as "deplorable" reminds me of the time last year when he was asked eight times about the anti-lgbt "religious liberty" law he signed as governor of Indiana. Eight times he refused to say whether or not the law could be used to discriminate against lgbts:



And they like to claim that Clinton won't answer a simple question?

'Hate group hoping Trump will roll back lgbt & reproductive rights' & other Mon. midday news briefs

The Family Research has a 'wish list' for Trump if he wins.

FRC's Agenda For President Trump's First 100 Days: Roll Back LGBT & Reproductive Rights - If you don't think this election is a big deal for the lgbt community, think again. Unfortunately almost every election is a big deal for us. Either deal with it or go home and hide under the covers.

New lawsuit demonizes transgender girl for acting like a girl - This is repulsive. The way the anti-lgbt is specifically targeting transgender kids is unlike anything I have seen. And I have seen a LOT.  

My Search For A Lesbian Donald Trump Supporter - Finding an lgbt Donald Trump supporter in general has to be . . . interesting.  

NC Gov. McCrory: Business Lobby Group Helped Shape LGBT Law - McCrory still in the pit of mud over HB2. 

RuPaul Wins His First Emmy! - Batten down the hatches. RuPaul has an Emmy.

Gary Bauer got away with helping to further the AIDS crisis

Religious right talking head Gary Bauer is the classic case of what happens when the lgbt community doesn't raise sufficient hell about those who have harmed us.

In the 80s, Bauer worked in the Reagan Administration.  He also undermined efforts to educate Reagan on the AIDS crisis and efforts to get the president to address it publicly. He was instrumental in undermining Surgeon General C. Everett Koop as the crisis swept through the nation. According to Koop, Bauer felt that AIDS was God's punishment.

So was Bauer ever made to address these issues. No. Not when he was the first president of anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council. Not when he ran for president in 2000. And of course not when he gave the following speech last weekend at FRC's nonsensical Values Voter Summit:

I hate to say it but Bauer will probably never have to answer for his efforts in furthering the AIDS crisis.

Related post:  

Gary Bauer - the anti-gay talking head who undermined the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Reagan Administration

'Meet the First Openly Gay Miss America Contestant in History' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Erin O’Flaherty

Meet The First Openly Gay Miss America Contestant in History - If she wins, that would be so awesome. She is Miss Missouri but she is originally from SOUTH CAROLINA!!!!

 A Gay Republican, The Child Abuse He Sanctioned, And The Homophobia Used To Defend Him - An uuuugly situation with the Log Cabin Republicans smack dab in the middle.

 Donald Trump And The So-Called 'Values Voters' - And the bigots and homophobes merrily move along together . . .  

DOJ report spurs police LGBT Advisory Council - There need to be more councils like that, hopefully not after incidents like this one spurring their creation.

Trump cozying up to anti-lgbt hate groups, personalities this weekend

Today is the beginning of the 2016 "Values Voter Summit" put on by the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council. Keeping my description of FRC in mind, it doesn't take a palm reader to guess who attendees and speakers at this weekend monstrosity will be attacking.

This year will be extra nauseating because GOP presidential candidate and self-described "friend to the gay community" Donald Trump will be one of the speakers. With various members of the media seemingly more concerned with Hillary Clinton's "emails" and "optics," it's up to folks like yours truly to highlight the coming visual disaster of Trump's visit.

I've already written a post about the vile homophobia of folks and groups who will be present at this summit. Now let's focus a little more on the group sponsoring it, the Family Research Council. There are very good reasons why FRC has been called a hate group.



Related posts:

Trump a featured speaker at upcoming summit of extreme anti-lgbt groups

16 reasons why the Family Research Council is a hate group

'Lesbian couple in the middle of bakery controversy speak out' & other Thur midday news briefs

The Women Who Challenged Sweet Cakes on the Cost of Their Battle - This battle was not about cakes any more than Rosa Parks refused to stand up simply because she was tired. And it's a shame how this situation was distorted: 

 "We’re not political people, never wanted this attention, and only filed a claim with Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries after six months of relentless media attention and harassment. Meanwhile, the Kleins quickly became media darlings of the right wing. Conservative groups flew them out to appear at events, Ted Cruz featured them in a campaign video, and their fundraising page raised over $600,000. In contrast, we became the target of hateful, violent threats and a daily onslaught of negative calls and emails from around the world. Over the past three years, we have received several thousand Facebook messages calling us fat, evil, and dumb — some with threats so violent that we have sincerely feared for our lives, moved houses, and lived in hiding in hopes of protecting our family. "

 
Transgender Students and Parents Say the State Is Putting Children in Danger - Another case in which the anti-lgbt industry and their supporters grab the mantle of concern while those whom we should be concerned about are being put in danger.  

Billboards cause controversy in Waco's LGBT community - 'Ex-gay' billboards. And check out the semantic game of evasion played by the organization behind it. They claim to have no problem with gay folks except for the fact that they think we shouldn't exist.  

10 Quick Lesbian Coming Out Stories That Will Make You Smile - This is a wonderful way to wrap up today's news briefs.

Sia honors victims of Orlando Massacre in wonderful video

Recording artist Sia honors the victims of the Orlando Massacre with this powerful video to her song, 'The Greatest.' 

The clip starts on a black screen with the words #WEAREYOURCHILDREN printed across. Then, we see a crying Ziegler wiping paint under her eyes, as if crying rainbow tears, or perhaps applying warpaint for battle. A large group of kids lies on the ground below her, motionless, and she begins screaming (though we don’t hear her), urging the kids to get up.

Once the music starts, the group begins moving in unison, with Maddie leading the charge. Attitude reports that the children represent the victims killed in the deadliest mass shooting in America’s history ― “49 dancers for 49 lives lost,” as the magazine put it. With lyrics like, “Don’t give up, I won’t give up / Don’t give up, no no no” and “Running out of breath but I / oh I I got stamina,” it’s hard not to draw those parallels.

The kids dance through an old house, eventually coming together as one group. They jump up and down, moving together as a single entity (much like individuals would at a club as music blares through the speakers) before collapsing to the ground, leaving behind the haunting visual of bodies on the floor.