Video: Subtle homophobia can be more successful than outright bigotry

From time to time, I like to observe anti-LGBTQ propaganda put out by the religious right. The more sophisticated groups don't always call us out by name or openly accuse us of creating dire situations. In some cases, like the video (from the Liberty Counsel in 2014) seen below, anti-LGBTQ propaganda employs the ultimate in dehumanization - not mentioning the queer community but throwing out dog whistles in a manner so polite that is is almost difficult to detect. The video isn't saying that the queer community stands in the way of families. It is simply hinting on it enough for its supporters and those in the middle to be convinced:

'Disney's 'Doc McStuffins' spotlights same-sex family' & other Tue midday news briefs

Disney’s ‘Doc McStuffins’ Sends A Great Message With A Two-Mom Family - This is wonderful because of the visibility it gives to same-sex families. Children in same-sex families should see that there is nothing to be ashamed of with their families and parents. 

“Texas Impact Launches PSA Campaign Featuring Faith Leaders Speaking Out Against Bathroom Bills”- Regardless of what happens in Texas (and I'm hoping for a win), faith leaders standing loudly against transphobia and homophobia is a trend which needs to continue and grow. 

Florida Man Killed After Standing Up For Gay Friends, Witnesses Say - I hate posting about things like this but it;s necessary for so many reasons. May people remember this brave man.

Gender Variance Around the World Over Time - The more you know.

Anti-LGBTQ author fails in attempt to smear 'In a Heartbeat'

This wonderful animated video 'In a Heartbeat,' which shows a middle-school boy literally led by his heart to the boy of his dreams, is extremely popular with over 21 millions views on youtube and countless articles written about the honest way it depicts queer youth and love.

Even my cold heart melted a little over it.

However, and we know what's coming next, whenever there is any movement to honestly depict LGBTQ relationships between youth, the homophobic wolves with the crosses burned in their fur come in packs barking and howling about "gay recruitment," "the corrupting of children by the homosexual agenda," and whatever creative description they can use to describe their silly fears. God forbid that they have contemplate the fact that LGBTQ youth exist, that they have crushes, and can date without all of the dirty and vulgar subtext added to scare parents.

'Religious right spokesman lies to condemn gay adoption' & other Mon midday news briefs

Matt Barber: It’s ‘Unconscionable’ To Allow Gay People To Adopt Children - Unbelievable. And everything Barber says is a lie. But then again a lot of mess is coming out of it's hateful closet. Good. Let's have a public debate! These are the facts:

Gay Parents As Good As Straight Ones

LGBT Adoption FAQs 

Transgender 'bathroom bill' leaves Texas Christians deeply divided - This is actually a good thing. It means more progressive Christians are speaking out against these bills. More need to speak out so the religious right doesn't highjack the conversation.

Newspapers are turning to hate group Conservative Republicans of Texas over the state's proposed bathroom ban - Cause you know they will try if given even the slightest chance.

Family Research Council Thinks Lying About Transgender Troops Is A Christian Value - A post published on this blog made The Huffington Post. The goal is to make it viral as much as possible. It's already gone viral twice on my blog. 

How Russia’s strongmen use homophobia to stay in power - An old formula for tyrants. Demonize a group and make them scapegoats. It's happened to African-Americans, Jewish people, Muslims, Asian people, even Christians. Of course it's happened to LGBTQs so many times during history.

Groups planning to sue Trump Administration over possible ban of transgender people from military

According to LGBTQNation, should Trump's ban of transgender men and women from the military go into effect, there will be a lawsuit:

With formal guidance released by the White House Friday calling for a purge of transgender people from the US military, Lambda Legal and OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network announced that they would file a lawsuit.  

 “This mean-spirited and discriminatory attack on our community is capricious, irrational and clearly driven by anti-LGBT forces in the administration who care more about harming transgender people than keeping our nation safe,” Lambda Legal’s Sasha Buchert said on the organization’s blog. “It is clearly unconstitutional.”

And according to Newsweek, ever since Trump sent the initial tweet out banning transgender service members, there was already speculation that such an order would be illegal:

 Josh Block, an attorney for the ACLU’s LGBT Project, said his inbox was “completely flooded” with messages from transgender people and their relatives and friends after Trump’s tweets. But he cautioned that it is extremely unclear if and how the Trump administration is going to move forward. “There are still a lot of question marks on how literally and seriously to take this tweet,” he said. “If they take the really shocking step of pulling people off the battlefield and kicking them out because they are trans, they absolutely have to see us in court.” If the tweets turn into policy, Block believes it would violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause and the Administrative Procedure Act. The APA protects individuals from “arbitrary or capricious” actions. “I can’t think of anything that is more arbitrary or capricious than what Trump did today,” he said. “In any separation procedure, they could make that argument and raise it in federal court as well.” 

 Jon Davidson, Lambda Legal’s legal director, said if Trump issued an executive order, demanded the Department of Defense change regulations or got Congress to change the law, Lambda Legal would partner with Outserve-SLDN, a military-specific LGBT advocacy organization, and “immediately” sue. “The fact he tweeted this does not change the current military regulations that allow transgender members of the military to serve openly, and that was based on extensive study that undercuts, totally, his unfounded assertions that allowing transgender people to serve would be disruptive or costly,” Davidson said.

Trump's attack on transgender troops is not popular. The only thing he has to stand on is support from the religious right and their reasoning as to why the ban is a good idea.

And based on how easy it was to expose the lies that one of the group put forth in its reasonings, one has to wonder will Trump be successful in implementing the ban?

'Duggar family member 'comes for' Jazz Jennings, gets popped back' & other Fri midday news briefs

Duggar family member Derick Dillard (right) learns not to come for Jazz Jennings (left)

‘Gender is ordained by God’: Duggar husband Derick Dillard attacks Jazz Jennings in transphobic tweet

Jazz Jennings, TLC respond to Derick Dillard calling transgender 'a myth' 

While it's not my nature to be "petty," I would suggest that Mr. Dillard check the family he has chosen to become a part of before coming for Jazz Jennings.

Anti-gay photog declares ‘victory’ after court points out law doesn’t apply to her - It really wasn't even a situation, but the religious right have to make their coins somehow.

Drag Queen’s Dream Of Reading Stories To Kids Sparks Outrage In North Carolina - Other than the initial shock reaction, can anyone think of any reason WHY they should be scared of drag queens reading to children? Seriously. Based upon the fairy tales and stories out there read to children, I think a drag queen would be the least scary thing. 

Evangelical Leaders Backing Trump Are More Hypocritical, And More Dangerous, Than Ever - As much as I hate to be "that bitch," I have been saying stuff like this for a while. Hopefully folks will listen to Michelangelo Signorile. 

In Texas, One Republican Lawmaker Is Trying To Halt The Bathroom Bill - Go for it, Mr. Straus!


Photo taken from Raw Story.

The very lucrative world of religious conservative 'law firms'

The budgets for religious conservative law firms are staggering.

An online friend of mine showed me this article from the Religious News Service about the lucrative world of religious right law firms and how they make their vast amounts of money to fund their "religious liberty" lawsuits.

They are quite numerous and their budgets are staggering. So is the effect they are having on the concept of religious liberty, according to the article.  And it's not all that good. Many folks in their circles wonder - with good cause - how their eagerness to define "religious liberty" as a Christian idea and for cases which lead to good fundraising (some would call it greed) will eventually hurt the concept of "religious liberty" in general:

The growth and success of Christian conservative legal organizations has earned them some enemies, especially at a time when religious freedom protections increasingly clash with LGBT rights. Three Christian conservative law firms — Alliance Defending Freedom, Pacific Justice Institute and Liberty Counsel — appear on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of hate groups because of their “anti-LGBT” positions. 

“There used to be broad, bipartisan support for religious liberty. That has sort of melted away now,” said Hiram Sasser, deputy chief counsel for First Liberty Institute. Alliance Defending Freedom did not respond to multiple interview requests. By pairing religious freedom law with their moral agenda, Christian conservative legal organizations have hurt religious liberty’s reputation, Laycock said. “A claim that abortion or same-sex marriage should be illegal for everybody is not a religious liberty claim. It is a claim that conservative Christian morality should be imposed by law on everyone else,” he said. 

However, linking cases with moral concerns is a powerful political and fundraising strategy. When selecting cases, the firms consider whether an issue will play well in the press and catch the attention of potential donors, Bennett said. “They’re looking for cases that set a precedent and earn them a little money in terms of fundraising,” he said. The groups profiled in “Defending Faith” bring in anywhere from $300,000 to $48.3 million in annual revenue, according to Bennett’s research.