'Designing Women' goes looking for a lesbian

It's Monday and I should be revving up to give hell to the anti-LGBTQ industry but sometimes a queen needs a little more time to get himself together. So I will let my friend Matt Baume handle the blog spot tonight featuring this landmark episode of  Designing Women:

When we think about gay characters on sitcoms, we usually picture people in big Northern cities. But season four of Designing Women features an unusual southern and conservative take on having queer friends. And it also set the stage for Ellen’s coming out episode, just a few years later.

'Taylor Swift endorses two Democrats in Tennessee races because of LGBTQ & women's rights' & other Mon midday news briefs

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift calls out a Republican for opposing LGBTQ rights - Taylor Swift made a huge political statement last night, causing a welcomed controversy. She said she endorses the Democratic candidates in the TENN races during midterms because of LGBTQ & women's issues. She also called out GOP Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn for her lack of support of women's issues.

Taylor Swift endorses two Democratic candidates in Tennessee races - More on this situation. What this will do  to the races is not known. But it makes things more interesting.

Education Dept. to investigate hate group’s claim that transgender inclusion caused alleged assault - Anatomy of an Alliance Defending Freedom smear. I posted this before but I am reposting it because I encourage everyone to read it on an analytical basis. THIS is how the Alliance Defending Freedom undermine LGBTQ rights. Notice how the hate group puts a regular person up front as the face and voice of its cause, just like it did with the baker Jack Phillips in the Masterpiece case. The difference is that in this case, ADF is up against a school district which has its ducks in a row and its facts gathered. HOWEVER, the Trump Administration's education department is "investigating" and count on the woman in the video below to be interviewed unchallenged in the media, such as Fox News and 'The View," just like the baker Jack Phillips was. And we all know how that turned out.

Black Mothers Of LGBTQ Children Need Space To Share Their Experiences - YES!  

Record number of U.S. cities earn perfect scores for LGBTQ equality - Color me surprised.

Anti-LGBTQ hate group giddy that Kavanaugh confirmed for SCOTUS

Hate group leader Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association

Well it happened Saturday.

Brett Kavanaugh is the newest SCOTUS justice. It was an ugly fight and he barely got 50 votes. What it means for the court remains to be seen, but a few anti-LGBTQ hate groups and homophobic personalities are giddy over it. Rather than go down the line, I will share only what the American Family Association had to say. Apparently the site Mediaite, which generally hardly ever focuses on these groups, reported on it:

AFA President Tim Wildmon, son of AFA founder Donald Wildmon also chimed in. He said, in the release, “Brett Kavanaugh is a constitutional judge who will adhere to the original intent of our Founding Fathers. Despite the sleazy tactics used against Judge Kavanaugh, he has weathered the storm. His confirmation will have a positive impact for generations to come. Issues important to the American Family Association, such as sanctity of life and religious freedom, are taking on an even greater importance in our culture, and how the Supreme Court rules in these matters will affect every American for decades to come.”

The younger Wildmon continued, saying, “Liberals desperately want absolute control of the courts to continue their full-throttled attack to destroy America. Democrats, for example, want to use the courts to create open borders, to force people of faith to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs, and to allow boys who think they are girls into public school restrooms designated for girls only. This effort will not stop at the lower courts, even in light of Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation.” 

They are careful to not say it directly, bu they are hoping that Kavanaugh would be the deciding vote to overturn Roe v Wade, be a roadblock to LGBTQ rights, and maybe overturn marriage equality. That's why right-wing and conservative groups were pushing so hard for him and spending the dark money to get him through. Read all about how one group, the Judicial Crisis Network, spent millions to get him on the court.

In contrast, the LGBTQ community got what we have so far the right way. We went through the long process and proved in a court of law that we were deserving of the rights we have, including marriage. We didn't need to spend money pretending to be an objective news source or coordinating talking points with other fake news sources, shameless pundits, astroturfed supporters, and propaganda networks. We didn't have to rig the game by pushing for partisan individuals to serve on the courts because we, unlike those who oppose us having any rights,  were able to prove our cases. Our arguments were sound.   They were truth. And no matter who is on the courts, we aren't about to give up what we earned without a fight. Right is on our side.


Related post: Pro-Kavanaugh Councilman: ‘Better Get Your Coat Hangers Ready’ - not necessarily LGBTQ-centered but it's a nasty view into how some on the right views Kavanaugh's selection. This and the post above regarding the AFA are than enough reasons to storm the voting booth en masse on election day in November so we can begin the process of righting the ship other folks turned upside down

'Anti-LGBTQ hate group happy about Kavanaugh cloture vote' & other Fri midday news briefs

FRC head Tony Perkins hopes that having Kavanaugh on SCOTUS will rig it against LGBTQ equality.

Sad update - Susan Collins will be supporting Kavanaugh, pretty much assuring his place on SCOTUS.  She is trying to assuage negative feelings by assuring folks that Kavanaugh won't harm marriage equality. LGBTQ groups aren't buying it. And based on the news briefs below, they shouldn't.



BREAKING: Senate votes to advance to final Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote - The Senate has voted to advance final Kavanaugh vote. This sets up a huge and UGLY fight tomorrow to see if he is confirmed as the newest SCOTUS judge. Aside from the nasty situation regarding alleged incidents of sexual assaults dogging Kavanaugh is the fact that he was handpicked by right-wing groups such as the Federalist Society and anti-LGBTQ groups. Their arguments against such things as Roe V. Wade and marriage equality have failed to convince the judiciary. So why not rig the judiciary. Regardless, we will not lose, no matter who may be on the courts.

Family Research Council Applauds Senate Cloture Vote to Advance Kavanaugh Nomination - Anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council is practically wetting itself in anticipation of the homophobic mayhem it can possibly cause with Kavanaugh on the bench.

 Trump Administration briefed anti-LGBTQ hate group leader about Kavanaugh investigation, raising ethical questions - As my post last night demonstrated, another anti-LGBTQ hate group, the Alliance Defending Freedom, is behind the scenes being briefed by the Trump Administration about Kavanaugh. ADF has in the past and will in the future be arguing cases in front of SCOTUS.

Education Dept. to investigate hate group’s claim that transgender inclusion caused alleged assault - Meanwhile, the Department of Education is making a move regarding the rights of transgender students in our schools. And it's not a good one. Guess what anti-LGBTQ hate group (see news brief above) has its hands deep in this muck.

My opinion about tomorrow's vote - I say this vote is gonna be strange. Collins wants to officially announce her final vote today and Murkowski voted loudly against cloture. NOTHING seems to be definite. Regardless of whatever happens, don't get so depressed or get so happy that you forget that this is only one step in a long march. Let whatever happens motivate you to work for the blue wave in November. And don't get distracted by gaslighting, concern trolling, or anything else thrown at you. Use your emotions and don't let your emotions use you.

Trump Administration briefed anti-LGBTQ hate group leader about Kavanaugh investigation, raising ethical questions

From Media Matters:

In a since-deleted Facebook post, Michael Farris, president of the influential and extreme anti-LGBTQ group Alliance Defending Freedom, wrote today that the White House had called him “with information about the Kavanaugh-FBI investigation” not long after U.S. senators received the FBI’s report on the matter. Farris and his organization argued twice before the Supreme Court over the last session, and ADF has played a role in more than 50 other cases at the high court.

 . . .  It is not clear who at the White House contacted Farris or why they would be giving such information to him, particularly as he and his group are likely to argue in the future before the Supreme Court, which could include a Justice Kavanaugh.

One reason for alarm about Farris receiving private information from the White House about the Supreme Court confirmation process is that he and his group have argued before the high court several times before and are very likely to do so again, meaning they will be particularly affected by the nomination decision.  . . .  The Supreme Court ruled in favor of ADF’s client, NIFLA, a network of fake health clinics. The court also ruled in favor of another ADF client during the past session in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case, determining that the commission had shown “hostility” to a Christian baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. The ruling was considered narrow and did not indicate how the court should rule on other cases regarding religious discrimination. The Department of Justice issued an unusual brief in favor of ADF’s client.

 . . .  While it is not surprising that Farris and ADF are in contact with the White House about sensitive matters, it raises ethical questions for the White House to contact them with private information that will directly affect ADF’s work as the group continues to push for discriminatory policies through the courts. Farris’ deletion of the post only adds to those questions.

 

'Poll says Americans more likely to shop at business which take a pro-LGBTQ equality stand' & other Thur midday news briefs

Putting $$ where your values are: 68% would shop at businesses that back LGBTQ equality - This kernel of good news got lost in the Kavanaugh mess. Something to put perspective in through the din of overpaid punditry and dismal concern trolling: 

More than two-thirds of Americans say they would be likely to dole out their dollars at businesses that take a public stand for LGBTQ equality, a survey released Wednesday shows. . . . Seven out of 10 Americans also say a federal law is needed to protect LGBTQ people from bias in employment, public accommodations, housing and credit, according to the Harris Poll done in conjunction with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, a nonprofit dedicated to workplace equality. 

 Across U.S., several colleges open 'clothing closets' for trans students - Even in this climate, all is never lost. Seemingly small acts of kindness reap huge benefits for us all.  

Facebook admits to blocking gay adverts - Shame, shame, shame. 

Trump’s Latest Attack On Same-Sex Couples Is Exactly What His Base Wants - Of course it is. Let's not get discouraged over what we can do, however.

Anti-LGBTQ publication LifeSite News fails in attempt to smear gay male couples

I present you with something short and sweet which demonstrates how members of the anti-LGBTQ industry distort research to denigrate and demonize our community.

The anti-LGBTQ publication LifeSite News (which blocked me from commenting on its site years ago) posted the following tweet about a July article on its site:

This sounds terrible and it is terrible . . . the way LifeSite News shamelessly lied to create a hideous factoid about gay male couples. And what's more pathetic is that the first two paragraphs of the article  exposes this distortion:

Nearly half of men in same-sex relationships have been abused by their partner in some way, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Men's Health.

 The study found that among 160 homosexual male couples, 46% of the men reported “some form of intimate partner abuse” in just the past year, HealthDay News reports. The abuse took forms such as physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, and controlling behavior.

So in a study of 160 gay male couples, 46 percent of the men said they had suffered some form of intimate partner abuse.  That's less than 100 couples. Yet in the configurations of LifeSite News, that less than 100 couples equals half of all gay male couples.

Also, even though LifeSite News attempts to paint the study as proof that gay couples is a negative concept, the article continues to contradict the site's intent. The study's authors clearly say that it is outside negative influences which may contribute to the violence:

To explain the discrepancy between straight and gay abuse, the study purported to show an “important connection between internalized homophobia and violence reporting among couples.” Stephenson also noted that health care providers tended not to ask male couples about domestic abuse. It also asserted that violence was “more common among partners who had experienced homophobic violence and who had traditionally hegemonic views of masculinity that they had difficulty negotiating.”

“A gay man who’s struggling with his identity might lash out at his partner with physical or emotional abuse as a stress response behavior,” a University of Michigan news release about the study explained, “similar to heterosexual couples, where an unemployed man lashes out at his female partner because he feels inadequate.”

Nice try LifeSite News but you get an "F" for effort. And that's only because I can't think of a lower grade.

Editor's note - This is the original study  which LifeSite News distorted.