'TX businesses oppose 'license to discriminate' legislation' & other Tue midday news briefs

 TX businesses don't want this discriminatory mess.

Business Leaders Oppose 'License To Discriminate' Against LGBT Texans - Dang right!

Here’s Your Guide to Mike Pence’s Anti-LGBTQ Record - A little reminder never hurts.

Ellen’s interview with the Mormon valedictorian who came out at graduation left viewers in tears - This is wonderful. 

All The 2019 Met Gala Red Carpet Photos You Need To See - Frivolous, yes. But we all need a little frivolity now and then.

Hate group wants you to soothe Franklin Graham's wounded ego

The American Family Association wants you to soothe Franklin Grahams' wounded ego.

I think we can file this one under "Gee, guys. You aren't helping."

Recently, Franklin Graham faced a firestorm of criticism over he made about openly gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Much of the criticism pointed out the hypocrisy of Graham attacking Buttigieg's sexual orientation as being sinful while simultaneously heaping praises on Donald Trump, whose behavior as president hasn't been exactly Christian.

The criticism was so intense that it led Graham to meekly backtrack. But now the hate group known as the American Family Association has a petition online asking folks to support Graham and show him a little love:

Last week, Rev. Franklin Graham came under fire for his support of President Donald Trump. 

National Review writer David French has wrongly accused Franklin Graham of having a double standard by not being openly critical of President Trump's past while being public in his criticism of other politicians. 

French cites Graham's criticism of the moral failings of former President Bill Clinton and Presidential contender and South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigie. In his biased brand of yellow journalism, French unjustly contends that by not holding President Trump to the same moral standard, Graham has lost his influence as an evangelical witness. 

Certainly, no one would agree that President Trump's past is a perfect model of morality, but French has attacked and mischaracterized Mr. Graham's integrity by unjustly comparing apples to oranges. Since our current president has taken the oath of public office, he has come nowhere near the glaring moral indecencies of Clinton while he served in office. Buttigieg is an open homosexual who claims God made him "gay" and is a better Christian because of it. 

Graham is unquestionably a godly man of impeccable integrity. His decades of faithfulness to the gospel and the Great Commission are what make him one of America’s most beloved men. 

This character assassination by David French is unconscionable and should not go unchallenged. 

I urge you to stand with us in showing our appreciation and love for Franklin Graham by signing our petition to this great man of God.

No doubt AFA will get lots signatures on this petition, but I'm all for it.

Graham got rightfully ratioed because of his hypocrisy. And with sentences like Since our current president has taken the oath of public office, he has come nowhere near the glaring moral indecencies of Clinton while he served in office, the AFA is merely show its own hypocrisy as well as the hypocrisy of anyone who signs this petition.

Unless, that is, you forget all of Trump's misdeeds. His over 1,000 lies, his obstruction of the Russia investigation, his refusal to release his tax returns, his callous behavior towards Puerto Rico after the hurricane, his lies and attacks on immigrants, his praising of dictators, etc, etc.

It doesn't matter how many people AFA gets to sign its petition because the petition is a lie. It's a piece of pandering crap designed to soothe Graham's wounded ego. But neither 100 nor one million signatures will remove the stain and stench of hypocrisy from Graham. It's something he rightfully earned.

Trump's HHS official Roger Severino has long history of anti-LGBTQ activism

This video was made last year, but it is very pertinent to events happening currently to the LGBTQ community. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump Administration announced what it called a "religious freedom" rule which would allow doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers to opt out of providing services or procedures which they claim would violate their faith. This rule could negatively affect LGBTQ health, particularly those with HIV and the transgender community.

That's why the city of San Francisco is suing to block it, calling the rule extremely broad. The video above focuses HHS official Roger Severino, one of the people behind this rule. It shows that based upon his history of anti-LGBTQ activism before coming to HHS, our community probably does have a lot to fear from this "religious freedom" rule.

One more thing - at 6:12, that is the Heritage Foundation's Ryan T. Anderson with Severino. Anderson also has a very long history of anti-LGBTQ activism, including publishing a junk science book attacking the transgender community.

'Brunei won't enforce anti-gay death penalty' & other Mon midday news briefs

BREAKING: Sultan of Brunei says country will not enforce its anti-gay death penalty - A victory for us. For now. It shows the power of the boycott but will our people be safe?

Furman professor: Many LGBTQ students in SC are harassed. More must be done to protect them - Yep. So true.

Fox anchor Shannon Bream hosts another anti-LGBTQ group figure: Heritage's Kay Coles James - Bream strikes again. But this interview will haunt James. Trust me. She claims to have a gay son, but yet is employed by an organization which undermines LGBTQ equality. 

Pete Buttigieg Is Exposing Tensions In The LGBTQ Movement - They were already there. Now let's have a nice conversation.

Madonna honors LGBTQ community with emotional speech at 30th annual GLAAD awards

GLAAD held the second half of its 30th annual awards show Saturday night and though I didn't win 'Outstanding Blog,' I am happy that the Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents (led by my good friend Susan Kerr) won. Other award recipients included Janelle Monae, Don Lemon, and the television show Pose.

But the big story was the stirring speech from Madonna, who received the 'Advocate for Change' award:

"Why have I always fought for change? That's a hard question to answer," she said. "It's like trying to explain the importance of reading, or the need to love. Growing up, I always felt like an outsider, like I didn't fit in. It wasn't because I didn't shave under my armpits -- I just didn't fit in, OK. 

"The first gay man I ever met was named Christopher Flynn. He was my ballet teacher in high school and he was the first person that believed in me, that made me feel special as a dancer, as an artist and as a human being. I know this sounds trivial and superficial, but he was the first man to tell me I was beautiful."

You can see another portion of what she said above. The entire speech itself (though not released) was incredible.

Go here for a complete list of 30th annual GLAAD Award recipients

Trump's announced 'Conscience Rule' could threaten LGBTQ health

Trump just stabbed the LGBTQ community in the ribs yet again.

It seems that every time the National Day of Prayer rolls around, Trump uses it to gouge the LGBTQ community and thus get in good with right-wing evangelicals. This year is no different.

From The Advocate:

The Department of Health and Human Services today announced its final “conscience rule” excusing health care personnel from participating in procedures to which they have religious or moral objections. 

Activists have warned that the rule could jeopardize health care for LGBTQ people, such as those seeking gender-confirmation procedures or HIV treatment and prevention services, as well as women seeking contraception or abortion. 

A draft of the rule was released in January 2018 so that HHS’s Office for Civil Rights could receive comments from the public on it. Donald Trump announced the finalization of the rule during a Rose Garden speech this morning for the National Day of Prayer, and HHS published the final rule on its website. 

 . . . “This final rule replaces a 2011 rule that has proven inadequate, and ensures that HHS implements the full set of tools appropriate for enforcing the conscience protections passed by Congress,” says an HHS press release. “These federal laws protect providers, individuals, and other health care entities from having to provide, participate in, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for, services such as abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide. It also includes conscience protections with respect to advance directives.” Notably, the Office for Civil Rights is run by Roger Severino, who has a history of anti-LGBTQ activism. 

Civil rights advocates have feared that the new rule will allow even those marginally involved in providing health care to opt out because of religious objections, therefore making it more difficult for patients to receive care. This rule could severely affect LGBTQ people living in rural areas where there are few health care options. 

“In an attempt to justify more discrimination against transgender people, HHS minimizes the very real pain exemptions like these have caused transgender people,” Gillian Branstetter, media relations manager at the National Center for Transgender Equality, told The Advocate via email. 

Speaking of Severino, the official most behind this monstrosity, Buzzfeed had this to say:

When asked what patients without many health care options were supposed to do if their hospital or health care provider refused to perform the procedures they were seeking, Severino repeatedly avoided the question, instead saying that the US had many health care options, and that “patients want doctors who match their values.”

One more thing about Severino - it is important to note that while he pushes this nonsense, his wife is actively working with another organization to get judges appointed who will uphold it.

This is not meant to scare or depress anyone. Just letting you know where we stand. When we know where we stand, we can begin to fight this. And we will win.

'In Tenn, anti-trans bills moves forward, LGBTQ adoption ban stalls' & other Thur midday news briefs

Tennessee moves forward on anti-trans bills, while LGBTQ adoption ban stalls - I only see this as a victory when all of the anti-LGBTQ bills have stalled.

Tennessee Kills Bill That Would Have Allowed LGBTQ Adoption Refusals For Now - More details about this.

Gay Chechen man with HIV seeks asylum in US - I hope he gets it.

‘Gay panic defense’ would end under proposed CT law - Good for Connecticut! 

It's Time for LBTQ Women to Claim Our Seats at the Table - Yep!