Trump Administration's latest attack on transgender health and LGBTQ community will not go unchallenged

Since Friday, we learned about the Trump Administration attempt to undermine the transgender community's access to healthcare and homeless shelters. Quite understandably folks have been either raising hell or freaking out. But we haven't heard what is going to be done to combat this mess. My friend Matt Baume just released a video giving a brief, but substantial view about how states and organizations will be fighting.  If it's a fight the Trump Administration wants, then it's a fight it is going to get. Our community has survived so many bigots and so much mess. We will survive and overcome this, too.

SC anti-LGBTQ activist's love of Confederate past comes back to haunt him

Oran Smith

In my lovely state of South Carolina, a long-time anti-LGBTQ activist nearly became executive director of SC's Commissioner of Higher Education. But on Thursday he was passed over and not because of his anti-LGBTQ activism. Another interesting item in his past may have torpedoed his appointment.

Oran Smith, who once edited a neo-Confederate magazine called Southern Partisan, will not become executive director of South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education, it was announced Thursday. 

The body that oversees the Palmetto State’s colleges and universities announced Thursday that commissioners have chosen Rusty Monhollon to be the commission’s next leader instead. Monhollon is currently an administrator with the Missouri Department of Higher Education. 

 Smith’s bid to lead the commission sparked controversy after The State reported he spent a decade editing a magazine called Southern Partisan, from 1989 to 1999. The Southern Poverty Law Center credits the magazine with jump-starting the “neo-Confederate” movement.

The magazine published articles that defended the South’s secession from the union and cited biblical justifications for slavery. One author published in its pages went on to promote a “white genocide” conspiracy theory that was cited by the Charleston church shooter who killed nine people in a racially-motivated slaying. 

Smith told The State in an interview that his interest in the Civil War was historical, and his views changed after the killings in Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church. He even wrote on op-ed in The State calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from the State House grounds.

For 17 years, Smith was the head of the Palmetto Family Council, one of those noxious so-called pro-family (but actually anti-LGBTQ) groups.  The group was instrumental in banning marriage equality in the state via a 2006 referendum. This was overturned in the 2014 ruling of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Bostic v. Rainey. In 2015, Clemson Tigers football coach Dabo Swinney disassociated himself from PFC - refusing to attend a banquet sponsored by the group - because of its anti-LGBTQ activism.

'23 cities and states sue to block Trump's 'religious freedom' to discriminate rule' & other Thur midday news briefs

23 cities and states sue to block Trump from letting doctors be bigots - About time. I hope we win this one.

Ben Carson guts homeless shelter gender protections 24 hours after telling Congress he wouldn’t - Ben Carson is no longer a welcomed addition to Black History Month. He has tainted himself beyond repair. 

Bryan Fischer: ‘A Homosexual in the White House Must Be Unthinkable’ - Bryan Fischer is talking about gay sex again, y'all. 

Trans lawmaker Danica Roem’s GOP opponent is an anti-LGBTQ extremist - Hoping that Danica Roem gets re-elected. Particularly because her opponent is a nightmare.

Megachurch pastors whine that Equality Act is work of Satan

People ask - at times very angrily - why should those of us who care about LGBTQ equality give visibility and platforms to the anti-LGBTQ industry. The answer is very simple - because when we do, they generally prove all of our points about their motives and hateful or self-righteous attitudes.

Case in point are the following videos below. The Equality Act recently passed by the House would simply give federal non-discrimination protections to the LGBTQ community. However some folks disagree.

From Right Wing Watch:

Last week, right-wing pastors George and Terri Pearsons led their congregation at Eagle Mountain International Church in Fort Worth, Texas, in prayer, calling on God to unleash an “emergency intervention” to stop passage of the Equality Act (H.R. 5) in Congress. Terri Pearsons, who is the daughter of megachurch pastor Kenneth Copeland, declared that those in Congress who support the Equality Act are “haters of God” and “haters of all that’s good” and are under the control of Satan.

To put it mildly, girlfriend flipped out.

'Trump set to appoint anti-LGBTQ figure to senior DHS position' & other Wed midday news briefs

Ken Cuccinelli

Right-wing pundit Ken Cuccinelli is an anti-LGBTQ bigot, and Trump is set to appoint him to a senior DHS position - Cuccinelli in the Department of Homeland Security. What could go wrong except for everything?

Senate Advances Trump Court Pick Who Fought Marriage Equality For Years - Siiiigh! 

The GOP is trying to find a way to stop disgraced judge Roy Moore from running for Senate again - Good luck you creeps. 

The Maine Millennial: Speaking out against Franklin Graham’s anti-gay gospel - This is awesome!

Maine Legislature Passes Bill to Protect LGBTQ Youth From Dangerous “Conversion Therapy” - Good for Maine!

Anti-LGBTQ industry spinning violent sexual and homophobic fantasies about Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg

Say what you will about Pete Buttigieg, I have enjoyed his presidential campaign for a number of reasons, particularly the spotlight he places upon Mike Pence's homophobia and the outpouring of homophobia thrown his way via some members of the anti-LGBTQ industry.

Granted, the bigwigs such as the Family Research Council and the Alliance Defending Freedom are careful not to focus on Buttigieg's sexual orientation in specific details, But second stringers have thrown caution to the wind, such as Meeke Addison, an employee of hate group the American Family Association. She took it upon herself to create interesting images of Buttigieg's alleged sex life on an AFA program:

From Right Wing Watch:

  

Host Perry Atkinson couldn’t believe that America has reached a point where people have “accepted the commonality” of having “an openly gay man” being married and running for president, demanding to know why Christians don’t “have the fortitude to stand up” and decry Buttigieg’s campaign. 

“Excuse me for what I am about to say,” Addison responded. “We are talking about a man who engages in violent sexual acts with a person he claims to love. Now that’s ugly.” 

“Let’s just stop for a second here and let’s realize that our defenses have been eroded,” she added. “We have been fed a narrative for so long that now we have unrighteousness that we accept … A man who marries a man and says that this could potentially be the First Gentlemen of the United States and we’re supposed to talk about his policies? I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Do you understand the type of judgment that will be brought upon our country?” 

“When we no longer fear God,” Addison said, “this is what we get.”

I wish Addison was the only one conjuring up this stuff, but she wasn't. Compared to this next guy, her statement was rather lightweight.

'Tucker Carlson, religious right, fake feminists amplify transphobia' & other Tue midday news briefs

Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson hosted a coalition of anti-trans advocates from the evangelical right and a fake feminist group - Tucker Carlson, just like Shannon Bream, will use Fox News to amplify transphobia while not even inviting one transgender activist or medical professional on his show.

Two senators that oppose LGBTQ rights were ‘honored’ at a gay Republican fundraiser - Unbelievable bull. 

Birmingham head teacher threatened over LGBT lessons - We gotta fight everywhere, England included.

Puerto Rico’s first center for LGBT elders opens - Sweet!