Screaming into the Void - 15 Years of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Me with my 2017 GLAAD Media Award

On Monday, this blog turned 15 years old.

It's been a labor of love these past 15 years and it came from a lot of pain. My growth as a gay man began in earnest while I was in college in the early 1990s, but it was a stilted growth because of the climate. We didn't have Will and Grace or Ellen DeGeneres back then. Homophobic shame was the norm and even rumors that you were gay would cause you a lot of trouble and even a possible beatdown in some cases. I especially know about the near beatdown. People said ugly things about you behind your back and psychologically put you in some force field of shame which you couldn't penetrate no matter how much of a good person you were.

And above it all was an ugly ambiance created by rumors and lies believed by many and pushed by religious right groups. Gays recruit children, gays have lots of sex, gays have health issues because they love anal sex so much. Gays stuff gerbils up their rectums.  It sounds a bit funny now (particularly that last lie) but when you are a gay man in an environment where you have to keep silent for fear of violence and rejection, hearing that stuff damages your soul. Your world stops and you play mental games with yourself in order to stop thinking about what you need to do or how will your future be. The majority of my heterosexuals college mates had dreams about getting married, having successful careers, raising families and such. The only dream I had as a gay man back then was what the hell do I do to get my life on track and how do I not wind up a bitter, lonely old gay man getting my ass kicked by a hustler in a seedy hotel room.

It was inconceivable for me to plan where and how I would end up. Realizing that I'm gay took all control out of my life. It lasted that way until a number of years later due to two reasons. One - I got older and with age came a fuck you world attitude. Secondly with that attitude came anger at all of the time I wasted in fear. And that anger pinpointed to all of the mess I heard from sources like Pat Robertson and The 700 Club and various other religious right groups and individuals.

So, to speed up the story to the present, that was the main reason why I've been here for 15 years writing and pulling out the receipts. When the media implies that this so-called culture war about LGBTQ rights is a religious issue, don't believe their false narrative. It's a lie. The war over LGBTQ rights is about a deliberate slander, a mass stigmatization of an innocent group of Americans through junk science, cherry-picked science and out-and-out lies spewed by a group of religious hypocrites using terms like "religious liberty," "pro-family," and "Judeo-Christian" to hide their basic homophobia.

'Charges filed against student who assaulted pride flag wearer on a dare' & other Wed midday news briefs

Charges Filed Against Student Who Assaulted Pride Flag Wearer on Dare - What kind of mess is this?

Meghan McCain gets iced out of Pete Buttigieg’s baby celebration on Twitter - Uh uh, girlfriend. Don't even try. 

Caitlyn Jenner hit a new low with her sickening views on the Texas abortion ban - She depresses the hell out of me. 

Conversion Therapy Is a Controversial Practice That Targets LGBTQ+ People—Here's What to Know - Break it down.

Some Americans prefer a dangerous deworming drug over safe vaccines. What's wrong with these people, Jesus!!!

 

These days, conservatives seem to be less publicly consumed with LGBTQ people. That's not say that they aren't planning something particularly nasty. But it is to say that their times is divided between two ugly goals - trying to overturn Roe vs. Wade and undermining President Biden on everything he's doing. 

The latter means fighting COVID.  Many Republicans and conservatives refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks. Instead, they are using ivermectin. What is ivermectin? A deworming drug for farm animals. But because it has been prescribed in some cases to eliminate lice and worms in humans, some folks have been medicating themselves with it. 

 

And mostly because pundits like those on Fox News and idiots like Rep. Lou Gohmert and podcaster Joe Rogan have been heavily pushing it. 

Naturally, this is causing lots and lots and lots of poisoning. Physicians and the Food and Drug Administration have been pleading with folks to stop trying to treat COVID with this drug, but they aren't listening. They refuse vaccines because they claim they are dangerous, but have no problems with taking a deworming drug which they been told does no good and is highly dangerous.

The above commercial makes fun of the fruit of their labors and it is hilarious. But entire thing bothers me. What's wrong with these people!!!!

'Catholic schools can't fire teachers for being gay, federal court rules' & other Tue midday news briefs

Catholic schools can’t fire teachers for being gay, federal court rules - Batten down the hatches. My feeling is that if the schools get tax dollars, they shouldn't be allowed to fire teachers for being gay.

A Message for Black LGBTQ+ Youth - PREACH!!!! 

Survivors are using new weapons in the battle against conversion therapy - Get those fools.

Opinion: My journey from anti-gay activist to LGBTQ ally - Don't act stank, folks. I open my arms to anyone wanting to help the community.

Video: 'Hollywood Montrose was the gay 80s hero we never knew we needed'

 

As we shake the cobwebs off from our Labor Day holiday and launch ourselves into this coming week, I would like folks to do a small favor for me. From time to time, I like to feature videos from LGBTQ pop culture historian Matt Baume because his work is excellent and highly educational. This time, he has done something I find to be somewhat controversial. He pushes a theory that a gay character from an 80s comedy who could be seen as insulting to us was actually positively significant.

 I remember the 1987 movie Mannequin and the gay character Hollywood Montrose (played by the late Meshach Taylor) embodying so many seemingly negative homophobic stereotypes  - flamboyant, loud, completely mincing, etc. etc. But after watching Baume's video, I actually reconsidered my feelings about this character because Baume makes a good point. Watch this video and tell me what do you think.

Family Research Council playing the coward's game with COVID pandemic

 

I received the following email from the Family Research Council:

With rising inflation, radical ideologies sweeping through our schools, and a culture that is increasingly hostile to marriage and children, American families are facing new and more difficult challenges. Instead of proposing real solutions that help families overcome the challenges of today, President Biden has proposed a top-down plan written by America's elites, many of whom do not have children. Currently the U.S. Congress is assembling this plan into a $3.5 trillion bill aimed at raising taxes and forcing an unwanted liberal ideology on families.

 This week, we are highlighting Pray Vote Stand: Biden's "American Families Plan". We encourage you to watch this broadcast on demand now to hear FRC's Mary Szoch, Joy Pullmann of The Federalist, Charmaine Yoest of Heritage Foundation, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) outline the problems with Biden's "American Families Plan" and discuss alternative polices that will truly help all families flourish. Deuteronomy 6 says our most sacred responsibility is to raise children who love and embrace biblical truth. Will you join us in prayer for boldness and intentionality to raise up our children as spiritual champions using the prayer points below? 

You will notice that nowhere in the email does FRC even begin to talk about COVID. This is not accidental. The absence of talk about COVID is most striking on the section of FRC's webpage entitled Prayers for Back to School. The section is comprised of 30 prayers which are nothing more than generalities backed by Biblical verses, including:

Pray that parents would lead their children well, modeling a vibrant life of prayer, faith, and Bible study.

Pray that parents would embrace their role as the chief disciple-makers in the home. (Deuteronomy 11:19) 

Pray that parents deciding between public, private, and homeschooling would have the wisdom, resources, courage, and support necessary to do what is best for their family. (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

Pray that Christian students would set an example of purity for their peers in both word and deed and walk in a manner worthy of their calling as followers of Christ. (1 Timothy 4:12; Colossians 1:9-10)

Pray that students returning to in-person schooling would experience smooth transitions as they adjust to the often-changing rules and requirements put in place by school administrators to combat the pandemic. (Philippians 4:13) 

Pray that students would have an attitude of respect for teachers. (Titus 3:1-2) 

 Pray that teachers would have wisdom and insight as they help students start a new school year/semester. (1 Kings 3:9) Pray that Christian teachers would have the boldness to teach facts and critical thinking rather than ideologies and agendas contrary to God's truth. (Joshua 1:9)

 Pray that school administrators would respect religious liberty and biblical values. Pray that they would resist the temptation to cave to pressure from anti-faith groups. (Ephesians 6:13) 

I guess in a normal time, those would be seen as suitable prayers. But this isn't a normal time. In fact based upon these recent headlines, children are going back to school in times which are far from normal:

More Than 500,000 Children Nationwide Test Positive for COVID in Three Weeks Since Schools Reopened

Covid rates among US children and teens rise as new school year begins 

Medical groups call for more to protect children from COVID

But there is no mention of COVID in any of FRC's back to school prayers. 

The point is this - there is a huge problem in America with vaccine-denial and general misinformation about COVID and it is heavily in two groups - Republicans and evangelicals. As convenience would have it, these happen to be the two groups which comprise FRC's base of supporters. 

While I'm certainly not accusing FRC of sowing that mistrust, the point should be made that it doesn't look like the group is taking the lead position in eliminating it either. In fact, it's not farfetched to accuse the group of downright cowardice in the way it sidesteps mentioning COVID; particularly even when requesting prayers for our kids as they go back to school environments where they are likely in danger of contracting COVID.

If only FRC cared about protecting America's children from COVID with as much fervor as it falsely accuses President Biden or LGBTQ people of trying to harm them.

I guess it's a matter of priorities. 

'Report: Striking down of eviction moratorium could negatively affect LGBTQ people' & other Thur news briefs

Half of LGBTQ people behind on rent fear eviction in next two months, report says - We have to let folks know about this as soon as possible.

I’m a White Cisgendered Straight Woman. ‘Pose’ Gave Me My History. - The title of this piece is intriguing. By the end of the second paragraph, the post yanked me in. 

North Carolina must face challenge to transgender exclusion in state health plan - Good news but the beginning of probably a long road. 

Ukraine pledges to fight anti-LGBTQ discrimination - Keep your fingers crossed.