JD Vance defends GOP leaders caught making Holocaust jokes, voicing gay slurs, and calling Black people monkeys

Recently, a group chat of leaders of Young Republican groups across the country was leaked to Politico magazine, and it is a doozy:

The messages published by Politico on Tuesday span seven months (between January and August) and include chats from Young Republican leaders in New York, Arizona, and Vermont. According to the outlet, William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used racial slurs, and Peter Giunta, who at the time was chair of the organization, said people who did not vote for him to become chair of the Young Republican National Federation needed to “go to the gas chamber.” “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno, general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote. “I’m ready to watch people burn now,” Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committeewoman, added. 

 … According to the outlet, epithets like “f****t,” “retarded” and “n**ga” appeared more than 250 times in the chat logs. Luke Mosiman, the chair of the Arizona Young Republicans, asked in one chat whether others were watching an NBA game, and Giunta responded that he’d “go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball.”

So, while everyone else are denouncing this and the folks involved have lost their jobs and opportunities for advancement in the Republican party, JD Vance, our "beloved" vice president decided to defend them.

Aside from playing the "what about this Democrat who did blah blah blah" game, Vance also attempted to minimize the fact that these were adults who said those awful things (which you can see in the above graphic.)

 First, according to Mediaite, Vance claimed that it was a "college group chat. Then: 

 On Wednesday’s edition of The Charlie Kirk Show, Vance addressed the controversy and again characterized the group chat’s members as “kids” and “young boys”:

 . . the reality is that kids do stupid things. Especially young boys, they tell edgy, offensive jokes, like that’s what kids do. And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their live. And at some point we’re all all gonna have to say enough of this BS we’re not going to allow the worst moment in a 21-year-old’s group chat to ruin a kid’s life for the rest of time. That’s just not okay. Like, we live in a digital world, this stuff is now etched in stone online. We’re all going to have to say, you know what? No, no, no. We’re not doing this. We’re not canceling kids because they do something stupid in the group chat. And if I have to be the person who carries that message forward, I’m fine with it." 

Again, these were not kids. These are grown-ass men and women making Holocaust jokes, calling Black people monkeys, and slurring LGBTQ folks with the "f" word.  But either way, to minimize what they said is not exactly the best course of action Vance should have undertaken. Seems to me that maybe Vance should have made a quick condemnation and then shut his mouth. He only made things worse for himself and his party. But I doubt he cares.

From this incident, we can get a full understanding why Trump chose Vance to be his VP during his second term. As seen by his actions on January 6, Trump's last vice president, Mike Pence, actually had a conscience and knew when it was time to break from Trump. I'm sure that Vance knows when to break from Trump too, but the question is would he? Probably not.

He's no doubt driven by his desire to replace Trump as president (either by election or Trump doing everyone a favor by dropping dead), that he's willing to act like as a rabid dog in his defense of Trump and the GOP. And apparently, he doesn't care what lie he has to tell or how far he has to twist himself to justify their actions.

But sooner or later he is going to have to pivot because no one wants a rabid dog in the White House. Have you ever seen what they do to the furniture?

Image taken from Politico article.

'MAGA falls for fake Turning Point halftime performing list (which refers to present measles outbreak)' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

The fact that so many MAGA nuts actually believed this fake list of performers for Turning Point's Halftime show is typical and funny. But the list also makes reference to a genuine measles outbreak in schools thanks to Trump Administration policies (see news brief below).  That makes entire situation also sadly ironic.

Editor's note - Bear with me because a LOT of things are going on. So much that I felt news briefs were in order instead a post about one thing.

 MAGA Falls For Fake Turning Point Halftime Show List - The poster above, mind you. The last item talking about a guest appearance from "Measles" is both funny and sadly ironic. As seen by the next news briefs, there is a measles outbreak in this country, which can be laid on the feet of Trump Administration's Secretary of Health and Human Services (and anti-vaccine nuthead) Robert Kennedy, Jr. 

Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks - 153 in South Carolina alone. 

The next two items come from one of my favorite sites, Erin in the Morning. It is the go-to site for news about the trans community; something mainstream media has been completely derelict about in light of the targeting of the trans community by the Trump Administration: 

 Netflix Stock Up As Elon Musk's Anti-Trans Boycott Fails To Materialize - Poor Elon. His money can't buy everything. 

New Journal Report: Cass Review “Echoes Fallacies Promoted By Anti-Trans Disinformation” - Remember how the fraudulent Cass Review took hold of Britian while America's medical professionals and members of the trans community beat back the outcome it could have had in this country? Not surprisingly, it's getting panned by The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).

Finally: 

These LGBTQ+ refugees fled hatred & found safety in the US. Now they’re navigating Trump’s America. -"Rainbow Railroad helped them flee anti-LGBTQ+ persecution in their home countries, amid cuts to U.S. refugee programs." 

Judge halts New York county from enforcing transgender athlete ban after roller derby league sues - A story from last week, but good news, nonetheless.

Fron the archives: 'A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2' is the gayest horror movie you will ever see

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 is considered by many to be a very subversively gay horror movie. Of course when I watched it, I was surprised and pleasantly pleased by the amount of male nudity it showed. Now, as our community has moved out of the closet and into the warm glow of sunshine, it turns out that the undercurrent of homosexuality in this movie was in fact intentional. 

Or let my friend, Matt Baume tell you more:

 

 Or if you don't want to hear all of that talking, check out these scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 and judge for yourself. (Violence and Nudity alert)

 

 Related post - 17 Horror Films Only LGBT People Understand 

Editor's note - 17 Horror Films Only LGBT People Understand was not a part of the original post I pulled from the archives. It is an addition from another post.

'Anti-LGBTQ group accused of using false evidence' at SCOTUS, but may win its case anyway' & other Tue/Wed news briefs

Christian group defending LGBTQ+ conversion therapy at SCOTUS accused of using 'false evidence'

 The group fighting to protect so-called conversion therapy in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar has been accused of misrepresenting its evidence by the very researchers it cites. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group that has played a pivotal role in several court cases involving abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights, will argue before the nation's high court Tuesday that justices should strike down state laws banning conversion therapy for minors. 

The group cites a 2016 study by Lisa Diamond and Clifford Rosky, who have since condemned the ADF for “profoundly” misrepresenting their findings. “It’s deceptive,” Rosky recently told The Guardian. “Lawyers owe a duty of candor to the court. You cannot offer false evidence, and if you do so accidentally and find out, you have to correct that. ... They claim our work supports conversion therapy when our work clearly and specifically condemns conversion therapy on the same page they’re citing.”

 Distorting science to demonize the LGBTQ community is an old anti-LGBTQ industry tactic. And the Alliance Defending Freedom isn't the first group to do it. However, it may not even matter because of the news brief below. 

Conservative Supreme Court justices show skepticism of conversion therapy ban - This is becoming an unfortunately regular occurrence with this particular Supreme Court. Almost every time our community comes in front of them, we lose. I doubt it's a matter of basic legality. It's my belief that there are members of the court who have a personal bias against LGBTQ people and will contort decisions to reflect that bias. 

The sham of oral arguments on conversion therapy is meant to show SCOTUS is 'unbiased'- Should we lose this case, we should be pointing the finger at one judge in particular who revealed his anti-LGBTQ hostility years ago - Samuel Alito.

LGBTQ rights on the line: What to watch as Supreme Court’s new term begins - And conversion therapy is not the only case in front of SCOTUS. I'm sorry but I do not believe that the number of losses the LGBTQ community has had in front of SCOTUS lately comes from legitimate looks at the law and the Constitution. Members of this court have a personal bias, which they aren't afraid to voice. We need not dance around it.

Pictures - Famously Hot SC Pride a huge success & reminder that the LGBTQ community won't be made invisible

Famously Hot SC Pride, returned Saturday for its 36th year in my state of South Carolina. As always, it was a fun time had by all. And it was definitely needed when one takes into account this year's political climate. The festival was another reminder that LGBTQ people, our allies, our kids, and families aren't going to be made invisible.

'GOP lawmaker once accused trans people of harming kids. He just pled guilty to child porn charges' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Former SC legislator (and Moms for Liberty's 2023 'Legislator of the Year') RJ May recently pled guilty to child porn charges. May in the past has accused drag queens and trans people of harming kids.

GOP lawmaker said trans people “harm” children. He just pled guilty to child porn charges.​ - And the nominees for the category of "I haven't been this shocked since Clay Aiken and Jim Nabors came out of the closet," former South Carolina state legislator RJ May. And the kicker? Moms for Liberty awarded him their 2023 Legislator of the Year award. NONE of this is funny and it's not my intention to make it sound funny. Children have been harmed, terribly. A Republican accusing LGBTQ people of harming children while actually being the predator is happening so often lately that it's no longer an irony. It could be considered a GOP requirement for public office.

Former Rep. RJ May pleads guilty to sending ‘disgusting and depraved’ child sex abuse videos - More on this awful situation. A huge caution from me to anyone before you read it.

In other news:

Nat’l Park Service cancels grants for 3 LGBTQ projects - At the very least, it is nice to know that Donald Trump is no longer even attempting to be our friend like he did during his first term. 

Veterans Affairs doctors banned from writing gender-affirming surgery referrals to private providers for trans vets - Downright malicious. There is simply no other reason for it. 

Appeals court rules for Colorado and LGBTQ rights and against Catholic parishes in state preschool case - Good. No taxpayer dollars for discrimination. 

21 non-LGBTQ+ movies that queer people still love anyway - Some of these choices are true. One is a serious "HELL NO!" from me. And I still can't believe they left off The Women (the 1939 version).

'Heritage Foundation caught pushing false stats in attempt to classify trans people as terrorists' & other Mon/Tue news briefs

The dirty hands of longtime anti-LGBTQ activist Roger Severino are all over the Heritage Foundation's attempt to classify trans people as terrorists.

Rightwing organization twists data to claim that half of mass shooters are transgender​ - Who else but the Heritage Foundation. And check out who is leading the charge: 

 Roger Severino, a vice president at the Heritage Foundation, defended the claim on X/Twitter by providing information from a dataset of only eight shootings, cherry-picked from Gun Violence Archive, an online archive on gun violence which draws data from law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources. The Gun Violence Archive has data for 4,147 mass shootings that took place in the United States between 2018 and 2025. Severino said that he only picked eight of the shootings because they’re “major shootings,” a term that has no strict definition. 

For those who don't know, Roger Severino has a long history of denigrating the LGBTQ community. And with his appointment in the first Trump Administration, he took it to the extreme. As Trump's director of the Office of Civil Rights at Health and Human Services, he attempted to push policies which endangered LGBTQ health. Severino's actions didn't simply border on animus. One could say that his policies were deliberate attempts to undermine the health of LGBTQ people while hiding behind the veneer of "religious freedom"

 In 2018, The Advocate claimed that he was attempting to "erase trans people out of existence" by pushing a memo which would say that gender identity doesn't exist and that gender is set at birth and defined by genitalia. Severino was also responsible for an attempt to create a rule which would roll back protections for the trans community against discrimination through Obamacare, and a "conscience rule" which said any healthcare worker could deny services to LGBTQ people based on "moral or religious" reasons. In November 2019, three different federal courts struck down the rule and one court found that HHS exaggerated a justification for the rule. Severino was pointed out in an NPR article to have contributed to that exaggeration.

 

Heritage Foundation uses false data to smear trans people as school shooters - The Advocate gives more details.

In other news:

MAGA Runs Wild With Claim ‘Thousands’ of Fans Wore Charlie Kirk Tribute T-Shirt at Penn State Game — By Using Clip That Shows Only Two - This new lie about Charlie Kirk perfectly encapsulates just how much of a fraud he was. 

Pentagon Pete’s ‘Manic’ Meltdowns Exposed by Aides - From The Daily Mail by way of The Daily Beast, so take it as you can. But is even a small portion of this is true, it says a lot of Hegseth's in claiming that trans troops would hurt the military when he is obviously the actual danger. 

This trans beauty pageant won’t be silenced by hate: “The girls are not afraid of who they are” - Don't back down even a little bit, ladies. You are beautiful and don't let anyone make you feel that you aren't.