'Bogus religious liberty argument could harm our military men and women' & other Friday midday news briefs

How Marriage Equality Opponents’ Arguments Are Getting Turned Against Them - Really, it was bound to happen. In all of the chaos and anger in the early years of the fighting for marriage equality, it's not difficult to see that we never considered this possibility. 

Jindal, Huckabee And Santorum To Join Far-Right Activists At Liberty Counsel's 'The Awakening' - Just think. These three guys are most likely going to be running for president. Take a look at who they consort with and if it doesn't creep you out, YOU creep ME out. 

 After Shaming Gay And Unmarried Female Sailors, Navy Chaplain Wants To Keep At It - Another example of how the bogus argument of religious liberty goes to far. It can put our service men and women in harms way.  

Ala. House approves bill allowing judges, ministers to refuse to marry gay couples - Let's not lose our heads over these ridiculous laws. I know that there are some lgbt-affirming judges and ministers out there. 

 I'm An 18-Year-Old Boy Who Wears Blue Nail Polish -- Get Over It - Fascinating article.

So . . . when exactly did you decide to become gay?

In a tribute to Ben Carson, the site Funny or Die decided do a man on the street interview and ask folks when exactly did they decide to become gay?

Just in case you are wondering about me, I decided somewhere between the seventh episode of the Wonder Woman television series, Diana Ross's Caesar's Palace Concert, or when I really wanted to be one of those teenaged back-up singers in the Tempted video by that group Squeeze.

Gay People Tell Us When They Chose To Be Gay from Dan Abramson

'Lgbts, allies think of awesome ideas to combat homophobia' & other Thursday midday news briefs

This is a WONDERFUL media campaign. It educates folks about the transgender community and turns an anti-gay lie on its head:

Hey @TX_Republicans. Are you sure that is is what you want? pic.twitter.com/6zzsjkxEvp
— transadvocate (@transadvocate) March 11, 2015

 
Buzzfeed goes into more detail about this campaign, which as you can tell, I support big time.

In other news:

Oklahoma Dem amendment: Christian businesses must post notice of anti-gay discrimination - Another wonderful idea. Why not? If you don't want to serve lgbts, then why should we find out when we come to your business. That's just wasting OUR time. Really though, I think this brings home just how devastating these bogus arguments of "religious liberty" are. It's easy to talk about hypothetical situations, but put it in real-life demonstrations and see what happens.  I wonder if these folks talking about their "religious liberties" have the guts to do this.

Anti-Gay Pundits: Ignoring 'Disgusting' Homosexuality Is 'Like Trying To Talk About The Holocaust Without Showing Pictures' - I hate to be the one to point it out, but it's a surfeit homophobic craziness on Religious Right Watch today. This is just one of the least crazy items.

 Christian College Tried To Stop Bake Sale For Homeless LGBT Youth, But They Raised Thousands Anyway - A happy ending for some of our lgbt children.  

Utah Legislature Passes Extraordinary LGBT Nondiscrimination Bill By Huge Margin - Forgive my cynicism but what's the catch?

Idea of full marriage equality scares the #&@! out of the anti-gay right.

I think its downright hilarious just how the idea of gays having the right to marry in all 50 states scare  the anti-gay right and their supporters.

Just how scared do they get? Allow me to show you with the help of my good friends at Right Wing Watch:

Roy Moore

Cruz: Marriage Equality Decisions 'A Real Danger To Our Liberty'

Right-Wing Activist: Flee America Before Gay Marriage Causes God To Destroy Us

Matthew Hagee: Gay Marriage 'Is Taking Away The Ability Of ... Society To Survive' End Times 

Preacher: Gay Marriage Victory Will Lead To God's Wrath 

Roy Moore: SCOTUS Gay Marriage Ruling Paves Way For Government To 'Take Your Children' 

Scott Lively

Lively: America Will Face 'Calamity And Judgment' If Gay Marriage Is Legalized 

Matt Barber

Barber: Gay Marriage Will Be 'The Sledgehammer Used To Crush The Church'

Brian Brown: Gay Marriage Victory Threatens Gun Rights, Future Of The Republic

 Roy Moore: Ban Gay Marriage To Keep Bisexuals And 'Transgendered' From Marrying Multiple People
 

Scott Lively Warns That SCOTUS Could Unleash The Antichrist By September 2015  

Mat Staver: Marriage Equality Might Turn Kids Gay

I've got a prediction. The idea that gays can freely marry in all 50 states will transform the anti-gay right and their supporters into simpering "drama queens."

Oh look. It's already happened.

'Bathroom bill' bounties, Fake anti-Christian panics & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Texas Bill Would Create $2,000 Bounty for Turning in Transgender Students Found in Bathrooms - Oh mercy! If it hasn't already been declared official, then I hereby declare the ridiculous fear of transgender men and women using restrooms and the "moral panic" of the year. 

 Senate GOP Invites FRC's Tony Perkins To Politicize Hearing On 'Religious Freedom Abroad' - This is happening today and it is why I get angry when folks refuse to take folks like Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council seriously. I doubt that any US senator would invite Peter LaBarbera or Linda Harvey to testify in front of any committee. But they invited Perkins because FRC has credibility, no matter how much the organization lies and distorts.  

Anti-gay Family Research Council still can't prove accuracy of alleged Feldblum quote - Speaking of Perkins and the FRC, it is that time again when I put a past post in the news briefs because I feel that it is an important post for us to read, pass around, and publicize. In a nutshell, it is how the Family Research Council spread a faked quote from an Obama appointee and is presently using it as a part of its "religious liberty" narrative. FRC was caught in the middle of its subterfuge, but more people NEED to know about the situation because it's a guide to how anti-gay groups create false panics about so-called anti-Christian persecution in America. 

 Fox News Defends Navy Chaplain Who Allegedly Discriminated Against Gays, Women - Speaking of fake panics about so-called anti-Christian persecution . . .  

Allowing Transgender Youth To Transition Improves Their Mental Health, Study Finds - Pay attention because this is important to cite later on numerous occasions.

Anti-gay Family Research Council still can't prove accuracy of alleged Feldblum quote

Feldblum wins. FRC loses

Hold on to your horses.

The Family Research Council has answered my question regarding a quote it attributed to the EEOC's Chai Feldblum.

First a little background.

Last week, I wrote how the Family Research Council falsely attributed a quote to EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) member Feldblum to further a narrative that the rights of evangelical Christians would be hindered because of lgbt equality.

The alleged quote, "Gays win. Christians lose" was supposedly an answer to a question posed to Feldblum years ago when she was asked about dynamic of religious beliefs vs. lgbt equality. And it was a quote which traveled through right wing circles for a number of years.

I sent a tweet to the Family Research Council asking that they correct the assertion that Feldblum made the statement. The organization said it would get back with me. Today it sent the following tweet:

@holybullies Here you go: http://t.co/5jSMGSWIUy
— FRC (@FRCdc) March 10, 2015

That tweet was a link to a" fact sheet" (a better word would be a smear sheet) on Feldblum and why FRC felt she shouldn't serve as an EEOC commissioner. On page two of the sheet was the following:

Was the lead drafter for ENDA, which she would be responsible for enforcing if she is confirmed to the EEOC. When questioned on the rights of Christians hiring employees of their choice, Feldblum stated “Gays win; Christians lose.” Thomas Peters, “Chai’s ENDA vs. Religious Liberty,” American Principles Project, October 26, 2009.
http://www.americanprinciplesproject.org/blogs/chais-enda-vs-religious-liberty.html.

However that link is dead. When you click on it or type it in, you will see that the article no longer exists.

Still, it would appear that the Family Research Council has, at least, a little bit of justification in citing the false "Gays Win. Christians Lose" quote.

Not so fast.

'Silly overreaction over transgender woman in gym sparks unnecessary controversy' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Gym Stands Up For Trans Woman, Kicks Out Member Who Wouldn’t Stop Complaining - The anti-gay right has been attempting to exploit this story to show the so-called dangers of pro-transgender inclusive anti-discrimination laws. But as Zack Ford from Think Progress clarifies, this is really an example of an extremely silly overreaction of one former gym member and an example of the nonsense that our transgender sisters have to go through. Much props for Planet Fitness for standing its ground and the transgender sister for coming public to demand her respect.

A Record Number Of Voters Support Gay Marriage, New Poll Finds - This DID NOT happen overnight. We fought tooth and nail for this. 

 Christian University Forbids Fundraiser Benefiting LGBT Homeless youth - Because apparently Jesus told an alternative story of  'The Good Samaritan' where everyone left the robbed traveler on the road to die.  

Matt Barber's overcompensating bravado again helps our side more than his own - In which the anti-gay spokesman Matt Barber provides proof of anti-gay animus against marriage equality (which of course never helps his side in the courts) and auditions to be a low-budget (and I am talking extremely low-budget) Dr. Seuss.  

More gay black characters on TV series these days: 'Empire,' 'Being Mary Jane,' 'The Haves & The Have Nots' - It's about time. NOW let's talk about a J.R. Ewing/Alexis Carrington Colby gay character. And call me for auditions when there is one to be created.

  LaBarbera: GOP Will Fall If It Stops Talking About Gay Kisses On TV - Now what are my news briefs without a little bit of "crazy?"

Family Research Council is 0 for 2 in attacks on EEOC's Feldblum

Last week, I wrote how the Family Research Council falsely attributed a quote to EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) member Chai Feldblum in order to make her seem like a fierce opponent of "religious liberty." When I confront the organization with the truth via twitter, its representatives promised to "look into it."

Naturally, FRC has not gotten back with me on that. In the meantime, however, it did put out the following about Feldblum:

RT @tperkins: Faith-based adoption orgs do vital work. Help us protect their #religiousfreedom http://t.co/rC70qgWIbQ pic.twitter.com/8atUeCDW69
— FRC (@FRCdc) March 9, 2015

Believe it or not, FRC actually got that quote right. HOWEVER, whereas last week FRC falsely attributed a seemingly anti-Christian quote to Feldblum, this week the organization took one sentence from an article in order to paint a false tone of her.

The article from which that quote was derived was published in 2006 by the conservative Weekly Standard. 

The article, Banned in Boston,  was written by Maggie Gallagher, who later became head of the anti-marriage equality group the National Organization for Marriage (which should give you some clue about the article's objectivity or lack thereof), and dealt with the controversy of the Catholic Charities stopping adoption services because it couldn't discriminate against same-sex couples while using tax dollars.

'Opposition to marriage equality leads to full marriage equality' & other Monday midday news briefs

Same-sex marriage: Why people really oppose it - Ironically, the reason why some folks oppose marriage equality is the very reason why it may become a reality. 

23 Things Black Gay Men Are So Tired Of Hearing - YES LAWD! YES LAWD! YES LAWD! 

Huckabee Asked To Provide Example Of Negative Impact Of Marriage Equality, Draws A Blank - Probably not the first time. 

 Mark Regnerus Defends Flawed Research On Same-Sex Parenting - Give it up, Mark and enjoy the money you made selling out your integrity. 

 'Complete Intolerance': GOP Lawmaker Doubles Down On Claim Gays Have No Right To Be Served - What was the saying about when those who oppose you proceed to hang themselves . . .

Australian anti-gay marriage ad bombing big time on youtube

This Australian tv ad, using the same nonsensical semantics and phraseology marriage equality opponents in America do about "how marriage equality will keep children from having a mother and a father" didn't exactly catch on:

Rodney Croome, national director of Australian Marriage Equality, says in a statement that the Australian Marriage Forum campaign is in fact 'harming the many Australian children being raised by same-sex couples because it defends discrimination against their families.' 'According to the Bureau of Statistics tens of thousands of Australian children are currently in the care of same-sex couples, and these children deserve the same opportunities as other children, including the opportunity of having married parents.' He added that the advertisement's timing highlights how 'out of place' anti-gay prejudice is in Australia's 'increasingly inclusive and respectful society.'

On youtube, it's even worse. Feel free to go there and continue to overwhelming reject it.

Related article:

Australia: New fearmongering TV ad by anti-marriage equality lobby group slammed

Dan Savage drops huge truths on Ben Carson about sexual orientation

I have not always agreed with Dan Savage but I will give him props. He is a fierce defender of our community and I am glad that he is on our side:

'How to spot & stop anti-gay legislation coming to your state' & other Friday midday news briefs.

WATCH: A Field Guide to Spotting and Stopping the Homophobic Laws Coming to Your Home State - Okay brothers and sisters, vigilance is the key here. Take notes, pass along information. THEN raise hell. 

More Than 300 Republicans Call on Supreme Court to Recognize Gay Marriage Nationally - I LOATHE how some folks on this list have behaved, but uneasy alliances is a hallmark to getting things done.

 379 companies that want their logos paired with uplifting music in inevitable marriage (in)equality documentaries - ESPECIALLY when such an alliance is the part of a huge snowball in your favor. 

Ben Carson Won't Talk About Gay Rights Anymore - One down. A gigantic bunch of nuts to go. 

 ABC Family’s ‘The Fosters’ Creators Defend 13-Year-Old Gay Male Kiss: Watch Before Judging - On the score that it's reality, I agree with the decision to show it. But folks, seriously, we need a new variation of this theme. The "young white twinks realizing they are falling in love probably for the first time" has been done to death.

 Completely Real Coalition Of African-American Pastors To Give ‘MLK Award’ To Alabama’s Roy Moore - This is NOT satire. They are giving this fool an MLK award. And lastly, my quote in the story still stands, DOUBLE TIME.

Family Research Council says it will look into false claim made against EEOC's Chai Feldblum

Chai Feldblum

One of the main reasons for the success of a lot of these dreary "religious liberty" bills, ordinances, etc. is how the anti-gay right consistently brands the Obama Administration as anti-Christian.

Take, for example, part of this email I received last night from the Family Research Council:

So when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) announced today that it wants to strike a balance between sexual orientation and religious liberty, those of us closest to the issue understand how impossible that is. "Gays win; Christians lose." Those were the words of the White House's own Chai Feldblum. An open lesbian, Feldblum has been candid about the LGBT agenda and its impact on faith. When homosexuality clashes with religious liberty, she was clear: "I'm having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win."

The claim that Feldblum, of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission uttered the words "gays wins, Christians lose" has been repeated by many religious right and conservative groups.

And - surprise, surprise - it's simply not true.   The meme was refuted in 2009 by Media Matters. Unfortunately, however, anti-gay groups kept repeating the story.

In 2012, this blog broke the story as to how this meme was brought to life.

'Pat Robertson: don't attend your gay child's wedding' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Pat Robertson Urges Parents Not To Attend Their Gay Child's Wedding - Pat Robertson's mouth should have a warning sticker emblazoned on it which reads: "contents  will be hazardous to your health, frame of mind, sanity, general well-being, intelligence, etc. etc."  Plainly speaking, even if I happened to be a major homophobe and my child was gay I am STILL going to the wedding COMPLETE with my best "oh no you don't" look for anyone who would dare to stand up when the preacher asks "if anyone objects to this wedding . ."

 'Bathroom bill' to block transgender ordinances passes first hurdle - Oh come on, people!! This is going to be so embarrassing in the future when our descendants discuss how people attempted to keep transgender men and women from using the bathroom in peace. 

Ben Carson’s Carefully Worded Non-Apology On Offensive Prison Rape Remarks - Darn! He apologized too quickly. I prefer stubborn-to-the-point-of-stupidity conservatives. 

Far-Right Pundit: We Need An Anti-Gay Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. - Why stop there? How about a blood-thirsty Mahatma Gandhi or a anti-science Albert Einstein. Perhaps a tacky Coco Chanel? 

 Psychology Today Changes Its Position On Conversion Therapy Ads - THANK YOU! Next time, don't put up such a fight to do the reasonable thing.  

Gay ex-ballplayer has the perfect response to Christian player’s criticism of his ‘lifestyle’ - I applaud Billy Bean for taking the high road here, but I have two questions. What exactly is the "gay lifestyle" because I have yet to get the memo. Also, how come heterosexuals have lives, but lgbts have "lifestlyes?"

Family Research Council's latest call to anti-gay discrimination would harm children

The Family Research Council has a special request which it sent via email:

In California, Massachusetts, Illinois, and D.C. religious adoption and foster care providers have had their government funding pulled and have been forced to end services, simply because they continue to believe in placing children with a mom and a dad.

That some states have preferred to sever longstanding partnerships with faith-based providers, making children wait longer for adoption rather than allow faith-based providers to continue caring for children, is a sad sign of the times.

This important legislation, sponsored by Congressman Mike Kelly in the House and Senator Mike Enzi in the Senate, will ensure that the interests of children are placed ahead of political correctness. Specifically, this bill will prohibit discrimination against faith-based child welfare service providers by the federal government and by states receiving federal funds for adoption and foster care services.
This bill will ensure that the maximum number of adoption and foster care providers can continue to advocate for children and will ensure that adoptive families can continue to work with a provider which shares their core beliefs.

Please contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to co-sponsor the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2015.

It never ceases to amaze me what levels of which FRC will stoop to push their point of view.  The organization is slyly portraying these religious adoption and foster care providers as victims by playing down the most important part of the controversy.

FRC claims that these agencies are being denied government funds "simply because they continue to believe in placing children with a mom and a dad."

That's sleight of hand way of saying that these agencies are being denied taxpayer monies because they discriminate against same-sex couples.

According to The Slate:

 . . . two congressional Republicans introduced the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, which they claim is an effort to shield “adoption and foster care providers” from an “anti-faith bias.” This is a charming bit of doublespeak: The act’s real purpose is to nullify state-level laws that require child welfare services to let gay couples adopt children. In some states, religious adoption agencies have closed up shop rather than allow gay couples to adopt or foster children. According to the act’s sponsors, adoption agencies that take a courageous stand against gay adoption deserve federal protection.

 . . .  The Christian right rails on and on about its pro-child policies, insisting that its opposition to gay marriage arises from a concern for children. But if you look behind the patina, you’ll see that it’s conservatives themselves—not gay people or their allies—who are actually harming children. First, the Christian right imposed a harmful stigma on the otherwise healthy children of gay couples; now they’ve now staked the claim that they would rather keep kids in foster care than let them be adopted out to loving gay parents. Conservatives’ crusade for legalized bigotry, it seems, won’t stop at demeaning gay adults. They’ve now placed children directly in their crosshairs, too. 

In other words, it's not about what's best for children. To the Family Research Council, it is about giving gays a figurative kick in the chops . . . again.

Does video back up Ben Carson's claim regarding prisons and homosexuality?

Today Ben Carson ignited a firestorm when during a CNN interview when he claimed that men in prison proves homosexuality to be a "choice."

Carson may be getting mocked intensely for this claim, but I have found video footage may justify his assertion:



For those who haven't figured it out yet, this is what one calls "sarcasm."

 Do you really think I would actually defend anything which comes out of that man's mouth.

Carson is a perfect example of a brilliant man who let conservative adulation go so much to his head that he has transformed into a jackass who constantly brays for attention.

And unfortunately for him, he doesn't recognize his braying as the sounds of a jackass. He thinks they are intelligent thoughts which are verbalized into inspiring words.

Pretty soon, someone is going to have a call another neurosurgeon to fix whatever is in HIS head.

'Ben Carson facing deserved HEAT after insane comment about prison & homosexuality' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

Ben Carson: Being Gay Is 'Absolutely' A Choice, Because Prison (Video) - Due his absolutely INANE statement that prison proves that the lgbt orientation is a choice, I hereby dub Ben Carson as the 'Anti-Matter Obama." 

'Insane': What Experts Say About Dr. Ben Carson's Claim That Prison Turns Men Gay - And apparently I am not alone. I am going to love to read the religious right defend THIS mess.  

LGBT, Mormon groups in Utah to announce compromise anti-discrimination measure - I'll believe it when I see it.

 What You Need to Know About Anti-Trans Bathroom Bills - Laying the smack down on the war against the transgender community.  

Alabama Supreme Court Halts Same-Sex Marriage Without Clear Authority To Do So - In case you haven't heard about this monstrous ruling . . . ugh!

Why does the Family Research Council use bad & cherry-picked science to 'defend marriage?'

Tony Perkins, FRC has no problem using bad info to 'defend marriage'

Editor's note - I wrote this piece a while back on a badly done study, Ten Arguments from Social Science Against Same Sex Marriage on the Family Research Council's webpage. Seeing that the study remains on the group's webpage and is presently "trending," I thought it would be apropo to repost something on it. The purpose is to point out the sleight of hand in which the organization continues to get away with:

Ten Arguments From Social Science Against Same Sex Marriage  supposedly speaks against gay marriage. However, like so many other studies and pieces put out by FRC, there is a number of misdirections.

In the piece, Family Research Council is basing the argument against marriage equality on the claim that "children need both a mother and a father."

FRC makes the claim that lesbians household "raising children without a father" is wrong because according to them:

Among other things, we know that fathers excel in reducing antisocial behavior and delinquency in boys and sexual activity in girls.

And gay households "raising children without a mother" is wrong because:

fathers exercise a unique social and biological influence on their children. For instance, a recent study of father absence on girls found that girls who grew up apart from their biological father were much more likely to experience early puberty and a teen pregnancy than girls who spent their entire childhood in an intact family.

However, very little (if any at all) of the literature/studies FRC cites to make these conclusions have anything to do with same-sex households.

VIDEO: An storm of homophobic ignorance hit Charlotte City Council last night. Here is what we do about it

 Raw Story taped some of the most interesting testimonies from last night's meeting of the Charlotte City Council where the non-discrimination ordinance failed to pass. After viewing it (or if you don't want to, I understand), pan down because I have a serious question:



Now here is the question. This morning, I posted a graphic by Media Matters which refuted the lie about transgender women being restroom and changing room predators. The graphic included comments by officials in several cities which have transgender-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances and all of these folks have said that the meme about "transgender predators" is a lie and there have been no problems in their areas.

If you read this morning's post, did you copy and save the graphic? Did you send it out to friends, family, and folks who you felt needed to know this information? I would sincerely hope that at the very least, you didn't blow it off, assuming that knowledge like that is useless because too many people are willing to believe the stereotype.

Some folks did and I've been a little depressed all day because of it.

 There is no use in fighting for equality if you assume that everyone will believe lies or push you aside.

'Anti-gay activist harass transgender teen for simply using restroom' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Conservative Activist L.Brent Bozell Predicts That Priests Will Be Arrested for Opposing Gay Marriage - Didn't these folks say the same thing about lgbt-inclusive hate crimes legislation, i.e. that pastors would be arrested in the pulpit for declaring homosexuality to be a sin? And just how many times did THAT happen? 

 Charlotte Kills Pro-LGBT Ordinance Because Bathrooms - Because of the lie that transgender men and women are predators who will attack women and children in bathrooms. As the next news brief proves, predators don't need any laws to do what they do. 

Anti-LGBT activists confront transgender teenager at Charlotte government center bathrooms - All I can say that if I was there . . . never mind. This junk just makes me so upset. It's one thing to attack the family but when that member is a child, I tend to see red BIG TIME.
  
Barber: Gay Marriage Will Be 'The Sledgehammer Used To Crush The Church' - One of these days, I am going to sit down and catalog ALL of the bad predictions anti-gay groups and their people made about the passage of pro-lgbt laws. And y'all KNOW that I will do it. I guess there is one good thing coming from this. It used to be that anti-gay spokespeople would say "exactly" why "homosexuality is harmful." I notice they don't do that anymore. Can it be that we have spooked them with our efforts to call out their specific lies? I like to think so.  

Popular Psychology Magazine Refuses To Ban 'Ex-Gay' Therapy Ads - I guess it will be running lobotomy ads next. 

 Without fanfare, Nebraska lifts ban on gay people being foster parents - Let's end today's news briefs with some good news because EVERY child has a RIGHT to a decent home which will provide them with love and support.