GLAAD's wonderful documentary short spotlights South Carolina's lgbt community

From The Huffington Post:

The 20-minute film, "GLAAD Presents: State of Change -- South Carolina," was produced as part of GLAAD's Southern Stories program and is the first in a six-part series of short documentaries that aim to accelerate acceptance of LGBT people living in the American South.
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 . . .The documentary screened in Charleston, South Carolina on June 15 as part of GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour, a six-state, 10-city tour across southern states. GLAAD officials will meet with LGBT citizens as well as allies during the tour to spotlight their stories in local and national media.

 I saw this last night at the Nickelodeon and thought it was wonderful. One of the people you will see in this short documentary is USC professor Ed Madden, the man responsible for my eight years of hell-raising when he once remarked, "Gee, Alvin. Why don't you start a blog."

(In my best "Peg from Married with Children" voice) Thank Ed, everyone.

'Ryan Anderson - an anti-lgbt activist on the rise with help of junk science' & other Wed midday news briefs

Ryan Anderson peddles anti-lgbt junk science in a "nice" way.

Meet Ryan Anderson, The Anti-LGBT 'Scholar' Peddling Junk Science To National Media - When Michelangelo Signorile and the rest of us intrepid lgbt activists say that the battle for lgbt equality is not over SHOULD SCOTUS rule for marriage equality, people like Ryan Anderson are the reasons why. Anderson is the new face of anti-lgbt activism - intelligent, less fire and brimstone and more attempts to form "logical" arguments which speak against marriage equality and lgbt equality in general. Silly jokes about his possible homosexuality won't work on him. They have the opposite effect because this young man wraps himself in self-victimization like a second skin. BUT, as with all anti-lgbt activists, he has flaws in his arguments and sources. Educate yourselves on him because unfortunately you will be seeing and hearing more from him.

New Study Shuts Down Common Claim Against Same-Sex Parenting - Yet ANOTHER study proving that same-sex parenting is no danger to children. I'm all for it because the more studies proving this, the better when folks like Mike Huckabee, etc claim that our raising of children is simply a "social experiment."  

Pope Francis's Comments On Heterosexual Parenting Alienate Gay Catholics - But someone needs to tell the Pope about this study. He came around on climate change, now how about same-sex parenting.  

We Deserve Representation, Too - A letter to the editor by me published in The Free Times, local newspaper. Apparently the gay vs. black divide has hit the city of Columbia by way of a human relations committee and a ministry association wanting to play the "Oppression Olympics." The head of the association needed to be reminded that lgbts of color exist. It's always pleasant to be complimented on what I write, but writing stuff like this always depresses me simply because while I receive kudos and lots of reads, it generates NO needed discussion. Kinda like the column of mine about the systematic erasing of lgbts of color from Black history & the Black community, which was published last year by The Huffington Post. I got a lot of read and positive comments, but still no needed discussion by the folks who really should be having one. Unfortunately a large part of the African-American community either love playing the "black vs. gay" argument or pushing narratives which see lgbts of color pleading for acceptance from their heterosexual black brothers and sisters. Nothing too defiant or assertive because it scares people too much to talk about.

 'Spiritual warfare' on gay marriage declared by Southern Baptists - Oh stop it already. The Southern Baptists have declared "spiritual warfare" on lgbts so many times that at the beginning of every year, we mark the date they will make the announcement on our calendars.  

North Carolina Teacher Quits After Reading Gay Fairy Tale To Third Grade Class - I really wish he hadn't have done that.

Brian Brown, NOM, & the church of ' I'm not gay no more!'

Brian Brown of NOM recently bragged about the following:

Recently I had the great honor of presenting two distinguished awards to leaders of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) at their 65th annual Women's International Convention/Crusade in Minneapolis. Over 10,000 people were in attendance as I presented Bishop Charles Blake the "Outstanding Leadership Award" for his principled stand for faith, family and God's definition of marriage. Bishop Blake is the Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of COGIC. . .

For those not familiar with COGIC, that's the church which was the subject of a, shall we say, interesting event at its convention last year:



Imagine. Hanging around with a group full of charlatans who exploit people's fear about lgbts . . . . COGIC should know better.

'GOPers threatening constitutional crisis over possible marriage ruling' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

The New Nullification Crisis: GOPers Vow To Defy SCOTUS Over Gay Marriage - Allow me to put it plainly as I can - IF SCOTUS rules for marriage equality, you have to follow the ruling. If elected officials encourage any type of defying, they are creating a constitutional crisis. You just can't decide NOT to follow a ruling because you don't like it.  

The Rise of Christian Conservative Legal Organizations - Dear lgbt community, familiarize yourself with these groups. IF we win at SCOTUS, you will hear from them whether you want to or not (and you will not want to). 

 Fisher-Price Backs LGBT Families - Here is where we have to call out folks who attempt to call this move "political." Fisher-Price is merely acknowledging the existence of same-sex households and the children who grow up in these households.

How Mexico Gradually Became A Marriage Equality Nation - By either the easy or hard way (and there is no easy way) we win again.  

This Trans Man's Breast Cancer Nightmare Exemplifies The Problem With Transgender Health Care - What happened here was awful and any health care provider who even tries to plead "religious liberty" in a case like this deserves to get a foot broken off in their tuckuses.

Signorile - Lgbts fell for a false 'turning point' narrative after Indiana win

Michelangelo Signorile

Ah, but the Indiana moment, I was told by some activists, was truly different from the Arizona moment. The Indiana moment, they exclaimed with jubilation, was really, totally and completely the true turning point, honest!

Unfortunately, they were swept up in victory blindness, intoxicated by a win, letting their guard down, seduced into believing in the inevitability of equality while anti-LGBT forces moved on to other states. Just last month I penned an op-ed in the Washington Post pointing out that, on balance, anti-LGBT conservatives actually had a pretty good 12 months, despite Indiana and other losses. I noted that they operate through trial and error, and that they'd be back, finding a new way to turn their animus into law. Last week they did, and it was a stellar win for them and an infuriating setback for LGBT people.

And please, spare me the argument that the laws won't hold up in court, which is often yet another symptom of victory blindness. First off, no one knows that, and after the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, we should all be concerned. Secondly, the goal of anti-LGBT conservatives is in fact to keep LGBT equality tied up in the courts as they gather their forces, raise more money and deny us our rights for as long as possible while they attempt to roll them back, just as they do on abortion rights, voting rights and other issues. So, yes, they had exactly the win they were seeking.

Michelangelo Signorile, Why Indiana Wasn't a Turning Point on LGBT Rights -- and Why You Should Be Mad About It

Michelangelo Signorile, in his new column, Why Indiana Wasn't a Turning Point on LGBT Rights -- and Why You Should Be Mad About It, puts the right perspective on the recent anti-gay laws passed in Michigan and North Carolina.

The lgbt community is like a character in a cheesy horror movie in that we hit the monster once and then celebrate a supposed victory. Meanwhile, the monster gets back up and we are in the same position we were before.

We  celebrated prematurely after Indiana because we believed a false narrative. There are too many of us ready to declare the battle for equality over after one victory. When we do this, we seriously underestimate those who fight against lgbt equality and set ourselves up for future disappointments.

The battle for equality will be long and strenuous. In the long run we will win, but it won't be pretty. If people on our side of the spectrum are ready to talk about "turning points" or wanting to celebrate  after one victory in the beginning of a new chapter of this battle, then maybe those folks should either re-educate themselves or examine their minds to see if they are up to the fight in the first place.

LGBT myths revealed and debunked

This video about the debunking of LGBT myths may either make you laugh or have you saying "no kidding!" However consider that the totality of our struggle for equality has been and currently is people with money and influence believing these lies or fooling an enormous amount of folks to believe these lies and then conflating them with their faith. The question becomes how do we combat that?

'Anti-gay archbishop resigns in disgrace' & other Monday midday news briefs

Anti-gay Archbishop Nienstedt just resigned in disgrace.

Southern Baptist Manual Offers Suggestions on How to Get Around LGBT Anti-Discrimination Laws - How about just obeying the law? One thing has never changed in this world. Those who claim the loudest to be on the side of the angels do so in order to divert attention away from their horns and tails. 

44,500 People, Including Two Presidential Candidates, Vow To Defy The Supreme Court On Marriage Equality - Y'all, perhaps you should wait for the court to rule before making such plans. It's not like the ruling (if it goes on the side of lgbts) will force you to marry someone gay. 

 Archbishop John Nienstedt, Deputy Resign After Archdiocese Of St. Paul and Minneapolis Charged With Sex Abuse Coverup - No happy karma here. Just sad truth. I know an archbishop who directed so much attention to stopping gay couples from getting married, that he may have failed to protect the children from monsters, like he was supposed to. 

 Rupert Murdoch: LGBT Advocacy In Clinton Speech "Almost Fascist" - Murdoch accuses Hilary Clinton of saying something she never said. Just in case where you wondered where Fox News gets it from, look towards its founder.  

Rick Santorum Interviewed By Gordon Klingenschmitt, Colorado's Premier Anti-Gay Demon-Hunting Legislator - And there was no spontaneous combustion involved. Darn.

Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg - Marriage equality IS segregation

Peter Sprigg

Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12 and it commemorates the day the Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage via the Loving vs. Virginia ruling.

The lgbt community has taken this day and the Loving vs. Virginia ruling to heart because it gives us hope that anti-marriage equality laws will be defeated in the same manner.

However, leave it to the Family Research Council, and one of its spokespeople, Peter Sprigg, to attempt to claim that laws against interracial marriage and laws against marriage equality are different.

And Sprigg's attempt at doing so should leave you scratching your head or laughing your proverbial butt off.

In a column, What Loving Means, Sprigg goes through the history of Loving Vs. Virginia and then compares that to what he seems to think marriage equality entails. It's a boring, legalese-filled piece until this hilarious sequence of paragraphs (bold emphasis added by me):

The clear purpose of the bans on interracial marriage was to build walls between two groups of people in society, blacks and whites. Such laws were designed to reinforce a system of racial segregation, keeping the races apart from one another.

In contrast, defining marriage as the union of male and female has exactly the opposite intent and effect. Rather than building walls between two classes of people, it creates a bridge across the most fundamental gap in humanity -- the gap between male and female. Bridging the divide of the sexes by uniting men and women in marriage is common to all human civilizations, and serves the good of society.

Interracial marriage does not change the definition of marriage, and laws against interracial marriage had as their only purpose preserving a social system of racial segregation.

Homosexual "marriage," on the other hand, changes the fundamental definition of the institution, and would form at least three segregated forms of marriage: male-only unions, female-only unions, and opposite-sex unions.

In addition to  me saying "that don't make a lick of sense," allow me to go into short detail as to why. In his first statement, Sprigg is accurate. Bans on interracial marriage were to enforce a system of segregation. But that's the only thing Sprigg gets correct.

The problem lies with his sleight of hand. Defining marriage solely between man and a woman does have the same effect as banning interracial marriage, particularly because gay couples do exist and these couples have children. Keeping the rights and privileges of marriage away from them and their children does in fact reinforce a system of inequality designed by animus to tell gays that they are second class citizens. Neither Sprigg nor anyone else on his side of the argument has been able to prove that such animus does not exist

Furthermore, there is the simple fact that allowing gays to marry does not prevent the "uniting of men and women together." At no time does allowing gays to marry prevent heterosexuals from marrying each other.

Which of course means that Sprigg's claim that marriage equality would create "three segregated forms of marriage" is just plain stupid. More than that, Sprigg comes across as a high school student spinning odd theories in order to fulfill a quota of words in a class writing assignment.

If that were the case and I was Sprigg's high school teacher, I would give him an "F" for that paragraph alone.

Hopefully the Supreme Court will be as strict of a teacher to Sprigg and all of those on his side of the marriage equality spectrum who would try to pass his hokum as any degree of truth.
 

'Survey - People of faith oppose 'religious liberty' laws' & other Friday midday news briefs

This booklet breaks down anti-gay lies

What Religious People Actually Think About Using ‘Religious Liberty’ To Justify Anti-Gay Discrimination - I hate to sound like Sarah Palin, but the media is not doing this job to get this news out. To hear them tell it, the only religious folks are those white Christian evangelicals who are always spouting against lgbt equality. THIS article is what I'm talking about when I say "nuance." 

 Seoul’s Pride Events Are Off To A Pretty Terrible Start - This is NOT good. The lgbt community in Seoul have been outdone by the anti-gay opposition in a huge way. They would never be able to do that here, but still . . . 

Teen Sues School District In Potentially Key Federal Case For Transgender Restroom Rights - I hope he wins. He certainly has my admiration. 

 'Oranges, Baby Powder, Handcuffs And Duct Tape': Inside The Trial That May End The Gay 'Cure' - I still have my eyes on this trial. The repercussions could be sweet!  

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - shameless plug time. If you haven't downloaded this free booklet on anti-gay propaganda, please do so. This link will take directly to it for you to download, read, share, etc. Michelangelo Signorile said it best. This is NOT over regardless of whether or not the Supreme Court gives us 50-state marriage equality. As we saw yesterday in North Carolina and Michigan, the anti-gay right and their supporters have already planned for that outcome and we shouldn't ignore them. They have the money, influence, and intelligence to conflate religious belief with anti-gay lies and propaganda. This short, but definitive, booklet on anti-gay propaganda breaks it down in a way it should have been broken down a long time ago.

Ben Carson's 'black vs. gay' gambit backfires in his face

Leave it to wannabe presidential contender Ben Carson to begin the dreadful "black vs. gay" argument again by declaring that gay rights aren't the same as civil rights because there was no segregation against gays.

Of course that would be excluding these "religious freedom laws" which the religious right and their cohorts are pushing through the state legislatures.

But aside from that, Carson is conveniently forgetting the presence of lgbts of color during segregation. One day, I am going to find that spaceship which folks like Carson seem to think people like me were on during segregation and other pivotal moments in black history.

But for now, I will console myself by enjoying how the 'black vs. gay" gambit blew up in Carson's face when Brianna Keller of CNN challenges him on it:



Related column - The Erasure of 'Gay' From Black History and the Black Community Must Stop

Michigan now making it more difficult for gay couples to raise children via bad adoption laws

Michigan Gov. Snyder slaps gay taxpayers in the face with new laws.

If my lgbt brothers and sisters thought that this so-called culture war was nearing the end thanks to a possible Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality (which hasn't even happened yet), they got a wake up call today.

North Carolina's "religious liberty" law regarding magistrates is bad enough, but thanks to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, not only will children be potentially denied good homes, but the state's lgbt community just got a huge slap in the face.

Now it is legal for Michigan's adoption agencies to not only imply to the state's lgbt community that they are not worthy of having families and raising children, but these same  adoption agencies can receive lgbt tax dollars for the privilege:

Michigan's governor signed legislation on Thursday allowing private adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples on religious grounds, one of a series of Republican-backed measures at the state level targeting gay couples. Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, signed three bills into law a day after Michigan's Republican-controlled Senate approved the measures that had been advanced by the state House of Representatives.

 . . . The Michigan bills that were signed into law let faith-based agencies that contract with Michigan refuse adoption services to couples on religious grounds. The legislation does not specifically mention gay couples, but is considered a version of religious freedom acts considered in a number of states to shield businesses that may refuse services to same-sex couples from discrimination lawsuits. Child placement agencies that decline services to couples will be required promptly to provide prospective adoptive parents a list of other adoption agencies willing and able to serve them.  One bill amended the state's child protection act and the others amended other laws to add language on refusing service.

Freedom Michigan, a coalition of business and other groups supporting gay rights, said the law will make it harder for the more than 13,000 children in the state's adoption and foster care system to find nurturing homes.

The ACLU is already considering challenging the laws in court:

ACLU attorney Brooke Tucker said the group is looking at ways to challenge of the law on constitutional grounds."The constitution doesn't allow discrimination based on religion and you can't do that with state funds," she said. "We're looking at our legal options and especially looking to hear from people who will be adversely affected by this."

This is NOT the last we hear about this in Michigan and, unfortunately, in other states. The signal has been given and I am sure that other states will be attempting to follow.

How long will it be before our lazy media creates the false narrative of the "backlash" to the progression of lgbt equality?

'Trouble for lgbts in North Carolina & Michigan' & other Thursday midday news briefs

House overrides magistrate same-sex marriage veto - A law which allows county magistrates a "religious excuse" to refuse to perform marriages for any couples (i.e. same sex couples) has become law after the legislature overrode the Governor's veto. Ugh! 

Michigan Lawmakers Pass Bills That Could Allow Adoption Agencies To Reject LGBT Families - And then there is THIS thing. Will the Governor sign it? Regardless, when Michelangelo Signorile once remarked that "it's not over," if folks didn't believe it then, they had better believe it now.

  Report Attacks African Nations' Justifications For Anti-Gay Laws - The same lies and junk science which once had IMMENSE power in America has a greater deal of power in Africa.  

Ben Carson: Gay Rights Aren't Civil Rights Because Gay People Don't Have Separate Water Fountains - Oh stop it already! The segregation was a symbol of inequality, just like the sodomy laws, and the pogroms against Jewish people. For a person who is supposed to be intelligent, Ben Carson is a serious dumbass.  

Right-Wing Pundits Rail Against Gay Military Leaders - So much for respecting those who fight for our freedoms. 

22 Stunning Same-Sex Wedding Photos That Are So Full Of Love - Let's end these abysmal set of news briefs with something happy.

Niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes 'Paris Hilton' of anti-gay right

Alveda King - the 'Paris Hilton' of anti-gay activism

Those who read this blog or keep up with the struggle for lgbt equality should be familiar with the name Alveda King.

For those who aren't, she is the niece of the late and legendary activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A polite way to describe her would be the "Paris Hilton" of anti-gay activism, or someone who brings nothing to the table but her name, which gives  a psychological but transparent relevancy exploited by the religious right when they want to make their homophobia sound noble or connected to the African-American civil rights movement.

As such, Alveda really doesn't have the good sense God gave a goose, but she knows how to take advantage of a good gig when she sees one. This being the case, she is constantly on the ready to be called to speak at an anti-gay rally, or on television. In fact, Fox News recently hired her as a pundit (which should say a lot about Fox News, but nothing you probably haven't already heard).

Recently, she took part in a Family Research Council panel discussion where she made several outrageous claims. First she said according to polls, little children have shown that they want a biological father and mother. But hold on because that's not the only outrageous claim she makes. King claims that not only are there more studies which prove that same-sex households are a danger to children, but that media is conspiring to cover this up. She also said she could personally testify about being "harmed and confused." Her statements to this effect begins at 1:30 :

King's entire statement is questionable. I say this as someone who has interviewed her in the past regarding claims she made (more on this later) and based on our conversation, I got the impression that she is a person who is "flying by the seat of her pants," i.e. makes outrageous claims, but can't back them up with proof.

'Target ad breaks down love of pride, will surely confuse Franklin Graham' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Poor Franklin Graham. I guess he is going to have to also get his followers to boycott Target. This ad is simply awesome!

 In other news: 

 Meet The Doctor Social Conservatives Depend On To Justify Anti-Transgender Hate - Wonderful!! There needs to be more refuting of anti-gay junk science on a larger scale. A queen gets tired of feeling like he is doing it alone. 

 Maggie Gallagher's familiar 'victim' psychodrama - Just what I needed today. A silly white woman telling me that a crazy black man is an icon in a black community when the residents of said community are saying the opposite. Maggie Gallagher still thinking of black folks as "the help."

Judge: Arkansas Must Recognize in-State Same-Sex Marriages - By the way, this happened yesterday. It's nice to post something out of Arkansas besides those darn Duggars.  

Family Research Council: Anti-LGBT Conservatives Are The New Civil Rights Leaders - And they are clever, too. They've figured out a way to spread lies in the name of Christ, collect HUGE paychecks, and not even get one hose sprayed at them or one dog nipping at their feet. And the racists simply LOOOOOOOVE them!

How do children feel about Caitlyn Jenner?

One of the constant refrains of the religious right is how learning about lgbts, particularly the transgender community, will confuse and ultimately damage children. It's a load of hokum. Based on the reactions they have about Caitlyn Jenner, children seem to be more hip to the truth of the matter than most adults:

Lindsey Graham kisses his presidential aspirations goodbye with one statement

Lindsey Graham wants Caitlyn Jenner's vote.

Sen. Lindsey Graham is running for president. He's not even going to make it past the preliminaries for a number of reasons, particularly this statement:

Republican presidential contender Lindsey Graham says his party has room for transgendered people like Caitlyn Jenner.

The South Carolina senator calls himself a "traditional marriage kind of guy." But he says he "can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through" before becoming a transgendered woman. He hopes that, now, she's "found peace."

The underdog Republican candidate is campaigning on the need to counter threats from terrorists and Islamic State militants. He shares the opposition to same-sex marriage expressed by his rivals but says the Supreme Court is settling that question.

 

Graham says if Jenner wants to be a Republican, she's welcome. And he says if she wants a safe country and a strong economy, she should vote for him.

He spoke Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

That ought to play well with Rush Limbaugh, Erick Erickson, other conservatives, and the wannabe kingmakers of the religious right.

My guess is that James Dobson hasn't commented on this yet because he is still being fed oxygen after originally hearing it.

'Franklin Graham moving finances from one lgbt-inclusive bank to another' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Poor Franklin Graham. He can't escape pro-lgbt banks.

Franklin Graham Drops Bank Over LGBT Rights Stance, Joins Bank That's Sponsoring A Pride Event - Way to go, stupid. I do love karma. 

 Related post - Franklin Graham's abusive definition of 'love' is something we can do without  

GOP Senator: Churches Could Be Forced To Close If Supreme Court Rules For Same-Sex Marriage - Such are the rules of the religious right and their supporters. No matter how many times a lie has been refuted, they will continue to repeat is consistently. It's a deliberate tactic of propping up a headless monster (i.e. an idea which has been proven to have no bearing in truth). 

Trailer: New anti-gay movie stars actor who was on Logo's 'Sordid Lives'?! - I've heard of "gay for pay," but "anti-gay for pay?"

 Obama Appoints Transgender Attorney Shannon Minter To White House Commission - Wonderful!

Franklin Graham's abusive definition of 'love' is something we can do without

This is the commercial which has led Franklin Graham to pull his ministry's finances from Wells Fargo  and suggest  that other "Christians" begin boycotting the bank. And by the way, via email, the Family Research Council supports his sentiments.

Wells Fargo may be the first American bank to feature a lesbian ad -- but it may also be the last. The outrage over these in-your-face commercials is finally reaching a boiling point with consumers, who are sick and tired of watching companies pitch agendas over products. American powerhouses like General Mills, Tiffany & Co., Amazon, Starbucks, Tylenol, Target, Nabisco, Alaska Airlines, and even Betty Crocker are tripping over themselves to pander to 2.3% of the buying public with intense LGBT advocacy. Like us, Rev. Franklin Graham has had enough. In response to Wells Fargo's new ad, the son of evangelist Billy Graham is making an enormous withdrawal: his ministry's accounts. On Facebook, Franklin challenged Christians to take a long, hard look at where their money is going.

Mr. Franklin Graham,  just what is the problem with this ad?  Are you claiming that the commercial celebrates sin? If so, who are you to dictate what sin is? And that's not even the point. You seem to be saying that it is wrong for Wells Fargo to even acknowledge the fact that same-sex families exist. You seem to demanding that facet of American society, who has done you NO harm, shouldn't be acknowledged; that they should be erased, omitted, yanked from the view of the American public simply because YOU think they are sinful.

You are certainly free to bank where you wish, but the larger message you are sending is simply un-Christian. And you have the temerity to do these things cause you say you love us?

If I wanted love like that, I would go to jail cells of all of the men locked up for domestic violence and pick out four or five to date.

Lgbts should exploit the religious right because it's so easy to do

LaBarbera

When it comes to good old fashioned strategic warfare, the lgbt community stinks. We really do.

How is it that we can allow anti-gay figures to falsely claim that they have no animus against us, no ignorance against us when we have so much ammunition to choose from?  How is it that folks like Tony Perkins and organizations such as the Family Research Council can even begin an attempt to control the argument in this so-called culture war when at the very least, all we need to do is to raise a stink by making conversations like the following (an old "friend" of ours, Peter LaBarbera being interviewed by VCY America's Crosstalk call-in show) go viral:





Why do we go out of our way to either minimize this as simple ignorance or do something needless such as speculate whether or not LaBarbera is secretly gay when we could be using this conversation to prove animus. Wouldn't it be wonderful to make someone like Ryan Anderson of the Heritage Foundation or even Perkins himself address this junk. But as it is, it is our silence which is preventing us from moving faster in our struggle for equality than we should.

And it's not just LaBarbera. Day in and day out, we are inundated with religious right members, conservative politicians and think-tank minions who say outlandish things about the lgbt community and we hardly ever use their words to rightfully demonstrate their animus.

Perhaps we should get less desensitized to homophobic words and more willing to exploit them.

'Franklin Graham calls for boycott of Wells Fargo for featuring same-sex family in ad' & other Monday midday news briefs

Franklin Graham

Billy Graham's Church Calls For Christians To Boycott Wells Fargo Bank Over Same-Sex Adoption Ad - So ads showing same-sex couples and their children should be considered as anti-Christian persecution now? THIS is the very reason why these claims about anti-Christian persecution in America will be treated like the "boy who cried wolf." 

Huckabee Stands By 'Commonsense' Transgender Locker Room Joke - Apparently to folks like Mike Huckabee, common sense means being bullheaded, ignorant, refusing to educate yourself on things you know nothing about and putting it all on "Jesus."

Scott Walker Backs Constitutional Amendment Allowing States To Ban Same-Sex Marriage - That headline should read 'Scott Walker ain't ever gonna be president (hopefully).  

Beck: We Have 10,000 Pastors Who Are Willing To Die Resisting Anti-Christian Persecution In America - Which is news to everyone, ESPECIALLY those 10,000 pastors.