'Why anti-lgbt propaganda must be stomped down' & other Thur afternoon news briefs

This bozo, conservative commentator Larry Tomczak, is a perfect reason why we must never stop combatting anti-lgbt propaganda. Many of us know that the Paul Cameronesque junk he spouts is false. But I've been hearing it for 20 years and unfortunately there is always someone willing to believe it.

Tennessee House Panel Rejects Natural Marriage Defense Act - Sanity reigns in Tennessee . . . at least for now.

 Senator seeks protections for same-sex marriage objectors - A bill in Georgia easily worse than the monstrosity which "ate" Indiana.

 Poll: Damage from RFRA lingers, but severity unclear - Speaking of which, Indiana is still trying to recover.  

Employer To Pay Transgender Woman $115,000 In Job Discrimination Settlement - Sweet! Give it up! Turn it loose!

Lgbts, Democrats - don't screw up the 2016 election

Editor's note - Today's news briefs will be delayed until this afternoon

I've been mostly staying out of this Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sander primary fight because I know how nasty these things can get. I am ready to vote for whoever comes out on top.

But for all of you "purists" (particularly in the lgbt community) who will either vote for your candidate or no one at all, let me just say don't cut off your nose to spite your own face. There is a choice here and it goes way beyond the primary.

And if you don't make a choice, one will be made for you. And the alternative is a serious bitch. Just a few videos to remind you of this fact:

The Prancing Elites bring a breath of fresh air to both the lgbt and African-American communities.

I've never really been one for reality tv shows, but I can make an exception for the Prancing Elites. They are a wonderful group of talented guys who bring much needed diversity to the public faces we see in the lgbt community and also challenges the false idea of the uber masculine black men which unfortunately exists in African-American community:

From The Huffington Post:

 "The Prancing Elites Project" follows a group of queer, black, gender non-conforming individuals from Mobile, Alabama as they navigate the nuances (and dangers) of being queer in the deep south while coming to live as their authentic selves. Made up of Adrian Clemons, Kentrell Collins, Kareem Davis, Jerel Maddox and Tim Smith, "The Prancing Elites Project" is a bold and powerful look at a group of queer people who are thriving in a part of America traditionally considered extremely homophobic.

 . . .  "We are a black gay male and gender non-conforming dance team from Mobile, Alabama, and we're fabulous!" Clemons told The Huffington Post. "We were rejected in high school from auditioning for the dance teams, so we came up with our own group called The Prancing Elites. Here in Mobile, we struggle with a lot of discrimination because of who we are and what we do. Basically we stand to let everyone know it's OK to be who you are, and to feel comfortable in the skin you’re in. Also live your life for you, because honesty starts within yourself! We, The Prancing Elites, live to BUCK another day!"

'Tenn lawmakers willing to harm the poor to stop marriage equality' & other Wed midday news briefs

Tennessee Lawmakers Will Throw Poor People Under The Bus To Oppose Marriage Equality - Tennessee lawmakers want to pass an anti-marriage equality law which will not stand, but will cost the state's taxpayers $8.5 billion; money which partially  would be cut from the state’s health care program (TennCare), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Because Jesus said destroy gay marriage even if you have to starve poor folks in the effort . . . I think.

 Republican Frontrunner For Montana Governor Has An Extreme Anti-LGBT Past - And he is trying to hide it. A millionaire funder of anti-gay hate groups just steps away from a gubernatorial office. Spooky as hell. 

Montana Governor Honors MLK Day By Signing LGBT Anti-Discrimination Executive Order - Which means no more good acts like this.  

Australia’s “Embarrassing” Marriage Laws Exposed By Same-Sex Couple’s Honeymoon Tragedy - An awful tragedy made worse by ignorance. One half of a gay couple dies on their honeymoon, but Australia won't recognize the marriage.  

Washington State Lawmakers: Transgender People’s Bodies Are ‘Security Concerns’ - The influence of anti-gay groups on state policy. A little notch we need to to tend to.

 Jennifer Roback Morse: Leaving 'The Gay Lifestyle' Takes More Courage Than Coming Out - This sister is blowing an out-of-tune horn in a played-out band.

James Dobson + Franklin Graham = bigots obsessing about 'gays recruiting children' & bisexual orgies

Franklin Graham

Two virulent homophobic religious leaders, Franklin Graham and James Dobson, recently got together to talk about lgbt issues and its a miracle that the microphone didn't melt.

 

What you are about to hear is a serious reason why the media needs to practice discernment in deciding who to anoint as "go-to" religious leaders in this country. I mean I know they can find folks, shall we say, less "obsessive" about the lgbt community:

James Dobson

On his radio program today, Dobson played excerpts from his discussion with Graham at the event, in which called for Christians to keep their kids away from gay people and to take over school boards across the nation in order to remove gay-friendly programs.

 "We have allowed the Enemy to come into our churches," Graham said. "I was talking to some Christians and they were talking about how they invited these gay children to come into their home and to come into the church and that they were wanting to influence them. And I thought to myself, they're not going to influence those kids; those kids are going to influence those parent's children." "What happens is we think we can fight by smiling and being real nice and loving," he continued.

 "We have to understand who the Enemy is and what he wants to do. He wants to devour our homes. He wants to devour this nation and we have to be so careful who we let our kids hang out with. We have to be so careful who we let into the churches. You have immoral people who get into the churches and it begins to effect the others in the church and it is dangerous."

 Graham then went on to lament that "homosexuality is taught to be okay" in schools and "that is why I want to get the school boards back" before insisting that he loves gays and therefore feels obligated to tell them that "you cannot stay gay and call yourself a Christian." That eventually promoted Dobson to rail against the entire LGBT agenda by once again absurdly misunderstanding bisexuality. "You know what the 'B' stand for?" Dobson asked. "Bisexual. That's orgies! That is lots of sex with lots of people!" 

These aren't religious beliefs. These are lies and prejudice obscured by the cloth of Christianity and covered up by the Bible. It's no different than an anti-Semitic claiming that "Jews killed Jesus" or a racist using the story of the Tower of Babel to justify segregation and the New Testament to justify slavery.

Regardless of what their religious beliefs are about homosexuality, the need to prop it up with horror stories about recruiting gays children and bisexuals getting into orgies more than proves the fact that behind the facade they put up, Dobson and Graham are two very nasty charlatans.

They are Christianity's real problem, and not the lgbt community.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch

'GOP panders to anti-gay groups, Clinton gets HRC endorsement' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Clinton gets HRC endorsement.

Seven GOP Candidates Seek To Out-Pander One Another In Courting The Religious Right - Those who don't think lgbt issues won't be a part of this election are only fooling themselves. 

MLK Day Speaker Doubles Down on Anti-Gay Views, Says He Loves LGBT Community – VIDEO - We got a problem in Florida. 

 Anti-Gay Lawmakers Revive 'Witch Hunt' Against LGBTQ Youth Conference - We have a larger problem in Iowa and it demonstrates how we cannot ignore anti-gay leaders and organizations no matter how insane their rhetoric seems. This particular one has gotten state lawmakers to "investigate" and LGBTQ youth conference. And you know what I mean by "investigate."

  Shutt receives South Carolina Leadership in Law Award - One of the great unsung advocates of lgbt equality (and a good friend of mine) in the South gets her due Just more proof that we are doing amazing stuff down here in the South.  

Hillary Clinton Scores Endorsement From Biggest LGBT Rights Group - Something sure to make some folks on my side of the spectrum go into orbit in a positive and negative way.

Family Research Council's hypocritical money request about religious liberty

Tony Perkins

Tony Perkins and the anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council likes to create alternate realities in which there are dark smoke-filled rooms of folks (mostly lgbts) plotting to destroy Christianity. It would be funny if they weren't so serious. Imagine waking up and reading the following in an email like I just did:

Christian faith forms the very foundation of America's greatness.

President Obama and others who want a society where religion is limited to the four walls of a church on Sunday need a lesson in American history. Biblical values and morality are not impediments to "progress" that need to be bulldozed out of the way. In fact, they kindle the light that makes America, in Ronald Reagan's words, "the shining city on the hill." President Obama is so focused on forcing his radical cultural agenda on America that he seems to neglect everything else. With ISIS terrorizing the world, our economy stalled, unemployment rampant, and our nation's borders vulnerable, he is obsessed with pushing gender-neutral bathrooms and accommodating those in the military who identify as transgender. The net effect of Obama's leadership, or lack thereof, in the next twelve months will have a lasting impact on the future of your family. Under President Obama, America is suffering less from a political crisis than from a moral crisis.

But "only if." 

Only if we allow President Obama and his allies on the Left to proceed unhindered.

Yes, their attack on religious freedom in the next twelve months will likely be very deliberate. In fact, the tip of their spear will be an attempt in Congress to force the deceptively titled "Equality Act" on the American people. This sweeping legislation, if signed into law by President Obama, would grant special privileges to those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. At the same time, it would strip Christians and others of their religious freedom and require them to comply with the LGBT agenda in many areas of public life under threat of the law. 

I wonder which "others" would Tony Perkins be talking about, seeing that he doesn't believe that religious liberty should apply to the Muslim community.

And that last paragraph is a serious hodgepodge of anti-gay talking points - "special privileges," "LGBT agenda," "religious freedom" ?

I was partially expecting him to go for the classic "recruiting children."

'Ted Cruz picks up another anti-gay endorser' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Touts Endorsement Of Anti-Gay Extremist Paul Blair - I keep telling folks that Ted Cruz is spookier than Donald Trump.

 Rep. Dold becomes first Republican co-sponsor of Equality Act - The Equality Act is a pro-lgbt law, by the way. I can just hear heads pop. 

New Teacher Shuts Down Homophobic Language In Classroom - Wonderful story!  

Anglicans sanction US Episcopal Church over gay marriage - But apparently folks seem to think that it's actually Kim Davis being persecuted . . .  

LGBT Christians React With Fury Over The Anglican Communion Suspending Pro-Gay Church - More to the above story for the benefit of those who think that one cannot be an lgbt Christian.  
 
Theodore Shoebat Calls For SWAT Teams To Raid The Homes Of Gay Couples And Seize Their Children - From Right Wing Watch: 

This is the same Theodore Shoebat who was featured alongside several congressmen and GOP presidential candidates in an anti-gay "documentary" produced by Janet Porter, who is now running for a seat in the Ohio legislature.

Trans Love in the Black Community

When it comes to lgbt issues, my African-American community is sorely way behind on discussions and education.  This issue about the transgender community is just one of many. And it highlights the benefits of listening and understanding before making judgements:


Tra

'GOP candidates teaming with ANOTHER homophobic pastor' & other Thur midday news briefs

Rick Scarborough

Five GOP Candidates To Join Pastor Who Says AIDS Is God's Punishment For Gay People - And the fact that this is under the radar except for a few places is one of the reasons why people don't trust the media and pundits. 

Mike Huckabee Throws A Fit While Defending Duggar Family In Iowa - Or what happens when you confront a posturing anti-gay talking head on his hypocrisy. 

 Here's Why It's Important That Kim Davis Was at the State of the Union - You may get tired of hearing about Kim Davis, but you had better knock off the jaded apathy and understand what and WHO she represents. It's DEFINITELY NOT over.

 I Watched Charlie Sheen on The Dr. Oz Show So You Don't Have To - Charlie Sheen talked about being HIV positive on the Dr. Oz Show and it was not a good thing. My friend Mark S. King breaks it down.

 TN Lawmaker's Bill That Would 'Void' Same-Sex Marriages Scheduled For Vote - An illegal bill, but look out for it.

 Florida Experts Debunk The Transgender "Bathroom Predator" Myth - Slowly but surely we are going to destroy this lie.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence wants to get spanked on lgbt rights again

Anti-gay talking heads flanked Pence when he signed the 'religious liberty' bill last year.

There is a line from Shakespeare's King Lear which I repeat at times:

"To willful men, the injuries they procure must be their own schoolmasters."

What it means is that if a man is so stubborn that he will not change a disastrous course, well then he must learn from the mistake by the negative results of his actions.  Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is one such man.

After the huge debacle last year when he signed a vicious anti-gay bill into law (under the guise of religious freedom), one would think that Pence would at least have learned from it. One would think that he wouldn't want to go through all of that national embarrassment again.

Think again. From The New Civil Rights Movement:

For a brief moment during Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's State of the State Address on Tuesday, it sounded as though he might have learned his lesson from the state and national outcry over his decision to sign an anti-LGBT “religious freedom” law last year.

It sounded as though, after 10 months of studying the issue, Pence would finally heed the calls of Democrats, some business-minded Republicans, LGBT advocates and hundreds of the state’s employers, by endorsing a statewide law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Our state Constitution declares that all people are created equal, and I believe that no one should be harassed or mistreated because of who they are, who they love, or what they believe," Pence said near the end of his widely anticipated speech. "We cherish the dignity and worth of all our citizens. Here in Indiana, we are an open and welcoming state that welcomes anyone, and anyone that doesn’t know that doesn’t know Indiana."

Then, things took a dramatic turn for the worse.

"Hoosiers also cherish faith, and the freedom to live out their faith in their daily lives," Pence added. "Whether you work in a church or a synagogue or a temple or a mosque, religion brings meaning to the daily lives of millions of Hoosiers and no one should ever fear persecution because of their deeply held religious beliefs."

And of course folks aren't happy. According to Yahoo:

After Tuesday's speech, the group Indiana Competes, which represents prominent state business interests — including Cummins Inc., Eli Lilly and Co. and the NCAA — expressed disappointment with Pence's remarks.

"We were looking for a moment of leadership, and what we got is a shoulder shrug," said group spokesman Peter Hanscom, who said Pence's conciliatory words won't stop discrimination against gay people in employment, housing and public accommodation.

Pence's stance is ridiculous. He is yet another politician who places lgbt equality and religious beliefs in opposing camps while knowing fully that this notion comes from anti-gay industry talking heads masquerading as voices of faith. 

Apparently he has learned nothing from the last go round.  I have a feeling that he will learn this time. So well in fact that he will know it in his sleep. That is if he doesn't already.

'59 reasons why the fight for lgbt equality is not over' & other Wed. midday news briefs

President Obama

59 Anti-LGBT Bills Are Active Nationwide - Fifty-nine reasons to stop pussyfooting and start taking religious right groups more seriously than we are. These bills are coming from someone somewhere who is getting paid big money to cause all of this havoc. We need to recognize the main enemy of lgbt equality and it's NOT religion. 

GOP Lawmaker Moves To Ban Same-Sex Parents From Fostering Children With 'Family Structure' Proposal - Even AFTER the ruckus and controversy about discriminating against same-sex couples, some in Kansas are pushing this mess. We can't let our guard down for one minute.

  Creepy Virginia Toilet Proposal Could Require Genital Inspections, Critics Fear - And in Virginia, folks seem to be so scared of fictional trangender "predators" that they may be willing to expose their children to actual predators. 

 Obama's State Of The Union Speeches Show His Dedication To LGBT Rights - Yes, in spite of what some have said, Obama is committed to lgbt equality. A good question is what are we going to do after he is no longer president to continue to ensure our equality.  

Tony Perkins' Selective Posturing on Religious Liberty - When it comes to religious liberty, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is a huge hypocrite.

Dear Kim Davis, you are being exploited!!

Dear Kim Davis,

I don't know you and I don't want to know you and frankly folks are tired of you. However, a lot of us do respect your beliefs, just not the way you choose to push them. So I say this as a concerned person. The people handling you and pushing you to the public don't care about you. They are using you to harm marriage equality. They are exploiting you to garner attention and pity. Think I am wrong?

Then ask yourself this. If they bent over backwards to garner you an invitation to the State of the Union, then why didn't they advise you that being attired like a honkytonk hitchy mama from hell wasn't exactly the best thing to do? Not ragging on your physical appearance and all, but you make $80,000 a year. So girlfriend, why:



Just something to think about.

Revealed - How Kim Davis got her SOTU invite

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) provided the ticket for Davis

Thanks to the Huffington Post, we now know how the anti-gay hate group the Family Research Council got Kim Davis an invite to Obama's State of the Union address:

It's been a mystery all day on Capitol Hill: Which member of Congress invited controversial Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to the State of the Union address? Well, we finally have an answer. It was House Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

There's a reason the secret was kept so well. Jordan did not know he had invited Davis until The Huffington Post asked him about it and he checked with his staff.

"I didn't invite anyone," Jordan initially said late Tuesday afternoon, as he was jogging to House votes. When pressed on whether he had given his ticket to the Family Research Council, which then gave it to Davis -- which is what a Democratic aide told HuffPost had happened -- Jordan said he would have to confirm with his office. "I don't know," he said.

"My understanding is they gave them to the Family Research Council," Jordan said, promising to call his staff and get back in touch.

Jordan was later spotted in the Capitol basement, on the phone with his communications director, confirming what had happened.

"Yeah, so we gave a ticket to -- at the request of the Family Research Council -- we gave the ticket to Kim Davis' family," he said

Oh well.  We all can take luxury that while Davis and her lawyer from another anti-gay hate group, the Liberty Counsel, will be sitting in a floor seat mad at the fact that marriage equality is a reality, Jim Obergefell - the plantiff in the case which legalized marriage equality - will be sitting with First Lady Michelle Obama as a special guest.

As far as I'm concerned, that's VERY appropriate

'NOM wants empty seat at SOTU address to protest marriage equality' & other Tue. midday news briefs

So who gave Kim Davis the formal invite to the SOTU.  No one is talking.

NOM: Leave An Empty Seat At SOTU To Represent The '50 Million Voters Whose Votes Were Stolen' By SCOTUS Gay Marriage Ruling - Oh you are breaking my heart! If NOM and its allies had done their work honestly instead of relying on lies to scare voters, they would have had a coherent SCOTUS argument against marriage equality instead of it all blowing up in their faces. 

Who Invited Kim Davis To The State Of The Union? - We know that the Family Research Council arranged it. We just don't know who made the formal invite. Ooooo tell me, please!!!  

The Brutalism of Ted Cruz - THIS is the guy the religious right supports because supposedly he is going to bring "morality" to the Oval Office. Hardly. 

 Tony Perkins: 'Blood On Our Streets' Because Of Gay Marriage, Family 'Confusion' - What?!! Again, how did this man and his organization get in the position to invite people, such as Kim Davis, to the president's State of the Union address?  

First Openly Gay Nominee For Army Secretary Steps Down As Acting Secretary After John McCain Tantrum - Now see, this here is some bull@!%#  

16 LGBT Must-Dos in 2016 - Eh. I've never been one for fun and frolic, but have at it.

Anti-gay hate group gets Kim Davis a seat at State of the Union address

So anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis is attending President Obama's final State of the Union address.

That's not the real story. The real story is that the equally anti-gay (so much so that it has been declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) Family Research Council arranged for her to attend. How many hate groups do you know can arrange for someone to attend such a high function as a State of the Union address?

Perhaps the lgbt community should stop focusing so much on the pawn (Davis) and make a greater effort in stopping the entities pushing the pawn (FRC, etc).  The fact that FRC continues to have influence in spite of its history of lies, distortions, and homophobia is not only an indictment of the culture in Washington, but it's also a serious indictment of the lgbt community and our leadership.

There is simply no excuse for pussyfooting around and allowing this organization to push its falsehoods without some seriously intelligent pushback:

Related post - What Reporters Should Know About Ted Cruz's Evangelical Hype Man

Ben Carson puts his entire foot in his mouth, heel and all

Dear Ben Carson,

Please stop talking. It just destroys me that your ridiculous run for president is ruining your legacy as a top-notch surgeon. But if you keep talking about the lgbt community like this, I swear you are going to start making Sarah Palin seem like Einstein:



No,no, no! This is not what an intelligent black man of any political affiliation is supposed to sound like on television. It just makes you want to take up pimping.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'LGBT community pays tribute to David Bowie' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Tributes are pouring in for David  Bowi

How David Bowie Undeniably Changed The Way We Think About Gender And Sexuality - I never really heard of David Bowie before his "Let's Dance" album but because of it, I sought to learn a lot about him. He was definitely a trendsetter. 

 LGBT People Reveal Why David Bowie Was So Important To Them - Yes he was . . .  

Redefining What It Means to Be a Gay Black Man -  Wonderful post. Goodness KNOWS we need redefinition. Might I recommend that first we receive more visibility for our diverse talents.

 Va. bill would block local anti-LGBT discrimination ordinances - Ugh! And if it's successful, welcome to the new war on lgbt equality.  

Santorum: Allowing Gay Marriage Like Changing 'The Chemical Equation For Water' - It's depressing to realize how much attention people like Rick Santorum gets from the regular press. That's why we have to cover him. 

 Roy Moore Can't Be Impeached And He Can't Be Re-Elected, So Guess Why He's Attacking Gays Again? - Cause he wants to be governor of Alabama. Whoops! I ruined the surprise. Well it really wasn't one.

David Bowie dies at 69 of cancer

Well this is crappy news to begin a week with. From David Bowie's webpage:

David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.

He may not have been gay, but he was a hero to many of us with his outrageously public embrace of flamboyance and androgyny. Of course that didn't cover up the fact of how talented he was as an artist or the various styles of music he mastered.

R.I.P. David Bowie

Below is my favorite David Bowie song:

'Six reasons why Roy Moore should have NEVER been a judge' & other Fri. midday news briefs

Roy Moore

6 Things You Should Know About Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore - I'm sorry but what the heck is wrong with folks in Alabama for giving THIS bozo power?

GOP Lawmakers In Two Southern States File Bills Comparing Same-Sex Marriage To Forced Sterilization - It is my unfortunate duty to tell you that one of those states is my own - South Carolina.

What It’s Like To Escape Ex-Gay Therapy — And Then Defeat It - Ah yes. The disappearing fraud of ex-gay therapy. Thank goodness. I once participated in my own ex-gay therapy in high school. It was weird. Sort of like the 'Miami Vice' arc when Crockett's evil personality took over his mind.

Will Obama include LGBT issues in final State of the Union? - He'd better.

This 8-Year-Old Boy's Very Special Dream Just Came True - This is so wonderful. I approve of this BIG TIME!