SC senator trying to steer state down NC's path with anti-lgbt bill

SC Sen. Lee Bright just don't like gay folks

With its neighboring state of North Carolina catching all sorts of negative publicity and boycotts because of recently passed anti-lgbt law, one would think that South Carolina would steer far from that territory.

Unfortunately, those of us who live in SC know our legislators. Particular one state senator, Lee Bright.

From The Free Times:

South Carolina Sen. Lee Bright has filed a bill similar to a new North Carolina law that bars transgender people from using the bathroom associated with their gender identity.

Like the North Carolina law, Bright’s bill would also prevent cities and counties from passing any laws of their own to protect transgender people’s use of the bathroom. North Carolina’s law arose as a response to a City of Charlotte ordinance.

Bright’s bill would force schools and state government to require people only to use the bathrooms and locker rooms associated with their "biological sex," which the bill defines as "the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person's birth certificate."

North Carolina has already seen serious fallout from HB2, with PayPal dropping plans to expand in the state and the NCAA saying it might not hold future tournaments there. A lawsuit against HB2 has already been filed.

In comments about the bill on the Senate floor, Bright said he was upset North Carolina was "getting so much grief" over HB2.

"Apparently PayPal has shown its support for pedophiles by wanting them to go into bathrooms," Bright said. "Men and women in public places sharing bathrooms is just beyond me. ... I've about had enough of this. I mean, years ago we kept talking about tolerance, tolerance and tolerance, and now they want men who claim to be women to go in the bathroom with children. And you got corporations who say this is OK."

Bright's statement is full of lies and his bill puts SC in dangerous position. But us lgbt South Carolinians have come to expect that from Bright. He just flat out doesn't like us. So much so that he can twist any situation into an attack on us.

Last year, after the terrible shooting at an African-American church in Charleston by a young racist which led to the deaths and injury of 10 people, including another state senator, the SC Legislature began steps remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds. It was a way for the state to symbolically heal after so many years of racial strife punctuated by that singular awful incident in Charleston.

Someone forgot to tell this to Sen. Bright. In an opening speech during the session to decide the fate of the flag, he not only railed against removing it, but also attempted to shift the conversation by demanding that South Carolina do something to "stop the sin" of gay marriage before the nation is destroyed.

The following video leads me to ask just who is more of a danger to South Carolina - transgender men and women who only want some semblance of dignity and peace while conducting their lives. Or THIS GUY:



UPDATE - SC Gov. Nikki Haley has just come out against this bill:

 "We passed a law back in 1999 that dealt with religious liberty and it basically reflected the federal law, and it works just fine," Haley said. "In South Carolina, we are blessed because we don't have to mandate respect or kindness or responsibility in this state, and that law has worked perfectly."

'Efforts begin to fight MISS homophobia, hate' & other Wed. midday news briefs

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant brings fire down on his state.

Corporate Coalition Is Forming To Fight Mississippi’s Anti-LGBT Law - It begins again. Folks need to learn that fostering discrimination is and will always be costly. 

Several States Ban Official Travel To Mississippi Over Anti-Gay Law - It starts.

 Family Research Council anti-lgbt hysteria helped cover up NC law's attack on employment, wages - My post from this morning. A true event horizon moment for the Family Research Council in which the group shows that it doesn't particularly care that much for those who support its noxious efforts.  

Watch A Transgender Activist Debunk The "Bathroom Predator" Myth On CNN - One GOOD thing about all of this junk and lies about "bathroom predators" is that it is giving folks a platform to refute it.  

Four North Carolina Universities Debunk Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Predator" Myth - Over and over and over and over again. Then do it some more. Seize the moment to get the truth about and "do it to death."

Family Research Council anti-lgbt hysteria helped cover up NC law's attack on employment, wages

FRC head Tony Perkins

In a statement on its webpage, the Family Research Council celebrated the passage of Mississippi's very broad religious liberty (anti-lgbt law) and NC's recently passed one:

Thanks to Governor Phil Bryant (R), facts -- not fear -- won out in Mississippi! Earlier today, Bryant signed the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act" into law over the threats from corporate America and LGBT activists. After the Left's tantrum over North Carolina, where leaders denied men access to girls' restrooms and showers, most people started to see the liberal agenda for the extremism it is. Now, with the enactment of H.B. 1523, Mississippi is responding by passing religious liberty legislation that should be a model for every state.

Despite Big Business bullies, a media misinformation campaign, and liberal scaremongers, Governor Bryant helped to fan the flames of a national pushback to the Left's intolerance on the issue of marriage. Under this law, churches aren't the only ones protected from government punishment for their beliefs -- so are businesses, wedding vendors, and even public officials. While the threats from corporate America continue to roll in to North Carolina and Mississippi, the reality is that after Houston voters killed the city's hugely unpopular bathroom bill in November, the momentum has been on the side of common sense.

Thanks to his tremendous courage, Governor Bryant -- like Governor Pat McCrory (R-N.C.) -- has cemented his legacy as one of freedom. In the face of some of the stiffest pressure of his career, he stood strong for the rights of his state to live and work according to their faith. And while Mississippi -- like North Carolina -- will have to weather a temporary storm, in the end, both governors will be rewarded with their voters' support and a legacy of courage. Years from now, no one will remember if a sporting event was held in a particular city -- but those communities would be reminded daily in a thousand ways if their freedom to believe was lost because of the political cowardice of political leaders.

Meanwhile, PayPal may be the Left's friend, but it's no pal of North Carolina's! The money transfer service announced this morning that it's canceling the company's Charlotte expansion because the state won't force young girls to share bathrooms and showers with grown men.

FRC not only glosses over the severity of the Mississippi law, but it also continues  the lie about how NC's law keeps young girls from sharing bathrooms and showers with grown men. That's how FRC has continuously framed NC's law. Public safety. Protecting girls and women in showers and bathrooms. And regardless how many times that lie has been refuted, FRC continues to trot it out in a annoyingly tone deaf fashion.

#HATEISHATE

Let's be clear. What's happening in North Carolina and Mississippi is not about nor has it ever been about "religious liberty."

It's about payback from a group of folks whose lies against marriage equality caused them to lose in that regard in a deliciously public manner.  So now they want payback and in a desperate attempt to get that payback, they are throwing it all at the wall expecting something to stick.

It won't work. The battle may be long and viciously fought. Or it may be short and satisfyingly complete.

But the lgbt community and our allies will win. Contrary to popular opinion, it is US, not just Beyonce, who carries hot sauce in the purse.

In the meantime, help me make this viral. Never let folks forget, no matter how much they want to:

#HB1523 #MSLiveandLetLive #HATEISHATE #NC #WeAreNotThis #lgbt pic.twitter.com/sFQiJQWW4x

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) April 6, 2016

'As NC loses PayPal, Mississippi pushes for its turn' & other Tue midday news briefs

History is a nasty repeater of itself.

PayPal abandons plans to open facility in Charlotte because of LGBT law - NC continues to suffer for its embracing of a terrible anti-lgbt law which is slowly being discovered to be a serious degree of subterfuge.

Here’s a Massive Round-Up of Updates on the Pounding North Carolina is Taking Over the Anti-LGBT Bill - Let's itemize that suffering, shall we?

Mississippi Governor Signs Law Permitting LGBT Discrimination - Apparently Mississippi is so jealous that it wants a piece of the suffering. What's more, the state isn't even trying to use a "bathroom predator" excuse. THIS law is so nasty in its blatant desire to discriminate, I wouldn't be surprised if a conservative judge would come off the bench and jack slap lawyers defending it. 

Anti-Gay Activists To Rally In Defense Of North Carolina's New Anti-LGBT Law - April 11 is going to be a very busy day in NC. The liars are under the false impression that they are fooling the majority of people. Then again, that's not true. They know their lies aren't working, hence this upcoming rally.

Yes, Gov. McCrory! Please let that anti-gay hate group defend HB2 in court! Pretty please with sugar on top!

Will McCrory make the ultimate stupid move?

In the midst of making boneheaded faux pas - such as creating HB2 in the first place, attacking businesses and other cities and states who are boycotting the state because of the law, doubling down, and continuing to lie about the law in the face of strong refutation, will NC Gov. Pat McCrory make the biggest boneheaded decision of all time by allowing the Liberty Counsel to defend the law in court:

 After Charlotte passed the ordinance allowing men into women's restrooms, locker rooms, and shower facilities, the North Carolina Legislature called itself back into session and passed a bill overturning it. Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver reports that since then, some corporations have threatened to leave the state, as the bill impacts every city and county in the state -- not just Charlotte.

"Sorry, men -- You can't go into and expose yourselves in the women's restrooms. Why all the outrage from some of these corporations is absolutely absurd,"  (Liberty Counsel president Mat) Staver comments. "These companies are not going to leave North Carolina. North Carolina is very business friendly. Charlotte has more Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Charlotte than any other place in the country."

Since Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) refuses to defend the law targeted in a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, Liberty Counsel is looking for members of the legislature and private individuals to represent so it can challenge the ACLU in court.

"This law is constitutional. There's no question about it," Staver declares. "It needs to be defended; it should be defended, and we can win this case."

The Liberty Counsel, according to the Human Rights Campaign, is the same loser group who:

unsuccessfully fought the battle for the fraudulent 'reparative' or 'ex-gay' therapy,

defends worldwide laws criminalizing homosexuality,

urged magistrates to break the law and not marry gay couples and

have employees embroiled in a case in which a child was stolen from her lesbian mother.

Last but not least, let's not forget the organization defending infamous lawbreaking KY clerk Kim Davis even to the point of lying about her number of supporters in Peru.

All of which leads me to say, PLEASE, OH PLEASE Gov. McCrory, let the Liberty Counsel defend HB2!

'CNN's Chris Cuomo refutes 'bathroom predator' lie behind anti-lgbt laws' & other Mon. midday news briefs

CNN's Chris Cuomo

Hate Group Says NC Anti-LGBT Law Not Unconstitutional Because Gender Identity Not in Constitution - Good news - Cuomo refutes the lies from the Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg.  Bad news - there was no lgbt representation who really should have been the one to debate Sprigg. REALLY BAD NEWS - My brothers and sisters angry that CNN gave Sprigg a platform to spout lies. I disagree with this point of view and it reveals a level of sad ignorance in our community. WE KNOW that Sprigg and company are liars. But how many folks outside our circle don't? And we come implying that there should be no debate. It's the equivalent of expecting crops to grow without planting the seeds and cultivating them. The only way we are going to get folks to see what we see, to know what we know about religious right spokespeople like Sprigg and their noxious groups is to demand open and free debate. Don't demand that networks shut them out. Demand that our people get in the debate. You cannot convince people who are the liars if you don't want to create the platform to expose and rhetorically wreck them.  

Chris Cuomo Debunks The 'Bathroom Predator' Myth Behind Anti-LGBT Laws - BUT let's not be unfair. Give Cuomo his props . . . with the proviso of the comments from above. 

A New Day Dawns - America’s First National Trans Political Advocacy Group Lifts Off - WONDERFUL! This group is very needed.  

Christian group threatens to sue Pascack Valley over transgender plan - The Liberty Counsel is NOT a Christian group and this attempt to harm transgender children more than proves that point.  

Texas Lawmaker Working to Write Anti-LGBT Discrimination Into State Constitution - See the foul story behind this one. It's not just that this awful lawmaker wants do this abominable act. It's also that he is a former employee of the Liberty Counsel. So now anti-hate groups not only have state legislators in their hip pockets. Their spokespeople and employees are BECOMING state legislators. This can only be stopped by attacking the root, i.e. exposing anti-gay groups instead of demanding that the news media shut down their ability to have a platform.

It only takes one minute & 46 seconds to show that NC Gov. Pat McCrory is a homophobic liar

This video, courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign, only takes 1:46 to refute the lies NC Gov. Pat McCrory and religious right groups (like the Family Research Council) are spreading about the state's anti-lgbt bill.

McCrory and the religious right think that if they repeat a lie often enough, it will overwhelm the truth and those of use telling the truth.

Think again my "friends"

'NC anti-lgbt law borrowed work from vicious hate group' & other Fri midday news briefs

Don't let this group fool you. Its hands are practically dripping with the blood of innocents.

 North Carolina's Anti-LGBT Law Borrows The Work Of An Extreme Legal Group - It doesn't matter how much progress we make when we forget that certain anti-gay hate groups have state legislators in their hip pockets. This enemies of lgbt equality have deep pocket and many tentacles. We really need to recognize this so we can defeat them. 

Dangerous Liaisons - A 2013 SPLC profile on the group from above, including a look of its exploits worldwide. The exploits involve worldwide persecution are simply ugly.

10 Shocking Facts About the Alliance Defending Freedom - Even more  info about this group. 

  A University’s Four-Year Fight To Discriminate Comes To An Abrupt End - Happy preview - the university appears to have lost. 

Washington Blade Investigation Debunks The Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Predator" Myth - Marking how many times this lie has been debunked? I swear they should start awarding prizes to folks who debunk this lie. It would be the easiest thing to win. 

The Heterosexual Agenda - You know, I have no problems with heterosexuals until they begin shoving their lifestyle in my face (yes that is extreme sarcasm.)  

Planned Lessons on LGBT Tolerance at San Ramon School Spark Outrage - It always saddens me when some heterosexuals think that they are folks who are parents.

Six-year-old accepts her transgender parent without judgment

A six-year-old little girl has the following reaction when told that her parent is transgender and it proves that children sometimes have more common sense than adults:



Buzzfeed has the entire story for those who are interested.

'Fox News helps NC Gov lie about newly passed anti-gay law' & other Thur midday news briefs

Kilmeade helps NC lie about it's anti-gay law

N.C. governor calls backlash over state's new LGBT law hypocritical - Based on this Politico article, NC Gov. Pat McCrory continues lie about the recently passed anti-gay law in his state during an appearance on Fox News by implying that it is merely a "public safety" bill for females in locker rooms and bathrooms when in actuality it also strips NC cities and towns from protecting the entire lgbt community from discrimination. And the worse part is from what I read, Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade soft pedaled the interview. I hate to make this mention because it sounds so severe but I think we all know what side Fox News would've stood on if it existed during slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. 

Pat McCrory is wrong when he says North Carolina's new LGBT law doesn't take away existing rights - And according to Politifact, McCrory has been lying about the law. No shyte, but it's still good to have more concrete confirmation.

 Mississippi Senate Passes Sweeping Anti-LGBT Religious Freedom Bill - Meanwhile, Mississippi passes an anti-lgbt law more extreme than that of NC. Backlashes don't bother me. They are only proof that we are winning and we need to "bring the victory on home."  

Trans People Get Candid About Their Lives For Trans Day Of Visibility - Let's not forget the Trans Day of Visibility, a very important event.

 Conservative Group Claims Disney, Apple &  Others ‘Declared Public War’ On Christianity - Polarized ignorance. Just because you support lgbt rights doesn't mean you dislike Christianity or the Christians who believe that homosexuality is a sin.

Bryan Fischer's latest rant transcends the very definitions of homophobia and hate

THIS RANT from anti-lgbt American Family Association's Bryan Fischer goes beyond almost everything he has said against the lgbt community in the past. It deserves a place by itself in the pantheon of homophobia. Fischer perfectly captures the religious entitlement, the ignorance, and the self-righteous mean-spirited cluelessness which has gone into the creation of the recent spate of anti-lgbt laws masquerading as "public safety" bathroom bills and "religious liberty" bills.

Just start calling him an liability to the anti-lgbt right:



Hat tip to Right Wing Watch. Go there to read what caused Fischer to go ballistic.

'VA Gov vetoes anti-gay 'religious liberty' bill & other Wed. midday news briefs

Gov. McAuliffe

Gov. McAuliffe vetoes bill that would have “legalized discrimination” against Virginia’s LGBTQ’s - THIS is leadership.  

No, Nothing Pat McCrory Says In Defense Of North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law Is True - And THIS is simply pitiful. The poor baby is trying so hard. 

NORTH CAROLINA: Hate Coalition Posts List Of Local Businesses Which Support The New Anti-LGBT Law - I guess this can be considered as the homophobic calvary. Thanks a lot my friends. We do need a list of folks we need to put pressure on.  

Family Research Council throws tantrum over losing messaging war of anti-lgbt laws - Reiteration of last night's post. Because watching the anti-gay Family Research Council throw a tantrum is always fun. 

Is the #GayMediaSoWhite? Gay Men of Color Exposed Racism in Gay Media on Twitter - THIS CONVERSATION needs to happen. The way the gay media is run these days, it enhances the false belief that Lgbts of color have contributed nothing to the struggle for lgbt equality. But how can there be knowledge of your work when your people don't acknowledge your existence, to say nothing about your intelligence. And I say that as one who has been a victim to this mindset.

Family Research Council throws tantrum over losing messaging war of anti-lgbt laws

The Family Research Council creates cute graphics but its lies fool no one.

In spite of all of the media attention telling the actual story regarding North Carolina's new anti-gay law, the Family Research Council continues to push the lie that  the law is merely about the public safety of women and girls.

In truth, the law also prevents NC cities and towns from passing ordinances which would protect the lgbt community from discrimination in such things as housing and employment. But the Family Research Council will not stop with its deliberately inaccurate messaging. And to make matters worse (or better if you enjoy reading FRC's meltdown because it is losing the messaging war over anti-lgbt laws), the organization is now lashing out at Georgia, Louisiana, San Francisco, and New York.

The group even attacks it own ally, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana:

North Carolina's policy may be settled -- but the dust certainly hasn't. After having their way with political squishes like Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal (R), liberals are beside themselves with Governor Pat McCrory's decision to listen to the voters of his state and repeal Charlotte's hugely unpopular bathroom bill. Big Business is hyperventilating, out-of-state leaders are boycotting, and the ACLU is suing. But does North Carolina regret its decision? Not one bit. Unlike Georgia, McCrory knows the best way to silence a bully is ignore it.

While Georgia tried to appease the unappeasable, North Carolina set aside the hysteria and did what was in the best interest of the people and children of the state. Seven or eight years ago, most Americans would have been appalled at the idea of letting grown men into girls' restrooms. Now, after two terms of this radical president, liberals are banning travel to a state because they won't allow it. Honestly, it's almost baffling that this is where we are as a nation. The governor of New York and mayor of San Francisco are so adamant about allowing men to shower with our daughters that they're forbidding "non-essential travel" to the state of North Carolina to promote it!

'NC Gov McCrory is deep in homophobic mess of his own making' & other Tue. midday news briefs

NC Gov McCrory was warned. He didn't listen.

NC Guv Blames Media For Backlash Against New Anti-Gay Law (VIDEO) - This interview with the Charlotte Observer proves that NC Gov. Pat McCrory is having significant trouble defending the state's new anti-lgbt law. And it gets better for us, worse for him. 

North Carolina AG won’t defend anti-LGBT law in court - Granted, he is a Democrat who will be running for governor himself, but the optics can't be good for McCrory. 

 Corporations threaten boycott over Georgia, North Carolina legislation seen as “anti gay” - An article from two days ago, but gives a great look at the trouble NC is having.

New York City and State, Seattle Employees Banned From 'Non-Essential' Travel to North Carolina - We are talking SERIOUS trouble.

 Gov. John Bel Edwards to Rescind Bobby Jindal's Horrific Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' Order - Good for him! That's the difference between a good official and a pathetic panderer. 

 Transgender Student Settles Locker Room Case With University Of Pittsburgh - Sounds like the case came out in the young man's favor. Good! 

 Lawmaker Delivers Mind-Bending Series Of Arguments Against LGBT Protections - Oh Lord! His comments are a hot mess.  

Mat Staver: The Fight To Reverse Marriage Equality 'Will Never Be Over' - Bring it on, bitch! 


McCrory photo taken from here

Fox News' Todd Starnes tells a sad lie about vetoed GA anti-gay bill

Todd Starnes can't stop lying.

There is a seriously disturbing trend regarding the recent spate of anti-lgbt laws. It would be a serious error on the part of our community to not raise hell about this trend.

The so-called "Christian" groups and spokespeople who support these anti-lgbt "religious liberty" laws have been deliberately lying and/or deliberating obfuscating the negative impact these laws will have on the rights of lgbt Americans.

Last week, I pointed out  how the Family Research Council tried to falsely paint North Carolina's recently passed anti-gay law as one of public safety for women and girls while omitting how it also prevents counties and cities in the state from protecting lgbts from any form of discrimination.

Today, Fox News personality Todd Starnes rang the alarm about GA Governor Nathan Deal's veto of a legislative passed anti-gay law masquerading as a "religious liberty" bill. Starnes, who already has a shady history of painting false stories of anti-Christian persecution, put on his best hand wringing performance in defending the vetoed bill:

Georgia’s Republican governor stunned the state’s religious community Monday by vetoing legislation that would have protected preachers who refuse to perform LGBT marriages.

“It’s open season on people of faith in our state,” said State Sen. Josh McKoon, the author of the 2014 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. “It’s a slap in the face to conservatives, to evangelicals and to the broader faith community,” he told me.

 . . .Simply put – the bill would have protected pastors from having to perform same-sex marriages. Faith-based organizations, like Christian schools, would also have been extended protection from renting its facilities to any organization that was contrary to its beliefs.

However, gay rights groups alleged the legislation would have essentially legalized discrimination.

“Discrimination and intolerance have no place in the 21^st century, and any town, city or state that enshrines it into law will not be judged kindly by history or by the American public,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a prepared statement.

Starnes' column is can be considered the top example in Obfuscation 101. His column omits the following details, via The Huffington Post:

 The bill would have prevented the government from taking action against organizations or people with “a sincerely held religious belief regarding lawful marriage between... a man and a woman.” It would have opened the door to all kinds of discrimination against same-sex couples. A state-contracted counselor, for example, could refuse to provide services to people in a same-sex marriage. Taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies could refuse to place children in their homes. Government employees, a la Kim Davis, could refuse to file official forms for same-sex couples.

It's not accidental that Starnes chose to omit a crucial part about GA's anti-gay bill just as it was not accidental that the Family Research Council is distorting NC's new anti-lgbt law.  What's truly sad about all of this are not just the distortions and lies or that FRC and Starnes are blatantly pushing these distortions.

The truly sad thing is that the lgbt community has probably gotten so desensitized to these day-to-day falsehoods about every level of our lives that a lot of us wave them off instead educating the world about them; the very thing we SHOULD be doing.

'Enemies of lgbt equality get wrecked in NC & GA, also get called out nationally' & other Mon midday news briefs

GA anti-gay bill gets vetoed.

Editor's note - Disadvantages of having a part-time blog is always coming to the party late. But hey, I always manage to still make it before the party is over.

Georgia Governor Announces Veto Of Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill - Good for Gov. Deal! Now hopefully there can be no override. 

  North Carolina Sued Over Anti-LGBT Law - Don't act shocked, Gov. Pat McCrory or the North Carolinians who supported that awful mess. You knew it was coming. And you knew it was going to be swift.

 The Religious Right 'Liberty' Icons Behind North Carolina's Appalling Anti-LGBT Law - NC is going to find out the hard way about following up the religious right. 

 Hypocrite Ted Cruz Attacks My Family While Declaring His Family Off-limits - Hypocrite because he attacks same-sex families. I totally agree!  

A Sexual Assault Survivor Explains The Hypocrisy Behind Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Bill" Proponents - Of all the news briefs today, this is the most important and the one we must take to heart and make the public aware of. Particularly THIS part: 

More importantly, perhaps, is the list of what the Heritage Foundation and other politicians who are using sexual assault survivors are NOT doing: 

They are not leading the effort to support the growth and funding of programs working on the prevention of sexual assault, such as the Violence Against Women Act. The Heritage Foundation in fact opposed the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act). 

They are not acknowledging that both men and women can be survivors, and that both men and women can be perpetrators. Instead, they are picking out just the one type of sexual assault that meets their needs and enforcing silence about all the others. How would they protect boys who shower or toilet with men? Is anyone talking about the needs of women and men whose female relative or babysitter molested them? 

They are not visibly demanding follow-up of the hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits that are gathering dust in evidence rooms nationwide. 

They are not conducting public education campaigns to tell people the facts of who abusers are and how they behave, so that people can start identifying and addressing actual dangerous situations. 

They are not proposing legislation to change statutes of limitations so that adults can prosecute the people who molested them as children, or backing other reforms that might change the fact that 98 percent of rapists never serve a day in jail. 

They are not funding or advertising quality trauma-treatment programs that can help survivors re-integrate into the world without carrying a debilitating fear of half of its inhabitants.

Will North Carolina's homophobia cause history to repeat itself?

Will North Carolina's law force a repeat of 1996's Romer vs. Evans?

Over the weekend, a lot of my friends and Facebook pals noted that the anti-gay law the NC legislature passed looked very familiar. And I think, to a point, they are right.

In 1992 via the same fear tactics that they exploited to pass state laws against marriage equality in the future (i.e. lgbts are boogeymen who want to corrupt society and recruit children) religious right groups convinced Colorado to pass a law similar to that in NC. At that time, it was an amendment to the state's constitution. Amendment 2 prevented any city, town, or county to pass any laws which would protect lgbts from discrimination. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court and in 1996, Amendment 2 was struck down by a vote of 6-3.

According to Lambda Legal:

In declaring Amendment 2 unconstitutional, the Court made clear that antigay sentiment does not justify governmental discrimination and shattered the “special rights” rhetoric of those who oppose equal treatment for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

 . . . This landmark victory was the single most positive Supreme Court ruling in the history of the gay rights movement when it was decided. The Court’s ruling made clear that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals have the same right to seek government protection against discrimination in the United States as any other group of people. The decision also marked a new level of legal respect for LGBT people and rejected the notion that it is legitimate for the government to discriminate against gay people based on moral objections to homosexuality.

Here is something else interesting about the case - The opinion of the court striking down Amendment 2 was written by Justice Kennedy while the dissent was written by . .. the now late Justice Scalia.

So how does North Carolina's HB2 differ from Colorado's Amendment 2 or does it even differ at all? That's for law experts to say and I personally have never studied law. Any legal experts reading this blog is welcomed to weigh in.

This is not to say that we should take for granted the possibility that NC's law will be struck down. Nothing is for sure ever in this world. The lgbt community should keep up the fight against NC's awful anti-gay law. It just worth noting that we've had this particular fight before. And it's also worth noting the sad obsession some folks have with depriving lgbts our equality in that they dig a rotten, unsuccessful idea from the past and go with it without even considering that folks would call them out on it.

News briefs special - North Carolina is so screwed

NC Gov. Pat McCrory is feeling the heat.

Early reports are that due to the ugliness of it's new anti-gay law and the speed in which the legislature passed it, North Carolina is seriously screwed right now. It's being vilified in the press and companies are slowly but surely raising the alarm. And don't count on groups like the Family Research Council being adept at defending the state. FRC has been obscuring the many nasty repercussions of the law, to no avail. NO ONE is fooled.

Businesses Are Joining The Fight Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law - And more are coming. 

North Carolina Gov. McCrory in Hot Seat as Apple, Google, NBA, Many Others Denounce Anti-LGBT Law - And NC Gov. McCrory is feeling the heat. Good.

  North Carolina Gay Bias Law Draws a Sharp Backlash - Not just businesses. The law has caused a HUGE statewide backlash.

 NY Times Editorial Board: Republican-Led Effort To Roll Back LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections "Makes North Carolina Pioneer In Bigotry" - The New York Times blitzed North Carolina with the ferocity of a very pissed off linebacker. It wasn't pretty, which means it was highly enjoyable to folks like me. 

 The Family Research Council omits truth about North Carolina's anti-gay law - And you just know I have to get a good jab in. My piece from last night looks at how the Family Research Council gloats about the law while omitting what it actually does. A little advice, FRC. NO ONE is fooled by the "bathroom predators" and "public safety" junk anymore. The fact that you continue lie about that point only hurts you.  

North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law Is Based on a Total Lie - And the coup de gras. The Daily Beast looks at the "bathroom bill" lie which fueled the law and "unleashes the beast" all over that lie.


Bear in mind that these are early reports. Don't get comfortable. Pressure needs to be kept up. No mercy. No pity. No slack.

The Family Research Council omits truth about North Carolina's anti-gay law

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins

I knew that the Family Research Council would gloat  about North Carolina's new law, HB2, but  even I am a bit put off by the organization's celebratory email. I am going to post FRC's entire statement coming from its president, Tony Perkins:

Yesterday, leaders in North Carolina achieved more in a day than many state leaders have been able to accomplish in years. In a single-day special session, legislators passed and the governor signed into law protections for the privacy of children and women using school and public bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms in the Tar Heel state. Governor Pat McCrory (R), Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R), and House Speaker Tim Moore (R) are to be commended for a day's work well done!

A month ago, the Charlotte City Council revived and passed a previously failed effort to establish special rights for people who identify as transgender. The law added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" (SOGI) to the list of protected classes like race, national origin, and sex to the city's nondiscrimination code. The change was billed as "tolerant" and "inclusive," but as we've seen time and again it effectively opened every public bathroom, every gym shower, and every school locker room in the city to anyone, regardless of their biological sex. Despite thousands of calls, emails, and testimony from Charlotte residents -- including the Benham brothers -- who have experienced first-hand the heightened hostility and discrimination against Christians who hold to a biblical view of marriage and sexuality, the Council voted to force all businesses and places of public accommodation in city limits to recognize every person's preferred "gender identity" or face heavy fines and penalties.

This is where the Left leads us when left unchecked by common sense: The privacy of women and children must be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. This reckless abandon of common sense threatens the safety and freedoms of Americans from Seattle to Houston.

Thankfully, state leaders stood up and common sense prevailed yesterday in North Carolina, days before the Charlotte ordinance was set to take effect. Even before the Council voted, Gov. McCrory and Lt. Gov. Forest (who presides over the Senate) made it abundantly clear that they would act to protect North Carolinians. The new law, Gov. McCrory warned, would "create major public safety issues." "It is not only the citizens of Charlotte that will be impacted by changing basic restroom and locker room norms," he wrote, "but also citizens from across our state and nation who visit and work in Charlotte."

Lt. Gov. Forest was even more direct: "Girls' bathrooms are for girls, boys' bathrooms are for boys. The fact we are even debating this is a sad commentary on where we are as a society."

If you live in North Carolina, please take a moment to thank Gov. McCrory, Lt. Governor Forest, and Speaker Moore for their courage in the face of fierce opposition on social media, staged protests to disrupt debate, and Democratic drama as Democrats in the Senate walked-out. Because these men refused to be bullied and intimidated, North Carolina becomes the third state (after Tennessee and Arkansas) to protect its citizens in bathrooms and locker rooms.

And no matter where you live, take a moment to tell your elected officials that you support protecting the rights of the majority of Americans who continue to believe in biblical sexuality and natural marriage.

Other than the deliberate appeal to fear mongering and lies about the transgender community, can you tell me what ELSE is wrong with the Family Research Council's statement. Isn't it missing one very HUGE detail about North Carolina's new law?

How about the simple fact that HB2 does more than supposedly "protect public safety." The law eliminates any and all non-discrimination ordinances in the state which would protect all members of the lgbt community.

 Jay Michelson of The Daily Beast puts it this way:

 The state has undone not just local ordinances protecting transgender people, but all LGBT nondiscrimination provisions across the state. Literally overnight, people in Charlotte and across North Carolina can now be fired from their jobs for being gay, turned away at hotel chains for being gay, and even forced to show their genitals to a police officer if the cop thinks they might be transgender.

Dominic Holden of Buzzfeed said:

House Bill 2 mandates that state law supersedes all local ordinances concerning wages, employment, and public accommodations.

Holden also pointed out that until yesterday, nine other jurisdictions in NC  had ordinances similar to Charlotte's

Lastly, this Human Rights Campaign graphic says it all:

We shouldn't fool ourselves as to why the Family Research Council conveniently omitted the full repercussions of HB2.

FRC knows what this awful law does in its entirety. The organization knows fully well that the law now leaves lgbts in North Carolina defenseless against discrimination. And I'm willing to wager that members of the organization are practically giddy over this fact.

But  Perkins and the rest of FRC also know that there is no way they can defend what this law does. Attempting to address the elimination of rights would totally destroy the narrative of "public safety." So rather than try to put lipstick on this pig, so to speak, FRC has hidden the pig deep in the barn while it distracts everyone with the shiny distraction of "men lurking in ladies restrooms."

As discussion about HB2 continue, FRC's shady behavior should serve as a warning about the truth regarding these "bathroom bills."  Let's not forget to remind everyone about this fact every chance we get.