Namesake of ministry suing SPLC once endorsed obscenely homophobic comic

A ministry currently suing the Southern Poverty Law Center for being designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group may soon learn the lesson about past actions coming back to bite.

First, a little background:

D. James Kennedy Ministries, based at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, has filed a federal lawsuit in Alabama against the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center for calling the ministry a hate group. The lawsuit was filed Aug. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama in Montgomery. The lawsuit alleges that the SPLC "illegally trafficked in false and misleading descriptions of the services offered by DJKM and committed defamation against DJKM arising from the publication and distribution of false information that libels the ministry's reputation and subjects the ministry to disgrace, ridicule, odium, and contempt in the estimation of the public," according to a statement by the ministry. 

The ministry is named for the late TV Evangelist D. James Kennedy, who was the longtime pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and host of the nationally syndicated "Coral Ridge Hour" TV program. He died in 2007. Kennedy played a role in helping form the conservative Presbyterian Church in America denomination, which organized in Birmingham in 1973 at Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has made it clear that anti-LGBTQ hate groups are designated so because they demonize the LGBTQ community in the most lurid, inaccurate terms:

The religious right in America has employed a variety of strategies in its efforts to beat back the increasingly confident LGBT rights movement. One of those has been defamation. Many of its leaders have engaged in the crudest type of name-calling, describing LGBT people as "perverts" with "filthy habits" who seek to snatch the children of straight parents and "convert" them to gay sex. They have disseminated disparaging "facts" about gays that are simply untrue — assertions that are remarkably reminiscent of the way white intellectuals and scientists once wrote about the "bestial" black man and his supposedly threatening sexuality.

And that brings up to the late James Kennedy. The D. James Kennedy Ministries has a huge section dedicated to his life and his work.  One thing it doesn't have is when Kennedy endorsed the following 1986 comic book:

How do we know Kennedy endorsed this comic book? Because his endorsement is the first one on the back cover, with his official title as "Senior Minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church."

Reflections on 11 years as a blogger, Trumps's attack on Dreamers split evangelical coalition, & other Wed midday news briefs

Eleven years ago, this blog began because there needed to be a spotlight on the junk science, lies, and discredited arguments religious right groups were using to dehumanize the LGBTQ community and deny us our God-given equality.

Since that time, a lot of progress has been made in calling out groups like the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and others. Thanks to groups like Media Matters and the Southern Poverty Law Center fueling the discussion, the tactics of these groups have entered the public debate and will not be going away. I like to think I was a part of that.

However, so much more needs to be done. It has been my biggest disappointment how the LGBTQ community leadership - and community in general - have been dropping the ball on this. Even before Trump took office, we constantly find ourselves drawn into repetitive little skirmishes. Bathroom bills, religious liberty bills, etc.  Before our very eyes, the same lies which exploited the fear of gay men and children are being used against our transgender brothers and sisters. And while we fight like hell against in these skirmishes, we fail to weave the thread, i.e. bring into the public debate how all of these attacks on us are connected. How arguments against marriage equality, transgender rights, LGBTQ equality in general are following the same distorted patterns.  We fight the arguments emanating from the anti-LGBTQ empire but have not taken the initiative to attack the empire itself.

We allow ourselves to be put in the position time and time again to have to justify our existence even though we have won major victories in terms of our families, our children, even our private sexual behavior. We fight from a reactive position rather than a proactive position.  And we shouldn't be doing that. We are winners and we need to start acting like winners. We need to start demanding that these groups justify their lies and their tactics. There is nothing wrong with us picking a verbal debate with religious right groups before they begin their latest attack on our physical and spiritual persons. There is nothing wrong with us, just out of the blue, demanding answers to their constant lies about how we harm children.

As they are becoming more aggressive in pushing back against being labeled as hate groups and hungrier because Trump is in office, we shouldn't just be sitting and waiting. It is a war. A war of position, debate, and narratives.   It's time we took control of all of these things.

On that note, I am announcing that I am developing a new visual project. Provisionally, I call it "HELL." And when I'm done with it, I hope that it will be hell . . . for the opposition


In other news:

Southern Baptist Minister: Anti-LGBT “Nashville Statement” Is An “Expression Of Love” - Why is it that every time the religious right shows us love, it makes us feel that we've been pistol whipped for Valentine's Day?

This 6-Year-Old Spent A Year Of Her Life Fighting To Use Her School’s Bathroom - Why we must always not be blase about standing up for our rights. We aren't just standing up for ourselves, but also our children. 

Trump Abandonment of DREAMers Splits Religious Right - Looks like some members of the religious right are showing just a tad bit of integrity. 

47 LGBT Groups Send Letter Opposing Trump’s Justice Department Pick Eric Dreiband - We got another one of Trump's appointments to knock on his ass. 

  Anti-LGBTQ hate group submits pro-discrimination arguments to Supreme Court - Small case with large repurcussions.

Trump has evangelical leaders wrapped around his finger

Robert Jeffress (top) and Tony Perkins (bottom) are just two of the many evangelical leaders Trump has wrapped around his finger by catering to their egos.

If there is one positive to Trump being in the Oval Office, it's that his time there is exposing a lot of these so-called Christian leaders as the power-hungry charlatans they are.

A very good article by Religious News Services, All the president’s clergymen: A close look at Trump’s ‘unprecedented’ ties with evangelicals, while pretty much objective, gives a picture of the embarrassing way several right-wing white evangelicals and black pastors who generally partner with them on other initiatives are freely throwing away what little religious integrity they have because Trump "gives them so much access."

Since inauguration, there have been meetings, dinners, photo ops and conference calls, according to participants. And there have been countless other encounters, including some at prayer events and signing ceremonies and a concert at the Kennedy Center. On Sept. 1, some from the group were back in the Oval Office as the president declared a National Day of Prayer for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Texas pastor Robert Jeffress led another laying-of-hands benediction that cast Trump as a national savior. 

 “Father, I thank you that we have a president … who believes in the power of prayer,” he said. “This country has been bitterly divided for decades upon decades, and now you have given us a gift, President Donald Trump.” 

 . . .And unlike the business advisory councils that disbanded over the president’s response to violence by white supremacists last month in Charlottesville, Va., the evangelicals are still standing by him. Extensive interviews with key participants — as well as public statements and photos — reveal that a cadre of conservative Christian religious leaders — mostly white and male (with notable exceptions such as White and Suarez) — has the ear of the politically powerful on matters of national priority, from judicial appointments to immigration and criminal justice reform. And while presidents before have consulted with spiritual advisers — evangelist Billy Graham is the best-known example — the current group’s members certainly appear to care not only about Trump’s own spiritual well-being, but also have concrete views about a range of issues and make no secret of wanting policy changes.

Franklin Graham, you are a fake and a liar

There will be no news briefs today. But there will be a post. A certain charlatan needs to be figuratively dragged online.

I don't know about you but I am so damn tired of Franklin Graham's ability to get away with being noted as a prominent religious leader even though he wouldn't know Jesus if he got His autograph at the Sermon on the Mount.

It's a sad commentary on Christianity in America when this man is interviewed, usually one-on-one and given the ability to spout lie after lie about the LGBTQ community. Whether being the recipient of interviews which turn into shameless monologues or writing junk on his facebook page and soaking up the "amens" from his ignorant sheep (followers, my ass), Graham is a shining example of the dangers of demagoguery which drapes itself around a cross, thereby masking his true predatory nature.

 And he won't be touched. Graham has too much prestige to be harmed by a true look at his motives and claims. However, to suit my personal satisfaction and to have some record of someone calling this evil man out for what he is, I'm going to speak my peace.


What's gotten me riled up? This junk on his facebook page:

See, junk like this is the mess I was talking about in my post from last night. Graham attacks the SPLC for rightfully labeling anti-LGBTQ organizations as hate groups. He also lies about why SPLC calls out these groups.

When will the LGBTQ community call out the 'game' instead of 'playing the game?'

I recently read an article by a friend of mine which brings to mind the LGBTQ community's problem with calling out religious right groups and figures. The Purge Of Transgender People From American Life Has Begun by Brynn Tannehill was a tad morbid for my tastes, but she made a much needed revelation and a point our community has to consider.

Basically, Tannehill pointed out that Trump's negative policies directed at the transgender community may be  following a game plan put forth by anti-LGBTQ hate group the Family Research Council. FRC has had a huge amount of access to the White House since Trump took office.

Tannehill's words rang true and they are cause for alarm. But I can't help thinking that we've been here before. As a matter of fact, we have been here so many times in the position of playing the defensive against a wanton attack on our equality and humanity. .

And I can't help thinking that the LGBTQ community will always play desperate catch up as long as we continue the same playbook we have always followed.

It's a familiarly sad playbook:

The groups and people forming the religious right, or the anti-LGBTQ industry (because it is an industry invested in either scaring Americans or catering to their religious egos with every attack on our community), launches an attack against us via an anecdotal incident or a new initiative designed to take away our equality. They have their talking points and media plan ready.

The LGBTQ community answers back with meek, carefully worded force derived from surprise and from the position that we don't know enough about our opposition to take control of the narrative. Or we answer from the other end of the spectrum - loud, counterproductive, ideas about visible protests filling the air soon to be overtaken by internal squabbles on tactics, identity, privilege, lack of trust, lack of discipline, etc.

Meanwhile we fail to notice how similar religious right attacks on the LGBTQ community are. For example, the attacks on the transgender community (i.e. bathroom bills supposedly passed for the sake of safety of women and children) is no different than attacks made against gay men in the past.

In other words, we go from one lie:

To another:

with the same blueprint. As a matter of fact, the exploitation of parental fears seems to be a key component to religious right attacks on the LGBTQ community in so many areas:

And it's not just lies about children.

If one was to replace the word "gay" with "transgender" in arguments against trans people serving in the military, he or she would practically be reliving the "gays in the military" argument of the early 90's over again.

Basically, in every battle against LGBTQ equality, the religious right uses the same debunked arguments continuously. And why do they do it? Because no one calls them out on it. Not  the media, the public at large, or the LGBTQ community. In the case of the public, it's ignorance. In the case of the media, it's unfortunate expediency.

But in the case of the LGBTQ community, it's downright laziness. We're like mice in a maze following the same directions repeatedly, constantly playing the game of the anti-LGBTQ industry instead of calling it out as a game.

We get sidetracked with somewhat important (but time-wasting) internal squabbles, tangents about religious beliefs, or silly public demonstrations which amount to nothing but psychological masturbation.

It's time what we realize that this is war. Not a physical war, mind you, but one  using strategy,  exploitation of fear, and the entitlement of religion. Groups hiding behind "personal religious beliefs" seek to openly declare the LGBTQ community as villains or erase our lives, our children, and our families by consciously omitting them

It's not a war which can be won by solely participating in street protests, or facebook memes, or constantly being put on the defensive by organizations who devote a hell of a lot of time and money than we realize to eradicating our equality. Nor can it be won by claiming that if you ignore religious right groups and their shenanigans, they will go away. They aren't going away.

We need more than people protesting in the streets. We need people in front of the cameras, on the editorial pages, in front of communities. We need people with enough patience behind the scenes developing framework. We need everyone focused on one common goal - telling the story of the long war of lies and fear against the LGBTQ community. And the key to this is acknowledging we have an enemy, knowing that enemy, and not taking the enemy's bait by waiting for them to put us on the defensive yet again.

 Will the LGBTQ community be prepared to do that? Finally?

'Christians United gives wonderful clap back to disgusting Nashville Statement' & other Thur midday news briefs

Sign this religious statement affirming the LGBTQ community.

Christians United statement- The clap back to that vile Nashville Statement. This one affirms the LGBTQ community. I've already signed on. Hopefully a lot of others also will.

The Christians United Statement In Support of LGBT Inclusion - More about the group.

Ruby Rose called ‘disgusting human being’ for donating to Houston LGBT center - See, it's not black folks who get hit with that "All Lives Matter" bull by folks who really don't care but want to hide their biases.

Reese Witherspoon To Produce Film About ‘God Hates Fags’ Church - It was bound to happen. I wonder who will play Fred Phelps.

Following a national trend, Washington, D.C. plans to offer LGBTQ senior housing - Wonderful!

NOM weighs in on Alabama race, endorses Roy Moore - Lawd, give us strength if THIS fool becomes a United States senator.

Ten Important LGBTQ Moments in US History

Whether or not you agree with the historical relevance of all of the items on this video list (compiled by Ms. Mojo in June), you have to admit that, at the very least, one thing is clear. LGBTQs will always eventually win because we aren't afraid of the hard battle:

'Why The Nashville Statement is a piece of bigoted garbage' & other Wed midday news briefs

A homophobic piece of garbage

Quotes From The Nashville Statement That Are Flat-Out Homophobic - Let's be clear about this crap.


Bigoted evangelicals comically think LGBTQs give a damn about their opinions - Very clear as my post from last night says: 

 Our community fought like hell for the right to marry. We did things the right and honorable way by proving our case in the right arena, i.e. the court. We EARNED marriage equality. And we aims to keep it. No statement by a bunch of self-righteous wannabe religious phonies is going to change that. Nor will we be made to hate ourselves because you have the ridiculous belief that you sit on the right hand of God and angels sing your praises when you walk across a floor. To put it succinctly - Ain't none of you special. Get over yourselves. No one gives a damn about what you think. 

Children’s books about gender identity prompt right-wing media freakout over trans-inclusive education - Apparently, attacking elderly transgender men and women simply isn't enough for the right. 

'Grossly Misleading': LGBT Legal Experts Slam Reports Defense Secretary Has 'Frozen' Transgender Policy - Something worth knowing . . .

No, Mattis did not ‘freeze’ the transgender military ban - More about this mess. 

Chile legalises gay marriage and allows LGBT couples to adopt as historic new bill signed - Good for Chile!

Bigoted evangelicals comically think LGBTQs give a damn about their opinions

I was working on another post when this junk came in and I simply have to comment on it:

A nationwide coalition of more than 150 conservative Christian leaders signed a statement, released Tuesday, affirming their beliefs on human sexuality, including that marriage is between one man and one woman and approval of "homosexual immorality" is sinful. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood's list of 14 beliefs, referred to as the Nashville Statement, is a response to an increasingly post-Christian, Western culture that thinks it can change God's design for humans, according to the statement. "Our true identity, as male and female persons, is given by God. It is not only foolish, but hopeless, to try to make ourselves what God did not create us to be," the statement from the coalition members reads.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood convened a meeting of evangelical leaders, pastors and scholars Friday at the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission's annual conference in Nashville. The coalition discussed and endorsed the statement.  

 . . .Among the signers who have been involved in national politics: James Dobson, founder of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council in the District of Columbia. Dobson and four others — Senior Pastor Ronnie Floyd of Cross Church, which has four campuses in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri; Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas; President Richard Land of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, N.C.; televangelist James Robison, founder of Fort Worth-based Life Outreach International — also are members of President Trump's evangelical advisory board 

Well I am so glad for this statement because it kills my compulsion to marry James Dobson. Seriously, before the news of that statement came out, I was being overcome by a need to make him my love slave for life.

 All jokes aside, I hope the LGBTQ community doesn't fall for this mess. I can see how this can play out. We lodge intense verbal disagreement, leading Dobson, Perkins and the rest to do a media blitz on Fox News and other conservative-friendly news sources while playing the victim and calling out the LGBTQ community on our supposed intolerance of their "personally held religious beliefs."

Sorry my friends. Your statement doesn't move me. It doesn't anger me or sadden me. But it gets me defiant as hell because a simple fact:

 Our community fought like hell for the right to marry. We did things the right and honorable way by proving our case in the right arena, i.e. the court. We EARNED marriage equality. And we aims to keep it. No statement by a bunch of self-righteous wannabe religious phonies is going to change that.

Nor will we be made to hate ourselves because you have the ridiculous belief that you sit on the right hand of God and angels sing your praises when you walk across a floor.

To put it succinctly - Ain't none of you special. Get over yourselves. No one gives a damn about what you think.

Deal with it.

'Gays for Trump' protest at Charlotte Pride fizzles into embarrassment' & other Tue midday news briefs

Roughly a Dozen ‘Gays for Trump’ Protestors Showed Up at Charlotte Pride - This group was told by Charlotte Pride that they could not march in last weekend's parade so they held a really poor protest. They should be embarrassed. But if they are gays who support Trump, my guess is that they lost their sense of embarrassment a long time ago. My pet peeve about the entire thing is that so many articles talking about this ridiculous situation omitted one of reasons why the "Gays for Trump" group was denied the so-called right to participate in the pride parade was because of ugly comments members allegedly made about Muslims, the transgender community, immigrants and LGBTQs of color. 

Transgender Military Members At Risk Of Harassment Under Trump, Says Former Army Secretary - How convenient. I'm sure this was a desired effect of Trump's terrible ban. 

Group Advocates For LGBT Youth In Religious Homes - Faith In America does wonderful work.

Here’s How You Can Help the LGBTQ Victims of Hurricane Harvey - Help some people who may get lot in the shuffle.

Tucker Carlson rationalizes abuse of the elderly in attack on pro-transgender bill

I had to post a follow-up to my last post because this right here  pisses me off.

To recap, the conservative right is all upset over a California bill,  SB-219, which would protect elderly transgender residents of long term care facilities from potential verbal abuse from health care workers,

They don't like the fact that the bill lists deliberately and willfully misgendering the transgender resident as abuse. Members of the conservative right, such as Fox News personality Tucker Carlson (seen here in an exchange with strategist Robin Biro), claim that this is an assault on free speech:

'This Criminalizes Speech': @TuckerCarlson Battles Dem on Bill to Jail People Who Misuse Transgender Pronouns https://t.co/yonN1IxFvc pic.twitter.com/ir4LKZKA5I

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 29, 2017

So I guess in Tucker Carlson's world, a healthcare worker verbally abusing any elderly resident of a long term care facility should be protected under free speech. Or do scurrilous arguments about "free speech" only count when it comes to the transgender elderly?

Deliberate right-wing distortion about CA bill can endanger elderly transgender community

The right-wing locusts are buzzing around an issue. They are attempting to create a moral panic regarding nursing homes and their transgender residents:

Calif. attempting 'tyranny on the highest level'

California Threatens Jail Time for Dissenters from the New Transgender Dogma

California Could Start Jailing People Who Don’t Use Transgender Pronouns

Use wrong pronoun for transgender senior? California may punish you

These fake moral protectors are complaining about a bill, SB-219, in California which spells out the rights of nursing home residents. The part which these folks are specifically targeting speaks about abuses of these residents. The section - which they have distorted and truncated says the following (the portion aprpo to this post is put in bold): 

This bill would enact the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Long-Term Care Facility Resident’s Bill of Rights. Among other things, the bill would make it unlawful, except as specified, for any long-term care facility to take specified actions wholly or partially on the basis of a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, including, among others, willfully and repeatedly failing to use a resident’s preferred name or pronouns after being clearly informed of the preferred name or pronouns, or denying admission to a long-term care facility, transferring or refusing to transfer a resident within a facility or to another facility, or discharging or evicting a resident from a facility. 

In other words, when you eliminate all of the name-calling (transgender dogma?) and the semantic lies about people being forced to adhere to a code which supposedly goes against their free speech and morality, what you have is a common sense way to keep  elderly transgender men and women from being abused by people who would deliberately misgender them.

And what's wrong with that? Who would be so mean-spirited and hateful to oppose a bill which would prevent the mistreatment of the elderly?

According to an article in the August 12, 2015 issue of The Atlantic magazine:

 . . .  there are more than 1.5 million LGBT people over 65 in the U.S., a number expected to double over the next 15 years as the population ages. But precise statistics on older transgender adults—or, for that matter, transgender people of any age—are hard to come by. One 2011 study using health-survey data estimated that the country’s transgender population was around 700,000; this past May, the Census Bureau published a study that analyzed the number of “likely transgender individuals” based on the people who had changed their name (around 90,000) or sex (around 22,000) with the Social Security Administration.

And they do face the possibility of discrimination, according to Transis City, a group serves the Missouri and Kansas transgender communities:

A study of 646 transgender adults living in California (80 persons being over 55) found that 30% of the group avoided medical treatment out of fear of maltreatment by the medical staff. (IOM) One large study found that nearly 40% of elderly transgender persons were afraid of seeking health care, compared to just 13% of the LGB community. On average each transgender person in the study reported 11 different severe incidents of discrimination and victimization, including verbal insults, threats, denial of employment, and police harassment.

None of these facts mean anything to the self-righteous, self-satisfied individuals on the right whose distortions are obscuring much needed education on the well-being of our transgender elderly. They are trying their damndest to make the entire situation about imposing a transgender agenda on people.

 I'm confused because I always thought that the right to live in safety and dignity, no matter who you are or what your age may be, is a part of the human agenda.

Related post: FAQ FOR TRANSGENDER AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING OLDER ADULTS 

SAGE - Transgender Aging

'Bryan Fischer adds homophobia to Confederate flag debate' & other Mon. midday news briefs

Bryan Fischer: ‘It’s Time To Have The LGBT Flag Banned Right Alongside The Confederate Flag’ - I've always compliment the religious right on the skillful they turn can turn debates on silly factoids and arguments. However, I really don't think this one is going to be successful.

Bisexual people share their experiences in dating different genders - The bisexual community simply doesn't get enough of a spotlight in the LGBTQ community or the so-called mainstream one. 

Trump’s transgender military ban met with backlash - As it should be. Don't be nice, folks. 

When Some Christians Finally Get Tired of Being Terrible - The argument over the false dichotomy of the LGBTQ community vs. the Christian community cannot be confined to those two characterizations. There is a larger battle going on here which John Pavlovitz breaks down. 

How Alex Jones attacks the LGBTQ community - Alex Jones needs a strait-jacket (preferably locked around his face) but instead possibly has a corner of Trump's ear. That's scary.

Debate proves emptiness of Trump's ban on transgender people from the military

Even when they are on Fox News, religious right spokespeople can't defend their mess when they face an informed opponent. Case in point, this exchange between the Family Research Council's Jerry Boykin and  U.S. Army Ranger,  combat veteran (and friend of mine) Robin Biro . Boykin was attempting to defend Trump's ban on transgender people from the military:

'Lawsuit proves SPLC's point about anti-LGBTQ hate groups' & other Fri midday news briefs

Anti-LGBTQ hate groups push a false connection between homosexuality and pedophilia. And then whine when called out about it.

Christian Hate Group Sues SPLC Over “Hate Group” Label - The group suing SPLC for calling it a hate group has said this about the LGBTQ community: 

And if you’re wondering why Kennedy’s ministry is on there, here’s an example of what SPLC says on its site: Over the years, Kennedy emphasized anti-gay rhetoric, particularly in his TV ministry. He recommended as “essential” the virulent work of R.J. Rushdoony… who believed practicing gays should be executed. In an especially nasty 1989 edition of a [Coral Ridge Ministries] newsletter, Kennedy ran photographs of children along with the tagline, “Sex With Children? Homosexuals Say Yes!” 

 The organization says it's losing money because of the hate group label. Wonderful. That's why a serious public debate on what groups like these do and say to denigrate LGBTQs is needed. And if a lawsuit these groups are stupidly pushing will open the door and let all it come out, so be it! Don't be blase. Demand the debate.

Related posts:

Why can't anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council stop distorting science?

SPLC puts the Alliance Defending Freedom's long history of anti-LGBTQ bigotry on public blast

LGBT organizations 'declaring war' on religious right lies, homophobic junk science

The right pushes sad new homosexuality = pedophilia angle

In other news:

Senator Who Lost Both Legs In Iraq Blasts Trump’s Military Transgender Ban - Well alright!

Frank Amedia ‘Saw How Angry And Hurt Our Lord Was’ When The White House Was Bathed In Rainbow Colors - This 'Trump shielder' has a very different view of God than me.

Parents of gay athletes say sports brought them closer - I love this story.

Family Research Council doesn't want an actual debate about its hate group status

Don't let any member or supporter of hate group the Family Research Council, nor its leader Tony Perkins, fool you.

For all of their whining about being "forcibly silenced," none of them want an actual debate on why the Southern Poverty Law Center declared the organization to be a hate group. There is a reason why Perkins and company generally retreats to the friendly territory of the Fox News network and its propaganda machine (on this youtube channel from the Family Research Council itself, you can see that the majority of interviews are on Fox News).

If there is a true debate on a genuine news program, FRC members - particularly Perkins - are  called out their deceptions about the LGBTQ community. Or better yet, embarrassed by the ignorance of the stances they take.

It's one thing to have a "talk" on a news program where you won't be challenged. It's quite another to have to defend your point of view and information you cite.

Like so in the following videos:





This debate was about gays in the military, but you can see that FRC's Peter Sprigg makes a huge faux pas which discredits his group's argument about not wanting persecute LGBTQs:

And not necessarily a debate but a statement which justifiably continues to haunt FRC:

'Condemnations coming down on Trump's trans military ban' & other Thur midday news briefs

A defender of the LGBTQ community my black ass!

With Trump's ban on transgender troops put on a fast track, the condemnations are coming down on its head: 

First, the policy - White House gives Pentagon six months to create new trans military ban policy 

Reinstating Transgender Ban Would Disrupt Military Readiness 

TLDEF Condemns Reported Ban on Transgender Military Health Care and Deployment 

Draft policy on military trans ban looks as bad as Trump’s tweets 

In other news:

Lesbian, gay and bisexual older adults suffer more chronic health conditions than heterosexuals, study finds - One guess why . . .

How Trump’s Homophobic USDA Chief Scientist Pick Directly Threatens LGBTQ People - The dangers of junk science and why it is very necessary to call out the purveyors of lies in an assertive manner. 

Freedom Of Sexual Orientation Is Now A Fundamental Right In India - Ruling just came in and it's stunning.

In the Benham family, the rotted apples don't fall far from the homophobic tree

I think a lot of us in the LGBTQ community know David and Jason Benham, the Glimmer Twins of Homophobia whose severe anti-LGBTQ speech cost them a reality show on HGTV in 2014 but gave them new careers as professional victims of the supposed radical gay agenda.

These guys right here:

 

They are so well-spoken, hunky, and photogenic that's almost so darn easy to pay no attention to the mind boggling extremity of their homophobic speech.

But then you would have to remember who their father is. I personally think that an asset the Benham brothers has is that there is little to no attention focused on their father, Flip Benham. Benham, a minister and head of the group Operation Save America, is infamous for his stances against the LGBTQ community. I really wish there was more attention paid to Benham because he gives a good example of what his sons really are.

Strip away the cute faces, the muscular bodies, and the supposed Christian veneer and you'll have what you see below in these videos of Flip Benham screeching about the LGBTQ community - a paranoid fanatic:

'Anti-LGBTQ religious leaders provided 'prayers' before Trump provided the madness in Phoenix' & other Wed midday news briefs

Franklin Graham (top) and Alveda King (bottom) gave the prayers at Trump's insane Phoenix rally.

Alveda King &  Franklin Graham Provide Cover For Trump At Unsettling Phoenix Rally - Apparently Trump's insane rally last night featured two supposed religious figures who came on and prayed before he proceeded to do his head-spinning, pea-soup spitting act. Martin Luther King Jr's homophobic fake-assed civil rights activist niece (which means she goes anywhere to get attention spotlighting her phony status) Alveda King.  And Franklin Graham, who said nothing when the GOP nearly stole healthcare from millions of Americans via its attempt to repeal Obamacare probably because he was too busy still being angry that the 'Beauty and the Beast' motion picture featured a gay character. Naturally, Graham made a subtle homophobic dig during his prayer.

The president can’t stop hiring people who oppose LGBTQ rights - And the latest one is . . . 

Let’s Not Forget The People Of Color Who Helped Pioneer Marriage Equality - Pssst! AND the bloggers. But our story will be told later. Let's concentrate on these folks so that they aren't forgotten.

Parents, Students Throw A Fit Over Alabama High School’s Pride Flag - MERCY!

7 LGBT Americans Who Deserve Monuments More Than Confederate Leaders - I FULLY support this!

Arguments against marriage equality in Australia as inane as those used in America

Right now, even as I write this, the continent of Australia is embroiled in a huge fight over marriage equality. While monitoring this debate, I am noticing an uneasy similarity between the arguments made by those who didn't want marriage equality here in America and the opposition to it in Australia.

You have the same disgusting claims about how marriage equality coming to Australia will harm children:

Which we had to deal with:

And the same nonsensical arguments we had to deal with (how many of these do you remember):

.@AlexHawkeMP: I'm conservative on marriage, I don't want to see people sued for expression of religious freedom. https://t.co/C5IzPJPB6x pic.twitter.com/7FPRAtwI2P

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 8, 2017

.@kevinandrewsmp: I have a relationship with my cycling mates, but the law has no place in that relationship https://t.co/3nKBUCzjYS pic.twitter.com/KusSCp7232

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 14, 2017

.@kevinandrewsmp: Once you change the definition from a man and a woman, any set of arrangements can be put in place https://t.co/3nKBUCzjYS pic.twitter.com/IAWGkJHFEP

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 13, 2017

And of course let's not omit the downright insane:

Lots of respectful correspondence today #ThanksMalcolm pic.twitter.com/c5CWnfKEvS

— Tim Watts MP (@TimWattsMP) August 10, 2017

We won marriage equality in America because we were able to take our case to court. It was in this arena of logic that we were able to make our case, while the opposition showed that they only possessed smoke and mirrors.

It's not so easy in Australia. As  I understand it, they have a different system and will have a voluntary postal survey on the issue.

What that means is we need to pray for Australia because the continent will be in for all sorts of crazy mess geared to scare people about marriage equality.

Don't be surprised if a conspiracy theory about aliens takes center stage.

Hat tip to Buzzfeed.