'At Least 22 Transgender People Were Killed In 2019. Here Are Their Stories.' & other Tue midday news briefs

Our fallen sisters

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor the 22 transgender and gender non-conforming people killed so far this year. - So sad. I didn't see this until after Transgender Day of Remembrance. Still, it deserves a larger shout out.

Fox guest Chadwick Moore falsely suggests issues facing trans women of color are manufactured problems - Chadwick Moore is a bottom feeding gay man who is only interested in his sad career, even if he has to tear down his own community for it.

Golden Globes: What a rise in LGBTQ content may mean for awards acclaim - Positive visibility never hurts.

Federal Workers Are “Afraid” After Trump’s Anti-LGBTQ Crusade At The Supreme Court -And I'm pissed that the media hasn't pressed the issue harder.

Poor Roy Moore. Gay men are living rent free (and having sex) in his head

Roy Moore

Removed judge and failed Senate candidate Roy Moore wants to run for the Senate again but can't seem to shake his obsession with gay men. Or specifically how he thinks they are having sex.

From Right-Wing Watch:

Moore spoke recently to the Huntsville Republican Men’s Group, according to the Alabama Political Reporter: “We have got to go back to what we did back in the sixties and seventies back to a moral basis,” Moore said. “We did not have a national healthcare system. You know when Obama passed this thing rising all our costs and business started going down the tube everybody said it was going to be repealed. You never hear anybody in Congress talk about it now. Our indebtedness was $22 trillion. Back in the sixties and seventies it was much lower. It was a sixth of that. Abortion was not legal when I went to Vietnam. It was passed later. It was OK’d later. We had abortion laws in our country and our state. We did not have same sex marriage. We did not have transgender rights. Sodomy was illegal. These things were just not around when my classmates and I went to West Point and Vietnam.”

Moore is not only sadly deluded, but also naive. He claims that sodomy wasn't around when he attended West Point. West Point was all-male when Moore attended.  I am almost certain that sodomy had a nice little corner room at the back of the campus, where it had a number of visitors.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I'm simply being real.

But wait. Moore continued to reminisce:

“We have drag queens teaching kindergarten children in this state and this community….in Huntsville in Mobile they taught kids and they dress them up in drag,” Moore told the audience. “Where does this come from? Gender identity is being taught in California to young kids and parents have no choice but to let their kids be taught that.”

It's always entertaining when bigots and homophobes weep for bygone ages in which their mindsets of ignorance ruled the day. It's a wonderful reminder of the battles we have won.

'How Trump is trying to reverse LGBTQ progress in plain sight' & other Mon midday news briefs

Under Trump, LGBTQ Progress Is Being Reversed in Plain Sight - People should read this and take it into account.

In His Bid for Congress, This Gay Doctor Believes D.C. Needs More Medical Professionals Elected - And I agree with him. 

Chicago Area’s largest high school district votes to allow trans students facility access - This is wonderful! 

First transgender Rhodes scholar named in diverse 2020 class - Congratulations Hera!

Things not to say to LGBTQ people.

Sometimes we have to admit that as a community, we don't know each other as much as we should. We don't listen each other and at times, we don't trust each other. And this is a problem in terms of  how we should relate to each other. The videos below aren't simply for the edification of heterosexuals. They are also for us LGBTQ folks. Even if you think the videos are too "politically correct," take a look anyway.

Franklin Graham officially abandons Jesus to become Donald Trump's bitch

Once upon a time, there was a religious leader named Franklin Graham who said he stood for values and morality. In the late 1990s, there was a huge controversy in the United States with regards to its president, Bill Clinton, who got caught having an affair with a White House intern by the name of Monica Lewinsky.

Graham wrote a piece which condemned Clinton. It was called Clinton's Sins Are Not Private. In part, Graham said:

Last week Mr. Clinton told 70 million Americans that his adulterous actions with Ms. Lewinsky were a “private” matter “between me, the two people I love the most–my wife and our daughter–and our God.” 

But the God of the Bible says that what one does in private does matter. Mr. Clinton’s months-long extramarital sexual behavior in the Oval Office now concerns him and the rest of the world, not just his immediate family. If he will lie to or mislead his wife and daughter, those with whom he is most intimate, what will prevent him from doing the same to the American public? 

 . . . As a boy I remember my mother telling me of the consequences of sin. Like a boat, whose wake can capsize other boats, sin leaves a wake. Just look at how many have already been pulled under by the wake of the president’s sin: Mr. Clinton’s wife and daughter, Ms. Lewinsky, her parents, White House staff members, friends and supporters, public officials and an unwitting American public. 

 . . . Mr. Clinton’s sin can be forgiven, but he must start by admitting to it and refraining from legalistic doublespeak. According to the Scripture, the president did not have an “inappropriate relationship” with Monica Lewinsky–he committed adultery. He didn’t “mislead” his wife and us–he lied.

Fast forward over 20 years later to another president, Donald Trump. Trump has not only had an affair (with a porn star named Stormy Daniels) but has also done worse. For some reason, Graham has taken a, shall we say, less Biblical view of these matters. 

These are Graham's responses to some of Trump's "lowlights."

Donald Trump's affair with Stormy Daniels (after it was proven that Daniels was paid $130,000 for her silence):

“I can promise you he is not President Perfect,” Graham replied.  . . "President Trump I don’t think has admitted to having an affair with this person and so, this is just a news story, I don’t know if it’s accurate,” . . . “Now did he have an affair with this woman? I have no clue, but I believe that 70 years of age, the president is a much different person today than he was four years ago, five years ago, ten years ago or whatever and we just have to give the man the benefit of the doubt.”

Trump's ban on refugees and immigrants from countries he claims are high-risk - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen:

“It’s not a biblical command for the country to let everyone in who wants to come, that’s not a Bible issue,” Graham told HuffPost. “We want to love people, we want to be kind to people, we want to be considerate, but we have a country and a country should have order and there are laws that relate to immigration and I think we should follow those laws. Because of the dangers we see today in this world, we need to be very careful.”

Editor's note - it is a Biblical issue per se. There are 22 Biblical verses about welcoming immigrants, including:

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. - Hebrews 13:1-3

Donald Trump's capacity for lying:

“I don’t think the president is sitting there behind the desk trying to make up lies. I don’t believe that for a second. Has he misspoken on something? Sure. All of us do that. You do it and I do it. And sometimes we get the facts wrong and we say something that later on we realize, we could’ve said it better or it was misrepresented.” (at the time of Graham's statement, Trump has been cited for lying over 8,000 times while in office)

And the pièce de résistance:

The present impeachment hearings of Donald Trump for attempting to get the Ukraine to announce investigations of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in exchange for aide - something admitted to by Mick Mulvaney, Trump's acting chief of staff, Trump himself, and several other witnesses:

So what has changed in over 20 years for Graham? Well he claims that he supports Donald Trump because Trump defends and stands up for the Christian faith.

"What I love about our president is that our president defends the Christian faith," he said. "Our past presidents scolded Christians. This president is defending Christians and he's very open about the Christian faith. "I love that about President Trump and, of course at the prayer breakfast just a few days ago he was tremendous that America is a nation of believers," he continued. "And we're strengthened by the power of prayer, he reminded everyone. He also reminded us that faith is central to American life. It is. It is central to our life as a nation. I'm very thankful that Donald Trump takes this stand."

What a pity.

If Graham had any true faith and trust in God, he wouldn't feel the need to make excuses for the behavior of a lying, lecherous joke of a president. Since I was a child, I was told to always have faith in God. I was also told that this faith included not making excuses for people and actions which are supposed to go against your morals, no matter who much you benefited from said people and actions.

So which is it, Graham? Why are you making excuses for Trump?

 Or was all of what you claimed to have stood for about morality and values simply talk?

'American Medical Association calls for nationwide ban on 'ex-gay therapy'' & other Thur midday news briefs

American Medical Association calls for nationwide ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy - THAT would be wonderful.

Study finds an epidemic of suicide among LGBTQ youth. Most blame “recent politics.” - This Trump geared madness is affecting our kids.

Dad who opposes same-sex marriage wonders why gay son and son-in-law won’t talk to him anymore - Oh really? 

Iran, Qatar, KSA, West Bank, Gaza among most dangerous for LGBTQ tourists - Write this down and act accordingly.

Trump advisory board member thinks schools are training children to be gay

Clarence Mason Weaver (left) is a man Trump is counting on to garner him more black voters. Weaver has some pretty "interesting" views on the LGBTQ community and women.

On probably the single worst day of Trump's presidency, far be it from me to be a "basic bitch" and rub stuff in.

Oh who am I kidding. From Media Matters:

Clarence Mason Weaver, who was recently named to an advisory board position in President Donald Trump’s campaign, is a right-wing commentator who believes that homosexuality is “evil” and an “abomination.” Weaver has said that people have “got to worry about homosexual training” in schools and questioned, “What is wrong with being homophobic.” He’s also said he has a problem with gay co-workers and would “not appear on a program with a homosexual host and pretend like that’s normal.”

. . . In November 2018, he posted a video complaining about an advertisement featuring a woman in a same-sex marriage. He related that he told his granddaughter that “homosexuality is a abomination. Not just a sin. It’s abomination.” He later criticized people who try to find “common ground” on the issue, saying, “How can you find common ground with evil and sin?”

Weaver added that he “can work with homosexuals. I've worked with a lot of homosexuals. Worked with a lot of them. Political and social things. But I’m not going to stand there and pretend like that’s not a sin. Like you would not -- I would not pretend like I don’t sin. I would not pretend, I’m not going to try to fool God to make you feel comfortable.” He added: “I appear on programs all the time with homosexuals. I will not appear on a program with a homosexual host and pretend like that’s normal.

 And of course, the kicker:

 Weaver also said that he’s homeschooled his kids in part because he wanted to “get them out” of an environment where “we got to worry about homosexual training.”

Either way, his comment about "homosexual training" gets me angry.  On one hand, it's ludicrously homophobic. On the other, if there were some remote truth to that, I missed all of that training. And the thought of that would really gets me upset. I think I would have really excelled if there were "homosexual training" in gym class.

'Survey: depression, anxiety rates alarmingly high among LGBTQ Southerners' & other Wed midday news briefs

Depression and anxiety rates ‘alarmingly high’ among LGBTQ Southerners, survey says - Yes,lawd!
 
Transgender kids express their gender the same as other kids of their gender identity - Confirming what we already know.

Today it’s discrimination against LGBTQ people. Tomorrow they might ban non-Christians. - Spooky but not far from the truth.

W. Va. library pulls LGBTQ-themed children’s book after complaint by pastor; could remove it permanently - Give me a break!

Trump Administration's anti-LGBTQ healthcare 'conscience rule' suffers third court loss

 It is now 0 for 3 for Trump's "healthcare conscience" rule as a court in CA has ruled against it.

From Courthouse News:

U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the latest rule broadens protections “beyond what Congress intended and will hamstring the delivery of health care.”  

 In his ruling, Alsup cited an example raised at a hearing last month by a lawyer for the city of San Francisco suggesting an ambulance driver could actually expel a patient en route to a hospital for an emergency abortion. “Such harsh treatment would be blessed by the new rule,” Alsup said.  

“Although this order does not accept all of plaintiffs’ criticisms, this order holds that the new rule conflicts with those statutes in a number of ways and upsets the balance drawn by Congress between protecting conscientious objections versus protecting the uninterrupted effective flow of health care to Americans.” Alsup said the HHS went too far in promulgating the rule, which none of the current statutes grant it authority to do. 

Earlier this month, a federal court in New York and another one in Washington State both ruled against Trump's announced rule. Since being announced in May, the rule was considered to be very controversial with many pointing out that healthcare workers could exploit it to deny care to members of the LGBTQ community based upon religious beliefs.

According to The Advocate earlier this year:

Many fear the new rule will not only engender confusion but encourage conservative doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals to deny contraception services, transition-related care for transgender people, and even drugs like PrEP, an HIV prevention regimen. The situation could be incredibly dire for women and LGBTQ people in rural areas, where there are much fewer service providers than in urban areas.

In the New York decision, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer pointed out that the Trump Administration was not being truthful as to the need for this rule.  Roger Severino, director of HHS' Office for Civil Rights, had said earlier this year that were hundreds of complaints which demonstrated the need for the new rule. The exact number he used  was 343. 

However, it was discovered that the number of complaints specifically dealing with the rule was only 20.  The other complaints had nothing to do with the religious beliefs of healthcare workers.

Related post:  Who faked the justification for Trump's anti-LGBTQ healthcare 'conscience' rule?

Pat Robertson plays the 'Satan card' against the LGBTQ community (again)

Long-time conservative evangelist Pat Robertson attacked the LGBTQ community again on Monday, this time highlighting a ridiculous notion that Satan is behind the transgender community. The only thing which keeps me from fully laughing at the video above is Robertson's age. Part of me would feel guilty at being disrespectful (even though Robertson is spewing hateful bile) while another part of me is angry at those who would put him on television in that condition.

But even so, it's amazing how Robertson has played the" Satan card" over the years when it comes to the LGBTQ community:

March 2012 - Pat Robertson Says Satan is Behind Homosexuality and Abortion Rights

March 2014 -  Pat Robertson: The gay rights movement is Satan's doing

February 2019 - Televangelist Pat Robertson: Satan is spreading rumours that Jesus was gay

And before the LGBTQ community feels too special, remember that Robertson has pulled the "Satan card" in other situations:

'Several LGBTQ public figures make 'Time's 100'' & other Tue midday news briefs

Gay rapper Lil Nas X is just one of the many LGBTQ public figures who made the 2019 edition of  'Times's 100' 

From Lil Nas X to MJ Rodriguez, TIME's 100 Next List Is Pretty Queer - What took Time magazine so long.

The POZ 100: Celebrating Transgender, Gender-Nonconforming and Nonbinary Advocates - Another group of folks getting the recognition they deserve. 

Conservatives Furious After Chick-Fil-A Ends Funding To Anti-LGBTQ Christian Charities - I've got a wait-and-see attitude about Chick-Fil-A but I am enjoying the feedback.

DMV humiliates trans woman by forcing her to remove makeup with hand santizer - This sort of crap is plain evil.

Chick-Fil-A's pledge to stop funding anti-LGBTQ groups leaves Mike Huckabee with egg on his face

Mike Huckabee

Unless you've been totally unconnected in the LGBTQ community, you have heard about Chick-Fil-A's change of heart with regards to funding anti-LGBTQ causes.

From The Advocate:

Chick-fil-A has pledged to finally stop funding anti-LGBTQ organizations after years of protests against the brand. The popular fast-food chain's foundation has donated millions of dollars to groups such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army. Both organizations have long histories of being anti-LGBTQ and will now allegedly no longer receive money from the company. 

“We made multiyear commitments to both organizations and we fulfilled those obligations in 2018,” a Chick-fil-A spokeswoman said Monday, according to CNBC. The company says it will now be focusing on three pillars of giving, involving education, homelessness, and hunger.
 The company has faced criticism in the past for its charitable donations as well as the CEO Dan Cathy’s public comments opposing marriage equality. And as Chick-fil-A has recently attempted to expand outside the U.S., activists have put pressure on the company and forced quick closures of some locations.

While the LGBTQ community have been mostly reticent about the entire situation (many of us have either chosen a "wait and see" or "we don't believe it" attitude), Chick-Fil-A supporters such as right-wing spokesman and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee voiced their anger and feelings of betrayal.

In Aug 2012, I coordinated a national @ChickfilA Appreciation Day after they were being bullied by militant hate groups. Millions showed up. Today, @ChickfilA betrayed loyal customers for $$. I regret believing they would stay true to convictions of founder Truett Cathey. Sad.

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) November 18, 2019

In 2012, Huckabee initiated a huge campaign designed to show support for Chick-Fil-A and to issue a figurative middle finger in the face of  LGBTQ protests And the campaign (Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day) was hugely successful with reported record breaking sales for the fast food restaurant. Many lined up at Chick-Fil-A to show their support for the restaurant's supposed "Christian" values.

At the time, Huckabee said the following:

"People are voting with their feet today. I guess you could also say they are voting with their faces, they are stuffing them with chicken sandwiches, those lovely Chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A."

So at the present, Huckabee probably feels like a real dummy because that's what Chick-Fil-A's possible change of heart makes him look like.

A real dummy.

On that score at the very least, I think Chick-Fil-A's alleged change of heart is a success for the LGBTQ community. Anything making Mike Huckabee look like the fool that he is has to be a positive in my book.

'There are more LGBTQ characters on television than ever before' & other Mon midday news briefs

There are more LGBTQ characters on television than ever before - This is wonderful. We deserve this visibility.

Pope Francis compares leaders persecuting LGBTQ people to Hitler, Nazis - Nice, but it's like hot and cold with this guy.

‘Paris’ will ‘burn’ again, now with unseen footage - One of the greatest documentaries ever made. This time with an hour of unseen footage. 

Pete Buttigieg is struggling with black voters — and not just because he's gay - This is true. He has a lot to work on.

'Transphobic White People Can't Rap' & other ways anti-LGBTQ activists made public fools of themselves

Before we dip into another week of Trump led mess (because whether we have impeachment hearings or not, with Trump in the White House, it's always a hot mess), I wanted to provide yet another moment of levity.

In America and Canada, where we love our freedom of speech, some folks have used this principle to speak out against what they call the "gay agenda." They do it by repeating bad information or by making complete public asses out of themselves in an attempt to be "hip." Bad for them, but good for us. It always helps when someone makes a colossal fool out of themselves when attacking the LGBTQ community. It helps proves our point about their ignorance. And at the very least, it's downright comforting to watch someone's attempts to denigrate us blow up in their faces.

So, pulled from past posts on this blog and Youtube, I present 'Transphobic White People Can't Rap' & other ways anti-LGBTQ activists made public fools of  themselves.

4. We gotta save the kids from men kissing with size 14 shoes kissing each other on the moufs. - In 2015, Birmingham, AL minister Cedric Hatcher was very upset that there were public gay marriage ceremonies on the first day that marriage equality became legal in the state. And he gets so caught up that he really never finishes his point when complaining about it at a city council meeting. It would be insulting, except it's simply so funny to hear him ramble.

3. OOOOOOO! Homosexuals just makes me so mad! - North Carolina pastor Flip Benham is known around that state for his anti-LGBTQ activism. One thing he used to do was to show up at Charlotte City Council meetings and just rail on how homosexuality is causing so many problems. He likes to rail in front of an audience until his face turns red. In this 2016 video, he is blaming the passage of an LGBT rights bill for a police shooting:

VP Mike Pence's office unhappy with NBC article about Trump's anti-LGBTQ adoption rule

Mike Pence

VP Mike Pence's office called an NBC reporter requesting that he change an article regarding a proposed Trump Administration rule. This rule would allow faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to receive tax dollars which refusing to work with potential LGBTQ parents.

The article, Pence praises rule that would let adoption agencies exclude gay parents, said in part:

During an event celebrating National Adoption Month, Vice President Mike Pence praised a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow federal funding to flow to adoption agencies that refuse to place children with LGBTQ families, among others. 

"We’ve reversed the rule implemented in the closing days of the last administration that jeopardized the ability of faith-based providers to serve those in need by penalizing them for their deeply held religious beliefs," Pence said at an event Tuesday at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington. "We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organizations to support adoption." 

Pence said he "couldn't be more proud" of the "decisive action" taken at "President Trump's direction" on this issue.

The article also focused on the negative effect the rule would have on the LGBTQ community and children seeking adoption and foster care.

On Thursday afternoon, the article's author, Tim Fitzsimons, tweeted out the following:

I asked Katie Waldman the following question:

Fitzsimons: "This allows groups that decline to place these children with same-sex parents to receive federal money. Am I incorrect there?"
Waldman: "No."

She went on to claim reverse discrimination.

— Tim Fitzsimons (@tfitzsimons) November 14, 2019

While Fitzsimons didn't indicate what the vice president's office wanted changed, from his description of the conversation he had with Waldman, Pence's press secretary, it appears to center around what exactly Trump's rule would do. Perhaps Pence's office isn't happy that the article focused in part on how the rule would harm the LGBTQ community and children, instead of attempting to make it sound like a victory for religion and faith, like Pence attempted to do.

And Waldman's claim of reverse discrimination is odd. Is she saying that not allowing faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against the LGBTQ community, while having access to LGBTQ tax dollars, is some sort of "reverse discrimination?" The idea is an illogical stretch of the definition of discrimination.

But then again that illogical stretch would be coming from the Trump Administration. And if there's one thing we all should have learned after three years is to not put anything past Trump or anyone who works for him.


Editor's note -Fitzsimons also made another point with regards to Waldman. Take it as you will:

https://t.co/5gOjLdUMnL More on Waldman here

— Tim Fitzsimons (@tfitzsimons) November 14, 2019

How many characters do you recognize in this 'History of Homosexuality on Film?'

A little fun change of pace for today. The video above was created in 2015 (and I've featured it before) but it is by no means dated. It is very quick look at the history of homosexuality on the silver screen. I think it deserves continued viewing, particularly by our LGBTQ kids. There is so much history they are missing in terms of how we were portrayed on the silver screen. Back in the day, we weren't as prominent or kindly viewed. I think it will be a culture shock to some of them.

 And there is something for us older folks to do. See how many characters you recognize and count how many of the movies featured in the clips have you seen. I can tell you that I've seen almost all of them (although not Brokeback Mountain . . shut up.)

'Transgender ex-cashier sues Dunkin' Donuts saying managers didn't stop harassment by coworkers, patrons' & other Thur midday news briefs

Transgender ex-cashier sues Dunkin' Donuts, saying managers let coworkers and patrons harass her, then fired her - Terrible. Simply terrible. 

Gay right-winger Dave Rubin tells Donald Trump Jr. it’s OK to call him a “f**” - Self-righteous, self-hating, selfish prick. Read the article. Ignore the video.

Bar receives bizarre letter accusing it of turning neighborhood gay - I wonder if I could lure Rob Kardashian here.

Turkey urged to drop case against LGBT activists charged over Pride march - The struggle is real, y'all.

VP Mike Pence proud of effort to steal LGBTQ tax dollars

While Trump's credibility was deservedly and relentless battered during the first day of impeachment hearings, his vice president, Mike Pence, was reminding folks of how less he thinks of the LGBTQ community:

Vice President Mike Pence, in a speech intended to honor National Adoption Month, extolled on Tuesday a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse child placement in LGBTQ homes. 

Pence made the comments at the Department of Health & Human Services in D.C., which was holding a celebration in promotion of adoption with top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Health & Human Services Alex Azar. 

Telling the audience the Trump administration “understand[s] the role that communities of faith play in adoption,” Pence invoked the proposal, which was unveiled late last month to the consternation of advocates for LGBTQ families. 

“We’ve reversed the rule implemented in the closing days of the last administration that jeopardized the ability of faith-based providers to serve those in need by penalizing them for their deeply held religious beliefs,” Pence said. “We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organizations to support adoption.”

The Washington Blade also pointed out that Pence said he was "proud" of Trump's rule.

You will notice that Pence said nothing about how this is unfair to the LGBTQ community. It was deliberate on his part. According to Alex Bollinger of LGBTQNation:

Pence’s comments highlight how conservatives frame discrimination in adoption. There are currently 444,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S. and over 123,000 of them are up for adoption. It’s hard for conservatives to just say that they’re against LGBTQ people adopting because that’s not just discriminatory against potential parents, but comes across as cruel to the kids. 

This is why Pence and other conservatives focus on the agencies that want to discriminate. In their narrative, the reason these children don’t have homes isn’t a lack of families willing to take them in, but a lack of agencies willing to place them with the abundance of families available for them. 

Of course, HHS grants could just be sent to agencies that don’t discriminate. The money could help non-discriminatory agencies expand, open new offices, and hire staff, and federal money would be used more effectively to help kids find homes. If the problem is the number of agencies that can work with families, then that’s a problem that money can solve. But if the issue is the availability of families, then HHS’s rule change is unspeakably cruel.

Pence also didn't address another crucial problem with Trump's rule - the fact that it would allow tax dollars to go to entities which discriminate against LGBTQ taxpayers. As long as this fact isn't brought up, Pence and company can go on with the false narrative of how the theft of LGBTQ tax dollars is actually "religious freedom."

It's not surprising. Pence is a homophobic bigot who thinks that his religious beliefs is justification to  debase and stigmatize the LGBTQ community. Remember that when he was governor of Indiana, he refused to answer when asked eight times whether or not he opposed anti-LGBTQ discrimination.




Since Pence has a problem saying whether or not the LGBTQ community should be protected from discrimination, we shouldn't be surprised that he also thinks that our tax dollars actually belong to those who would discriminate against us.

'Five ways you can support bullied LGBTQ youth' & other Wed midday news briefs

While people are cheering the gay youth, Jordan Steffy, who fought back against his bully, we shouldn't forget that not all situations involving LGBTQ youth end this way. 

5 Ways You Can Support Bullied LGBTQ+ Youth Like Jordan Steffy - The story of this LGBTQ youth who practically "cropdusted" his bully has gone viral. But the situation does need to be moved past violence. Not all stories involving our kids ends this way.

Bullied gay teen punches his tormentor who called him a “fa***t” - For those who are curious about the situation which led to the post above. 

Puerto Rico will vote on some horrifically anti-LGBTQ laws. Ricky Martin is trying to stop it. - Fingers crossed. 

Cuomo signs law giving LGBTQ veterans access to N.Y. benefits - Good for NY!

Franklin Graham throws tantrum on the eve of Trump's televised impeachment hearings

On the eve of the televised impeachment hearings of Donald Trump and on the day that we found out that Trump may have lied to Robert Mueller during the Russia investigation, Franklin Graham has decided to throw yet another tantrum.

Graham, who has bent over backwards to defend and justify Trump's behavior and cajoled the nation to pray for Trump, is rather steamed over the entire situation. On his Facebook page, he gave a comically ridiculous rant on how there is a plot against Trump by the so-called "liberal media."  It's no different than what we've heard before, but it's always hilarious when Graham thinks that the rest of us are as clueless as his supporters and followers:

Long-time journalist Bill Moyers said Sunday that for the first time in his life, he fears for the nation’s survival. Why? “Society, a democracy, can die of too many lies…” I agree with him 100% on that—we just don’t agree on the source of the problem. For two years day after day, night after night, we heard Russian collusion—lie after lie, pushed by the liberal media. Then it was Ukraine and the whistleblower. Bill Moyers shares in the interview that his “hope” is that as citizens watch the impeachment hearings (which are totally partisan), they will “begin to doubt” in President Donald J. Trump so there can be a shift that would sway the 2020 election. It’s all about politics and winning the election, they don’t care about anything else. They are scared to death of conservative values and threatened because President Trump can’t be pushed around and intimidated politically or personally. The lies of the progressive left and the hyper-liberal media are what is a serious threat to the future of our nation. The Bible tells us, “The Lord detests lying lips…” (Proverbs 12:22).

It would be exhausting to point out all of Graham's distortions and lies in this piece but so I won't. Except for one. Isn't it ironic that Graham quotes the Bible saying "The Lord detests lying lips . . ." while defending a man who has lied over 10,000 times while in office (including Tuesday's lie that his daughter, Ivanka, created 14 million jobs.)

To me, it's not sad that Graham continues to debase himself.  I never trusted or liked him. But it is sad that so many people are falling for his lies. Don't ask why, but I took the time to post the following on his Facebook page. Forgive the bad grammar:

You are making a colossal fool of yourself. The only reason why you support Trump is because you think he will appoint judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade. You are so willing to overlook and explain away his incompetence and dishonest. You once unbelievably said Trump doesn't lie while ignoring the many documented times he lied. Now you make excuses for the impeachment mess he has gotten himself into via his own unscrupulous tactics. Mr. Graham, you may fool the majority of these sad paper Christians and simpering sycophants who affirmatively answer to your tirades and dip themselves elbow deep in the manure of hypocrisy you feed them and partake in, but you aren't fooling God. And just like all of us, you are going to have to answer to him. And you will answer for this vile blanket of lies you are ruining your witness by covering yourself in.