'Was Superbowl LIV the 'gayest sporting event' thus far?' & other Tue midday news briefs

Super Bowl LIV: LGBTQ advocates applaud event's 'rainbow wave' - Well things have definitely changed.

Republicans scrap child marriage ban because they’re worried about a pro-LGBTQ proposal - We spook them that much.

Jersey City Muslim and Coptic Christian parents angry over state-mandated LGBT curriculum - Just a matter of people assuming that their lives and their families are the only ones which matter. They claim they have no problem with LGBTQs, but then they throw words around like "indoctrination."

graphic taken from Outtake.

Franklin Graham rises from the depths of Trump's butt to condemn 'indecent' Superbowl halftime show

Sit down, Frankie.

I personally think that after the many times he has defended or made excuses for Trump's behavior, Franklin Graham has lost all privileges to condemn so-called lascivious behavior.

But apparently irony is lost on him:

This exhibition was Pepsi showing young girls that sexual exploitation of women is okay. With the exploitation of women on the rise worldwide, instead of lowering the standard, we as a society should be raising it. I’m disappointed in @Pepsi and the @NFL.

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) February 3, 2020

I didn't watch the Superbowl halftime show put on by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. But I am disgustingly familiar with  Franklin's opportunistic outrage. Don't get me wrong because I think it's good that he's shining a spotlight on the exploitation of women. Of course it doesn't help matters when one realizes that he supports a president who has been accused by 25 (make that 26) women of sexual misconduct, including rape. And it equally doesn't help matters that he has bent over backwards to either make excuses for Trump's awful behavior or told out-and-out lies while defending him.

And then there's the abnormally loving praise he has heaped on Trump as a so-called defender of Christianity:

Graham seems to have forgotten that moral decency belongs in the White House as much as he thinks it belongs on prime time television.

'South Dakota bill aims to completely eliminate LGBTQ rights' & other Mon midday news briefs

The future of LGBTQ rights if South Dakota lawmakers have their way.

It’s No Exaggeration: Sweeping South Dakota Bill Aims to Eliminate LGBTQ Rights - Hands down, the most dangerous anti-LGBTQ bill I have ever seen:

The state may not enforce, endorse, or favor policies that: 

(1) Permit any form of marriage that does not involve a man and a woman; 

(2) Appropriate benefits to persons who enter a marriage other than a marriage involving a man and a woman; 

(3) Permit counties to issue marriage licenses to persons other than for a marriage involving a man and a woman; 

(4) Treat sexual orientation as a suspect class or as a basis of prohibited discrimination; 

(5) Recognize a person’s belief that that person was born a gender that does not accord with the biological sex of the person as determined by that person’s anatomy at birth; 

(6) Appropriate tax dollars to pay for sex change operations; 

(7) Ban conversion therapy. Under this subdivision, conversion therapy, means a therapeutic practice in which a licensed medical professional, acting under authorized consent, assists a client in the goal or realigning the client’s sexual preference to prefer members of the opposite sex who have corresponding reproductive anatomy; 

(8) Permit public libraries or public schools in the state to partner with nonsecular organizations to promote, host, sponsor, favor, or endorse drag queen storytime; 

(9) Mandate pronoun changes; 

(10) Condone or affirm homosexual, transgender, zoophilia, objectophilia, polygamy, or sexual orientation doctrines; and 

(11) Permit a person to change the sex on a birth certificate to a sex that does not accord with that person’s anatomy at birth. 

This bill is plain evil. It doesn't hide its animus against the LGBTQ community under some ridiculous guise of "religious freedom." To put it simply, the bill is saying, "we don't like the LGBTQ community and we don't think they deserve any rights because we don't consider them normal. We don't care about them. We don't care about their families. We just don't want them around us and we will create laws which will target them so they get the message" 

And even if it is defeated, I hear there will be other attempts to pass similar bills in other states. Our solution is to hold the bill and the evil behind it up the light. Talk about it, repeat it constantly. Giving the world knowledge about this bill can destroy it and the evil mindset of those pushing it. The fight against it has already started with the South Dakota chapter of the ACLU.

Iowa Republicans give up on removing transgender people from state’s civil rights protections - A moment of sanity as lawmakers saw the "unintended consequences" of this particular bill

Ruth Ellis Center building 43 units of supportive housing for LGBTQ young adults - Outstanding news from Detroit! 

Mike Pompeo Snubs Ukraine’s Embattled LGBTQ Community - Of course that jerk did.

Top 10 Memorable Moments from 'Pose'

What can you say about a television show which has already reached legendary status even though it has only two seasons under its belt thus far?

From Wikipedia:

Pose (stylized as POSE) is an American drama television series about New York City's African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming ballroom culture scene in the 1980s and, in the second season, early 1990s. Featured characters are dancers and models who compete for trophies and recognition in this underground culture, and who support one another in a network of chosen families known as Houses. 

Pose is an incredible series which has already won an Emmy for one of its main stars - Billy Porter (who became the first openly gay black man to win as 'Best Actor in a Dramatic Series.')  Pose will definitely win more Emmy, particularly the one for 'Best Dramatic Series.' It has already won the hearts of LGBTQs of color who have waited the longest to see a television show which features us, even though some of us may not be in as detrimental of a situation as the characters.

I've never seen a full episode of  Pose. I've caught snippets from Youtube and the reason is simple. To me, Pose is like staring into the face of the Divine or managing to touch the 'Holy Grail.' I can only endure it in small doses. I don't think I could handle watching an entire episode. The characters, their joys, pains, tragedies, and successes are too real to me. I already have a problem detaching myself from what I've allowed myself to see. When you take a look at Ms.Mojo's '10 Memorable Moments' from the series, I think you will understand how I feel.

'Transgender student gets huge settlement from Penn school district' & other Fri midday news briefs

In case of 8-year-old transgender student, Pennsylvania school district to pay $100K and change bathroom policy - Good for her!

Virginia advances LGBTQ rights as Republicans call for secession - With Franklin Graham, Jr. leading the charge. I wonder how many poolboys he would take with him.

Church of England Apologizes After Saying Sex is for Married Straight Couples Only - Oh whoop te do.

Colorado Baker Who Sparked Supreme Court Cake Case Is Writing A Book - If this man writes one word by himself, color me shocked.

British people are 'cancelling' Franklin Graham and the Charlotte Observer is here for it

The British are giving Franklin Graham exactly what he deserves.

If it weren't for Trump's impeachment trial, this situation would be getting more attention. The British are up in arms about Franklin Graham visiting their country and they are also a bit more successful in showing their disdain

From Pink News:

The Trump-supporting preacher, who is known for praising Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws and blaming gay people for a “moral 9/11”, is set to visit the UK at the start of Pride Month in June as part of an evangelist tour.  

 Venues hosting the tour have faced complaints from LGBT+ activists – with a Liverpool conference venue dropping him on Monday. Following the pressure, two further venues have followed suit Glasgow’s SEC Arena confirmed on Wednesday that his May 30 rally at the venue will not go ahead.

A spokesperson told PinkNews: “The booking for this event was processed in the same way we would for any religious concert of this nature and as a business we remain impartial to the individual beliefs of both our clients and visitors. “However, we are aware of the recent adverse publicity surrounding this tour and have reviewed this with our partners and stakeholders. Following a request from our principal shareholder the matter has been considered and a decision made that we should not host this event.” His planned June 6 rally at Sheffield Arena has also been scrapped, after a decision by Sheffield City Council.

'Bank takes a stand against homophobic Christian schools' & other Thur midday news briefs

Fifth Third Bank stopped donating to a voucher program because of anti-LGBTQ Christian schools - All isn't bad news. 

LGBTQ community clashes over new group - The TERFS strike again.

More than 30 Va. employers send letter to lawmakers asking for LGBTQ protections - A wonderful idea. 

Iowa GOP files bill to remove transgender people from the state’s Civil Rights Act - Unbelievable how they are targeting the transgender community.

Lil Nas X snaps back at homophobic rapper jealous of his success and Grammys

I just caught up with this, but apparently I'm a bit behind everyone else because its the number one trending item on Twitter:

Pastor Troy went on a long, homophobic rant & somehow convinced himself that it’s the reason why he doesn’t have a Grammy. pic.twitter.com/nM2ggnV7Yt

— Ronald Isley (@yoyotrav) January 29, 2020

Here is the really offensive part:

I know what you are thinking. Pretty much everyone else is thinking it. We all know who Lil Nas X is. He is the openly gay rapper who burst on the scene with the number one smash hit "Old Town Road." The song was number one for 19 weeks, making it the longest a song remained at the top spot since the charts began in 1958.

Lil Nas X is also the recipient of a multitude of awards including two Grammys on Sunday evening. By contrast, hardly anyone knows who the heck Pastor Troy is. 

'Brits to Franklin Graham: We don't want you or your homophobia coming here' & other Wed midday news briefs

Brits are furious Franklin Graham is coming to England to spread anti-LGBTQ “love” - Oh yeah! This is awesome! One city, Liverpool, has already canceled his tour and others don't seem very welcoming.

Lesbians more accepted than gay men around the world, study finds - This is interesting. 

Arizona Bill Would Ban Transgender Girls, Women From Sports Teams - Based totally on assumptions. God forbid any of these "concerned" people attempt a real conversation including actual medical experts on the issue. And you can tell it's bigoted. It would only apply to female teams. 

Anti-LGBTQ adoption bill puts law over morality - Amen.

State lawmakers working with anti-LGBTQ groups on bills targeting transgender children

Media Matters has just come out with a wonderful article which exposes who is behind the large number of state legislative bills targeting transgender children:

On January 22, a South Dakota legislative committee moved forward HB 1057, a dangerous bill that would make it a misdemeanor for medical professionals to provide trans youth with affirming medical care, such as prescribing lifesaving hormones or puberty blockers. While drafting the measure, the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Fred Deutsch (R), reportedly consulted with an anti-trans group called the Kelsey Coalition that has ascended with the help of right-wing media. 

Anti-LGBTQ groups the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, and Liberty Counsel also reportedly influenced the measure, which is expected to be voted on by the full South Dakota state House on January 29.

The Kelsey Coalition is a group of medical professionals, parents, and others who reject the identities of trans youth and advocate against affirming care. The Heritage Foundation gave the Kelsey Coalition its first major platform by featuring a member at a panel advocating against affirming the gender identities of trans youth.

According to The Washington Post, Deutsch attended a separate anti-trans event at the Heritage Foundation, at which organizations involved -- including the Kelsey Coalition -- released a co-branded parent resource guide on how to reject transgender children and advance policies to attack the trans community. Deutsch is also reported to have worked with extreme anti-LGBTQ groups Alliance Defending Freedom and Liberty Counsel on the bill.

'Drag queens will appear in a Super Bowl ad for the first time ever' & other Tue midday news briefs

Drag queens will appear in a Super Bowl ad for the first time ever - And I am HERE for it.

Bowen Yang Opens Up About His Experience In ‘Gay Conversion’ Therapy - Wow! An SNL cast member gets real about that awful "therapy." 

Darrell Issa slammed by fellow Republicans for running “gay-baiting” political attack ad - You know it's serious when other members of the GOP are bothered by it. 

This Is How U.K. LGBTQ Rights Change After Brexit This Week - The struggle is real and worldwide.

Dear conservative evangelicals leaders, when Trump goes down, you need to go with him (and here are just a few of the receipts to pay your ticket)

Conservative evangelical leaders embraced Trump because he was giving them power, access, laws and the judges they wanted. Let's not allow America to forget how they went knee deep with full knowledge in his corrupt administration.  And let's not allow America to forget how they either ignored or made excuses for his behavior. 

As we watch Trump's impeachment trial with all of its twists and turns, one thing is clear. Even if he does get away with what he has done, there is enough proof to show that Trump has tarnished himself the presidency, the GOP and especially folks who claim to have a mindset which should have elevated them to know better.

I'm talking about Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, Jerry Falwell, Jr. and the rest of the evangelical right/anti-LGBTQ industry who freely and wantonly sacrificed all of the values they claimed to uphold for a little political power. They got a president who gave them access to policy, gave them some judges and laws which attacked the LGBTQ community and women's health while giving their religious beliefs an unfair advantage and an elevated status.

 In return, conservative evangelical leaders sacrificed the integrity they claimed to have, the values they claimed to uphold, and the mask they wore when they claimed to uphold that integrity and those values.

And no one should forget their real faces - that of hypocritical, self-righteous, power-hungry bloodsuckers who would find a Biblical verse to defend the devil if it meant more power and more access to White House policy.

To hopefully make sure that people don't, I've been saving a few receipts to serve as reminders of how low conservative evangelical leaders stooped. To their supporters, these receipts don't mean anything. But to the rest of America, especially those who aren't aware of them, don't exactly care for them, and will be here after we are all gone, they are a perfect representation of  the true face of America's evangelical right.

Here are just demonstrating how they drolled and fawned over Trump while in full knowledge of his incompetence and corruption.

'Statewide anti-LGBTQ measures part of religious right playbook' & other Mon midday news briefs

State legislatures are filled with anti-LGBTQ measures, thanks to a religious right playbook - FINALLY, some recognizes it and calls it out.

Project Blitz Is Producing Model Legislation For Christian Nationalists - The name of the group in the article above is Project Blitz and they have something especially nasty in store for us. It's an old anti-LGBTQ lie that we buried in our pursuits of marriage equality. But homophobic lies never die. That's why they are headless monsters. They are dead beliefs propped up by living hatred. 

Sanders campaign defends accepting Joe Rogan support amid LGBTQ backlash - Joe Rogan is a homophobic jerk and we shouldn't . . . well end of story. 

Who's the 'Q' in LGBTQ? Study shines light on 'queer' identities. - Definitely a needed discussion.


Graphic courtesy of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. The organization has extensive information on Project Blitz

How some gay conservatives attempt to exploit the LGBTQ community for personal gain.

Rob Smith

The guy on the right is Rob Smith. He was one of the activists who chained themselves to the White House fence almost 10 years ago in protest of the 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy. These days, he considers himself an openly gay conservative Trump supporter.  He is even affiliated with the group Turning Point USA  in spite of its racist history.

If you ask me, he's in it partly (probably mostly) for how the novelty of being a contrarian gay man (i.e. one who is openly gay and claims to have been once a liberal, but now sets up straw man arguments to attack the community) can reap lots of press and acclaim.  Just ask Brandon Straka or Chadwick Moore.

For the purpose of this post, I want to show how some gay conservatives attempt to work our community for their own benefit. See the tweet below by Smith:

It's both rude and seemingly innocuous, but let me add my perspective:

In other words, the purpose of  the tweet was to inflame emotions and push up a vicious war with the LGBTQ community. And if it's big enough, guess who gets articles in right-wing publications (such as The Federalist or The Daily Caller) and invites on Fox News (because the only LGBTQ people invited on that network are the ones who attack their own community)?

Rob Smith.

And the end is basically this - Smith's profile is raised in the conservative world and he is lauded as being "brave" and a "hero" for supposedly speaking against the "radical gay community" (that's us). He is anointed as a "free thinker" while we are portrayed as "intolerant of others in our community with different points of view."

Worst of all, some members of our community, who are either too egotistical or gullible to realize  how they are being manipulated, will take his side and attempt to generate a wrong-minded debate which will do nothing but divide and inflame us further while making Smith's profile grow and grow.

And that, brothers and sisters, is how the game is played on us. Our community may have differences, but we should all come together to recognize when someone is exploiting us to gain fame. Even if that person is "family."

'Virginia could become 20th state to ban 'ex-gay therapy' for minors' & other Fri midday news briefs

Virginia could become 20th state to ban 'ex-gay therapy' for minors - Go Virginia!!

Someone tried to destroy Nikkie de Jager’s life by outing her as trans. Now she’s on Ellen and more famous than ever. - Eat it, haters.

Hallmark Media CEO Bill Abbott Resigns After Lesbian Ad Backlash - Hmmmm 

How This Acting Coach Turned His Studio Into An LGBTQ Star Factory - This is a fascinating article.

Latest attack on Target's trans inclusive policy means the American Family Association is getting mighty desperate

For the past few years, hate group the American Family Association has been trying to initiate a boycott of  Target because of its policy of allowing customers to use dressing rooms and restrooms which match their gender identities. AFA claims (without proof) that this policy allows predators to harm women while they are in dressing rooms and restrooms. The boycott began with a petition and it got lots of traction. It even encouraged some people to march into Target and make complete asses of themselves.

As the years passed, attention and support for AFA's fight have petered down because basically people saw that the group was doing nothing more than lying and causing hysteria. Of course that doesn't stop AFA from attempting to "stir up the troops," so the speak.

Even if it has to be creative when attacking Target and the transgender community, such as this recent article in its affiliate "news site" One News Now demonstrates.

The American Family Association continues to sound the alarm about Target's policy that allows men in women's restrooms and changing areas. 

Target says the policy is meant to be inclusive and benefit transgender customers and employees, but the American Family Association (AFA) has long warned it will result in sexual predators taking advantage of the policy, thereby putting women and children at risk. 

In an Action Alert this week, AFA points to an incident at a Target store in Harris County, Texas, where a woman told law enforcement that a man was taking pictures of her in a fitting room while she was changing clothes. 

"It's an invasion of privacy," she told news station KTRK. "No one should go through that. It was horrifying." "Because nobody will stop a man from entering these areas, what these sexual predators do is they watch for a woman or girl to go into a fitting room, for example, and they go into the one next to it and then put their phone camera either up above the partition or below it," Ed Vitagliano, AFA executive vice president, told on American Family Radio's "Today's Issues" program. "That is what happened in this case in Harris County, Texas."

'New bills in over 12 states are targeting our transgender children' & other Thur midday news briefs

LGBT Activists Say New Bills in Over 12 States Target Transgender Youth - And I'm betting that a certain group (the Alliance Defending Freedom) is behind this mess.

Miss USA competition to include first openly bisexual contestant - History is made! 

Indiana's Discrimination Against LGBTQ Families Must Stop, Court Rules - We win an important victory in Indiana. 

Most of Trump’s impeachment lawyers have strong résumés (of anti-LGBTQ advocacy) - Looks like Jay Sekulow isn't the only one.

Anti-LGBTQ activist doesn't realize that she made a spectacle of herself

Anti-LGBTQ activist 'Lorena' of the group MassResistance thinks it was unfair that a councilman tried to kick her out of his office even though she outright accused him of working to legalize pedophilia.

I'm often asked why do I give attention to anti-LGBTQ groups and individuals. One reason is that when some of them are given the spotlight, they make colossal fools of themselves and thereby prove our point about them and their tactics.

A recent incident underscores this fact. MassResistance, a Massachusetts anti-LGBTQ hate group have been on a tear for months about Drag Queen Story Hour. An affiliate of the California chapter recently told the story about meeting with Chula Vista city openly gay councilman, Stephen Padilla. She wanted the city council to pass an ordinance against Drag Queen Story Hour.

The woman, Lorena, and MassResistance would have you to believe that she bravely stood up against a rude bully to the point that he got angry and called the police on her:

One MassResistance mother in Chula Vista, Lorena, a calm but strong-willed woman, has been really taking action. She has testified at just about every City Council meeting, often bringing up the fact that the library has cut reading and literacy programs, yet had the money for Drag Queen Story Hour. She has passed out flyers across town.

. . . this past week Stephen Padilla, who had refused to meet with anyone, agreed to meet with Lorena in his City Hall office. She came, and calmly told him the truth about the Drag Queen Story event. His behavior toward her was disgraceful. He ultimately threw her out of his office and tried to have her removed from City Hall.

'Trump's impeachment lawyer has long history of homophobic, religious-based shysterism' & other Wed midday new briefs

Jay Sekulow

Jay Sekulow Heads Trump’s Legal Team, Shares His Dubious Relationship with the Truth - I've know about Jay Sekulow for YEARS.

Trump's Latest Legal Hire Has Extensive Anti-LGBT History - A 2017 article which nicely breaks down Sekulow's history of homophobia.

Va. Senate votes to prohibit conversion therapy, create transgender school policy, repeal gay marriage ban - Dear LGBTQ community, this is why voting matters.

The last Chick-fil-A in the UK is shutting down after months of nonstop protest - Bye! Bye! Bye!

'Out on Television' tracks evolution of LGBTQ portrayals - I definitely want to see this.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins continues the game plan of lies about Tenn anti-LGBTQ adoption bill

FRC president Tony Perkins follows the evangelical game plan of lying about Tenn's anti-LGBTQ adoption bill.

Last week, Tennessee passed a bill which allowed tax dollars to go to religious and faith-based adoption agencies even if they refuse to work with members of the LGBTQ community. On the heels of this, conservative evangelical group the American Family Association proceeded to lie about the bill. AFA portrayed it as a way of keeping religious and faith-based groups from being "punished." The group also omitted the part about taxpayer funds (which includes LGBTQ tax dollars) going to groups which would discriminate against the LGBTQ community.