Evolution of LGBTQ equality - from hidden behind the plants to in front of the wedding chapels

While we all, in various ways, wait out the coronavirus outbreak and the Democratic primaries, let's take a short look back in our past. I ran across this short clip of CBS Evening News from June 25, 2016 - the day marriage equality became legal. It's a look back 50 years in the past when CBS News first looked at LGBTQ equality. Back then, it was simply known as gay rights and things were completely different. More closets and more fear.

Granted, the closets and fear still exist, but not as much. In their places are pride and the stubborness which comes from knowing that we are human beings with value and the determination to not be treated less than that. This is not to say that marriage equality is the end of our struggle for rights. It's simply a reminder of where we as a community once were and where we are now. It's also a reminder that where we will be in the future is totally up to us and not those who stand against us.

'A running list of the latest coronavirus hoaxes' & other Tue midday news briefs

Here's A Running List Of The Latest Hoaxes Spreading About The Coronavirus - Not specifically an LGBTQ issue per se, but still helpful to know. 

Attendee at LGBTQ Charity Circuit Party Tests Positive for COVID-19 - This is getting past real.

Study finds Caitlyn Jenner has positive impact on trans acceptance in older generation - I am aware that Caitlyn Jenner is not popular with a lot of transgender folks. Still . . .

Christian organisation calls on Marvel to remove gay superheroes from upcoming Eternals film - Aw shaddup!

Karma comes for the marriage of anti-LGBTQ crusader 'Activist Mommy'

'Activist Mommy' Elizabeth Johnston has built up an enormous social media profile attacking the LGBTQ community, our families, and our marriages. She's just announced that she will be seeking a divorce.

Anti-LGBTQ activist Elizabeth Johnston is known as "Activist Mommy." Of course that's a nice way of saying that the mother of 10  is a female version of 'Porno' Pete LaBarbera and just as unhinged.

According to LGBTQNation:

Johnston regularly rants about “far left, pro-LGBTQ education” on her social media platforms and once spoke at a barely-attended ex-gay march on Washington. She has spouted her anti-LGBTQ views on the radio show of the certified hate group, the Family Research Council, and uses her Facebook wall to oppose everything from drag queen story times at local libraries and giving life-saving hormone blockers to transgender kids to queer actor Billy Porter and trans dancer Riley Knox performing in public.  

 She opposes public school sexual education as a form of gay “indoctrination” because it supposedly teaches kids how to have anal sex, pushing a deadly, centuries-old stereotype of gay people as pedophiles. Her crusade against anal sex compelled her to burn a physical copy of Teen Vogue magazine after its website published a sexual health article — the article never appeared in a print magazine. She called for a boycott of Vicks VapoRub over their commercial in support of transgender rights, referring to the woman in the ad as “a square-jawed, plain-as-day man.” She also pressured a local library to cancel its LGBTQ prom, telling her social media followers “perversion is taking place in a taxpayer-funded library!”

A friendlier description of Johnston says the following:

News headlines point to a world that has gone stark-raving mad. Right is wrong, and wrong is right. Religious liberty is under attack. Gender identity and fluidity is not only accepted but encouraged. Same-sex marriage is embraced by many churches. Deviant sexual practices are taught in schools. Feminists march for freedom—except when it relates to the 60 million babies aborted since Roe v. Wade. “No more!” cries Elizabeth Johnston aka the Activist Mommy, social media sensation with over 70 million video views. Johnston courageously defends the timeless truths of God’s Word and inspires and encourages other Christians to unite in winning this war for our children, our morals, our freedom, and our culture.

It is true that Johnston has a huge social media following, which she uses to castigate the LGBTQ community for what she calls "raping the mind of children."  But as we've learned so many times, a huge social following means nothing when karma decides to call you out. And Johnston was long due for a visit, which she just received.

'Will LGBTQ pride festivals still happen amid coronavirus concerns?' & other Mon midday news briefs

Amid Coronavirus Concerns, Will LGBTQ Pride Fests Still Happen In 2020? - Let us hope that they will.

LGBTQ Students Kicked Out of Iowa Capitol Over Restroom Use - No doubt we will be hearing more about this. 

Texas Democrats are trying to draw LGBT Republicans snubbed by state GOP leaders - Yeah I would like to see that!(sarcasm)

Inventor of the world wide web: the internet isn’t working for LGBTQ women - We need to have a conversation about this. But I am concerned that someone may attempt to exploit it in order to denigrate trans women.

Gay black comedian Sampson McCormick puts 'Good Times' Jimmie Walker on blast for homophobia

In a recent clip from FOX Soul’s The Tammy Mac Show, wonderfully talented black gay comedian Sampson McCormick dishes about his over 20 years on the stand-up circuit. Of course he especially spills some tea about famous comedians. One who he considers a friend is Oscar-winner Monique. He credits her for hiring him when no one else would and financially helping him out.   Sampson does not hold his tongue when talking the other comedian, Jimmie Walker from 'Good Times.'  Sampson calls him "the most disgusting person who he was ever work with." Apparently it stems from an incident in which Sampson claims that Walker refused to work with him and then proceeded to slam his sexual orientation and make ugly jokes about AIDS and Ellen DeGeneres while onstage.

By the way, I mentioned before how talented Sampson is. Check out this snippet below:

'LGBTQ people may have higher risk of coronavirus' & other Fri midday news briefs

LGBTQ people have a higher risk of coronavirus - If the anti-LGBTQ industry tries to use this against us, they can go to hell. We all need to sound the alarm on this one.

40 Major Businesses Oppose State-Based Legislation Targeting Trans Youth, LGBTQ Community - Good for them to stand by us. 

GLAAD nixes NYC media awards amid coronavirus concerns - Well sh!t! They will still be announcing the awards, however. 

Roy Moore Group Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Marriage Equality Ruling - Yeah. Whatever.

Throwback Thursday- The Ricki Lake Show circa 1994: 'I Hate That My Brother And Sister is Gay'

The Ricki Lake Show was credited as one of the talk show to bring LGBTQ issues into contemporary times in a way which featured us talking about ourselves instead of experts and the like talking about us. This episode is from 1994 and it's titled "I Hate That My Brother and Sister is Gay."

It's over 40 minutes so feel free to skim through. As you do, you will be astounded at how much ignorance and heterosexual privilege existed back then and how some of it hasn't changed. An extra highlight at 17:24 features former anti-LGBTQ talking head Andrea Sheldon debating with a now legendary figure in our community (and I'm proud to say a friend, idol, and mentor of mine) Michelangelo Signorile.  Needless to say the LGBTQ people in this episode hold their own and command respect. Signorile specifically was a firebrand who didn't take any sh!t back then.

'Trans woman wins $50K after she was told she couldn't live 'around children'' & other Thur midday news briefs

Trans woman wins $50K after she was told she couldn’t live “around children” - Now that puts me in a really good mood. Get up OFF the money!

Disney Boss Shuts Down Shareholder Claiming LGBTQ Content Is Hurting the Company - Oop!

Gay & bi teen boys are 5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted - We need to be paying attention to this. 

Greenville County anti-gay resolution a relic of history after council vote - Bye bye piece of junk.

Twitter battle explodes when black Trump supporter attempts to downplay her claim that gays are violent pedophiles

Trump supporter Angela Stanton-King  (seen here with Trump) tried to downplay a homophobic tweet accusing gay men of being violent pedophiles. Nice try, girlfriend.

Earlier this week, I wrote about Angela Stanton-King, a  black Trump supporter and the god daughter of "prominent" black Trump supporter Alveda King. I, and several others, called her out for posting this lying tweet implying that gay men are violent pedophiles:

It's not surprising that when faced with the public backlash for this, Stanton-King attempted to play the victim:

Stanton-King added that she’s “not against LGBTQ rights like same-sex marriage,” because she has a 19-year-old son who identifies as gay and a gay aunt who raised her. She believes, however, that there is a need for legislation that ensures “children are not tied to the LGBTQ community.”

That led me to go to her Twitter feed and read comments she made about the controversy. This one started a war between her and I:

'APA supports trans restroom access and LGBTQ gay parents' & other Wed midday news briefs

Psychologists' Group Supports Trans Restroom Access, LGBTQ Parents - And these resolutions are definitely needed.

Black LGBTQ people of faith have been forced into the shadows for far too long - Amen! Preach!

Canada may soon have the world’s “most progressive and comprehensive” conversion therapy ban - Wonderful! Go Canada! 

Wrestler becomes first openly gay pro athlete in Switzerland - Good for him!

Christian writer issues blistering rebuke to evangelicals who support Trump while ignoring his 'immorality'

Evangelicals have replaced attempting to be 'Christ-like'  for the power that Donald Trump gives them. Christian writer John Fea says because of this, they have lost all moral authority.

Christian writer John Fea just posted a basic rebuke to evangelicals who have supported Trump in spite of his many faults, hypocritical attitude and general incompetence. I doubt folks like Robert Jeffress, Jerry Falwell, Jr, or Paula White will listen. But those of us who've been collecting the "receipts" on how these folks have gotten carried away with power are definitely listening. And taking more notes. 

Part of what Fea wrote reads as follow::

I recently had a long conversation with a Trump supporter and fellow evangelical. We had a lot of differences, but we also found some common ground. We agreed that evangelical leaders who support Donald Trump have failed to rebuke the president’s immorality.  . . .  

When Trump engages in these activities, many of his most ardent evangelical followers —Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, Paula White, Eric Metaxas, Jerry Falwell Jr., James Dobson, and Ralph Reed, to name a few — look the other way. They are unable to speak truth to power because Donald Trump and his Republican Party hold them captive. I recently challenged the bipartisan readers of my blog, The Way of Improvement Leads Home, to find five examples of a pro-Trump evangelical leader making a strong public condemnation of the president’s tweets, speeches, behavior, or policies. So far, I have not received any responses. 

 . . . The United States is not a Christian nation. Nor was it founded as such. The Founding Fathers argued over politics and policy just like we do, but they were united in the belief that republics fail without virtue. They believed people must always exercise what they called “political jealousy.” A jealous citizen kept a principled watch on government leaders to guard against vice and corruption. Political jealousy served as a unifying force, a common ideology of resistance to tyranny grounded in a shared morality. By keeping our heads in the sand as Trump proves he is incapable of living according to the most basic standards of decency, evangelicals neglect to do their part in sustaining our republic. 

We have failed to be good citizens. We have become complicit in the president’s nativism, racism, xenophobia, narcissism, and fearmongering. Sadly, Trump-supporting evangelicals have now lost much of their moral authority to speak out on matters related to government corruption, pornography, sex and violence in movies and television shows, racial reconciliation, school bullying, and the decline in civil discourse. 

 . . . The political problems in our community run deeper than just our failure to speak with a prophetic voice. Donald Trump will be gone one day. But the political playbook that evangelicals follow will not go away unless we decide to burn it and start over. There is a very good chance that this playbook will lead evangelicals into the arms of another immoral tyrant who promises conservative Supreme Court justices and offers platitudes about religious liberty. 

We need a new political playbook. We need to replace our lust for political power with heavy doses of humility. We must forge a new kind of politics defined, at its very core, by human dignity. It is imperative that we teach our children and grandchildren a way of engaging the world that offers it a glimpse of a coming kingdom defined by love, justice, mercy, and compassion. We need to offer hope, not fear.

'Trump trying to take away LGBTQ worker protections at the National Labor Relations Board' & other Tue midday news briefs

Trump is trying to rescind LGBTQ worker protections at the National Labor Relations Board - In his three years in office, Trump has declared war on the LGBTQ community and hasn't been asked about it once by the media. It's up to us to make him answer for it. It has always been up to us.

Coming out as gay doesn't absolve you of your anti-LGBTQ+ history - This means YOU, Aaron Schock.

Why Trump-Friendly Christian Leaders Are Feeling Totally Fine About the Coronavirus - Easy to guess how they will pervert it all. 

Israeli Orthodox Leader Blames Virus On Pride Parades - Well gee what took him so long?

Black Trump supporter begins Congressional run by accusing gay men of being violent pedophiles

Alveda King's (left) goddaughter Angela Stanton King (right) has copied her homophobia and embarrassing "tomming" for Donald Trump.

Civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis has a challenger for his seat in the upcoming election. Angela Stanton-King is a Trump supporter and the god daughter of a "prominent" black Trump supporter, Alveda King. And she has something in common with both Trump and King.

Like King, she practically oozes homophobia, as evidenced by the tweet she recently sent implying that LGBTQ people are violent pedophiles:

It's bad enough that she sent this. The  fascinating part is that it's a much more graphic version of this:

'Tips that LGBTQ people can use to deal with coronavirus outbreak' & other Mon midday news briefs

Here are tips that LGBTQ people can use to deal with the outbreak of Coronavirus - Tips we definitely need.

Brigham Young University Students Protest School’s ‘Same-Sex Romantic Behavior’ Stance - Good for them! 

Anti-gay Roy Moore Suffers Humiliating Loss in Alabama Senate Race - How did I miss this one?!

Md. House committee holds hearing on LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights - And the fight goes on state by state.

NBA star Dwyane Wade's trans daughter Zaya walks her first red carpet

 From Out magazine:

Over the last few months, we've all been re-introduced to the teenaged child of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade. Through a series of interviews, Dwyane revealed that the 12-year-old had revealed to the family her true gender identity, and would be referred to as Zaya moving forward. And now, the incredibly insightful pre-teen is storming the red carpets.

"Everyone allow her to re-introduce herself her name is Zaya Wade!" Dwyane wrote to Instagram on Sunday. "Last night was Zaya’s first red carpet and we couldn’t have been prouder of how she handled the questions that were asked of her. She has emerged as one of the young faces and voices for the LGBTQ+ community."  

 On Saturday, Zaya, Gabrielle, and Dwyane headed to the Better Brothers of Los Angeles Truth Awards. That event, according to Dwyane, was "created to recognize and highlight the accomplishments of the Black LGBTQ+ community and its allies." The family was on hand in order to honor stylist Jason Bolden and interior designer Adair Curtis, husbands and stars of Netflix's Styling Hollywood, who were receiving the event's Business Leadership Award. 

 . . .  "It was important for Zaya to be a part of such a beautiful night and reminding her of all the love and support she has," Gabrielle wrote in an Instagram caption about the evening. "We were moved to tears so many times throughout the night. So much gratitude."

When it comes to the Dwyane Wade and his family, everyone has something to say. It is no doubt difficult for children of celebrities (i.e. singers, movie stars, sports stars) to live their lives in the public eye. I'm sure that it becomes more difficult when that child comes out as LGBTQ. But whether parents are celebrities or not, one thing is universal. Understanding and supportive families are always the first line of defense against harm to LGBTQ children.

'Biden releases his LGBTQ policy plan' & other Fri midday news briefs

Joe Biden releases LGBTQ policy plan

Joe Biden releases his LGBTQ policy plan just in time to steal support from Bernie - Some say "steal.' I say because he is the present front runner in the race, he needs to do this. And folks need to read what it says BEFORE lodging any criticism. This is not a pro-Biden comment, just a request that people dispense with the bitchiness. This is serious and after SCOTUS rules in several LGBTQ cases, I have a feeling that things are going to get downright "real."

LGBTQ voters turned out in record numbers on Super Tuesday - And it's just the beginning. TRUST me. 

Former Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock Comes Out As Gay - Just in case folks are living in caves with their fingers in their ears. And if you've heard, you also know he is getting dragged and rightfully so. Schock wasn't necessarily an ally to his brothers and sisters. 

This brutal documentary exposes Chechnya’s queer genocide - Trigger alert - this ain't nice.

Alabama Senate passes bill making it a crime for doctors to correctly treat trans youth

The way these bills attacking trans children are circulating around the country, one would think there is a plot to make it a 2020 election issue. That remains to be seen, but Alabama just did something really harmful to our kids:

The Alabama Senate today passed a bill that would make it a crime for doctors to prescribe opposite sex hormones or drugs that block puberty from people under age 19 who identify as transgender. The bill by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, was approved by a committee last week after a public hearing that included testimony from doctors and people with first-hand experiences who took positions both for and against the bill.

Shelnutt said today most children with gender dysphoria eventually adjust and that giving them medications that could have permanent effects amounts to child abuse. Shelnutt’s bill is called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act. The Senate passed the bill today by a vote of 22-3. It moves to the House of Representatives. “I just don’t think and others don’t think that kids should be given experimental drugs or surgeries that could have irreversible consequences for the rest of their life,” Shelnutt said. “Kids are not fully developed until later in life. I think we can all agree that kids aren’t capable of making certain decisions until certain ages. And so, we want to just stop these procedures from happening in Alabama.”

'LGBTQ candidates chalk up big Super Tuesday wins, religious right candidates don't' & other Thur midday news briefs

LGBTQ Candidates Win Big In Super Tuesday Contests Across U.S. - Wonderful!

Texas Democrats picked a lesbian while Republicans rejected a religious right candidate - Good for Texas!

Super Tuesday Not So Super For These Religious-Right Candidates - And even more good news.

Pete Buttigieg’s candidacy meant a lot to LGBTQ Christians like me - Preach!!

Rita Moreno singing 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' cause the devil has been busy the day after Super Tuesday

Tonight will be a night of no politics on my blog simply because I am bit of a foul mood. No details, but I will say this - certain people have been attacking other people of a certain ethnic identity because these folks rejected their candidate. Definitely the "devil has been busy" the day after Super Tuesday (lighten up. it's just an expression.)

So I am going to do the most stereotypical gay thing in the world to calm the waters - or at least my soul. And that is post a video of a gay-friendly diva singing a show tune.

But this is rather different. From the 1976 motion picture version of the 1975 Broadway play The Ritz (about a man hiding in a gay bathhouse from his Mafia brother-in-law ), here is Rita Moreno singing 'Everything's Coming Up Roses.' Moreno won a Tony for her performance, which was well-deserved because only someone with a lot of  talent can pretend to be such a bad singer.

'Randy Rainbow reminds us what's important about the 2020 election' & other Wed midday news briefs

Some may disagree but it's worth remembering just in case the candidate you support does not get the nomination. The election is about the overturning of Trumpism.

Putin Calls For Russian Constitution To Define Marriage As Heterosexual - and you just know jerks over here will be getting ideas.

How a data-backed Christian nationalist machine helped Trump to power - I told folks to pay attention to the religious right.

Dallas will soon have the most rainbow crosswalks in the country -Every little milestone helps.