Friday, July 29, 2016

'Trump/Putin Golden Girls parody goes viral' & other Fri. midday news briefs



You have not seen it all until you have seen 'The Golden Girls' starring Donald Trump, mike Pence, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-Un. You know this is funny. You might as well surrender and laugh your ass off:



In other news:

 Orlando-area Republicans back Fla. anti-discrimination bill - That's good news. The bad news is what it took for them to support it.
 
Report: U.S. Navy to name ship after LGBT rights icon Harvey Milk - In case you didn't heart, this is sweeet!

Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Stand on LGBT Rights - Just in case you need a reminder . . .

What Are LGBT Organizations Doing to Support Black Lives Matter? - That is a good question.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Sarah McBride makes history at DNC convention, elevates conversation about transgender community

Today, Sarah McBride just became the first transgender speaker at a major political convention. She elevates the conversation about transgender Americans in a wonderful way:


'Anti-lgbt hate group furious over Hilton ad showing gay couple in bed' & other Thur midday news briefs

Editor's note - Sorry for the lack of the usual morning posting. It was a bit chaotic for a while around here. We now return to your regularly scheduled blog posts:

The American Family Association is having a hissy fit over this Hilton ad.

Hilton Ad Showing Gay Couple In Bed Drives AFA Mad - Oh for Pete's sake. Apparently anti-lgbt hate groups don't like to showing us in bed even when we aren't doing anything but being in bed. 

Mother of gay Pulse nightclub massacre victim speaks at DNC - I don't care who you are, you should be moved by her speech. 

Meet the transgender delegates at the Democratic convention - And they had their first caucus today. The greatest of this moment cannot be stated enough. 

 Daniel Driffin highlights the fight against HIV at the DNC - And an African-American HIV positive gay man also took center stage.

 Bryan Fischer: 'It Is Not Possible For Homosexual Behavior To Be A Constitutional Or Moral Or Ethical Or Legal Right'- Y'all, Bryan Fischer is obsessing over gay folks having sex (again).

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

'Don't forget our homeless lgbt children' & other Wed. midday news briefs


LGBT Teens: Shunned, Alone, And On The Streets - In the hoopla of lgbt presence at the Democratic National Convention, let's NOT forget our children. They need us on so many levels. 

Pulse nightclub to become permanent memorial - As well it should. We will NEVER forget.

 After the Orlando Shooting, the Changed Lives of Gay Latinos - Speaking of which . . . 

 Here Are Just Some Of The Badass Queer Women Competing In Rio - YAAAS! Go for the gold, ladies!

Large lgbt presence at DNC convention is progress

For me, it is a positive thing that there is a huge lgbt presence at the DNC convention and that fact itself isn't being exploited as a negative thing.

Jason Collins, the first publicly gay athlete to play in the NBA, and his brother Jarron addressed the convention Monday night. Here they talk with gay anchor from MSNBC, Thomas Roberts, about the DNC platform:




Tuesday, July 26, 2016

'Democrats ratifies most pro-LGBT platform ever' & other Tue midday news briefs


Democrats ratify most pro-LGBT platform ever - THIS happened amidst all of the talk of squabbling and such. And I'm a practical queen.  This is a million times better than the kick in the face the GOP gave us. I WANT this. ALL OF THIS. 

Here’s Proof That Policing Trans People In Bathrooms Isn’t Actually About Women’s Privacy - Spin false fears of transgender women being predators while protecting the bull#@!^ of heterosexual men taking photos and videos up women's skirts. What the hell?!!

 Group Livid Over Gay Couple On 'Loud House' Voiced By Wayne Brady, Michael McDonald - And it begins. Where the heck were these folks when Bugs Bunny was dressing in drag? LOL

  Revealed: The Right-Wing Movement’s Agenda For Trump’s First 180 Days - Enough to turn your hair white.  

Christian hate group lawyers wrote Mississippi’s blocked anti-LGBT law - Surprise! Or not.

Michelle Obama SLAYS the crowd at the DNC convention

First Lady Michelle Obama knocked it out last night.

The Democratic National Convention may have opened chaotically but ended last night with a  positive bang. While it certainly doesn't ease the tensions and bad feelings brought about by the primary fight between Sanders and Clinton, it was a wonderful beginning which epitomizes how it's going to take hard work and unity to win in November.

In many ways, that is symbolic of the struggle for lgbt equality. All speeches were wonderful. Sen. Booker set the tone, Sen. Warren brought the heat. And Sen. Sanders brought the passion and spelled out why his revolution goes past primaries, candidates, and petty squabbles. Because it's really not his revolution, but all of ours.

However, the speech which everyone is talking about is the following by First Lady Michelle Obama. The only way I can full get you to understand how good it was is by this video showing its entirety:



Monday, July 25, 2016

Gay DNC officials' leaked emails reveal . . . nothing' & other Mon. midday news briefs

With the DNC convention in the back drop, I will continue to bring you news and thoughts:


Gay DNC officials’ emails part of massive WikiLeaks release - Cool your jets. This article isn't about corruption or that ridiculous controversy designed to stir things up. The Gay DNC officials were talking about pushing against false information.

 Miss Major Is A Trans Elder And Stonewall Icon.. And She’s Changing The World - The best interview you probably have yet to read.

 Cleveland mayor signs transgender rights bill - Sweet! 

 Bryan Fischer: The NBA Is Punishing North Carolina For Refusing To 'Take The Mark Of The Beast'- The NBA takes a stand against discrimination in NC by moving the All-Star game away from Charlotte and Bryan Fischer responds in his own "shouldn't be copied" fashion.

Ramblings before the DNC convention. Just my thoughts.

So today is the start the Democratic National Convention and I hope it's a lot better than last week's monstrosity put on by the Republicans last week.

Since it's my blog, I have no problems with openly supporting Clinton and Kaine. My support is for a simple reason. With those two, lgbts don't stand to lose all that we fought for and won during the Obama Administration.

Every time around the presidential election, certain individuals wake up and start going on about saving the world, a corrupt system, real progressives, etc. etc. I don't mind saying that I'm not interested in saving the world before saving my own world. I'm not taking a risk of sacrificing lgbt progress and starting back from square one just to appease a superficial point.

Don't hand me crap about big banks or any of  the ultra liberal issue du jour. I learned all I need to know about the discipline and commitment of those folks in 2010 and 2012. It's so easy to march and shout slogans than it is to stay in the background and build structure, isn't it? Or get your friends to vote when the stacks are just as high but media attention is nil.

And I'm not even going to talk about that Wikileaks email crap which revealed NOTHING but a frustration over a candidate who stubbornly continued to push even though he was losing. There was nothing proven, except for the gullibility of certain people and their need to find any excuse to push issues which need to stay dead.

I know I'm probably rambling but I can. Here's hoping that this week shows the difference between calm, rationale leadership and hysterical ramblings. And here's hoping that certain shortsighted people don't screw it up.


Friday, July 22, 2016

Peter Thiel's obliviousness creates historic nonsense

Peter Thiel

“I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American,” - Peter Thiel in his speech at last night's RNC convention. Thiel is the Silicon Valley billionaire, who co-founded PayPal.

No, what you are is a tragic walking conundrum. A pathetic, oblivious man whose ears are so stuffed with money that he can't hear the cries of the brothers and sisters harmed by the party of fools he supports.

I can't be nice. It would dishonor so many others. And I can't fall for that rhetorical, semantic crap about not being tolerant about someone else's difference of opinion. Peter Thiel, you are an enabling monster. I don't care how much money you have.

Trump is an idiot whose speech is being panned as it should. The Republican party and its supporters cheering during the convention are entitled, self-righteous jerks stewing in their own inane realities of being deprived of things which never belonged to them in the first place. They immerse themselves in lies and when confronted by the truth, dig in deeper, as if the lies can coat them from the inevitability of having to deal with the truth.

But Peter Thiel , you are worse. Let the moronic strains of the lazy pundits lift you up. Believe that you have done something historic.

But never forget this. You didn't do anything historic. What you did is the equivalent of an African-American tap dancing for the pleasure of fools who have secret fantasies of lynching him. They merely tolerate your existence. They only pretend to love you because you are a white man with lots of money. If you were a transgender child in our nation's school or a married gay couple being denied service on the grounds of religious beliefs, their fangs would come out.

If you were an lgbt of color, you would be ignored, as if your existence doesn't matter. And if you weren't ignored, you would be treated to double smears of "n-gge-r" and "f-gg-t."

What you did last night wasn't special. You aren't special. You may get interview in gay magazines and you may even make the cover, but make no mistake about it.

Your presence at that monstrosity last night says more about you than that flippant statement of disagreement you made about the GOP platform. You do remember what it says, don't you? It attacks gay families, the transgender community, and suggests fraudulent therapy to make us heterosexual.

I speak for myself, as well as many lgbt brothers and sisters who aren't rich or as white as you when I say the following:

You make me physically ill.


Thursday, July 21, 2016

'Anti-lgbt right sacrificing 'values' to get a 'piece of the Trump' & other Thur. midday news briefs

Who needs 'morality' when there's power.

Behind The Religious Right's Efforts To Strong Arm Donald Trump - From Talking Points Memo comes something many of us already knew. With the anti-lgbt and "conservative" right, it's never been about morality or values. Just POWER. They are willing to give up the values they claim to support if they think Trump will allow them to control the country. Yet another reason why we can't take this election lightly. 

Come On, Ted Cruz. Nobody Believes You Care About Gay People. - Dear Ted Cruz, just because you served a wonderful purpose in putting another dent in the Trump RNC convention doesn't mean it changes how lgbts feel about you because we KNOW it doesn't change how you feel about us.  

Lawsuit: Trans Students Made To Wear Green Bracelets To ID Themselves - What kind of jacked up crap is this?

 Mike Pence’s top seven most homophobic moments (out of many)- Another reminder that Trump's VP pick, Mike Pence, is a serious homophobe. 

 Caitlyn Jenner denounces anti-trans bills at ‘Big Tent’ event - Some may disagree but she gets props for going into the belly of the beast with both barrels blazing. 

Picture taken from Salon.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Would Trump 'outsource' the presidency to Pence?

Mike Pence

Should Donald Trump win the election in November (God help us), we may already have an idea of how he would govern.

According to The New York Times (by way of The Huffington Post), Trump's eldest son had a meeting with Ohio governor John Kasich. During the meeting, Trump's son tried to convince Kasich to be his father's running mate under the proviso that he - Kasich - would handle the actual work of running the country while "The Donald" would be "coordinating." And by "coordinating," I mean enjoying the perks of being leader of the free world while doing mostly nothing.

Kasich refused, but one has to wonder is that idea still an option now that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is Trump's running mate. If so, this country would be in serious trouble, particularly lgbts. Allow Matt Baume in the following video explain how Pence could be worse than Trump.


'Meet the man who broke the Melania Trump plagiarism story' & other Wed midday news briefs

Jarrett Hill
Gay ex Atlanta man nails Trump for plagiarism -Yes, I think the fact that it was a black gay man who broke the Melania Trump plagiarism controversy story is highly important and I am not going to stop saying it. 

US Vice President Biden makes surprise LGBT rights intervention on Australia visit - I am sooo going to miss this presidential administration no matter who takes over.  

Pentagon Manual Details Rules for Transgender Military Personnel - Slowly but surely, progress is being made.  

The Utter Failure of the Log Cabin Republicans - Dan Savage is vicious, but truthful.  

‘Gays for Trump’ Join Conspiracy Theorists In Bringing Anti-Islam Anti-PC Message To RNC - Trash.

Ben Carson connects Hillary Clinton with Satan during #*&@ up convention speech

Ben Carson
We should have known something was up with Ben Carson earlier yesterday when he attacked the transgender community during breakfast with a Florida delegation during the RNC convention. Still, I don't think anyone was prepared for following moment during his prime-time speech.

Last night's theme was supposed to be about the economy, but it was quickly abandoned as the convention audience channeled a rabid mob screeching for Hillary Clinton's blood (or at least a long jail sentence). And in the midst of all of the banshee-type wailing wasn't NJ governor Chris Christie's speech - although he seriously fed off anti-Clinton hysteria of the crowd - but Carson's speech, The speech was punctuated by this moment in which he connects Hillary Clinton to Lucifer, or as we all know him, Satan:


 

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

'Anti-lgbt GOP convention appropriates Freddy Mercury, uses Queen song' & other Tue. midday news briefs

The GOP don't like lgbts, but love our songs

The Moment Donald Trump Made Freddie Mercury Roll Over In His Grave - Ironic, don't you think?   
 
Anti-LGBT Language Will Stay In the GOP Platform - Yesterday, a prelude to the insanity which followed. 

 Opponents launch effort to repeal transgender rights bill - And Massachusetts reminds us that our work is not done. 

The United Methodist Church Just Elected Its First Openly Gay Bishop - WONDERFUL news! 

Here’s The Real Origin Of The Word ‘Yas’ - Wonderful history and something I identify with in regards to my blogging - trying not to be forgotten when it comes to something I helped to start without sounding like Little Richard.

Melania Trump, Black Twitter would like to have a word with you

Editor's note - This is not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but it's so campy it would almost be a sin for me not to post about it.

Oh this controversy is good!

The first night of Trump's GOP convention defied expectations and was as awful as one would have expected. The irony, however, is that it would have probably gotten a positive spin had it not been for a certain incident involving the wannabe First Lady, Melania Trump and a plagiarized passage from a Michelle Obama speech at the 2008 Democratic national convention.

Because of this, instead of basking in the spotlight of what would have sure to have been the start of "Melaniamania, Trump's wife is now the symbolism of GOP hypocrisy in that the party bashes Obama for allegedly failing America with a weak presidency, while simultaneously stealing his wife's words. And without a hint of irony.

No matter how Trump and company, especially Melania, spins this in the media, they can't hide from the twitter hashtag, #blacktwitter which, contrary to the claims of some folks, is the REAL place of political incorrectness and "telling it like it is.

Melania, now known as #beckywiththeborrowedspeech, is a popular topic there:





Photo taken from here.

Monday, July 18, 2016

'GOP Gov. contends anti-lgbt party platform is NOT homophobic' & other Monday midday news briefs

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin
Editor's note - I don't think I can handle this week. I've lived through many a GOP national convention, but I think this one will be the spaciest. But I will do what I can:

A GOP Governor’s Unbelievable Defense Of Her Party’s Anti-LGBT Platform - Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin contends that the GOP anti-lgbt platform is not actually anti-lgbt because they stand for the human rights of all people and that there were lgbts on the platform committee. Yeah, they were the ones attempting to keep you dummies from passing those awful planks. As for her first comment, help me Jesus to not say anything ugly.

Jeb Bush blames Obama for Republican vitriol against LGBT rights - Apparently the lgbt and Obama was just asking for it. Our outfit was too tight, we danced to suggestively, we got drunk, etc. etc.(this is not to make light against the sexual assault of women. It's meant to point out the inanity of Bush's comment. )

Why Doesn’t NY Times Label Anti-LGBT Extremists As “Hate Groups”? - It's a good question, but I think that those of us watching these groups don't make the case strong enough. It's about what they are doing now and what they have done in the past. We have to put that out, force a conversation on the situation. Why are we expecting the media to do what we won't? 

STUDY: Which Publications Avoid Using The “Hate Group” Label For Anti-LGBT Extremists - Third news brief, see the second. 

Stop Saying Black People Are More Homophobic Than Others - Cause it's simply not true.

The Trump Pence interview on 60 Minutes was so bad . . .



Not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but then again yes it is. The purpose of this video is to show, on this day that the GOP convention starts, what serious trouble this country will be in if these two are elected as our president and vice president. Trump is incoherent when he is not praising himself, while Pence looks like he is tittering between inebriation and having to use the bathroom. And the video is already getting blow back. The Trumpences are attacking in the comment section.

Friday, July 15, 2016

'Friend of the gays' Trump officially picks homophobic Mike Pence as running mate

So it's official. And with his VP pick, I will hereby bodyslam anyone who claims that Donald Trump is a friend to the lgbt community. I'm talking "Andre The Giant" bodyslam:



And for all of those who don't know what I'm talking about, allow me to give you some background. Last year, Mike Pence signed into law an ugly "religious freedom/lgbt discrimination" bill. It backfired in his face, BIG TIME:

 Mike Pence's claim about his anti-gay law contradicted by picture of him with lobbyists - First, Mike Pence tried to say that the law wasn't a cover for anti-lgbt discrimination. BUT a picture of him signing the law while surrounded by anti-lgbt spokespeople and activists proved that he was lying:



Eight is Mike Pence's unlucky number - And THEN while appearing on This Week to justify the law, Pence made a complete ass of himself. George Stephanopoulos asked him EIGHT times whether the law allows for anti-lgbt discrimination. Pence WOULD NOT answer the question: 



The awful law itself and the clumsy way Pence lied about it and defended it just added to a backlash, which Indiana is still feeling the effects of.

So it's like this - this presidential election is serious. Stop whining about having to vote for the lesser of two evils or how Clinton is corrupt or sold out.  If you don't make a choice, it will be made for you and it may not be the one you like.

Also, all of you folks saying "give me one reason sentence which says I should vote for Clinton that does not involve Trump," guess what?  There are none. Trump is in every sentence detailing reasons why you should vote for Clinton. And not only him, but now Pence.

You can't take your ball and go home here, folks. You have no fairy godmothers or wishes which will make things right and the choices for president clean and pure.

Be smart for God's sake. Be strategic. And if anything, think of the folks who will suffer if you don't make the right choice. And that choice is NOT "no choice."

This isn't bullying. It's simple truth.

Ask Mike Pence questions about anti-lgbt discrimination and watch him sweat



As this video shows, a year after his "religious freedom" bill backfired in his face, Indiana governor Mike Pence still couldn't answer the simple question of whether he thought anti-lgbt discrimination was permissible. Should Trump pick him as his vice presidential running mate, wouldn't that be a wonderful question to ask him while he is on the campaign trail?

Thursday, July 14, 2016

'Donald Trump's homophobic, racist, anti-immigrant, anti-woman, no good, rotten GOP convention' & other Thur midday news briefs

Donald Trump

Everything You Need To Know About The Extremists Who Will Highlight Trump’s Republican Convention - Everything you need to know about the homophobic, racist, and downright ugly B-list of speakers during Trump's GOP convention. I'm gonna watch it drunk or maybe not at all. Why invite misery into my life? 
 
An Openly Gay Speaker Will Address The GOP Convention For The First Time In 16 Years - There WILL be an openly gay speaker but he is one of those "privileged vicious queens." The GOP is hoping that he represents a "spirit of inclusiveness" to folks. Yeah, a rich, white "Queer As Folk" reject who funds lawsuits against companies he has grudges against.  

GOP’s Super-Far-Right Platform Completed But Drama Continues - WHICH will be very interesting, seeing that the GOP platform is viscerally anti-lgbt.  

GOP, anti-gay hate group advocating child abuse in party platform - How anti-lgbt? Supporting parents who want to force their children into "ex-gay"therapy, which the medical community has deemed ineffective and dangerous. My post from this morning.  

Supreme Court About To Enter Legal Fight Over Trans Rights And Bathroom Access - Meanwhile, this case slowly makes it way through the courts. Keep your fingers crossed for victory.

GOP, anti-gay hate group advocating child abuse in party platform

Tony Perkins pushing possible child abuse in GOP platform

As many of you know by now, the GOP platform is a huge mess of homophobic nonsensical junk marshaled in by Family Research Council president Tony Perkins.

Amongst other things, it includes  attacks against marriage equality, the right of transgender men and women to use restrooms of their desired gender identity, and same-sex families.

But one thing in general which has everyone talking is that the platform supports the fraudulent practice of "ex-gay"  or reparative therapy. In spite of the fact that many medical groups, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association all reject the idea that this type of therapy is successful or healthy,  the GOP platform committee, pushed by Perkins, went ahead and approved the following plank:

 "We support the right of parents to determine the proper treatment or therapy, for their minor children."

There has been so much talk about the inanity of the plank that many aren't paying attention to the cynical and calculating nature of its addition.  Both the platform itself and Perkins are deliberately vague about the support of "ex-gay" therapy. The plank is a measly sentence which doesn't even include the words "ex-gay" or "reparative." In addition, Perkins doesn't mention the words when he bragged about the platform. He said the following::

 I also offered an amendment on conscience, for the right of parents to determine not only the medical treatment for their minor children, but also therapy. As mental health awareness has become all the more common with suicide, addiction, and many other struggles, parents should be able to decide the best treatment and therapy for their children, not the government.

The entire GOP platform is designed to make the party and those who influence it look like defenders of the traditional trope of family against "radical outsiders" whose goal is to destroy it. The innocuous comments and plank supporting  "ex-gay" therapy proves this point in three areas

It makes the push for "ex-gay" therapy sound like that the GOP is taking the sides of parents against a hostile and encroaching government; a serious exploitation of the adage that "parents know best. It fits rather nicely into the talking point embraced by folks like Perkins and groups like FRC that the Obama Administration, i.e. the government in this case, is anti-Christian, anti-moral, and anti-American.

Lastly, the fact that the words "ex-gay" or "reparative" isn't in the plank tells that those supporting it, Perkins probably most of all, are aware of the controversy involving the practice and the harm it causes. I'm sure that they also know the opposition it faces from the medical groups and that New York, New Jersey, and several other states have passed laws banning its use on minors.

But they don't care.

If confronted with these facts and the stories of those subjected to this type of false therapy, no doubt they repeat the talking point, "we just think parents know what's best for their own children instead of the government."

Repeat it? Hell, they'll embrace it like a lost lover.

But the push against "ex-gay" therapy has nothing to do with government encroaching. The scientific community has come out en masse against this type of therapy, declaring that it is useless and harmful. If a parent wants to subject his or her child to a type of therapy deemed harmful by the scientific community, perhaps that parent doesn't know what's best for the child. If anything, it sounds like parental child abuse. And no one has any business advocating child abuse, especially those who are always attempting to seize the moral high ground.

Don't be fooled by the "aw shucks" okey-doke. The GOP's embracing of  "ex-gay" therapy only proves how much it is beholden to the anti-lgbt right. And it proves just how far the anti-lgbt right will go to continue its narrative of homophobia in the name of God.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

GOP platform committee member David Barton lies about past homophobic statements

Barton lies about his anti-lgbt statements.
There is one good thing about the GOP's vindictively homophobic platform - it's bringing much needed attention to the hate and awful propaganda the supposed religious members of that party constantly rain on the head of the lgbt community.

The Daily Beast is shining a light on this madness and like cockroaches, these "Christians" are running away from the brightness of truth:

Donald Trump may be the most gay-friendly GOP presidential nominee of all time. The committee writing the platform on which he’s supposed to run is filled with anti-gay bigots. The committee, which is currently meeting in Cleveland, is charged with crafting an overarching document that describes the general principles of the party. Until mid-week, they will be voting on America’s tax policies and the party’s orientation toward LGBT issues—but there are legitimate questions about their previous words and deeds.

For example, Cynthia Dunbar of Virginia once compared the gay rights movement to efforts “in pre-Holocaust Germany, as far as propaganda and presentation and swaying the whole mindset of a nation.”

Hardy Billington, of Missouri, took out an ad in a local paper saying that homosexuality is killing people at “two to three times the rate of smoking.”

According Right Wing Watch (who brought this article to my attention), GOP platform member  David Barton pretty much lied to The Daily Beast when confronted with his homophobia:

It seems that just about every time a Religious Right activist is asked by the press to comment on some outrageous thing that Right Wing Watch has caught them saying, they respond by simply asserting that those comments were "taken out of context" without ever explaining how our reporting supposedly misrepresented their statements or bothering to explain how understanding the real context would have in any way changed the meaning of what they said.

 And this is exactly what David Barton, a member of the Republican National Convention's platform committee and a longtime Religious Right activist, did when the the Daily Beast asked him to comment on two of the many offensive statements he has made about LGBT people, both of which were first reported by Right Wing Watch:
And David Barton, a committee member from Texas, believes that God is preventing the medical profession from finding a cure for HIV/AIDS, and claimed that gay people die “decades earlier” than others and have more than 500 partners apiece in their lifetimes. Barton told The Daily Beast that these statements did not represent his views, and this was “an example of something taken out of context and mischaracterized. I’m an advocate for faith-based conservative values, which include love, grace, and truth, focusing on traditional family values.” 

Unlike some folks on the right when they make charges (particularly against the lgbt community), Right Wing Watch has the goods. The site points to a recording in 2010 of Barton telling lies about gays and their alleged sex partners and gays "dying early." And the statements don't sound like they could be mischaracterized in any form or fashion.

Also, I'm personally involved in this situation because I wrote a piece in The Huffington Post back then refuting Barton's claims and that piece was used by MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell to call out Barton.When O'Donnell raised the alarm about his lies, Barton claimed that the lgbt community was being "hypersensitive."

Barton is sadly typical of religious right spokespeople who lie with abandon about lgbts but then play the victim when caught.

They make sure to play the victim with equal abandon.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Congressional leader dismantles 'religious liberty' talking point during hearing



The above video from Think Progress shows how easy it is to dismantle an anti-lgbt talking point IF one invests time in dismantling them. It happened today during a Congressional hearing about an awful bill which would allow folks to discriminate by pleading "religious liberty."

According to Think Progress

The bill, the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) last year, and would provide special legal protections to individuals who oppose same-sex marriage and those who oppose extramarital sex.

Under the bill, the government cannot deny tax subsidies, grants, or benefits to individuals or religious organizations who harbor anti-LGBT views. While the bill’s authors and supporters on the panel attempted to frame the bill as a logical extension of the the First Amendment’s freedom of religion clause and claimed it was “not a discriminatory bill,” opponents countered that it would merely sanction taxpayer funded discrimination.

 . . .  At the hearing, the ranking Democrat on the committee Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland asked Franke a series of questions about whether the bill would preclude federal enforcement of civil rights laws and family leave protections to employees in same-sex relationships. After she indicated that it did, Cummings asked the full panel of witnesses to raise their hands if they believe it is acceptable for businesses to discriminate against people because of their race, gender, disability, or because they are in a same-sex relationship. None of the witnesses raised their hands, including the ones in favor of FADA.

Signorile blisters the 'LGBT for Trump' idea' & other Tue midday news briefs

Michelangelo Signorile
The Complete Moral Bankruptcy Of ‘LGBT For Trump’ - Michelangelo Signorile nails it as usual.

Openly Gay Delegate Makes Impassioned Plea To Soften GOP Stance On Gay Marriage - I'll give her credit for attempting to talk calm to the hurricane even though she got swept away.  

White House calls ‘religious freedom’ hearing ‘disturbing’ - This sham hearing is happening now even as I speak.  

Bryan Fischer: 'It's Not Okay For Christians To Have Diverse Opinions' - This is what we call a demagogue, folks.  

Christian Rock Singer Comes Out, An Ex-Gay Freakout Ensues - Oh this is lovely!

'Jesus is going to kill all of these sodomites'

In my nine and a half years as blogmaster of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, I have covered many elements of visceral homophobia whether it dealt with policy, lies, or statements.

But I don't think I will ever see or hear anything so nauseating. I'm only posting it because we need to be aware of it. I am not too familiar with this young man, Theodore Shoebat, because he is almost too comical to be real.

And I guess it would be easy to laugh at him and predict how long will it be before he gets "caught" in a homosexual orgy.  But there comes a time when you can't laugh because it's just too scary. And it's important to remember that behind almost every so-called respectable face of homophobia is the raging madness this young man spews.

From Right Wing Watch:

Last week, extremist anti-gay activist Theodore Shoebat posted a video in which he gloated that when Jesus Christ returns, he'll slaughter every single gay person in the world.

 . . ."In a biblical society," Shoebat stated, "every fag would be rounded up and killed. But that's not going to happen, but believe me, when Jesus comes back, Jesus is going to kill all these sodomites. You're going to be praying to be living under a Catholic society from the Middle Ages because when Jesus comes back, it's going to be a lot more brutal." "He's going to find all you bastards and he's going to slaughter every single one of you," said Shoebat with a smile on his face. "I can't wait for that day to come. It's going to be a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful world."  


Monday, July 11, 2016

Take a look at the men, women, & children the GOP platform unfairly targets



If the GOP wants to gain some degree of power and credibility beyond its base and the Fox News crazies, the party needs to divest from members of the religious right.

Today we have seen how much pull people like the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins has in the Grand Old Party by what members of its platform committee adopted as official party policy. And almost all of it has a nasty homophobic vent.

An amendment offered by the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins offered support for the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” for children who identify as LGBT.

 . . . The subcommittee strengthened the platform’s language in opposition to same-sex marriage. The initial draft circulated late Sunday to committee members stated: “Our laws and our government’s regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman and actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and prosperous society. For that reason, as explained elsewhere In this platform, we do not accept the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and we urge its reversal, whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the States.”

And of course:

  Republican delegates adopted tough language opposing the Obama administration’s policy on transgender schoolkids in a platform subcommittee hearing Monday morning.

 . . . Tony Perkins, a delegate from Louisiana and the president of the socially conservative Family Research Council, said the party should include the position to support the 11 states that are suing the Obama administration over the policy. West Virginia delegate Melody Potter said, “I believe it’s time for Republicans to take a stand on it. It’s a safety issue.”

Safety for who? The "predator in the women's restroom" talking point/urban legend has been continuously refuted.  If those working on the GOP platform really cared about safety, they would get to know the transgender community before using their power to demonize them. Such as the folks in the video at the top of this post.
Video courtesy of The National Center for Transgender Equality

News brief special: GOP convention promises to be surreal with mixture of extreme homophobia, Trump, & Caitlyn Jenner



The GOP has gone anti-lgbt buck wild in their party platform. LGBTs, in our own little way, will strike back by the airing of the above commercial during their convention next week. See the article in the news briefs 

RNC quietly passes anti-LGBT resolution - So the Republican Party is creating its platform for the 2016 election. Did you really think that they would welcome us with open arms? 

Is Trump Letting Religious Right Leaders Have Their Way With GOP Platform - A "religious liberty" amendment, an anti-marriage equality amendment, and an anti-transgender amendment. What do you think the answer to that question may be?  

Transgender Rights Ad To Air During Republican Convention On Fox News - Ah yes, the nice surprise in the middle of the "Trump coronation." See the video above  

Tony Perkins Wants The GOP To Endorse Ex-Gay Conversion Therapy - Interesting. The only anti-lgbt amendment the GOP didn't want

Caitlyn Jenner will attend LGBT Republican event at GOP convention - And things are going to get surreal. I wanna say something so bad but I will just leave the post here with no comment.

Repost - Why I get a nagging feeling about the phrase 'religious liberty'

Editor's note - in lieu of the recent situation in which a baker has refused to make a birthday cake for a married lesbian couple due to her "religious beliefs," I am reposting this 2011 piece I wrote on "religious liberty."

I think we are in the stage I predicted. The anti-lgbt industry slowly but steadily made "religious liberty" a repeated talking point. Now they are prepared to take argument as far as it can go:

Those who are my friends know that I am a serious fan of the 1970s detective drama Columbo. The thing I really loved about this show was the fact of how the character of police detective Columbo never considered a murder case completely simple. He never bought into the idea of an "open-and-shut" case if he had a nagging feeling, no matter how insignificant it was.

That nagging feeling is what I get when I hear about  marriage clerks, hotel owners, Catholic adoption agencies, and recently - cake bakers who refuse to serve gay couples. No doubt you have heard about them and will probably hear a lot more as religious right groups trying to hinder marriage equality will canonize these folks as "saints and martyrs" besieged by so-called radical gay activists supposedly trying to force them choose between their livelihood and religious freedom.

In fact they have a term for this sort of thing. They call it "religious liberty."

There is a certain simplicity to these cases which garners them a degree of support. Some of these folks (excluding Catholic charities who have no right to taxpayer money to discriminate and marriage clerks who should put the needs of constituents over their own desires) seems to have a right to serve whomever they wish. And one could even make the case that they are in fact forced to choose between their livelihoods and their "religious liberty."

But then there goes that nagging feeling again. These cases aren't as simple as they are made out. What about the rights of couples refused service? No matter how you attempt to soften the blow, the idea that someone will  not serve you because of how they inaccurately view you still hurts. It's dehumanizing, it's cruel, and it's embarrassing.

In a recent situation in Iowa, a cake baker scheduled an appointment with a lesbian couple who desired her services only to use that time to not only tell them no, but also to criticize their sexual orientation.

Then that same cake baker made several news appearances to decry about how she was victim, backed by several religious right groups spinning the same talking points.

Friday, July 08, 2016

'Anti-lgbt industry pushing 'new' & phony study on same-sex parenting ' & other Fri. midday news briefs

In the midst of chaos and madness, the necessity of good and accurate information becomes even more vital.

Another Regnerus-Like “Research” Paper On Gay Parents Making the Rounds - At this stage of the game, those in the lgbt community who refute such things need not approach every anti-lgbt study as a new thing. It's always the old lies and distortions presented in deceptively new ways. In this case, thank you Jim Burroway from the GLAAD Media Award-nominated blog Box Turtle Bulletin for taking this down. 

 Same-Sex Parents Win Key Court Victory - Wonderful but also sad when one sees what happens when a same-sex couple breaks up. We need not exploit the policies of those who want to keep us underfoot. 

 Fighting The LGBT Community’s Invisibility - This combats the most common but not generally thought about invisibility when it comes to our community. I'm all for it. 

 Mississippi Governor To Appeal Order Halting Anti-LGBT Law - Unfortunate and surprising no one.

Thursday, July 07, 2016

Anti-transgender bill in Washington State fails to make the Nov ballot

Washington state just proved that transphobia has its limits.

From The Stranger:

Just Want Privacy, the anti-trans group that wanted to make the state vote on trans people's civil rights, did not get enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. David Ammons, communications director for the Secretary of State, confirmed that Just Want Privacy has canceled their scheduled 9 a.m. signature delivery appointment tomorrow. Trans rights activists won in Washington State. They did it. Fear and hatred won't win, not this time.

And from MyNorthwest.com

 According to the secretary of state’s office, Campaign Chief Joseph Backholm informed the office that the campaign did not gather enough signatures.There is a 246,000 minimum for signatures — the state recommends getting 325,000 to account for duplicate and invalid signatures. I-1515 failed to get the minimum. At around noon Thursday, the Just Want Privacy Campaign posted a call for help to gather more signatures, and did not yet mention its failure to gather enough.

In March, ThinkProgress labeled the initiative "The Most Radical Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Ever Submitted In Washington State."  It would have:

  • Declared “null and void and of no effect” the Human Rights Commission’s rules guaranteeing bathroom access for transgender people.
  • Banned the Human Rights Commission from ever adopting rules related to gender identity in sex-segregated facilities.
  • Clarified that the state’s nondiscrimination laws still allow restrooms and locker rooms to be designated “for the exclusive use by biological male persons only or biological female persons only” and that no others (i.e. transgender people) are guaranteed such access.
  • Preempted municipalities from passing their own bathroom protections for transgender people.
  • Prohibited transgender students from accessing sex-segregated bathrooms in schools, only allowing them to access to “single-stall bathrooms, uni-sex bathrooms, or controlled use of faculty bathrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms.”.
  • Allowed students to sue schools for $2,500 “for each instance in which they encountered a person of the opposite sex while accessing a public school student restroom, locker room, or shower room designated for use by the aggrieved students’ sex,” as well as monetary damages “from the offending public school for all psychological, emotional, and physical harm suffered.”


Just Want Privacy was allegedly helped by national anti-lgbt groups  such as the Family Research Council and yet still failed to get enough signatures.

How sweet it is!!

'Homophobes patronize black people to demonize lgbts' & other Thur. midday news briefs

Peter LaBarbera: Gay Rights Movement Is 'A Liberal Cult' And 'Anti-God' - Noted and nauseating homophobes Matt Barber and Peter LaBarbera get together to talk about lgbts and the African-American community and it is probably the single most ill-conceived and patronizing incident this year. Example as follows:

“The blacks are a noble people, certainly, and there are many … Bible-believing Christians who are offended and disgusted by these illegitimate comparisons between mutable, changeable, deviant behaviors, homosexual behavior, and immutable, neutral characteristics such as skin color,” Barber said. He claimed that “black leaders have completely sold out to the radical LGBT lobby and are complicit in making these illegitimate comparisons.” 

Gee, Matt. That's "mighty white" of you.

Texas, 12 Other States Push To Block Feds From Enforcing Trans Bathroom Guidance - By all means please waste that taxpayer money.

 This 16-Year-Old Came Out To Her Family At Disneyland And It’s The Best - Other than a Broadway musical, isn't Disneyland THE place to come out . . . shut up.  

Trump now apparently backs North Carolina anti-LGBT law - Dear Caitlyn and the rest of you Log Cabin folks . . . 

Gay Collective: “The Virus Divides. It Doesn’t Have To.” - Wonderful post by my friend Mark S. King

Confirmed - The organized plot to destroy lgbt equality

Don't be sarcastic and remember that this revelation is a good thing:

From Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans know in their bones there is a “vast right-wing conspiracy” out to deny them their humanity and dignity. A conservative cabal actively working the levers of power to block their rights. Well, now we have the evidence that one actually exists. Freedom for All Americans (FFAA) is a “bipartisan campaign seeking nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people nationwide” that was created last year in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage. FFAA executive director Matt McTighe told me that the immediate backlash against that historic decision, such as Indiana’s so-called religious freedom law, was expected. But he said that it was the emerging coordination of the resistance that pushed his organization to sift through public filings to unearth the ties that bind anti-LGBT efforts around the country.

 . . . The chart below from FFAA shows the organizations doing the coordinating and the people leading or bankrolling those efforts. If you click on this link it will take you to an interactive site that will give you even more information.

Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Family Research Council hides homophobia behind semantic phrasing

FRC head Tony Perkins
Last week, a federal judge blocked a Mississippi anti-lgbt law hours before it was to go into effect.

According to the Huffington Post:

Mississippi’s “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” shields those believing that marriage involves a man and a woman, and sexual relations should occur within such marriages. It protects the belief that gender is defined by sex at birth. The law allows people to refuse to provide wide-ranging services by citing the religious grounds, from baking a wedding cake for a same-sex couple to counseling and fertility services. It would also permit dress code and bathroom restrictions to be imposed on transgender people.

In putting an injunction on the law, U.S. Justice Carlton Reeves said it discriminated against lgbts and that it favored one religion over others.

Naturally, the anti-lgbt hate group Family Research Council was not pleased. On its webpage, FRC president Tony Perkins practically threw a fit. And he also accidentally gave a good reason why Justice Reeves blocked the law. Check out the following paragraph from Perkins's ramblings (important point in bold):

The Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act had barely been signed into law when intolerant liberals vowed to file suit. Now with the help of Reeves, the Left has another victory from the courts that it couldn't achieve legislatively. Under this law, churches wouldn't be the only ones protected from government punishment for their natural marriage and sexuality beliefs -- so would businesses, wedding vendors, and even public officials. Now, thanks to one unelected, activist judge, those protections will have to wait. In his opinion, Reeves claims the law gives preference to certain religions.

Notice the semantic phraseology Perkins uses:  

"Under this law, churches wouldn't be the only ones protected from government punishment for their natural marriage and sexuality beliefs -- so would businesses, wedding vendors, and even public officials."

One could easily see why churches should be protected under the guise of religious beliefs, but why should secular businesses and even public officials?  A better way of saying this would be:

"Under this law, businesses, wedding vendors, and even public officials would have an excuse to discriminate against same-sex couples under the guise of religion."

 In the matter of churches, there should be no government interference concerning beliefs and acts of worship (within reason, of course). But a public official, such as a clerk of court signing a marriage licenses, or a businesses accommodating all customers is not an act of worship. It's an act of fairness buoyed on many occasions by taxpayer dollars. And the last time I checked, lgbts pay taxes.

No matter how noble or pretty FRC tries to paint the picture of anti-lgbt discrimination,  the organization can't hide it's ugliness. Secular businesses who don't follow accommodation laws should be punished and public officials who pick and choose who they will serve should also be punished.

Long ago, people freely paid an unfortunate and unnecessary price for their faith. Nowadays, some seem to think that their faith is a golden ticket which absolves them from the rules the rest of us have to follow.

'GOP obsession over attacking lgbt community' & other Wed. midday news briefs

House Republicans Are Truly, Madly, Deeply Obsessed With Queer People - Just despicable. And a good reason why we can't underestimate anti-lgbt groups. Who do you think are the puppeteers of this mess? 

 Over 70 Groups Urge Rep. Chaffetz to Cancel Hearing on Anti-LGBT Legislation Scheduled a Month After Orlando Shooting - Relating to the first news post - Chaffetz probably won't but he will probably muck this up like he did the Benghazi hearings.

Churches File Nonsense Suit Challenging Iowa’s LGBT Protections - Another reason why we can't underestimate anti-lgbt groups. They get paid gobs of money to find gullible folks to exploit. And this ridiculous lawsuit is an example of it. It's just fishing with a capital B-U-L-L . . . you know the rest. 

Police and firefighters dance for Orlando in new viral video campaign - Works for me. 

Kim Davis violated Open Records Act, attorney general says - Guess who's back? Did you miss her?

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Trans 102 - Taking on religious right lies & anti-trans misconceptions

THIS is how you handle a misconception, particularly one that your opposition exploits. You don't ignore it. You don't sidestep from it. You take it head on.

From The Huffington Post:

A new video campaign is bringing together transgender and gender-nonconforming activists from around America to reflect on the current state of political and social life for the trans community, as well as the complexities and nuances of the subjects’ own personal identities. Called “Trans 102,” this first episode of this series focuses on bathroom access for trans and GNC people, a contested issue in the current political climate surrounding anti-queer legislation such as House Bill 2. “Trans 102” features a number of recognizable trans movers and shakers, including activist Jenn Richards of “I Am Cait” fame.

'Lesbian couple in Sweet Cakes controversy still getting harassed' & other Tue. midday news briefs

Lesbian Couple Still Facing Harassment Thanks to Sweet Cakes - This couple did nothing but stand up for their rights and are still catching hell for it. Meanwhile, the offenders are scooping up money and attention by the handfuls via playing the victims with the anti-lgbt industry behind them. Will the lgbt community ever learn - "He who controls the narrative makes the rules."

The hate keeps coming: Pain lingers for lesbian couple denied in Sweet Cakes case - The above post provides a quick view of the mess. This article is a long, detailed telling of the mess.

Pope Francis accepts anti-LGBT Dominican cardinal’s resignation - Ding dong, the fool is gone . . .

Black Lives Matter Protest Proves Pride Needs More Empathy, Less Prejudice - Controversial protest brings up many issues. 

Gary Bauer: Trump Administration Will Give 'Key Positions' To Religious Right - All of you lgbts whining about Clinton, let me put this post in another fashion. Gary Bauer worked in the White House during the AIDS crisis and he was one of the main folks blocking Surgeon General C. Everett Koop from getting Reagan to talk about it. His actions made the crisis worse. Now you all can get angry at Clinton for comments she made at Nancy Reagan's funeral, but it seems to me that when a man who helped further the AIDS crisis vouches for a presidential candidate, we should do what we can to keep said candidate from setting one foot in the White House.