SC couple sues about gender reassignment surgery performed on son' and other Friday midday news briefs

South Carolina Couple Files Lawsuit For Gender Reassignment Surgery Performed On Their Adopted Son - It's cases like that which blows away that ridiculous "God made men to be men and women to be women" mantra. I hope it ends well for the child. 

Transgender woman, Saskatoon bridal shop reach mediated settlement - And it turns out to be an excellent settlement for all involved.  

National Organization for [Opposition to Reproductive Technology, Gay or Straight] #MoreThanMarriage - So now, NOM wants to weigh in on how children are conceived. Forget it, guys.

 Stemberger: 'Abuse' To Affirm LGBT Youth; Sexual Relations Among Boy Scouts Will Become 'Commonplace' - Ignorant people like this just makes me want to pull my hair out. That's why I deliberately shave my head.

Family Research Council doesn't know meaning of 'irony' and 'hypocrisy'

In the irony to beat all ironies, less than a week after the religious right accused the lgbt community of unfairly causing the closing of a bakery which refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, Family Research Council head Tony Perkins is calling for a boycott of baking company Betty Crocker for giving away free cakes to gay couples getting married in Minnesota.


Bear in mind that in the case of the bakery, the lgbt community was accused of using "Mafia-style" tactics even though no one actually gave any description of these so-called evil tactics. At the very least, gays probably arranged a very successful boycott of the business.

Which leads us to this conclusion - when gays conduct a successful boycott, it's the equivalent of leaving a horse's head in someone's bed (Godfather reference). When the religious right attempts a boycott, they are merely "standing up for Christian values."

Someone really needs to send me a decoder book for all of this crap.

New information sheds light on FRC shooter's 'mental capacity'

While I am not one for usually citing the Washington Times, here is something regarding the shooting last year at the Family Research Council headquarters which I doubt FRC will let folks know. It would appear - and it should have really been obvious - that the perpetrator, Floyd Corkins, had mental issues:

A Virginia man who planned to kill employees at the D.C. headquarters of a conservative Christian organization last summer received mental health treatment for hallucinations months before he tried to storm the building and then shot a security guard.

The attorney for 29-year-old Floyd Lee Corkins II noted in court documents that his client had been doing well on prescribed antipsychotic medication but missed a doctor’s appointment for an additional dose the day before the Aug. 15, 2012, shooting at the Family Research Council.

Federal public defender David Bos noted Corkins‘ mental illness as a factor when asking for an 11½-year prison sentence for his client. Prosecutors previously recommended a 45-year prison sentence for Corkins, who is the first person to be found guilty of terrorism under the District’s 2002 Anti-Terrorism Act
.
In court documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District, Mr. Bos wrote that if Corkins “were unrepentant and unremorseful for his conduct, and not suffering from a mental illness at the time he committed the offenses, a severe sentence might indeed be warranted in this case.” Corkins is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Sept. 19.

I think it was obvious that Corkins wasn't "wrapped too tight" when one discovers what he planned to do after the shooting had he been successful:

In addition to the pistol, Corkins also had with him two fully loaded magazine clips with 15 rounds each, a box of 50 rounds of 9 mm bullets, and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches. The sandwiches were bought the day before the shooting, Corkins told investigators, with the purpose of smearing them in the faces of his victims.

In short, Corkins was extremely disturbed.  So I am going to say this right now. It's unfair for anyone to blame the Southern Poverty Law Center (which FRC has attempted to do) or FRC (which I am guilty of) for what Corkins attempted.

He was a young man with mental issues who interjected himself into a controversy the wrong way.

'Russian legislator citing junk science study in attempt to separate gay families' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Russian Lawmaker: Children Are Better Off In Orphanage Than With A Gay Parent - And guess what NOM paid-for-study did this bozo cite? 

 Being ‘Masculine of Center’ While Black - Articles like this need more prominence. 
 

Michigan Republicans Once Again Propose ‘License To Discriminate’ For Adoption Agencies - Lovely. Here we go again.

 Daily Caller Mocks Transgender Students "Running For Homecoming King, Queen, Whatever" - More proof that Daily Caller publisher and former journalist Tucker Carlson has continued to sink in credibility.

 ‘Ex-Gay’ Courage Award To Be Awarded To Former ‘Satanic Drag Queen’ - Oh lawd!

'Porno' Peter LaBarbera exploits lgbt youth to fuel obsession about gay sex

LaBarbera

Our favorite irrational homophobe, 'Porno' Peter LaBabarbera of Americans for Truth is unwittingly teaching a lesson today on how members of the religious right cherry-pick legitimate science to demonize the lgbt community.

On his webpage, LaBarbera posted a muddled mess of a report regarding HIV cases amongst young gays. I can't even begin to make coherence of this mess. He cites the Centers for Disease Control studies to make his case. Then he tries to claim that when the CDC supports the work of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSAN), they are actually exacerbating the problem. He says:

With HIV rates growing among YMSM (young men who have sex with men), the CDC’s focus on building self-esteem among LGBT youth and creating a “positive school climate” for homosexuals — includes forming “gay”-affirming clubs in schools — seems disconnected from reality.

 The gist of what LaBarbera is trying to say is this:

The chasm between the obvious and extreme health risks associated with “gay” male sex and the CDC’s politically correct, pro-homosexuality mindset reflects public policy malpractice on an Orwellian scale. “Gay” activist ideology and assumptions — including intrinsic (many would claim innate) “gay”/bi/transgender identities — go unquestioned at the CDC. Ironically, the most direct answer to the HIV-youth crisis — teaching young people NOT to practice unhealthy homosexual sex — is the one thing that is essentially forbidden.

All across America, “gay” activists and their straight liberal allies are advocating “gay”-positive lesson plans and strategies in response to anti-homosexual bullying. However, while everyone can agree that all bullying is wrong, many “anti-bullying” programs double as pro-LGBT affirmation programs. This is troubling because:1) bullying can be discouraged with neutral messaging that does not promote “out and proud” homosexuality and transgenderism; and 2) in the name of “safety,” educators and cultural elites are advocating a sexual lifestyle that has continually been shown to be dangerous, particularly for males.

Is LaBarbera's assumptions about the CDC wrong? Yes.

 Is LaBarbera clueless? Always.

Had LaBarbera not been so obsessed with demonizing "gay sex "(yet again), he would have known that the CDC had conducted a study that looked at risk behavior among youth and an excellent part of that study was a paper which looked at the health problems regarding lgbt youth.

The CDC has also said:

LGBT youth are also at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, suicide attempts, and suicide. A nationally representative study of adolescents in grades 7–12 found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers More studies are needed to better understand the risks for suicide among transgender youth.
Another survey of more than 7,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students from a large Midwestern county examined the effects of school climate and homophobic bullying on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) youth and found that

• LGBQ youth were more likely than heterosexual youth to report high levels of bullying and substance use; 
• Students who were questioning their sexual orientation reported more bullying, homophobic victimization, unexcused absences from school, drug use, feelings of depression, and suicidal behaviors than either heterosexual or LGB students;
• LGB students who did not experience homophobic teasing reported the lowest levels of depression and suicidal feelings of all student groups (heterosexual, LGB, and questioning students)

The CDC has also linked negative sexual behaviors to these problems amongst lgbt youth. In addition, the CDC has also listed ways to combat lgbt youth health problems:

For youth to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe and supported. A positive school climate has been associated with decreased depression, suicidal feelings, substance use, and unexcused school absences among LBGT students. School personnel, leaders of community organizations, parents, and youth have a role to play in building positive, supportive, and healthy environments for youth. Such environments promote acceptance and respect and help youth feel valued . Schools can assist by implementing clear policies, procedures, and activities designed to prevent violence. For example, a study, found that, in schools with LGB support groups (such as gay-straight alliances), LGB students were less likely to experience threats of violence, miss school because they felt unsafe, or attempt suicide than those students in schools without LGB support groups.

In other words, by doing all of the things that LaBarbera seems to have a problem with, the CDC is in fact not contributing to the problem but attempting to combat it.

Let's be honest here. LaBarbera could care less about aiding lgbt youth. They are just pawns in his continued obsession about gay sex.

Former AFA employee decribes Bryan Fischer as 'a drunken uncle at a wedding'

In a very good piece on the Truth Wins Out webpage, former American Family Association employee (he has since evolved) Joseph R. Murray II described current AFA spokesman Bryan Fischer as:

 . . . a drunken uncle at a wedding who must continually be outrageous in hopes that someone will pay attention.

When listening to the following insane ramblings from Fischer today (courtesy of Right Wing Watch who refutes his lies), I think that description is way too kind:

'NOM endorsed candidate fails BIG TIME in NYC primary' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

So how did the National Organization For Marriage's endorsed candidate do in NYC primary? - Poor NOM. Its candidate in the NYC primary election for mayor BOMBED big time.

Fox's Starnes Fearmongers About Christian Groups Being Denied Federal Food Assistance - Giving inaccurate information in an article is one thing, but giving inaccurate information even though you were GIVEN the correct information is in a class by itself.

UK's anti-equality crowd touts Robert Oscar 'gay parents are slavers' López - NOM has a United Kingdom affiliated group and it also puts out crappy videos.  

Federal Government Is Recognizing Same-Sex Couples’ New Mexico Marriages - Sweet!  

Michael Jordan’s daughter comes out as gay on Instagram - The more younger lgbts of color to come out, the better!  

Harvey: LGBT-Inclusive Education Is 'Pure Evil And Should Be Declared Child Abuse' - Linda Harvey. The cure to constipation.

NOM spotlights its own failure

The above video from the National Organization for Marriage was a part of an endeavour the organization called the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance.

The Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance was created to supposedly spotlight "victims" of the push for marriage equality. It was a colossal failure because of the simple fact that NOM couldn't show any compelling proof that those featured in its videos were actual "victims" of a supposed gay menace.

And also, as this video spinning horror stories of what would happen should DOMA be overturned demonstrates, pronouncements of future doom fizzled like flat soda.

To date, no military chaplain has been forced to participate in a gay wedding.

Nice going NOM in reposting this video on your blog. It puts a huge spotlight on your failure.

Howard University students want to boycott black gospel singer's concert

Here is something you probably won't hear too much about because - and while I hate to say it, it's true - lgbt news tends to be too Eurocentric:

Tonex has been no stranger to controversy in past years. From his flamboyant interviews with any television crew willing to interview him express his homosexual behaviors and how he claims he is “finally free,” to outrightly bashing many Christian artists who he claims are wolves in sheep’s clothing. His new concert, set for September 15 at The Howard Theatre, is causing many students at the school to become quite upset. With a Facebook page created entitled “Don’t support Tonex concert” and a Twitter handle, @BoycottTonex (which as of this morning has been removed), students at Howard believe the same negative words he spoke about many current Christian artists are his exact behaviors.

Angela Powell said, “He’s confused. One second he says he’s not gay then does a tour and says he is. He said he quit gospel but then comes out and says he’s not finished with Christian music yet. He needs to sit down somewhere.”

 . . . Students have posted signs throughout Howard University asking people not to support the concert and to return their tickets for a full refund.

On a personal level, I feel this way. If the students want to boycott, that's their right. However, none of them own the patent to Christianity. If this is how Tonex wants to express his faith, then more power to him. It's refreshing to see an openly gay black gospel singer, especially in light of the rumors that so many black male gospel singers are in the closet.

'Anti-gay propaganda book reaches 50,000 reads as author announces plan for biographical series of posts' and other Tuesday miday news briefs

Editor's note - This is not necessarily a news brief but an announcement. Last night, my booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America crossed the 50,000 reads threshold. Thank you everyone for your supporting, your criticism, and your reading and passing along this very important booklet, which as far as I am concerned, is a minor lgbt cult classic. If you hadn't read it yet, please do so and also RT it on twitter and pass it to your friends. If you desire a personal copy, email me at Charlekenghis@aol.com and write 'anti-gay propaganda book' in the subject line. It is crucial that the lgbt community and our allies receive this information so we can deconstruct religious right anti-gay propaganda.

I feel that because of your support and patience, I owe everyone something. Therefore, I am announcing that starting in late October, I will be publishing a series of biographical posts on Saturdays. These posts will explain how the idea for 'How They See Us'  formulated in my mind two decades ago while I was a student at Winthrop University. And I intend to be very candid, talking about how I dealt with being one of the few openly black gay men not only on campus, but also in a predominantly white fraternity. I will also talk about my first "love," my first boyfriend, and even my suicide attempt in my senior year.  Why am I doing this? Because I want you all to understand my urgent feelings about exposing anti-gay propaganda. It was this propaganda which served as an albatross around my neck during those years. Look for these posts under the title - "Ghouls, Vampires, and Gay Men."

In other news:

How Homophobic Do You Have To Be To Get Fired From Fox News? - Pick yourself up from the floor on this one. This article answers your question.  

AG Greg Abbott to challenge San Antonio nondiscrimination ordinance - Apparently they won't let gays in San Antonio fight their hard fought victory even a little bit. 

 James Franco: 'I Wish I Was Gay' - Tell you what, James. Schedule an appointment and we will "talk" about it. 

 Elena Kostyuchenko, Russian LGBT Journalist, Threatens To Out Closeted Politicians - DO IT! We didn't start this, but it's on!

Is the 'hate group' label worrying the Family Research Council?

The Family Research Council recently sent out a fundraising letter to its supporters (none of your business how I received one). Naturally the letter followed the usual pattern of claiming that America is in danger of losing its so-called Judeo-Christian heritage and that Christian families are also in danger of being attacked by the nonexistent homosexual "agenda."

But one part caught my eye:

We are not haters as the same-sex lobby would have the public believe. We are not intolerant or self-righteous. We are defined and liberated by the grace of God. Jesus told us to "love your neighbor as yourself."

The Family Research Council has a strange idea of love if this is the case. Remember the following from its leaders:

 



 Of course it's relatively easy to refute the FRC leaders when they claim that they aren't filled with malice against the lgbt community, but here is the thing which I find interesting.

FRC now has to assure its followers, those who support the organization's efforts, that its not a hate group, that it does not attack gays because of malice or intolerance.

That doesn't strike me as something you have to do if you are "preaching to the choir."

But it is something you have to do if efforts to label you as a hate group have been successful.

'American Family Association BUSTED in lie about Home Depot' and other Monday midday news briefs

American Family Association Ends Home Depot Boycott With Nothing To Show For It - Oh look. Claims by the American Family Association that its boycott against Home Depot ended in success is refuted by none other than Home Depot. Don't you guys know that lying is a sin. BUSTED! 

The top 12 strangest arguments against equal marriage from Scotland’s first day of Committee stage - And I thought the religious right in America were screwy!  

Sochi Olympic Chief to IOC: Make the Criticisms Stop. IOC to Athletes: Stop Criticizing When in Sochi - It's your own problem, Russia. When you pass a draconian anti-gay law, you really don't expect people to be silent about it, do you?  

Video: How to sell an organization based 100% around gay (youth) discrimination - Ah yes, the organization which supposedly be the alternative of the Boy Scouts. Proceed watching this video at your own risk.

  Coming Out Of The Closet: 12 People Who Should Always Know You're Gay - This is a damn good article.

Stolen document underscores the need to expose anti-gay propaganda

Nothing I have ever written or read about in regards to religious right propaganda could prepare me for what you are about to see. I apologize beforehand but this needs to be seen:

According to the Washington Blade, a British journalist was able to nab a document from the Ugandan Parliament. What that document showed blows away any and everything I have ever seen on anti-gay propaganda:

The document he stole is titled: “Protect our young people from homosexuality: Debate and pass the anti-homosexuality bill now!”

Smith took the document from the Press Office at Parliament when the secretary wasn’t looking. It contains morbid images, such as one that may be posed or altered to depict a human figure lying on a bed with his or her intestines literally extruding onto a bed from his or her rectum.

The photo purports to be of a young man named Turyamureeba Wycliffe, who supposedly died from complications of “fisting” and tuberculosis (supposedly also brought on as a result of his homosexuality).

Mercifully and perhaps manipulatively, the document also includes a photo of Wycliffe in far happier and healthier days sitting in a decidedly effeminate posture. The juxtaposed imagery more subtly drives home the same point the brief hammers out in writing as, “Attention Ugandan MPs and parents: If you don’t do something about your gay (or gay-acting) kid, he’ll end up in a grave with his guts hanging out, just like this one did in Katungu Village."

CAMOVA Anti-homosexuality Brief Uganda - Washington Blade exclusive by WashingtonBlade

This is why it is so important that the lgbt community shine the spotlight on anti-gay propaganda. What's funny to us is deadly to lgbts in other countries.

San Antonio vote reveals the hard truth about anti-gay propaganda

The passage of the pro-lgbt non-discrimination ordinance in San Antonio on Thursday brings to my mind yet again the urgency of the lgbt community needing to call out the propaganda spread about  us via deliberate liars such as Todd Starnes and Fox News and funneled by ignorant folks blinded by their interpretations of Biblical truth.

Before San Antonio voted for the ordinance, members of the lgbt community had to sit through demeaning testimony which cast gays as "abominations" or went into grotesque detail in regards to how we supposedly engage in intercourse. I personally felt nauseated when I read the tweets of testimony. I felt as if I was strapped down into some time machine and transported back to when Anita Bryant was trumpeting the false idea that gays recruit children.

It was such a long time ago since that happened but here we are decades later hearing the same lies. The problem is we don't take this junk seriously until after the fact. We laugh at the outrageous comments uttered by Bryan Fischer and the rest but in doing so, we underestimate these comments. We forget that they do in fact move a significant part of the population either due to their religious beliefs or when Fischer and company can infuse fear of a gay takeover into their minds.

We are under the false belief that addressing this propaganda gives it power, but we have the entire idea backwards. NOT confronting this propaganda is the thing which gives it power.

 Until the lgbt community and our leaders declare war against the lies and liars and makes a serious effort in confronting this propaganda head on, America will have serious problems seeing the real lgbt community:

Instead, the lgbt community will have to contend with this:

And this:



Make no mistake about it. Those who spread anti-gay propaganda are only part to blame when that propaganda successfully hinders gay equality. The other part of the blame has to go to the powers-that-be in the lgbt community with the power to educate  about this propaganda beforehand but will do nothing but gripe and groan after it does its work.

To hell with being reactive. We need to be proactive.

Related post: How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - a short, but definitive guide in calling out and refuting homophobic propaganda.

Know Your LGBT History - The Lion In Winter

Richard confronts Philip in "The Lion in Winter" by 123lucyfur

One of my favorite plays and movies. The Lion In Winter, (1966 play) has been performed several times, the most famous being the 1968 motion picture in which Katherine Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress. It's a somewhat complicated play based upon English history mixed with a little fiction.

Henry II of England has let his wife, Eleanor of Acquitane, out of prison to spend Christmas with him. She had been imprisoned for constantly plotting to overthrow him. Also present are Henry's three sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. And let's not forget Alais, Henry's mistress and Richard's one-time fiance. She is also the half-sister of the last guest, King Philip of France. The entire play is an intense gamemanship as Henry attempts to keep his throne while verbally jousting with Eleanor. Eleanor, for her part, is plotting with Richard to overthrow Henry. Geoffrey and John are plotting to overthrow Henry also, but need the help of Philip. Meanwhile, Henry is torn between leaving his throne to John, who he thinks loves him the most out of all of his sons, and gaining a new heir with Alais.

You got all of that? The Lion in Winter is a serious wild ride in which alliances are formed and broken within seconds. Where characters express their love for each other in the middle of verbally slashing each other to ribbons. For the purpose of this blog, there is just one more interesting point.

 It would seem that Richard had an affair with Philip when Philip was younger. That is the subject of the above clip featuring Andrew Howard as Richard and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Philip in the 2003 movie . Be forewarned, however and remember what I said. In spite of the tender moment at which the clip ends, there is a vicious betrayal on the part of Philip.   Philip exposes Richard as his lover in front of his father and reveals that the only reason why he started the affair was to be able to rub it in Henry's face in the future. Nasty!

 In reality, Henry did have several sons, including Richard and John, who continued to plot against him with the help of their mother. Their rebellions earned them the name of the "Devil's Brood."  As for the supposed affair between Richard (who was later named as Richard The Lionhearted) and Philip, historical details are rather sketchy.

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'NOM's false concern for children is sad' and other Friday midday news briefs

NOM: ‘Generations Of Children Will Be Sacrificed To The Gods Of The Gay Lobby’ - What's up with the extreme hyperbole? NOM is constantly claiming that children do better with a mother and a father, but let me ask you something. Other than attempting to keep gays from getting married, what has NOM done for the issue of foster care and adoption? NOM seems to be more interested in keeping children away from good gay homes than making sure children are placed in homes period.

AFA does what AFA always does: Ends boycott, fakes 'success' - What if you announced a victory in a boycott WITHOUT showing how you were victorious?  

National Organization For Marriage Is Branching Out - Apparently attacking our transgender brothers and sisters is getting into vogue.  

Fox’s Todd Starnes Will Lie Until The Very End About San Antonio’s Proposed Non-Discrimination Law - Based upon his constant and deliberate attempt to push false and piss-poor stories depicting the gay community as the aggressors and "Christians" like himself as the innocent victims, I refuse to believe that there is not more to the hiring of Todd Starnes at Fox News than meets the eye. He serves a definite purpose for someone and that purpose doesn't entail accuracy.  

Fox's Todd Starnes: "Christians Are Trading Places With Homosexuals" In The Military - See my comment on the above news brief.

Hate Group Spokesman Peter Sprigg Shows Why NALT Christians Project Is Necessary - And where has Peter Sprigg from the Family Research Council been these days?

Video footage of the victory in San Antonio

Via the Associated Press comes the moment when the San Antonio passed the non-discrimination measure. Enjoy this moment of victory with the folks in San Antonio.

Family Research Council tries to spin San Antonio loss

In case you haven't heard, after a contentious debate which included supposed education about anal sex, San Antonio passed a pro-lgbt non-discrimination ordinance. And the vote - eight to three - wasn't even close.

Of course, leave it to the Family Research Council to put a lying spin on things. In case you don't recognize the "fear predictions," they were the same thing said by folks like FRC when DADT and DOMA were struck down:

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper

'Proposed Russian law will take children away from their gay parents' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Report: Russian Lawmaker Proposes Taking Children From Gay Parents - And why should we be surprised. This is the end result that awful anti-gay law in Russia as well as the end result of spreading anti-gay propaganda. 

FLASHBACK- Remember these sentiments:

Russia's Anti-Gay Law 'Expresses Values We've Been Advocating For Years,' Says Bryan Fischer 

 Harvey: Pray For Russian Law Criminalizing Pro-Gay Rights Speech

Six US Conservative Groups Sign Statement Supporting Russian 'Gay Propaganda' Ban 

In other news:

Gay Veterans' Spouses To Receive Benefits After DOJ Announces It Won't Enforce Marriage Definition - Way to do Obama Administration!  

La. National Guard aligns with Texas, won’t process same-sex spousal benefits - Well that's a "nice" way to treat folks who fight for YOUR freedom.  

Barber & Akers: Christians Are Now The Victims Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Of course this is a lie but that has never stopped the religious right before.

Ordinance fight underscores need to fight anti-gay propaganda

It was supposed to be a routine voting regarding a non-discrimination ordinance in San Antonio, TX. However, Fox News and members of the religious right were done spreading their lies and propaganda about lgbts, it got ugly. By the time some folks read this, the vote would have already happened, but from what I read on the twitter feed via some testimony from residents last night, it got really nasty. I can't tell you how many times the word "abomination" was used by folks testifying against the ordinance.

It all proves one thing - the lies of Anita Bryant aren't dead. They aren't some relic of the past. And they will continue to come and haunt the lgbt community until we make a concerted effort to meet these lies head on and beat them down BEFORE they are used against us in situations like this:

Opponents of proposed updates to the city's nondiscrimination ordinance implored the City Council on Wednesday to shift its support away from the measure while supporters rallied for Thursday's expected passage.

The scene repeated last week's demonstrations at City Hall, with a steady stream of speakers for and against controversial additions to the city's proposed ordinance that would add protections for sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran status to existing city code.

Foes of the measure, dressed in blue, urged the 11-member body to spike the imminent vote, or at least postpone it and craft a new proposal that wouldn't trample on their “religious freedoms.”
Proponents, dressed in red, said the issue isn't a religious one. They argued that it's a struggle for human rights.

More than 700 people registered to speak Wednesday. By 10:30 p.m., less than a third had addressed the council.

Some questioned how many cases of discrimination exist in San Antonio and bristled at the powers granted to the city to clamp down on religious expression and free speech. They threatened to dethrone council members who vote in favor of the measure. Others quoted Scripture about eternal consequences for violating socially conservative religious views.

 . . . Supporters, meanwhile, urged passage as a long-overdue policy that would not change society but add protections to a vulnerable, deserving group. They also questioned what religion would not want to spread equality and compassion in the treatment of all groups.

 . . . Speakers parsed Bible verses and social studies to bolster their opposing views of what the proposed ordinance would do. Conservative Christian leaders cited literal verses of the Bible denouncing homosexuality. Others focused on verses promoting justice, equality and compassion.

Before the meeting began at 6 p.m., people stood in a line through Main Plaza that wrapped around the side of the council chambers. Inside, metal detectors awaited them. Uniformed and plainclothes officers kept tight protocols.

A red-shirted group chanted, “What do we want? Equality. When do we want it? Now.” Members of the same church looked on, wearing T-shirts with their congregation's name and “vote no” stickers.

You can read the full article here.

Related post - How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America

Linda Harvey wants you to pray for gay persecution law in Russia

Linda Harvey

Forget any nonsense folks like to spin about gays attempting to harm "Christians." It's this type of junk which does Christians real harm. Linda Harvey has no idea what she is talking about. She is a former advertising executive who supposedly "found Christ." Based upon her backing of this awful law, Harvey needs to check herself in terms of what she supposedly found. It definitely was NOT the Jesus many of us know. What's even more insulting is the flippant way she addresses the violence directed towards Russian lgbts because of this law.

From Right Wing Watch:

Mission America’s Linda Harvey used her radio commentary today to sing the praises of the Russian government’s growing crackdown on the LGBT community, calling on listeners to pray for the law which bans pro-gay rights speech. Harvey, who has joined other Religious Right activists in endorsing the law, said that any “responsible adult” would back Russia’s criminalization of gay “propaganda.”

'Anti-gay bakery owners whine about having to obey the law' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Sweet Cakes By Melissa Bakers Speak Out After Anti-Gay Controversy Prompts Business To Close - But the religious right told us that this bakery was doing SO WELL. You know how I feel about this. If a business can discriminate against gays based on religious beliefs, then where is the line drawn? We must remember to repeat that as these folks will be put up as martyrs by the anti-gay right. But apparently WE are the bad guys. OKAY. 

Flora Margarine's Anti-Gay Ad Sparks Controversy, Parent Company Unilever Speaks Out - They claim to be sorry. They had better be.  

Affirming Christians Directly Challenge the False Idea That all Christians are Anti-Gay, by Proclaiming That we are ‘Not All Like That’ - I LOVE this. Affirming Christians really need to keep the religious right from boggarting the conversation on lgbt equality.  

Federal Judge: Ohio Must Recognize Widower’s Same-Sex Spouse On Death Certificate - Good news on the federal level!

Australian Prime Minister Rudd creates 'historic moment' for marriage equality

Apparently the above video is being called a "historic moment" in Australian politics. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd simple answer to New Hope Church pastor Matt Prater's question regarding marriage equality has supposedly caused a lot of controversy - much of it positive - on the subject of marriage equality in Australia. Oh if we only had moments like this in America.

'God will get us for allowing gay marriage' and other Tuesday afternoon news briefs

Mefferd: If SCOTUS Legalizes Gay Marriage, Prepare For Divine Punishment - So if marriage equality is legalized, God is going to "get" us. Never mind stealing land from Native Americans, subjecting women to second-class status, and enslaving the bodies and minds of African-Americans for over 200 years. It's allowing gay folks to get married which will cause God to get really angry. 

 Fischer: Gay Activists Are Modern Day Nazi Stormtroopers - I know for a fact that this isn't true. I have seen Nazi uniforms and no gay man ALIVE would be caught in that awful battleship grey. 

Linda Harvey, WND call me 'vicious' - Well this sucks! Why can't Linda Harvey ever call ME mean? I'm the gay Alexis Carrington Colby.

 Fox's Starnes: Businesses Should Be Allowed To Discriminate Against Gay Customers - "Wrong Way" Todd Starnes strikes again. 

 'Pier Kids:The Life,' Elegance Bratton Film, Evidences The Struggles Of LGBT Homeless Youth - All jokes aside, this is a problem which needs more attention.

SC gay couple sues to overturn ban on same-sex marriage

Oh this is going to be interesting. If gay couples can win the right to marry in my crazy state of SC, then you KNOW the world has turned sharp:

A legally married gay couple living in South Carolina is suing to have the state's ban on gay marriage overturned.

Highway Patrol Trooper Katherine Bradacs and Tracie Goodwin filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court against Gov. Nikki Haley and state Attorney General Alan Wilson.

The lawsuit said a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision shows that states can't outlaw same sex marriages because they do not approve of them morally. Bradacs and Goodwin were married in Washington, D.C., in April 2012, according to court papers.
 
"They are treated as legal strangers in their home state of South Carolina," the couple's lawyer wrote in court papers.

A spokesman for Haley said the governor's office did not see the lawsuit until Monday and were reviewing it.

"Gov. Haley, like the majority of South Carolinians, supports traditional marriage as defined between one man and one woman, and in accordance with state law, will continue to uphold those values," her spokesman Doug Mayer said.

South Carolina passed a law banning same-sex marriage in 1996, with voters passing a similar constitutional amendment in 2006 with 78 percent of the vote.

The lawsuit points out Bradacs works in public safety and Goodwin is 80 percent disabled from the U.S. Air Force and gets veteran's benefits. The suit said gay people who are first responders are denied the peace of mind of knowing if they die serving the public, their spouses will get the same financial support given to survivors with heterosexual spouses in South Carolina.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/09/02/2956427/gay-couple-sues-over-sc-same-sex.html#storylink=cpy

Know Your LGBT History - Three's Company

I've always believed that Three's Company (1977-1984) was a good comedy which skirted the line in early seasons between funny and downright insulting. It was about three roommates - one guy and two women - sharing an apartment together. The landlord, Mr. Roper, is totally against the three living together until he is made to believe that the man, Jack, is gay. Of course Jack isn't gay and that leads to interesting plotlines and stupid jokes regarding sexual orientation. One episode in particular was the 1978 second season episode, Strange Bedfellows:

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Ordinance fight shows hypocrisy of anti-gay 'Christians'' and other Friday midday news briefs

San Antonio LGBT Anti-Discrimination Law Draws Hundreds To 'Pray' In Protest - This article demonstrates the hypocrisy of so many anti-gay "Christians." On one hand, they talk patronizingly about loving gays while at the same time lauding a councilwoman who called us vile names. The problem with so many wannabe Christians is that they take opposite positions on gays at the same time and then get angry at being called two-faced. 

NOM political director to head CA’s anti-trans effort (#MoreThanMarriage) - So much for NOM only being "concerned" about marriage. 

How Chris Christie Is Leading A 'Sex Cult' And Turning New Jersey Into Gay Saudi Arabia - There are SOOOO many things wrong with that headline, article, thought, and words grouped together.

HHS Extends Medicare Coverage for Same-Sex Spouses in Nursing Homes - Sweet! 

 Liberty Counsel’s Ex-Gay Rhetoric Is Too Extreme Even For Focus On The Family - Hmmmm. This may get interesting.

Corsi: Gay marriage is wrong because sex is not about fun

Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily's go-to-guy when it comes to Obama conspiracies - such as the supposed fake birth certificate and Obama is gay - tackled the subject of marriage equality at a recent conservative event in Oregon.

Naturally, he is against it, but how he defends his position is kinda . . . well extremely hilarious:

“Our founding fathers knew that if we went this direction, there was no more moral compass and you won’t be able to explain to your children — you’ll have to face the fact that we lost holding the line on one of the most principle issues in the Bible, and that is sex is not about fun,” he remarked. “If you want to have fun, read a book, go to a movie. Sex is about the procreation of children. It’s a sacred responsibility that is meant by God to have men and women commit their lifetime to children.”

On the risk of sounding snarky, I think Corsi misspoke. He actually meant to say that sex with HIM is not fun.

Court upholds CA ban on 'ex-gay' therapy for minors

How's this for a sonic boom:

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld the nation's first-of-its-kind law in California prohibiting health practitioners from offering psychotherapy aimed at making gay youth straight.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the state's ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors doesn't violate the free speech rights of licensed counselors and patients seeking treatment
.
The activities of pastors and lay counselors who are unlicensed but provide such therapy through church programs would not be covered under the law.

The case before the appeals court was brought by professionals who practice sexual-orientation change therapy, two families who say their teenage sons benefited from it, and a national association of Christian mental health counselors. They argued the ban infringes on their free speech and freedom of association and religious rights. The counselors also argue it jeopardizes their livelihoods.

However, in a 3-0 ruling, the court panel held that California has the power to prohibit licensed mental health providers from administering therapies deemed harmful, and the fact that speech may be used to carry out those therapies does not turn such bans into prohibitions of speech.

The law says therapists and counselors who treat minors with methods designed to eliminate or reduce their same-sex attractions would be engaging in unprofessional conduct and subject to discipline by state licensing boards.'

Time to pass that same law in other states.

'Vile right-wing host smears gays, African-Americans, the Obamas' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Stan Solomon: Trayvon Martin Deserved To Die And So Does 'That Faggot' Dan Savage - How's this for proof about the common enemy of gays and African-Americans? Our movements are connected every time so-and so's like this guy open their mouths.  

Obama Connects Anti-Gay Discrimination With Racial Prejudice In Historic Speech - How very appropriate after the above news brief.  

The Daily Caller Just Can't Stop Defending Russia's Anti-Gay Crackdown - Keep it up, guys. Make yourselves irrelevant. 

Michigan Religious Conservatives Rely On Regnerus To Oppose Marriage Equality - This is why we must fight constantly. Even when it's refuted, members of the religious right will still utilize bad research.

 Miller On Fox: "Operation Or Not," Chelsea Manning Is "Living The Next 35 Years ... As A Woman" - Poor Dennis Miller. 9/11 definitely changed him. He became less funny and more of an asshole.

Gay presence at 50 anniversary of 1963 March on Washington

This is just too awesome for words. GLSEN's Executive Director, Eliza Byard speaks at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. In 1963, folks weren't even talking about gay equality. Now we have a place at the table at this momentous event.

Live blog: "The Life and Legacy of Bayard Rustin" panel discussion

Live streaming video by Ustream

Join the Human Rights Campaign, Center for Black Equity, Hilton Worldwide and Verizon for a panel discussion and reception honoring the life and legacy of Bayard Rustin.

The event features:

The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, U.S. House of Representatives, District of Columbia, friend and colleague to Rustin during the 1963 March on Washington

Mandy Carter, National Coordinator, Bayard Rustin Commemoration, National Black Justice Coalition

Damien Conners, National Executive Director/COO for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Inc(SCLC)

 MacArthur Flournoy, theologian, author, and preacher, is the Director for Faith Partnership and Mobilization for the Human Rights Campaign

And moderator Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr., President & CEO, The Center for Black Equity

'Pat Robertson, CBN attempting to suppress 'AIDS rings' video' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

The Gay AIDS Ring Video Pat Robertson Doesn't Want You To See - YEP! It's official. Pat Robertson REALLY stepped into it this time.

 MOW ‘Master Strategist’ Bayard Rustin Finally Recognized - I KNOW that I am not alone when I say IT'S ABOUT TIME!

Latest 'ex-gay' claim: Wayne Besen 'may be responsible for countless HIV infections' - So now the "ex-gay" industry is attacking one of my mentors, Wayne Besen. I feel sorry for them because Wayne don't play.  

New York Times: Prisons Should ‘Do The Right Thing’ For Transgender Inmates - Yes they should. Period.  

Despite DOMA Ruling, Gay Veterans May Still Be Denied Marriage Benefits - This here is disgusting. They fight for our freedom and they are being denied. 

Editor's note - Tune in tonight for a special post on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters. And no, it's NOT about my book. LOL!

Nebraska's ban on gay adoption, foster care challenged in courts

Unbelievable. I didn't even know that Nebraska had a ban on gay adoption and foster care. From Reuters:

Gay and lesbian couples in Nebraska should be allowed to serve as foster or adoptive parents to children who are in state custody, according to a state court lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

A lesbian couple and two gay couples filed the lawsuit in a Lincoln district court arguing the state policy created in 1995 banning them from becoming foster or adoptive parents to children under care of Nebraska is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit comes two months after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred same-sex couples from federal marriage benefits.

 . . . Nebraska's policy prohibits the state's department of health and human services from issuing foster-home licenses to or placing children with people who identify themselves as homosexuals or to people who are unrelated, unmarried adults living together.

Pat Robertson: Gays deliberately spread AIDS through special rings they wear

UPDATE – I think it’s safe to assume that we have a SERIOUS controversy here.  According to the New Civil Rights Movement, Robertson has forced youtube to take down the video mentioned in this post.  You will notice that even the video from Right Wing Watch (included in this post) seems to be gone. But never fear, if you want to see the video, click on this Huffington Post link.

Mark this one down. I think Pat Robertson has gone so far that even he feels the need to dial himself back. At the end of this clip, he clearly says that gays spread AIDS through special rings we supposedly wear:



Apparently that comment about gays spreading AIDS due to special rings has caused a huge controversy. According to Right-Wing Watch, CBN - Robertson's network - first edited the remarks away then removed the youtube video.

Later that day, Robertson tried to rescind his comments. I think he made things worse:

 "I was asked by a viewer whether she had a right to leave her church because she had been asked to transport an elderly man who had AIDS and about whose condition she had not been informed. My advice was that the risk of contagion in those circumstances was quite low and that she should continue to attend the church and not worry about the incident.

"In my own experience, our organization sponsored a meeting years ago in San Francisco where trained security officers warned me about shaking hands because, in those days, certain AIDS-infected activists were deliberately trying to infect people like me by virtue of rings which would cut fingers and transfer blood.

"I regret that my remarks had been misunderstood, but this often happens because people do not listen to the context of remarks which are being said. In no wise (sic) were my remarks meant as an indictment of the homosexual community or, for that fact, to those infected with this dreadful disease." - Pat Robertson, in a statement emailed to me by the head publicist for the 700 Club.

'Right-wing still angry that they don't get to discriminate against gays' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

NRO's Dennis Prager: LGBT Non-Discrimination Efforts Breed "Fascism" - Because apparently nothing says "facism" like equality. Yes, that confuses me, too. 

 Hawaiian Bishop: Discriminating Against Same-Sex Couples Is Just - This bishop's points are just sad. And they get sadder when Think Progress refutes them.

 Jamaica Mob Traps And Barricades 5 Gay Men In House (VIDEO) - This is scary as hell. 

ADF warns of a worldwide, pro-LGBT 'war' - And the religious right are conjuring up visions of war using crosshairs (again). And what's worse? Of course they are smearing the lgbt community but didn't even make the crosshairs pink in color (bad joke, sorry).

 Republicans Say It’s Unfair To Compare Civil Rights To LGBT Rights - Of course they say this while simultaneously attempting to keep gays from marrying and African-Americans from voting.

Louis Farrakhan and homosexuality 40 years ago

How's this for a nauseating blast from the past? I found this clip on youtube and just had to share it. It's 1972 footage of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan talking about homosexuality. Check out how the audience is filled with his supporters cheering him on:

Bryan Fischer: Russian anti-gay law is the public policy the religious right have been advocating

There are times in which you laugh at the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer (which is most of the time) and then there are times in which you should listen to him.

Bryan Fischer says what I'm sure a vast majority of members of the religious right are thinking but are afraid to say out loud. This clip is a perfect example. In it, he defends that awful anti-gay law in Russia. Fischer claims that Russia is ahead of the United States when it comes to dealing with lgbts and that folks on his side of the spectrum have been advocating for such a law:



 The lgbt community here in America would do well to not only pay attention to Fischer's words but also make sure as many other people as possible listen to them. As nauseating as he is, Fischer shows the true face of the religious right, i.e. the homophobic and hateful one they try to hide.

And it is a face we must work to make America see.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch

'Anti-gay group exploiting 9/11 to fight marriage equality' and other Monday midday news briefs

Disgusting: Illinois Family Institute uses 9/11 anniversary to pray against gay people's marriages! - Regardless of how you feel about marriage equality, this sort of thing is tacky and in very poor taste.

Fox's Shannon Bream Suggests Businesses Have A Right To Discriminate Against Gay People - No they don't. Like a commentator remarked in the post, if you replaced the word "gay" with any other minority group, you would get a different response than the tired argument of "religious liberty." And those who call themselves journalists really need to do more than Bream did with this one-sided piece of crap she calls a news segment.

 Alabama judge validates lesbian mom’s visitation rights to her children - Damn skippy!  

Same-sex couple's names on Iowa birth certificate 'a little surreal' - Surreal but appropriate.

Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber smears NJ lawmaker over 'ex-gay' therapy ban

Barber

Liberty Counsel member and anti-gay activist Matt Barber is one who never lets the truth keep him from spinning a tale of evil gays plotting to take over America.

I think he really outdoes himself in his latest spin in both the depths he stoops to and the nausea he creates.

In the piece 'Gay' lawmaker to Christians: 'We'll take your children,' Barber is attacking New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for signing a state bill outlawing "ex-gay" therapy for minors.  Like he tends to do, Barber creates a fictional connection between homosexuality and pedophilia and cherry-picks CDC statistics to create the false image of homosexuality being a supposed negative lifestyle:

But what about the title of the post, which no doubt reels potential readers in. Did a gay lawmaker tell Christians that gays will be taking their children because of the law? Of course not.

The title of Barber's post is as fictional as the post itself :

Things get more sinister yet. On Wednesday, New Jersey Assemblyman Tim Eustace, who sponsored the bill and is openly homosexual, bombastically compared change therapy to “beating a child” and suggested that the government take children seeking change away from their parents. He told Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, “What this does is prevent things that are harmful to people. If a parent were beating their child on a regular basis we would step in and remove that child from the house. If you pay somebody to beat your child or abuse your child, what’s the difference?” Mat Staver responded on the same program: “It is shocking to hear the law’s sponsor threaten parents that the state will remove their children from them if they provide the counsel they need and which helps them. This is the ultimate nanny state,” he said. 

So no. A gay lawmaker never made the statement or implied in any way or form that gays will be snatching the children of Christian parents.  Eustace was making a hypothetical comparison in which he made no threats nor even mention Christians at all.

Barber's group, the Liberty Counsel, will be suing New Jersey over the "ex-gay" therapy ban. If Barber's bad lie an example of their defense, then the state has nothing to worry about.

Know Your LGBT History - Billy Squier and the 'Rock Me Tonite' video

If you don't know who Billy Squier is, blame the video below.

In the early 80s, Squier was a hard rocker with several hits and he was on the verge of superstardom. Until the video for his song, Rock Me Tonite premiered.

The song itself was a huge hit, but the video has been called one of the worst, if not the worst music video ever for a number of reasons. Personally, I think his dancing was a hot mess. But others cited the homoerotic subtext in the video, i.e. the satin sheets, the pink clothing he put on, as well as him writhing on the floor. Nowadays, that's old hat, but in the 80s homoeroticism was a huge no-no in rock videos. Even singers like Prince and Mick Jagger "butched it up" a bit back then. And while Boy George of Culture Club was wild, he walked a very tight line between bizarre and gay.

Many, including Squier himself, said that the video totally destroyed his career by alienating a huge part of his fan base. Whatever the case may be, take a look and judge for yourself:



Wikipedia has a huge entry on the Rock Me Tonite video and the havoc it wrecked on Squier's career.

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Right-wing FURIOUS that courts won't let them discriminate against gays' and other Friday midday news briefs

Right-Wing Media Cry "Tyranny" Over Enforcement Of New Mexico's Non-Discrimination Law - Sorry guys, but you have the follow the rules just like everyone else. If you let photographers discriminate on the basis of "religious beliefs" today, tomorrow it may be apartment complex owners, or restaurants, or maybe even pharmacies. It's neither fair nor right.

5 most absurd, self-pitying gripes of the Christian Right - I'm amazed that the author found just five.

Senator Claims Pentagon Policy Allowing Gays To Marry Harms Straight Couples - Tell you what. Give us the right to be legally married in all 50 states (like straight couples have) and we wouldn't need a policy like this one.  

Daily Beast Publishes Piece Suggesting Prison Is Pretty Great For Transgender People - I read that piece and it was a HOT MESS! Whatever happened to standards a publication should follow when publishing material?  

Center for Marriage Policy Worries Lesbians Will Trick Gay Men Into Fathering Their Children And Become Their Slaves - Ooo Lawd!

Bryan Fischer anoints Christians as the ‘new Black’ after court ruling

The New Mexico Supreme Court just ruled against a wedding photographer who refused to service a gay couple, saying that “personal religious beliefs” is not grounds for discrimination.

Naturally,  Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association is all broken up over the ruling:

Cry me a river, Fischer.

MLK's son speaks about his father's legacy in the gay community

This wonderful interview that Michelangelo Signorile conducted with Martin Luther King III, the son of MLK, is an excellent antidote for all of the times the wannabes and never-will-bes attempt to co-opt the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and MLK to plant a wedge between the lgbt and black communities.

King also voiced support for the boycott of the Russian Olympics due that country's anti-gay policies. But this part is very poignant to me:

King III also discussed his father’s legacy on civil rights and claims by some anti-gay religious conservatives, including some black minsters, that his father would not have supported LGBT equality. MLK's widow and King III's mother, Coretta Scott King, eventually became a champion of LGBT rights and gay marriage. Gay advocates are included among the speakers at the rally this weekend commemorating the march, and LGBT groups are busing in attendees.

“What I know, for sure, is that dad was beyond the average person in terms of what he chose to embrace and accept,” King III said. “One of the most significant persons -- the most significant person in fact -- who helped to organize the March on Washington was Mr. Bayard Rustin [who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom this year by President Obama]. And Mr. Bayard Rustin was openly gay. The point is, if dad had problems with gays I don’t think he would have embraced someone in a such a significant role. I think that as he worked to advocate for civil and human rights, he was talking for everyone, not just for people of color. That’s where my mom was throughout her life.”

You read more about the interview here. But try to listen to it all if you can.

'Is Scott Lively taking credit for Russian homophobia?' and other Thursday midday news briefs

How A Global Anti-Gay Activist Reached Into Russia - Homophobe Scott Lively seems to be taking credit for the anti-gay debacle in Russia while he is facing a lawsuit for another anti-gay debacle in Uganda. 

The Seven Most Ignorant Reactions To Bradley Manning Coming Out As Chelsea - I would be accused of having my head in the sand if I ignored the situation regarding Chelsea Manning.

 WND Touts Hate Group's Distortion Of Pentagon Policy On Same-Sex Marriages - World Net Daily teaming with the Family Research Council? It's one of those proverbial matches made in the lower part of hell.

 “Dangerously Uninformed”: Fox News’ Fact-Free Campaign Against Protections For Transgender Students - Isn't calling Fox News "dangerously uninformed" an extreme oxymoron?

Albany pols push for ban on gay ‘conversion’ therapy for teens, citing new N.J. law - Yes! Big time yes!

Video proof that homophobia rots your brain

Andy Warhol once said that in the future, everyone will be famous for at least 15 minutes. Methinks he was predicting youtube. This observation was very astute, but highly unfortunate for some homophobes who seem to think that their personal observations about our community deserve a wide audience. I challenge you to get through at least five minutes of this "common sense" video without choking on laughter.

Religious right talking head wants 'civil disobedience' over marriage equality

As many times as some of my African-Americans brothers and sisters get angry to hear the gay rights movement being compared to the civil rights movement, I wish some of them would show a little of that fire when someone like the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber besmirches the name of the civil rights movement.

Dear Matt, NO ONE on your side of homophobes can be compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. Please get over yourself.

'Another fake story of anti-Christian persecution revealed to be wrong' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

No, This Air Force Sergeant Was Not Fired For Opposing Marriage Equality - One of the most dangerous attacks on lgbt equality are stories like this - anecdotal claims which are pushed and driven hard by the right-wing media and helped by lgbts eager to demonstrate how objective they are BEFORE the truth comes out. Usually, the truth is totally different from the claims driven by religious right groups. When stories like this come out, please wait to hear the entire incident before commenting. 

Maggie Gallagher issues actual response to Gov. Christie (which is just like the one she says was issued in error) - So Maggie Gallagher issues a statement regarding Gov. Christie signing a ban on "ex-gay" therapy for minors . . . and it's just like the first statement she claimed she didn't make. It's as if she didn't realize that we would be waiting regardless of how long it did take her to make a statement.

 Maggie Gallagher Confirms Her Support For Junk "Ex-Gay" Therapy - More on Maggie Gallagher's doublespeak. I swear this woman doesn't seem to realize that we can read her like an old trashy novel.  

Liberty Counsel Will Sue Over New Jersey ‘Ex-Gay’ Ban - Of course those crazy folks at the Liberty Counsel will sue.

 Sampson McCormick Becomes First Openly Gay Black Comedian To Headline Washington D.C.'s Howard Theatre - I told y'all last week to keep your eye on Sampson. He has the potential to be a huge star.

What the heck are cannibalism and sodomy merit badges?

Some people's hatred of gays absolutely amazes me. Here are Christian Right talk show hosts Kevin Swanson and Dave Buehner still whining over the fact the decision to allow openly gay Boy Scout members:

Swanson: Manhood is a problem and the Boy Scouts are going to lead the decline since the final decision came down that the Boy Scouts as a national organization are going to invite homosexuals into the troops.

Buehner: Which is just a matter [of time] until they invite homosexuals, active homosexuals, to be leaders of the troops and pretty soon you’re going to have the sodomy merit badge. Christians are fleeing like rats.

Swanson: And after that I guess it’s incest; after that I guess it’s the cannibal merit badge, where I guess you cut up human flesh, fry it—

 Buehner: Cook it in a Dutch oven out in the wilderness.

 Swanson: So that’s what the Boy Scouts are doing, they are trying to add abomination on abomination, effectively going into God’s word, trying to find the thing that God really, really, really hates the most. The sins listed in the Bible, going through the lists of sins in the Bible, finding the very worst ones and creating merit badges for them is where the Boy Scouts are headed.