National Organization for Marriage involved in Russia's anti-gay crackdown

NOM's Brian Brown

In part two of its series of articles demonstrating how American religious right groups are embracing Russia's homophobic crackdown on its lgbt citizens, People for the American Way's Right-Wing Watch has just released some interesting information. The National Organization for Marriage is playing a  role in this homophobic crackdown. NOM's president, Brian Brown, visited Russia and spoke against gay adoption :

On June 13, 2013, just days after the Russian Duma passed laws banning on gay “propaganda” and actions that “offend religious feelings,” a delegation of five French Catholic anti-gay activists --at least one with ties to the far-right Front National party -- traveled to Moscow at the invitation of the Duma committee on family, women and children to discuss, among other issues, Russia’s plans to tighten its ban on adoption by same-sex couples abroad.

Joining them was one of the most well-known figures in the American anti-gay movement, National Organization For Marriage president Brian Brown . Brown had worked closely with the French anti-gay movement in its protests of the country’s marriage equality law, traveling to Paris to demonstrate against the law and signing onto an email to members of the Collectif Famille Mariage, one of the most prominent groups working to oppose marriage equality in France. (Excerpt, via Google Translate: “You are the people who invented the Gothic art and launched skyward these wonderful cathedrals which the whole civilized world was inspired…The new cathedral that you are to build our eyes is composed of living stones: you, dear French Resistance, youth and adults, men and women, boys and girls!” )

 . . . According to Russian news reports, the French activists and Brown attended two events in Moscow. One was a joint meeting on changes in international adoption laws with the Duma’s committee on foreign affairs and its committee on family, women and children – whose chair, Yelena Mizulina, authored the ban on gay “propaganda” and the adoption bill.

The other event was a roundtable discussion on "Traditional Values: The Future of the European Peoples," hosted by the St. Basil the Great Foundation – a Catholic group run by Konstantin Malofeev, the head of a private equity group and spirited anti-gay activist – and also sponsored by the Duma’s family committee, the right-wing Center for Social-Conservative Policy, and a new multi-party group of Russian MPs formed, with approval of the Russian Orthodox Church, to “protect traditional Christian values” and fight “aggressive liberalism” inreaction to Pussy Riot’s protests. Among the measures pushed by the group was the new law imposing jail time for “insulting religious feelings.”

The National Organization for Marriage did not publicly announce Brown’s participation in this international meeting of anti-gay minds. However, his presence was mentioned by Revel in a blog post about the visit, in which he noted that Brown gave a “remarkable speech in the Duma.” The NOM leader also spoke to Russia 1’s Vesti news program: 

According to a re-translation of the Russian translation of the interview with Brown, he told the reporters that restricting Russian adoptions to gay and lesbian couples was a way of halting a slippery slope of “very negative developments all over the world”:

 Right now you’re having the fight about adoption, but the adoption issue is indivisible from the marriage issue. If you don’t defend your values now, I’m afraid we’re going to see very negative developments all over the world. 

Right-Wing Watch obtained a copy of Brown's speech:

 In his speech to the committee (again, translated to Russian and back again to English), Brown warned of the dangers of allowing gay people to adopt children, saying “Every child should have the right to have normal parents: a father and a mother,” and sharing some of NOM’s favorite stories of the supposed religious persecution following marriage equality in the U.S.:

 But we are now convinced, having heard the presentations of our French brothers and sisters, that we are talking about very serious problems indeed. We are talking about violations of rights, we are talking about the rights and problems of children in their education. We should not shy away from this and should not forget about it and create an illusion for ourselves. A reconsideration of the definition and understanding of marriage is in fact a real threat to rights. Very soon after a law was passed that legalized same-sex marriage in the state of Massachusetts, we saw that religious organizations were closing down, religious organizations that dealt with adoptions and that did not support adoption by same-sex families. They were closing one after another. We have actually seen that in some schools, they are talking to children about homosexuality, but in fact they don’t have the right to learn about a lot of things like that until a certain age. . . . I think that this visit, the invitation to visit Russia, will enable the development of this movement around the world. We will band together, we will defend our children and their normal civil rights. Every child should have the right to have normal parents: a father and a mother. 

It's worth noting that in addition to cracking down on international adoption by gay couples, Russia is also considering a law which would remove children from their homes if their parents are gay or lesbian. There are rumblings that the Regnerus study which is connected to NOM has been cited by folks pushing this law.

But this new development alone regarding Brown's speech puts another crack in NOM's argument that the organization is "simply trying to preserve traditional marriage."  With its participation in Russia's persecution of its lgbt citizens, NOM has officially entered the international arena of anti-gay persecution and none of the shucking and jiving or semantical word play the organizations uses can erase this fact.

NOM needs to be called out on this.

'NOM is suing the IRS' and other Thursday midday news briefs

NOM: ‘The IRS Needs To Pay’ For Leaking Document Revealing Its Wrongdoing - Talk about trying to draw attention to yourself. NOM is worse than Sarah Palin.  

Globalizing Homophobia, Part 1: How The American Right Came to Embrace Russia’s Anti-Gay Crackdown - Part 1 of a kick-ass series of articles which every lgbt in America needs to read. 

From People for the American Way:

 . . . we’ll look at how American activists influenced Russia’s anti-gay laws by funding anti-gay activism in Russia, testifying before the Duma, providing false research to fan the flames of anti-gay laws abroad, and building an international movement to back the harshest anti-gay laws around the world. 

College Gay Pride Celebrations Come Under Attack Despite Institutional Support - A former Georgia lawmaker writes a vicious anti-gay letter. But you should read the comments under the letter. They are BRUTAL to him.  

Two Minutes of Advice for Those Testing HIV-Positive (VIDEO) - A much needed video for every community.

 One Million Moms Very Upset About Funny Ruby Tuesday Ad Featuring Pixellated Meat - Huh?

October is LGBT History Month

With all of the shutdown nonsense grabbing the spotlight, I almost forgot that October is LGBT History Month. The Equality Forum has come out with its annual videos spotlight noted lgbt historical figures. Although, I am NOT happy with one of the selections this year because I feel that living lgbt historical figures should be out (and the last time I checked, Queen Latifah isn't out), I would encourage folks to check out the videos coming out daily featuring the selected 31 figures. The following video is an overview:

'Newest Ex-Gay Awareness Month event another huge flop' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Only Fifteen 'Ex-Gay Activists' Show Up For 'Ex-Gay Awareness Month' Lobby Day - Not a big surprise but it's so NICE to know. 

Clandestine Ex-Gay Awareness Event Accomplishes The Opposite - More details and pictures about the newest 'ex-gay' flop from Think Progress.

 Perkins criticizes law center - Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council again attacks the Southern Poverty Law Center, but as Jeremy Hooper notes, this time the article in question reveals more about Perkins than he would like America to know. 

 Meet The Anti-Gay Pastor Fueling Fox News’ Christian Persecution Complex - And of course neither Todd Starnes nor Fox News vetted this man before they use his claims of how gays are supposedly "persecuting" Christians.

Family Research Council puts out ridiculous self-congratulatory video

The Family Research Council has come out with a nauseatingly self-congratulatory video showcasing how the organization supposedly stands up for American values and the family:

But then there is this video which showcases a huge omission of FRC's true aim and agenda:

 

Nice try, FRC. But no matter how much sweet you attempt to make your homophobia sound, it still homophobia.

'Lawsuit filed against West Virginia's ban on marriage equality' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Same-Sex Couples Sue For Marriage Rights In West Virginia - “We need the protection that marriage affords,” Nancy Michael, suing the state, says. 

Mississippi Town Rejected Gay Bar Out Of Bias, Lawsuit Alleges - More of that "religious liberty" #@! no doubt.

Saving Our Locker Rooms’ Arguments Erase Transgender People - Good grief, folks. Transgender men and women are not trying to peek at you in the showers or the locker rooms. 

 Keyes: Teaching It's OK To Be Gay Is To 'Rape The Parental Authority Of Christian Parents' - Alan Keyes is a psychotic @!$ whose only place in history will be as the nutcase who lost the Illinois Senatorial election to the now President Obama.

NOM getting Issa to waste taxpayer money on investigation

Issa

In the midst of a government shutdown (thank you Republican party and especially you teabaggers), comes this news. The National Organization for Marriage is now bragging that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, headed by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Ca.) will be investigating the so-called leaking of IRS tax information to the Human Rights Campaign:

You may have missed it since the news just came through on Friday, but House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa announced that he is officially investigating how NOM's confidential tax files were stolen from within the IRS and provided to the Human Rights Campaign. This is fantastic news... not just for NOM — but for every group targeted by the Obama administration and the IRS.

 And this is especially good news for the American people who are rightfully concerned about abuse of power and political targeting by operatives inside the IRS, and the failure of the Department of Treasury and other enforcement agencies to hold those responsible to account. NOM has worked closely with Chairman Issa and the House Oversight Committee for many months to ensure they have all the information and legal authority they need, including confidentiality waivers, to compel the IRS and the Treasury Department to cooperate with the Committee's investigation.

As Chairman Issa told National Review Online last week:

These waivers allow the committee to get information the IRS is currently withholding. This information will give us a better sense of why these groups faced delays, what questions they were asked, and what sort of communications were occurring within the IRS in regards to the inappropriate delays and the apparently politically driven leak.

NOM has been whining ever since July that its tax information was leaked by the IRS to the Human Rights Campaign in 2012 and this alleged action is connected to President Obama's re-election campaign.

However, while NOM spins its conspiracy theories, its own former chairperson, Maggie Gallagher, earlier wrote that a lower level employee accidentally leaked the information.

Interestingly enough, she later backtracked and claimed that she was only guessing. But according to Equality Matters:

(Gallagher's) explanation was corroborated during the May 17 House Ways and Means Committee's hearing on the recent IRS controversy. When Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) asked Acting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller about NOM's accusation, Miller responded by explaining that an investigation had determined that the release of NOM's Form 990 had been "inadvertent" . . . Miller's testimony was echoed by Treasury Department Inspector General Russell George, who explained that a review of NOM's claims had been conducted but was no longer ongoing. 

So basically, this "controversy" is much ado about nothing. However, with Congressman Issa's talent with wasting taxpayer money on conspiracy theories and pointless investigations (i.e. Benghazi, other investigations of the IRS), it would seem that NOM has struck gold in its attempt to create a huge blowup over this incident.

However, if you ask me, the news of a government investigation isn't exactly the sort of thing people are happy about hearing in the middle of a government shutdown, particularly if its the latest chapter of an investigation (i.e. the IRS) which has basically proven nothing.

Religious right groups aren't about God or morals, but lies and fear

As I have said numerous times and especially in my booklet, How They See Us, the attack on the lgbt community by religious right groups has nothing to do with Christianity. Whether you believe homosexuality to be a sin or whether you don't doesn't matter because these groups and their spokespeople are all about fear.

I defy anyone (and I am especially talking to folks who disagree with my point of view) to tell me how what Bryan Fischer says in the video below has anything to do with Christianity or the love of God:



 I've always thought Christianity was about having faith in God's love, not scaring people about concentration camps and persecution. It's sad, really. The Christianity I grew up with taught me never to fear the actions of man because God is always in control. Fischer seems to be telling folks to be scared all of the time.

'Prop 8 lawyers taking on VA anti-marriage equality law' and other Monday midday news briefs

Winning Prop 8 Attorney Team Olson And Boies Announce New Battle: Virginia Marriage Ban - The lawyers who defeated Prop 8 are targeting the anti-marriage equality law in Virginia. This is gonna be good! 

Scott Lively running for Governor of Massachusetts as spoiler candidate [Updated] - Apparently this homophobe is running as a "spoiler candidate." Mission accomplished. He's already spoiled my appetite for today. 

New guidance affords gay couples equal access to Medicaid - Excellent news!

 Heritage Foundation's Anderson: LGBT Protections Create "Climate Of Intolerance" - You HAVE to read this list of lies via Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation. You will be hearing them continuously as time goes on.

NOM is FURIOUS over the idea that gays may be allowed to marry in New Jersey

Last week, a New Jersey state judge ruled that gays and lesbians have a right to marry in that state because "civil unions," which is permitted in the state, is illegally keeping these couples from receiving federal benefits.

Naturally, the National Organization for Marriage and its president, Brian Brown, issued a statement (tantrum) full of hyperbole and omitting the facts of the case:

“This is another outrageous example of judicial activism. An activist judge has overreached her authority and chosen to impose same-sex ‘marriage’ on the entire state of New Jersey,” stated Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “Judge Jacobson has trampled on the right of the people of New Jersey to define marriage, a right that the Supreme Court has upheld in the very case she misuses to redefine marriage.” The New Jersey state judge applied her own reading of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor v United States to find that the state’s law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman must be changed. However, the Windsor decision declined to impose same-sex marriage on the nation and instead upheld the right of states to define marriage for themselves. “This is a gross abuse of power that cannot be allowed to stand,” said Brown. “We urge Governor Chris Christie to appeal this lower court ruling immediately. It’s essential that a single lower court judge not be allowed to impose her own views of marriage on the entire state.”

On that last score, NOM and Brown will get their wish. Christie has promised to appeal the ruling.

'Second 'ex-gay' event may repeat disaster of the first' and other Friday midday news briefs

Ex-Gay Pride Hide And Seek - The 'ex-gays' are attempting their 'Pride Week' after the first disaster earlier this year. Based on reports, a sequel to the first awful attempts is inevitable. 

Daubenmire Defends Westboro Baptist Church Because 'What If God Really Told Fred Phelps To Do That?' - Oh mercy! If God is behind the Fred Phelps group, then that definitely shows He supports lgbt equality. 

U.S. joins other nations in declaring LGBT commitment at UN - Good for the United States!

  Daily Caller Is Amused By Transgender Students Getting Bullied - How #@! tacky!  

Why I Now Support Marriage Equality - I was there when this man, John Hawkins, spoke against marriage equality in South Carolina while he was a state senator. I say his change of mind is legit and welcomed.

Editor's note - Barring something absolutely juicy happening (and it probably will, knowing my luck), this will be my last post today. Tomorrow will be the South Carolina Pride Festival and as many of you probably already know (because I have been driving you crazy with the number of times I have mentioned it), I will be unveiling and handing out free copies of my lgbt cult classic and Scribd political favorite (hey, it's got over half a million readers)  'How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.'

I will spend the rest of the day preparing physically, spiritually, and mentally. I will also be taking pictures and posting them to my blog next week. Wish me luck, success, and good thoughts.

Video shows the TRUE consequences of repealing DADT

In the face of the fake experts whining about how gays serving openly in the military will harm the country comes this awesome video via The Huffington Post:

The U.S. Department of Defense released a heartwarming video Sept. 25 depicting the lived impact of the recent extension of spousal and family benefits to same-sex military couples. Senior Chief Dwayne Beebe-Franqui and Jonathan Beebe-Franqui discuss both the symbolic and tangible importance of being able to apply for a military ID card as the same-sex spouse of an official, and the changing perception of same-sex relationships in the U.S. military since the 2011 repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

 

Anti-gay Lt Governor candidate had restraining order put on him in 2006

E.W. Jackson

Say what you will about the state of Virginia, its upcoming elections for Governor and Lt. Governor are getting as interesting as a soap opera. The latest piece of dirt involves E.W. Jackson, the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor. It seems that he had a restraining order put on him in 2006.

According to Politico:

E.W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia, was accused in 2006 of threatening the life of his daughter’s roommate, according to a Belmont, Mass., police report and a separate temporary restraining order filed in Middlesex County Court.

Those two documents, shared with POLITICO by a source opposed to Jackson’s election, detail the surprise GOP nominee’s involvement in an explosive personal feud involving his daughter and two other women. The roommate took out restraining orders against both E.W. Jackson and a third party, while Jackson’s daughter and the third party both requested restraining orders against the roommate.

 . . .  In an interview, Jackson firmly denied that he had menaced his daughter’s roommate, a denial he also gave to police in Belmont seven years ago. In his daughter’s affidavit requesting a restraining order against her then-roommate, Ms. Jackson claimed that the woman had schemed to separate her from her family and friends and “threatened to kill my father.”

This will only serve to make Jackson more controversial in the eyes of voters. He has already been catching fire for a number of vicious anti-gay statements. According to Right Wing Watch, Jackson has:

• Referred to gays and lesbians as “perverted,” “degenerate,” “spiritually darkened” and “frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally.” 

• Said regarding homosexuality: “it poisons culture, it destroys families, it destroys societies; it brings the judgment of God unlike very few things that we can think of.” 

• Argued that gays seek to “sexualize [children] at the earliest possible age” and use “totalitarian” tactics. 

• Claimed gays are hurting black women: “I’ve heard a lot of young black ladies that a lot of young black men seem to be gay. I’ve heard them complain about it, they say ‘so many of these guys are homosexuals’ and they are frankly frustrated by it.” 

• Demanded the reinstitution of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell : “The military has been decimated by this lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender policy that has now been implemented. It’s an abomination and it’s only going to weaken us militarily and they need to undo it,” warning that the policy’s repeal is a “disaster of historic proportions.” 

• Contended that homosexuality is “killing black men by the thousands” and said of gay rights advocates: “what they’re promoting is killing people.” 

• Called GLSEN founder and anti-bullying activist Kevin Jennings a “radical homosexual activist” who should have been “imprisoned” in a letter demanding he resign as head of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. 

• Said there is a “direct connection” between gays and pedophilia.

'NOM blasted for its hypocrisy' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Op-ed: NOM's Brian Brown, the 'Bigocrite'- NOM whines about being victims of "bullying gay," but just how many times has the organization issued threats against people and groups for opposing its anti-gay platform? Grab a chair and take a load off. This documentation is going to take a while. 

PFOX: Books Smearing LGBT People Should Be Celebrated During Banned Books Week - And they should be put in the fairy tale section.

  Cuccinelli: References To My Anti-LGBT Record Are Unfounded ‘Personal Attacks’- Now THAT is chutzpah.

  Gene Fischer And Sam Centore Discuss 'Passing Ellenville,' Transgender Documentary - A fascinating documentary on the transgender community.

Sources: Anti-gay ministry bites the dust HARD

Bradlee Dean

If certain sources are to be believed, the lgbt community has one less anti-gay ministry to worry about. According to the Minneapolis City Pages:

According to a source close to the situation, Dean's "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International" staffers have all walked out on him. Yes, that includes his notorious street teams and Dean's "Sons of Liberty" radio cohost Jake McMillan, who our source says put in his two weeks notice and moved back to the East Coast. (McMillian, for some reason, sometimes went by the name Jake MacAulay.)

Our source said the beginning of the end came when two former Dean staffers -- a husband-and-wife team including his former director of donor relations -- had a falling out with Bradlee. The couple stayed friends with some "You Can Run" employees and began trying to persuade their friends to leave the ministry. They had incremental success, culminating with the resignation of McMillan, and as a result Dean no longer has anybody working for him.

The source said that in the wake of our July report about disaffected former You Can Run staffer Jake Dagel -- Dagel characterized You Can Run as a "cultic sham ministry" -- a group of upwards of a dozen former staffers got together and compiled testimony about how Dean had mistreated and exploited them. They subsequently brought 28 pages worth of testimony to the Minnesota Attorney General's office and are currently working on a mediation proposal with Dean's camp. The group of former staffers seek reimbursement of funds they say Dean owes them and a guarantee that Bradlee will never hold another leadership position with a ministry. Our source isn't sure whether Dean could possibly face criminal charges as a result of the allegations, some of which constitute crimes.

Dean is an extremely vile religious right talking head best known for his ties to soon-to-be former Congresswoman Michele Bachman and also being forced to pay $24,625.23 in legals fees due to a lawsuit he filed against MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

Family Research Council making empty threats against SPLC

Tony Perkins of FRC

Floyd Corkins, the man who attempted to shoot up the Family Research Council last year, was recently sentence to 25 years in prison, as he should be.

However, FRC and its president, Tony Perkins, continues to falsely connect Corkins to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In 2010, SPLC labeled FRC and several other religious right organizations as hate groups due to their constant distortions and attacks on the lgbt community. FRC and Perkins continues to blame SPLC for Corkins' attack on FRC headquarters.

According to One News Now - which is owned by the American Family Assocation, one of the groups listed by SPLC as a hate group:

 . . . Corkins confessed that he wanted to kill FRC employees because of the organization's opposition to homosexual marriage. He was motivated by the listing of the FRC as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The American Family Association, which operates the OneNewsNow website, is also labeled a “hate group.”

 Tony Perkins, president of the FRC, says the SPLC has been given a platform to “recklessly label and incite hatred” toward the FRC and other conservatives. He blames that in part on the relationship with the U.S. Justice Department. "And it is very troubling and it's dangerous, and the Southern Poverty Law Center is inciting violence,” Perkins tells OneNewsNow. “It is clearly connected in this case to this act of violence and they do need to be stopped."

 . . . The Southern Poverty Law Center "is actually linked now, through the evidence in federal court, to terrorism,” says Perkins. “We will be looking at every avenue possible to protect not only FRC but to protect all conservatives and all Americans from the reckless behavior of the Southern Poverty Law Center."

Is Perkins implying a lawsuit against SPLC? Well he never said so and I personally think he is just yanking the chain.

There are two huge roadblocks in FRC's way should the group attempt to pursue a lawsuit.

1. There is no evidence that Corkins was linked to SPLC in any way.  What had emerged is that Corkins was an extremely disturbed young man.  According to his own lawyer - via ABC News -  Corkins was receiving treatment for mental illness at the time of the shooting.  And according to the Huffington Post, Corkins was experiencing auditory hallucinations and thoughts of killing not only right-wing Christians but also his parents in the months leading up to the shooting.

2. While it would be easy to prove that SPLC had nothing to do with Corkins' crime, the repercussions of FRC taking SPLC to court would seriously backfire on the group. No doubt, SPLC would have to prove that its designation of FRC as a hate group is accurate. I have no doubt that SPLC could prove this and then some based upon not only the material it has amassed on FRC but also based upon other material which may be sent to it via several other folks, including a certain blogger with a huge file on the myriad of times FRC has lied, spread propaganda, cherry-picked studies, relied on junk science, and basically smeared the lgbt community without regard for shame for truth

And trust me when I say that I would not only send the material by express mail, but it would be gift wrapped.

So I really don't think Perkins or FRC is actually stupid enough to take on SPLC in a court of law where, according to a certain attorney, "the witness stand is a lonely place to lie."

But damn, it's a nice thought to think that FRC would be stupid enough to try.

Sodomy, Values Voters and other Wednesday midday news briefs

LaBarbera: 'It's Almost As If Homosexual Sodomy Was Created To Spread Disease' - Geez, one would think that Porno Pete is obsessed with wondering how gay men have sex.  

Here Are The Anti-LGBT Media Figures Speaking At This Year's Values Voters Summit - The Family Research Council is having its annual "Values Voters Summit," or as normal folks call it, a "Black Sabbath" event which nauseates even the devil. Yes, I said it.  

POLL: Hoosiers believe amending Indiana Constitution is wrong way to address issue of same-sex marriage - Eh, a few commercials and flyers about gays recruiting children and Indiana will "come around."

Washington Blade Covers Upcoming ‘Ex-Gay’ Dinner That Will Feature Tired Retreads - Oh I want to attend this so bad. Why not show them what they are missing. LOL  

Kent Lambert, Colorado Senator: Democrats Use 'Mind Control' To Push Same-Sex Marriage - Who told him! I swear queens cannot keep their mouths shut! Just tell all of our secrets!

'Ex-gays' whining about 'Banned Book Week'

Don't you just hate it when people and organizations interject themselves into situations due to a desperate need to bring attention to themselves.

I call it "pulling a Palin." Case in point:

The American Library Association conducts Banned Books Week to protest books that have been removed from library shelves claiming censorship.

The dates this year are from October 22 to 28. Christopher Doyle of Voice of the Voiceless says the ALA does not include on their “banned book” list any ex-homosexual literature, which is banned in libraries across the United States, including in schools But books affirming the homosexual lifestyle are generally kept on the shelves for everyone, including youths, to read.

 Doyle says that makes one wonder why books about leaving the lifestyle, sometimes offered free, are rejected by libraries.

He has an answer.

 “There are homosexuals and the gay activists in that organization that are actively anti-ex-gay and keeping us out of this list,” Doyle tells OneNewsNow.

I know for a fact that us gay activists aren't plotting to keep 'ex-gay' literature from school libraries. I mean with all of the recruiting children and building all of the jails we are plotting to put Christians in, we barely have enough time to reach our 100 sexual partners a month quota.

Just where in heck could we fit in banning "ex-gay" literature from libraries?

Editor's note - the article even got the date of Banned Books Week wrong. It's Sept. 22-28.

'Fox News continues to spread fake anti-Christian persecution story' and other Tuesday afternoon news briefs

Fox News Reports On The Fake Military Controversy It Helped Invent - You have to give Fox News points for consistency rather than truth. 

US Senate unanimously confirms first openly gay judge to a federal appeals court - Good news!

Marco Rubio Blocks Gay Black Judge's Nomination to Federal Judiciary - And bad news. And YES, Rubio is playing politics here. 

 Engineering Magazine Publishes Anti-Gay Letter To Discuss ‘The Value Of Diversity’ - And this is when I gripe - yet again - about the importance of calling out anti-gay propaganda beforehand rather than raising hell after it appears and demanding that it doesn't appear at all. You can't kill it that way.

 Bryan Fischer Lashes Out At Transgender Homecoming Queen - Go ahead, Bryan. Pick on an innocent teenage girl. After all, that's "what Jesus would do."

Op-ed: Why I'm Not Reading the 'Trutherism' About Matt Shepard - I got the best reason of all. The book is a piece of shit.

You think the religious right are jealous of the lgbt community?

Editor's note - Due to prior commitments regarding SC Pride on Saturday, there will be no midday post today. So enjoy this one until my next post this evening.

You know, when it all comes down to it, the following is the only thing our opponents can really push against us in order to deny us equality. All of that junk about "religious liberty" and "traditional morality" is simply a dodge. This is what they think of when it comes to their opposition of the lgbt community. And if you ask me, they gripe on it so much that they come across as jealous:

 

'Religious right zeroing in on transgender children' and other Monday midday news briefs

Transgender Homecoming Queen Faces Negative Backlash To Historic Win - She is such a strong young lady and the lgbt community needs to support her in this. We are all proud of her. The backlash is nothing new because you get a lot of flack at first when you are a pioneer. Then folks realize how brave you are. 

 
NOM Abandons Marriage Mission To Campaign Against Transgender Children - Wow! Such a "Christian" organization to pick on children.

 Anti-Gay Bishop Harry Jackson Will Keynote Secret ‘Ex-Gay Awareness’ Dinner - Oh this is hilarious! 

Peter LaBarbera Takes On Pope Francis, Claims 'Satan's Earthly Minions' Use Homosexuality To Undermine Catholic Church - Because apparently God speaks through a man who takes x-rated pictures of gay men and posts huge pictures of anal warts on his webpage.  

Media Complicit In Legislative Attack On LGBT Americans - It's not intentional. They're just kinda lazy.

CNN host Chris Cuomo calls out anti-gay propaganda, bigotry

I never get tired of this video. CNN host Chris Cuomo tangles with Catholic League president Bill Donohue on the subject of homosexuality, pedophilia, and the Catholic religion in general. This is how you handle anti-gay propaganda:

Know Your LGBT History - Brothers

Over a decade before 'Will and Grace' and Ellen Degeneres, the cable network Showtime came out with the television show groundbreaking television show 'Brothers.' It was highly successful, running from 1984-1989.

From Wikipedia:

Set in south Philadelphia, Brothers centered around the lives and relationships of the Waters brothers; oldest brother Lou (Brandon Maggart), a somewhat uncouth, but well-meaning construction foreman, middle brother Joe (Robert Walden), a retired placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles and owner of a sports bar called The Point After, and the youngest brother, Cliff (Paul Regina).

In the premiere episode, Cliff shocks his family when he runs away from the altar on his wedding day. Instead of getting married, Cliff reveals to his family that he is gay.

The pilot and following episodes centered around the efforts of Joe and Lou coming to terms with Cliff's long-held secret of his true sexual orientation, with both coping in their own unique way. Joe, who was definitely more sensible and open-minded, didn't see Cliff's sudden declaration of homosexuality robbing any aspect of their relationship. Lou assured his baby brother "Cliffie" that he loved and respected him no matter what, but was convinced early on that what Cliff was feeling was just a phase, and came up with numerous efforts to "cure" him of being gay. Cliff's relationship with the both of them was part brotherly, but also that of fathers and son, since Lou and Joe had almost 20 years on Cliff (their mother died when Cliff was an infant, followed a few years later by their dad; Lou and Joe raised Cliff for the majority of his youth). He was very much independent minded, and kidded around with his brothers in the usual way siblings do, but at times looked to them for guidance and was very much overprotected by Lou and Joe.

And like so many shows, there was a standout character:

 Philip Charles MacKenzie played Cliff's out-and-proud new friend Donald Maltby, a successful writer/magazine editor whom Cliff sought out friendship with for advice and support in the time leading up to his coming out. During and after the fact, Donald continued to be Cliff's voice of reason as he learned to navigate his way around the LGBT world. It was an otherwise unlikely friendship, but Donald's fey, queen-like behavior versus the masculinity of Cliff never got in the way, surprisingly. Donald's womanly flamboyance always unnerved Lou, and caused some mild, but humorous friction between them. However, Donald always managed to get the last laugh on Lou with his sharp humor. He lived in a cozy loft apartment which was another common setting for the stories. Cliff and Donald sometimes frequented The Velvet Spike, a local gay club/bar.

Submitted for your perusal is the very first episode. Pardon if its a little scratchy. It was reproduced from a VHS tape:

 

 

 

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Family Research Council tells a lie in court' and other Friday midday news briefs

FRC essentially lied in court - Floyd Corkins, that awful man who tried to shoot up FRC headquarters last year got a much deserved jail sentence. However, FRC President Tony Perkins read a statement in front of a District Court judge which was basically a lie. I doubt we can do anything legally about it but you would be surprised how powerful knowledge is. 

 
Barber & LaBarbera: 'Every Major Institution Is Being Corrupted By The Homosexual Agenda' - Does this mean we won the "culture war." If so, then I demand to that Barber and LaBarbera accept our terms for their surrender. Hehehehehe!  

Michigan Officials Admit Same-Sex Families Exist, But Still Want To Deny Them Legal Protections - Because it's apparently what Jesus would do.  

Mormon Church: Same Bigotry, Different Packaging - It's the "religious liberty" junk again.

Russian anti-gay video demonstrates the ugly power of homophobic propaganda

You want to see the power of anti-gay propaganda?

Via my friend John Aravosis from Americablog comes this absolutely vile video from Russia. You may think this video is funny in its inanity but maybe that's part of the problem. Nothing which demonizes a group of people in this way should be considered funny. Also remember that what's funny to us is taken seriously by some folks in Russia as the country moves to persecute their lgbt citizens.

And the thing which makes me absolutely sick about this video? The discredited Regnerus study is included. NOM and its allies failed to move the Supreme Court with that trash, but they are doing incredible damage in other places with it.

Take note, religious right. This is what true persecution looks like and you should know it well. After all, you are partly responsible for it:

Republicans want to push nationwide discrimination bill against same-sex couples

Earlier this week, the Huffington Post published a piece of mine expressing the desire for the lgbt community and our leadership to confront anti-gay propaganda head on.

I got a lot of positive responses. But I also got some negative responses. Therefore, for all of you out there - and you know who you are - who attacked me personally, acted blase and apathetic, whined about being called the "correct" acronym, or declare verbal full-scale war on religion in general, or talked about how folks are calling out the religious right in the comments section of articles, this news from Think Progress is a reminder that all of your explanations and complaints don't mean diddly:

A group of House Republicans, led by Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID), has proposed a new bill that would provide a nationwide “license to discriminate” against married same-sex couples. Though Labrador claims the bill protects “religious liberty,” it is nothing less than a blanket invitation to deny benefits to same-sex couples that they are entitled to under law.

According to the draft of the bill (HR 3133), there would be no consequences for any organization or individual that chooses not to recognize a same-sex marriage:

The Federal Government shall not take an adverse action against a person, on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.

In other words, the bill would create special religious protections only for people who oppose same-sex marriage or premarital sex. Under the guise of “religious freedom,” this bill specifically endorses one particular set of religious beliefs without concern for any others, a pretty clear violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

The consequences of this legislation would be immense, such that a few individuals could short-circuit the rights of gay and lesbian couples across the country. Given its prudish inclusion of opposition to premarital sex, these consequences could likely apply to many straight couples as well. Here are a few possible examples of the potential for abuse:

• Businesses could refuse to provide leave for an employee to take care of a sick same-sex spouse.
• Federal workers processing tax returns, visa applications, or Social Security filings could refuse to do their job if it meant providing benefits to a same-sex couple.
• Federally funded programs like homeless shelters and substance abuse programs could turn away LGBT people.
• A church-run hospital could refuse to provide visitation privileges to a married same-sex couple without fear of endangering their tax-exempt status.

The religious right isn't mentioned in this article, but let's not act stupid. We all know who is behind this bill and is most likely nudging the Republicans to push it

Pull your heads out of your butts and get serious. All of the street protests and glitterbombings don't mean jack to organizations powerful enough to dictate what bills they want Congressional leaders to pass.

The religious right's greatest asset is their credibility. It's credibility which they don't deserve because of their many distortions and lies pushed against the lgbt community.

When are we going to exploit these distortions and lies? When are we going to demand that OUR media address these issues? When are we going to demand that mainstream news programs have discussions about these things? When are we going to have discussions about these things instead of being bogged down with side issues?

Many of us in the lgbt community are intelligent. But when are we going to show that we have sense?

'Right-wing continues sad attempt to harm Matthew Shepard's reputation' and other Thursday midday news briefs

What's Really Behind Right-Wing Media's Matthew Shepard Trutherism - In which we learn that some of those draping themselves with the Christian religion have no shame or a truly balanced view of right and wrong. But try as they might, their attempts at playing revision with this awful tragedy won't fly. 

Barber: The NALT Christians Project Is 'Apostasy' - Meanwhile, as his colleagues attempt to besmirch the reputation of Matthew Shepard, the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber goes on full assault against an effort to keep the religious right from boggarting the conversation what constitutes Christianity in America. If Christianity is truly in trouble in this country, it's because of oblivious behavior like that of Barber's.  

Pope Bluntly Faults Church’s Focus on Gays and Abortion - Archbishop Nienstadt is sooo not going to like that. Much like the folks in the library didn't appreciate the loud noise I made when I fell out after reading that headline. But talk is cheap. What is the Pope going to do about it.  

Texas AG Finally Reads San Antonio’s LGBT Protections And Realizes They’re Constitutional - Victory number two for the recently passed San Antonio non-discrimination ordinance.

Virginia Gurrola, Porterville, California Mayor, Removed From Office For LGBT Proclamation - Hoo boy! After reading that article, read this one.

Witness verbalized homophobia so dangerously stupid, it should be against the law

The late Andy Warhol once said that in the future everyone will be famous for at least 15 minutes. And with the creation of youtube and the like, it turns out that he was right.

Which means if he were still alive, I would give him a swift kick in the tush.

Why the anger? Because of a clip like this so mind-boggling ridiculous that I had to watch it twice and still I simply can't wrap my head about its idiocy. From Right Wing Watch:

Erick Stakelbeck, the former sports reporter who fashions himself to be an expert on terrorism, regularly argues that progressives and Islamic extremists are working together to establish some sort of communist, Islamic state. While appearing on It’s Supernatural!, host Sid Roth said he couldn’t understand his assertion since the “political left is not going to be aligned with someone who wants to kill homosexuals.” But as the Christian Broadcasting Network reporter explained, even though “the left would be the first ones with their heads on the chopping block if Islamic Sharia law came into power,” both liberals and radical Islamists “hate traditional America” and “hate the name of Yeshua (Jesus) so much that they will work together, at least in the short term, to chip away at traditional America and traditional western civilization.” 

Religious right can't stop lying about San Antonio ordinance

Oh brother, how many lies can one put into a newscast. Courtesy of the AIDS Ring Man Pat Robertson's 700 Club:



Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Well the only thing terrible is how disappointed I felt that lightning didn't strike every time a lie was told about the San Antonio ordinance.

Equality Matters broke down every lie a while back. And, as if its any surprise, NOTHING in the 700 Club report is accurate:

Fox’s Todd Starnes Will Lie Until The Very End About San Antonio’s Proposed Non-Discrimination Law

“Purposeful Misinformation”: How Right-Wing Media Are Smearing San Antonio’s Proposed Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

'SC anti-gay groups angry over college reading assignment' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

S.C. groups criticize LGBT-themed freshmen reading assignment at Upstate college - There is NOTHING salacious in this book, “Outloud: The Best of Rainbow Radio," which I was proud to participate in writing in a very small way. This just boils down to groups not wanting to acknowledge the existence of lgbts on ANY level. Well what to you expect when one of the groups protesting, The Palmetto Family Council, funnels out false and outdated information about gays, such as we are the victims of "gay bowel syndrome.'

NBC News holds Scott Lively accountable - Hot damn! NBC News publishes a BLISTERING article on arch-homophobe Scott Lively. 

 How Social Conservative Gary Bauer Uses His Network Of ‘Values’ Groups To Enrich Himself - Apparently homophobia is a huge money maker for Gary Bauer. 

 Pa. Lawmakers To Target Gay “Conversion” Therapy - Sweet! Do it!

Religious right gains new ally with Fox News reporter Shannon Bream

Shannon Bream

A while back, I made a prediction that Fox News would become a large danger to the lgbt community because it would funnel propaganda and one-sided interviews against our community.

As an Equality Matters report proves, it's already happened thanks to Fox News "journalist" Shannon Bream:

Fox News reporter Shannon Bream has become a reliable proponent of right-wing efforts to discriminate against LGBT people, using her national platform to validate religious extremists who claim that any LGBT protections infringe on religious liberty and freedom of speech.

 . . . Bream is also a devout Christian who claims to have been inspired by the work of the notoriously homophobic conservative activist Jerry Falwell. Bream attended Falwell’s right-wing Liberty University for her undergraduate degree, and in May of 2013, she became the first woman to deliver the keynote address at her alma mater’s commencement ceremony. During her speech, Bream urged the graduating class to live a life guided by the kind of Christian principles espoused by Falwell, challenging them not to “stand silently” as their “most deeply held beliefs are being questioned in the public square."

In that same speech, Bream talked about "religious oppression" and "religious liberty" - two code phrases popular with the anti-gay religious right.

Equality Matters also calls raises attention to Bream's behavior when supposedly covering news stories in an objective manner:

Fighting San Antonio’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance

San Antonio’s city council became the target of right-wing, anti-LGBT outrage over the summer as it considered an ordinance that would expand the city’s non-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity. On Fox News, Bream led the effort to depict the measure as an assault on religious free speech. During the July 31 edition of America Live, Bream incorrectly warned that the ordinance posed a “First Amendment rights issue,” potentially blocking the hiring of “anyone who speaks out against homosexuality because of their moral or religious beliefs.”

Bream invited right-wing San Antonio pastor Steven Branson for a one-sided interview in which they both criticized a provision of the measure which had been removed for more than a month at the time of the interview. Bream failed to correct Branson when he falsely suggested the ordinance lacked exemptions for religious organizations . . .

Hate Groups And Horror Stories

Bream’s fact-free campaign against San Antonio’s non-discrimination ordinance is a textbook example of how she approaches broadly attacking LGBT equality on Fox, including relying on hate group spokespersons to depict blatant acts of discrimination as a form of religious speech.
Some examples include:

• The New Mexico Photographer. On August 23, Bream hosted a segment defending a New Mexico photographer who was sued under the state’s non-discrimination law after refusing to photograph a same-sex couple’s commitment ceremony. Bream questioned whether gay people actually have a right to be free from unjust discrimination and invited the photographer’s attorney – from the notoriously anti-gay Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – to assert that the photographer was being forced to violate her religious beliefs by promoting a message approving homosexuality.

• Macy’s Transgender Customer. In December 2011, Bream hosted a segment about a former Macy’s employee who was fired after violating the company’s policy of allowing transgender customers to use their preferred changing room. Bream invited the employee and her attorney, anti-LGBT Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, to mock the policy and joke about the customer’s appearance. Bream described the incident as “a case pitting religious freedom against a store’s anti-discrimination policy.” Bream’s behavior during the segment drew criticism from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Bream seems to be the second Fox News personality who is allowing their personal religious beliefs to shape how they report the news. Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio has been consistently called out for not only his brazenly inaccurate reporting but also for his vicious comments about the lgbt community.

Bream, however, seems to be more of a danger to the lgbt community than Starnes.  While Starnes' comments and actions undermines his credibility, Bream tiptoes on that thin line between objectivity and bias, make sure to cheat when she thinks no one is looking.

'FRC claiming that 'straight soldiers' are victims of discrimination' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Perkins: Stop Discriminating Against Straight Soldiers! - More lies from Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council. 

Trans worker wins $50K in settlement over job bias - That's right, honey. You take that money and you deserve every penny of it. 

Mark Regnerus to join ADF at UN event - After his faulty anti-parenting study was destroyed, dissected, and devastated, I guess Mark Regnerus is now saying "to heck with integrity. show me the money."  

Orson Scott Card's New Job On North Carolina Public TV Board Comes Under Fire - Who thought of putting this bozo on public tv board.

NOM gives accidental compliment to the gay community

The following graphic is by the National Organization for Marriage in its latest fundraising appeal. My guess is that NOM meant for it to show the lgbt community as menacing warriors, but I don't take it as that.

The graphic doesn't insult me. On the other hand, it empowers me. I see it as typifying a community who was beset with anti-marriage equality fever in 2004 and suffered many losses from the Prop 8 vote in California to many smaller but nonethless equally bruising battles.

However, the lgbt never lost our resolve. We never allowed ourselves to succumb to defeat. No matter how many times we were beaten and Maggie Gallagher or Brian Brown would mock us, we never gave up. We - in the words of a famous pro wrestler whom I adore - "sweat, bleed, and paid the price."

And now, we are where we need to be. Not where we want to be, but at a much better place than where we were.

So no, NOM's graphic depicting the lgbt community as menacing warriors don't insult me and it shouldn't insult anyone else in the community.

We should own up to the distinction with pride. Hell, we earned it.

Media Matters calls out and destroys 'Matthew Shepard Trutherism'

By now, a lot of you are aware of a vile book coming out in October which will smear Matthew Shepard's name.

Openly gay author, Stephen Jimenez, is claiming that not only was Shepard's murder the result of a drug deal rather than because of anti-gay bias, but also Shepard and one of his murderers, Aaron McKinney, were lovers.

You can practically hear the religious right squealing and the concern trolls on our side of the spectrum rising up to defend this piece of hokum, even though Jimenez makes these assertions without an ounce of concrete evidence.

So it is again that I say THANK YOU to watchdog group Media Matters who reveals several facts about Jimenez's work which the religious right will deliberately omit and the mainstream media will probably accidentally omit.

I'm just going to give you some pertinent parts:

Right-wing media outlets are already celebrating a forthcoming book that claims that brutal 1998 murder of gay Wyoming teen Matthew Shepard - which became a rallying cry for LGBT activists - was actually fueled more by drug use than anti-gay bias.

In The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths about the Murder of Matthew Shepard, journalist Stephen Jimenez argues that Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson bludgeoned Shepard in a meth-fueled rage. Jimenez minimizes the role of anti-gay bias in the murder, writing that Shepard and McKinney had previously had sex and done meth together (an assertion that McKinney himself denies).

Although his report of a sexual history between Shepard and McKinney is new, Jimenez's central thesis - that drugs were the motivating factor in Shepard's murder - has been called into question before.

In November 2004, Jimenez co-produced a piece on the Shepard murder for ABC News' 20/20.  GLAAD highlighted key shortcomings in 20/20's report, including the lack of hard evidence that drugs were a factor and its failure to point out that McKinney himself had cited ant-gay bias as a central element in the case, even attempting to employ a "gay panic" defense at trial. Shepard's mother also condemned the report, criticizing its selective reading of evidence and accusing ABC of taking her comments out of context.

The 20/20 report neglected to mention another crucial detail: that Jimenez was a friend of Tim Newcomb, Henderson's defense attorney.

Most disturbingly, email correspondence revealed that the Jimenez had already decided that Shepard's murder wasn't an anti-gay hate crime before 20/20 even started its reporting. As Gay City News reported in December 2004:

Roughly two months before reporting began for a "20/20" piece on the Matthew Shepard killing, [Stephen Jimenez,] the freelance producer who sold the story to the ABC program had decided that methamphetamine motivated the murder and not anti-gay bias.

And barely two months into a six-month span of reporting on the piece, a "20/20" producer wrote in an e-mail that the "'hate crime' motivation of Shepard's death" was a "flawed theory."

Sean Maloney, a senior attorney at Willkie, Farr and Gallagher who represents the Matthew Shepard Foundation, said of "20/20"'s apparent prejudgment of the story, "This strikes us as bad journalism. There is a significant body of evidence that says that anti-gay bias played a role in Matt's death."

The November 26 story said that Aaron McKinney who, along with Russell Henderson, murdered Shepard on October 6, 1998 was fueled by meth. [emphasis added]

Media Matters goes on to detail the number of religious right groups and spokespeople who are now exploiting Jimenez's book to demonize the lgbt community at large.

I dare anyone to give me any crap about this book being written because of a "need to get the truth told."

 It's about money, pure and simple. And a group of hateful folks masquerading as Christians eager to besmirch the memory of a young man who cannot defend himself.

Where the hell is the decency in that?

'Religious right continues to lie about 'anti-Christian persecution' in military' and other Monday midday news briefs

As false horror story I posted about this morning about "anti-Christian" persecution in the military isn't enough, leave it to Matt Barber and Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel to create a new one.

 In other news:

  Fox's Erickson Complains That Media Outlets Aren't Anti-LGBT Enough - Poor baby. Heavy on the baby part.  

Pro-LGBT Tech Executives Back Anti-LGBT Candidate For Virginia Governor - With all due respect, Northern Virginia Technology Council’s political action committee , y'all stupid.

Nigerian Student Uses Magnets To 'Prove' Gay Marriage Is Wrong - Say what?

Religious right pushing a false narrative about anti-Christian persecution in the Air Force

Conservatives and the religious right are under the sad impression that they have found of story of anti-Christian discrimination in the military so juicy that the Family Research Council, the Liberty Counsel, entities of Fox News, and even Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association are teaming up to talk about it.

Let me give you the gist of the story via the words of FRC's Peter Sprigg:

Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk told Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio that his openly lesbian commander at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio,Texas had essentially forced him into taking leave rather than completing his assignment. (A Lackland spokesman denied that Monk was punished, insisting to Starnes that he was simply at the end of his assignment.)

Monk was caught in the middle of a situation which involved an instructor who was subjected to an investigation for having told trainees that he opposed homosexual "marriage." Investigators sought to determine whether the unnamed instructor had slandered homosexuals and created a "hostile work environment."

Monk's job was to advise the commander on disciplinary action. According to Monk, however, the commander said from the outset that "we need to lop off the head of this guy." Monk concluded that the instructor's remarks were innocuous, and suggested instead that the incident could teach everyone - on both sides of the debate over homosexuality - about "tolerance" and "diversity."

In the end, the instructor was disciplined with a "letter of counseling" in his official file. The commander, however, demanded to know from Monk "if you can see discrimination if somebody says that they don't agree with homosexual marriage." Monk refused to answer because, "As a matter of conscience I could not answer the question the way the commander wanted me to." Instead, he "said that perhaps it would be best if he went on leave," and the commander agreed.

Monk said to Starnes, "I'm told that members of the Air Force don't have freedom of speech. They don't have the right to say anything that goes against Air Force policy." However, if the homosexual Air Force officer involved in this case thinks that "Air Force policy" requires rejecting the policy choice of three quarters of the States to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, she should think again.

But according to Equality Matters:

Try as Starnes might to depict the investigation of Monk as an all-out assault on conservative Christians in the military, it's clear that Monk's harsh words for his Air Force superiors may well have breached military regulations on soldiers' conduct. Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits soldiers from engaging in speech or actions "of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces." Going to the media with unfounded allegations that the Air Force is retaliating against Christians would likely merit an investigation under Article 134.

But Starnes asserted that Monk's case indicates widespread punishment of Christians in the military. Alas, this claim is based on nothing more than hearsay. An attorney for the Liberty Institute - which has a history of pushing trumped-up, unfounded "religious liberty" cases - told Starnes that "there must be some sort of systemic problem in the Air Force," while a local pastor told Starnes that he "hear[s] it every Sunday at church" that life at Lackland is becoming "difficult" for Christians.

And according to Media Matters, who reported on the situation and the fact that the Liberty Counsel is taking up Monk's case:

While Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk claims his anti-marriage equality views led him to be relieved of his duties, there's no evidence, besides the sensationalistic coverage of far-right news outlets, that that's actually the case. After devoting four minutes to touting the Liberty Institute's claims, Bream briskly noted that officials at Lackland Air Force Base said Monk was at the end of his assignment. A spokesperson for the base told Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes that while Monk and his lesbian commander did disagree on marriage equality, they "agreed to disagree," adding "the wing commander said there was no punishment."

The one constant in this strange is how the narrative of anti-Christian is being driven by the religious right and conservatives. According to Todd Starnes of Fox News, Monk is now being brought up on charges for repeating his tale.

Of course the irony of Starnes' story is while the headlines pushes the idea that Christians are being persecuted in the military, it doesn't even look like Starnes even tried to get the Air Force's side of the story.

Why should we be surprised at how conservatives and the religious right are pushing this story? It's a formula we have seen before - take a potential controversy, report on it in a half-assed way, bombard the media with the side of  the story you support, and finally take your victory before the truth even has a chance to put on its track shoes.

For folks to engage in this scurrilous propaganda is one thing, but for those who claim to be Christians while engaging in this underhanded tactic is positively nauseating.
 

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.