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