Thursday, September 26, 2013

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.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

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.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

'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:


 

Monday, September 23, 2013

'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:

Friday, September 20, 2013

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:


Thursday, September 19, 2013

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. RaĂşl 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.” 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

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.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

'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.