The bizarre irony of Eminem's homophobic lyrics . . .

Now I generally don't like to cover entertainment issues because I feel that the lgbt community has too much celebrity on the brain. A lot of times, we are not in the business of training leaders because wait for the latest celebrity to come out of the closet and then anoint that person as our spokesperson.

However, I do believe in pointing out basic strange ironies and the situation regarding rapper Eminem's new album is a huge one. I am of the belief that if I don't point this irony out, no one will.

From the Huffington Post:

So is this the real Slim Shady?

Notoriously profane rap star Eminem has for years been criticized for lyrics that routinely use slurs of all flavors, not to mention violent and abusive rhetoric. Now the rapper has decided homophobic slurs are fair game once again, releasing a new single, "Rap God," which references "faggots" and "gay boys." 

More than six minutes long and chockfull of lightning-fast braggadocio, "Rap God" -- off the upcoming album "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" -- includes Eminem boasting in the first verse about how he'd like to "break a motherf----r's table over the back of a couple faggots and crack it in half." Later on in the second verse, the rapper includes the following description in a long riff on different kinds of "boys":

Little gay-looking boy / So gay I can barely say it with a straight face-looking boy / You witnessing massacre like you watching a church gathering taking place-looking boy / 'Oy vey, that boy's gay,' that's all they say looking-boy / You take a thumbs up, pat on the back, the way you go from your label every day-looking boy.

I want to get angry at Eminem because lyrics like this have no place in popular music, but I can't because the irony of the entire situation has me scratching my head.

Now I'm certainly not calling Eminem gay because I don't know his sexual orientation, but I am saying that his embracing of homophobic lyrics is bizarre in light of the fact that this young man has probably shown his bare butt more than most gay men I know.

So far, Eminem has mooned folks at the 2004 Video Music Awards

on a television show in Germany in 2004

and several other places including red carpet events and music videos.

And I haven't even mentioned the Sacha Baron Cohen incident where, while Eminem did not show his rear, he was in an extremely close proximity to buttocks.

My thing is this - come on, Eminem. If you are going to rap negatively about gay people, first let's hear about the fact that many of us have probably seen your butt more than that of George Michael's.

But at least George Michael kept his pants on.

'The two most important articles you will read about lgbt equality in a long time' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

For those who care about lgbt equality in the United States and worldwide, the following two articles by John Becker and John Aravosis are the most important posts you will read in a long time: 

Enthusiasm Gap on LGBT Issues at Values Voter Summit
 

Homophobia Inc. and America’s newest export: Hate (Part 3 of 3) 

In other news: 

 How Eager Is Conservative Media To Demonize Transgender Youth? - Very eager. Even to the point of spreading false stories. 

 5 Flawed Arguments Officials Are Using To Defend Utah’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban - to the lgbt community, flawed anti-gay arguments are like guests we can't get rid of, meaning that we have seen these before.  

MassResistance's Camenker: Gay Couples Enter Businesses And "Fondl[e] Each Other" To Test Owners' Tolerance - Just in case you need a primer, Camenker is lying through his teeth.  

Fox's Starnes Can't Stop Defending Anti-Gay Hate Group - Calling Todd Starnes out on his lies is so enjoyable that it should be fattening.

Attorneys calls attention to, refutes claims in Matthew Shepard book

It's safe to assume the new book regarding Matthew Shepard's murder is not exactly hitting the spots to change the narrative of that awful crime.

To recap - Author Stephen Jimenez claims via his book that Shepard's murder was not the result of homophobia but a drug deal gone wrong and that also Shepard and one of his murderers had sex.

The book, while celebrated by conservatives and the religious right, has been justifiably condemned pretty much everywhere else.

And since I am a proponent of smashing until consuming (it's a Biblical reference), allow me to spotlight another condemnation courtesy of Equality Matters. Amongst other things, apparently Jimenez's anonymous source for his ugly spin on the crime wasn't all that trustworthy:

The appellate attorney who represented an accomplice in the 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard assailed author Stephen Jimenez's book suggesting that Shepard's murder was fueled by meth, not anti-gay hate.

In a statement provided to Equality Matters, attorney Tim Newcomb - whom Jimenez lists as a source in The Book of Matt - responded to Jimenez's claim in a recent interview that Newcomb's criticism of the book is invalid because Newcomb was an appellate attorney and not involved in the Shepard case from the beginning. As a longtime resident of Laramie, the small college town where Shepard was brutally murdered, Newcomb said in his statement that unlike Jimenez, he has a long-standing familiarity with the tight-knight community:

Unlike the author, who visited Laramie from New York a year and a half [after Shepard's murder], I was an attorney living in Laramie, and had been for several years, when Matthew was murdered. I mention that only because Laramie has few people and we tend to know of each other. Hidden truths behind notorious crimes are as rare as windless winters.

Moreover, as the appellate attorney for Russell Henderson, Aaron McKinney's accomplice in Shepard's killing, Newcomb dealt with one of Jimenez's apparent sources, who claimed to know the "hidden truths" in the murder. In his statement, Newcomb described how -- like many of Jimenez's other sources -- this man put forth multiple shifting stories, including the theory that Shepard's murder wasn't motivated by homophobia:

During the time I represented Russell, a man called his grandmother, saying he had been Matthew's lover and had his diary. I called him and asked if that was true. He told me it was, so I asked for a copy. His story shifted; his sister had the diary. I asked that she send me a copy. His story shifted again. She wouldn't show it to anyone because she feared for his life. I asked why he called Russell's grandmother then; eventually, he seemed to suggest that he didn't have enough money.

Our conversation ended but I'm told he became a source for a recently published book rewriting Matthew's murder, claiming that McKinney did not target Matthew because he was gay.

For more of this story, go here to Equality Matters.

'10 ways the religious right showed their homophobic asses at the Values Voter Summit' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

10 Disgusting Things Said About LGBT People At The Values Voter Summit - Hold your stomachs and get your barf bags ready. Of another way of putting it would be 10 reasons why American Christianity is so discredited. 

Despite Constitutional Ban, A North Carolina Clerk Accepts First Same-Sex Marriage Applications - And we are suing for marriage equality in South Carolina. This is getting GOOD!

Trans Student Attacking Girls in School Restroom! Or, you know… not - More transphobic lies bites the dust.

 Fox News’ Todd Starnes attempts to defend anti-gay hate group via lies, omissions - I know. I wrote it and featured it before but in my defense, it's an exclusive for Justice for All and thus has not appeared on this blog. Plus, I think I come close to reaching my inner Truman Capote.

Rachel Maddow calls out NOM for anti-gay actions in Russia

While this is a few days old, it is VERY appropriate. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC calls out the National Organization for Marriage for its role in Russia's persecution of its lgbt citizens.

Anita Bryant pie incident deserves intelligent analysis

Thirty-six years ago today, anti-gay activist Anita Bryant was struck in the face with a pie during a press conference. Bryant at that time had gained prominence for her successful fight against pro-gay ordinances via vigils, public events, and speeches where she combined her religious belief that homosexuality was a sin with false horror stories about gays raping and "recruiting" children.

 Many folks in my community have cheered the above incident and have talked about how anti-gay activists these days need to have the same thing done to them. Others have actually imitated the pie throwers in their own way with the "glitter bombing" mania a while back.

I'm probably going to get called out and yelled at for this but I despise the above video. Don't get me wrong. When Bryant begins crying while praying for those who hit her with the pie, I really don't feel sorry for her.

But in a general sense, I've always felt that smacking Bryant in the face with a pie was an awful thing to do. And I bristle every time I hear one of us, expressing more of a desire to vent than to be intelligent, start wishing that we go back to physically attacking our opponents.

Some of us want to be all snarky about how Bryant is a "b#!@*" who deserved the pie in the face, but remember this. Bryant not only succeeded in her endeavors (at the cost of her career) but laid the groundwork for the hard road the lgbt community now trods in pursuit of our equality.

You see, Bryant was probably the first to spread lies about the lgbt community under the visage of "religious liberty"  to beat back pro-lgbt laws.  But she wasn't the last. From her tendrils sprung Paul Cameron, the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, and even the National Organization for Marriage.

And while we cheer Bryant getting hit in the face with a pie, while we plan more acts of public protests, or while we wax nostagically about "zapping" anti-gay activists, that crucial point of our history is being ignored.

We have the unfortunate belief that public incidents of civil disobedience or those designed to attract attention will get us where we need to go. We have to get away from this mindset.

It's time we stop thinking that media attention alone is something we need to aim for. Equality is our goal. Media attention is merely a tactic. Some of us have gotten the tactic mixed up with the goal.

What happened to Bryant 36 years ago must never be imitated by any of us.

'Documentary showcases religious right damage to Ugandan gays' and other Monday midday news briefs

'God Loves Uganda': American Evangelicals Export Their Anti-Gay Message - It still turns my stomach when I think of what the American religious right did to the lgbt community in Uganda. 

Black Christian Group working for LGBTQ rights from within Black Churches - Good news to cheer you up after the depressing first news brief.  

Pro-discrimination Prop 8 proponents still in search of a court that'll buy into fables - The poor, pitiful pro-Prop 8 forces in California still fighting a war which they lost.  

Be Out, Be Healthy, Get Covered: Answers To 10 Queer Questions About Obamacare - A MUST for every LGBT in America.

 It Gets Even Worse: New Russian Bill Seeks To Ban Same-Sex Surrogacy - Pretty soon, Russia will create a law which will seek lgbts from even gazing upon children. My statement was a joke but we are at red alert conditions here.  

The 15 Best Reactions To National Coming Out Day - Nice!

Sandy Rios proves the hypocrisy and unrelenting ignorance of the religious right

Something interesting just happened at that ridiculous Values Voter Summit which I need to point out because it proves the point I and so many others have been making about the religious right.

Earlier this week,People For the American way joined with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Faithful America, GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza sent a letter to every public official who was scheduled to attend this summit asking them to cancel. That letter found its way in the hands of Sandy Rios of Concerned Women for America and she read part of it from the podium just now:

 It's fascinating to me that Rios read only a part of the letter and claimed that it proves that this is a "dangerous time to be a Christian conservative." However, here is the part of the letter she did not read and I doubt will address:

The FRC has amassed an extensive record of vilifying gays and lesbians with falsehoods – portraying them as sick, evil, incestuous, violent, perverted, and a danger to the nation.

Perhaps its most insidious claim is that gay men molest children at a far higher rate than heterosexual men – a claim refuted by all credible scientific authorities, including the American Psychological Association. Yet the FRC has continued to smear gays and lesbians by claiming that pedophilia, in the words of FRC President Tony Perkins, “is a homosexual problem.” Perkins also says the “It Gets Better” campaign, an initiative designed to give LGBT students hope for a better tomorrow, is “disgusting” and part of a “concerted effort” to “recruit” children into the gay “lifestyle.” One senior FRC official has even argued that homosexuality should be illegal.

The AFA’s Bryan Fischer, who serves as the group’s spokesman and director of issue analysis, frequently blames homosexuality for the Holocaust and Nazi Party: “Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and 6 million dead Jews.” He also promotes the views of the American architect of the “Kill the Gays” bill in Uganda. Demonizing the LGBT community has consequences. As FBI data demonstrate, it is one of the groups most likely to be victimized by violent hate crimes. Defaming them publicly day after day – as the FRC and the AFA do – only throws fuel on the fire.

So Rios is using the letter to make it seem that Christian conservatives are being "victimized," only after omitting the portion which calls attention to the simple fact that the organizations she is defending are guilty of demonizing, vilifying, and basically bearing false witness against lgbt community.

So in a way, Rios is right. It is a dangerous time to be a Christian conservative but not for the reason she wants us to think.

Seems to me that if being a Christian conservative commands you to show hate and bigotry against a group of people and then hiding this hate and bigotry by either the "sin of omission" (such as Rios just did) or behind a false image of "Christian beliefs," you have serious problems.

In fact, to paraphrase an old saying, you have 99 problems but the lgbt community and our allies aren't one of them.

Right-wing activist - Gay people should 'keep it private'

As mentioned before, taking place this weekend is that dreadfully repugnant "Values Voter" summit put on by the Family Research Council.

A key part of this monstrosity of an event is always the awful anti-gay comments. And this is evidenced by the following video of a speech which just took place by right-wing activist Star Parker:



Sorry, Star Parker (and by the way, you are so unaptly named), but neither me nor any of my lgbt brothers and sisters will follow different rules of behavior from folks like yourself. We will not keep our families, our relationships, and our very lives "private" simply because you have a hang up about sexual intercourse.

That's YOUR problem, not ours.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch who has taken the awful task of live tweeting this event. I think the organization deserves some type of perpetual award for that one.

Also, let's keep up the twitter bombing:

 RT #VVS13 How They See Us: Unmasking the #ReligiousRight War on #Gay America http://www.scribd.com/doc/119413856/

Know Your LGBT History - 25 years of National Coming Out Day

Enjoy this video retrospective of 25 years of National Coming Out Day and pat yourselves on the back. We as a people have come a long way.

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Happy National Coming Out Day' and other Friday midday news briefs

 

In other news: 

 Video: Latest PR campaign in religious right's push to sell discrimination as 'religious freedom' - Here we go again. ANOTHER fake case of a violation of so-called "religious liberty" by lgbts.  

Rubio: There Is A 'Rising Tide Of Intolerance" Against Conservative Christians - Unfortunately, as the nation celebrates National Coming Out Day, the Family Research Council is holding its annual "Values Voter" summit. Expect more false rhetoric like this to be uttered throughout the weekend.  

CWA Spokeswoman: DOMA Decision Will Cause 'Pain,' 'Hurt Women And Hurt Men' - Because fairness and equality generally does that sort of thing. (Double serious sarcasm alert).  

Hate Spewing Family Research Council Asks, Why So Angry, Bro? - No comment (jive @#^!)  

California law ensures LGBT seniors get respectful, competent elder care - Let's end these news briefs on positive note!

Editor's note - to those who possess a twitter account, let's play a game. Let's twitterbomb the Values Voter Summit with the following:

 RT #VVS13 How They See Us: Unmasking the #ReligiousRight War on #Gay America http://www.scribd.com/doc/119413856/

Marriage equality inching closer to reality in New Jersey with judge's ruling

Looks like in spite of objections from Gov. Chris Christie, marriage equality may be coming to New Jersey . . . at least for the time being.

From The Huffington Post:

A New Jersey judge has denied a request from Gov. Chris Christie's administration to delay the start of gay marriage in the state until after a legal appeal is final.

The ruling Thursday from Judge Mary Jacobson moves the state a step closer to start recognizing same-sex nuptials on Oct. 21. That's the day Jacobson had said in a previous ruling that the marriages had to be allowed.

But Christie's administration is expected to appeal the denial to a higher court.

The administration has already asked the state Supreme Court to reverse Jacobson's earlier ruling that the state has to allow gay couples to get married.

'Researcher complains that NOM distorted his research to attack gay families' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Researcher Slams NOM Bigot Douglas Allen - So a researcher whose work the National Organization for Marriage distorted is crying foul. Honey, when it comes to complaints about religious right distortions of legitimate research, you need to get in line. It's a long line.  

Font of unfiltered animus say it's 'hatred' to track dangerous rhetoric like his - So let me get this straight, Bryan Fischer. It's perfectly normal for you to call lgbts everything but "children of God" but it's hatred to point out the fact that you call lgbts everything but "children of God." 

STUDY: Stigma Limits Self-Disclosure Of Gay Identities And Anti-Gay Attitudes - In other words, comments like those from Bryan Fischer and other members of the religious right create a stigma against the lgbt community. And this stigma hinders those in the closet from coming out. And quite frankly, can you blame them?  

Staver: DOMA Decision Is 'Contrary To The Natural Created Order Of God Almighty' - Then you should have been able to defend DOMA much better in court, don't you think?

  The Family Leader, Right Wing Christian Organization, Slams LGBT Victories - Poor babies

Did anti-gay activist violate American law during trip to Russia?

Brian Brown

Neither Brian Brown nor the National Organization for Marriage is coming clean about Brown's trip to Russia where he made a speech against gay parenting, but they may have to soon.

From the Huffington Post:

National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown made a shocking claim last month that he engaged in a unpublicized trip to Moscow to meet with members of the Russian Duma in June. His intention? To collaborate on legislation that would ban gay foreigners from adopting children from the former Soviet Union.

Now, Brown is coming under fire by Fred Karger, President of Rights Equal Rights, who claims that Brown's actions to help pass this legislation with Russian officials violates The Logan Act, a federal statute that states that it is a crime for a U.S. citizen to confer with foreign governments against the interest of the United States or without authorization of the American government.


In a letter addressed to Secretary of State John Kerry and Attorney General of the United States Eric H. Holder Jr.,, Karger states:

The presentations by NOM’s Brian Brown were apparently very effective. Five days later, the Duma passed a ban on the adoption of Russian children by same-sex couples and by single people living in countries that allow marriage equality.  

Immediately after Mr. Brown’s meetings and testimony in the Russian capital, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a severe crackdown on LGBT rights, affecting all LGBT visitors to Russia to include Americans.

If Mr. Brown did travel to Moscow with French religious leaders with the express intention of furthering discrimination against LGBT Russians and all LGBT travelers to Russia, this could be in direct conflict with current United States laws.

For the record, Karger has been a long-time gadfly and disruptor of NOM's goals of ending marriage equality. The former presidential candidate and gay Republican has filed many lawsuits against the organization over disclosure and campaign finance laws in states across the country.

In addition to winning a number of these lawsuits, Karger's actions has also had other negative effects on NOM. It was his lawsuit in Maine over NOM's failure to follow that state's disclosure laws which led to the discovery of the organization's infamous "wedge strategy. This strategy was designed to pit the gay and African-American communities against one another in an attempt to cause problems for President Obama's re-election campaign.

'NOM in trouble with Chicago Tribune' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

NOM's Brian Brown Falsely Attributes Hate-Group Quote To Chicago Tribune - And the Chicago Tribune is NOT happy about it. 

The Values Voter Summit is bringing anti-LGBT extremism back to the fore - Everything you wanted to know about the attendees of the Family Research Council's upcoming "Values Voter" summit. I hope you got a strong stomach and not prone to high blood pressure. 

 Knight: State Should Remove Transgender Child From Home, Charge Parents With Abuse - Robert Knight, my personal nemesis. The only religious right talking head I ever had the opportunity to question face-to-face. It was fun. And his column would be funny if he wasn't dead serious.  

‘Valentine Road’ And The Institutional Failures That Enable Anti-LGBT Bullying - This is such a sad documentary. It takes another look at the murder of high school student Lawrence “Larry” King by his classmate Brandon McInerney

Six methods of lies the anti-gay right uses against the lgbt community

Maggie Gallagher of NOM

Earlier today, I published a post detailing how the National Organization for Marriage was using a junk science study to prop up another discredited study. This post put me in the mind to repeat six techniques used by religious right groups in order to dehumanize and bear false witness against the lgbt community. I've listed them before but a reminder is in order.



1. Using nonrepresentative or out of date studies to make generalizations, or distorting legitimate studies to give misleading conclusions about gays.

Example 1:

“In a major Canadian centre, life expectancy at age twenty for gay and bisexual men is eight to twenty years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality were to continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged twenty years will not reach their sixty-fifth birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871.” - Getting it Straight, Family Research Council


Truth - In 2001, the researchers of this study complained about how it was being misused. They explained what they actually meant and how it is not feasible to use their work to claim that gay men have a "short life span."

Example 2:

 Alan P. Bell and Martin S. Weinberg studied 574 white male homosexuals, 100 percent of whom had already had at least three sexual partners, 97 percent at least ten, 75 percent at least one hundred, and 28 percent at least one thousand. - House Dems Try to Hide Homosexual Agenda on “Bullying” Bill, American Family Association of Michigan

Truth - Bell and Weinberg’s study was compiled in the 1970s. They used the study to write the book Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity among Men and Women. In Homosexualities is this statement:

“. . . given the variety of circumstances which discourage homosexuals from participating in research studies, it is unlikely that any investigator will ever be in a position to say that this or that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals.” 

2. Repetition - No matter how many times a religious right factoid about the lgbt community has been proven to be false, keep repeating it as truth. An unfortunate example of this was shown last week by Religious Right Watch. When a study created by Mark Regnerus about the so-called effects of gay parenting was discredited several times in this country, it was referred to and repeated in Russia as evidence of why the country needed to "crack down" on its lgbt citizens.

3.  Conspiracy Theory:

Example:

The ultimate goal of homosexual-rights activists is not to legalize same-sex marriage. Rather, it is to silence those who disagree with them and, if necessary, to throw them in jail. In a world in which the biblical viewpoint of marriage is demonized, it does not take a constitutional scholar to predict that soon those who hold that view will find themselves in court. - Gary Bauer, June 7, 2013, The Washington Times

4. Dire Consequences 

Example: 

NOM is working all across the country to wake people up to the fact that redefining marriage poses an enormous and imminent threat to our precious religious liberties. But we need your help to reach more people and build the grassroots coalition needed to stop these abuses in their tracks. Please click here right away to support NOM's work to defend marriage and the religious liberties of individuals who stand up for it. - National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown in a recent fundraising letter.

Anti-gay group's latest attempt to create junk science on gay households is simply pathetic

Maggie Gallagher

In the midst of all the mess of this government shutdown, the National Organization for Marriage is trying to establish credibility for a discredited anti-gay parenting study via a tactic I like to call "propping."

Last week, the New Civil Rights Movement posted the following:

Maggie Gallagher Touts Another Regnerus-Type Anti-Gay Parenting ‘Study’.

In the article, former NOM head Maggie Gallagher claims that this is "yet another study" which proves the so-called dangers of gay parenting. The point is to build up the credibility of the Mark Regnerus study, which the organization and other members of the religious right attempted to use in order to sway the Supreme Court in its argument involving DOMA and Prop 8.

That didn't work because the lgbt community, specifically the bloggers like myself,  and watchdog sites like Equality Matters were quick to keep this from gaining credibility by pointing out its numerous, numerous faults. In addition, several of Regnerus' colleagues took him to task.

So with this so-called new study, Gallagher seems to be attempting to build up, or "prop up" the credibility of the discredited Regenerus study. However, the New Civil Rights Movement didn't let her get away with it:

Curiously, Gallagher does not mention that the study’s author, Douglas Allen (image), is on the board of NOM’s Ruth Institute, or that he has a rather ugly perception of LGBT people. (Surprise!)

Then there’s this.

“An article written by Professor Douglas W. Allen — who has previously claimed that lesbian relationships are unstable, unhealthy, and promiscuous – repeats a number of classic anti-gay talking points about the legal ramifications of legalizing same-sex marriage,” Equality Matters wrote last year, “including the claim that allowing gay couples to marry will somehow result in more heterosexual divorces.”

Think I'm being a bit "paranoid" about the attempt by NOM to "prop up" Regnerus' discredited study on gay parenting? Check out this post by Jeremy Hooper.

Hooper is pointing out that Regnerus is attempting himself to prop up the second study by publishing a glowing article on it in on online magazine Public Discourse. Of course, Hooper conveniently points out that Public Discourse is a project run by the Witherspoon Institute, the organization who was one of the funders of Regnerus' original discredited mess to the tune of $695,000.

And let me add my little bit - The Witherspoon Institute is affiliated with NOM and the NOM's Ruth Institute. The Ruth Institute, you will remember from earlier in this post, is the same organization who just happens to have Douglas Allen (the author of the second anti-gay parenting study) on its board.

It's simply pitiful how easy it was to disassemble this latest shuck-and-jive by NOM and Gallagher. I almost miss the days when those attempting to spread anti-gay propaganda weren't so sloppy and transparent in their methods. It's as if they aren't even trying anymore.

Related post: What Media Outlets Should Know About The Latest Same-Sex Parenting Study - Equality Matters blisters this latest junk study by NOM.

Congressional leaders called out for mingling with anti-gay hate groups

This ad is awesome and we need more of stuff like this. I've seen that when we call out the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, and other anti-gay groups, we put them on the defensive for a change:



According to Faithful America, the group which put out the ad:

 Faithful America, a national Christian organization, is airing a new TV ad that calls on Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes to cancel his upcoming appearance at a Washington, D.C. luncheon sponsored by the American Family Association, a fringe hate group whose spokesman has blamed America for 9/11, claimed gays caused the Holocaust, said black people “rut like rabbits” and argued that women have no place in politics. Watch the new ad, “There’s nothing Christian about hate,” which is running this week in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District.

“As founder and chair of the so-called Congressional Prayer Caucus, Rep. Randy Forbes holds up himself up as a Christian leader in Washington, D.C. But there's nothing Christian about the hateful rhetoric of the American Family Association. Thousands of Christians across America are calling on Rep. Forbes to cancel this appearance.” said Faithful America executive director Michael Sherrard.

The American Family Association and its spokesman, Bryan Fischer, have a long track record of extremism. During the last election, Mitt Romney confronted the group, calling out its “poisonous language” and lack of “decency.” The AFA has officially been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its outrageous and bigoted statements about gays, which include: “Homosexuality gave us Adolf Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and 6 million dead Jews.”

Faithful America’s new TV ad comes on the heels of a national petition to Congressman Forbes, which was launched last week and so far has over 12,000 signatures.

Faithful America will run the new TV ad throughout the week and deliver its petitions to the Congressman’s office ahead of the American Family Association luncheon at the Values Voter Summit. The luncheon is scheduled for 12:15 PM on Friday and set to feature Rep. Forbes and Buddy Smith, AFA’s Executive Vice President.

Faithful America is not the only group bringing attention to the problem with Congressional leaders mingling with groups who preach anti-gay rhetoric. According to Right Wing Watch:

On Friday, People For the American way joined with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Faithful America, GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza to send a letter to every public official scheduled to speak at this year’s Values Voter Summit, urging them to withdraw from the event. Among the scheduled speakers are Sens. Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Tim Scott and Reps. Paul Ryan, Randy Forbes, Michele Bachmann, Jim Bridenstine, Louie Gohmert, Jim Jordan, Steve King, Steve Scalise and Scott Turner.

The letter [pdf] reads in part:

We understand that you’ve been invited to speak at the upcoming Values Voter Summit being held in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 11-13. Given the demonizing lies about the LGBT community spread by the host, the Family Research Council (FRC), and another major sponsor of the event, the American Family Association (AFA), we urge you to not lend the prestige of your office to the summit. The FRC has amassed an extensive record of vilifying gays and lesbians with falsehoods – portraying them as sick, evil, incestuous, violent, perverted, and a danger to the nation.

 Perhaps its most insidious claim is that gay men molest children at a far higher rate than heterosexual men – a claim refuted by all credible scientific authorities, including the American Psychological Association. Yet the FRC has continued to smear gays and lesbians by claiming that pedophilia, in the words of FRC President Tony Perkins, “is a homosexual problem.” Perkins also says the “It Gets Better” campaign, an initiative designed to give LGBT students hope for a better tomorrow, is “disgusting” and part of a “concerted effort” to “recruit” children into the gay “lifestyle.” One senior FRC official has even argued that homosexuality should be illegal.

The AFA’s Bryan Fischer, who serves as the group’s spokesman and director of issue analysis, frequently blames homosexuality for the Holocaust and Nazi Party: “Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and 6 million dead Jews.” He also promotes the views of the American architect of the “Kill the Gays” bill in Uganda. Demonizing the LGBT community has consequences. As FBI data demonstrate, it is one of the groups most likely to be victimized by violent hate crimes. Defaming them publicly day after day – as the FRC and the AFA do – only throws fuel on the fire.

The bigotry of the FRC and the AFA is not limited to gays and lesbians. Fischer, for example, has said that African Americans “rut like rabbits” and argued that women should be kicked out of politics and the military. He’s also stated that Hispanics are “socialists by nature” and come here to “plunder” our country. The FRC’s executive vice president, Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, has said Jews must be converted to Christianity and has argued that “Islam is not a religion and does not deserve First Amendment protections” – a statement that is antithetical to American ideals.

Even if these groups fail to convince members of Congress to withdraw from the Values Voter Summit, as far as I'm concerned they have won the battle by bringing attention to not only the homophobic rhetoric spewed by these phony Christian groups, but also how members of Congress seem to have no problem giving it a pass.

'Conservative magazine devotes entire issue to smearing lgbts' and other Monday midday news briefs

Conservative magazine: LGBT people are secret weapons - And entire issue devoted to smearing the lgbt community. What have we done to be so lucky?  

Liberty Counsel: Teaching Students About LGBT People Is "Sexual Assault" - These people have a strange idea of sexual assault.  

Rainbow American Flag Sparks Controversy At Middle Tennessee State University - Oh boy. Batten down the hatches Part 1. For the record, I personally like what was done to the flag. It symbolizes that its our America too.

 Columbia, SC Police Officers Defy Orders to March in Gay Pride Parade Over Religious Beliefs: VIDEO - Batten down the hatches Part 2. And in my city at a Pride in which I participated no less.  

New California Law Will Allow Children More Than Two Legal Parents - The headline is a mess. This law needs to be explained.

'Former Fox producer, discredited study playing roles in Russia's anti-gay crackdown' and other Friday midday news briefs

Longtime Fox News Producer Testified In Support Of Russia's Anti-Gay Laws - The rotten apple doesn't far from the tree, does it. First we find out that NOM was involved, and now a former Fox News producer. How many more Americans were involved in pushing anti-gay laws in Russia? This is slowly but surely blowing up to be a huge controversy. 

Regnerus Whines and Lies at RNA Conference - I wouldn't be surprised if THIS guy was involved also. Meanwhile as this article shows, he is catching a lot of flack for that discredited anti-gay study he pushed last year.  

Globalizing Homophobia, Part 3: A New Life for Discredited Research - Guess what. Regnerus was involved in pushing anti-gay laws in Russia via his discredited study.

 STUDY: Undocumented Transgender Immigrants Face High Levels Of Discrimination - This is awful!  

University Of Mississippi's 'The Laramie Project' Production Interrupted By Students, Athletes Yelling Anti-Gay Slurs - The ignorance on display here is just sad.