More Tuesday Male Beauty

Was Santorum's Endorsement by the Christian Right Rigged?

I love it! Nothing is more fun than watching the Kool-Aid drinkers get in a brawl and start attacking one another. And that seems to be precisely what is happening in the wake of Rick Santorum's supposed endorsement by a coven of roughly 150 Christofacsists over this past weekend at a conclave held at a ranch in Texas. Increasingly, it sounds like the outcome may have been rigged and that Tony Perkins - what a surprise - was lying when he claimed that a consensus had been reached by the self-anointed and self-congratulatory pious ones. It is also perhaps noteworthy that the coven met before coverage of Karen Santorum's abortion doctor former boyfriend swept across the Internet. Michelle Goldberg has a piece at The Daily Beast that looks at the growing acrimony and back stabbing going on by those of us in the LGBT love to hate. Here are some highlights:

The attempt to unify the Christian right behind a single presidential candidate is already coming undone. On Friday and Saturday, about 150 religious conservatives gathered in Texas to see if they could coalesce behind an alternative to Mitt Romney. When the meeting ended, Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, announced that they had succeeded, with a supermajority of those present backing Rick Santorum.

Some attendees, though, say the process was rigged in Santorum’s favor. “I’m trying to correct the record,” former congressman J. C. Watts, a Newt Gingrich supporter, told me. “There wasn’t a consensus.”

He’s [Watts] not the only one making such claims. Doug Wead, an evangelical outreach official in the Bush administration, was the meeting’s lone Ron Paul supporter. According to the Washington Times, he voiced suspicions that “organizers ‘manipulated’ the gathering and may even have stuffed the ballot to produce an endorsement” of Santorum. “By the time the weekend was over, it was clear that this had been definitely planned all along as a Rick Santorum event,” Wead told the paper.

All this means that with less than a week until the South Carolina primary, the religious right is as far from consensus as it ever was. The movement’s diffuse enthusiasms were evident at a Monday afternoon Faith and Freedom Coalition rally in Myrtle Beach, where all the candidates spoke . . .

Rick Perry’s appeal was the most overtly theocratic. Speaking of gays and lesbians, Perry said, “I hate your sin, but I love you.” If voters support him, he said, “We can build more than just a winning campaign. We can bring about the next great awakening in this world.” This was met with applause, though it’s hard to find anyone in South Carolina who still takes his bid for the nomination seriously. Romney isn’t particularly comfortable in such milieus, but the crowd reacted enthusiastically to his promise to fight China’s one-child policy.

[T]he contest for the group’s affections was between Santorum and Gingrich. Santorum urged the audience to overlook whatever they’ve heard about electability.

And so the would be GOP presidential nominee clown car and its theocratic hangers on continues to roll across America. The rest of the world must be shaking its head in dismay at the pathetic choices the GOP has fielded.

Coven of Haters Protests the Southern Poverty Law Center

As a number blogs including Pam's House Blend have reported, a gathering of extreme anti-gay zealots descended on the offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center ("SPLC") in Montgomery, Alabama, to whine and bloviate over the SPLC's designation of some of them as anti-gay hate groups. No one loves to play the victim more that truth and veracity challenged Christianists who feel that they have a license to lie without the least compunction about others. When in contrast, someone like the SPLC speaks the documented truth about them, they disingenuously wail and gnash their teeth. I'm sorry, but with these folks, Christianisty is all about hate and little else. Fortunately, the SPLC set the record about these protesters on its website. And, as the photo above indicates, once again black pastors allowed themselves to be co-opted as water carriers for those who in truth are white supremacists. Here are highlights:

Today at noon, a group of the nastiest gay-bashers in America plans to hold a press conference in front of the Montgomery, Ala., offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which publishes this blog. Claiming that the SPLC is engaged in a “campaign to demonize adherents of traditional Judeo-Christian morality,” the white organizers of the press conference are bringing along a set of black pastors in a presumed bid to embarrass the SPLC, a 40-year-old anti-racist civil rights organization.

The irony is that SPLC has named five of the participating organizations as hate groups precisely because they demonize LGBT people, using a series of well-worn lies to paint gays and lesbians as perverts, pedophiles and worse. Despite the claims of the groups, the SPLC is not attacking anyone’s morality. Instead, our hate group listings reflect the fact that they regularly propagate known falsehoods.

Here are some facts about the other organizations participating in today’s press conference that are listed by SPLC as hate groups:

Abiding Truth Ministries: Represented today by Rachel Conner, this group is headed by Scott Lively, who is the originator of the most remarkable smears of gay people of all — the completely false claims that Hitler was gay, that “the Nazi Party was entirely controlled by militaristic homosexuals,” and that gays were especially selected for the SS because of their innate brutality. Meeting with Ugandan lawmakers who would later push the so-called “Kill the Gays” bill in that country, Lively told them that the gay rights movement is “an evil institution” that seeks to replace a healthy society with “a culture of sexual promiscuity.” Before starting Abiding Truth, Lively headed a failed effort to pass an Oregon referendum that would have listed homosexuality, along with pedophilia, as “abnormal behavior.”

Illinois Family Institute (IFI): The IFI’s Laurie Higgins will not be at the press conference, but plans to issue a statement of support. In 2006, IFI’s then executive director Peter LaBarbera — now with AFTAH — demanded the closing down of all “homosexual establishments” and the repeal of all “sexual orientation laws,” shorthand for statutes that ban discrimination against gay people. . . . . She also attacked McDonald’s for running a gay-friendly TV ad, saying it was “hell bent on using its resources to promote subversive moral, social, and political views about homosexuality to our children.”

Mass Resistance: Mass Resistance leader Brian Camenker has claimed that groups that back anti-bullying school programs actually want to lure children into homosexuality and, very possibly, sadomasochism. In 2006, he said that gay people were trying to pass legislation that would allow sex with animals. Camenker has falsely claimed that no gay people died in the Holocaust and that the pink triangle that the Nazis forced imprisoned gay people to wear actually signified Catholic priests. He has also repeatedly linked homosexuality and pedophilia despite the falsity of that claim.

Other groups participating in the press conference but not listed by SPLC as hate groups include Liberty Counsel, whose director of cultural affairs, Matt Barber, is scheduled to speak. Barber has argued that it would be “criminally reckless for educators to teach children that homosexual conduct is a normal, safe and perfectly acceptable alternative.” Linda Harvey of Mission America is also scheduled to issue a supporting statement. Harvey has argued that employers should not hire gay people and that parents should keep their kids away from gay doctors.

As the SPLC also notes, it is these anti-gay groups that have refused to withdraw false claims about LGBT people that have no other purpose than to smear them. The SPLC has simply reported the ugly truth about them.

The Republicans' Selective Memory

The chart set out above speaks volumes and underscores the fact that the GOP attacks on Barack Obama are severely misplaced. The real big spender was Chimperator George W. Bush not to mention his GOP sycophants in the U. S. Congress. Lest we forget, the big explosions in the nation's debt levels were fueled the most by the Chimperator's fool's errands in Iraq and Afghanistan and the tax breaks given to the wealthiest Americans. One can only hope that this chart is shown over and over again between now and November. Otherwise the GOP will try once again to play the public for fools.

Going Dark on Jan 18 to Protest SOPA

As a blogger and frequent user of the Internet for both business and personal matters, I - like may, many others including Google, Wikipedia and countless others - I am very concerned about the censorship powers the U. S. House of Representative's proposed Stop Online Piracy Act and it's U. S. Senate equivalent, the PROTECT IP Act, would give the government. The strongest protection from a tyrannical government and abuse of the government's police powers is a free and unfettered press. Nowadays, that press includes the power of the blogosphere. One of the blogs participating in the Internet blackout tomorrow is the Bilerico Project for which I have been a contributor for almost 3 years. Frankly, this legislation is the first step towards government control of the Internet such as exists in China and other dictatorships. Here are highlights from Bil Browning's explanation of the importance of defeating these bills.

This legislation simply gives the government way too much power to censor America's internet and as a minority community that's something that should particularly concern us. While nothing in this suggests it would be used to target the LGBT community, the broad reach of the proposed laws could be used to censor any group worldwide.

This is not a decision I've made lightly. Quite frankly, my income is mostly based on our ad revenue and subtracting an entire day's impressions will take its toll - especially since our traffic has continued to climb.

SOPA, however, gives the government the ability to force search engines to hide bilerico.com, put me in jail, and take all of my ad revenue whenever they decide. This is a longterm decision - one day versus any potential day the government decides.

We will display a black page on every page tomorrow with a message about the importance of defending the freedom of the internet. We'll link readers to more information about SOPA and the protest by Bilerico Project and sites like Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, and Facebook.

To learn more about this threat and to take action, go here. Be assured, I have already registered my opposition.

HRBOR January 19th Third Thursday - Booz Allen Hamilton in Norfolk

I hope local readers will consider join the Boyfriend and me this Thursday January 19th at Booz Allen Hamilton in Norfolk for a night of business networking with LGBT and LGBT friendly business owners and business professionals. Booz Allen Hamilton is a large corporation with a local office that offers same-sex benefits to it's employees and has incorporated LGBT-friendly practices and policies. Please bring a picture ID as Booz Allen Hamilton is located in a secure building. Foreign Nationals are welcome but must register in advance. To RSVP simply click here. Complete event details are as follows:

What: Third Thursday Business Net-Working Event

Host: Booz Allen Hamilton, Norfolk Virginia

Where: Booz Allen Hamilton
5800 Lake Wright Drive #400
Norfolk VA 23502
757-893-6100
(Off Military Highway near Lansdale Circle)

When: Thursday, January 19th, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Parking: Ample Parking in front of the building

Featured Non-profit: ACCESS AIDS Care/LGBT Center

Cash Bar

Cost: Free to Members

** Guests - $15 Fee **

Attention Members & Guests: the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia is in dire need of Food. Please bring non-perishable or canned food items to help re-stock their empty shelves.

Remembering a Lost Sister

Today would have been my sister's 56th birthday. She is pictured above with my late mother in a photo taken many years ago on the beach on Chesapeake Bay near my parents' former home. Unfortunately, we lost her in 2001 at far too young of an age. While she lives on in our hearts and through her two amazing children (her daughter operates Kitty Lee Thomas Sweets linked to this blog at right), I always find her birthday a time of sadness. I hope she knows that she still constantly in my heart.

Tuesday Morning Male Beauty

Self-Anointed "Christians" Fight For Right to Gay Bash

With the wave of teen suicides that has struck the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's district, not to mention the ongoing Justice Department and Department of Education investigations, one would think the Christianists might be backing off a bit on their demand that they be able to openly and freely torment LGBT school students. However, that assumption would be wrong. Totally wrong. A group calling itself the Parents Action League - not surprisingly comprised of conservative "Christians" - is fighting to retain the school district's policy that purges the districts schools of any mention of homosexuality. In addition, the group of haters has demanded that teachers teach about the “ex-homosexual” movement and “gay-related immune deficiency.” Never mind that ALL legitimate experts have more or less declared the "ex-gay" movement to be fraudulent and ineffective. The Twin Cities Daily Planet looks at the foul agenda of these, in my opinion, hate filled and mentally ill parents (two, Brian Lindquist and Mike Skaalerud, are pictured above). Here are some highlights:

A slew of conservative Christian parents — and even an orthodox rabbi — implored the Anoka-Hennepin School District to purge schools of any mention of homosexuality and demanded that teachers teach about the “ex-homosexual” movement and “gay-related immune deficiency.” One district member even assailed Dan Savage’s It Gets Better campaign as vulgar and accused the popular columnist of teaching children about “three-ways.” Several people testified using little more than versus from the Bible that are often used to demean and degrade the LGBT community.

The controversy in the district is over the sexual orientation curriculum policy also called the “neutrality policy” which says that LGBT issues are not to be discussed in the district’s schools. Six students are suing to eliminate the policy on the grounds that it makes for a hostile school environment

But the Parents Action League, a group of conservative Christians, want the policy to remain. Brian Lindquist and Mike Skaalerud presented a resolution and list of demands that the Parents Action League wants to the school board to fulfill including incorporating “ex-gay” therapy into the school resources.

Here's a sampling of the batshitery and ignorance set out in the resolution submitted by these knuckle dragging religious extremists:

[T]he theme of school safety is being used as a pretext to advance a much broader agenda, the legitimization of homosexuality and related conduct to impressionable school children . .

the Parents Action League in Anoka Hennepin School District 11 demands the following ten actions be taken by our school board.

1. A new division within the student support services and a special section on the District 11 website devoted to student of faith, moral conviction, ex-homosexuals and ex-transgenders.

7. Provide the history of gay-related immune deficiencies and acquired immune deficiencies and the medical consequences of homosexual acts.

9. Provide the following pro-family, ex-homosexual, ex-transgender information and websites to all counselors, school psychologists, classroom teachers [the list was submitted to the board and not spoken at the meeting]

10. Provide pro-family, ex-homosexual and ex-transgender videos to secondary media centers.

In effect, these lunatics want the public schools to have a quasi-department of faith and to teach religious belief in the public schools. These people need to be defeated and exiled into the political and social wilderness. And their beliefs, with all due respect, need to be thrown on the trash heap of history. They are dragging the nation backward towards ignorance and superstition.

South Carolina Debate Reactions

I increasingly cringe when I hear the responses of most of the GOP presidential candidates. I cringe even more when I watch and listen to the presumably conservative audience which seems best described by rudeness and nastiness. And they're all likely self-congratulatory far right Christians which adds to the overall travesty. While Romney so far continues to be the likely nominee, the guy just can't seem to really connect with anyone as he twists and weaves in his effort to please everyone all of the time. As for his opponents, Gingrich, Santorum and Perry to a lesser extent are merely demagogues who exemplify so much of what is wrong with today's Republican Party. The Washington Post sums up its view of the winners and losers. Here are some highlights:

WINNERS

* Newt Gingrich: This was the former House Speaker’s best debate of the entire race. With not all that much to lose, Gingrich let ‘er rip tonight and had the exuberant crowd — more on that below — eating out of his hand.

Gingrich’s characterization of President Obama as the “food stamp president” won him applause but it was nothing as compared to the standing ovation he received when challenged about that statement later by debate panelist Juan Williams. So in Newt’s corner was the audience that even his far less sensical lines — “Only the elites despise earning money,” he said at one point — earned him applause.

* Rick Perry: The Texas governor didn’t talk all that much but when he did he was very effective. His line about the South Carolina being “at war” with the federal government drew raucous applause. His ability to step back from a fight between Romney and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and label them both “insiders” showed how much he has progressed as a debater.

* Barack Obama: If you assume — and we do — that Romney is the all-but-certain Republican nominee (whether that happens sooner or later remains anybody’s guess) then the Obama campaign got some good material to use against him tonight. Romney committed — kind of, sort of — to (maybe) releasing his taxes in April, a pledge the Obama team will hold him to. He also stuck to his decidedly conservative line on immigration, which will make it more difficult for him to court Hispanics once the general election begins.

LOSERS

* Ron Paul: Ugh. We don’t often feel bad for politicians — after all, they are putting themselves out there and inviting public scrutiny — but we felt some pangs for the Texas Republican Congressman tonight. His answers on foreign policy were repeatedly booed and Perry even suggested that a gong should have been used to cut Paul off. While Paul-ites undoubtedly cheered their hero’s willingness to stand up for what he believes in when it comes to U.S. involvement in foreign countries, it’s just not a majority position — or anywhere close to it — in the Republican electorate of South Carolina.

* Audience: The Fix is pro-audience involvement — to a point. Tonight’s debate went beyond that point. Not only were moderators booed for asking questions — just doing their jobs, folks — but it became clear after about 15 minutes that Gingrich, Perry and, to a lesser extent, Santorum were all vamping for crowd reaction in each of their answers. The result? Lots of conservative red meat thrown on the debate stage but not a lot of serious and detailed discussion that went beyond the candidates’ talking points.

Serious thought and analysis are increasingly things scorned by the GOP base. If it doesn't fit in a quick sound bite, then they don't want to hear it. I guess they fear their tiny little brains might explode.