Breaking: Roy Moore gets the boot - Updated

Roy Moore's judicial career has come to a crashing end as the Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore for the balance of his term which runs through January, 2019. At that point Moore will be age restricted from running for another judicial term.

According to Mat Staver, head of the hate group, Liberty Counsel and Moore's staunchest defender:

To suspend Chief Justice Moore for the rest of his term is the same as removal. The COJ lacked the unanimous votes to remove the Chief, so the majority instead chose to ignore the law and the rules.

I would not assume anything that Staver says as true.

For ADF nondiscrimination laws are "peculiar"

Alliance Defending Freedom has trotted out new talking points for their latest client, Colorado web designer Lorie Smith, owner of 303 Creative, who wants to make sure that she never has to design a website for a same-sex wedding. Thus far she has not been asked for those services — but just in case. Or is this just another pretext for expressing disapproval of gay people — all neatly cloaked in scripture? It's also cloaked in some gassy prose. According to ADF:

Following the call of God on her life, Lorie Smith, who owns 303 Creative, a website design and marketing business, desires to use her artistic talents as a website and graphics designer to publicly proclaim and celebrate God’s design for marriage.

Meanwhile Brown is grifting funds for NOM

Thursday afternoon Brian Brown, head of National Organization for Marriage sent out a missive titled “Urgent Need for Funds to File Supreme Court Brief.” That would be an amicus brief in the case of G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board. It's not even a brief on the merits. Rather it supports why the Supreme Court should hear the case. NOM's brief in the matter is irrelevant. It is one of many. More here. Nevertheless, you would think that they found gold somewhere. These emails are beginning to sound like those Nigerian advance fee scams:

Details on Brian Brown's hate tour

Late Thursday afternoon Brian Brown sent out an email to supporters titled “WCF Weekly – African Conference An Unqualified Success. Presumably I will be blessed with a weekly update. As president of World Congress of Families Brian Brown is now a hate group leader according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. It's official. Brown writes:

It's been a whirlwind of travel for me the last couple of weeks as I've gone from the US, to Serbia, throughout Europe and then to Mexico City to witness the phenomenal March For The Family this past Saturday. Sponsored by Frente Nacional por la Familia (National Front For The Family), the march far exceeded expectations and was one of the largest demonstrations of support for marriage and the natural family ever organized with over 400,000 people in attendance!

No other way to put this - Mat Staver is full of crap

Hate group leader Mat Staver insists publicly that his client, Roy Moore, did nothing wrong. According to a statement from Liberty Counsel:

The charges all focused on his January 2016 Administrative Order in which he merely advised the probate judges that the case involving them was still pending before the Alabama Supreme Court.

Here is the conclusion of that January 6, Administrative Order

IT IS ORDERED AND DIRECTED THAT:

Until further decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court that Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act remain in full force and effect.

Where is Log Cabin's Red Line? Does it even have one?

Last week, Donald Trump said, in an official campaign communication titled “Issues of Importance to Catholics,” that he would sign into law the First Amendment Defense Act. Assuming he means the originally proposed version it constitutes a federal license to discriminate. The biggest impact would be that it allows fedeeral contractors to openly discrimination against LGBT people — something that President Obama has prohibited by executive order.

Retired Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin is not terribly fond of Sec. Clinton

Retired Lt. General William G. “Jerry” Boykin does not like Hillary Clinton. Boykin has a similar dislike of facts. Boykin, who is executive vice president of a hate group — Family Research Council — has penned “Jerry Boykin: These Are My Concerns About Hillary Clinton.”

In 1978 an Army psychologist tried to exclude Boykin from Delta force for being too religious. It is fair to say that Boykin does not like Secretary Clinton because she is pro-choice, a proponent of LGBT rights, a Democrat and she wears pantsuits. Conservative Christians do a great deal of reverse engineering. They start with a preordained conclusion and then, using selective observation, make their case.

NOM: "Groundbreaking Study Destroys 'Born That Way' Myth"

I am tired of writing about the Lawrence Mayer/Paul McHugh article published to New Atlantis, an ultra-conservative Catholic outlet. It was not a study; It was a literature review. It is not peer reviewed; It is a lengthy blog post/editorial. But that doesn't stop Brian Brown from repeating nonsense. Most normal, rational people have moved on from this meme that was popular maybe 20 years from now. Brian Brown is neither normal nor rational:

ADF lawyer claims that nondiscrimination laws are "A Subversive Response to a Nonexistent Problem"

James Gottry, a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom, has taken to the extremist blog of Witherspoon Institute to explain why we should not have LGBT nondiscrimination laws. His polemic is titled: “SOGI Laws: A Subversive Response to a Nonexistent Problem.”

I concur that in Alabama or Mississippi, for example, an LGBT nondiscrimination law would be subversive. Indeed, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was subversive (disruptive to an established system or institution). Yet to claim that LGBT discrimination is a nonexistent problem suggest that LGBT citizens are worthy of discrimination. His essay will confirm that analysis. Gottry's subtitle:

According to Tony Perkins HB2 simply rectified an inconvenience for businesses

Hate group leader Tony Perkins is upset that the Atlantic Coast Conference has moved its football championship game from Charlotte to Orlando in protest of North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2). Perkins and his ilk created this problem and now that it has blown up, they are blaming the victims. In an email Tuesday evening from Family Research Council they offer an incredible description of the legislation:

The law says that while businesses can do what they want, the government cannot punish businesses for having showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms designated for men only and women only.

It's "Victim Day" with Matt Moore but he tells a sad tale

I almost feel sorry for Matt Moore. He writes: “I Wanted Pity for My Same-Sex Attraction, Then I Remembered What Jesus Told Peter.” The last time I wrote about Moore he broke up with a girlfriend. At the time I called him a pathetic fag. Not much has changed. Moore is an individual who relishes his own mediocrity.

According to Moore's blog he is obsessed with Jesus and reading the Bible is his only hobby. He failed as a personal trainer so now he is a writer living in New Orleans. If Moore just lived his life he would be harmless. He is relatively honest except for the use of “same-sex attraction.” He's a gay man and he describes it perfectly in a way.

Walt Heyer explains de-transitioning at Witherspoon's blog

Walt Heyer is back to Witherspoon's blog with “Transgender Identities Are Not Always Permanent.” I am not a clinician but I agree with him. No one ever said that the science is perfect. However the vast majority of people who have sex-reassignment surgery are happy with the result. According to a respected German study provided by NIH, 90.2% of male to female surgical patients, five years out, said their expectations for life as a woman were fulfilled.

Behold; And God created moronic litigation

Franciscan Alliance et al v. Burwell is moving along through federal district court at our expense. There are many moving parts but I can make this relatively simple. You need not read any of this but at issue is a federal rule by the Department of Health and Human Services. There is a complaint that was filed in federal court. Finally, there is the response from the ACLU which is “below the fold” here. Plaintiffs are Christian medical associations that do not want to follow the rule (so what else is new?). From their complaint:

Crackpottery on the move - Fr. Jacobse -> Peter LaBarbera -> AFA

On Friday I wrote about a profoundly confused priest, Father Johannes Jacobse. Jacobse read something in one of the APA handbooks, reportedly written by Dr. Lisa Diamond at University of Utah. It drew the conclusion that most people who identify as gay have some heterosexual attractions as well. The opposite probably applies to heterosexuals.

Somehow Jacobse took that to mean that born-that-way is a myth and that people can change their sexual orientation. I haven't a clue how he got from Diamond to that. There is a more complete set of quotes on Friday's piece.

I cannot decide whether the Log Cabin set are naive or just stupid

NBC News has an interesting story on why candidates are appealing for LGBT votes when we constitute about 5% of the population. Therein, Gregory T. Angelo proves to be another one of Trump's useful idiots:

Gregory T. Angelo, President of the Log Cabin Republicans, a pro-LGBTQ Republican group, confirmed there is "not a concerted effort to reach out to the LGBT community" by the GOP. "Why the Republican Party website includes links for women Republicans, Latino Republicans, African American Republicans, young Republicans, college Republicans, and why there is a glaring omission of gay Republicans, I have never gotten an answer on that from the RNC," he said.

Hate group leader Tim Wildmon blatantly lies about North Carolina

Tim Wildmon, president of American Family Association, claims that Charlotte violated North Carolina's constitution when it enacted LGBT protections in public accommodations. In a post at LifeSiteNews.com titled “When a culture rebels against God” Wildmon writes:

The legal problem with that move was that the state constitution of North Carolina requires all “public accommodation” laws to be handled at the state level. In other words, what Charlotte did was not within their authority, so the governor and the state legislature responded by passing HB 2 on March 23, which “mandates people use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex in public buildings, places, and schools.” Simply put, everything was fine – Charlotte enacted a law they had no authority to enact, and the state of North Carolina put everything back like it was.

The abuse of a trans boy is curtailed - at least for now

Last week, a federal judge enjoined (see the order below the fold) the Kenosha Unified School District from denying Ashton Whitaker access to the boys' facilities. I have written about Ashton before. He is a brave kid in spite of the school's deliberate abuse. In the original complaint we learned:

[School personnel including the superintendent] have repeatedly refused to recognize or respect A.W.’s gender identity and have taken a series of discriminatory and highly stigmatizing actions against him based on his sex, gender identity, and transgender status.

Here's a shocker - The pope backs Mexico's bishops against marriage equality

According to Brietbart's Thomas D. Williams (a research fellow at Notre Dame), Pope Francis is supportive of Mexico's Catholic bishops in their efforts to thwart marriage equality. Was there ever a doubt? In many ways these are many of the same people that failed so miserably to prevent equality in the United States. Mexico is their Mulligan.

As a political battle rages in Mexico over a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage, Pope Francis jumped into the fray Sunday by publicly siding with the Mexican bishops against the government.

After doing Log Cabin Newt is off to do events sponsored by AFA

Next week Newt Gingrich will be doing an event for Log Cabin Republicans. Apparently Tony Perkins was unavailable. On Wednesday, September 28, Gingrich will be joined by some relatively inoffensive GOPers for Spirit of Lincoln '16. I would think that Log Cabin could find a Republican who is more credible and less homophobic than Gingrich. I wonder how much the organization is paying Gingrich to do this event.

One of the participants will be Rachel Hoff.

NOM's Mr. Misadventure Does It Again

Remember all of the hyperbole from National Organization for Marriage and World Congress of Families about the protest of marriage equality at the Mexican embassy in Washington? The event seems to have drawn fewer than a dozen people unless you count the toddlers. Brian S. Brown proves once again that he has Reverse Midas Touch.

The Benham Brothers continue their assault on logic and intelligence

The rather dull and rabidly anti-LGBT Benham Brothers don't like the fact that the ACC and NCAA have pulled marquee post-season match-ups from North Carolina due to the state's discriminatory policies regarding LGBT citizens. That leads to this: “Benham Brothers Expose the 'Wizard of Oz' Behind the Curtain,” written by Jason and David Benham. At the risk of spoiling all your fun we find out many paragraphs into this diatribe that “behind the curtain” is the Human Rights Campaign.

NOM's chairman - John Eastman - is on the take again

We get word from Brian Brown in a money-beg that legal douche bag John Eastman is preparing a brief on behalf of National Organization for Marriage. This is an amicus brief in the case of G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board. That case is now before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, the school board has requested that the Supreme Court take up the case. NOM's brief is in support of the school board. It's just an amicus brief.

As chairman of National Organization for Marriage, John Eastman has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the organization. Aside from the obvious conflict of interest I don't think that Eastman has won a single case on NOM's behalf. The best example was NOM's preposterous suit against the Internal Revenue Service. 

Some remarkable cogency from the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said in a sermon that new family structures, including same sex marriages, are now a reality “whether we agree or not.” At the same time Welby dismissed the idea of a Victorian golden age of family values as a “myth.” The important takeaway is that the Archbishop acknowledges that we do not require anyone's moral approval.

As Archbishop of Canterbury, Welby is the principal leader of the Church of England as well as its senior bishop. He is also the symbolic head of the Anglican Church worldwide.

You would think that by now Peter LaBarbera would stop breaking the law

On October 3, 2015 the IRS notified hate group leader Peter LaBarbera that his Americans for Truth About Homosexuality was no longer tax exempt effective May 15, 2015. This is at least the second time that the IRS has taken this action. Presumably, LaBarbera is not sufficiently organized to file returns (990s). One wonders if payroll taxes have been paid (quarterly 941s). But I digress.

A lesson on how conservative Christians confuse themselves and then others

Conservative Christians are desperate for scientific confirmation of their theology. If they cannot find it, they will create it. That is how we end up with pronouncements like abortion causes breast cancer (it doesn't). It is why 80% of Evangelical Christians do not believe that humans cause climate change. If you don't like the science, make up your own.

Consider this example of how misinformation goes from crackpot to crackpot, from outlet to outlet, in the absence of critical thinking (this requires some patience):

Needless Persecution of Christians

Ron Crews, head of Chaplains Alliance for Religious Liberty, doesn't like transgender service in the military. He is particularly upset at the prospect of the Department of Defense paying for sex reassignment surgery if doctor recommended:

This will be the first time in our history when military medical dollars will be used to make military personnel unqualified to fight the nation's wars. I think this is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars that they will be using to promote this radical agenda.

NOM's turn

Brian S. Brown has forwarded his own message. I guess that repetition sells:

I want to remind you about two critical events happening over the next couple of days to support the pro-family movement in Mexico, which is generating unprecedented support for marriage and the truth of gender, and putting up incredible resistance to the Mexican government’s attempts to redefine marriage and gender much like President Obama has pushed to do here in the US.

Guess who else is meddling in Mexico?

That's right. Hate group leader Brian Camenker and his merry band of crackpots at MassResistance. How much they did and how much impact they had is very questionable. The anti-marriage equality movement is orchestrated by the Catholic Church. Shocking, I know.

We get the first communique from Brian Brown - Hate Group Leader

In addition to NOM, Brian S. Brown is president of the anti-gay hate group World Congress of Families. Perhaps the two groups plan to merge although there doesn't seem to be much left of NOM. SPLC has a piece today on the WCF's African adventures. The subject of Brown's email to supporters reads: “WCF Weekly – Serbia and Mexico Inspire The Pro-Family Movement.”

“Pro-Family” means anti-gay, anti-choice. The email continues:

Kentucky Fried Judge

Kentucky Family Court Judge Tim Philpot said that gay couples are “in a sterile relationship” and that same-sex marriage is “an oxymoron,” like “jumbo shrimp.”

According to Philpot, “Those words don't make sense to me. The words 'same-sex marriage' don't make sense to me.” The comments were made at a Christian event. Presumably married gay couples will ask this nut to recuse himself from any cases.

Eric Metaxas on our "moral descent"

Begging the question is a logical fallacy. An arguer presumes that things are true within the conclusion of the argument. Note how Jim Dailey tees up a question for Eric Metaxas at Billy Graham's Decision Magazine:

The moral descent of our culture has accelerated at a rapid pace over the past decade—e.g., same-sex marriage rulings, the transgender agenda, the decline of millennial participation in religion, and a worldview that is increasingly hostile to traditional Christianity. What has led to the quickened pace?

For more moronic morose bigotry we go to Florida

In a complaint filed in federal court in Miami, Yanicka Parker claims that she was employed by the Broward County Clerk of Courts for 12 years. Parker claims that she was terminated for her religious beliefs which required her to refuse to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. According to Parker:

God will judge individual Christians, as well as the society of which they are a part, who condone or institute same sex marriages.

Christians have found another way to show their disapproval

Website designer Lorie Smith — owner of 303 Creative in Littleton, Colorado — has not been asked to create a web site for a same-sex wedding.  Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, Smith is going to court with a pre-enforcement challenge to Colorado's nondiscrimination laws. She wants permission to discriminate against gay people. The request for a preliminary injunction is below (it is shorter and easier to get through than the complaint).

This is nearly identical to another ADF pre-enforcement challenge in Phoenix (Brush & Nib). They have already lost the first round.

Crackpot claims that three-year-olds are receiving sex reassignment surgery-UPDATED

Carmen Fowler Laberge, president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, claims that children as young as three are being surgically transitioned in Australia. According to her piece in the Christian Post, titled; “ Children Now Being Allowed to Choose Genital Mutilation, Assisted Suicide:”

First, in Australia, children are demanding — and receiving — sex transition treatment, including the surgical mutilation of otherwise healthy sexual organs. Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg told The Daily Telegraph that 250 children as young as three were being assisted by the gender dysphoria unit at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.

ADF: "Government Threatens Artists With Jail Time Over Biblical Beliefs"

Oh please, it's Brush & Nib again. I wrote about this earlier in the day. The court has simply affirmed the precedence that lawyers at ADF are more familiar with than I. There are no religious exemptions to otherwise valid laws. Now they are appealing a ruling by the trial judge that he will not issue a preliminary injunction.

What is infuriating is the amount of tax dollars spent on this issue. Brush & Nib is not much more than a website. No gay couple has asked for their services (invitations) and now never will. Yet they are seeking a pre-enforcement challenge that they know is not going to be successful. Jail? Please.

Brush and Nib: ADF has manufactured a victim that wasn't

I first wrote about this on May 17. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, Brush and Nib filed a pre-enforcement challenge to Phoenix's nondiscrimination law. The invitation makers had not been asked to serve any gay couples. They wanted to be sure that they could turn them away if they were so encumbered. As I wrote in May:

Rhode Island Catholic Church terminates gay music director for marrying

Michael Templeton

They really need to put a stop to this. This obsession with gays marrying is unhealthy for all. The generally accepted exception to employment nondiscrimination laws is ministry. A music director is not a minister. Nevertheless, on Monday, Michael Templeton was fired from is job that he held successfully for five years at Church of St. Mary in Providence where he was the music director.

It's the usual story. Everyone knew that Michael is gay and he never hid his partner. I hope is that he finds a good attorney because he has been treated unfairly.

Stella Morabito tries to explain how anti-bullying programs create more bullying

About 2½ years ago Stella Morabito claimed that the goal — the real purpose — of marriage equality was to abolish the institution of marriage entirely. Morabito has not kept us apprised of our progress in that regard. More recently the conspiracy theorist has explained that the real purpose of the LGBT agenda was to silence dissent. Now Morabito, through the Federalist outlet, informs us about anti-bullying programs, which she does not like:  Her inspiration is titled “Why Anti-Bullying Programs Will Cause More Bullying.”

National Organization for ... For what exactly?

Brian Brown and National Organization for marriage are on an anti-transgender tear — with all the required bullshit and embellishments. In an email to supporters they plead: “Help us Fight President Obama In Court.” Court? Are they supplanting ADF or Liberty Counsel? Brown writes:

As you know, President Obama is intent on remaking the fundamental nature of America, and now that he only has a few months left in his presidency, he's on a frenzied pace to advance his agenda. Having succeeded in redefining marriage in the law, he now wants to redefine humanity itself, changing us from being made male and female into beings whose gender is flexible and fluid, something that people have the power to adjust to suit their feelings. He's targeting children in public school with this approach.

American Family Association has a petition for the NCAA

The anti-LGBT rhetoric of these hate groups like American Family Association is nauseating (causing me to sit on this for a few hours). More so because they ignore the facts. Tim Wildmon, idiot son of the inimical founder of AFA, Don Wildmon, sent out an email to supporters this morning.  The subject line reads: “The NCAA: Allow men in women's restrooms, locker rooms...or else.”

The real problem in North Carolina is that its largest city, Charlotte, passed a transgender access law primarily aimed at children in public schools. The issue, properly framed, is to allow trans girls to use the girls' restroom.

Staver in denial - Kim Davis LOST her case

Monday, the ACLU filed a motion in Davis v. Miller for the state to pay legal fees in the amount of $233,058. In a press release, Mat Staver head of Liberty Counsel writes:

The ACLU has filed yesterday a "Hail Mary" request for attorney's fees in the case of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who won her fight for religious freedom after a federal judge issued an order dismissing all three 2015 marriage license lawsuits against her.

Kim Davis did not win her case. If I drive at 50-MPH  in a 40-MPH zone and get a ticket, I still have to pay the fine, even if the state subsequently increases the speed limit to 50-per.

The Federalist should be more forthcoming about their contributors

Nicholas Senz has written just one piece for The Federalist. His polemic is titled “Obama Administration Says You’re A Bigot If You Live Your Religion,” The outlet provides no information about who Senz is. I think that it is important to know that Senz is the director of religious education at a Catholic church in California. I don't know about his undergrad work but he has a master's degree in theology from Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. Senz has been in the bubble for some time. At some point in worked in finance for about five years. He is now a professional Catholic. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just helpful to understand his perspective.

(Updated: Mr. Senz informs me that he worked in the "finance sector" for five years)

Steven Anderson's "Hate Me Tour" continues

The frothing, LGBT hating pastor, Steven Anderson, is in the process of being deported from Botswana. The solution to people like Anderson is a good fungicide.

Anderson is a foul-mouthed, intellectually challenged, narcissistic religious leader — a “deplorable.” Steven Anderson is enabled by deplorable people who finance the activities of a foul-mouthed, intellectually challenged narcissist. Apparently Anderson says what they want to hear and what they want their children to hear. That doesn't say much for them.

North Carolina's politicians require adult supervision

Monday night the Charlotte city council refused to repeal its nondiscrimination ordinance. This was in response to Governor Pat McCrory's claim that North Carolina could consider repealing HB2 if Charlotte repealed its law first. McCrory's statement was little more than a taunt in search of political cover.

In point of fact Charlotte's ordinance is unenforceable due to HB2's preemption of local nondiscrimination laws. The very point of repealing HB2 is to permit local ordinances to be valid.

Staver: "NCAA and ACC Put Athletes at Risk for Sexual Assault"

Hate group leader Mat Staver  is not pleased with the NCAA and ACC pulling their post-season events out of North Carolina. Staver's real fear is that the NCAA and ACC are influencing North Carolinians which could lead to the nullification of their anti-LGBT House Bill 2.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) have damaged their image by jumping into a political fray over the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act. Do they really think so little of women to invade their privacy and subject them to sexual assault in order to side with a political agenda? "It is hypocritical for an organization that divides athletic teams by male and female to boycott a state that divides restrooms by male and female," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

Witherspoon's pretentious pseudo-intellectual blog is an outlet for Mainwaring again

Mainwaring testifying in Maryland in 2014
in opposition to marriage equality

Causation or correlation? On Sunday I mentioned Doug Mainwaring, Witherspoon Institute's favorite fairy. Monday, it's back on Witherspoon's blog with a post titled: “Same-Sex Marriage vs. the Real Thing: A Gay Man’s View of the Big Picture.” Much of this is a cut and paste from Mainwaring's pretentious 2015 polemic. A gay man opposed to marriage equality is even less relevant than a couple of years ago. A necessary raison d'être is at the conclusion:

Doug Mainwaring is a marriage and children’s rights activist. This article is adapted from the introduction to his forthcoming book, Marriage, Ground Zero: The Real Battle Dawns.”

Witherspoon Institute's CanaVox back on the radar

CanaVox is Witherspoon Institute's project to reinforce the notion that the only true marriages are between opposite-sex spouses and that gay people should be chaste. It's the usual tripe about gays cannot marry but they deserve respect. Witherspoon is headed by an Opus Dei numerary. It is a reasonable certainty that everyone associated with Witherspoon believes that gay people are “objectively disordered” because some eunuch at the Vatican says so. One cannot logically argue that I deserve respect but that I am disordered.

"Face of Jesus Christ appears on oven door in Slovakia"

This is a real headline at Christian Today.

The owner of the oven, who was not named in the report, shared that she was just casually baking one day when she spotted what she perceived to be the face of Jesus imprinted on the glass part of the oven's door.

To tell you the truth, I see a Muslim with a beard, wearing a shroud.