Pence's bald-faced lie to the NY Times on conversion therapy

According to the New York Times:

Mr. Pence has been particularly dogged by accusations that he is a supporter of “conversion therapy,” the practice of trying to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It has been discredited by the medical establishment and denounced by gay and transgender groups.

Mr. Pence’s spokesman, Marc Lotter, denied to The Times over the weekend that the vice president-elect supports the practice, saying a past campaign statement had been misinterpreted.

Pence is directly responsible for his spokesman. If the spokesman lies, Pence lies. In 2000 at Mike Pence for Congress: The Pence Agenda for the 107th Congress [via Archive.org] Pence wrote:

Jeff Sessions and Weed

Veronique de Rugy (a rather conservative libertarian) has an interesting piece in the National Review. She provides a couple of quotes from attorney general nominee Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III that she finds quite alarming:

This drug is dangerous, you cannot play with it, it is not funny, it’s not something to laugh about . . . and [it's important] to send that message with clarity that good people don’t smoke marijuana.

Commenting on the Obama administration's decision not to pursue federal action as states legalized pot:

I think one of [Obama's] great failures, it’s obvious to me, is his lax treatment in comments on marijuana. . . . It reverses 20 years almost of hostility to drugs that began really when Nancy Reagan started “Just Say No.”

Richard Land is proving to be one of Trump's useful idiots

Richard Land, pompous prick that he is, promises that Donald Trump is going to make everything better for Christians. Land, who is president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina, is on Donald Trump's Evangelical Advisory Board. According to American Family Association's phony “news” blog: “Citing contacts with Trump's transition team, Land tells OneNewsNow the incoming administration will push back against the ongoing assault on people of faith.” That assumes, of course, that there actually is an assault on people of faith.

A physician with a comprehension problem - prone to hyperbole

Today Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie writes at The Federalist: “Mom Sues To Prevent Teen Son From Amputating His Genitals.” Christie is a board certified diagnostic radiologist. She is also an orthodox Catholic and a policy advisor for the Catholic Association. A 1995 graduate of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, Christie doesn't seem to have experience and training in psychiatry or human sexuality, or law for that matter. Christie holds no hospital privileges — working out of a nondescript low-rent office building in a nondescript part of western Miami.

The Stutzman hobby horse emerges at Heritage Foundation's blog

Jim Campbell is a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom. You would think that he would know better. At Heritage Foundation's blog Campbell writes: “Artists’ Free Speech Rights at Stake in Washington Florist Case.” You know where this is going but first off, a florist is not an artist. ADF has trotted this out with every one of their bigoted clients and no court has bought the idea. They absurdly claimed that bakers are cake artists and so on. The most exquisite floral arrangement is not a work of art while still being expressive. It has no intrinsic value and it is unoriginal as we generally understand the term originality. Expression and art are two entirely different things. Things go downhill from there:

Price scored ZERO on the HRC Scorecard

Donald Trump, that great friend of the LGBT community, has picked Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Price managed to score a perfect zero in the 114th Congress. Price opposed (among other things):

• The Peters Amendment to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination by federal contractors in the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
• The Maloney Amendment to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination by federal contractors in military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The Maloney Amendment to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination by federal contractors receiving funds that are appropriated by the Energy and Water appropriations bill.

Hate group has a new target in Zales

American Family Association (an anti-LGBT hate group) is displeased with Zales. Through its One Million Moms website, AFA is encouraging supporters to boycott the chain of jewelry stores. Zales' sin was to include a lesbian couple in its holiday advertisement.

According to AFA:

Hate group leader claims that LGBT advocacy has exposed us to terrorism

Tony Perkins, leader of Family Research Council, doesn't like the idea of Mitt Romney becoming our next Secretary of State. Neither do I but we have a Republican making the nominations and Romney is possibly the sanest, most prospectively competent individual under consideration. But I digress. According to Perkins, the State Department has been obsessed with promoting an LGBT agenda:

For the last eight years the Obama State Department has been focused on pushing sexual orientation and gender identity rather than upholding core American ideals. The result is a world where few regions are not in turmoil, the threat of radical Islam is ever-expanding, the loss of religious freedom continues, and America is weakened on the world stage.

Noblesse Oblige: Betsy DeVos

Betsy DeVos is stunningly unqualified to be our next Secretary of Education. She has neither the educational background nor the administrative experience to run the Department of Education (ED). Certainly there are other issues of concern but we don't even get to those when someone cannot do the job in the first place. ED has 4,400 employees and a budget of $77.4 billion. Two thirds of the countries on the planet do not have a GDP of $77.4 billion (it would be 66th of 190). It is an enormous undertaking. DeVos has some business experience, which is probably overstated, as the Chairman of the company that she and her husband own but nothing that would prepare her to run ED.

Queer TV: Tonight on HBO - Mariela Castro's LGBT Cuba

Mariela Castro's March Promo

Home Box Office will premier “Mariela Castro's March: Cuba's LGBT Revolution” at 9:00 PM this evening. The documentary, produced by John Alpert, seeks to explore an aspect of Cuba that few are aware of. At 54, Mariela Castro, a member of the island nation's parliament, is a loud and persistent voice for LGBT rights.

Denise Shick reemerges with anti-LGBT crackpottery

Monday, Denise Shick claims (at The Federalist) that; “We Should Have Seen The Transgender Craze Coming.” I did not know that gender dysphoria is a “craze.” Denise Shick is irrelevant but the theme of bigotry needs to be addressed.

Denise who? Sometimes it is hard to keep track of the crazies. Shick promotes herself as an expert on human sexuality because her father is transgender. This expertise is enhanced by a BA from an unidentified college (after attending an unidentified junior college). Shick is a sometimes affiliate of Oscar Robert Lopez and currently runs Help 4 Families Ministry out of Ashland Kentucky. Help 4 Families (2015 IRS ruling) is small enough (under $50,000) to file its non-profit tax return by postcard. It operates out of a mailbox at a UPS store and is not registered (as required) in Kentucky. Shick's father's gender dysphoria is all about Denise Shick — of course. And by the way, the fact that her father is trans somehow became a reason to oppose same-sex marriage. In 2015 she wrote (Witherspoon Institute's blog):

The pond

I just received October statistics from Solid Opinion. Based upon the number of comments and user engagement, this frog in peril was ranked 757^th among all sites on the Internet. The top five sites, by the way, were DailyMail.UK, WashingtonPost.com, Yahoo.com, MSN.com and FoxNews.com. Ad revenues in October were all of $18.00 (just in case anyone thinks that this is a for-profit enterprise).

More importantly I greatly appreciate the contributions of readers. Your comments are a valued addition to  content at a time when some sites are eliminating discourse. Thank you all and, again, have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

Hate group leader: Happy Thanksgiving - send money

That was the message this afternoon in an email from Brian S. Brown, leader of World Congress of Families. Fuck you Brown. My brain hurts.

---

Happy thanksgiving!

This probably does it for me today. I am serious — My brain really does hurt. Donald Trump's election has really done me in. This in spite of the fact that Hillary Clinton now has a 2 million vote lead in the popular vote. Today we learn that scientists have some evidence of miscounts or hacked machines in several swing states. I haven't delved into it for the details because I doubt that Sec. Clinton will take action at this point.

TX state senator complains about campaign of misinformation as she misinforms

Texas State Senator Konni Burton thinks everyone is stupid. illiterate or both. Burton, you will recall, is the legislator who wants schools to be required to out LGBT children to their parents. Now the conservative Christian Burton asserts that the criticism of her and her bill is unfair and distorted.

Before I go any further, let me be clear that my criticism is based upon the fact that her proposed law is not in the best interests of children. Even with the best of parents, kids need to disclose their sexuality to their parents when — and only when — they are ready to do so. With the worst of parents, outing the child could result in violence or being kicked out of their home. Outing a kid is cruel. It is just that simple.

PoliSci Professor doesn't understand how nondiscrimination laws work

According to Prof. Caleb A. Verbois, designers who choose not to create garments for Melania Trump because of her husband are equivalent to a florist refusing service to a gay couple. He rhetorically asks; If the florist is sued why shouldn't Trump sue the designers?

Verbois is an assistant professor of political science at Christian-centered Grove City College. He is also a pre-law advisor. Presumably Verbois is a smart guy ⸺ he has a PhD and MA from University of Virginia. Why is it so difficult for him to understand what a protected class is?

Ed Whelan feebly defends Judge William Pryor

William H. “Bill” Pryor might be Donald Trump's choice to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Pryor's nomination to the federal courts was filibustered due to his apparent racism, homophobia and some nutty statements. Those included saying that Roe v. Wade was the “worst abomination in the history of constitutional law.” In his confirmation hearing Pryor defended his having “equated private consensual sexual activity between homosexuals to prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, incest, and pedophilia” as being consistent with the majority opinion in Bowers v. Hardwick. According to an amicus brief that Pryor signed onto regarding Lawrence v. Texas.

"You know my new president says we can kill all you faggots now"

Allegedly that is what an assailant told a 75-year-old gay man as he was dragged from his parked car in Sarasota, Florida. Chuck Redding claims that he was stalked by a motorist who followed him home. Apparently he was targeted because of some LGBT bumper stickers.

Redding realized that something was wrong. He parked in front of his neighbor's home. The man who was following him walked over to Redding's vehicle, opened the door and dragged him out. Redding suffered a number of lacerations and bruises.

The CSA is not entertaining

Image Credit: Mother Jones

No, it's not Dixie. CSA stands for Current Situation Analysis. It is imperative that we stay engaged. Now more than at any time since the AIDS crisis in the 80s. Our wellbeing and that of our families is at stake. We have a year to prepare for the next critically important election. I will get to that. The outlook is bleak but it is realistic and it has a purpose. Thus, in no particular order:

The first item is Jeff Sessions. Because of Harry Reid's rule change (to get some judges confirmed) only a simple majority is required for cloture (bringing the matter to a vote). I was hoping that we would get some support from moderate GOPers. Apparently not. Susan Collins has had nothing but praise for the homophobic racist that is Sessions:

Texas state senator wants schools to out gay kids to their parents

Texas State Senator Konni Burton seems to think that it is imperative for parents to know if they have a gay or gender nonconforming child. The woman — who describes herself as “first and foremost a wife, a mom, and a life long Christian” — wants to substitute her judgment for the consensus of professionals. I note that Burton has a BBA in marketing. The experts in child development assert that a child should come out to his or her family when he or she is comfortable doing so.

And what, exactly, would teachers know other than suspicions? If a child confided in a teacher, why destroy a relationship of trust? Does the senator understand that it could be potentially life saving to have someone for a kid to talk to in confidence?

Showtime's Shameless gets transgender right

Shameless breaks new ground allowing us to meet a very normal transgender character played by a transgender actor. 

In 2011 Shameless introduced viewers to Ian Gallagher, a non-stereotypical gay teen. Ian is grown up now and he works as an EMT. Often Ian is the grownup in the Gallagher family and he has a new boyfriend (Trevor) who is a transgender man played by Elliot Fletcher.

NOM: And the total is ...

65 million dollars to accomplish what exactly? Good job Brian S. Brown. Since 2007, National Organization for Marriage and NOM Education Fund have spent a combined $65,093,000 of donor money. Thirteen million of that was processed through NOM-Ed meaning that is was tax deductible. We all subsidized whatever sums came from individuals rather than foundations. Please note the following:

• The earliest return that I have for NOM-Ed is 2011. From that we get 2010 (“prior year”) expenditures. There could be expenses for 2009 and earlier that are obviously not included in the total.
• It doesn't look like there is duplication of shared expenses. However NOM is the front office of Fuck-Ups so anything is possible.

Brian Brown: "Help NOM make America Great Again"

So I have this email from hate group leader Brian S. Brown. Brown has concocted another reason for people to provide National Organization for Marriage with money — grist for the mill. This missive is titled “Help NOM Make America Great Again.”

According to Brown:

NOM can play a powerful role in helping make America great again by mobilizing our supporters, expanding our coalition and serving as a voice for the truth of traditional moral values. You see, to a very large degree, making American great again means making American families strong again. It means promoting the truth of marriage. It means helping ensure that children receive the love of their mother and father. It means that the truth of gender be respected, and promoted, not ignored and redefined. It means that religious liberty and the faith-principles that undergird <sic> our constitution be restored.

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III - Homophobic racist - Trump "unbelievably impressed"

Call your U.S. Senators, TODAY

That great friend of the LGBT community, Donald J. Trump, has nominated Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III to be the next Attorney General of the United States. That is not a good sign although it is about what I expected. I also expect that it will  be impossible to confirm the anti-LGBT and racist Sessions. But let us not take any chances. Tell your senators that you expect them to vote “no” on Sessions' confirmation.

You would think that a professor of psychiatry would know better - UPDATED with university comments

According to Dr. Richard B. Corradi; “‘Transgenderism’ Is Mass Hysteria Similar To 1980s-Era Junk Science. the subtitle of his polemic at The Federalist reads: “The movement’s philosophy qualifies it as a popular delusion similar to the multiple-personality craze, and the ‘satanic ritual abuse’ and ‘recovered memory’ hysterias of the 1980s and 90s.” Corradi should simply come out and say that he believes the pope over his own peer organization and a mountain of peer-reviewed research. If there is a “popular delusion” it would be that the Church has insight into human sexuality that is lacking in medical professionals — except for Dr. Corradi of course and maybe Paul McHugh.

Annmarie Calgaro v. St. Louis County et al

In brief, this is about a mother who is trying to get control of her estranged transgender daughter through the court system rather than through counseling. She is suing her daughter (“J.D.K.”) as well as those enabling her gender affirming treatments. One of the exhibits to the complaint (see below) includes a profoundly sad June, 2015 letter from J.D.K.'s lawyer. It was prior to transition and uses male pronouns. It alleges that J.D.K. had lived away from his mother for six months and the loving mom wanted no contact with her child. Nice.

Mom seems to be a bit of a bigot. I have contacted J.D.K.'s attorney. I would like to talk to this kid. It doesn't look hopeful.

Hate group leader: Conservatives appointed to the Supreme Court will overturn Obergfell

On Monday the Mat Staver crazy show did a performance for WND radio claiming that said if Trump appoints just two justices to the Supreme Court the ruling in Obergefell would fall just like the Dred Scott decision fell.

Staver, the leader of the hate group Liberty Counsel, is no better historian than attorney. Dred Scott v. Sandford was not overturned by the Supreme Court. Dred Scott became the cause for the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution (along with the Civil War). 

Annmarie Calgaro v. St. Louis County (MN) et al

This is a very interesting case out of Minneapolis about a mother trying to exact parental control over her 17-year-old trans kid. I have the complaint and hope I can post more this afternoon. The trans girl is identified only as J.D.K.⸺ I am assuming that mom's lawyer is using the wrong pronouns.

I know that it is highly unlikely but if, by some chance, anyone knows who this is, I would love to speak with her. One of the other defendants is helping with some issues of fact (I hope).

Hate group leader sees ominous signs from Canada

On Wednesday evening, Brian S. Brown — on behalf of World Congress of Families — sent out an email titled “Warning signs from Canada.” These days the rhetoric from World Congress of Families and Brown's other gig at National Organization for Marriage are indistinguishable. The reason is obvious. Brown's perspective is shaped solely by the teachings of the Catholic Church. The return domain of the email becomes irrelevant.

According to Mr. Brown:

… we highlight a couple of developments in Canada which provide some perspective to other countries when it comes to the interplay between traditional Christian morality, common sense and the LGBT Community. Canada is much further down the road of dealing with the fallout of redefining marriage and efforts to redefine gender, and more of the societal consequences are visible there.

If conservative Christians would only demonstrate some intellectual honesty

Wednesday at The Federalist, Ryan Hammill writes: “Why The Left Is Going Bonkers On InterVarsity’s Affirmation Of Marriage.” Hammill is a new name for me. However, if the left was “going bonkers” over something done by InterVarsity I night know something about it. I do not. “Bonkers?” What does that even mean? Derangement of some sort?

Pointing to a piece posted nearly 14 years ago, by InterVarsity (about its own intellectualism), Hammill asserts:

InterVarsity’s British roots have also immunized the organization against the anti-intellectualism present in much of American evangelicalism, an obvious plus in academia. InterVarsity also basically turned its back on the culture wars to focus on fighting poverty and racism, while still preaching Christianity on campus.

What assurance do we have that we had an honest election count?

I truly hope that this post does not relegate me to the status of conspiracy theorist. I am not positing a conspiracy theory. In contrast I have a question that I believe is reasonable. Consider the following:

Pence telephones Florida's Christian Family Coalition

Christian Family Coalition is not on SPLC's radar. Nevertheless, they are clearly an anti-LGBT hate group. Leader Anthony Verdugo is also batshit crazy. I once described Verdugo as a tormented dog chasing its tail.

Anthony Verdugo apparently munching on a mic

Wednesday I received this:

A quick note regarding NOM's financials

On Tuesday National Organization for Marriage released its tax return (form 990) for the year ended December 31, 2015. At this time they have not provided the tax return for NOM Education Fund (their 501(c)3). I will get the ratios together when I can consolidate the two returns on a spread sheet. I will revisit this issue when they do. This is just a quick preliminary take.

NOM is insolvent

NOM's revenues decreased from $3.5 million to $2.6 million. That is less relevant than the lack of working capital. 

Lifesite News takes another stupid pill

The orthodox Catholic site, LifeSiteNews.com is determined to prove that the science regarding sexual orientation conforms to the teachings of the Church. To that end they have reprinted an article written by an unidentified individual at Real Women of Canada which is, apparently, a Catholic organization pretending not to be. The title of the piece is “The LGBT fraud has been exposed, and they’re definitely not happy about it.”

Behold the batshit:

Todd Starnes really is rather dim-witted

Tuesday, Todd Starnes — Fox News culture warrior — writes: “Christians Take Major Victory in Atheists' War on Christmas.” Starnes is no fan of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization that aggressively resists the idea that we are a “Christian Nation™.”  If he had things his way, Starnes would prefer a Christian theocracy free of critical thinkers. According to Starnes:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a motley crew of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers just got a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings.

The Stutzman Show: A skeptical Washington Supreme Court hears the bigoted florist's appeal

\

I watched the live feed of oral arguments before the Washington Supreme Court regarding Barronelle Stutzman. The Washington Floral Bigot refused service to a gay couple for their wedding. Her attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom are claiming that her service would constitute compelled speech because of her artistic expression. According to ADF everyone is an artiste.

Brian S. Brown's tantrum over Trump

Hate group leader Brian S. Brown (World Congress of Families and National Organization for Marriage) is not pleased. Not pleased at all that Donald Trump now claims that same-sex marriage is a settled issue. The truth is that Trump's opinion of the matter is largely irrelevant.

Same-sex "marriage" is #notsettled @realDonaldTrump. SCOTUS betrayed the Constitution. RT https://t.co/4ZH0ui7MtI

— Brian S. Brown (@briansbrown) November 14, 2016

... and Porno Pete

Peter LaBarbera is also displeased:

AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera called on President-elect Donald Trump to revise his estimation that the Supreme Court has "settled" the issue of homosexual "marriage" -- and instead honor his pledge to America's voters to defend natural marriage against the "shocking" 2015 Obergefell ruling.

As I have said, Trump's opinion on Obergefell v. Hodges is largely irrelevant. I didn't need Trump to realize that marriage equality is a settled issue. I do, however, expect attempts to challenge the ruling.

Was Trump full of shit then or is Trump full of shit now?

Donald Trump is a pathological liar. Sunday on 60 Minutes Donald Trump said that the Supreme Court has settled the issue of same-sex marriage. “I'm fine with that” he told Lesley Stahl.

Well Trump wasn't “fine with that” last February when he was speaking to David Brody at CBN.

In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump says evangelicals can trust him to be a president that will support traditional marriage. “I think they can trust me. They can trust me on traditional marriage,” Trump tells The Brody File during our interview in Charleston South Carolina. “I was very much in favor of having the court rule that it goes to states and let the states decide. And that was a shocking decision for you and for me and for a lot of other people. But I was very much in favor of letting the states decide.”

Cathy Ruse finds wisdom in Donald Trump's anti-choice position

Monday, Cathy Ruse has a new polemic at Family Research Council's blog titled: “ The Wisdom of Trump’s Abortion Answer” referring to Donald Trump's answer in the third presidential debate. It is a position that Trump reiterated Sunday night on 60 Minutes.

Upon reflection, I find real wisdom in what he [Trump] said and how he said it. First, Donald Trump coupled overturning Roe v. Wade with the point that the issue will go back to the states. This was very wise. He did it twice, in fact. “If they overturned it, it will go back to the states.” Then when pressed by Wallace, he said: “I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination.” This is exactly how pro-lifers should handle the question of overturning Roe.

Trump, Bannon, Obergefell and Roe

Donald Trump's Karl Rove — It makes me so proud

Sunday night John Oliver described waves of nausea over Trump. I am experiencing waves of searing anger. The anger is coupled with nausea when I attempt to envision a gay person, with the intellect of a salamander, voting for Trump. Millennials who voted for Gary Johnson over weed or who thought that tweeting was the equal of voting are white hot on my anger diorama.

The creep factor is also settling in. Trump is creepy. Trump's two sons are even creepier. Neither seems to be very bright. Mike Pence is creepy. Ken Blackwell is even creepier. Steve Bannon is creepier than even Blackwell.

Hate group leader Tony Perkins still hates marriage equality

Late Friday at Family Research Council's blog Tony Perkins, the leader of the hate group, writes: “Voters Don't Want to Alter the Altar.” Following on the heels of Donald Trump's election Perkins wants you to know just how much he dislikes same-sex marriage.

America may recognize same-sex marriage now -- but not because voters asked it too! And if the Left thinks the Supreme Court has finally decided the issue, they're in for a major surprise. Turns out, the court of public opinion has its own verdict on the subject -- and new polling shows it's anything but liberal.

Emboldened by Trump, Ryan T. Anderson is back with his BS

Ryan T. Anderson writes at Witherspoon Institute's blog: “Make Religious Freedom Great Again.” As you go through this, think about the LGBT-for-Trump morons. A Trump presidency is no longer an abstraction.

Two things set this up:

1. Ryan T. Anderson is a fundamentalist Catholic and an anti-LGBT extremist. Anderson is also, I think, a pathetic self-loathing gay man who figures that other gays should pretend not to be gay, just like him. Religious Freedom to Ryan Anderson is defined as the right (perhaps obligation) to discriminate against LGBT citizens.
2. Courts have overwhelmingly held that religious freedom is the right to worship as one pleases and does not extend to inflicting one's beliefs on others. Even in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Justice Alito explained: “the contraceptive mandate forces them to pay an enormous sum of money—as much as $475 million per year in the case of Hobby Lobby—if they insist on providing insurance coverage in accordance with their religious beliefs, the mandate clearly imposes a substantial burden on those beliefs.” In other words the Court was very clear about what constitutes a substantial burden.

Nope - Uhuh - The feds are NOT "forcing doctors to perform sex changes on kids"

American Family Association's “news” blog is running a story — again — about a preposterous lawsuit from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.  The headline reads: “Feds forcing doctors to perform sex changes on kids.” According to the hate group's writer, Charlie Butts:

The Becket Fund has filed the lawsuit on behalf of the state of North Dakota, several hospitals, a university and various health clinics to curb Washington’s promotion of transgenderism that ultimately leads to gender confusion.

NOM has an unrealistic plan to roll back LGBT progress

Mr. Misadventure, Brian S. Brown, has sent out an email titled “The Plan.” Brown writes “We are confident that our voice and our views will be important in a Trump administration.”

Brian Brown and other Trump supporters are going to learn a very painful lesson. The only views and the only voice that are important to Donald Trump are those within his own head. The only thing that Trump cares about is Donald Trump.

Deacon Jim Russell explains the "homosexual inclination"

Thursday, Jim Russell, a Catholic Deacon writes: “Do We Understand the Homosexual Inclination?” The answer is a resounding “no!” Russell knows less about sexual orientation than he does about curing cancer.

The Catholic Church is obsessed with human sexuality. This preoccupation is based upon ancient screeds that are so wrong about so many things. For starters (and I could fill a website with the errors) the authors of those texts assert that the seemingly flat earth is the center of the universe, that the moon is lit rather than a reflection, that their god created light a couple of days before he created the sun, that demons cause sickness (which prayer can heal), that the Earth was created before the sun, that pi equals precisely 3 and so on. Yet Russell and his ilk will torture logic to the point of absurdity in order for their reality to conform to those ancients chronicles.

Mindless Mat

Hate group leaders Mat Staver and Tony Perkins with Kim Davis and Spouse

There is some therapeutic value to writing about the deranged Mat Staver and his idiotic client, Kim Davis. Oh, and as an added attraction we have the ever moronic Charlie Butts (great porn name Chuck) writing for the hate group American Family Association.

At AFA's “news” blog, Charlie Butts writes: “ACLU poised to lose last attack on Ky. clerk.” Mr. Butts explains:

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is not likely to prevail in its latest salvo against Kentucky clerk Kim Davis.

Something positive that you can all do that will make a difference

Trust me when I say that we all know people who must feel worse this morning than we do. It might be someone at a state equality group or a committed Clinton volunteer. It might be a state legislator or a public official.

Today is a good day to thank them for their efforts. Today is a good day for sincere (now is not the time for BS) compliments. Make sure that you tell people why you are making the compliment. For (simple) example; “That's a nice tie” doesn't work. “That's a nice tie because it goes so well with your suit” is what you should strive for.

I am working my way through my list and doing so making me feel better too. It is the reality of knowing just how many good people there are.

Brian Brown made a snotty comment on Twitter. Ryan Anderson is at it too. I made a conscious choice to ignore them. There will be plenty of better times to tell them what fucking imbeciles they are. Today I want to focus on positive energy whenever possible. I feel like shit but dwelling on it is pointless.

Stunned

Image credit, unknown

It's going to take some time to come to terms with — to process — a prospective Trump presidency. With Republicans also controlling both houses of Congress all of the progress that LGBT citizens have made over the past eight years is in peril. We also face the possibility of a complete loss of a fair Supreme Court for decades.

How this happened is now irrelevant. While Democrats need to figure out how to approach the 2018 midterm elections and then 2020, we have the more sober task of figuring out how to protect our families and even our safety. My hope is that Democrats learned something from Republicans about how to frustrate and obstruct a president. GOPers were effective when Democrats had complete control of Congress.

Cardinal Wim Eijk explains it all for you

A group of theologians, with no training whatsoever in human sexuality, presumes to explain how gender identity works. If any group was deserving of ridicule it is these people. According to CNS News: “ Dutch cardinal says papal encyclical on gender theory might be needed.”

Cardinal Willem Eijk of Utrecht, Netherlands, said a papal encyclical or other magisterial document “might appear to be necessary” to counter the spread of the new theory that gender can be determined by personal choice rather than by biology.

At FRC Cathy Ruse conforms to the organization's agenda of hate

Cathy Ruse is in her second stint at Family Research Council. This time around she bears the pretentious academic title; “Senior Fellow — Legal Studies.” I confess that I haven't a clue what a Senior Fellow — Legal Studies does but from time to time it includes writing polemics for FRC's blog. Monday she writes: “Fairfax Public Schools: Christians and Muslims Need Not Enroll.” Not exactly.

Last year the Fairfax County School Board began to promote transgenderism in children. The so-called “non-discrimination policy,” passed by a 10-1 vote without public hearing or citizen input, allows transgenderism in schools without parental knowledge or consent, including allowing males to use female bathrooms and showers. Transgenderism is now taught as a healthy alternative in student sex-ed classes.

Driven to Xanax over election 2016

I am constipated. No, really. TMI? Sorry about that. It is the protest of my digestive system over  taking too much Xanax (alprazolam). This presidential election has me more nervous than I have ever been over the outcome of any other. I cannot even watch the news anymore.

We have never had a candidate for President of the United States who is less qualified than Donald J. Trump. Never. In contrast, while Hillary Clinton has been a vulnerable candidate (she has been the object of conservative ire for more than 30 years) I think that she will do a great job as our next president. Clinton is terrible on the stump and Obama is a tough act to follow in that department. In person, by the way, she is warm and witty. Yet I am more interested in Clinton's intellect and judgment than her oratory. I have no concerns over her smarts or how she uses them.

AFA & Liberty Counsel remind us why both are "Hate Groups"

Monday, the piece in American Family Association's “news” blog is titled: “Transgenderism could reign supreme in Sup. Ct.” According to Charlie Butts, the author of the piece:

A big question remains as to whether the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) can be trusted to make a favorable decision in a transgender case it is considering to preside over.

The court is taking up the case of a 17-year-old girl enrolled at a Virginia high school who wants to be a boy and is seeking the right to use the school’s male facilities.

An Italian priest blames gays - A Jew blames Italians - Both agree that earthquakes are divine judgment

God has a personality disorder. 

There must be a snarky caption for this image

On October 30, Father Giovanni Cavalcoli said that the rash of earthquakes are the result of divine judgment for gay civil unions in Italy. The earthquakes have killed hundreds of people while leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Over the weekend, in a radio interview, Cavalcoli claimed that the quakes were a result of “human sins, such as civil unions.” He also advised the Vatican to “go over their catechism” whatever the hell that means.