Mad Mat's Lovely Easter Message

Oh goodie. Let's torture some children for the holiday!

Hate group leader Mat Staver (“Mad Mat”) of Liberty Counsel is promoting conversion “therapy” again. This has little to do with helping anyone. Indeed, in a brief that Staver recently filed to appeal a loss in Otto v. Boca Raton, he does not include any statistics reflecting his clients' purported success rates. He would not dare. Nor does he offer any evidence in support of conversion therapy's effectiveness.

Homophobia - The fear is palpable

Ana Samuel and Pete Buttigieg (Mayor Pete is the one on the right)

via Witherspoon Institute

Someone by the name of Ana Samuel claims to have a PhD from Notre Dame. Her advanced degree has not made her either smart or erudite. Thursday Ms. Samuel writes: A Message to Mayor Pete from a Latina Mama: “Don’t Force Your Sexual Ideology on Me and My Children.” Are you not in awe of the wisdom?

In case you haven't guessed, the outlet for this vapid drivel is the blog of the ultra-conservative Catholic Witherspoon Institute.

With respect to her title it is becoming rather hackneyed to refer to facts that one does not like as part of an ideology. Catholic dogma is an ideology. Sexuality is not an ideology. Sexuality is neither a philosophy nor doctrine. The following are indisputable facts:

The mendacious Dr. Michael Brown

“Dr. Michael Brown is a sociopath. He doesn't consider, not for a second, how to treat a child who is in extreme distress…”

via YouTube

The sanctimonious Dr. Michael Brown doesn't seem to be terribly concerned with telling the truth. Brown's essay Wednesday is titled: Why We Cannot Be Silent. I, for one, am quite pleased that Brown is not silent. Each utterance demonstrates the dishonesty of his nonstop anti-LGBT diatribe. Each polemic depicts both his animus for, and obsession with, LGBT people. Wednesday was no exception:

A growing number of parents are devastated after their vulnerable, confused, trans-identified daughters have had their breasts removed, only to realize they are actually women. Or their sons have had their private parts altered, only to realize they are actually boys. Dare we be silent?

With an anti-trans bill, Tennessee's legislature assumes that you are as stupid as ...

A new measure making its way through the Tennessee legislature would direct the state's attorney general to defend any school district in the state that is sued for not protecting transgender students by providing gender-appropriate access to facilities.

In other words, if passed, the legislature is sending a note to every school board directing them to abuse transgender kids. “Oh, and if you get sued, no problem. Our attorney general will defend the school at no cost to you.”

Barr lied and here is the absolute proof

Barr said that no American coordinated with the Russians. Reference is made to the indictment of Russian operatives dated July 13, 2018, beginning on page 14:

On or about August 15, 2016, the Conspirators, posing as Guccifer 2.0, received a request for stolen documents from a candidate for the US. Congress. The Conspirators responded using the Guccifer 2.0 persona and sent the candidate stolen documents related to the candidate’s opponent.

Your wait has ended - Brian S. Brown explains Mayor Pete's sexual orientation

via C-SPAN

The missive from Brian S. Brown on behalf of National Organization for Marriage is like all of the other missives from Brown: Send NOM some of your money because [topic du jour]. This one is titled: Pete Buttigieg was not 'born that way.'. Oh, do share your scientific wisdom Bri!

It doesn't take Brown very long to get to the point:

Today I would like to address Buttigieg's claim, one frequently made by many others in the gay community and their supporters, that God made him gay. Essentially, Buttigieg is repeating the often-accepted narrative of the LGBT community that they were 'born that way.'

Mayor Pete's detractors are INSANE

Whatever you think of Pete Buttigieg he certainly is poised.

via CNN

I have no idea who I will vote for in the Democratic presidential primary. My support might be conditioned on who matches up the best against Trump. In the general election my choice is simpler. The demonstrably worst Democratic candidate would be better for the country than the sociopath who currently occupies the Oval Office.

Mayor Pete is not the first gay candidate for president. That would be my friend Fred Karger. Fred has the backbone to have run as a gay Republican.

Mayor Pete sure does bring out the crazies. Pete's detractors are anti-gay and anti-choice. CNN attributed the protests to Randall Terry, an irrational anti-choice zealot.

No Mr. Staver - Twitter did not "Say goodbye to SPLC"

Smearing the SPLC is not going to make Liberty Counsel something other than a hate group.

Hate group leader Mad Mat Staver - Liberty Counsel

via Fox News/YouTube

Hate group leader Mad Mat Staver (Liberty Counsel) is convinced from an article in Daily Caller that a partnership between Twitter and the Southern Poverty Law Center has been dissolved. Come to think of it Mat Staver doesn't need to be convinced. He is perfectly willing to lie if he can shift the blame to someone else. This time he cannot even do that.

According to Mad Mat:

Twitter has finally distanced itself from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) after the implosion regarding the ongoing sexual harassment, racial discrimination and donor deception inside the organization. The SPLC hypocritically labels Christian, pro-family, and conservative nonviolent groups, such as Liberty Counsel, as “hate groups.”

DeMar: "It’s Not Who Homosexuals Are … It’s What They Do that Matters"

Beyond all of that, the ultra-religious treat LGBTQ people as those who have made very bad choices. We are not just evil. We are presumed to have terrible judgment.

Gary DeMar - American Vision

via Southern Poverty Law Center

Hate group leader Gary DeMar (American Vision) stopped targeting LGBT people for some time. Perhaps he was trying to get off the list compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center which he admitted negatively affected institutional donations. Perhaps he no longer cares because he has reverted to form.

Predictable certainty:

There’s a great deal of sloppy thinking going on about human sexuality. Many Christians have capitulated on the topic of same-sex sexuality. They’ve given into the premise that God’s Word does not disapprove of such relationships. Students at some Christian colleges are the worst offenders. Students and alumni at Taylor University, a Christian College in Upland, Indiana, are denouncing the decision to have Vice President Mike Pence deliver this year’s Commencement because of his opposition to same-sex sexuality.

A big (and important) loss for Mad Mat

via SFGN

Mad Mat Staver, leader of the hate group Liberty Counsel suffered a major defeat on Monday when the Supreme Court declined to hear King v. Murphy. This is a case where Liberty Counsel, on behalf of two conversion “therapists,” challenged New Jersey's ban on juvenile conversion therapy. Liberty Counsel failed at the district court and then the Third Circuit to invalidate the ban.

The importance:

It has seemed for a number of years that this issue was settled. Republican and Democratic governors have signed laws into effect that ban the procedure. Both the Third Circuit and the Ninth Circuit United States Courts of Appeal ruled that these bans were not an infringement on First Amendment protected speech. In 2014, the Supreme Court refused to hear the consolidation of Pickup v. Brown and Welch v. Brown.

FRC is using transphobia as its primary weapon to oppose HR5

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Monday, Cathy Ruse at Family Research Council writes: Under the “Equality Act,” A Woman’s Place is in the Bleachers. In order to cut to the chase, Mrs. Ruse writes:

There’s nothing “equal” about forcing women to compete against biological men.

Yet that’s what the so-called “Equality Act” will require, a bill being pushed now by transgender activists and their allies.

The religious right has been opposing the Equality Act (HR5) by attacking transgender people in one form or another. The reason is simple. The overwhelming majority of American citizens oppose discrimination against gay people. Part of that support stems from the fact that most people have gay family members, co-workers and/or friends.

Some vital information from Brian S. Brown

Via YouTube/Fox News

Brian S. Brown's latest technique for raising money for National Organization for Marriage is to tell supporters that they are all victims of evil gays. Who knew? Brown writes: You and I are the 'Mike Pences of the world'. Brown goes on to rail against identity politics as he engages in, … identity politics:

Consistent with their penchant for identity politics, the field of Democrat candidates for president includes a number of women, people of color, some senior citizens and a gay man. The latter is Pete Buttigieg, the homosexual mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Young (he's just 37 years old) and largely unknown, Buttigieg is leveraging his sexual orientation to get attention, and raise money. This helps to explain his utterly unkind, unwise, unwarranted and ill-informed attack on Vice President Mike Pence last week.

Gotcha: ADF's latest outright lie

ADF's Jeremy Tedesco is seemingly incurious and dishonest.

Photo via Twitter

Alliance Defending Freedom is an anti-LGBT hate group according to Southern Poverty Law Center — and that is an indisputable fact. A piece, Thursday, in American Family Association's blog includes this:

Twitter recently made the decision to cut ties with Southern Poverty Law Center. OneNewsNow spoke with an attorney who thinks websites should follow suit.

"Twitter has come out and said that they have dropped relying on the SPLC as part of their Trust & Safety Council for monitoring and regulating speech and groups on their platform, and that is a very welcomed thing," explains attorney Jeremy Tedesco of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Were Tony Perkins truthful his org might not be deemed a hate group

YouTube/Fox News

Wednesday evening Tony Perkins made a number of misleading statements regarding the Equality Act (HR5) on the blog of his organization, Family Research Council. Before I get to that, a review is in order.

Tony Perkins is a liar

Some of Perkins' prevarications are vague and some are whoppers. The sanctimonious Christian (who would have “Jesus1” license plate if he could get it) is shaping opinion through mendacity. There is a difference between alternate views and alternate facts.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Perkins' organization, Family Research Council, is a hate group. The SPLC claims that anti-LGBT hate groups try to marginalize LGBT people but it is more. Tony Perkins advances his depravity through dishonesty.

Were they in the right then they would not have to lie about LGBT people

Gay people take note: Anti-trans BS affects all of us!

Embed from Getty Images

As a gay man I write about transgender issues quite frequently, particularly in regards to trans youth. They deserve our full support and whatever protection we can provide. They need to know that they are part of a larger family and that they are most welcome.

There is a second reason for paying attention to transgender issues. The religious right is spreading lies about a sexual minority. The religious right is deliberately misleading people regarding how they should treat others, including their own children. Gay and transgender people have a common oppressor: Making them accountable for their lies — and they do lie — is important because credibility depends upon truthfulness.

Brian S. Brown: "The SPLC Haters Must Be Stopped"

There does not exist a right-wing meme that Brian S. Brown will not latch on to in an attempt to raise money.

The Tinkerbell Effect

If there is a god s/he is going to be plentifully pissed off by all of Brian S. Brown's deceptions to raise money for National Organization for Marriage. NOM did not have the class to pick up stakes after the Obergefell decision.

NOM is not designated a hate group, yet:

Kudos to U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) for demanding that the IRS look into the tax status of the liberal hate group Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). This extremist organization has managed to position itself among the leftist mainstream media as an arbiter of acceptable beliefs and actions, deeming those who are out of compliance with leftist group-think as "hate groups." Their stock in trade is defamation, and their target is primarily conservatives, especially groups that advocate a Christian perspective on contemporary social issues.

An anonymous post to Witherspoon's pseudo-intellectual blog

I know bullshit when I see it!

Anonymous mommy writes as Katherine Cave. Cave is supposedly a contributor to an anonymous transgender denial site called the Kelsey Coalition. There are several similar sites and I am reasonably certain that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is behind one or more of them. Ms. Cave might even be “Father Diddle” for all we know. Consider that Witherspoon Institute is a far-right Catholic organization headed by an Opus Dei numerary. Nevertheless, I will refer to the author as Ms. Cave.

The title of Cave's piece published to Witherspoon's outlet (edited by Ryan T. Anderson) is: The Medical Scandal that the Mainstream Media Ignores. The lengthy subtitle reads:

Over the past few years, media stories about “transgender” kids have become increasingly common, but critical questions are seldom asked. These children’s identities are portrayed as immutable, while the ideologically-driven medical practices solidifying them are not investigated. Why won’t they report the truth: that these children and their families are victims of ruthless medical practices with no basis in science?

Another white person attempting to "drive a wedge"

Autumn Leva has some rather strange ideas about what the Equality Act would do and what Brown v. Board of education did.

Photo via Twitter

We begin Tuesday with a review of a piece of prose at Heritage Foundation's blog. The title of the essay is: Pelosi Is Hijacking the Civil Rights Movement to Force LGBT Ideology on Kids. Are you suitably impressed? The author of the subject piece is Autumn Leva. According to her Twitter page: “VP Strategy, Family Policy Alliance // His grace is sufficient.” In other words she is a warrior for the faith and professional Christian.

We have seen it all before (ad nauseum). A white person is once again trying to create discord between the African-American and LGBT communities. Also unoriginal is the notion that a person's sexuality comprises an “ideology” — a philosophy or doctrine. The logical fallacy is called begging the question.

State-paid discrimination

“More important than the discrimination is the fact that this does a disservice to children by reducing the number of able adoptive and foster parents.”

The Tennessee House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would allow state-contracted and taxpayer-funded foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against gay couples in accordance with their religious beliefs. Not surprisingly (after all, it is Tennessee) the bill passed by a wide margin — 67-22.

Rep. Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro is the sponsor of House Bill 836. One day his relatives will be embarrassed by Rudd's bigotry. Rudd claimed that the bill just “codifies what the Supreme Court has said.” I have no idea what case he is referring to. Neither does he I suspect.

According to his profile, Rudd at 59 is a direct mail consultant and real estate agent. He is also single. But he is a Baptist.

Why must they try so hard to look so stupid?

“This schmuck is directly saying, without nuance, that teaching kids to be nice (which is what the Day of Silence is all about) turns kids gay or transgender.”

Larry Tomczak circa 2015

via YouTube

Christianist blowhard Larry Tomczak writes: This Friday’s “Day of Silence” Harmless or Harmful for Your Children? The intellectual prowess on display is truly impressive. This thing begins with a faux quote which reflects Tomczak's disdain for LGBT people:

“Students listen up. Just days ago, Chicago, the 3rd largest American city, elected its first lesbian, socialist, same-sex partnered, black female mayor, Lori Lightfoot! In her acceptance speech she said, ‘I think about the children…boys and girls seeing leaders who look like them.’ And the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, is also gay and ‘married’ to his homosexual partner and preparing to declare his candidacy for President of the United States! Let’s give it up for LGBTQ advances today!”

8-year-old children are NOT receiving hormones

So much of this is re-purposed anti-gay rhetoric and junk science from religious conservatives.

Warriors for the Faith at Heritage Foundation. On the extreme left is Ryan T. Anderson. The bald guy in the middle is Michael K. Laidlaw, a trans-obsessed California physician and shameless purveyor of BS.

Via YouTube/Heritage Foundation

The headline at The Blaze: Doctors are now giving hormone treatments to children as young as 8 who ‘identify’ as transgender. It is the same headline I have seen at three or more other anti-LGBT outlets and it is a lie. This is the handiwork of Dr. Michael K. Laidlaw — a trans-obsessed Defender of the Faith. The post at The Blaze is written by someone named Sarah Taylor who has the curiosity of a frozen pizza.

FOIA?

Ms. Taylor cites another highly reputable source: The Christian Post “reported:”

AFA is OBSESSED over Walmart's gay dating video

It's raining on the frog; not with frogs

via Sistem Informasi CSR Kota Banjar

Hate group leader Tim Wildmon (American Family Association) is too ingenious for words. He cannot seem to accept the simple fact that gay people exist and that they date — just like straight people. Moreover, retailers want to attract gay customers. In doing so they attract straight customers who like the idea of the company appealing to their gay friends and family.

According to Timmy:

First, I want to thank you for being one of over 163,000 signing the petition to Walmart President Doug McMillon, requesting that he return Walmart back to its founding principles by removing the pro-homosexual video on their Facebook page and agreeing to remain neutral on the controversial issue of homosexuality.

Mad Mat Staver - The SPLC smear campaign

Acknowledged problems at the SPLC affected its 300 employees. The actions of Liberty Counsel and other hate groups affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people whom they do not know.

Hate group leader "Mad" Mat Staver

via YouTube/FoxNews

The Southern Poverty Law Center had a problem. They have not been specific but founder Morris Dees was apparently creating a toxic work environment for women and minorities. Dees' employment was terminated and the organization brought in Tina Tchen, a prominent lawyer and former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, to evaluate the organization, “top to bottom.”

The SPLC did precisely what an organization should do when a senior-level executive creates a problem. They axed the employee and brought in an unbiased outsider to review the organization and its culture.

Heyer is a liar

Ex-trans crackpot Walt Heyer

via YouTube

According to professional ex-transgender Walt Heyer: Ex-transgender Walt Heyer: 'We are ruining an entire generation of young people'. Entire huh? Heyer has donations to glom and books to sell.

The legend of Walt:

According to a piece in the Christian Post.

Heyer is the founder of Sex Change Regret and is reportedly hearing from many more people who now feel as he does.

"We get letters from parents or the transgenders themselves asking for help, after they've lived the life like I did for five, six, 15, 18, 20, all the way up to 30 years. And they are saying 'Walt, can you help me de-transition. This was the biggest mistake of my life.'"

AFA is having its annual shitfit over Day of Silence

I am stunned by the intellectual depth of: Civil disobedience – a proper response to pro-LGBT school event. It was written by one of American Family Association's propagandists, Bob Kellogg. Who could ever claim that you are a one-watt bulb Bob?

Being gay is now a philosophy:

Public school students across the country are about to be confronted once again with a yearly event that promotes the homosexual ideology of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network.

In Linux terms: 's/agenda/ideology/' — I guess they realize that Homosexual Agenda™ leaves them open to considerable ridicule.

Mr. Perkins: Instead of dishonest rhetoric you might try some positive reforms

Were the SPLC to cease operation tomorrow, Family Research Council would still be a hate group. Tony Perkins would still be a vile bigot.

via YouTube/Fox News

Hate group leader Tony Perkins of Family Research Council has been on an anti-SPLC tear of late. I take this to mean that when the Southern Poverty Law Center deems an organization a hate group it has real consequences. Perkins is desperate to have the listing become meaningless; something that is highly unlikely to occur. It would be smarter to be introspective.

Wednesday evening, Perkins merged dishonest rhetoric with extreme vitriol and a shout-out to Senator Tom Cotton. Mr. Cotton has an enviable background welded, from time to time, with irrationality. His comments to Fox News were arguments from ignorance (I'll get to those shortly).

You would think that the villagers are at the door of the SPLC with torches:

I never dreamed ...

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The results are in. Chicago mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot kisses her wife in celebration.

As a gay kid (I am now 70) I never dreamed that it would be possible for gay person to become the mayor of Chicago. If someone told me that she would turn up at the post-election celebration with her wife I would have questioned that person's sanity or drug consumption. Lori Lightfoot has done just that by becoming the next mayor of the Windy City.

Even better is the fact that the press is uniformly reporting as its headline that the city has elected its first African-American woman mayor. Lightfoot's sexual orientation was minimized by the New York Times and others.

Re: Buttigieg - David Brooks Nails It

via Pete for America

Monday, for the New York Times, David Brooks provided: Why You Love Mayor Pete. He is referring to Pete Buttigieg (Boot-a-judge), a presidential candidate with a name that requires a pronunciation guide and cut-and-paste text. Oh and he happens to be gay.

I just want to quote one passage (emphasis added) and urge you to read the piece in its entirety:

The Trump era has been all about dissolving moral norms and waging vicious attacks. This has been an era of culture war, class warfare and identity politics. It’s been an era in which call-out culture, reality TV melodrama and tribal grandstanding have overshadowed policymaking and the challenges of actually governing.

President of religious group claims that trans people are suffering and delusional

“their ridicule creates a problem which they then use to justify the same ridicule. It is an irrational enterprise with a goal of conforming the world to ancient chronicles and religious dogma.”

Steven W. Mosher

via Population
Research Inst

Steven W. Mosher is president of Population Research Institute (PRI), a Virginia operation with annual revenues just over $1 million. PRI is a conservative Catholic organization dedicated to stopping reproductive choice. It also seems to be dedicated to thwarting academic studies of overpopulation that do not conform to religious dogma. He notes that he studied biology in college. None of these things provide qualifications to have opinions about transgender people. His views are shaped by religious belief, not science.

Mosher has authored: Transgender people are suffering, and indulging their delusions will not help them. In one phrase, the title of a polemic, Mosher has invalidated a mountain of scientific research. I know that it is tedious but I am compelled to repeat that religion is a belief system based on faith. Science — in this instance medical science — is based on evidence.

The effort to scare people away from gender clinicians continues

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Jeremiah Keenan is just out of Penn. A religious conservative admitted to an Ivy League school defies the odds. I will give him credit for that. On the other hand he has authored: ‘Doctor’ Advises Threatening Suicide To Get Transgender Treatments For Kids. It is an exercise in imbecility.

Religious conservatives are desperately trying to keep kids away from gender specialists. The reason for that is simple. It is based on disapproval of transgender people which stems from scripture. So the idea is to prevent transitions on the false notion that kids will grow out of severe gender dysphoria.

While it is true that most kids do outgrow the condition once the condition's severity is such that the child is in severe distress which is only relieved (in part) with some form of gender affirmation it is unlikely that he or she will desist. Nevertheless, the first phase of treatment might include puberty blockers which are fully reversible.

Christian Nationalist Opines on the Mueller Report

Apparently, Christian Supremacy provides its sponsors with the supernatural ability to know the contents of a document without having read it.

via Vimeo/American Renewal Project

Republican operative and Christian nationalist David Lane serves up: The One Benefit of the Mueller Investigation. According to Mr. Lane:

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the U.S. intelligence community and the Republicans on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees announced that no evidence exists of collusion between President Trump and Russia.

Robert Mueller has announced nothing of the sort. Nor has the U.S. intelligence community. Republicans on the House and Senate Intelligence committees do not have copies of Mueller's report. All that we have is Attorney General Barr's summary. It reads (in part):