Texas, where they don't just spout anti-gay rhetoric, they amplify it.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Earlier this week, video posted on social media captured part of a sermon about homosexuality at The Door Christian Fellowship Church’s nightly tent revival at Leroy Elmore Park. 

“I still believe that God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” the pastor says in the video. “I don’t care who told you it’s okay, God says it’s an abomination.” 

“A fag is still a fag, and a dike is still a dike!” he shouts. “If it walks like a duck and if it quacks like a duck, it’s a cotton-picking duck!” 

“And I can’t stand men saying, ‘I need to get in touch with my feminist side!’ Have you looked in the mirror, brother? Don’t get me going!”

Well gee, he seems nice.

When questioned by the folks at local Texas affiliate KCBD Pastor Anthony Saavedra stood by his hateful rhetoric: 

"We preach on sin in general in the eyes of God," Saavedra said. "Sin is sin. Homosexuality is the part that is being mentioned, which the bible does say is an abomination…and we do believe it is a sin."

Despite complaints the pastor claimed that he would continue shouting his anti-gay invective's into his  microphone for the remainder of the week.

Perhaps an LGBT group could put up a tent directly across from Pastor Homophobe and start yelling into a microphone at the top of their lungs that archaeologists can find NO evidence of the Exodus mentioned in the Bible, that Egyptians had NO Jewish slaves, and that Jesus could NOT have been the Messiah because he was not a direct descendant from King David.

Just a thought.

How not to react when your child tells you that he's gay. (NSFW due to language and terrible parenting..)

Courtesy of the Advocate:  

A 19-year-old gay man is safe and staying with a family friend in Atlanta, Georgia, after suffering physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his stepmother, father, and grandparents when he told them he was gay. 

Daniel Pierce filmed his family's reaction to his confirmation that he was gay in chilling first-hand look at the violence and rejection that can result when parents don't accept their child's sexual orientation. 

I don't think I have heard of too many episodes of a child coming out to their parents that has gone much worse than this one did. They actually hit this young man and called him a "queer."

Though perhaps the most chilling part for me was hearing the family say that they do not care about what science has determined because they place their faith in God, and God would not create him that way.

For those who are concerned about Daniel, and the long term effects this might have on him, this should help you to feel a little better.

Courtesy of The Daily Mail:

A 20-year-old who was kicked out by his religious parents after he came out as gay has received almost $50,000 in donations to help him start a new life. 

Daniel Ashley Pierce, from Kennesaw, Georgia, secretly filmed the moment he was disowned by his family and the YouTube video has attracted almost two million views in two days. 

The five-minute clip titled 'How not to react when your child tells you that he's gay' has prompted hundreds of supportive responses on YouTube and donations have been pouring in. 

This kind of ignorance of sexuality in this day and age is inexcusable, but when you find it you can be sure there is going to be a religious component interfering with their logic.

Watch CNN's Anderson Cooper take on Texas Republican lawmaker over the GOP's embrace of reparative therapy.

Courtesy of The New Civil Rights Movement:  

Cooper spoke with state Rep. Bryan Hughes, who has voted for the platform that for years has contained vicious anti-gay rhetoric. Hughes explained that the Texas GOP added support for “ex-gay” therapy after one delegate’s neighbor expressed concern lawmakers might make it illegal. 

“The language is in the platform because we want to make sure that people have rights,” Hughes offers as a reason to support ineffective and harmful “reparative” therapy. “We heard from people who wanted access to that kind of counseling, that kind of therapy, and so we believe in free speech, in free choice.” (Unless of course that free choice means they will choose to be gay, in which case Texas will counsel the crap out of them until they claim to like the opposite sex again.)

“This is about giving people choices,” Hughes claims. “If they want this, it should be available to them.” No discussion of access to abortion services came up. 

Hughes tried to claim there is “medical literature on both sides of the issue,” which Cooper blasted. 

“It’s really just not accurate to say that doctors are evenly divided,” Cooper said. “I could give you a list: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselors’ Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers. They represent half a million mental health professionals, they all say this is not a mental disorder. It’s not something that needs to be cured.” 

Cooper even slammed Hughes’ claim that people on both sides testified before the platform committee as “not true.” Hughes could not state who testified against the plank. 

“Does it concern you, again, that your party is now backing a form of therapy which basically every major medical organization says doesn’t work, can be harmful, and which many of the people who have been through it say it doesn’t work and is bad for kids?” Cooper asked Hughes. 

“No one is saying that God doesn’t love people as they are,” Hughes told Cooper, in response to a clip of former Exodus International president Alan Chambers’ disavowal of “ex-gay” therapy. “There’s nothing in the platform about that. No one is trying to take that position. Every one of us makes mistakes, makes decisions we’re not proud of. God loves each one of us, and he offers us a way for us to deal with sin and bad choices. But I do strongly disagree with what he said about God not loving people.” 

“The fact that you view being gay — or you characterize it — as a ‘mistake,’ or something that should be changed really kind of maybe says more about your position than what your words actually say,” Cooper pointed out.

You know with the possible exception of Rachel Maddow or Ellen Degeneres, I don't think I would rather see ANYBODY take apart homophobic Republicans more than Anderson Cooper.

He is so very professional as he picks apart their argument and all but calls them hate mongering bullies.

And personally I think the fact that he is openly gay just makes that much more effective. 

Merry Christmas Conservatives!

A little food for thought.

Just a reminder to all the Christians as to what Jesus had to say about homosexuality in the New Testament.

My understanding is that if your homophobia is strong enough you can see entire paragraphs trashing the gays.

(H/T to HuffPo.)

American Family Association may sue military for daring to call them a hate group.

Courtesy of Right Wing Watch:  

American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer said that his group may file a lawsuit against the US military because the AFA was included on a list of domestic hate groups in an army training. Fischer said that Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) is “demanding answers” from the Pentagon about the list and why the military is “even spending time focusing on groups that are made up of American citizens.” 

“We are considering legal action, we think this is defamatory, it’s outrageous, it’s libelous,” Fischer said. “It’s not beyond the possibility that we would resort to some kind of legal action.” 

Fischer added that he found it “particularly offensive” that the military compared the AFA to the Westboro Baptist Church since “you’re not going to find a stronger supporter of the American military than the American Family Association.” 

Of course the reason that the SPLC has deemed AFA a hate group is NOT because of their stance on the military, but rather because of their incredibly venomous attacks on the gay community in this country. Many of who proudly serve this country, and who now do so openly, which is something that AFA has spoken out against numerous times.

Perosonally I think it would be a good thing if AFA sued the US Military.

Just imagine all of the hateful garbage that would be revealed in discovery and broadcast into the mainstream media during the trial.

No, organizations like the AFA survive because they are mostly paid attention to only by like minded bigots. Once the world had a chance to be disgusted by their hateful rhetoric they would find themselves marginalized even further.

I doubt there will be any lawsuit.

Gays with guns? Well that makes the gun debate a little more interesting.

Courtesy of The Edge on Net:  

Gays and guns seem as likely to go together as Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. As a culture, even under attack, we are a peaceful lot -- you catch more bees with honey, right? 

"Wrong," says Gwendolyn Patton of Pink Pistols, a group that advocates gun ownership for the LGBT community. With taglines like "pick on someone your own caliber," and "armed gays don’t get bashed," Patton says Pink Pistols changes the perception that gay people are easy victims. 

"We teach queers to shoot, and then we teach the rest of the world we’ve done it," Patton told WBEZ91.5, a public radio station in Chicago. "Because then they may think twice about using (LGBT people) as a target." 

Doug Krick, a libertarian activist from Illinois founded the Pink Pistols in July 2000 while living in Massachusetts. The organization now has 60 chapters in 33 states and three countries. The group’s activities include firing range visits, political activism and will occasionally produce report cards on politicians; rating them on their position on issues of interest to members. Other than that, little is known about the organization and it’s even difficult to know just how big the Pink Pistols movement is because the organization doesn’t keep a national count. 

While some might roll their eyes, advocates like Chuck Michel, a spokesman for the California Rifle and Pistol Association and a lawyer for the National Rifle Association, does not. In fact, in 2005, at the height of the Proposition H ordinance debate, which gained national attention for seeking to ban the otherwise legal ownership and sales of firearms in San Francisco, Michel said Pink Pistols played a critical role in the gun owner rights fight. 

"They have a great deal of legitimacy because they recognize they are at great odds of becoming victims because of their sexual preference ... I think people will understand that they should not be deprived of their rights," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Well as an anti-gun liberal the idea of more guns in the community means to me that there will be more chance for accidental shootings and murders of passion.

However as a pro-gay rights liberal I have to admit that the idea of some homophobic asshole being shot in the face while trying to beat on a homosexual is not exactly unpleasant. 

Interestingly enough my daughter has been talking about buying a handgun for when she drives down to the lower forty eight this fall. I have struggled with my stance on guns vs my desire to see that my daughter is safe if somebody tries to harm her when she is too far away for me to come to her defense and rip their heart out and devour it before their dying eyes.(Sorry, I get a little defensive about my daughter.)

I have of course grudgingly given her my blessing, though mostly because I know that her grandfather spent many Alaskan summers teaching her how to use a gun and that she can shoot a man's cock off at fifty paces.

Also not an unpleasant thought.

Hmm, I wonder how the Republican gun nuts feel about this little twist in the plot?

Despite great improvement in overall attitudes, hatred toward gays and lesbians still alive and well.

Courtesy of the Dallas Voice:  

A lesbian from Seagoville was recovering this week after suffering a dislocated jaw when she was brutally attacked in an apparent anti-gay hate crime at a Mesquite playground. 

The suspect yelled gay epithets while he beat Sondra Scarber after she tried to defend her 4-year-old son from bullying at the hands of the suspect’s children. After knocking Scarber to the ground, the suspect kicked her in the mouth and stomped her face. She would later need surgery on her jaw, which had been knocked an inch-and-a-half out of alignment. 

The assault happened Feb. 17 at the Seabourn Elementary School playground, where Scarber and her partner Hillary Causey had taken their son to play. 

A 10-year-old began pushing their son around so Scarber told the boy to stop. That’s when the boy’s younger sister went to the car to get their father. Causey said she expected the father to tell his son not to pick on a 4-year-old but as he got closer, she could see his anger. At first, he thought Scarber was a man. 

When he realized she was woman, he said, “Oh, it’s a bitch. It’s a bitch,” according to Causey. “You’re a woman, but you think you’re a man.” 

He called her a dyke and a faggot, holding her up by her necklace and repeatedly hitting her in the face until he knocked her out. 

“I’m going to beat you like a man,” he said. 

Causey said a woman who was with the suspect tried to stop him but he pushed her away. He dropped Scarber to the ground and kicked her in the mouth, detaching her jaw on the right side. Scarber said as she was trying to regain consciousness, she saw his foot come down on her face. 

She said her son was standing there watching. 

“Please don’t kill her,” she said he pleaded.

You know as the father of a gay daughter, this is the kind of thing that terrifies me. 

This level of hatred is almost incomprehensible, and yet there are still so many who feel justified in treating gays and lesbians like depositories for all of the hate and anger they feel inside.

I have little doubt that this POS feels that he is a Christian, and probably believes the Bible justifies this kind of behavior toward another human being. Hopefully, after witnessing this, his hatefulness will not be passed on to this children.

All I can say is that I am not a Bible believing Christian, but his behaviors would certainly make me feel justified to respond with a little "eye for an eye."

Westboro "God Hates Fags" church decides to protest Santa Monica High School. School responds by protesting them back, with hilarious results.

Courtesy of Americablog:  

Rev. Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps was protesting Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California this morning. 

The Phelps’ made the trip to California for the Oscars, but since they were already there, they decided to picket a high school too.

So the kids decided that two could play that game and came out onto the sidewalks to do a little protesting of their own.

 They clearly had superior numbers on their side, but they also had some things the Westboro folks lacked completely, youthful energy, creativity, and a sense of humor.

Have I mentioned yet how much I admire the youth of today?

Well I do. I do indeed.

I guess it is never too early to indoctrinate your children into hate.

Did you hear those "Christians" cheering?

I certainly hope that there are no children in that audience who are going to have to grow up hiding who they are from these hate filled religious zealots.

But you know statistically speaking it is virtually guaranteed that there are.

Anti-gay politicians and pastors might as well just come out of the closet now. They are fooling nobody!

As indicated by a recent study, those who are aggressively homophobic are often gay themselves, or at the very least confused by their sexuality.

So my advice to all of you who are trying to prove your heterosexuality by attacking the LGBT community I would just like you to know that it's okay. We understand.

You don't have to hide behind your anger here. We are liberals and we accept people just the way they are.

You don't have to agree with every point of view that I share, or that others express, but please recognize that when people are hiding something they often aggressively attack others in order to take the focus off of themselves. And the majority of us on this blog understand that.

In short, like it says in the headline, you're not fooling anybody.

Pope sends out Christmas message of hope. Well except for the gays who are putting "the future of mankind at stake" of course. Screw them!

Scariest Santa ever!

Courtesy of the Daily Mail:

The Pope has pressed his opposition to gay marriage today saying the future of mankind is at stake. 

Pope Benedict XVI denounced what he described as people manipulating their God-given identities to suit their sexual choices - and destroying the very 'essence of the human creature' in the process. 

He made the comments in his annual Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, one of his most important speeches of the year. 

He dedicated it this year to promoting traditional family values in the face of vocal campaigns in France, the U.S., Britain and elsewhere to legalise same-sex marriage. 

In his remarks, Pope Benedict quoted the chief rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, in saying the campaign for granting gays the right to marry and adopt children was an 'attack' on the traditional family made up of a father, mother and children. 

'People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being,' he said. 'They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves.' '

The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man's fundamental choice where he himself is concerned,' he said. 

It was the second time in a week that Pope Benedict has taken on the question of gay marriage, which is dividing France, and which scored big electoral wins in the U.S. last month. In his recently released annual peace message, Pope Benedict said gay marriage, like abortion and euthanasia, was a threat to world peace.

Has anybody else noticed that all of these "religions of peace" always have some group, or groups, that they tell their congregants to feel free to hate on?

"You must love everybody. Well except for those assholes over there. God says you can hate them all you want!"

And by the way, how can a man who wears flowing robes and little red pumps be AGAINST homosexuals?

I mean come on!

That look doesn't scream conservative religious values, It screams Gay Pride Week!

Final thought of the day.

I think we already know the answer to this question.

Don't we?

(Click here to visit their Facebook page and join the conversation.)

You KNOW it's 2012 when you have NFL players taking on politicians over gay marrriage. Yeah, you read that right!

Okay so the above picture is of a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens named Brendon Ayanbadejo who has been an outspoken advocate of marriage equality in this country.

Well apparently this chafed a certain Maryland politician/minister's nutsack so much that he wrote the following letter demanding that the NFL shut Avanbadeio up about his support for them gay folk:

Now Avanbadeio responded the following in a tweet: "Football is just my job it's not who I am. I am an American before anything. And just like every American I have the right to speak!!!"

And THAT might have been where this story ended.  Except THIS is 2012, and WE are in the middle of an unstoppable social change in this country.  So instead of this remaining an unfortunate little story about a linebacker and a politician arguing about who can say what in this country and when, there was ANOTHER NFL player who was going to make this a MUCH bigger story.

Men attack woman in her own home, and carve the word "dyke" into her skin.

ABC is not publicizing the words that were carved into this young woman's body, but the local news outlet is not quite so pensive:

 Davidsaver would not say what the men carved into the woman's skin. “We need to maintain the integrity of the case,” he said. 

But Erin Thompson of Lincoln, who described herself as the victim's best friend, said she got a call from her friend about 6:30 Sunday morning. The friend asked Thompson to pick her up from the hospital. 

“They carved on me,” Thompson said her friend tearfully told her. Thompson said three epithets, including the word “dyke,” were carved on her arms and stomach. 

The woman, who is in her 30s, walked, naked and bound, to a neighbor's house to get help, Thompson said. 

What would possess ANYBODY to hurt a person like this simply because of their sexuality?

And where do these people learn such hate?

Oh, that's right. How could I forget?

You may argue that this is not fair, but then you tell me, where is the source in this country that supports the idea that homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), or that people who engage in it should be punished (Leviticus 20:13)?

I rest my case.

Update: By the way this is NOT the only hate crime directed at the gay community in the last few days:

Jon Ferguson, a 25-year old gay Oklahoma City man Saturday morning saw his car spray painted with the word “fag,’ then blown up feet away from him as he approached. Ferguson was rushed to the hospital with 1st and 2nd degree burns as the flames from his Camaro rose ten feet into the air.

I am hoping we are not seeing a pattern.

According to former Navy Chaplain homosexuality is the result of "gay demons" which can also possess animals. Oh, well that explains...wait what?

Former Navy Chaplain, Gordon Klingenschmitt, who founded lobbying group The Pray In Jesus Name Project, appeared on a progressive talk show this week to criticize President Barack Obama’s endorsement of same sex marriage.

This is the rather startling exchange he had with the host David Pakman:  

“The problem is, nobody’s born a homosexual,” he said, explaining that all gay people are converted via “marketing” because the LGBT community “has an agenda” to “repopulate their population by recruiting the children of heterosexuals.” 

Klingenschmitt added that “anyone who’s studied” genetics knows that homosexuality is not an inherent trait, simply because LGBT people aren’t capable of reproducing and passing that genetic trait along. Though Pacman didn’t immediately challenge it, that’s a claim as bizarre as it is untrue, as scientists have long known homosexuality can be attributed to genetic traits and many LGBT people have reproduced thanks to the help of platonic opposite sex partners. 

“That’s what this whole marketing scheme for pro-homosexual movement is all about,” 

Klingenschmitt insisted, reiterating his point about repopulating the LGBT community. 

That’s when Pacman hit him with the science on homosexuality in the animal kingdom. 

“Let’s step back for a second, Gordon, and say okay, let’s assume you’re right that homosexuality among humans is only because of marketing,” Pacman countered. “What about in the 4,000 other species that have homosexuality? Because, as far as I know, they don’t have TV. They don’t have advertising. They don’t have the iTunes store to recruit people. How is it that humans are gay sometimes because of marketing, but 4,000 other species… Why? Is it something else?” 

“It is entirely possible — we know from the Bible, for example, when Jesus cast the devil out of Legion, he went into a herd of pigs,” Klingenschmitt said. “So, it is possible for demons or the devil to inhabit or invade animals just the same way they invade humans, and that causes the sin of lust.” 

Picture of gay demon. For you skeptics out there.

“So, what you’re saying is, in humans it’s marketing that makes people gay; in animals, it’s the souls of gay humans who have invaded the animals,” Pacman replied. “That makes them gay?” 

Klingenschmitt laughed and scratched his temple. “Well, I think you twisted what I’m saying there,” he said. 

“No, I don’t think I did,” Pacman responded. 

Backpedaling, Klingenschmitt explained that he believes marketing to be “related to the demonic, because the devil wants to recruit people into sin.” He added that even Pacman himself was being used by the devil to promote “the homosexual agenda.” 

“I don’t promote homosexuality any more than I promote being tall,” Pacman deadpanned.

Man there is SO much stupid in this exchange that I almost don't know where to start.

Essentially there is literally NO way to reason with a person who views social change, biology, and sexuality through the prism of Biblical superstition.

No matter which carefully researched, and scientifically sound facts you were to introduce, this individual would simply discount them because he sees the world as a child sees the world, broken up into simple categories of bad vs good, evil vs non-evil, and satanic vs godly.

With those definitions in place, especially as this person clearly sees himself as an instrument for for spreading the message of good, there is no way to communicate the ridiculousness of their argument.

Now Klingenschmitt is clearly a nutjob, but the rationale he uses to justify his seemingly insane world view is not THAT dissimilar from the one used by a large number of devout Christians to view the subject of homosexuality.

Take a look at this Facebook rant from a Kansas middle school social studies teacher:

"All this talk in the news about gay marriage recently has finally driven me to write. Gay marriage is wrong because homosexuality is wrong. The Bible clearly states it is sin. Now I do not claim it to be a sin any worse than other sins. It ranks in God's eyes the same as murder, lying, stealing, or cheating. His standards are perfect and ALL have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Sin is sin and we all deserve hell. Only those who accept Christ as Lord and daily with the help of the Spirit do their best to turn from sin will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There aren't multiple ways to get to Heaven. There is one. To many this may seem close minded and antagonistic, but it doesn't make it any less true. Folks I am willing to admit that my depravity is just as great as anyone else's, and without Christ I'd be destined for hell, if not for the undeserved grace of God. I'm not condemning gay marriage because I hate gay people. I am doing it because those who embrace it will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And I desire that for no one."

In other words homosexuality is just as much of a sin as murder. Now keep in mind that this is a man who teaches in the PUBLIC SCHOOL system, not a Christian school, and who has influence over the developing young minds of prepubescent children that have no idea how illogical his point of view is, or how out of touch it is with the way the world is changing.

And undoubtedly SOME of the people he has influence over are just now becoming aware that THEY themselves might be gay. Imagine how quickly those kids will stuff themselves back into the closet, and slam the door, when surrounded by this kind of insane homophobia!

I know that I sometimes take heat for challenging the Bible, or taking Christianity to task, but considering that it is where these people find their"facts" to support their disgusting point of view and their inspiration to attack people who do not fit their interpretation of normal, what choice do I really have?

I mean gay demons possessing animals, really?

Apparently Mitt Romney is a homophobe and a bully from way back. Update, Romney responds.

"First off let me just say that I don't remember this incident. But if it happened, the guy had long hair, so he totally deserved it!"

Courtesy of the Washington Post:

Mitt Romney returned from a three-week spring break in 1965 to resume his studies as a high school senior at the prestigious Cranbrook School. Back on the handsome campus, studded with Tudor brick buildings and manicured fields, he spotted something he thought did not belong at a school where the boys wore ties and carried briefcases. John Lauber, a soft-spoken new student one year behind Romney, was perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality. Now he was walking around the all-boys school with bleached-blond hair that draped over one eye, and Romney wasn’t having it. 

 “He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!” an incensed Romney told Matthew Friedemann, his close friend in the Stevens Hall dorm, according to Friedemann’s recollection. Mitt, the teenaged son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, kept complaining about Lauber’s look, Friedemann recalled. 

A few days later, Friedemann entered Stevens Hall off the school’s collegiate quad to find Romney marching out of his own room ahead of a prep school posse shouting about their plan to cut Lauber’s hair. Friedemann followed them to a nearby room where they came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors. 

The incident was recalled similarly by five students, who gave their accounts independently of one another. Four of them — Friedemann, now a dentist; Phillip Maxwell, a lawyer; Thomas Buford, a retired prosecutor; and David Seed, a retired principal — spoke on the record. Another former student who witnessed the incident asked not to be named. The men have differing political affiliations, although they mostly lean Democratic. Buford volunteered for Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008. Seed, a registered independent, has served as a Republican county chairman in Michigan. All of them said that politics in no way colored their recollections. 

“It happened very quickly, and to this day it troubles me,” said Buford, the school’s wrestling champion, who said he joined Romney in restraining Lauber. Buford subsequently apologized to Lauber, who was “terrified,” he said. “What a senseless, stupid, idiotic thing to do.” 

“It was a hack job,” recalled Maxwell, a childhood friend of Romney who was in the dorm room when the incident occurred. “It was vicious.” 

“He was just easy pickins,” said Friedemann, then the student prefect, or student authority leader of Stevens Hall, expressing remorse about his failure to stop it. 

The incident transpired in a flash, and Friedemann said Romney then led his cheering schoolmates back to his bay-windowed room in Stevens Hall. 

Friedemann, guilt ridden, made a point of not talking about it with his friend and waited to see what form of discipline would befall Romney at the famously strict institution. Nothing happened.

Seriously, WTF? Well I guess now we understand why Romney won't support gay marriage!

Okay now before I start ripping into Romney, in the interest of full disclosure I should mention that I was once attacked in a elementary school bathroom by a bunch of older kids who wanted to cut my long hair. (I managed to escape and the boys were expelled for their actions.) So I may have some built in anger toward anybody who would bully somebody due to the length of their hair. However, to be honest, I have a lot of built in anger towards bullies in general, which I will share in a few minutes.

Now the excuse can be made that this incident happened a LONG TIME AGO. And that is fair, but it also demonstrates a character issue.  While true that prejudice can change over time, and that bullies can grow up to be contributing members of society, it is hard to  argue that a person who does not demonstrate empathy for other people at a younger age, suddenly develops it when they are older.

And in fact much of the criticisms toward Romney stem form his inability to "feel other people's pain," which this incident aligns with perfectly.

It is one thing to dislike a person's appearance, or even to call out an insult to demonstrate that dislike, but Romney attacked this young man, and encouraged others to assist him in the boy's humiliation.

That is WAY beyond a "high school prank."

In 1965 Romney was eighteen years old, easily old enough to determine the difference between right and wrong. And if he did not know it then, what makes us think he knows it now?

Lawrence O'Donnell lays the smackdown on the preacher who advocates the idea of "cracking that wrist" of a limp wristed (gay) son.

I actually started to write something about his yesterday, but as I watched Lawrence O'Donnell rip this jerk a new one on his show last night, I realized I certainly could not do it any better.

Here see for yourself.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By the way another one of my ongoing complaints about Christianity is that it still promotes the idea of "spare the rod, spoil the child," which, as somebody who works with abused children, I find incredibly offensive and essentially prehistoric when compared to modern child raising techniques.

The day you punch your child, or "crack his wrist," is the day that you need to recognize that you are unfit to be that child's parent.

Having said that my very testosterone driven impulse upon hearing this Pastor Sean Harris guy talk about abusing a child in front of a room full of clapping adults was the desire to beat the holy shit out of him right in front of his congregation, and then asking him if that managed to change his sexuality or change the fact that he was homophobic piece of shit.

Fortunately I am not close enough to act on such an impulse, and I actually hope I never would if I were, but I certainly had it nonetheless.  However I am civilized and educated enough to realize that doing such a thing would do more harm than good, and I can only hope that the people who listen to this kind of garbage will learn that as well, BEFORE they do irreparable harm to their children.

Gay icebergs sank the Titanic and now they are threatening to do the same to America. At least I THINK that's what this video is saying.

Seriously what the hell kind of convoluted argument is that? And why bring the tragedy of the Titanic into it? (By the way, my daughter LOVED that movie!)

Here is more from Right Wing Watch:  

The Truth that Transforms film features well-known anti-gay activists such as Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy and Jerry Newcombe of Truth in Action Ministries, Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, right-wing historian Bill Federer, radio talk show host and author Michael Brown, and pastors Harry Jackson, Robert Jeffress and Erwin Lutzer. 

Staver warned that the “homosexual agenda is the moral iceberg that we need to steer clear of” and maintained that it is “the biggest threat I believe in our lifetime to religious freedom and the fundamental values we share here in America.” While Jackson said the “homosexual agenda” is “one of those icebergs that if we don’t navigate around them correctly, will take us under,” Brown claimed “we’ve already hit the iceberg and the ship is already going down” and Land insisted that “we’re taking on water, the only question is whether or not we’re going to be able to survive and the ship won’t sink.” Staver predicted that opposition to gay rights is bound to be “criminalized and targeted for assault” and Federer even asserted that “there are just a couple steps before the military could be used in a persecution of those that are viewed as enemies of the new state belief system.”

Silly me, I didn't even know icebergs COULD be gay.  You learn something new every day.

Homophobia is alive and well, as illustrated by the compilation of 100 tweets by people who claim they will kill their own children if they turn out to be gay.

Courtesy of The New Civil Rights Movement:

Here are 100+ real tweets from real people who used Twitter to tell the world that if their child turned out to be gay or lesbian they would murder them. Yes, there actually is a hashtag, #ToMyUnbornChild, which, among other things, has been encouraging people to tweet they will kill their children if they are gay. Those who include the #ToMyUnbornChild Hashtag also are tweeting loving, warm thoughts, like, “I can’t wait to meet you<3,” and, “If you are gay, I will love you unconditionally. Same if you are straight or anywhere in between,” but also despicable ones, like these below.

I will caution to steel yourselves before clicking the link above. What was tweeted by these people, many of whom consider themselves Christians, is truly horrific. 

As the father of a gay child it actually broke my heart to read what these people have tweeted, and I can only hope that if ANY of them were to be blessed with a child that they would love him or her unconditionally, as ALL children deserve to be loved.