Iowa gay pride festival gets new sponsor. Want to guess who?

Courtesy of The Eater: 

This year's Iowa City's Pride Fest has an unlikely new sponsor: Chick-fil-A. According to local news station KCRG Adam Donius, owner of Chick-fil-A's Coralville, Iowa location, has agreed to donate 200 sandwiches and sides for Iowa City's annual pride picnic, which is being held on June 19. This comes as a surprise to many who have labeled the fast-food spot as against gay rights. Organizers of the event explained that the idea of bringing the community together is what appealed to Donius and resulted in the food donation. 

This news comes after the popular fast-food chain was banned from Johns Hopkins University due to antigay comments made by President Dan Cathy in 2012. Cathy has been very outspoken on his opinion that gay families are not "biblical families," even taking it to social media with his anti-homosexual tweet calling the DOMA ruling a "sad day for our nation." 

Well that is good news. Nice to see that not all Chick-fil-A owners are homophobic assholes.

Still one has to wonder if incidents like this might convince some people to make different wardrobe choices.

 

Tiffany releases first ad featuring same sex couple. I love the smell of progress in the morning.

Courtesy of Cosmopolitan:

 Tiffany & Co.'s beautiful new ad campaign featuring two men would be awesome on its own, but the jewelry's company's casting decision makes it even more special: The men aren't professional models — they're an actual gay couple living in New York, though their names haven't been released yet. 

Often I am astounded by just how fast attitudes toward homosexuality, and same sex marriage, have changed in this country and around the world. 

It really makes me confident that we can all continue to make great strides if we ignore the negativity coming from some directions and instead focus on making positive change.

After all, five years ago would any of have thought that you would be seeing an ad like this one?

This is history folks. The moment openly gay Michael Sams gets drafted by the St. Louis Rams.

Did that shock you? Yeah, me either.

But I am willing to bet that there are a whole lot of conservative football fans who just had a very rude awakening as to the changes that are happening with football, and in the country at large.

I think the days of using homophobic slurs to insult somebody for not being athletic are definitely coming to an end.

Best gay pride participant ever!

Apparently spotted in Brighton, UK.

This is video that some religious and anti-gay rights folks are showing around to demonstrate that the LGBT community is violent and a danger to society.

Now personally I simply cannot defend the actions of that shirtless guy who sucker punched that "preacher," nor do I defend those that joined in the melee. (The reference by the reporter to "pack mentality" seems to be a reasonable explanation for why a peaceful group of demonstrators would suddenly turn violent.)

However, and I am NOT making any excuses for the violence, but I also think that purposefully showing up at an event full of people who are finally feeling accepted by their fellow citizens, with signs that tell them they are going to hell, is an incredibly provocative and hateful thing to do.

So on the one hand I can totally understand the emotion that one might feel toward those "loving" Christian preachers, but as I said I cannot condone the violent response.

Of course as you can imagine the Right Wing is thrilled to have this example to prove their point.

I think it is worth noting that it is an incredibly rare occurrence for gays, and their supporters, to be the perpetrators of violence, rather than then the victims of violence.

Gun toting gay pride protestors have to be rescued by the police from "teh gays."

Okay WTF was with them wearing sidearms?

Did they think they were going to have to shoot into the crowd to protect themselves?

I read somewhere else that they were identified as ministers. If that is true they are horrible representatives of the Christian belief.

Damn! Gay couples are coming out publicly all over the place.

You know I think that when Freedom and Justice embrace "teh gay" that is pretty much all she wrote.

Performing Arts Charter School decides to put on a play about the Bible. Decide to spice it up with gay characters. Christian heads exploding in 3..2..1

Courtesy of Item Live:  

The head of a western Massachusetts charter school says a student production of a play that retells the biblical story of Genesis with gay characters will go on as planned despite objections from some who say it's offensive to Christians. 

Scott Goldman of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Public Charter School said in a letter to parents Wednesday that the school has received email petitions and phone calls describing Paul Rudnick's 1998 comedy "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" as "blasphemous and hateful."

You know if a theater has to provide extra security because a play has upset "Christians," perhaps they ought to think about changing their name, or perhaps reading about the guy whose name they seem to identify themselves with. 

Besides you remember Jesus right? Long haired guy dressed in robes, that hung around with a bunch of guys, and only let the women touch his feet? Somehow I think he would be okay with this play.

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.

Parenting done right. Celebrity style.

I would hope that every parent be as open minded and accepting.

After all who they love should never change how you love them.

Now this is how you protest AGAINST anti-gay protesters.

Two women kissing in front of anti-gay protests in France.

Here is the original tweet.

Hungry for some chicken? Or perhaps some same sex kissing?

Yep today is the counter protest to the Wednesday's Chick-Fil-A "eat in" staged by who else, Mike "Are you finished with those fries?" Huckabee.

Here he is with his lovely family, demonstrating the result of a constant diet of Chick-Fil-A food.

Oh damn, I think I am cured of my fast food cravings for life!

By the way, might I just add, that kissing actually BURNS calories, which makes it a much better way to protest in my opinion.

Just so you know other restaurants that serve chicken have decided to use the Chick-Fil-A homophobic stance as a marketing tool

Though apparently not ALL Chick-Fil-A franchises are hatin' on the gays.

Take this guy for instance:  

New Hampshire’s only Chick-fil-A restaurant is going against the wishes of chicken chain founder Dan Cathy by pledging to co-sponsor an LGBT Pride Festival in the state. 

In a statement on the New Hampshire Pride Festival website, Nashua Chick-fil-A franchise manager Anthony Picolia said he was backing the the event, citing “positive relationships with family, friends, customers and employees in the LGBT community.” 

“It would make me sad if someone felt that they were not openly welcomed into my life or restaurant based on their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” Picolia explained. “Chick-fil-A at Pheasant Lane Mall has gay employees and serves gay customers with honor, dignity and respect. We also don’t discriminate in giving back to the Nashua community, donating to a wide variety of causes.” 

“I would challenge people to come have a conversation with me before they make assumptions or boycott my restaurant. Come to my restaurant and see for yourself that my team and I only have one mission: To serve exceptional experiences to all.”

Now THAT is chicken done right. I certainly hope that those involved in today's Chick-Fil-A kissing day buy a couple of sandwiches from this guy, and thank him for not being a douche.

Of course even those who think they are standing up against gay rights are not exactly doing it right.

You know I don't mind battling the Right on these issues, but I kind of wish they would come up with a few smarter folks on their side. It's just getting embarrassing.