What (Doesn't) Happen in Vegas: Las Vegas Withdraws RNC Invitation

As a lefty, liberal moonbat, you'd think I'd be doing cartwheels that the Las Vegas Convention Center will not be hosting the Republican National Convention in 2016. But I'm not, really. It would have been fine, would likely have been good for business, and would have given the hookers a lot of business!

[Excerpt]
 

Las Vegas withdraws GOP convention bid; arena, timing difficulties cited

Las Vegas’ effort to host the Republican National Convention in 2016 ended Thursday in disappointment after the city withdrew its bid rather than face rejection because of arena and scheduling difficulties. The Las Vegas 2016 Host Committee sent the withdrawal letter to the Republican National Committee on Wednesday, the day before the party’s site selection committee could announce the latest cut among six cities still vying for the major event. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal


But guess who is doing cartwheels?

Check this out too: NEVADA: Tony Perkins Cheers After Las Vegas Withdraws Its Bid To Host The 2016 Republican Convention

Family Research Counsel: Stop Donating to the GOP!

I'm pretty sure this is the right guy. . .

YES! I am so on board with this, you guys! I've said a lot of bad things about Tony Perkins (not as in "No, Mother! Blood!," but as in "Eww, homos are icky!"), but I am in 50% agreement with this decision. Even if the reasoning behind it is--as always--addle-brained. You go, girl homophobe! (PS. The 50% I disagree with is--of course--that nobody should give any money to a hate group. Thanks.)

[Excerpt]

FRC's Tony Perkins Tells Supporters: Stop Donating to the GOP

"Until the RNC and the other national Republican organizations grow a backbone and start defending core principles, don’t send them a dime of your hard-earned money," Perkins said in the email, a copy of which was obtained by CNN. "If you want to invest in the political process, and I encourage you to do so, give directly to candidates who reflect your values and organizations you trust-like FRC Action. . ."

Read more: TowleRoad

Reporter Dana Milbank Gets it Wrong on Hate Group

Tony Perkins of the FRC

As a gay atheist (step back, I'm dangerous), I'm automatically on the receiving end of the ire of fundamentalists and extremists. Not usually personally, thank goodness, but the vibe is always out there. There are a number of prominent organizations--most with "family" in their names--who exist primarily to be a thorn in gay people's sides. Oh, they throw in some of the other hot-button issues like abortion and stem cells, but their primary gig is the gay. Some of these groups are dishonest and hateful enough to earn the designation of "hate group" by organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center.The anti-gay groups don't like that very much.

Sorry, couldn't resist, this is him.

Recently, when a nutty guy with a gun shot a security guard at Family Research Council, FRC (and the rest of these types of groups) got what they've always wanted: martyrdom. After gay people being tormented since time immemorial by fudies, one of ours (allegedly) went after them. This one event,* in their eyes, doesn't just balance the scales, it tips it in their favor. For some reason. Something to do with Chick-fil-A sandwiches, I don't know.

The FRC--always a group to exploit a tragedy--went about gaining sympathy, and whining about their hate group designation. And since CNN, FOX "News" and MSNBC have regularly used groups like theirs as "balance," they don't have trouble getting air time. Oddly, they're actually convincing some people, like reporter Dana Milbank. Dana's been a regular guest on several cable news shows, and is perceived to be liberal-leaning, and basically fair. This time, he got it way wrong, and has inspired the ire of a whole bunch of prominent pro-gay people, like me.

And this is Dana Milbank, who is about to
find out what happens when the gay
hits the fan.

I was going to recap further, but found the following write-up when researching this story, and frankly, I can't top it. If this story is of interest to you at all, I encourage you to read beyond the excerpt. It's all spelled out perfectly.

[Excerpt]

Dana Milbank: The Southern Poverty Law Center's 'Reckless' Name-Calling

Dana Milbank, the generally pro-gay Washington Post columnist, yesterday published a column in which he repeatedly insisted that he wasn't blaming the non-fatal Family Research Council shooting on the Southern Poverty Law Center's labeling of the FRC a "hate group." Nevertheless, he claimed that such "reckless" label-throwing "stirs up the crazies" and leads inevitably to violence. . .

Read more at: TowleRoad



*I'm obliged to say--as I've said several times before--that what the gunman did was wrong, stupid and inexcusable. Violence is not the answer, and indeed has handed them something to clobber us with. I also think it shows a tremendous lack of imagination,  as there are many non-violent ways to show our displeasure with the FRC and its like-minded brethren.  I'll continue to do all I can in this space to make them look ridiculous.

CNN Grills Homophobe Tony Perkins Over His Views

Yes, Brooke. That is precisely the expression you should
always present to this douche! Image from Raw Story.

I am greatly annoyed that cable news and other outlets keep spotlighting hateful people like Tony Perkins (blood, Mother, blood!) of the Family Research Council. The FRC--like most organizations with "family" in its name, oddly enough--has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law center. They exist to torment gay people, and virtually no other reason I can discern. CNN and others put people like Perkins out there in a misguided attempt at "balance." Because, if you have a controversial "issue," it must have a counterpoint, right? Yes, but that counterpoint isn't always equally valid.

Not that Tony Perkins!

Anyway, if they must put this cretin on, I'm thankful that the host toyed with him like a mouse. Good work, Brooke Baldwin!

NOTE: This is something I'm going to post in every future story having to do with same-sex marriage and religion: Civil marriage is not holy matrimony. Civil marriage only includes religion if you want it to. No matter what you feel about "God," it is irrelevant unless you want to start outlawing interfaith marriages, or marriage between atheists.

[Excerpt]


CNN host probes Tony Perkins: ‘Why do homosexuals bother you so much?’


Family Research Council President Tony Perkins found himself in an awkward situation on Thursday when one CNN host insisted he explain why “homosexuals bother you so much.”
When Perkins agreed to appear on CNN to hype his press conference supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, he probably didn’t expect host Brooke Baldwin to make the conversation personal. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Say What You Will About Gays. No, Really.

Yeah, this guy has room to talk about matters of
"morality." Image from HuffPo.

I said recently that my conservative mom has tried to convince me that "most" Republicans (and conservatives/Christians/etc.) aren't anti-gay. My mother is naive. The Huffington Post just posted a video slideshow of a huge list of outragously hateful/nasty/wrong/ridiculous things said by prominent conservatives. It is unfortunately not set up to be embedded, but I'm linking to the main story below.

Long story short, conservatives who are opposed to* gay people find it to be perfectly alright to say anything they want about us.  Anything. No matter how dishonest. Or nasty. Or insulting. Doesn't matter, they feel free to just spew. And these people get regular play on FOX "News", CNN, MSNBC, and the major networks. They are treated like royalty at CPAC and other conservative gatherings. They are lauded at FreeRepublic.com. And they hate me. Seriously.

Homophobe Roundup!

- Pastor Wooden Says Gay Sex Causes Gay Men to Need Diapers
- Bryan Fischer on Why Gayse are Responsible for the Nazi Party
- Rick Santorum: Why Gay Marriage is Like 9/11
- Linda Harvey: Don't Let Gay Doctors Attend to Your Children
- Matt Barber: "No Evidence" Gays are Targets of Violence, Discrimination
- Stacey Campfield: "Virtuall Impossible" to Contract AIDS Through Heterosexual Sex
- Kevin McCullough: I Don't Believe You Can be Gay
- Rush Limbaugh On Why Gays Should Be Pro-Life
- Scott Lively: Gay-Straight Alliances Are Designed To Recruit Kids
- Tamara Scott: Gay Marriage Leads To Eiffel Tower Marriage
- Michele Bachmann On Gay Lifestyles (vague, but the "lifestyle" bit is a hint at where she's going)
- Tony Perkins: 'If You Want A Military That Just Does Parades,' Allow Gays To Openly Serve
- Pat Roberston: 'Demonic Possession' Behind Homosexuality
- James Robison: 'The Enemy' Is Using 'Glee' To Destroy America
- Newt Gingrich: Gay Marriage A 'Perfect Example Of What I Mean By The Rise Of Paganism'
- Daniel Lapin: Gays Should've Been Quarantined To fight AIDS
- Pat Robertson Advises Father To Seek Ex-Gay Conversion For Gay Son
- Bryan Fischer On How 'Poppers' And Promiscuity Causes AIDS
- Liberty Counsel Warns That Macy's LGBT Policy Could Lead To Rape, Sexual Assault
- Bryan Fischer: Adolf Hitler Was An 'Active Homosexual'
- Alan Osmond: In Defense Of Reparation Therapy
- Victoria Jackson: Homophobia Is 'Buzzword Of Liberal Agenda'
- Ann Coulter Calls John Edwards A 'Faggot'

On the last one, I'd call John Edwards a scumbag. Which might be offensive, but only to John Edwards. This list is mostly posted for people like my mom, who make excuses for the homophobic right. And for all the gay Republicans out there! You know who you are!

Source: Huffington Post


*As a sidebar, I'd really like to know what "being opposed" to the gay really means.  Opposed to our rights as taxpaying citizens? Opposed to our existence? My favorite, is when people say, "I don't agree with the lifestyle," and I'm all, "I don't agree with that sentence." First, it isn't a "lifestyle," that's a euphemism invented for the personals section of newspapers in the seventies. And second, how do you disagree with reality? It's nonsense! Knock it off!

Health Care Act Ruled Unconstitutional. . .But. . .

FRC's Tony Perkins (No! Mother! Blood!)
Image from source, Think Progress

Oh, this couldn't look much hinkier, could it? A judge in Florida ruled that the "mandate" to buy insurance is un-Constitutional, and therefore the whole act is. That sounds like a heckuva reach, doesn't it? Then, it sounds like the judge is a Tea Party supporter, which isn't in and of itself a disqualifier, but who is he using as source material? The Family Reasearch Council? Are you shitting me? That group--aside from recently being put on the SPLC Hate Group list--is renowned for skewed statistics. Good grief.

[Excerpt]

Tea Party Judge Roger Vinson ‘Borrows Heavily’ From Family Research Council To Invalidate Health Law



. . .But a closer read of his analysis reveals something peculiar. In fact, as Vinson himself admits in Footnote 27 (on pg. 65), he arrived at this conclusion by “borrow[ing] heavily from one of the amicus briefs filed in the case for it quite cogently and effectively sets forth the applicable standard and governing analysis of severability (doc. 123).” That brief was filed by the Family Research Council. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

"Family" Groups Added to Hate Group List

Image from source, Joe.My.God.

Dating way back to the Reagan years, uber-Christian anti-gay groups began using the word "Family" in their names, to make them sound warm and fuzzy. The implication of course is that gay people are "anti-family" a charge that has zero substantiation. I can't be sure this was the beginning of Frank Luntzian double-speak in politics, but it's one of the earliest examples I can remember.

Groups like "The American Family Association" seemingly only exist to stomp out gay rights--or gay people. It's about time that they were given proper acknowledgement for what they are: hate groups.

[Excerpt]

Southern Poverty Law Center Adds Family Research Council & American Family Association To Anti-Gay Hate Groups List



The Southern Poverty Law Center, the nation's leading watchdog of hate organizations, has added the Family Research Council and American Family Association to its list of anti-gay hate groups. Also making the list for the first time is the Illinois Family Association, the former home of Porno Pete LaBarbera, whose group also makes the list. . .
 
Read more at: Joe.My.God.

Sunday Update II: David Boies Hands Tony Perkins His Evangelical Ass

Sorry for the crassness of the headline, but there isn't a better way to put this.  Face the Nation had Ted Olson's legal partner David Boies from the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case, and put him up against Tony Perkins, head of the "Family Research Council."  First, let me say that I'm offended that the news networks continue to put up Perkins, a complete hack with zero credibility on the issue.  He's a bigot with no empirical facts on his side.

Buuuut. . .Perkins got his ass kicked by Bois.  He simply has nothing but his anti-gay talking points to spew.  He has--as was proven in this lawsuit--nothing.  It was unfortunate that Perkins got the last word in the interview, floating nonsense balloons that proved nothing, but enough for his supporters to think he made sense.

Mark Sanford Removed from List of "Values" Speakers

I'm double-dipping into ThinkProgress stories here, only because I found this list of speakers at a right-wing nutjob event (Family Research Council’s Values Voters Summit 2009) inadvertently hilarious. The roster of A-list politicians includes such luminaries as failed presidential candidates (Law & Order actor) Fred Thompson, and (fudgepacker) Mitt Romney. Hopeful future candidate Tim Pawlenty--the guy who won't let Al Franken be Senator--is in there. Also, secessionist governor Rick Perry and oops! Somehow South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's picture got removed!

The rest of the list just gives me the willies. I like Gary Senise as an actor, but as a political/religious values speaker? Uber-creepy, uber-creaky religionistas Don Wildman and Phyllis Schlafly will be there to bring the fire and brimstone, along with (Blood! Mother! Blood!) Tony Perkins. I have no idea who Eduardo and Lila are, but they're hot, so maybe they're there to keep it chastefully sexy. Carrie Prejean can bring her fake boobies along with a heavy dash of stupid. And Ben Stein can play the substitute teacher, saying, "Sanford? Sanford? Bueller?"

Source: Think Progress

UPDATE: I was unaware when I originally posted this that the image only includes a partial list of invited speakers (confirmed speakers are designated with an asterisk). Here are the others:

- Rep. Michelle (Batshit Crazy) Bachman
- Stephen Baldwin (I'm Not a Celebrity, So Why Am I Here?)
- Gary Bauer (Anti-gay Crusader)
- Glenn Beck (Crazy FOX "News" Guy)
- Ken Blackwell (Katherine Harris II)
- Rep John Boner Boehner
- "Uncle" Pat Buchanan
- Gov. Sarah (Caribou Barbie) Palin
- Sean (The Manatee) Hannity
- Sen. Mitch (Constipated Turtle) McConnell
- Mark (Hannity's Brain) Levin
- Kirk (Left Behind) Cameron
- Bill (We'll Do It Live!) O'Reilly
- Gov. Bobby (Kenneth the Page) Jindal
- Rush (Drug-addled Gasbag) Limbaugh

There are more, but you get the idea. Stomach-churning. If you want to see the rest, be my guest at: Value Voters Summit

Christian Groups to Run Third Party Candidate?

Photo from source (with help from me), NYTimes.com

This story sorta tickles my funnybone. Clearly, the fundamentalist Christian groups, courted so openly by the Bushies, are having a hard time warming up to the slate of Republican candidates for President. There are a few on the list with "Crazy Christian" cred (calm down regular Christians, you know the crazy ones I speak of), but they haven't got a realistic chance of winning. No, they're left with Romney (a Mormon), Thompson (self-declared irreligious), and Rudy (flip-flops on abortion, wears a dress on occasion). Hee hee hee. . .

[Excerpt]

Guliani Inspires Threat of a Third-Party Run

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 — Alarmed at the possibility that the Republican Party might pick Rudolph W. Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate.

The threat emerged from a group that broke away for separate discussions at a meeting Saturday in Salt Lake City of the Council for National Policy, a secretive conservative networking group. Participants said the smaller group included James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family, who is perhaps its most influential member; Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council; Richard A. Viguerie, the direct-mail pioneer; and dozens of other politically oriented conservative Christians. . .

Read the rest at: NYTimes.com