Bigot of the Week Award: Mike Pence and Matt McLaughlin

No, I’m Not Gay!

Sadly, Republican Governor Mike Pence signed into law on Thursday the freedom to hate and discriminate. This law is fairly far-reaching in how it will impact many communities.

Yes, the obvious community it allows for hate and discrimination against is the LGBTQ community. I would also like to call attention to the fact that this “Religious Freedom” law also paves the way for police officers to refuse to defend mosques or synagogues because it may go against their Christian beliefs. This law now allows the refusal to help women experiencing domestic violence, as previous laws in place to advocate for women  may not apply to someone whose religion says someone may discipline their spouse and children however they deem proper. I presume this law also allows the medical profession to now legally deny women access to birth control.

Help me understand how this law is beneficial to anyone’s civil rights? How is this not about protecting the fear of white heterosexual Christian men?

Demonstrating his enormous privilege and horrific lack of reflection, Pence had the audacity to observe

This bill is not about discrimination, and if I thought it legalized discrimination in any way in Indiana, I would have vetoed it.

As icing on the one-man-one-woman-only wedding cake, he also signed the legislation in a private ceremony. Just a little shy about making your hate public, Governor?

In other atrocious news, a most dishonorable mention must go to Matt McLaughlin. McLaughlin is backing the bill in California called the Sodomite Suppression Act, which calls for the execution of gays with a bullet to the head. Goodness, McLaughlin certainly seems obsessed with anal sex! Gratefully, California Attorney General, Kamala Harris, is desperately trying to find a way to just dismiss this modern-day Nazi bill.

Enough awful news! I am in search of all of the many heroes that need celebrating.

Muppets Don’t Tolerate Bigotry!

As Chick-Fil-A continues to spew its ugly venom at the LGBTQ community, The Jim Henson Company has said ENOUGH to hate and has broken ties with the homophobic fried chicken Dwarf House. Chick-Fil-A has a long-standing history of bigotry and homophobia; it is nice to see the Jim Henson Company demonstrate integrity by divorcing themselves from the squawker of oppression.

Henson Company released the following statement regarding the termination of the relationship:

The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD. (http://www.glaad.org/)

TSM also has to give kudos to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino for his strong stand by vowing to not allow the chicken peddlers to open a franchise in Boston. With each voice and each act of integrity, we move toward equality and leave those that oppress us on the wrong side of history!

Think of the Children

Now that President Obama has endorsed marriage equality, the right-wing crazies will be coming out in full swing. They will continue to spew their broken record rhetoric like, “One man and one woman!” and “Gay marriage will lead to bestiality!” The one that I want to examine today is “Think of the children!”

This statement comes from the premise that homosexuals indoctrinate children and make them think that homosexuality is the only “choice” for them. They claim that after marriage equality is achieved, we will move on to schools putting tolerance into the curriculum which will lead more children to be gay. I can put an end to that claim, because when I was in high school we talked about being gay and gay marriage and no one “turned” gay because of it. People are either gay or they are not, all that changes is their willingness to be open. You can suppress feelings, but those feelings still exist.

The right-wing is so blinded by the premise of indoctrination that they don’t want gay people to adopt, which leaves many children waiting for loving parents. They also think that being gay equals being a pedophile. They try covering up those false claims by saying that a woman and a man who are married make the best possible situation. They continue to say this despite research that shows two parents (no gender specified) are what makes a strong environment for children.

If you look in your history books, you will never find intolerance as a tool for building strong societies. What you will find is that it leads to conflict and bloodshed, but these anti-gay groups continue to claim that intolerance builds societies. Because we, the gays, are the ones that are making societies crumble.

Anti-gay groups are the ones not thinking about the children. They are leaving a legacy of hatred and fear. They are our future history book villains. If they were truly thinking about the children, they would want to build a strong future based on tolerance, which a firm foundation. Instead, they want to build a future where the structure is faulty.

Submitted by TSM Contributor James Queale

Bigot of the Week Award: April 6, A.G. Crowe and Bobby Jindal

Bigot of the Week

Thank you to my friend Bonnie for this week’s nomination for BWA.  Wow!  What a whopper of a Bigot Award this week!  Crowe is one of those true monsters that will do anything and everything to keep white heterosexual Christian men in power.  Crowe’s recent bill, which is now law allows charter schools to refuse to admit gay students.  Gee, does this sound like discrimination to anyone else?  Crowe defended his bill of HATE by saying:

…the bill is designed to ensure that executive branch agencies and local governments stop including bans on discrimination against characteristics not listed in state law as a condition for private companies to do business with their agencies.

How lovely, you amazing bigot.  The new law also allows the schools to deny students on their ability to speak English–Racist much?

The ever enlightened (cough, cough, cough)  Gov. Bobby Jindal responded: “We’re against discrimination, but we don’t believe in special protections or rights.”  Special rights?  Did he really just say that?  What special rights?  I worry most about the impact this will have around LGBT youth–they are clearly not safe in the state of Louisiana.

And we have a dishonorable mention this week going to another Southern Republican Governor, Nikki Haley of South Carolina. She seems to have accepted the role of apologist for her party’s attacks on women, as demonstrated by her appearance on The View this week. Making a confusing argument against the government interfering with contraception choices (which is EXACTLY what her party is trying to do), she is the latest in a series of self-loathing minorities trotted out by the GOP.  Obviously, Haley is a modeling herself off the Stepford Wives!  

Stepford Smile

Update on Target Boycott: Target Funds Frau Bachmann

Bachmann's Favorite Place to Shop

At this point it, is no secret that presidential candidate and fascist Michele Bachmann is one of the loudest homophobic bigots in the country. What needs to be equally well known is that Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has given the maximum contribution allowable to Bachmann.  Needless to say, we need to spread the word and reinvigorate the BOYCOTT against TARGET.

Here is my conundrum. My heart really goes out to all of the Target employees in the LGBT community.  This most certainly is not the time to look for a new job.  How must they feel knowing that Target’s Corporate office continues to throw money at anti-gay candidates? While I was very proud of Lady Gaga for breaking her contract with Target, I realize that Target employees will not find it so easy to break their ties with the homophobic corporation.

I fear I do not have the answer for Target employees.  However, I am very comfortable publishing the names of those that do business with Target, i.e. celebrity whores that do their commercials then appear on HGTV, such as Sabrina Soto.  Is it just a coincidence or is it starting to feel like Nazi Germany with Bachmann and Steinhafel putting pink triangles on all of us homos?

I will think of some creative ways we can support our LGBT brothers and sisters that have to work for Target, but in the meantime full speed ahead with the Boycott!  Click here to see the full article.

Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS: No Love For The Gays

In Bed With Focus on the Family

If you follow TSM, you know we are all about philanthropy and social justice.  How horribly sad that the homophobic Blake Mycoskie is in bed with Focus on the Family.

Mycoskie’s company TOMS, donates a pair of shoes for every pair of shoes purchased.  I could so easily support this and get behind this type of philanthropy, save that Mycoskie and his company TOMS supports one of the quintessential hate groups, Focus on the Family, which was named as a Hate Group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  I am now calling for a full Boycott of TOMS Shoes!  Mr. Mycoskie, if you would like to chime in here, please do. I’m curious how you will justify funding and partnering with a well recognized Hate Group.  Click here to see the full article.

Update: 2:43 pm PST July 9, 2011: Here is the “Apology” issues by Mycoskie.  Sorry! I just don’t believe you!  Really? You had no idea about Focus on the Family?  You are a liar and a whore.  Does this mean you will discontinue the partnership with them to sell shoes in Africa?

A Case For Misanthropy (?)

Remembering Larry King

My friend Jen Lockett, a fierce ally for the LGBT community, inspired me to write this story.  Many of you may remember the brutal murder of the gay 15 year old, Larry King.   Now as the story unfolds, I find myself feeling sick and exhausted at the hate and nothing less than sociopathy directed at the LGBT community.  I harken back to a story I wrote a long while ago: I prefer not to.

While I try to keep optimistic, and in part it is the reason I started this blog, and I try to keep the voices of hate at bay — Michele Bachmann, Maggie Gallagher, Matthew Franck, David Tyree, Bryan Fischer, Tracy Morgan, and all of the rest of the hate mongers — there comes a time when it weighs so heavily that one feels powerless and defeated.  It is easy to understand why so many LGBT youth commit suicide: it takes great courage and internal fortitude to survive and push the hate back to make things better for future generations.

Reading the testimony of Brandon McInerney made me want to spit up and cry at the same time.   McInerney shot King in the head and killed him.  McInerney explained that his white supremacist belief that homosexuality is an abomination was due cause for King’s death.

And when you thought it could not get worse, McInerney’s lawyer, Scott Wippert, proves just how revolting human beings can be. Wippert said:

 that King — and not his client — was the aggressor. He said King targeted McInerney for sexual harassment, making flirtatious remarks, and had humiliated him.

First, there is no evidence that suggest King was flirting with McInerney, but by this logic, are we to assume that any woman Wippert has flirted with has the right to shoot him dead? Alas, we have a double standard for LGBT people.  I do not write this article to give into despair, or to become a total misanthrope. I write this article to beat back the darkness, to expose the hate, to give hope to a world that looks very different.  The world cannot look different thought if we are not OUT and VISIBLE.  The world will not look different if we do not VOTE!  The personal is political.  Click here for the full article.

Bigot of the Week Award, July 1

Here to discriminate not protect!

Thank you to my friend Bonnie for inspiring this story.  Bonnie is not only my wonderful granddaughter butt she is a fierce and tremendous gay ally. If the census data are to be believed, Atlanta has the third largest LGBT population in the United States. Given the numbers of LGBT people, one would think there would be a modicum of equality extended. The article in this week’s Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC), would prove other wise.  The AJC exposed the homophobic and unethical behavior of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) when they raided the Eagle, a gay bar, for no reason last year. All of the subterfuge and lies on behalf of the APD earn them the BWA.  Here are just a few of the unethical and homophobic efforts of the APD:

At least 10 police officers lied and then many of them deleted data on their  cellphones in an attempt to hide their actions the night of a raid on a Midtown Atlanta gay bar… top police officials gave misleading information to the public when they answered reporters’ questions about the controversial raid at the Atlanta Eagle bar on Sept. 10, 2009…The reports conclude that most of the officers involved in the operation did not conform to the APD’s standard operating procedures.

What I find particularly disgusting and profoundly sad is that the very people charged with the task of protecting the citizens of Atlanta have abused their power to discriminate against an already marginalized population.  Shame on you APD!

In a somewhat optimistic note, Mayor Kasim Reed said, “the resolution of this matter a top priority.”

When I first read this article, I thought I was reading an article from the early 1970s.  This horrific incident shows how much work has yet to be done in the area of civil rights for LGBT people.  Again, it  is imperative that we be OUT and VISIBLE.  Click here to read more.

Continue to Boycott Target: Here’s Why

Boycott Target

As most TSM followers know, my husband and I have been boycotting Target for almost a year now because of their right wing political donations to anti-gay candidates.  I was so disturbed by the actions of the homophobes at Target’s corporate office, I even did an interview with a local Target store--very disappointing indeed.

Then there was a ray of hope called Lady Gaga; it looked as though she had put sufficient pressure on Target to change their policy on political donations in exchange for an exclusive deal to release her Born This Way album.  Fools!  Target did not change their policy and Lady Gaga had the integrity to break her contract with them–makes me love Lady Gaga.

So here is why we need to be even more vigilant about boycotting Target: they have become the corporate embodiment of Gov. Scott Walker.  Target has created videos and propaganda that only Joe McCarthy would be proud of, as they vilify unions.  Honestly, I almost threw up after seeing this video.  We can’t afford to lose our unions and how they protect workers from organizations like Target.  Click here to see to see the video they force all employees to watch. Click here to see some great coverage by Daily Kos.

Update: Unfortunately, the Target Right Wing Propaganda Machine worked and they defeated the union.  Click here to see the NYT article.  What’s next? Will Scott Walker and the Koch Brothers be doing a PSA for Target?  Please, I encourage you, Boycott Target until they stop discriminating against the poor and the LGBT community and cease being in the pocket of rich, right wing government.

Gov. Rick Perry: Why You Need to Be Scared

You Need to Be Scared

As we watch the Republicans gear up for the 2012 election, it has been interesting to see who the contenders are and how low the Republican party will sink, a la Michele (If I only had a brain) Bachmann.  How beholden to the Tea Party will the party be?  It is also curious to see who is not officially declared their candidacy, but is rumored to run for POTUS.

My husband and I were talking about Gov. Perry of Texas and we speculated what his strategy would be.  I suspect he is waiting for the party to implode and for the carnage to appear, as more debates happen, before he runs for office.  Here is where I am terrified.  Gov. Perry is holding a “Day of Prayer” on August 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.  While the “Day of Prayer” is quite bothersome to me, separation of church and state, it does not terrify me as much as knowing that Bryan Fisher is helping fund this event and is a partner.  You remember good old Fisher.  He is the one that said:

…gays are Nazis who should be prevented from holding office in the United States. President Obama is a fascist dictator. The constitution does not apply to Muslims — they should be deported from the country. Native Americans deserve to be killed and thrown off their land because they didn’t convert to Christianity quickly enough.

Oh you sweet talking charmer!  With those honeyed words, how can any oppressed/marginalized peoples not be impressed?  Seriously, this  is one of Perry’s funders and closest friends. We need to be terrified.  Click here to see the full article.