Tweet of the Day: September 22, 2013

John McCain (Rightfully) Slams Fox's Ignorance

Mike Huckabee Calls Muslims "Uncorked Animals"

Fox's "Worst Interview Ever"

Protesting Marriage Equality...By Committing Suicide

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) Supports Profiling Muslims

From National Review:

“Police have to be in the [Muslim] community, they have to build up as many sources as they can, and they have to realize that the threat is coming from the Muslim community and increase surveillance there...We can’t be bound by political correctness. I think we need more police and more surveillance in the communities where the threat is coming from, whether it’s the Irish community with the Westies [an Irish-American gang in New York City], or the Italian community with the mafia, or the Muslim community with the Islamic terrorists.”

Public Funding of Religious Schools

Pat Robertson: Dump Your Muslim Girlfriend

Tennessee Gov. Not Hateful Enough

From Think Progress:

Republican legislators in Tennessee are circulating a resolution that would condemn their own party’s governor, Bill Haslam (R), for choosing not to fire a gay person on his staff. The resolution, which has been signed by nine country Republican chapters so far, would also denounce the Governor for keeping a Muslim woman in his employ, and for not supporting two highly conservative pieces of legislation.

Haslam did not hire the Muslim or gay employees. Rather, he simply kept them on the payroll after a change of leadership. 

The Tennessean obtained copies of the counties’ nearly-identical resolutions, which say Haslam has “forced this GOP organization to lose the confidence in our Governor during an election year.” One of the reasons listed for why Republicans have lost confidence, it continues, is that Haslam allowed “openly homosexuals to make policy decisions”

I guess these people are giving up whatever pretense of decency they have, which was already precious little.

The Wrap-Up: June 15, 2012

Sheldon Adelson

Board member of the Boys Scouts are sounding off on the organization's ban on gay members.

A Republican strategist (who has worked with McCain and Romney) believes congressional Republicans are rooting against the economy.

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson has said he will bankroll the Romney campaign to the tune of $100,000,000. Who says we need campaign finance reform?

Some Louisiana legislators are all for allowing taxpayer dollars to go to school vouchers for religious schools...unless it's one of those dirty Islamic schools of course.

A study that was NOT bought and paid for by conservative zealots furthers the findings sexual orientation having a biological cause.

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

One of the names being batted around for Mitt Romney's running mate is Sen. Robert Portman (R-OH), who isn't exactly for employment discrimination, but isn't exactly against it either. He does a lot of dancing in the accompanying video.

Ignoring a call by the National Organization for Marriage (Discrimination) for corporations to stay neutral in the "culture wars," General Mills has voiced its opposition to Minnesota's proposed marriage equality ban, as well as support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

And lastly, an Evangelical mother writes about the experience of her daughter coming out as a lesbian. Her fellow Evangelicals could learn quite a bit from her.

The Wrap-Up: May 28, 2012

Bedford County, Virginia

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!! While you're out grilling and enjoying the day off, take some time to remember what this holiday is truly about.

The House Republican's Summer wish list read like a how to of taking the country back into recession.

A ballooning Hispanic population may turn North Carolina into a long term swing state.

Perhaps all is not lost with the Republican party as at least GOP candidates are refusing to sign "the pledge." Grover Norquist can't be happy about this, which means it must be a good thing.

When it comes to voting and voting rights, it's all but official that Florida is the worst state in the country.

Monument Terrace in Lynchburg, Virgina

Kansas is the latest state to freak out over the non-existent Sharia Law threat.

In the past two weeks, over 300,000 people have thanked President Barack Obama for his public support marriage equality. I wonder if the opposition even bothered trying a counter petition this time (like their Starbucks failure).

Governor Scott Walker's (R-WI) recall opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), took him to task on a number of issues face-to-face.

And lastly, after saying he had never been to the home of a same-sex married couple in a resent interview, Tony Perkins has been offered an invitation. A response is pending (which I can't wait to hear about).

The Wrap-Up: December 15, 2011

President Barack Obama

The White House has rescinded its threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, despite many terrible provisions that are patently un-Constitutional.

Canadians are being warned that their nation may be striped of its progressive accomplishments by the Tories (conservatives), including (but not limited to) marriage equality.

If Lowes removed its ads from TLC's "All-American Muslim" to avoid controversy, the scope of its failure seems to grow by the day.

The Florida "Family" Association, the organization claiming credit for getting Lowes to drop its ads in "All-American Muslim," has quite a long list of complaints.

Donald Trump

The video I posted yesterday about Virginia chapters of the Tea Party and Occupy Richmond meeting was based on an article from Salon.com which can be found here.

Not only are most of the GOP candidates not showing up to Donald Trump's debate, he isn't showing up either.

Rick Santorum says he is right where he wants to be in this GOP race. Someone should tell him that political campaigns don't work like golf scores.

 

A GOP led effort to pass a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution failed on Wednesday 47-53 (it needed 2/3 to pass). A similar measure had already failed in the House.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) made a few surprising admissions on liberals and the debt in a Wednesday appearance on C-SPAN.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)

What constitutes blocking a president's nominee to be an ambassador? If You're Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), denouncing homophobia. This of course says more about DeMint than it says about the nominee.

West Virginia has included sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in the state's anti-bullying policy.

And lastly, Mitt Romney has just nabbed the wiccan-demographic.

The Wrap-Up: December 14, 2011

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Someone needs to make Lowes aware that an apology where you do NOT admit any wrong-doing doesn't count as an apology.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) took some time out of his busy schedule to tell us what millionaire job-creators and unicorns have in common. Though that probably sounds like a dig on Reid, what he said his pretty much on point.

Members of Occupy Wall Street will be meeting with the Congressional Progressive Caucus this week. Hopefully this is the beginning of this movement having a more concrete effect on policy-making.

The parents of Tyler Clementi made an appearance on NBC to talk about what happened with their son.

According to their own financial records, the so-called National Organization for Marriage is more astro-turf than grassroots.

Mahlon Mitchell

Political gay-bashing just doesn't have the pay-off it once had (not even for conservative Republicans), as Rick Perry is finding out.

A contender may be emerging in Wisconsin to fight against Governor Scott Walker who is being recalled, but the race is still shaping up.

If you're wondering why Congress gets nothing done, it's because we have Senators talking about bestiality. This waste of time is brought to you by James Inhofe (R-OK).

Liberty here in the United States is taking a lot of hits at the hands of Congress.

National Public Radio takes a look at Mitt Romney's talking out of both sides of his mouth gay rights problem.

Sgt. Garon (right) with Mitt Romney

The gay Vietnam veteran (Army Sgt. Robert Garon) who confronted Mitt Romney on marriage equality spoke to MSNBC's Thomas Roberts about the encounter.

A lesbian couple, with their two daughters, talked to the mayor of Troy, Michigan (who started a firestorm with homophobic comments made on FaceBook) in a city council meeting. Judging by the audience response, I'm pretty sure I know what they think of the mayor.

And lastly, AfterElton takes a look at the year's most memorable LGBT quotes, from bitter to the sweet, the funny to the down-right strange.

The Wrap-Up: December 12, 2011

As Major League Baseball did a few weeks ago, now the National Basketball Association has also added sexual orientation to its collective bargaining agreement. So, how long until the American "Family" Association calls for a boycott of the two leagues?

The Anoka-Hennepin School District, which has seen numerous students commit suicide as a result of anti-gay bullying, will be considering a new anti-bullying policy. The question  is whether or not it will actually do anything.

At least one corporation has caved to pressure from the political right to remove advertising from TLC's "All-American Muslim." Other corps, not so much.

Rand Paul

If Rick Perry had taken Mitt Romney up on that $10,000 bet, who would have won?

Mitt Romney has stated that he would NOT seek to reinstitute DADT, though gays still shouldn't get married. Is he not merciful...

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is not holding back in his criticism of Newt Gingrich and his conservatism.

I have to say that this was the most awkward part of the GOP debate on Saturday...mainly because Newt Gingrich was in the room (and staring daggers).

Andrew Breitbart (former GOProud board member)

Rep. Joe "Deadbeat Dad" Walsh (R-IL) is changing districts after redistricting. No word on whether he has paid the $117,000 he still owes in child-support.

Income inequality? What income inequality???

The fallout from Rick Perry's massive failure of an ad is on-going. Resignations, hate-speech, and finger pointing all abound.

And lastly, here is a look at Stephen Colbert's take on Perry's ad.

The Religious Wrong: Beware the Muslim Turkeys!!!

Cross Current: Into The Storm

During my first semester of university, there were two days a week where I only had one class which did not start until 2pm. On one of these days, I decided to sleep in a little. When I got up that day, I went down the hall of my dorm to take a shower. As I walked down the hall, I noticed that everyone's doors were open and every television was on. I didn't exactly notice what was on because I tend to walk fast, but I noticed on one of the T.V's rising smoke coming from a building. For whatever reason, I thought it was some channel showing footage of the aftermath of the 1993 bombing in the World Trade Center. I didn't really get why anyone would be showing that, so I didn't think to much of. After the shower, I got back to my room and turned on my television and turned to a news channel. This was nothing special, it was pretty much my morning ritual (and still is). It was not until this point that I actually started to get some grasp of what was going on. Like pretty much everyone in this country and many around the world, I was glued to the television the rest of the day. My roommate was from Maryland and his dad worked in or near Washington D.C. and was frantically trying to get a hold of him.

I know a lot of people remember everything that happened that day; where they went, who they talked to, what they ate, everything. Someone I work with told me he remembered what he was wearing, and that he had not worn it since then. I on the other hand don't remember much. It is an enormous haze. It was too big for me to wrap my mind around until much later.

 

I believe it was the weekend a few days later that I was with some people and there was a guy there who was of Middle Eastern descent. I remember him saying something to the extent of he and people like him here in the States were in for a rough time. I felt incredibly bad for him knowing, like I had looked into a crystal ball, that he was unfortunately correct. An immense amount of Islamophobia has arisen since that day.

It is strange to think that this is what people went through 60 years before when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Knowing that the world you had known had changed. For better or for worse, it was gone for good. The past ten years in retrospect have seemed very dark. Thousand of lives lost that one day followed by more bloodshed. Fear at the mere mention of unattended luggage or suspicious boxes at an airport. Security measures that border, and sometimes cross into, loss of civil liberties. These things practically never existed in my childhood. Now these things are the new "normal."

That day changed everything, and most of it has not been for the better.

Fischer & Boykin Gut the 1st Amendment

It always boggles my mind. These people say they are against Islam, mosque building, and so on because they say that Muslims (and yes, they mean each and every one) are trying to start Sharia Law (which is Islamic religious law) which we shouldn't have in America vis a vis the First Amendment. They say that in one breath. In the next, they talk about invoking Christian law in America while conveniently forgetting about the First Amendment. Tell me I'm not the only person who sees a basic problem of logic here...

Today in Christianist Delusion...

Does he honestly think this thing in Detroit will cause millions of Muslims to convert to Christianity? This just goes to show how profoundly ignorant some people in this world are.

Twitter Watch: Bryan Fischer Asks a Stupid Question

And I gave him a simple answer:

 

Most importantly, this guy is taking a disaster (90+ people killed, including lots of kids) and saying irrelevant things like this. Disgusting.

The Religious Wrong: Islamophobic Brush-Strokes

This is as insulting as saying that all Christians are as bigoted and narrow-minded as Bryan Fischer. P.S. we aren't.