Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A request from Holy Bullies - study & educate yourselves on the anti-gay right

Rather than a long post today, I have a simple request.

Most like Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer will veto that awful anti-gay segregation bill. It would be an awesome victory for us but the war over lgbt equality isn't over yet. Knowing anti-gay groups, they will view this as a minor setback and while we are celebrating, they will planning new mischief. Today, I read various facebook messages from my fellow lgbts and they got me depressed. The messages ranged from "woe is us. what are we going to do" to "let's get rid of those bigots."

They were too simplistic and depressing. Worst of all, none encouraged intelligent pushback. And just what is that intelligent pushback? It's acknowledging that we need to change this scenario because it plays over and over again. The right comes at us with something and we are caught off-guard because we have failed to study them and their methods.  We don't know who many of them are, their ways of lying, their phraseology, or their semantics. All we know is that they are "bigots."

We simply must be more nuanced and aggressive in how we fight the anti-gay right. We need not wait for them to attack our equality but put them on the defensive for a change. We need stop allowing them to question our ability to love and live in peace. We should be making them explain why, if they are supposed to standing up for traditional morality, do they stoop to methods which would make Satan blush.

Nothing fancy. No complex words that would leave members of our community scratching their heads in confusion. No over intellectual terminology. Just simple and straight ahead attacks on the veracity of these so-called pro-morality, pro-family groups.

And with that in mind, the following link goes to the direct adobe acrobat copy of my booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.  It's a short but complete assessment of anti-gay groups, their lies, and their propaganda. It's free so you either read it online for print out a copy.

I've emphasized the following point till I'm blue in the face and you are all tired of hearing it and I'm going to emphasize it until it is fully taken in, dammit. The lgbt community has to stop acting like a dog constantly chasing its tail.

We get into the situations on being on the defensive with the religious right because we are slack. We wait until they get our backs against the wall before we react. I'm tired of it.  You should be tired of it. So do something about it. Educate yourself and others about these people and groups.

This is a war, yes. But it is a war of rhetoric, semantics, and position. And I for one am tired of the lgbt community entering into battles willingly unarmed.

'Reports - Brewer may veto anti-gay segregation bill' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

God, I hope so!  

NBC News: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer 'Likely to Veto' Anti-Gay Bill - More info on this from Towleroad.

 In other news:

How Fox News Helped Promote State Anti-Gay Segregation Bills - I predicted this crap about Fox News years ago. Via the false claim of initiating debate, the network gives anti-gay groups free reign and support to push their propaganda without any pushback. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council likes to accuse his opponents of not wanting a debate. We see his definition of debate when watching him being coddled by Megyn Kelly or anyone else on this poor excuse for a news network. 

How The Ugandan Press Cheered The Country’s New Anti-LGBT Law - Simply vile. Don't read this link if you have a low tolerance for anger. The Ugandan Press may cheer now but wait until some of them face the fire they have created.

 Challenged By Anderson Cooper To Provide One Example To Justify Anti-Gay Bill, Arizona Senator Comes Up Empty - Just embarrassing. 

 Eric Holder: State Attorneys General Should Be 'Suspicious' Of Gay Marriage Bans - Religious right freak out T-Minus 10 . . 9 . . 8  

Victory! Lambda Legal Persuades Social Security to Give Survivor Benefits to 92-Year-Old Transgender Widow - She should have been given her benefits from the start. 

 Fischer: Gay Activists Are 'Jack-Booted Homofascist Thugs' - I resent that. I wouldn't be caught dead in a "jack-boot."

Ugandan newspaper begins anti-gay witch hunt, names 'top 200 gays' in country

Uganda is about to get Biblical. According to the Huffington Post:

A Ugandan newspaper published a list Tuesday of what it called the country's "200 top" homosexuals, outing some Ugandans who previously had not identified themselves as gay one day after the president enacted a harsh anti-gay law.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday's signing of the bill by President Yoweri Museveni marked "a tragic day for Uganda and for all who care about the cause of human rights" and warned that Washington could cut aid to the government of the East African nation.

"Now that this law has been enacted, we are beginning an internal review of our relationship with the Government of Uganda to ensure that all dimensions of our engagement, including assistance programs, uphold our anti-discrimination policies and principles and reflect our values," Kerry said in a statement.

The Red Pepper tabloid published the names — and some pictures — of alleged homosexuals in a front-page story under the headline: "EXPOSED!"

The list included prominent Ugandan gay activists such as Pepe Julian Onziema, who has repeatedly warned that Uganda's new anti-gay law could spark violence against homosexuals. A popular Ugandan hip-hop star as well as a Catholic priest are also on the list.

My comment about Uganda getting "biblical" was not meant to be a joke. Throughout past controversies regarding the anti-gay bill, many knew that it would come to this.

It's bad enough that the law punishes lgbts simply for being who they are, but with today's news, the law carries a more sinister purpose.

Let me put it this way - for a country claiming to be Christian, it amazes me that Uganda seems to forget the  Biblical story of Naboth's vineyard.

Naboth was a man who owned a vineyard which a king wanted. But Naboth wouldn't sell it to him. So the queen sets up "conditions" in which Naboth found himself accused of a capital crime and executed. With his death, the king took control of the vineyard.

I've already written a post about another supporter of Uganda's anti-gay bill, Rev. Martin Ssempa, attempting to use the law before it became official to destroy other pastors and increase his finances and power base.

Now with law being official, we most likely will see more of this. How many Ugandans will accuse their neighbors of being gay for purposes of greed or maybe simply to settle a grudge?

We have yet to see how this thing will end but I have a feeling that for some who welcomed this anti-gay law, it won't end well.