Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Anti-gay group leader Tony Perkins attempts to spin embarrassing Fox News debate into win

Tony Perkins
By now, you know of Sunday's debate on Fox News between former Solicitor General Ted Olson and Family Research Council Tony Perkins regarding the sudden court decisions for marriage equality.

To recap, Perkins got his clocked clean. He couldn't adequately answer the questions, particularly the one regarding how would gays being allow to marry harm his marriage. All he could manage was to revert to ridiculous talking points such as "social science proves that the best place for a child is a home with a mother and a father."

The irony of that talking point is that hours after the debate, Politifact rated Perkins' claim as false and skewered a post on FRC's webpage for having equally false talking points.

However, leave it to Perkins - and other conservatives - to manufacture a "win" out of his embarrassingly bad performance. The following is from an FRC email I received:

There was no shortage of strong opinions on last weekend's "Fox News Sunday" show, where I debated former Solicitor General Ted Olson on the fallout of redefining society's oldest institution. There was one question in particular that Ted had trouble answering -- and his non-response is getting an interesting amount of attention in places like the Washington Examiner, NRO, and CNSNews. Twice, I asked Ted what the purpose of marriage is, and twice, he dodged the question. Mona Charen, writing for the Examiner, thought this was especially interesting.
"Asked about where he would draw boundaries on who should be permitted to marry if it's 'only about love,' Olson changed the subject... 'There' no heterosexual couple, (he said), that is going to decide to get divorced or not to get married or not to raise children just because another couple next to them is treated equally and with respect and decency under our Constitution.' But it does affect the larger culture. If it didn't, there would be no need for debate. Homosexuals comprise a tiny fraction of the population (just over 2 percent according to the CDC). I wish them nothing but happiness and peace, but they are a side issue. Of course they deserve 'dignity' and 'respect,' but changing marriage is not the way to get there."

When Perkins says that Olson dodged the question, he is lying. Olson did answer the question:

"The purpose of marriage is what the Supreme Court has said 14 times," Olson replies. "It's a fundamental right that involves privacy, association, liberty, and being with the person you love and forming a part of the community and being treated equally with the rest of society."

When given this answer, Perkins claimed that it was not true. In other words, Olson did answer Perkins' question, but Perkins simply didn't like the answer.

And that's not Olson's fault.

Nor is it Olson's fault that Mona Charen is attempting to spin some seriously super fuckery.  In her piece, she claims that gays are irrelevant, but if you ask me, she is the one who is beyond irrelevant in this conversation.

She gets paid to spin and that's what she is doing.  And now that she has earned her think tank salary in this situation, she should step aside, scurry to the bank, and cash her check.

And that goes for the folks from NRO and CNSNews who, while probably not cashing their checks at the same bank as Charen, most likely are getting their monies from the same wingnut sources.

The bottom line is that Perkins went on Fox and demonstrated just why his side has been losing court cases. They have no argument against marriage equality. They never had one. All they had and continue to have are slick lies, sly talking points, and shameless ways to exploit religious beliefs and fears.

And that mess only goes so far. In a court of law, we've seen that it goes nowhere.


 

Linda Harvey doubles down on the anti-gay crazy. Thank you, Linda for all you do for lgbt equality

Linda Harvey
On her radio show today, anti-gay activist Linda Harvey doubled down on her crazy talk (that's right, I said it) against Ally Week.

This week  (October 13-17) is Ally Week, which is promoted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The purpose is for students to engage in a national conversation and action to become better allies to LGBT youth.

But "sister-girl" Harvey think its a plot by the lgbt community to recruit children. In this morning's post, I wrote about how she spewed a pageful of crazy against Ally Week on an anti-gay webpage.

Now here her doing the same thing on her radio show:


 
And she continues:




As much as it pains me to break Harvey's heart (oh please, I'm enjoying this), no matter what she says or does, Ally Week is happening, even as she weaves her mystical spell of crazy homophobia. If anything, Harvey's words demonstrate that we not only need an Ally Week for our lgbt children, but also lgbt adults who have to deal with folks like her in the world.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch

'Bryan Fischer: Rainbow flag is the 'mark of the beast'' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

I think our victories for marriage equality has driven some members of the anti-gay right crazy.

Example 1:


See Jeremy Hooper for more details


Then there is Example 2 (and it's a DOOZY):



This confuses the heck out of me. So the rainbow flag is now the "mark of the beast" and it has been said that this mark is emblazoned on the forehead. Well I once knew a guy who had a rainbow flag on both of his butt cheeks and . . . never mind. This is a "family blog."

In other news:

Interview: Laverne Cox Presents New Hope for Trans Youth With Documentary The T Word - Something supporting our children, particularly our transgender children, is something we should all support. 

Fox News Entertains Discredited Notion That Same-Sex Marriage Is Causing A Decline In Heterosexual Marriage - Leave it to Fox News. I swear it's enough to make you sick.

What Happens When Your Mom Catches You Having Sex (VIDEO) - Check to see if the insurance policies are paid up. Either hers or yours will do cause she will either kill you or have a heart attack.

Oh Linda Harvey, Anita Bryant would like a word with you . . .

Linda Harvey
I get amazed at the homophobic horror stories that alleged "ad executive turned Christian" and hate group leader Linda Harvey (of Mission America) clings to in her zeal to supposedly expose the so-called "homosexual agenda."

This week  (October 13-17) is Ally Week, which is promoted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The purpose is for students to engage in a national conversation and action to become better allies to LGBT youth. 

Leave it to Harvey to claim that Ally Week is an insidious plot one can only read about in a juicy James Bond novel, i.e. a nefarious scheme by gays to "recruit" children. In the equally noxious anti-gay publication BarbWire, Harvey crafted a piece of hysterical paranoid ramble which has to be read to be believed. The following are the juicier parts:
 
The Ally Week message highlights sad experiences of very confused teens, but the purpose is never to expose the truth about these harmful behaviors and help kids overcome them, but to keep pushing sin on kids while demonizing all who try to point these students to a different standard.

 The effort originates with GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. So going along with this week’s message will mean children become activist endorsers of homosexuality and gender switching. And no responsible parent wants that.

 . . . the real goal is to point the finger at natural marriage, at Judeo-Christian sexual moral standards, and call them evil. “That’s bullying!” is the attitude of the student activists being trained by GLSEN in the “gay-straight alliances” (homosexual clubs) in high schools and middle schools. It’s also the attitude of some teacher activists as well.

 Are adolescents drawn to homosexuality always victims? Some are and I believe most school administrators are quick to punish vicious verbal or physical assaults no matter what the motive. But GLSEN wants to put schools on the defensive and teach children to be suspicious of those in authority (unless the authority is a teacher who’s an out and proud homosexual or has undergone a sex change). “Ally Week” indoctrinates your children to defend homosexuals and that means they are to defend their behaviors, desires and lifestyles.

. . . Most children want to be true friends. They want to help the underdog. And here’s the real trick of Satan—it’s especially children like yours and mine, raised as Christians, raised to want to be kind to others as God has been merciful to us, who are often vulnerable to this message, unless we teach them keen discernment along with that Christ-like compassion. 

Every time I hear or read one of Harvey's bizarre homophobic spiels (such as when she advised parents to not let "openly gay" doctors or nurses near their children or when she claimed that in actuality, gay people don't exist), I am reminded of the scene in the movie A Clockwork Orange, where the main character is tied down with his eyeballs taped open while images and music is flashed all around him.