Category: anti-LGBTQ

Posted on

Uber Driver Calls Police After Telling Gay Dads Crying Infant “Needed His Mother”

In a recent Twitter thread, gay dad James Moed shared a disturbing incident where an Uber driver apparently called the police after telling Moed and his husband their crying baby “needed his mother.” Moed and his husband were staying at the Marriott Marina while traveling in San Diego last week. The couple, who live in the UK, was awakened by a knock at their hotel room door at 1:30 a.m. At the door were police officers who demanded to see the men’s identification. According to the Twitter thread, Moed shared “It turns out the @Uber driver who had taken us back to the hotel had called the cops – accusing us of…child trafficking? Endangerment?” Apparently, during their Uber ride to the hotel, their driver told the couple their crying infant “needed his mother.” Even though the men explained the child has two dads, the driver “didn’t back down.” The police departed peacefully after the couple showed their identification including their son’s passport to prove they weren’t ‘child trafficking.’ But even after the officers left the hotel, the men were shaken. “Stayed awake freaking out,” wrote Moed. “What if we hadn’t had his passport? The cops had been less agreeable? Where can my #queerfamily travel safely?” The father shared that he had contacted Uber about their driver’s behavior and the app’s algorithm replied with a form letter and a refund. Insisting he didn’t want a refund, he says he pressed on asking for “proof that you keep #LGBTQ riders safe from homophobic drivers.” A few hours later, Moed added that he had spoken to Uber support requesting an “apology from the driver (not his dismissal)” as well as evidence of LGBTQ sensitivity training. So far, the couple hasn’t indicated if they’d heard back from Uber. https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1224911775608594432 https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1224911777139392522 https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1225151863105957888 We’d like to hear from you, readers – have any of you had a homophobic experience while using Uber? Let us know in the comments below. (Image by why kei on Unsplash)

Posted on

Homocon: Leather Events Are “An Affront To Gay Acceptance”

L-R Brad Polumbo (image via Twitter), stock photo via Depositphotos
Conservative homo journalist Brad Polumbo has penned an op-ed decrying the “degenerate gay community” for celebrating at the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL) in Washington D.C. last weekend. While Polumbo dined at “a fancy Mexican joint” and then headed home to re-watch HBO’s Game of Thrones, he was apparently appalled that “public displays of debauchery” at MAL was giving us all a bad name and “annihilating what progress we’ve made.”

From his essay in the Washington Examiner:

Many of the events took place at gay bars, and the agenda included events such as “Deviant,” a “circuit party and celebration for queer people of color,” as well as “Sungay,” described as “an outdoor day party with leather aficionados, muscle boys, bears and more.”

This is disgusting. But it’s more than that: It’s eminently harmful to gay progress and acceptance.

Wait – a celebration for queer people of color and a tea party with muscle boys, leather guys and bear sounds ‘disgusting?’ It sounds like a fun time to me. Polumbo goes on to list why he’s so angry. First, he thinks it’s “bizarre” for folks to be open about their “sexual kinks and perversions.” And worse, that people “conflate their sexual deviancy with homosexuality.” The strange thing about that assertion is that in the next breath he admits leather or fetishes aren’t strictly gay flavors writing, “I would argue that these people are no different from heterosexuals with similar perversions, so why the exhibitionism?” I would ask, “Why the outrage?” Polumbo claims is that holding events like MAL are “an affront to gay acceptance, they fight for which was actually rooted in an appeal to family values and bourgeois norms.” Of course, he’s wrong on that point. In reality, the fight for queer rights emerged out of standing up for equal treatment under the law and against discrimination, not “an appeal to family values.” He closes his diatribe by claiming LGBTQ activists are trying to “sneak debauchery into the gay community’s public image.” And he feels that proudly flaunting “perversion” and conflating it with “all gay people” won’t change the minds of bigots who already say the gays are “immoral.” Someone should tell Mr. Polumbo that no matter how “boring” (his word) his life might be, anti-LGBTQ bigots are still going to judge him. No matter how many polo shirts and khaki shorts you wear, you’ll never be a part of their club. Nothing against polo shirts and khaki shorts btw. I wear them all the time. Remember, MAL is a series of events behind closed doors that attendees pay to get into. It’s not about anyone’s public image or conflating a leather fetish with “all gay people.” In sharing his op-ed on Twitter (more than a dozen times in less than a day), he shares that “the LGBT ‘community’ has shown me zero kindness” which seems to be more telling than anything. It sounds like he doesn’t get laid enough so he’s mad at others for having fun? Or for being proud of who they are or what they like? It’s also notable that if you Google his name, the first hit to come up is another essay he wrote complaining that gays won’t date homo conservatives. And there you have it. In any case, the Twitterverse did clap back at the judgmental screed:

Posted on

Utah Becomes 19th State Protect To LGBTQ Youth From Conversion Torture

(stock photo via Depositphotos)
The National Center for Lesbian Rights reports conservative Utah has become the 19th state to protect LGBTQ youth from the harmful practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ which seeks to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing adopted statewide rules protecting queer minors from the dangerous approach sometimes known as ‘ex-gay’ therapy. Utah Governor Gary Herbert directed the Division to develop the rules last year after proposed legislation to address the issue narrowly failed to pass the Utah Legislature. In addition to the 19 states, the District of Columbia and more than 60 local municipalities have adopted similar protections. Every leading medical and mental health organization in the United States, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics,  has rejected conversion therapy as ineffective and dangerous for minors. “Utah’s emergence as the most conservative state to address this issue shows how rapidly attitudes toward LGBTQ youth are changing in every part of this country,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter. Troy Williams, executive director of EQUALITY UTAH issued a statement that read in part: “Every reputable science-based organization in the country recognizes that conversion therapy is a dangerous fraud. It exacerbates depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. We are grateful to Governor Herbert and the Board of Psychologists for acting swiftly on behalf of LGBTQ youth.” Studies show LGBTQ youth who are subjected to conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to experience depression, and nearly three times more likely to attempt suicide. (via email)

Posted on

Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Law Passes In Tennessee

New law in Tennessee will allow adoption agencies to turn LGBTQ couples away
Tennessee has the dubious distinction of being the first state in the nation to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2020. By a vote of 20 to 6, the state Senate approved SB 1304 which will allow adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ couples. The Tennessean reports the measure gives protection to all licensed adoption agencies to turn away LGBTQ couples who apply for child placement if doing so would “violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.” The law also bans the state from “denying an agency’s license or grant application for public funds because of the group’s refusal to place a child with a family based on religious objections.” Democrat Jeff Yarbro, the Senate minority leader, attempted to amend the bill so it would offer protections and legal immunity only to agencies that don’t receive public funds. But he was unsuccessful. Five Republicans declined to vote on the legislation. Sen. Steve Dickerson, the lone Republican who voted against the measure, argued the bill would negatively impact tourism and tarnish the image of Tennessee. The bill passed in the state House last April. Gov. Bill Lee’s office confirmed the governor would sign the bill as soon as it hits his desk. With his signature, Tennessee will become the ninth state to pass such legislation. Eight other states have passed similar bans since Donald Trump was elected in 2016: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, North Dakota, Virginia, and Mississippi.

The Human Rights Campaign denounced the passage of the hateful bill. “Lawmakers in Tennessee used some of the first minutes of their legislative session to enshrine discrimination into law,” said HRC President Alphonso David in a statement. “These legislators are disregarding the best interests of kids in the child welfare system to create a ‘license to discriminate’ against qualified, loving prospective parents,” added David. “This bill does nothing to improve the outcomes for children in care, shrinks the pool of prospective parents and is a blatant attempt to discriminate against LGBTQ Tennesseans.”

Posted on

Reports Of Britain’s ‘Most Prolific Rapist’ Sparks Anti-LGBTQ Raids

No more carefree days for serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga (image via Facebook)
I recently reported on Britain’s “most prolific rapist,” Reynhard Sinaga, who was sentenced to life in prison for drugging and raping nearly 200 men. Videos found on two cell phones revealed the 36-year-old Ph.D. student had picked up primarily straight men outside nightclubs, offered them drinks spiked with date rape drug GHB police suspect, and then sexually assaulted the comatose men. Most of his victims had no idea they’d been raped until authorities showed them the video evidence. While Sinaga won’t be drugging any more victims as he spends the rest of his life in prison, it seems his crimes will continue to reverberate and affect even more people.
Reynard Sinaga (mugshot via Greater Manchester Police)
Citing the media attention focused on Sinaga, the mayor of his hometown in Indonesia has called for a new wave of harassment against LGBTQ people. The Telegraph reports Mayor Mohammad Idris of Depok in West Java asked his city’s Health, Social Affairs, and Child Protection Agencies to make extra efforts to stop the “spread of LGBT…in order to protect the children.” He also asked agencies to increase raids in rooming houses and apartments with the goal of persecuting queer people who are quietly living their lives behind closed doors. News of the raids prompted outrage from human rights groups including Amnesty International, who issued a statement blasting the “vicious campaign of harassment of LGBTI people” in Indonesia. Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director, said: “This latest vicious campaign against LGBTI people must stop. “Same-sex relations are protected under international law and there can be no justification for these hateful raids.” Homosexuality isn’t illegal in Indonesia, except for the province of Aceh, but crackdowns on LGBTQ people have worsened in recent years. Following the 2017 public humiliation of 141 men arrested in a gay sauna in Jakarta, the government launched an anti-LGBTQ police force, banned all “effeminate men” and men dressing in drag on TV, and in the Aced province raided five beauty salons and arrested 12 transgender women and shaved their heads to “make them men” in 2018. (source: The Telegraph)

Posted on

After Widespread Ridicule, Lawmaker Backpedals On Attempt To Outlaw Word ‘Homosexuality’

Arizona state Sen. Sylvia Allen (screen capture)
A homophobic Arizona lawmaker who proposed legislation outlawing the word “homosexuality” in her state’s schools is now reconsidering her bill. State Senator Sylvia Allen, a Republican from Snowflake (I kid you not), has been virulently homophobic for years opposing same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws that would protect queer people. Senate Bill 1082, which she authored, sought to remove the word “homosexuality” from all public school teaching materials reports NBC affiliate 12News in Phoenix. Plus, it would prohibit any student under age 12 from any sex education. Some political observers felt the bill was Allen’s response to Arizona repealing its “No Promo Homo” law in April 2019. That law banned any instruction in schools regarding HIV/AIDS that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle” or “suggests that some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex.” After Allen was publicly ridiculed for her bill, she announced in a statement the media was “misinterpreting the language” of her legislation. “Several news outlets have reported that my bill to provide parents more access and information on sexual education courses also prohibits the inclusion of homosexuality as part of any chosen curricula,” wrote Allen. “That was absolutely not my intention,” she added. “I regret that it has diverted attention from the main goal of the bill, which is to assist parents with more access and transparency, so that they could make informed decisions about the health and welfare of their children.” Saying she would remove the offending provision, she concluded the statement saying she hopes “to return the conversation on this bill back to my original intent – to provide meaningful opportunities for parents to engage and be contributory on this very important issue.” Arizona School Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said she was “appalled” by Allen’s bill. “It appears to undo the progress we have made as a state,” Hoffman said in an interview Thursday. “It could put the state at risk of another lawsuit.” Allen has a history of trying to promote wildly conservative legislation. In 2015, she told the press her state needed a law that would require all citizens of her state to attend church. During a speech in 2019, she warned white Republicans that if they don’t reproduce at a quicker rate “we’re going to look like South American countries very quickly.” In the video below, Allen attempts to explain her bill.

Posted on

White Evangelicals Oppose LGBTQ Rights More Than Other Religious Groups

A new poll shows white evangelicals have stark differences from other religious groups when it comes to civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans. Conducted by the Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the survey’s results indicate 39 percent of white evangelicals oppose extending anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ people, while only 13 percent of other Americans oppose such protections. Thirty-three percent of evangelicals support government restrictions on discrimination against LGBTQs in schools, housing or the workplace. In comparison, 66 percent of other Americans support banning LGBTQ discrimination. The poll also shows white evangelical Protestants believe religion should have more influence on public policy than it currently does. Sixty-two percent of evangelicals believe religion should have an influence on LGBTQ issues, while only 30 percent of other Americans agree. And it will come as no surprise that President Trump garners strong support (79%) from white evangelicals, while other Americans strongly disapprove of his job performance. (Source: AP/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research)

Posted on

Florida Lawyer Suspended Over Social Media Attacks “YOU SICK QUEERS!”

Suspended attorney/failed judicial candidate Don McBath (image via Facebook)
A pro-Trump lawyer (and failed judicial candidate) in Florida has been disciplined by his state’s Supreme Court for homophobic and anti-Muslim comments made on social media. Retired Pasco Country attorney Donald McBath was suspended from practicing law for 91 days after the Florida Bar reviewed several disparaging remarks on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. He was also fined $1,380 for failing “to maintain the dignity appropriate to judicial office and act in a manner that is consistent with impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary,” reports the Tampa Bay Times. Regarding LGBTQ people, McBath tweeted on February 25 this year, “Homosexuality is condemned by Jesus and if the homosexual continues committing that sin of sodomy, his soul faces ETERNAL damnation! Abstain, if you really have that mental illness. It’s not love.” He used big capital letters, so he really must have meant it… In January, he took issue with drag queen story hours in the Sunshine state writing, “YOU SICK QUEERS, leave our innocent children alone.” Taking issue with Muslim people, he tweeted on February 26, 2017, “Never trust a Muslim.” The next month, he fired off, “Muslims are deranged!” In the disciplinary report, the Florida Bar also took note of McBath’s Twitter bio which read (before it was suspended): “100% Trump supporter #MAGA; #KAG; proud DEPLORABLE; Pro-God; Christian; Pro-Life; Pro-Gun; Anti-Sharia; Constitutional Conservative; Former Major US Army.” During his candidacy for judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit last year (which he lost in the primary by 16+ points), he owned up to the comments but told the Tampa Bay Times his social media remarks wouldn’t prevent him from treating LGBTQ or Muslim people fairly if they appeared in his courtroom. Riiiiight… This isn’t McBath’s first trip to the disciplinary rodeo as an attorney. In 1997, he was admonished for not competently representing a client. In 2002, he was publicly reprimanded for trust account violations. He was suspended for 21 days in 2007 for filing frivolous paperwork in a divorce case, and in 2014 he was admonished for threatening an opposing party in a cease and desist letter. (source: Tampa Bay Times)

Posted on

Trump’s Interior Dept Removes ‘Sexual Orientation’ From Ethics Guide

Donald Trump
The Trump administration just can’t stop trying to erase the LGBTQ community. The Department of the Interior removed language regarding lesbian, gay and bisexual people from its anti-discrimination guidelines. According to HuffPost, the words “sexual orientation” were removed from the department’s ethics manual. On page four of the 2017 edition of the manual regarding Basic Obligations of Public Service, one principle reads, “You shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunities for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, or handicap.” However, the 2009 version of the ethics guide – during Barack Obama’s administration – included the categories “race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.” Bolding is mine. HuffPost also reports that on his first day on the job in August 2017, then-Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt redlined the words “sexual orientation” on an email to agency staff. When HuffPost asked the Interior Department about the edits, agency spokesperson Carol Danko replied saying the new language – substituting the word “sex” for “gender” and “sexual orientation” – was merely an effort to avoid redundancy. “Per the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, under Title VII the term ‘sex’ includes gender, gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy,” Danko told HuffPost. The confusing part of that statement is the Trump administration’s Department of Justice recently took the completely opposite position on the issue at the U.S. Supreme Court. The DOJ argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not provide protections for LBG people via the word “sex” in the legislation. Assuring HuffPost that the Interior Department has “zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind,” Danko told the news site that since Bernhardt became the agency chief in April 2019, “our internal policies have been redrafted with a broader brushstroke to explicitly capture inappropriate conduct beyond the legal standards of harassment and discrimination such as political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, and status as a parent.” However the Interior Department parses this language, the fact is the Trump administration has led a continued assault on LGBTQ people since Donald Trump took office. GLAAD has been tracking the many ways the community has been diminished or erased since January 2017 including banning transgender people from serving in the military, making no mention of the LGBTQ community in World AIDS Day proclamations, and allowing tax-payer funded adoption agencies to use “religious beliefs” to deny placing children in homes of LGBTQ couples. (source: HuffPost, GLAAD)

Posted on

Gay Couple Attacked For Holding Hands At Food Truck

Four men in Washington state have been arrested for allegedly harassing and physically attacking a gay couple for holding hands at a food truck. Pedro Mata Contreras, 36, Oscar Emestor Mata, 38, Ulises Missael Reyes-Mata, 24, and Jose Torres, 37, were charged with Felony Malicious Harassment. All four maintain their innocence. Local CBS News affiliate KEPR reports eight witnesses told police the group of four men verbally harassed the gay couple early Sunday morning at a food truck in Pasco, using the word “fag.” The incident escalated as the men reportedly punched one of the victims in the face. As he fell to the ground, the other men began to kick him repeatedly. The victim, left bleeding on the ground as the men ran away, suffered bone fractures in his face and a concussion. Witnesses were able to identify the four accused attackers. The four men are scheduled to be arraigned on December 31.

(mugshots via Franklin County)
(lead image via Depositphotos)