Tag: anti-gay

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Michigan Governor Signs Discriminatory Anti-Adoption Bill Into Law

Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan signed into law today a bill that allows private adoption agencies with state contracts to decline adoption services to same-sex couples if it goes against “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The press release from Michigan Gov. Snyder’s office spins the law as “ensuring that as many children are adopted to as many loving families as possible” and yet it throws up a road block to doing just that.

Ugh.

From the Governor’s press release:

Gov. Rick Snyder today signed legislation ensuring Michigan children up for adoption have the greatest opportunity to be placed in loving homes. “The state has made significant progress in finding more forever homes for Michigan kids in recent years and that wouldn’t be possible without the public-private partnerships that facilitate the adoption process,” Snyder said. “We are focused on ensuring that as many children are adopted to as many loving families as possible regardless of their makeup.”

House Bills 4188, 4189 and 4190, sponsored by lawmakers from both parties — state Reps. Andrea LaFontaine, R-Columbus Township, Harvey Santana, D-Detroit, and Eric Leutheuser, R-Hillsdale, respectively, help continue Michigan’s successful placement of children with loving families by codifying current adoption practices within the state. Under the legislation, faith-based agencies that contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services can operate in accordance with their beliefs.

The bills also require child placement agencies that decline any services to prospective parents to promptly provide information and a list of alternative adoption agencies willing and able to serve them. They do not change current practices in Michigan, but prevent faith-based agencies from having policies forced on them that violate their religious beliefs, which have resulted in agencies closing in Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and Washington, D.C.

The Detroit Free-Press: “Critics of the bills have derided the legislation as state-sanctioned discrimination against same-sex and unmarried couples — especially because many of the faith-based agencies receive public funding from the state.”

“Governor Rick Snyder has proven today that he has utter disdain for the welfare of children in Michigan and that he cares only about empowering backwards discrimination,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “This legislation keeps children in need out of the loving homes they deserve, and it sets this great state back decades.”

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Rachel Maddow’s Gleeful Reaction To Franklin Graham’s Epic Bank Fail

Rachel Maddow shares her gleeful response to the epic fail by evangelist Franklin Graham, who took umbrage at Wells Fargo’s latest LGBT inclusive ad.

From his Facebook page: “Have you ever asked yourself – how can we fight the tide of moral decay that is being crammed down our throats by big business, the media, and the gay & lesbian community?”

Graham took all of his company’s account out of Wells Fargo (after the above online rant) and moved them to another bank, BB&T.

Then it turned out BB&T is just as LGBT supportive as Wells Fargo in that the bank is a platinum sponsor of Miami Beach Gay Pride and much more.

#EpicFail

Rachel’s upbeat reaction to the whole escapade is pretty fun.

“I love this story so much I want to take it to Franklin Graham’s new bank and marry it. If it’s a lady.”

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North Carolina: House Votes 69-41 To Override Governor’s Veto Of “Magistrates Recusal” Bill

The North Carolina House has just voted to override Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto of Senate Bill 2, which would allow state magistrate’s to “opt-out” of their duty to perform same-sex marriages based on “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

From Equality NC:

With the House’s vote, 69-41, the bill, which now becomes law, excuses North Carolina magistrates and other public officials to perform marriage services for couples with whom they do not agree.

Last week, the veto was overridden in the Senate by a vote of 32-16.

Equality NC executive director Chris Sgro immediately condemned the House vote.

“We are disappointed to see the House vote against the the legal rights and best interests of LGBT people and of the entire state of North Carolina,” said Sgro. “From the business community to local leaders to the governor, North Carolinians have stood up and said Senate Bill 2 is deeply problematic and discriminatory legislation. While it targets same-sex couples, in the process it creates problems for all North Carolinians who seek use of taxpayer-funded public services.”

Sgro added, “The North Carolina General Assembly should be focused on creating jobs and expanding public education rather than legislating against settled laws governing the freedom to marry. Equality NC will be working with its partners to determine whether this terrible bill will hold up to legal scrutiny.”

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Tony Perkins Applauds Franklin Graham Over Boycott Of LGBT-Friendly Companies

Hate group leader Tony Perkins

In light of Rev. Franklin Graham’s statement yesterday calling for a boycott of major corporations who show support for the LGBT community, hate group leader Tony Perkins sent this out to his followers:

“Wells Fargo may be the first American bank to feature a lesbian ad — but it may also be the last.

“The outrage over these in-your-face commercials is finally reaching a boiling point with consumers, who are sick and tired of watching companies pitch agendas over products. American powerhouses like General Mills, Tiffany & Co., Amazon, Starbucks, Tylenol, Target, Nabisco, Alaska Airlines, and even Betty Crocker are tripping over themselves to pander to 2.3% of the buying public with intense LGBT advocacy.

“Like us, Rev. Franklin Graham has had enough. In response to Wells Fargo’s new ad, the son of evangelist Billy Graham is making an enormous withdrawal: his ministry’s accounts.

“On Facebook, Franklin challenged Christians to take a long, hard look at where their money is going. Are your dollars financing the war on your values? If so, maybe it’s time to do something about it.”

The great irony in all this is Graham moved his bank accounts from Wells Fargo (longtime LGBT ally) to BB&T, which will be sponsoring the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and has an 80% approval rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

#EpicFail

Via Right Wing Watch, listen to Graham explain his banking decisions below on the anti-gay Family Research Council’s “Washington Watch:”

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Former Speaker Of The House Tom DeLay: Americans Should “Rise Up” Against Any Pro-LGBT Ruling By SCOTUS

Former Speaker of the House Tom DeLay

On Thursday, Dennis Hastert, ex-GOP Speaker of the House of Representatives, was indicted on charges he paid off a man he sexually abused decades ago.

This brought to mind former GOP Speaker of the House Tom DeLay, who has had his own run-ins with the law (in 2005 he was indicted for criminal charges of conspiracy to violate election law).

DeLay stopped by Houston radio host Sam Malone’s show to tell the listeners that Americans should “rise up” against any ruling by SCOTUS that favors the LGBT community:

“The Supreme Court is about to put out a ruling on marriage and they have no jurisdiction to do so, they shouldn’t have even heard this case, they have no right to redefine marriage and hopefully the American people will rise up and really undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.”

It goes without saying that the Supreme Court’s role in the government is to rule on any laws that are found to be unconstitutional. That is literally what the founders of the US created the judicial branch of government to do.

(via Right Wing Watch)

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Texas: Rep. Garnet Coleman Will “Kill” His Own Bill Before Allowing Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment To Pass

Texas Rep. Garnet Coleman will kill his own bill before allowing an anti-gay amendment be attached
Texas Rep. Garnet Coleman

We all were pretty sure the anti-gay bill Texas House Bill 4105, filed by state Rep. Cecil Bell, was dead in the water. The legislation would  attempt to thwart a possible SCOTUS ruling in favor of same-sex marriage by cutting off any state funds used to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples.

When Republicans in the state House couldn’t get the legislation to the floor before deadline last week, it was almost a done deal. I say almost because the one sliver of a chance for the anti-gay marriage legislation to get to a vote would be if it could somehow be attached as an amendment to another bill still in play. BUT – it would have to be “germane” to the active bill.

Yesterday, state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., a Democrat who opposes same-sex marriage, attached Bell’s bill to a non-controversial bill, House Bill 2977.

Now, the author of THAT bill, Rep. Garnet Coleman, says he will kill his own bill before he allows the anti-gay legislation to pass.

From the Houston Chronicle:

A Democratic state senator has dredged up anti-gay marriage legislation that advocates thought was dead this session, attaching the language to an uncontroversial county affairs bill under the noses of his fellow Democrats. While gay rights advocates decried the move, the bill’s original sponsor in the House said he would never let his legislation pass with the anti-same-sex marriage language in-tact. “I’m the author of the bill. I will resolve the bill,” said Rep. Garnet Coleman, D- Houston, a staunch gay marriage advocate.

House Bill 2977, as Coleman originally filed it, was an uncontroversial county affairs placeholder bill, meant to act as a vehicle for lawmakers to ensure important local issues can be passed late in the session. As the bill was headed to the Senate committee for approval this week, however, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. attached a number of other bills to Coleman’s legislation, including one that would seek to block a Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage.

If the bill passes in the GOP-dominated Senate, which Coleman expects it to, it would need to return to the House, where the lower chamber’s members would have to concur with the changes. Coleman said if he can’t strip the anti-gay marriage off his legislation, then he would withdraw it completely. “If I can’t get it off, then the bill goes to bill heaven,” Coleman said. “I don’t support that legislation or that language.”

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Dan Savage Calls The Duggars Out For “Demonizing” Gays While Covering Up For Their Son

Appearing on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes last night, Dan Savage called out the Duggars of 19 Kids & Counting fame for demonizing LGBTs while covering up for their son, Josh Duggar, who has admitted that he molested young girls when he was 14 years old.

Savage reminded viewers that Michelle Duggar publicly campaigned against a recent LGBT nondiscrimination law in Arkansas saying that this law “presented a danger to little girls, particularly, because it would allow trans women to use restrooms, and it was in the best interest of children to repeal this LGBT civil rights law.”

“Just the hypocrisy of Michelle Duggar out there demagoguing and demonizing LGBT people while at the same time having covered up and protected her son who had actually molested at least five little girls that we know of is just staggering. It’s galling.”

Watch the segment below.

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Tony Perkins: Pastors Will Be Dragged “Kicking And Screaming” If Marriage Equality Becomes Law

Tony Perkins, of the virulently anti-gay Family Research Council, tells the audience at this year’s “Watchmen On The Wall” conference that within five years pastors will be dragged from their pulpits “kicking and screaming” if the Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage.

The fear mongering this man whips up knows no limits. Of course, the whole notion he presents here is a load of crap.

Note the very dramatic five second pause at the :30 mark.