Tag: homophobic

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Alabama Mayor Under Fire For Call To ‘Kill Out’ LGBTQs

In a Facebook post, Mayor Mark Chambers of Carbon Hill, Alabama, complained about LGBTQ people then told a commenters "the only way to change it would be to kill the problem out."
Mayor Mark Chambers is under fire for social media posts calling for ‘killing out’ LGBTQs

An Alabama mayor is facing criticism after posting controversial comments to his Facebook page.

Carbon Hill Mayor Mark Chambers wrote on his Facebook page in all capital letters:

“We live in a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics.”

Chambers’ constituents responded to the post, but one response from a Facebook friend got the mayor’s attention.

“By giving the minority more rights than the majority,” wrote the supporter. “I hate to think of the country my grandkids will live in unless somehow we change and I think that will take a revolution.”

Having singled ‘homosexuals’ and ‘transvestites’ as the issue, Chambers wrote back, “The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”

“To kill the problem out.”

“Without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”

Chambers’ original statement on Facebook which was quickly deleted

Local news affiliate WBRC contacted the mayor to clarify the social media statements.

Initially, the mayor denied posting the comments telling WBRC reporter Brittany Dionne, “I don’t think I posted that, I think that’s somebody else’s post.”

Dionne pointed out she was on the correct Facebook page noting photos of his family and birthday greetings, and asked if someone might be using his identity on Facebook.

Chambers replied with a meek “I don’t know.” When Dionne asked to meet in person, the mayor hung up.

Chambers did call back a few minutes later wherein he admitted to writing the post but argued it was being “taken out of context.”

“I never said anything about killing out gays or anything like that,” he told WBRC. Chambers explained that his comments were in reference to what might happen in a “revolution.”

“If it comes to a revolution in this country, both sides of these people will be killed out,” he said.

During the second call, Chambers also claimed that immigrants were taking over the country and called them “ungrateful.”

The mayor added that the post was meant to be a private message and didn’t intend for the public to see it.

He complained that he didn’t realize his Facebook page was available to the public, and shortly after the call with Dionne, his page went to private status.

You can watch the full report from Brittany Dionne at WBRC’s website here.

Chambers was elected mayor of Carbon Hill, population 2,000, in 2014.

(source: WBRC)

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Alabama Public Television Bans Gay Wedding Episode Of Long-Running ‘Arthur’

Alabama Public Television (APT) decided the same-sex wedding was too much for its intended audience to handle, and refused to air the episode. Instead, APT chose to air a re-run.
Mr. Ratburn and Patrick head down the aisle (image via PBS)

The long-running PBS children’s show, Arthur, opened its 22nd season last week with an episode featuring one of the animated characters marrying to his male partner.

In an episode titled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” it turns out that Arthur’s stern yet forgiving 3rd grade teacher is gay, and marries his boyfriend, Patrick.

The storyline was celebrated by LGBTQ advocacy groups like GLAAD:

While the episode doesn’t mention the word “gay” or “homosexual,” I did wonder if some folks might be offended or raise their homophobic voices in opposition to two animated characters finding happiness together.

Yep. And some of those folks are in Alabama.

Alabama Public Television (APT) decided the same-sex wedding was too much for its intended audience to handle, and refused to air the episode. Instead, APT chose to air a re-run.

Yes, this is the same Alabama where public lawmakers just passed a law which will require a 13-year-old rape victim to carry a possible child to term.

Mike McKenzie, the director of programming at APT, confirmed to NBC News that upon receiving an alert from PBS in mid-April about “possible concerns about the content of the program,” APT felt it was best to omit the episode from their schedule.

“Parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate, and inspire,” Mike McKenzie, director of programming at APT, said in a statement.

“More importantly—although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards—parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision,” continued McKenzie. “We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program.”

“The vast majority of parents will not have heard about the content, whether they agree with it or not,” added McKenzie. “Because of this, we felt it would be a violation of trust to broadcast the episode.”

(image via PBS)

Interestingly, one parent heard about the LGBTQ-inclusive episode and recorded the show with plans to watch with her 9-year-old daughter. But Misty Souder told AL.com that she was disappointed to only find a re-run on her DVR.

Souder says she contacted APT about the censorship, and used the experience as a teaching moment for her daughter about the importance of standing up for others.

“I just want her to be aware,” Souder explained to AL.com. “There’s too much going on not to stand up for stuff, even if it’s Arthur. I never thought I’d be going to battle for a gay rat wedding, but here we are.”

This isn’t APT’s first time to censor PBS’s Arthur.

In a 2005 episode, a bunny character named Buster visited a girl who was revealed to have two mothers.

Yep – APT pulled that installment, too.

According to AL.com, then-executive director of APT Allan Pizzato explained, “Our feeling is that we basically have a trust with parents about our programming.”

“This program doesn’t fit into that,” he added.

Watch the full episode featuring Mr. Ratburn’s wedding HERE.

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Podcast: Equality Act, Gay Panic Defense Banned, Rocketman Premieres At Cannes

In this week’s podcast: • The Equality Act passes in the House of Representatives • Nevada bans the gay panic defense • An Australian rugby player loses his $4 million contract thanks to homophobic social media posts • FX's groundbreaking series POSE honored at the Peabody Awards • The Elton John ‘musical fantasy biopic’ Rocketman premieres at the Cannes Film Festival All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

In this week’s podcast:

• The Equality Act passes in the House of Representatives

• Nevada bans the gay panic defense

• An Australian rugby player loses his $4 million contract thanks to homophobic social media posts

• FX’s groundbreaking series POSE honored at the Peabody Awards

• The Elton John ‘musical fantasy biopic’ Rocketman premieres at the Cannes Film Festival

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Brazil’s Homophobic President Cancels US Trip After Public Outrage

Jair Bolsonaro (image via Flickr/Agência Brasil Fotografias – CC License)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has cancelled an upcoming trip to the United States, where he was to be honored as person of the year by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, after growing outrage among LGBTQ activists and other groups.

The American Museum of Natural History last month announced it would no longer host the event with Bolsonaro.

Delta Air Lines, The Financial Times and Bain & Co are among the companies that pulled their sponsorship of the event because of Bolsonaro’s participation.

Otávio Santana do Rêgo Barros, a spokesperson for Bolsonaro, announced the trip’s cancellation due to “deliberate attacks from the mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups on the institutions that organize, sponsor and host the event annually.”

A former Brazilian Army captain and member of Brazil’s Congress, Bolsonaro took office on January 1 after waging a very anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-indigenous campaign.

He’s publicly said that he’d rather have a dead son than a gay son.

When asked if he was homophobic, he not only answered ‘yes,’ but said he is ‘proudly’ homophobic.

Shortly after being sworn in, he ordered Brazil’s human rights office not to consider LGBTQ-specific issues.

Bolsonaro on March 19 stressed his government’s “respect of traditional family values” and opposition to “gender identity” as he spoke alongside President Trump during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.

And last week, Bolsonaro announced he does not want Brazil to become a “gay tourism paradise.”

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Wyoming School Bans, Then Un-Bans, Rainbow Flags

Earlier this month, I reported on an incident at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where homophobic and racist flyers appeared in the hallways of the school.
McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Earlier this month,  I reported on an incident at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where homophobic and racist flyers appeared in the hallways of the school.

Students discovered flyers which read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which appeared to be signed by “the confederate kid club.” 

After Kaycee Cook, a substitute teacher and co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, reported the flyers she was later notified that she’d been fired by Principal Jeff Conine.

Since then, Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent Boyd Brown announced that he had identified at least one student believed to be responsible for creating the racist and anti-gay flyers, and that Cook was likely to be reinstated at the school.

But wait – there’s more!

Last Wednesday, 20-25 students who are members of the GSA were called out of class to a meeting with three faculty members who told them they could no longer post any rainbow flags, wear any rainbow clothing or anything LGBTQ-related.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Ashlynn Kercher, an 8th grade member of the GSA, said, “They told us it was a school distraction and ‘You don’t want to make other people feel like you felt when you saw the posters.’”

The students were reportedly told that if they break the ‘no rainbow/LGBTQ paraphernalia’ rule they will be written up on dress code infractions, and possibly suspended.

Principal Conine told the Tribune Eagle he didn’t know anything about the meeting taking place and that he had not decided to ban anything.

But Ashlynn’s mother, Abby Kercher, spoke to the district’s Title IX coordinator, John Below, who reportedly told her he and the principal had decided to ban the flags and clothing.

On Thursday, the School District issued a statementwhich read, in part:

“Because of the provocative use of flags, especially under the current controversy at the local junior high, the District will not allow the display of confederate flags on District property or at District events. Further, the District will review potential policies or regulations regarding the disruptive use of flags and symbols within the District.”

You’ll note the statement does not say the district is banning rainbow flags.

Superintendent Brown clarified the next day that rainbow flags were not being banned“as long as students do not use them to incite other students.”

(Source: Wyoming Tribune Eagle)

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Stranger To LGBT Parents Of Toddler With Cancer: ‘I Was Going To Donate But Found Out Parents Are Lesbians’

The parents of a one-year-old girl diagnosed with advanced cancer were shocked to receive a hateful message on social media from a stranger.
Tiffany and Albree Shaffer with their children (image via Facebook)

The parents of a one-year-old girl diagnosed with advanced cancer were shocked to receive a hateful message on social media from a stranger.

Diagnosed in January with stage four Neuroblastoma, little Callie Shaffer has already spent more than 100 days in the hospital undergoing rounds of chemotherapy as well as surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

Her parents, Tiffany and Albree Shaffer, have created a Facebook page titled “Callie Strong, Tiny But Mighty” to share Callie’s progress with friends and family. They say the support has been overwhelming, and helped them through this difficult time.

But amid all the good wishes being sent Callie’s way, the lesbian couple were shocked to find a hateful, homophobic message from someone they don’t even know.

“My prayers for Callie. I was going to donate $7600.00 to her fund, but I found out her parents are lesbian. I’ve chosen to donate to St. Jude due to that fact. Sorry. I’ll still pray for her though, but maybe it’s God’s way of getting your attention that she needs a mommy and a daddy, not two mommies.”

Callie’s parents shared a screen capture of the comment on their Facebook page.

“This is a very sick little girl, who’s life is on the line,” read the parents’ caption.

“For someone to actually send this and speak to my family in this way is utterly DISGUSTING,” they continued.

“Regardless of how you feel, don’t say a word,” added the couple. “What Callie needs is love and support…..not hate and misery.”

Speaking with local NBC News affiliate WNDU, Albree admitted she was “shocked” and “disgusted.”

“That’s mainly what it was — shock and hurt at the same time,” said the mother.

“She’s loved. She’s being taken care of. Why does it matter?,” added Callie’s aunt, Trisha Lamb. “Why would you want to hurt someone who is already hurting?”

With a stage four diagnosis, Callie has a long road ahead of her. In addition to chemo and surgery, she will need radiation treatments and a bone marrow transplant.

Albree has had to stop working to be with Callie in the hospital, while Tiffany is working as much as possible to pay the family’s bills in addition to driving to see her daughter every day.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help defray the costs of the expensive treatment.

You can follow Callie’s progress on Facebook here.

(h/t WNDU)

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Teacher Fired For Reporting Homophobic/Racist Flyers At School

During the last week of March, homophobic and racist flyers began to appear throughout the hallways of McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Even worse, the teacher who reported the flyers was FIRED for bringing attention to them. “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton. Join the kkk.”
(image via Twitter)

During the last week of March, homophobic and racist flyers began to appear throughout the hallways of McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, the flyers read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which seemed to be signed by “the confederate kid club.”

#hideous

When the flyers were brought to the attention of Kaycee Cook, a substitute teacher and co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, she contacted Wyoming Equality. The advocacy group works to protect LGBTQ people in the state.

The executive director for Wyoming Equality, Sara Burlingame, told the press that she had heard about the flyers from several members of the community.

“This is unacceptable,” she said in a statement to Queerty. “It does not reflect the values of Cheyenne. We’re not going tolerate this. And we’re going to show up and support our LGBT youth and our black youth with unwavering pride and support.”

Even the mayor of Cheyenne, Marian Orr, got wind of the flyers and tweeted her support to Cheyenne youth writing, “Tonight, my heart is the heaviest it’s been since taking office. This is not right. To the youth in our community: You are loved. You are valued. We need you to take us forward. You are Cheyenne.”

When the Wyoming Tribune Eagle contacted Principal Jeff Conine about the flyers, he seemed to downplay the issue saying there were only two flyers found and that they were removed before the school day began.

But others, including Kaycee Cook, told the Eagle that the flyers were “all over the school.”

In fact, anti-LGBTQ bullying has been reported for weeks at the school with little done to tamp down the hate.

Some students say they stopped going to the school’s GSA meetings because a group of boys began verbally harassing and bullying the members of the group.

One student who preferred to remain anonymous said the boys openly called themselves racists and homophobes.

There are even reports of teachers calling same-sex students holding hands “disgusting.”

Cook says she’s taken the issue to supervisors for weeks without any results.

Here’s where it really gets messed up, though.

On March 27, Cook received an email from Principal Conine firing her.

(image via Wyoming News)

“I am notifying you that due to incidents that have occurred at McCormick you are no longer welcome as a guest or a substitute teacher in our building,” read the email.

Cook told the press she believes Conine’s actions were in retaliation for contacting Wyoming Equality.

The Laramie County School District 1 issued a statement about the debacle, which read:

“In the midst of an investigation regarding inappropriate flyers that were posted at McCormick Junior High yesterday, (LCSD1) is offering support to our LGBTQ and black students who were reportedly targeted through the incident.”

When contacted by the Eagle, Principal Conine told reporters he wasn’t prepared to make a statement about the email.

Since last week, at least one of the student’s responsible for the hateful flyers has been identified. LCSD1 Superintendent Boyd Brown told Wyoming News that the student would be “disciplined in line with district policy.”

Additionally, it looks like Cook’s dismissal will be reversed and she should be reinstated at the school soon.

What a debacle.

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Conservative Writer Fired For Homophobic Twitter Rant

Denise McAllister (image via Twitter)

A conservative writer has been fired by the right-wing websites The Daily Caller and The Federalist after going on an anti-gay rant on Twitter this weekend.

The issue began when Denise McAllister tweeted that she had “slipped” by trying to talk to her husband during a basketball game Friday night.

“Trying to talk to my husband while Carolina is playing. He looks at me and says, ‘Woman, you know better than this. The game in on.’ He’s right. I slipped. Commercial comes on. I fetch him a beer. He grabs me. Deep kisses. Patience and timing, ladies. That’s the lesson.”

Openly gay journalist Yashar Ali, who writes for New York Magazine and HuffPost, retweeted the post highlighting the words ‘He’s right. I slipped,’ and commenting, “Oh Denise” with an unhappy emoji.

McAllister responded to Ali writing, “A gay man commenting on a heterosexual relationship is just. Sad. Pathetic really.”

Ali retweeted that post adding, “I guess Denise is not happy that I’m worried about how her husband treats her.”

McAllister escalated the back and forth telling the world Ali “doesn’t know his purpose as a man” or “as a human being.” She added that Ali “wallows and tries to find himself in another man’s asshole.”

In a since-deleted tweet, she also claimed that Ali might have a crush on her, adding, “Maybe I’m making him doubt his love of penis.”

Ali came back sharing that, as an Iranian, a gay man and a Catholic, he’s never felt ashamed and wouldn’t change who he is.

About an hour later, Ben Domenech, editor in chief of The Federalist, tweeted that McAllister would not be writing for his publication any longer.

In a deleted tweet, McAllister later shared that she “quit” The Daily Wire after Ben Shapiro, the site’s editor in chief, had reached out and informed her she was “no longer welcome” because of her anti-LGBTQ Twitter rant.

In an email Sunday afternoon to HuffPost, Shapiro reportedly confirmed that The Daily Wire has “no plans” for McAllister to write for them. He also underscored that McAllister had been a ‘contributor,’ and not an employee.

Eventually, McAllister returned to Twitter with an apology for Ali saying she had reacted out of “a perceived attack” on her family.

She also bemoaned the fact that she was fired for criticizing a gay man, but no one stood up for her when she defended “masculinity.”

Charlotte Clymer, who works for the Human Rights Campaign, pointed out that gay folks can be fired just for being who we are in 30 states. #Touché

By the way, before you think these right-wing sites were suddenly standing up for LGBTQ people, it’s worth noting that Domenech is married to The View co-host, Meghan McCain, who McAllister recently had a Twitter dust-up with as well.

McAllister called the gabfest “a roundtable of delusional mental midgets,” and McCain clapped back, writing, “You were at my wedding Denise…”

So, her firing by McCain’s husband may not have been all that altruistic.

Life in the Twitterverse, kids.

(h/t HuffPost)

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Mississippi High School Bans Same-Sex Dates At Prom

Students at a Mississippi high school were given required attendance paperwork in order to attend prom that included language that clearly banned same-sex dates.

Students at a Mississippi high school were given required attendance paperwork in order to attend prom that included language that clearly banned same-sex dates.

Via Yahoo News:

Students at Tremont Attendance Center in Mississippi were told to sign paperwork that included language stating that guests attending the Apr. 26th prom must be “of the opposite sex.” The rule was emphasized twice — in capitalized, bold letters — on the two-page form, and under a safety waiver that required student and parent signatures.

High school prom organizers that excluded same-sex couples from the upcoming dance deny the rule was homophobic.

“Guests must be 10th-grade–21 years old and of the opposite sex,” read the rule.

The form was shared on Facebook by Jack McCrory, a Tremont graduate whose niece is a current student. “From the open-minded and tolerant folks of the Tremont prom committee,” he wrote on Monday.

Trae Wiygul, the superintendent of Itawamba County Schools, did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.

He told WTVA, “The Itawamba County School District does not sponsor or endorse proms. If prom is being held, it is a private affair hosted by parents. Since this matter allegedly concerns a parent, who is also a teacher, any activity that person may have done during school hours concerning a prom was outside the scope of employment and is being investigated.”

Wiygul said a teacher who passed out the forms is being investigated.

According to WTVA, a parent involved with prom said the rule was an attempt at “crowd control,” so students could not purchase tickets for unofficial dates. “That’s not relevant to a person’s sex,” McCrory tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

A Facebook post, allegedly written by a Tremont student and sent to Yahoo Lifestyle, says the paperwork was passed out by “multiple teachers” prefacing an intercom announcement from the principal, which warned that students could not bring same-sex dates.

Joshua Tom, the legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Preventing same-sex couples from attending prom is discriminatory and unconstitutional. We’d advise that the county doesn’t repeat its discriminating actions from nine years ago or face legal jeopardy.”

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Twitter Trolls Joe Biden For Calling Pence “Decent”

Former Vice President Joe Biden came under fire for calling current Vice President Mike Pence a ‘decent guy’ while speaking at the Chuck Hagel Forum in Global Leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Thursday.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via Flickr/KellyKline – CC license)

Former Vice President Joe Biden came under fire for calling current Vice President Mike Pence a ‘decent guy’ while speaking at the Chuck Hagel Forum in Global Leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Thursday.

The comment was especially stunning for those familiar with Pence’s lengthy history of anti-LGBTQ policies and positions.

The comment came as Biden brought up Pence’s recent speech at the Munich Security Conference last month. During the speech, Pence mentioned greetings from President Trump to the audience which was met with stark silence.

“The fact of the matter is it was followed on by a guy who’s a decent guy, our vice president, who stood before this group of allies and leaders and said, ‘I’m here on behalf of President Trump,’ and there was dead silence. Dead silence,” Biden told the Nebraska audience on Thursday.

Reid Epstein, political reporter for the Wall Street Journal, tweeted the comment:

Sex In The City star Cynthia Nixon called Biden out on Twitter, writing, “You’ve just called America’s most anti-LGBT elected leader ‘a decent guy.’ Please consider how this falls on the ears of our community.”

Biden responded to Nixon’s tweet less than an hour later admitting the misstep: “You’re right, Cynthia. I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn’t be given a silent reaction on the world stage. But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President.”

Biden’s comment got many in the Twitterverse upset:

But Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson points out even openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg has referred to Pence in positive terms:

Biden has a long history of being a staunch LGBTQ ally. He came out for marriage equality before his boss, Barack Obama did, and he was recently the speaker at the national Human Rights Campaign dinner.

From my perspective, I think the comment comes across as Biden just being affable in referring to Pence. I don’t think it was a full-on testimonial about Pence’s character.

I’m hoping small incidents like this don’t inspire folks to attack our allies.

And, if Biden should run and become the Democratic nominee for president in 2020, you can bet I’ll be voting for him.