Jeremy Hooper's Blog, page 163

Audio: Rep. Randy Weber says anti-gay groups came to him to draft State Marriage Defense Act

Considering the so-called State Marriage Defense Act rolled out, with anti-LGBT groups like the Family Research issuing press releases about it before its sponsor, first term congressman Randy Weber (R-TX14), had even finished reading the Windsor decision, many of us suspected that the anti-LGBT groups actually created the go-nowhere bill that they are so desperately trying to turn into a thing. On the Concerned Women For America's radio show, Weber confirmed our suspicions, saying that group...

Audio: Liberty Counsel's Barber, Staver praise nation's that punish homosexuality with prison; seek same for U.S.

I rarely post full clips, but this one, from Liberty Counsel/Liberty University's Mat Staver and Matt Barber, is so chilling that I really think you need to hear the whole thing. It is so rife with demonization and false "facts" (like how they act as if the Nigeria law does nothing more than ban marriage) coupled with advocacy for nations like Uganda and Nigeria that have quite literally imposed prison sentences on homosexuality and its "promotion," that it is nothing less than an act of psyc...

NOM's Chairman threatens an 'eruption'

If marriage equality, like so many other civil rights battles, is won via court action rather than a fifty state fight to the finish, John Eastman, Chairman of the Board of the National Org. For Marriage, warns America:

"If they don't let it be fought out in the states, there is going to be an eruption"

Sounds dangerous. And kind of threatening.

Fortunately we're talking about NOM, an organization that is about 99.5% bark and only .5% bite. This crew can't even use its heightened press attentio...

Hiding behind the 'hate' label

Earlier today, I showed you the clip of conservative talker Glenn Beck, regular host to some of the anti-LGBT community's most vicious voices, claiming that people who hate gays have no place calling themselves fans of his show. And while I and others have made it clear that this is a completely hypocritical thing for him to say, considering his not inconsiderable role in promoting animus against LGBT rights, there is another element we should discuss here. There's a larger problem at work.

Na...

Unable to change year to 1964, IN House Speaker changes committees instead

In a truly outrageous move, the Republican speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives has moved that state's proposed pockmark on history (i.e. the same-sex marriage ban) to a new committee solely because he thinks it stands a better chance of passing. This despite the Judiciary Committee already holding a public hearing.

Towle has the dirty deets:

Indiana House Speaker Moves Gay Marriage Ban to Committee More Inclined to Advance It [Towle]

It remains to be seen if the new committee (Electi...

There is ridiculous far-right 'proof' and then there's this

To make his case that same-sex marriage is not the financial boon that equality activists say it is, Warren Cole Smith of the anti-gay World magazine shares the following doozy of an anecdote:

It’s likely the economic benefits of gay marriage are dramatically overstated. The Sheraton Waikiki has a relationship with the state of Hawaii to issue marriage licenses. Kelly Sanders, general manager of the hotel, told WORLD that on Dec. 2, the day homosexual marriage became legal, the hotel issued 39...

Glenn Beck: If you hate gays, you 'have no place calling yourself a fan of mine'

One of Glenn Beck's bosom buddies is David Barton, a man who has claimed that HIV/AIDS is God's punishment, says homosexuality should be regulated like cigarettes, says homosexuality will "kill the blessing" on our nation, and claims gays are flouting evolutionary law (Barton quote bank). Rabbi Daniel Lappin, who said gay men should've been quarantined during the AIDS crisis, is another regular Beck guest. Plus, Beck routinely brings on guests who fuel some of this nation's worst anti-gay ani...

A. Because anti-gay groups are still creating parodies about killing gays on the side of the road

Q. Why do we still need to fight like hell against an opposition movement that would seem to prefer us not being here.

Towleroad tips us to this, which the anti-gay Facebook group "Heterosexual Awareness Month" posted yesterday afternoon:

[Towle]

Oh yeah. Some people are just soooo sensitive to that whole murder thing. I mean, really—is there any situation where these folks won't turn themselves into the victim?

The shocking graphic did come down, and it seems like Facebook has pulled the clearly...

Deceptive movement doing costly disservice to its flavors-of-the-week

As you might have heard, that Oregon cake-baking couple that denied a cake to a lesbian couple has been found in violation of state nondiscrimination law. As you might expect, they are being extremely defiant:

"We still stand by what we believe from the beginning," Aaron Klein told KATU. Sweet Cakes owner: 'The state is hostile toward Christian businesses' [KATU]

I'm not surprised to see the couple acting feisty and recalcitrant. I expect it. It's exactly how all of the people in these kinds of...

On MLK Day, What Brandon Ambrosino Should Learn About LGBT Activists

People who know my work might think I agree with an MLK Day–themed column that Brandon Ambrosino, a gay journalist whose current trend is toward writing contrarian pieces on LGBT rights subjects, contributed to Time.com. After all, I am someone who has taken great strides to disconnect the person from his or her words and actions, choosing to always focus on the latter rather than place a label on the former. I even once wrote an article for The Advocate in which I made the case for this kind...