Jeremy Hooper's Blog, page 43
January 16, 2015
BREAKING: SCOTUS grants cert to marriage cases (four consolidated)
Here we go. Seems we will be getting a more definitive marriage equality decision this term:
[US Supreme Court]
Get ready for your closeup, Chief Justice Roberts' civil rights legacy.
To those fringe activists going after me for the Legatus matter
As you probably know, I dedicated about ten minutes of my life this week to writing a post about a summit that the anti-gay Legatus organization will soon hold. My post was literally nothing more than two links to examples of things that Legatus has printed and holds dear, a listing of who was then-scheduled to appear at this year's summit, and one quick line about how I personally would not have made the choice to speak at such an event. I didn't send one email or make one phone call beyond...
January 15, 2015
Huckabee, Santorum join professional 'ex-gay' as conservative conference headliners
Janet Boynes is a professional "ex-gay" activist who runs a ministry for people "struggling with unwanted same sex attraction." And in just a few weeks, you can see Janet when she serves as one of the five confirmed headlining speakers at the Liberty Counsel's annual Awakening conference.
Oh, and two of the other confirmed speakers? They are both seeking the 2016 GOP presidential nomination (with a third possible '16 candidate, Ted Cruz, listed as the "invited"):
No huge surprise. T...
Wanna debate marriage law on Fox News? (A) Study hard and pass the bar or (B) Have negative opinions about a minority population
Yes, he's the leader of an organization that the respected Southern Poverty Law Center lists on its relatively short lineup of anti-LGBT hate groups. Yes, that's because he has said absolutely heinous things about LGBT families, LGBT minors, and just about anyone who stands for equality (see here).
But for now, let's overlook that (compelling, totally valid, shouldn't really be ignored) part of the story. Instead, let's talk only about the ridiculous imbalance of qualifications for this upcomi...
CO's former AG makes ludicrous distinction between sixties discrimination and its modern iteration
Colorado's now-former Attorney General (as of yesterday) John Suthers, a Republican, recently gave this "explanation" for why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was fine and good, but why the laws that protect LGBT customers today are supposedly wrong and bad:
Suthers: I think what’s different, Jimmy, [between] 1964 and the time of the Civil Rights cases is, if a black person when into a restaurant in the South in 1963 and was refused service, he couldn’t walk into a restaurant next door and get ser...
NOM pushes quote from 'ex-gay' advocate
Psychologist William F. Harley Jr admits that in his practice, he encourages "changing" gay people:
But I've observed hundreds of same-sex couples in my own professional experience, and they have always stood out to me as being characteristically frustrated and depressed-many to the point of suicide. Same-sex relationships tend to be very brief and, especially for men, very unhealthy and violent. Granted, I've seen my share of unhealthy opposite-sex relationships as well. Yet on average, the s...
Billboard to distract Dallas drivers with dangerous message, junk science
The billboard company says it had no clue what the ad was about and that it will be coming down as soon as possible. Joe has the story:
Dallas Gets "Ex-Gay" Billboard [J.M.G.]
Two things that strike me: One, this is the most unfocused billboard I've ever seen. I totally get why the billboard company would be confused. The whole thing is a confusing mess. I've written about this stuff for ten years and I still wouldn't necessarily know that this version of "reparative therapy" means that version...
January 14, 2015
FRC's cynical, myopic framing of the American family and its current state
Next Monday, Tony Perkins, a man with one of the most anti-LGBT quotes banks in all of American politics (at least among those with mainstream access), will try to steal some of President Obama's State of the Union thunder when he issues his first-ever "State of the Family" address. But check out how Tony and FRC are framing the whole thing:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2015
CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS or (866)-372-6397
Family Research Council's Tony Perkins to Delive...
Video: Congressmen Kelly, Labrador attempt to sell their pro-discrimination legislation
There's a lot here, and nothing all that specific to snip. But I do think it's interesting to hear what conservative members of Congress are saying as they attempt to sell pieces of (go-nowhere, time wasting) legislation that seek to roll back marriage equality and LGBT nondiscrimination so that religious people who disagree with LGBT people's fair accommodation have unprecedented carveouts.
First up is Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA3), who is carrying legislation that would allow faith-driven adoption...
January 13, 2015
Tony Perkins equates #CharlieHebdo murders—as in homicide—with Atlanta employment decision
Credit where it's due: His rant is not nearly as whack as Erick Ericsson's day-of piece, in which the Fox News contributor literally compared LGBT activists and those responsible for the firing of the Atlanta fire chief with the people who murdered twelve satirical journalists in France. But today at a rally in support of said fire chief, 
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins did join his fellow conservative in directly comparing the literal silencing (i.e. murdering) of the Charlie...
