Rightwing loons shoot, misfire

Read the words in this image (which I stole from Joe Jervis' site). Note what it says above the Duck-head:

"Gave a personal opinion about a personal belief that affects no one."

Ahem. We gay people are not "no one". We're here, we're queer and we're never ever going away.

A "famous" person who gives voice to an anti-gay opinion hurts every GLBT person out there. Bigotry doesn't exist in a vacuum. It spreads throughout the culture.

Speaking of diseases spreading, the image got 300,000 "likes" about two seconds after it appeared on Facebook. Here's my shout-out to everyone who "liked" the image -- you are pigs -- all 300,000 of you.

PS: Note that they think he was fired, too.

This should be interesting

Let's see. First Obama refuses to meet with Putin because Russia is harboring Edward Snowden. And now this:

MOSCOW — Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights activists said Tuesday they have been invited to meet with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of this week's Group of 20 summit in Russia. 

What will Putin do? It's all so junior high, so tit-for-tat, when you get right down to it. Will Putin view Obama's meeting with gay reps as "propaganda" and arrest him? That would be fun. On the other hand, will Putin punish the gay reps afterward? I wouldn't like to see that happen.

But seriously, the whole thing is like a cartoon. The Russian president with a fixation on personal manliness goes after the gays. And the American president who promised the most transparent administration in history goes after whistleblowers with demonic vengeance. (And after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, tries to start World War III -- to prove his manliness.)

These are cartoon times, for sure.

The popeyguy said this

In a short, rather inconsequential AP article at the NYT, we learn what Pope Francis said about gay marriage when he was a mere cardinal in Argentina.

"But if they're granted marriage rights and can adopt, there could be children affected. Every person needs a masculine father and a feminine mother to help them settle their identity." 

So now straight fathers have to be masculine, and straight mothers must be feminine, in order to earn god's approval? There's a ton of nelly straight men out there who are under the impression that they are real, valid fathers. And there's an equal number of tomboy mothers who've given birth and raised their kids up till this very moment. Those poor, blind straight people! Little did they know they're not authentic parents. But the news is out now. The popeyguy's past words tell the tale.

I guess these inadequate parents will be forced to hand in their marriage certificates and hit the road. Kids need butch fathers and fem mothers. Without these key ingredients, the poor children will be confused -- and might even succumb to the temptation of becoming gay themselves. Mercy!

NYT says it well

From an editorial in today's New York Times:

The Boy Scouts organization — by tolerating a loathsome belief, pressed by religious activists, that equates homosexuality with deviance — has committed itself to rejecting good, dedicated leaders. It should understand that scouting’s mission does not have to dovetail with right-wing agendas and bigotry. The scout movement was built a century ago simply upon interests “universal among boys” — outdoor skills and adventure — and on values of citizenship and decency. It’s a shame the Boy Scouts have allowed bigotry to tarnish this tradition.

Almost forgot to post this

This is an image from last night's TV news in NY. Can you believe the airhead who wrote such a thing? "All persuasions"?!! I haven't heard something that backward since I was a teenager.

This statement was issued in response to complaints about the church firing a gay volunteer because he married another man. The guy held three positions within the church -- without pay -- and is totally into the church (for some odd reason). Fired.

And why? Let us savor the wording: because he was of a certain persuasion. OMD. I really can't believe this one. Dingbats, all.

Gays, Boy Scouts and good ol' southern bigotry

Over at the Daily Beast, Michael Tomasky eviscerates southern bigots for their reaction to the Boy Scouts' statement that they'll (probably) allow gay scouts and adults in the organization. Here's a tidbit:

As I've written previously, we are past the point in this country now where one's views on homosexuality can be called a "matter of conscience." No. Being against equality here isn't a matter of conscience anymore than having been against racial equality in 1955 was. It is just bigotry plain and simple. Enough. Piss off. Go form your own Boy Scouts. Go form your own stupid country. You aren't America anymore.

Scroll down on the "reaction" link to read what the Southern Baptist Convention had to say about opening up the Boy Scouts' ranks to gays. These cavemen have to go.

Dear, sweet Michelle

Bachmann Family Values is a touching column by Frank Bruni in today's NY Times. It's about the experience of a lesbian who is a longtime friend of Michelle Bachmann. In her own words, she reveals the pain of hearing Bachmann say publicly that she doesn't have the right to marry the woman she loves. She and Michelle lived in the same house; they were close. And yet Bachmann tossed her aside like so much garbage. The article is impressive in an understated way. Give it a read if such things interest you.

The always classy Sal Cordileone

"SF Archbishop Jokes About Recent DUI Arrest" is the headline of an AP story up at the New York Times today.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amid heavy security and the splendor of his faith's most sacred rites, the new Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco assumed office Thursday without referring to the distress his appointment has aroused in this gay-friendly city, but offering self-deprecating jokes about his recent drunken driving arrest. 

He comes into town to trash gay people -- at the behest of the pope -- gets a DUI almost immediately, and jokes about it from the pulpit.

Sal Cordileone is displaying perfect Christian values right out of the box. There is no morality in such a person's world. Destroying gay families for Jesus? Check. Getting DUI? Check. Joking about DUI: check again.

I wonder if the pope's infallibility came into play when he appointed this gem of a fellow.

The willful blindness of the Vatican

After the violence (see post below), the pope's spokesperson actually said the following.  Apparently, irony is unknown at the Vatican.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that "unjustified offense and provocations" against Muslims have "sometimes tragic results" that "nourish tension and hatred" and unleash "unacceptable violence."

This statement is outrageous since it comes from a church that has been persecuting gay people all around the world for as long as I can remember. This, too, qualifies as "unjustified offense and provocations" that have "tragic results" that "nourish tension and hatred" and unleash "unacceptable violence".

It seems they don't have any mirrors in the Vatican.

Breaking News from the Vatican!

I imagine we'll be seeing "breaking news" headlines from the Vatican now that they've got an official Fox News spokesperson.

In his new job as the Vatican’s senior communications adviser, Burke, 52, will be counseling Pope Benedict XVI and his closest staff on how to better project the Catholic Church’s image to the rest of the world.

I can just see it now. The popey guy appears on-screen. Below his image, big red letters blink with the word: "ALERT ALERT ALERT". And then the popey guy says, breathlessly, "A miracle has occurred in Transylvania! The Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared to thousands!"

Oy. It fits right in, doesn't it? Heck, he can use direct Fox News feeds and call them his own. After all, they say the same sorts of things the popey guy says: anti-gay, anti-Obama, anti-sanity stuff. It's a miracle! And I heard on Fox News that this whole set-up was preordained in the Bible!

Popey guy says absolutely nothing

The evil one.

Here's what the popey guy said to his capos (bishops) recently about gay marriage:

"Particular mention must be made of the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage... Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage. Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike."

That doesn't even mean anything. It's just a bunch of words. It's ultimately a "question of justice"? Well, yes it is: justice for gay people who want to marry and should be able to. But what is the popey guy talking about? "[S]afeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike"? How? 

The church has been viciously attacking gay people for many, many years yet they have never been able to state one rational reason for their actions. Why do they attack gays? It's a question sorely in need of an answer.

But of course, the answer is a reason "that cannot speak its name". They do this because they're a bunch of closet cases. Because they're gay, and they've stupidly chosen to live within a church that condemns them for what they are, they lash out ever more furiously at...themselves. That's what closet cases do. They're the original one-trick ponies.

If I'm wrong about the church's motives, then pray tell, what is the real reason for this virulence? The popey guy's words are empty. They tell us nothing. It's an amazing travesty and I can't believe that anyone who's Catholic -- and awake -- will remain with this church much longer. And that, in case you're not keeping track, is a good thing.  

Media notices Timmy Dolan is anti-gay

The smiling face of evil.

An article in today's New York Daily News reveals the ugly, blackened heart that sits in the chest of NY's recently minted cardinal, Timmy Dolan. Here's an excerpt:

The conflict was set in motion after Carl Siciliano, founder of the nonprofit Ali Forney Center, sent a letter to Dolan, saying his “loud and strident voice against the acceptance of LGBT people” creates “a climate where parents turn on their own children.”

Dolan fired back: “For you to make the allegations and insinuations you do in your letter based on my adherence to the clear teachings of the Church is not only unfair and unjust, but inflammatory,” he wrote. “Neither I nor anyone in the Church would ever tolerate hatred of or prejudice towards any of the Lord's children.”

He won't "tolerate" hatred or prejudice. What a joke. Dolan is the Vatican's point-man for bigotry against GLBT people. He is the primary voice of American religious hatred against gays. It's not like this is a secret. The man travels far and wide to spread his special kind of poison. And the end result is a worsened situation for GLBT people throughout the United States (and the world). This causes increased discrimination, rejection, depression and death for this population of "the Lord's children". And it's particularly harmful to young GLBT people, who are generally without resources and sometimes resort to suicide.

This is who Timmy Dolan is. He is a creature filled with hatred for GLBT folks -- and this is true despite there being no rational reason for the hatred. GLBT folks never did a thing against the church. It's all from the church's side: hate, hate, hate. It's sickening and I'm glad to finally see the general media covering this issue. I hope they stay with it.

With this sort of thing going on, day after day and year after year, I don't know how anyone remains a Catholic. I say to these people: look toward your church, see the hatred it spews against an innocent group, and then leave the church forever. It's obvious that the Roman Catholic Church has no connection to a "loving god". You've been duped.

Popey guy spouts more nonsense

Vatican (oops) GOP panel.

You learn something new every day. Here's the lede for a popey guy story in the Times:

Vatican City (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI has called on infertile couples to shun artificial procreation, saying such methods are a form of arrogance.

Are you roaring with laughter yet? Arrogance? This, from the prime agent of human arrogance. They really have no sense of irony. The story goes on:

Benedict spoke Saturday at the end of a 3-day Vatican conference on diagnosing and treating infertility. Reiterating Vatican teaching, he called marriage the only permissible place to conceive children.

Two things here are funny. First, the very fact that the all-male vatican loons held a conference on infertility. It's just like the recent Republican panel on contraceptives: a bunch of pinhead men focusing on matters that concern women. It's rich.

The other thing is this idea of referring to marriage as "the only permissible place" to conceive children. Now, I had no idea marriage was a place. I really didn't. Now everything makes perfect sense! They don't want gays to marry and have children in this place that is marriage. On account of, you know, it'll get crowded there. I really, really didn't know that marriage was like a city or a country club. Silly me. I thought it was a simple, straightforward arrangement between two like-minded people.

Thank dog we have the popey guy to clear stuff like this up for us. Thanks, popey guy!

The disease spreads

Some financially strong Catholic-sponsored medical centers are joining with smaller secular hospitals, in some cases limiting access to treatments like contraception and abortion.

The idiot, Santorum

Hunter at KOS has been on a roll lately. I love this description:

It's difficult to take Rick Santorum seriously. It always has been, and adding "campaigning for president" to his resume did nothing to help. The man has no gravitas and even less charisma, but comports himself as if he did. The effect is of a whiny adolescent know-it-all who is eternally peeved that society isn't recognizing his obvious superiority. Add to this a devout narrow-mindedness, a stubborn refusal to even acknowledge others might have opinions or experiences different from his own, and you get the perfect Conservative Religious Whiny Emo Teenage Mutant Candidate. 

Hunter, you da man.

They enjoy putting women down

Amanda Knox

Here's the lead paragraph in an AP story about Amanda Knox, the young woman who has been confined in an Italian prison since 2009, when she was convicted of the murder of her roommate:

Italian lawyers described Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of killing her British roommate, as a "she-devil" and a "witch" in an appeals court Monday while calling her alleged victim a "beautiful girl in the prime of her life."

Fun with "religious" quote marks

This morning, Joe.My.God directed my attention to one of those unhinged, wingnut faith sites. It reports on the latest blasphemy against gay people by the popey guy. What I got a kick out of was their inept use of quote marks in a pathetic article pretending that the popey guy isn't simply a megaphone for hatred against gays in the modern world. Here's the first paragraph as they wrote it:

As efforts to legalize same-sex “marriage” proceed in the United States and countries around the world, Pope Benedict issued strong remarks on Jan. 14, saying that gay “marriage” perverts the “essence and goal of the family."

Don't you love it? They put marriage in scare quotes, when really the quote should have been around the word "perverts". That would have painted the full picture right there. The headline should be:

"Popey guy calls gay people 'perverts' again".

But no, they have to put quote marks around the word "marriage" to show that ours couldn't possibly be "real". Great work, guys, but people see him for what he is. The man is hatred walking around in a dress.

And as long as we're talking about the popey guy, it must be a real "hooray" moment for him, now that he's canonizing a prior pope. The popey guy must be thinking: "Whoopee!", followed closely by, "I'm next, I'm next, I'm next!" That's one sweet deal: you make a saint out of an old pope, and the one that comes next makes a saint out of you. As my stepfather would have said, "They got a great racket goin' on there."

I'm sure when they saint the popey guy, they'll give the little twit a Special Halo for his brave stance agaInst the priestly abuse of children. Hahahahahaha. 

PS: How do you like Carmine's new popey guy image? I think he looks like he just did something very wrong. I like it!