NC: HB2 To Be Repealed.

Roy Cooper (Wake Forest University/Flickr).

Roy Cooper (Wake Forest University/Flickr).

Following a surprise move by the Charlotte City Council, Gov.-elect Roy Cooper said Monday that Legislative leaders have promised him to call a special session Tuesday to repeal House Bill 2.

“Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte’s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB 2 in full,” Cooper said in a statement. “I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.

“Full repeal will help to bring jobs, sports and entertainment events back and will provide the opportunity for strong LGBT protections in our state.”

Cooper’s announcement followed the Charlotte City Council’s 10-0 vote Monday morning to rescind the LGBT ordinance that prompted House Bill 2.

One piece of great news, on a day which is going to be an all around bad one for those of us who aren’t into fascism.

The Charlotte Observer has the full story.

From Think Progress: Charlotte surprisingly repeals LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance in advance of hyped HB2 repeal.

In a 10–0 vote, the Charlotte City Council abruptly repealed the city’s LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance Monday morning in what appears to be a deal with the North Carolina legislature to repeal HB2. This is a compromise they’ve rejected twice before, and it’s unclear what motivates their sudden faith that state lawmakers will actually put an end to the discriminatory law.

Indeed, there’s every reason to believe that both Charlotte and Governor-elect Roy Cooper (D) have been duped.

NC: Repubs Attempt Coup.

Rep. Garland Pierce (D-Scotland) addresses protestors during a special session at the North Carolina Legislature. CREDIT: AP Photo/Gerry Broome.

Rep. Garland Pierce (D-Scotland) addresses protestors during a special session at the North Carolina Legislature. CREDIT: AP Photo/Gerry Broome.

The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature is not happy that voters last month chose a Democratic governor and a liberal majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court. And today, they could take advantage of an “emergency” legislative session to pass a series of bills that would minimize the impact of the voters’ choices by limiting the power of the other two branches of government.

This is from an earlier article on Think Progress, about the panicked coup attempt by NC repubs, who aren’t at all happy that Cooper won the election. In doing so, they have pulled out the dirty tricks playbook:

The Republican leaders of the North Carolina legislature called an emergency special session this week ostensibly to send funding to parts of the state devastated by Hurricane Matthew. Yet they used the opportunity to rush through a series of bills designed to limit the power of incoming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who unseated Republican Pat McCrory by a narrow margin in November.

“It now seems to me the hurricane session was just a ruse to get us here,” Sen. Jane Smith (D-Columbus) complained.

Rev. Dr. William Barber, the president of the North Carolina NAACP, agreed, and called the move “an insult to the democratic values held by all people of goodwill in this state.”

“It is immoral, it is unconstitutional, and this illegal session is a direct attack on the people of North Carolina,” he said. “To convene in Raleigh under the pretext of a special session called by the Governor to provide relief to those affected by the hurricane and wildfires continues the worst of this extremist legislature’s legacy: making unjust laws to give more power to themselves, on the backs of those most vulnerable.”

There are now active protests taking place once again in North Carolina, where it just wasn’t enough for the voters to speak their mind and oust McCrory.

Via Think Progress.

Oh, How Conservative Times Have Changed.

Herblock March 29, 1950 cartoon that originally defined McCarthyism.

Herblock March 29, 1950 cartoon that originally defined McCarthyism.

McCarthyism hadn’t been long over when I was born, and the effects of the hunt for communists and other undesirables had far reaching ripples. The John Birch Society was still going strong, and Russia was most definitely perceived as The Enemy. This sentiment echoed right on down the 1960s, and I remember being called a commie hippie more than once. Anything conservatives didn’t like was labeled “commie” – engaged in activism for peace? Commie. Against the Vietnam war? Commie. And fluoride in the drinking water was a commie plot, too. You couldn’t get away from the intense anti-Russia sentiment, it was everywhere, and there was a great and abiding fear of Russia, too. The Cold War was everywhere, and Nikita Khrushchev was in the news every 5 minutes for years.

If there was one thing you could count on from conservatives, it was their united hatred and fear of Russia. Although this quieted down in subsequent decades, it never really went away, in spite of Gorbachev and Glasnost. There were always cons somewhere, pointing a trembling finger at Russia. Given all that, it’s remarkable just how much things have changed, in a very short time.

A new YouGov/Economist poll found that among registered Republicans and Trump voters, more than a third now hold a “favorable” view of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Though a majority still view Putin negatively, right-wing media — which spent years holding Putin up as a “better leader” than President Barack Obama — set the stage for Republican opinions to shift in the autocrat’s favor, leading to a nearly 50-point swing in support from conservatives in just over two years. And after the United States intelligence community publicly disclosed that its members believe Russia interfered in the 2016 election, many right-wing media figures doubled down on their support for Putin and are downplaying Russia’s involvement in the election.

Putin is an authoritarian “strongman” who has cracked down in Russia on freedom of speech and freedom of the press, signed into law draconian anti-gay legislation, and invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine. Nevertheless, for years, right-wing media have praised Vladimir Putin as a great leader, comparing him favorably against Obama. Fox figures have consistently lauded the Russian autocrat as “a real he-man” and have claimed that Putin has “come to the diplomatic rescue” of President Obama. One Fox host even went so far as to proclaim that she would like Putin to be president of the United States “for 48 hours,” so he could fight ISIS. In 2014, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan suggested that Putin is “one of us” and applauded him for “planting Russia’s flag firmly on the side of traditional Christianity” with his policies against reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights — evidence, Buchanan suggested, that God is on Putin’s side in his clash with the West. Even conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh once admitted that Putin was “saying things I agree with” when the Russian president announced that he “opposed the adoption of Russian orphans by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender foreign couples.”

Primed by right-wing media, Trump voters now hold a more positive view of Putin and Russia. Since July 2014, Republican voters’ opinions overall of Putin have improved by 56 points, and in 2016 they voted for a candidate in Trump who is openly sympathetic to the autocrat and even invited his government to hack personal emails from Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. According to the poll, 35 percent of Trump voters and 37 percent of registered Republicans now hold a “favorable” view of Putin.

netgraph

Now, even though the U.S. intelligence community has stated that its members are “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations,” some right-wing media are siding with Putin and downplaying the severity of the hacks.

My, my. A complete shift from Enemy to Saviour. Via Media Matters.

Love and Acceptance: Let the Gifts Talk.

A new commercial from Denmark contains a heartwarming message for the holidays about acceptance and the power of familiar love.

HelloGiggles.com said that the ad is for electronics company Elgiganten and is called “Let the gifts speak.”

It begins with a family at Christmas opening presents. One member of the family, a teenaged trans daughter looks uncomfortable and ill-at-ease until her father hands her a gift.

She opens it and smiles. The gift is a mini hair straightener, a sweet sign of her father’s acceptance of her identity.

“What we love so much about this ad is how real it is,” wrote Karim Kheraj at Hello Giggles. “Not only does it showcase how difficult it can be for some people during the holiday season, but it’s a realistic portrayal of how families deal with transitions in their lives, whatever they may be.”

This is also a timely reminder of how difficult this time of year is for so many people, and a little love and acceptance can go a very long way. It’s the season to reach out.

Via Raw Story.

This Is The Age of Puritan Nazis.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). CREDIT: AP Photo/Evan Vucci.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). CREDIT: AP Photo/Evan Vucci.

Republicans from all over the place have been jubilant over the possibilities of legislating their hatred, in particular, their hatred of LGBTIA people. Much old legislation is having the dust blown off, polished up, and gleefully presented once again, their hopes high on being able to oppress people, and have that oppression stick.

FADA is a bill (HR 2802) that would create a special status of protection exclusively for individuals who oppose same-sex marriage or premarital sex. The federal government would be prohibited from taking any “discriminatory action” against them, including denying tax exemptions, withholding grants or contracts, or denying any federal benefit. In other words, it would require the federal government to prop up anti-gay (and anti-sex) discrimination.

“Hopefully November’s results will give us the momentum we need to get this done next year,” Conn Carroll, Lee’s spokesman, told BuzzFeed. “We do plan to reintroduce FADA next Congress and we welcome Trump’s positive words about the bill.”

FADA co-sponsor Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) similarly boasted, “The prospects for protecting religious freedom are brighter now than they have been in a long time.”

This is not about protecting religious freedom, or religious anything, and it never has been. This is the bare assertion that Christians have a legal right to hate, and to oppress people based on a specific religious belief. Christians do not need protecting, in any way, shape, or form. In spite of their constant desire to present themselves as persecuted, nothing could be further from the truth here in uStates. People are free to pray wherever the hell they want to, and unless you’re into the anti-biblical kind of showy praying, how would anyone even know you’re praying? You can carry a bible anywhere you like. The fact that others are free to walk away, argue, or criticise you if you whip it out? That’s not persecution. If you think you require legal protection from all the evil sluts who want something horrific, like contraception, then I’d suggest the field you find yourself in is not a good fit. Really, it’s not difficult to get along without crying a persecution game, and convincing yourself you need protection from the menacing tide of perfectly normal, nice people is simply evil.

Christians just love a narrative of persecution, implying they are the brave soldiers, standing strong for their god, a god who must be quite the weakling, considering it can’t ever stand up for itself, but the insistence on legislating bigotry and hate points to only one thing: cowardice. Craven, cringing, cowardly Christians, who just cannot face a day where they might encounter a queer person doing something hideous, like offering money for a service, oh my!

The only refuge LGBT people might find if both Congress and the White House turn against them is in the courts. For example, in July, Federal Judge Carlton Reeves, an Obama appointee, ruled against Mississippi’s HB 1523, which largely mirrors FADA’s protections for those who oppose marriage equality. “A law declaring that in general it shall be more difficult for one group of citizens than for all others to seek aid from the government is itself a denial of equal protection of the laws in the most literal sense,” he wrote.

But if FADA or similar legislation passes, LGBT people will have to fight it with the Justice Department working against them.

If we can be sure of one thing, it’s that republicans will be presenting a near overwhelming amount of anti-LGBTIA legislation, and at least some of it is sure to pass.

Zack Ford has the full story at Think Progress.

Resistance: Mike Hot-Pence.

The resemblence between Mike Hot-Pence (Glen Pannell, left) and VP-elect Mike Pence (right) is uncanny. Just, one wears pants, the other doesn't.

The resemblance between Mike Hot-Pence (Glen Pannell, left) and VP-elect Mike Pence (right) is uncanny. Just, one wears pants, the other doesn’t.

Glen Pannell has found a great way to be a one-person resistance, his resemblance to Mike Pence being the key. What started as a bit of Halloween fun has morphed into doing good for people. Many cheers for Mike Hot-Pence!

You see all sorts of things in Times Square these days, Spidermen fighting Elmos, naked cowboys — and now pants-less vice president-elects.

There’s a new character in Times Square and he looks an awful lot like Mike Pence.

Glen Pannell wears a suit, tie, no pants — just short shorts — and goes by “Mike Hot-Pence,” raising money for Planned Parenthood, the environment, and soon, the Trevor Project for LGBT youth. He raised over $300 for Planned Parenthood and the Natural Resources Defense Council the first weekend in December.

Pannell kept hearing, “you look like Mike Pence! You should be him for Halloween,” so much that he did it. But the actor/director and designer thought that wasn’t creative enough, so Pannell stepped out as “Sexy Mike Pence” and hasn’t turned back.

The activist, who’s gay, said he wants to use his resemblance to Pence to champion causes Pence has opposed.

Pannell finds a “patch of sunlight” in Times Square and carries a repurposed whey protein bucket for donations, because “Mike Hot-Pence cares about the environment.”

Pannell designs the labels himself. When speaking to the News, he remembered he needed to make and print one for his upcoming charity, The Trevor Project. (Glen Pannell).

Pannell designs the labels himself. When speaking to the News, he remembered he needed to make and print one for his upcoming charity, The Trevor Project. (Glen Pannell).

“I am raising money for groups that would be especially vulnerable during a Trump/Pence administration,” he said. The donations, which Pannell screenshots and posts on his Twitter feed, are donated in the name of “Mike Hot-Pence.”

Pannell says he isn’t interested in being immature or disrespectful. Rather, he wants to use his resemblance to call attention to Pence’s record as a public servant.

“His policy over the last 16 years makes me very afraid for the next four years. I want to make it about the issues.”

And Glen is doing a great job, too. If you’re in NYC, and see Mike Hot-Pence, be resistance minded, and send some pennies his way.

Full story at NY Daily News.

Facebook, Oh Facebook XIII.

Susan Olsen.

Susan Olsen.

According to Towleroad, writer/producer Leon Acord-Whiting complained about ‘Two Chicks Talkin’ Politics’ host Susan Olson, who once portrayed Cindy Brady on the popular sit-com. On LA Talk Radio’s Facebook page, Acord-Whiting wrote, “It is wildly irresponsible for LA Talk Radio to allow a Trump fanatic to co-host one of their programs, where she can spew her idiotic lies unchecked.”

Acord-Whting, added, “I think LA Talk Radio needs to give “Cindy Brady” her walking papers. I will not listen to or appear on any shows there from this point forward until she’s gone. This isn’t just disagreeing on, say, tax plans or foreign policy. Susan Olsen spreads outrageous misinformation & it is dangerous and unprofessional.”

Proving his point about being “unprofessional,” Olson returned fire by first calling the producer a “little piece of human waste,” before encouraging her followers to track him down.

She then private messaged Acord-Whiting with a homophobic screed which he in turn provided to her bosses.

“Hey there little p*ssy, let me get my big boy pants on and Reallly (sic) take you on!!! What a snake in the grass you are you lying piece of sh*t too cowardly to confront me in real life so you do it on Facebook,” she wrote. “You are the biggest f*ggot ass in the world the biggest p*ssy! My Dick is bigger than yours Which ain’t sayin much! What a true piece of sh*t you are! Lying f*ggot! I hope you meet your karma SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY”

Olsen later followed with a second message, telling Acord-Whiting, “I sincerely hope you reap all that you deserve Karma wise. What a pathetic little c*nt you are. Hell is waiting for you. ENJOY!”

Yes, Ms. Olsen starred all those naughty words. A bit boggling, that. Ms. Olsen also found out what happens to many people when their employer discovers what they do on facebook – they find themselves unemployed.

In a statement posted on Facebook Saturday morning, La Talk Radio said they have fired Olsen, writing: “LA Talk Radio takes pride in its close and collaborative relationship with the LGBT community, and will continue to provide a home for those who have hopeful and positive messages of togetherness and tolerance to share with our listeners. We will not tolerate hateful speech by anyone associated with our radio station and have severed our ties with a host that veered off the direction in which we are going.”

Towleroad has this story in two parts, with screenshots: one, two.

Sunday Facepalm.

Scott Lively.

Scott Lively.

Time for word salad with Scott Lively, the rabid bigot who managed to implement his evil in Uganda, and who is hopeful about implementation here, once Trump is in power. Lively believes that all queer people should be put to death, if they act on their orientation in any way. Just a small bit here:

If Trump had taken a strong pro-family stand on LGBT issues, he would have opened up a huge new battle-front in the war for the presidency with virtually no support from conservative GOP leaders (nearly all of whom have retreated from that fight due to the ferocity of the leftist cartel on “gay rights”). And he would have energized the Bernie Sanders bloc of the Democratic base, especially the young people, the most thoroughly brainwashed portion of the US electorate on LGBT issues due to nearly monopolistic “gay” influence in public education and the entertainment media.

However, by embracing renegade Thiel and saying Obergefell was settled law, Trump neutralized the “gay” card and kicked the can past the election. I didn’t support that tactic but I understood it. Now, while the leftist cartel is reeling from the Trump pummeling, Christian conservatives have perhaps their last opportunity to take back some ground on marriage and family values – irrespective of Mr. Trump’s personal views on the issue and the GOP’s willingness to throw the pro-family cause under the bus. The fact is that support for the sodomy lobby is driven almost entirely by fear of the Great and Powerful OZ of Political Correctness backed by media thuggery. But the curtain has been pulled back and guess what? The Wizard is as naked and impotent as the Emperor, so there is no good reason to let political correctness about homosexuality continue to trump family values in our public policy.

These bloodthirsty, thoroughly evil asses are the living embodiment of phallophobia. Speaking of bloodthirsty, evil asses, Kevin Swanson is having a fit over the movie Moonlight, which has garnered high praise from every corner. I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

Labor Secretary: Burgers, Bikinis, Very American.

*CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder speaks at a news conference on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 in Austin, Texas. CREDIT: Jack Plunkett/AP Images.

*CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder speaks at a news conference on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 in Austin, Texas. CREDIT: Jack Plunkett/AP Images.

Trump has appointed an open sexist to the position of labor secretary, which oversees discrimination laws, equal pay, and The Women’s Bureau. This man probably laughed delightedly over the prez-elect’s pussy grabbing ways. He certainly seems to have little use for women outside of using them in unbelievably sexist, hypersexualized adverts. I haven’t seen any of these previously, because no television, and I am very grateful for that right now. I once met Carl Karcher, in the capacity of a servant – I was wait staff at one of his daughter’s wedding rehearsals or some such. Massive house and grounds, hundreds of people, and the Karchers were quite nice. Mrs. Karcher was particularly nice when I walked right into a sliding glass door which had previously been open. Unfortunately, they were also rabid conservatives, and supported evil institutions, such as the Catholic church and the John Birch Society, among others. I rather expect the Karchers would be more than a bit alarmed and disapproving of Puzder’s tactics. Here’s one of the ads:

Ad link.

…The fast food chains have continuously released these ads since 2005, even when research shows that most Americans find them offensive. According to a market research firm that tested an ad showing model Charlotte McKinney walking, seemingly naked, through a farmer’s market, 52 percent of viewers found the ad offensive and 51 percent found it irritating and annoying.

Yet as Mic reported, Puzder — who has led the company since 2000 — has defended the strategy. “I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American,” he told Entrepreneur last year. “I used to hear, brands take on the personality of the CEO. And I rarely thought that was true, but I think this one, in this case, it kind of did take on my personality.”

He also claimed that he would take issue if people were not offended by the ads.

“If you don’t complain, I go to the head of marketing and say, ‘What’s wrong with our ads?’” he said. …

Our new secretary of labor. Impressed? Think Progress has the full story.

The Gay? It’s Ghosts, Just Ghosts.

boo-768x454

GailyGrind.

A paranormal organization is claiming that the vast majority of gay men and women aren’t actually gay – they’re just possessed by someone of the opposite sex.

According to the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SRF), 85 percent of all gay men are possessed by female ghosts, causing them to be attracted to other men. Lesbians are, you guessed it, possessed by males ghosts.

The SRF cite “spiritual research” as proving that “the cause for homosexual preferences lie predominantly in the spiritual realm.”

The main reason behind the gay orientation of some men is that they are possessed by female ghosts. It is the female ghost in them that is attracted to other men. Conversely the attraction to females experienced by some lesbians is due to the presence of male ghosts in them. The ghost’s consciousness overpowers the person’s normal behaviour to produce the homosexual attraction. Spiritual research has shown that the cause for homosexual preferences lie predominantly in the spiritual realm.

  • Physical causes (5%): Due to hormonal changes.
  • Psychological causes (10%): Having an experience with a person of the same sex as a teenager or young adult that was pleasurable and therefore wanting to experience it again.
  • Spiritual causes (85%): Mainly ghosts.

Homosexuality can be overcome by regular spiritual practice as per the 6 basic principles. SSRF suggests some simple steps.

As for Gay Pride, the folks at SSRF don’t like it, no, not at all:

It is natural that the LGBT population has the need to be respected as human beings, and in fact they should be.  Nevertheless, naming Gay Parades as ‘Gay Pride Parades’ is inappropriate from a spiritual perspective because it increases the ego of the LGBT population specificially as it relates to their homosexuality. Pride is an aspect of ego and is thus undesirable from a spiritual point of view.

If this trend continues, one day we could have Parades for people who are proud to be college drop outs or business people who are proud that they are bankrupt.

Organizing such Parades in the name of human rights and freedom does not indicate that society is progressing. In fact, this evidences its decline. The human race needs to know what is right and what is wrong. Just as we teach children not to play in dirty water or eat mud, we need to educate society what is correct from a spiritual perspective. By failing to do so, we run the risk of a further decline in Righteousness and consequently people in society will become more unhappy.

They have some interesting Tables of Sin on their page about gay pride. About that ego stuff, I’ll just leave this here:

ego-levels

Skimming their twitter feed, I did come across this – the location of the soul, and it’s surrounded by deadly ego!

There is a wealth of nonsense at their site, and their tweet stream is full of isht too. Via The Gaily Grind.

One Second of Love, Outrageous!

loveandpride-com_-1467746060

Oh, the horror, the normalisation of sin, alas! Back in July this year, Zales Jewelers started selling their love and pride line, wedding jewelry for all those splendid queer folk who decide to marry. Going by this article, they are happily spending on this line, too. Personally, I never had any use for engagement/wedding rings, but for most people, this is an important part of their love declaration, and it’s nice to see jewelry designed to show pride as well as love. Zales put out a recent ad which has Christians all over the place popping a monocle, because there’s about one second out of the 30 second ad which features a same sex couple in a sea of mixed sex couples:

One Million :coughs: Moms and other irrational Christians are up in arms, terribly offended, and screaming for a boycott of Zales for this absolutely horrible normalisation of sin. It would be nice if they worried about the normalisation of fascism and nazis, but they’re probably okay with those.

From Some Moms:

Zales Jewelers should be ashamed of attempting to normalize sin by featuring two women getting married in their latest commercial. It shows two women in wedding gowns exchanging vows and wedding bands. Zales is promoting same-sex marriage and their new “Love and Pride” Collection. The “Love and Pride” wedding band collection, designed for the LGBTQ community with rainbow and matching bands, is “promoting Equality, Diversity, and Unity” and “celebrate their Love with Pride” as stated on their website.

Oooh, yes, how dare they sneak two lesbians in amongst all the hetros! Goodness, I just don’t know how you’ll sleep at night. I suggest a closet.

Zales is using public airwaves to subject families to the decay of morals and values, and belittle the sanctity of marriage in an attempt to redefine marriage. Even though homosexuality is unnatural, this advertisement is pushing the LGBTQ agenda. An even greater concern is that the commercial is airing when children are likely watching television. To make matters worse, this ad has aired during family viewing time such as football games and primetime shows.

Well, you’re using access to the ‘net to publish your awful screeds, spreading your hate as far as you can. I’ll bet you’re a bit jealous your reach isn’t as big as a major retailer. Oh, there’s that gay agenda again. I’m still waiting on mine, so I don’t see how you could possibly have yours yet.

Zales crossed a line that should have never been crossed. Even if 1MM didn’t disagree morally with the decision to air this ad, it is not a retailer’s job to introduce so called “social issues” such as this to our children. That is a parent’s decision, not theirs. Zales is glorifying sin, and no sin should be placed in the spotlight and honored. This goes for homosexuality as well.

Sigh. Listen, this one is on you. Who showed up at your door and strong-armed you into purchasing and hooking up a television set? I understand that you can have advert free television with TIVO. I’m sure there are other options, too. This would be known as tailoring your life to suit your particular sensibilities. These things can be managed, easily. Not everyone on this planet buys into or believes your evil concept of sin, and marriage is a social issue, so I expect you had better get busy railing against any and all references to marriage. Get yourself in that closet, Cupcake, and leave the evil television and computer outside, it’s the only way to be safe. The rest of us will be happily celebrating love in all its infinite diversity. May open minds and open hearts live long and prosper.