Saturday, January 17, 2015

BRITAIN: Stephen Fry Gets Married

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Betty White's 93rd Birthday Flash Mob

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Drudge Celebrates Lewinsky Scandal

Closeted homosexual blogger Matt Drudge today posted the above tweet in celebration of this day 17 years ago when his blog first gained national attention due to his leaking word that Newsweek editors had killed a story which reported that Bill Clinton had had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

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David Boies: We're Going To Win


(Via Towleroad)

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IRAQ: ISIS Executes Two Men Accused Of Being Gay By Hurling Them Off Roof

Via Radio Free Europe:
The Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq has published photographs that appear to show a man being thrown from the roof of a tall building apparently in Mosul, as punishment for being gay. The graphic photographs were uploaded to the Justpaste.it website on January 15 and shared on social media. One photograph, taken from the top of the building from where the man was apparently pushed to his death, shows a large crowd gathered in the public square below.

Another image shows a man with his face covered by a black balaclava, reading out the sentence imposed on the man under the IS group's version of Shari'a law. The caption to the photograph says that the verdict was issued by a Shari'a court in "Wilayat Nineveh," IS's name for Mosul and its environs.

Another image shows the victim being held by another man, apparently his executioner, on the edge of a rooftop. Text accompanying the photograph says that the man is being punished with "Hadd," meaning a punishment that is determined in the Koran and the Hadith for crimes considered to go against the rights of God. The caption noted that the man had committed the crime of the practices of the "people of Lot," a euphemism for sodomy, and that he must be killed by being "thrown from a high place."
According to the above-linked report, ISIS yesterday also stoned a woman to death after accusing her of adultery. (Tipped by JMG reader Zachary)

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ALASKA: AG Craig Richards To Suspend Marriage Appeal Until SCOTUS Rules

"The Supreme Court announced today that it granted certiorari to four same-sex marriage cases. The court’s order makes it clear that it will address the same issues that are at the heart of the Alaska same-sex marriage case, which is on appeal before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It is anticipated that the numerous ongoing cases across the country addressing these important issues, including Hamby v. Parnell, will be stayed pending a decision by the Supreme Court. I will ask the 9th Circuit to similarly stay Alaska’s case until the Supreme Court issues its decision." - Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards, in a statement issued last night. The Ninth Circuit denied Alaska's appeal for an en banc review back in November, so I'm not clear on how this appeal is still active. Readers? (Tipped by JMG reader Christopher)

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Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of the New York Times:
Justice Antonin Scalia, who has voted against constitutional protections for gays and lesbians at every opportunity, foresaw this moment more than a decade ago, when the court reversed its own precedent and banned state anti-sodomy laws.

In the 2003 case of Lawrence v. Texas, Justice Kennedy wrote that the Constitution protects “adult persons in deciding how to conduct their private lives in matters pertaining to sex.” The opinion said it was not deciding the question of same-sex marriage, but Mr. Scalia begged to differ. If states may not use laws to express moral disapproval of homosexual conduct, he wrote in dissent, “what justification could there possibly be for denying the benefits of marriage to homosexual couples exercising the liberty protected by the Constitution?”

Precisely.

The 12 years since 2003 have seen enormous social change on this issue. Before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court legalized same-sex marriage in November 2003, no state permitted such marriages. Today, 36 states do, along with the District of Columbia — representing more than 70 percent of all Americans. A solid and growing majority now believes in marriage equality; among those 18 to 29, support is at nearly 80 percent.

For same-sex couples and their families, friends and communities, this moment has been a long time coming. The justices have the power and the responsibility to give meaning to the promises embedded in the Constitution, and end the exclusion and inequality of gays and lesbians in America.

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Friday, January 16, 2015

Fox Anchor Shepard Smith Slams States That Continue To Fight Same-Sex Marriage

After announcing today's decision by the Supreme Court, Fox News anchor Shepard Smith slammed the "continuing discrimination" by states that are still fighting same-sex marriage, noting that some of those states are the ones that fought most strongly against integration. The Tea People are going nuts on Twitter, demanding that Fox fire Smith for "smearing Christians."

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Catholic Bishops Have The SCOTUS Sadz

"It’s hard to imagine how the essential meaning of marriage as between the two sexes, understood in our nation for over two hundred years, and consistent with every society throughout all of human history, could be declared illegal. To those arguing for a constitutional redefinition of marriage, one must ask: when did the Constitution suddenly mandate a novel and unfounded definition of marriage? To ask such a question is not a judgment on anyone. It is a matter of justice and truth. The central issue at stake is: what is marriage? The answer is: a bond which unites a man and a woman to each other and to any children who come from their union. Only a man and a woman can unite their bodies in a way that creates a new human being. Marriage is thus a unique and beautiful reality which a society respects to its benefit or ignores to its peril." - "Father of Prop 8" and drunk driver Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, in a press release issued on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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Former AFA Radio Host: God Will Destroy America Thanks To Supreme Court

RELATED: In 2013 Wilson declared that the Obama administration was going have the CDC diagnose Christians as mentally ill, presumably in order to force them into asylums.

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NOM Money Begs On SCOTUS Decision

The news from SCOTUS is only a couple of hours old and the money begs are pouring in. This one from NOM is their third in three days on three separate issues.
We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has chosen to review the 6th Circuit's ruling that found in favor of voters' right to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It is time for the 50 million Americans who stood for marriage in 30 states to have their day in court. We are confident that the Supreme Court has chosen the 6th Circuit case in order to affirm the finding of the Appeals court, just as it did in the cases of Windsor v. United States and Sabelius v. Hobby Lobby. We will be watching this case closely and anticipate an eventual victory for the democratic process, religious liberty, and the cherished institution of marriage which forms the very bedrock of our society. Please, right now, take a moment to recommit to standing with NOM and helping us rally the American people to let the Supreme Court know that we are watching, and that the majority of citizens in this country still believe in marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Your donation of $25, $50, or $100 today will help us to rise to this momentous occasion and meet this monumental task.
At least this one actually has to do with marriage.

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Eric Holder: Federal Government Will Back Same-Sex Marriage Plaintiffs At SCOTUS

"After the Justice Department's decision not to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, the Supreme Court sent a powerful message that Americans in same-sex marriages are entitled to equal protection and equal treatment under the law. This landmark decision marked a historic step toward equality for all American families.

"The Supreme Court has announced that it will soon hear several cases raising core questions concerning the constitutionality of same-sex marriages. As these cases proceed, the Department of Justice will remain committed to ensuring that the benefits of marriage are available as broadly as possible. And we will keep striving to secure equal treatment for all members of society—regardless of sexual orientation.

"As such, we expect to file a ‘friend of the court’ brief in these cases that will urge the Supreme Court to make marriage equality a reality for all Americans. It is time for our nation to take another critical step forward to ensure the fundamental equality of all Americans—no matter who they are, where they come from, or whom they love." - Attorney General Eric Holder, via press release.

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Lambda Legal: What If We Lose?

"If the Supreme Court were to rule in the cases in which it today granted review that the U.S. Constitution does not protect same-sex couples' right to marry and does not require states to respect marriages same-sex couples lawfully have entered in other jurisdictions, a number of issues would arise.

"With respect to same-sex couples who already have married as a result of court rulings, Lambda Legal strongly believes -- as a federal district court in Michigan ruled just yesterday with respect to marriages entered in that state before the 6th Circuit's adverse ruling -- that those marriages will remain valid and will need to continue to be respected by the states in which those marriages were entered. Nonetheless, the validity of those couples' marriages may be challenged and those couples may want to take additional steps (such as executing wills, durable health care powers of attorney, and securing second parent adoptions) to provide them and their families extra peace of mind and security.

"With respect to whether same-sex couples would be able to marry and would have their marriages respected in other states, that would vary from state to state. States in which marriage equality was achieved by a ruling under the state's constitution, by legislative reform, or at the ballot box, would be unaffected. Unmarried same-sex couples in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee (the states whose marriage laws the Supreme Court today agreed to review) would be forced to seek reform through the political process. States in which a final judgment has been obtained in federal court would be required to continue to allow same-sex couples to marry and to respect out-of-state marriages entered by same-sex couples unless and until someone with standing makes a motion to reopen the judgment and that motion is granted (unless stays are properly obtained before then). In some states, there may be no one with standing interested in seeking to set aside the existing judgment. Same-sex couples in states in which a judgment is on appeal or can still be appealed whose judgments have not been stayed should be able to continue to marry and to have their out-of-state marriages honored by the state until the existing judgment is stayed or reversed.

"There's no question that it would be a mess. This is one additional reason why the Supreme Court should reverse the 6th Circuit's aberrant decision and hold that same-sex couples, like all other couples, share the fundamental right to marry and that it violates federal guarantees of equality and liberty to refuse to allow them to marry or to deny recognition to the marriages they lawfully have entered in other states." - Jon Davidson, legal director for Lambda Legal, via email.

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Prop 8 Backers Money Beg On SCOTUS: True Marriage Is Making A Comeback

"Finally, the outrageous rulings of activist judges around the nation--that nullified the will of millions of citizens who voted to preserve traditional marriage--will come under Supreme Court scrutiny. We could be on the cusp of a huge comeback for true marriage! I remain confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the states’ rights to define marriage. Even as Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2013, he did so because it infringed upon the states’ authority over marriage. He relied on the states’ 'essential authority to define the marital relation' and our nation’s 'history and tradition of reliance on state law to define marriage.' As a key swing vote on the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy’s viewpoint could very well determine the outcome here. Now it's time to pull out all the stops for this final battle for marriage in the legal system. Will you help? Please help us fight this battle with your tax-deductible and confidential contribution of any size." - Protect Marriage head Andy Pugno, via email.

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Ryan Anderson On SCOTUS Decision

"Millions of citizens in these four states went to the polls and voted about the definition of marriage for state law. The majority of citizens in each state voted that the law should continue to recognize marriage as the union of a man and a woman. And last November, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that these laws do not violate the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court should rule likewise. There are two central questions in the broader debate: What is marriage? And who gets to decide? The people and their elected representatives should deliberate and vote about marriage policy—not unelected judges—and they should make policy that serves the common good by reflecting the truth that marriage is the union of a man and woman. The Supreme Court should not usurp the authority of the American people to discuss, debate and make marriage policy." - Ryan Anderson, writing for the Heritage Foundation.

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LGBT Rights Groups React To SCOTUS

Freedom To Marry
"The Supreme Court's decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide - and it's time," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. "Freedom to Marry's national strategy has been to build a critical mass of marriage states and critical mass of support for ending marriage discrimination, and after a long journey and much debate, America is ready for the freedom to marry. But couples are still discriminated against in 14 states, and the patchwork of discrimination harms families and businesses throughout the country. We will keep working hard to underscore the urgency of the Supreme Court's bringing the country to national resolution, so that by June, all Americans share in the freedom to marry and our country stands on the right side of history."
People For The American Way
“This is unquestionably an important step towards marriage equality for all Americans,” said Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way Foundation. “Since the Sixth Circuit got this wrong and denied people in four states their basic rights, the Supreme Court did the right thing by taking these cases. Now the Court needs to do the right thing by making a clear statement about the Constitution’s guarantee of fundamental equality for all people. The time is long overdue for every American to have the right to marry the person they love.” “That said, this is likely to be yet another five-four decision from the Court that gave us Citizens United and Hobby Lobby and gutted the Voting Rights Act. That should be a reminder that our fundamental rights are in jeopardy in our nation’s highest court— and the future of the Court and these rights will be in the next President's hands. Americans should be able to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of ordinary Americans—whether that’s the right to marry, or to vote, or to be treated fairly on the job, or to control their own reproductive health.
National Center For Lesbian Rights
The Tennessee plaintiff couples are Dr. Valeria Tanco and Dr. Sophy Jesty of Knoxville; Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura of Memphis; and Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo of Franklin. They are represented by Shannon Minter, Christopher F. Stoll, and David C. Codell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Tennessee attorneys Abby Rubenfeld, Maureen Holland, and Regina Lambert, and the law firms of Sherrard & Roe PLC and Ropes & Gray LLP. Today’s decision follows the couples’ request that the Supreme Court hear the case to ensure that the marriages of same-sex couples are treated equally across the country. “This is an important day because it means that our family will finally have an opportunity to share our story with the Court and explain how this discriminatory law hurts us each day,” said Tanco, who has a young daughter with Jesty. “We live in fear for ourselves and our little girl because we don’t have the same legal protections in Tennessee as other families. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will resolve this issue so we no longer need to live in fear.”
Lambda Legal
The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it has granted review of all six marriage equality cases decided by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, including two Ohio cases litigated by Lambda Legal, the ACLU and Gerhardstein & Branch. The two cases are Henry v. Hodges, where Lambda Legal joined Gerhardstein & Branch, and Obergefell v. Hodges, where the ACLU joined Gerhardstein & Branch. Oral argument is expected to take place later this year. “After years of struggle and the dedicated work of thousands across the movement, we are finally within sight of the day when same-sex couples across the country will be able to share equally in the joys, protections and responsibilities of marriage,” said Jon W. Davidson, Legal Director and Eden/Rushing Chair at Lambda Legal. “While these cases will carry the marriage standard before the Supreme Court, they represent literally dozens of cases in state and federal courts nationwide and the collective effort of Lambda Legal, NCLR, the ACLU, GLAD, and other sister LGBT groups and private (often pro-bono) counsel dating back years.”
ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union and Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic are co-counsel in the two Kentucky cases, Bourke v. Beshear and Love v. Beshear, brought by lawyers at Clay Daniel Walton & Adams and the Fauver Law Office. These cases challenge Kentucky’s anti-marriage laws on the ground that they violate due process and equal protection provisions of the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU along with Lambda Legal and Gerhardstein & Branch are also co-counsel in the Ohio case, Obergefell, et al v. Hodges. “We are thrilled the court will finally decide this issue,” said James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project. “The country is ready for a national solution that treats lesbian and gay couples fairly. Every single day we wait means more people die before they have a chance to marry, more children are born without proper protections, more people face medical emergencies without being able to count on recognition of their spouses. It is time for the American values of freedom and equality to apply to all couples.”

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BREAKING: Supreme Court To Consider All Four Cases From Sixth Circuit Court

Via SCOTUSblog:
Taking on a historic constitutional challenge with wide cultural impact, the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon agreed to hear four new cases on same-sex marriage. The Court said it would rule on state power to ban gay and lesbian marriage and state power to refuse to recognize such marriages performed out of state. A total of one hour and ninety minutes was set for the hearings, likely in the April sitting. The Court fashioned the specific questions it is prepared to answer, but they closely tracked the two core constitutional issues that have led to a lengthy string of lower-court rulings striking down state bans. As of now, same-sex marriages are allowed in thirty-six states, with bans remaining in the other fourteen but under court challenge.
Read the order.

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Michael Sam Proposed....At The Vatican

TMZ is calling it "an act of defiance."

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Pam Geller Money Begs On DDos Site Attack From "Islamic Jew Haters"

Anti-Islam blogger Pam Geller's site has been offline for 24 hours in what she appears to attribute to a DDos attack from "Islamic Jew haters" who might be angry about her new mass transit campaign in San Francisco, which compares Muslims to Nazis. Therefore, send her more money. Geller has sued transit agencies in several major cities in order to force them to display her ads.

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THE PHILIPPINES: Pope Francis Says Gay Marriage Will Destroy The Family

Vie Reuters:
Pope Francis on Friday warned against an "ideological colonization of the family," a reference to gay marriage around the world and to a heated debate in the Philippines about a government population control plan. The Pope made his impromptu comments at rally for families in Manila on a day that began with an appeal to the government to tackle corruption and hear the cries of the poor suffering from "scandalous social inequalities" in Asia's most Catholic country. Addressing an evening rally of families, he spoke of an "ideological colonization that we have to be careful about that is trying to destroy the family". He said it was coming from "outside" and had to be resisted. While the Pope has said before that marriage must be between a man and a woman, his use of the phrase "ideological colonization" appeared to be an appeal to developing countries not to follow the lead of nations where gay unions are already legal.
Everyone in attendance immediately soiled their adult diapers in approval.

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GOP: We'll Build On Success Of Our Bold Innovative Ideas In The New Congress

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There's A Moon In The Sky

Via Wonkette:
This may be the goofiest thing the Maddow Show has ever run. On the QVC shopping channel, host Shawn Killinger and designer Isaac Mizrahi got into a debate over the true nature of the moon, after Killinger remarked that the swirly pattern on a cardigan looked like the view of Earth from zillions of miles away, like “from planet Moon.” Planet? No, that’s not right. The moon’s a star, isn’t it? And so a shopping channel became the forum for a debate over whether the moon is a planet or a star, or maybe something else. When someone off set finally looked it up on Wikipedia and said it was a “natural satellite,” neither Killinger nor Mizrahi were ready to buy that.
Mizrahi: "Things live on it, I think it’s a planet."

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One Million Moms Vs Hershey

One Million Moms is today claiming "victory" over the Discovery Channel after Delta Faucet and Mars Inc. allegedly pulled all advertising from Naked And Afraid. OMM is now urging followers to deluge Hershey with similar boycott threats. Via press release:
Keep up the great work! Both sponsors that One Million Moms contacted in our previous campaign decided to no longer sponsor "Naked And Afraid." Delta Faucet and Pedigree (Mars, Inc.) have pulled their support from this disgusting program and from the Discovery Channel's website. Their ads were not present during the five-hour marathon and are no longer on the network's site. Please contact The Hershey Company with the information we have provided on our website and request that it no longer sponsor the program "Naked And Afraid" and no longer financially support the Discovery Channel unless the show "Naked And Afraid" is canceled. Urge Hershey to place Discovery Channel on its "do not advertise" list in protest of pushing suggestive material directly into America's living rooms. Let them know the program is inappropriate and even the commercials are offensive, plus it portrays inappropriate content that their company would probably not desire to be associated with.
In their 2014 recap, OMM bragged they harassed dozens of companies into pulling all advertising from over 25 "anti-Christian" network programs.

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2014: The Hottest Year On Record

Via the Washington Post:
It is official: According to both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the year 2014 was the hottest ever measured, based on records going back to the year 1880. It now surpasses all past scorchers, including 1998, 2005, and 2010. Indeed, except for 1998, says NASA, the 10 hottest years recorded have all occurred since the year 2000. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the new record is that it occurred even though 2014 was not an El Niño year, of the sort that usually powers the already up-trending global average temperature to new highs. The two agencies released a joint announcement this morning, following a careful collaborative effort in which experts closely compared analyses. Last year, NASA and NOAA also collaborated on an analysis of 2013, which wasn't as warm but still ranks within the top 10 hottest years on record.
An atmospheric scientist weighs in:
“If you are younger than 29-years old, you haven’t lived in a month that was cooler than the 20th century average. That’s a new normal that is a result of human activities on top of the natural varying climate that has global temperature trends moving very quickly towards a 1-2 C increase. While that may sound insignificant, it’s best to think of it as the difference between a low-grade fever and one just a few degrees higher that can have an impact on the body.”

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Celebs Sing Sleater-Kinney

In a promotion for their new album, a reunited Sleater-Kinney had "some of our friends" sing parts of the No Cities To Love single. Among those seen in the clip: Fred Armisen, Norman Reedus, Ellen Page, Andy Samberg, Sarah Silverman, and Evan Rachel Wood. I don't recognize the others, but surely some of you will. The band performed the single on Letterman this week.

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FLORIDA: Huckabee & Santorum To Shill For Liberty Counsel At Hate Summit

Potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum will headline the Liberty Counsel's "Awakening 2015" convention in Orlando. Listed as invited but not confirmed is fellow 2016 contender Sen. Ted Cruz. Good As You points out that also listed as a headliner is "ex-gay" activist Janet Boynes, whom you may recall claims that President Obama "propagates the attack of Judeo-Christian beliefs on a global level." Last month one of Boynes' "ex-gay" poster boys declared, unsurprisingly, that he is still totally gay. The Faith Assembly megachurch seats 3600 and tickets are $20.

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Ben Carson: I'm Not Crazy

Via the National Journal:
Ben Carson—a Washington outsider, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, a favorite among tea-party insurgents—had a message Thursday for the Republican Party's most influential establishment figures: I'm not "crazy." Speaking to the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, Carson tried to challenge the caricature of him as a right-wing zealot by addressing—one by one—many of the individual controversies that have surrounded him, and dismissing them as lies from "the liberal media." Carson defended, among other things, his statements about Obamacare being the worst thing since slavery; comparing present-day America to Nazi Germany; and calling last year's Veterans Affairs scandal "a gift from God" because it revealed holes in the system. "I stand by those" remarks, Carson told the crowd. "I don't think there's anything crazy at all."
Later in his speech, Carson declared that Islamic terrorists are at least "willing to die for what they believe," implying that Americans are not.

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A Reminder From Michigan Catholics

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Bill Donohue Melts Down On Fox News

"I should sue the Pope for plagiarism because if you match word-for-word what I said and what he said, it's almost identical."

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CALIFORNIA: AIDS Group Launches Ballot Measure On Condoms In Porn Mandate

Via press release from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation:
As part of its ongoing campaign to improve and strengthen state law on the use of condoms in adult films produced in California in an effort to reduce the spread of STDs, including HIV, safer sex advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) as well as from FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility), the formal campaign committee that will shepherd signature gathering for the ballot initiative process, today submitted the official text of a 2016 California statewide ballot initiative for (proposed) title and summary as a prelude to signature gathering. Plans for the proposed initiative—a statewide California law that will require condom use in all adult films shot anywhere in the state—were previously announced by the group in November. The measure will be formally known as “The California Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act.”
Los Angeles County already requires condom use in all porn productions after voters approved an AHF-backed bill in 2012. Since then local permit applications for porn shoots have declined by 90%.

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PENNSYLVANIA: Porn Shop Loses Suit To Stop Harassment From Catholic Group

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit from a Pennsylvania porn shop, which sought to stop a local Catholic group from protesting outside the store and harassing its customers. The suit is a rare win for Alliance Defending Freedom. Via their press release:
The corporation filed the lawsuit, Routes 202 and 309 Novelties and Gifts v. The King’s Men, with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under a hodgepodge of extraordinary claims, including racketeering, creating a private and public nuisance, and violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The King’s Men reply brief explained to the court that Adult World failed to show any evidence of its exaggerated claims. “The constitutionally protected freedom of people to express their views in public areas has been an essential part of American life since the nation’s founding,” added Senior Counsel Brett Harvey of ADF, which provided funding for defense of The King’s Men. “We are very pleased that this ministry can continue its work and advance its values without the threat of baseless litigation.”
The King's Men, which claims chapters in 14 states, have reportedly picketed the store hundreds of times since 2006 and say that their protests have forced the closure of seven Pennsylvania porn shops. Adult World claims that they sprinkled "holy water" on its grounds and buried "miracle medals" in its landscaping. King's Men is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

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Viral Video: Twins Come Out To Dad

Over 5M views on the first day.

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Quote Of The Day - Alex Malarkey

"Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short. I did not die. I did not go to heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough." - Alex Malarkey, 10 year-old quadriplegic, in an open letter to Christian bookstores asking that they stop selling his hit book.

From the website Pulpit & Pen:
This will be welcome news to many concerned Christians who have for years lobbied both of these organizations to stop profiting from the sale of “Heavenly Tourism” books, supposed “true stories” of people (often young children) visiting heaven and coming back to tell about it, which inevitably become best sellers. One of the main criticisms of these books, of which there are many, is the frequency with which they out-rightly contradict each other, regaling the reader with diametrically opposing details on the afterlife, including details of who will be there, what Jesus looks like, and the like. A simple example would be that in Colton Burpos’ book Heaven is for Real, readers are told that everyone in heaven has wings. Don Piper’s book 90 Minutes in Heaven makes no mention of wings on the residents of heaven. (Note: the Bible indicates that the residents of heaven, before the resurrection of the saints, do not have bodies. It’s unclear why people with without bodies would need wings.)
Malarkey's retraction is headline news across the Christian blogosphere and accusations are flying that the book's publisher and the president of the nation's largest Christian bookstore chain knew that the boy's story was false.

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Benedict Cumberbatch On Ellen

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Thursday, January 15, 2015

Brian Brown: The New York Times Has Declared War On All Christians

"The Times has just declared war on Christians and members of other faith communities that serve in government position. It is open season, according to the New York Times, to make sure that we lose our jobs. The new authoritarians now state openly that we can have our beliefs—we simply can’t talk about them. And then they are going to actually have the gall to say that 'this is not about free speech or religious freedom.' This is OUTRAGEOUS. And I know you are as concerned as I am about this, because of the many emails and phone calls we've received. Now it’s time to turn outrage to action to stop the New Authoritarians. NOM is supporting legislation at the state and federal level to stop the attack on marriage and religious liberty. I urge you immediately to contact your Congressman and urge him or her to pass the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act which will help protect religious liberty at the federal level." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, in an email which includes a money beg to (allegedly) buy more copies of Kelvin Cochran's book.

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Happy MLK Day From The GOP

The party that fought the establishment of Martin Luther King Day in multiple states today celebrates. The MLK holiday is still officially shared with Confederate General Robert E. Lee Day in Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

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Infighting Is Funny, Part 83

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COLORADO: Wingnut Files Discrimination Complaint Against Pro-Gay Bakery

A Denver bakery has been hit with a discrimination complaint after declining to make a wedding cake that would have featured anti-gay slurs. Here's how the incident went down, via Out Front:
The gentleman took a seat at one of the tables as the team served him free samples and began building his order. He swiped through pics of Bible cakes on the iPad they presented him, and it appeared he’d found the perfect fit. It was only when he produced a leaf of paper from his pocket — careful not to release it to any of the attending employees, but simply brandishing it for them to read before returning it to his pocket — that the order “got a little uncomfortable,” says Lindsay.

“He wanted us to write God hates …” she trails. “Just really radical stuff against gays.” “He wouldn’t allow me to make a copy of the message, but it was really hateful,” Marjorie adds. “I remember the words detestable, disgrace, homosexuality, and sinners.” However uncomfortable the request made the pair, both maintain that he was never refused service. “I told him that I would bake the cake in the shape of a Bible,” says Marjorie. “Then I told him I’d sell him a [decorating] bag with the right tip and the right icing so he could write those things himself.”

She adds that naturally the cake wouldn’t have her handwriting expertise, but she would be devastated to release a cake via the bakery with such a hateful message fashioned by her own hands. Table-side negotiations quickly broke down. “He told me I needed to talk to my attorney about this,” Marjorie says. Then, he left. A few hours later, however, he was back, asking Marjorie if she’d conferred with her lawyer over the matter. She hadn’t. “I was busy,” she says. “I have a business to run here.”
After the man returned for the third time that day and attempted to make a scene, he was asked to leave. The bakery's owner later received a formal complaint from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. She has 30 days to respond. Hit the link and read the full account.

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Focus On The Family: Atlanta Will No Longer Allow Christians To Hold Jobs

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Fox To Host Marriage Debate Between Ted Olson And Hate Group Head Tony Perkins

Via press release from Fox News:
Both sides in the same-sex marriage debate are looking to the Supreme Court as it decides whether or not to weigh in on the issue. The High Court is set to discuss cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, and decide whether to rule on petitions challenging state bans on same-sex marriage. We’ll debate what has become a key social issue within the country, exclusively with Ted Olson, former Solicitor General who served as Co-Counsel for the plaintiffs in Virginia’s same-sex marriage case, and Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council.
The debate airs live at 10AM this Sunday. Olson and Perkins tangled on the same show back in October after the Supreme Court refused to consider appeals out of several states.

RELATED: Buzzfeed reporter Chris Geidner believes we might get word from SCOTUS tomorrow immediately after its conference to consider the appeals out of the Sixth Circuit.
There is a slight — but unlikely — possibility that the court could wait until Tuesday, Jan. 20, to announce whether it will be hearing a case, but that is unlikely. Usually, at this point in the court’s term, such an announcement would be expected Friday afternoon. Then, if a case is accepted, the timeline starts for the filing of briefs by both sides and by outside parties, and arguments would be set — likely in April. Finally, a decision would be expected before the court adjourns for its summer recess — usually by late June.

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FKA Twigs - Pendulum

Via Stereogum:
FKA twigs is maybe the most reliably great music-video artist currently working; her clips for the LP1 tracks “Two Weeks” and “Video Girl” were among last year’s best. Twigs’ new clip for her woozy, beautiful “Pendulum” is the first she’s ever made for herself, and she knows what the fuck she’s doing. As with so many of her videos, this one draws heavily on her training as a dancer. It shows her tied up and suspended from ceilings in ways that look deeply uncomfortable, projecting sexual vulnerability and power in equal measures.
I often go back to 2013's Water Me, which is still a favorite. As with that track, this new one evokes Massive Attack for me.

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Today In Apophenia

Via the Memphis NBC affiliate:
At least one Mid-South parent is concerned about what she says is a satanic symbol on a school bus. Robyn Wilkins snapped a photo when she noticed the shape of an upside down, five-pointed star outlined in the brake lights of a school bus that was stopped in Cordova. "Anyone who fears a God, if not God and Jesus Christ, should be outraged," Wilkins said. She says Christians should be outraged that a symbol that looks like a pentagram would be allowed in the design of a vehicle used to transport children to public schools. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Pentagram as a star with five points often used as a magic or religious symbol. On social media, parents are arguing both sides of the debate. Some say the brake lights are a subliminal pagan message, while others say it's just an unintentional design. "If you can't put a cross on there, you cannot put a pentagram on it," Wilkins said.
Hit the link for video crazy. (Via Christian Nightmares)

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MICHIGAN: State Ordered To Recognize 300 Marriages Conducted Before Stay

Via the Detroit Free Press:
A federal judge validated 300 same-sex marriages in Michigan today, calling them a "fundamental right." "In these circumstances, what the state has joined together, it may not put asunder.," U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith said in his opinion. The 300 couples wed last March after a federal judge struck down the state's ban on same sex marriage. The state has since refused to recognize them. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sued in federal court. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight same-sex couples who married within 24 hours after a federal judge struck down Michigan's ban on gay marriage, concluding the prohibition was unconstitutional. Within hours after the ceremonies, following a request by the state, which is appealing the issue. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a statement after today's ruling. "We are reviewing Judge Goldsmith's decision but as I have said repeatedly, the sooner the United States Supreme Court makes a decision on this issue the better it will be for Michigan and America," he said.
(Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

UPDATE: The Free Press has edited the above story to correct the name of the judge. Read the ruling.

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Russia Unbans Trans Drivers

Via Reuters:
Russian officials have given transgender citizens, many of whom have felt increasingly persecuted by the state in recent years, the green light to keep on driving after a new road safety decree sparked panic that they would be banned from the road. The decree, a legal amendment which includes a list of symptoms from the World Health Organization's international classification of diseases, lists trans sexuality among the medical conditions that could prevent a person from driving. But a government official said that a mental or behavioral disorder in itself was not a reason to stop someone driving. The law would affect only those suffering from chronic and prolonged mental disorders with severe or persistent symptoms, Health Ministry spokesman Oleg Salagai told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

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Pope Francis On France Attack: There Must Be Limits On Freedom Of Expression

Via Yahoo News:
Pope Francis said Thursday there are limits to freedom of expression, especially when it insults or ridicules someone's faith. Francis spoke about the Paris terror attacks while en route to the Philippines, defending free speech as not only a fundamental human right but a duty to speak one's mind for the sake of the common good. But he said there were limits.

By way of example, he referred to Alberto Gasparri, who organizes papal trips and was standing by his side aboard the papal plane. "If my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said, throwing a pretend punch his way. "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."


Francis insisted that it was an "aberration" to kill in the name of God and said religion can never be used to justify violence. But he said there was a limit to free speech when it concerned offending someone's religious beliefs. "There are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others," he said. "They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit."
Bill Donohue is doing cartwheels.
I am obviously delighted that the pope has taken the same position I have on this issue. Radio chatterbox Hugh Hewitt doubted last week whether a single bishop would side with me. What does he have to say now? Regarding the pope’s quip about punching those who offend us, here is what I said to Megyn Kelly last week: “If a woman has been beaten by her husband for 20 years and one day she goes out and she blows his brains out, I think we’re going to say she’s a murderer and we ought to try her. On the other hand any sensible person would say why don’t we look at the whole issue here.”

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IRELAND: Massive Support For Marriage

Via the Irish Journal:
A new poll shows 76% support for same-sex marriage in Ireland, ahead of this summer’s referendum. The Red C poll was carried out by phone among 1002 people. The referendum will be held in May. It shows that 81% of women and 72% of men polled supported marriage for same-sex couples. People aged 18 – 24 were most likely to support it, with support generally declining as the age of those polled increased. The news has been welcomed by Ireland’s human rights watchdog, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Its director, Mark Kelly, said that the poll ”is further evidence of the deep repository of goodwill amongst voters in Ireland towards full equality for same sex couples.”
(Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

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In Dog We Trust

So this happened in Florida:
A rug has been removed from a sheriff's office in Florida after it was noticed that it read "in dog we trust" instead of "in God we trust". The $500 mat lay at the entrance to the office in Pinellas County for two months before someone noticed, a spokeswoman said. The error was made by the rug's manufacturer and is being corrected. But there have been several offers to buy the misprinted rug on the office's Facebook page. "I'd buy or donate to a charity to get one," wrote one user. "I'm a great dog person and really find that a rug like that would be wonderful for my dogs to have for beds," wrote another.
(Tipped by JMG reader Buxton)

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IDAHO: Legislature To Hear Arguments On "Add The Four Words" Campaign

Via the Boise Statesman Review:
After years of denying a hearing for proposals to ban discrimination against gays, Idaho legislators decided Wednesday to let a committee debate the issue. On a 6-1 vote, the Idaho House’s leadership committee agreed Wednesday to introduce the “Add the Words” bill, a measure to amend the Idaho Human Rights Act to add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to ban discrimination on those bases.

The vote clears the way for a full hearing on the measure, which is expected to be scheduled in the House State Affairs Committee the week of Jan. 26. Proponents have sought a hearing on the anti-discrimination bill for the past nine legislative sessions without success.

House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, who presented the bill to the committee and voted for it, said, “It’s merely a question of fairness, freedom and equal treatment for all Idahoans.” House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, cast the only dissenting vote. “I campaigned on traditional values and supporting traditional marriage. I promised the voters,” he said afterward. “I think I got 74 percent of the vote in my legislative district based on this being one of my campaign platforms.”
Local outlets are saying that the bill's hearing reflects a change of heart on the part of the Republican leadership. Last year dozens of local activists were arrested in "Add The Four Words" protests. According to a poll released last week, 67% of Idahoans support the bill.

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Dallas Gets "Ex-Gay" Billboard

"Ex-gay" crackpot David Pickup (real name!) has posted the above billboard in the Dallas area. Zack Ford reports at Think Progress:
ThinkProgress spoke with Terry Kafka, president of Impact Outdoor Advertising, the small Dallas billboard company that is hosting the ad. Kafka explained that they had been convinced the ad was for couples therapy, having never heard the term “reparative therapy” before. He described the true content of the ad as “repulsive to me personally,” promising that the ad would be coming down by next week at the latest. “If we had known, we wouldn’t have put it up in the first place.” A billboard ad promoting ex-gay therapy similarly caused controversy in Virginia last month. That ad, posted by the ex-gay organization PFOX, asserted, “We believe twins research studies show nobody is born gay,” featuring two different pictures of the same model, who is not only not a twin but is also openly gay. Though Lamar, a national billboard company, agreed to keep that ad in place, Kafka promised, “There’s no way you’d ever see one of those on our billboards.”
RELATED: Last year SCOTUS rejected the Liberty Counsel's attempt to repeal California's ban on "ex-gay" torture in an appeal filed on the behalf of Pickup and NARTH. In years past Pickup has run a degayifying program called The WorkOUT in which he urges participants to "go deep into their manhood." Ahem.

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Passenger Sings Willy Wonka To Drown Out Homophobic Subway Preacher


(Tipped by JMG reader Kent)

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TEXAS: Small Fine For Man Arrested In Homophobic Attack At Dallas Airport

John Wright reports at Towleroad:
The passenger who went on a drunken, violent, anti-gay rampage that was caught on video at DFW International Airport in October will pay $474 in fines for the incident, according to a court spokeswoman. McCleish Christmas Benham, now 28, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, assaulted two people while yelling anti-gay epithets, before other passengers tackled him to the ground and he was arrested on Oct. 23. A bystander captured the incident on video and posted it on YouTube, where it's been viewed more than 5 million times. Benham was charged with public intoxication and simple assault, both class-C misdemeanors each punishable by a maximum $500 fine, but no jail time. The case was referred to the Municipal Court in the city of Grapevine, Texas.
Benham had pleaded no contest and failed to appear in court, leading to the fines. Video of the incident is here.

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Magazine Angers Trans Advocates With Photoshopped Image Of Bruce Jenner

InTouch has angered transgender advocates with a photoshopped cover image of Bruce Jenner.
BuzzFeed reports that the magazine appears to have superimposed Jenner’s face on that of British actress Stephanie Beacham, lipstick and all. Hollywood Life, an entertainment blog, also quotes an “insider” who claims that Jenner plans to come out as a transgender woman in a future issue of The Advocate. One problem: The Advocate editor says that’s not true. "I’m astounded that Bonnie Fuller’s Hollywood Life would claim to have ‘all the details’ on Bruce Jenner’s ‘big magazine plans’ because their story is a total fabrication — like InTouch’s distressing Photoshopped cover,” said Matthew Breen, editor in chief of The Advocate on the magazine’s website. Mara Kiesling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, told The Advocate on Wednesday the fact “that anybody is still trying to 'shock' people about transgender people is really sad.”
TMZ claims that Jenner's ex-wife is saying, "It's just mean to do whether or not it's true."

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FRC Money Begs On Fired Fire Chief

"After 30 years of distinguished public service, the mayor fired Kelvin Cochran because he self-published a 160-page book written for his church Bible study. This is not the first story we've heard about government's attack on our religious freedoms. In this case, only one half of one page in his book discussed the Biblical view of homosexuality. This example provides us with just the most recent illustration of why -- now more than ever -- we must stand up for religious freedom. This will be a huge priority for FRC Action this year. As we continue towards our January membership goal, would you consider giving to help us advance this effort? This is not only for the situation with Chief Cochran but for the many others just like him around the country. There are many others and this dangerous trend shows no sign of letting up in 2015. We must stand up to it. That's why we need your support this year. Would you give $25, $35, $75 or whatever you're able to join FRC Action and help with the effort? Thank you for considering this. We can't stand for issues like this in Washington, D.C. without the support of people like you!" - Hate group leader Josh Duggar, via email. (Notice how Cochran's book is now suddenly written for a Bible study group?)

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LIVE VIDEO: 2015 Oscar Nominations

UPDATE: Full list of nominees.

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash


Best Director
Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash 

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

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Open Thread Thursday

Quarterly book report time. What are you reading?

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Email Of The Day: Eugene Delguadio

"Dear Joe, I’ve just come from a meeting with top Washington leaders, and I had to contact you right away. Many conservative leaders are worried about the Republican leadership’s ability to resist the Homosexual Lobby. Even after pro-Family voters worked so hard to break the Homosexual Lobby’s stranglehold on Congress. GOP leadership is under tremendous insider pressure to throw conservatives under the bus and continue confirming anti-Family judicial nominees and abandoning Real Marriage. But I am resolved to rally pro-Family resistance against the radical Homosexual Agenda on Capitol Hill. Right now, radical homosexual activists are executing a full-scale covert operation designed to regain their grip on Washington, D.C. And while my warnings regarding the Homosexual Lobby’s unquenchable thirst for power have been proven right, the news media focuses their attacks on me instead. But the Homosexual Lobby’s operatives inside the Republican Party are still trying to convince them they must sell out Traditional Values to stay in power. Will you chip in $10 or $20 or even $35 to fund the mail, telephone operations, and internet campaigns needed to expose their covert operation?" - Eugene Delgaudio, in a money beg which warns that GOProud is trying "pass themselves off as part of our movement." (GOProud collapsed into a dusty pile of self-hate last summer.)

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More 2016 Talk From Lindsey Graham

"If I do it, I'll be on all the ballots. I'm not doing it to make a statement. I'm doing it to challenge the country and offer what I have to offer to the American people and my party."

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Kirk Cameron Is Saving Coffee

Now that his movie saved Christmas, Kirk Cameron has launched a companion coffee which he's selling for a holy $19/lb. Tagline: "Brew every day like you are saving Christmas."

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Cliff Kincaid Has The Legatus Sadz

"Even while our media pay lip service to freedom of expression in France, the pressure to conform to the left-wing homosexual agenda continues in the U.S. and has now scored a direct hit on the Fox News Channel. Fox News personality Bret Baier has been forced to pull out of a Catholic Christian conference because of homosexual pressure. Once again, for all the world to see, we have a stark example of how the freedom to object to the homosexual agenda is being denied to those in the news business. The 'Good as You' militant gay lobby group had attacked Legatus as 'a very anti-gay organization of Catholics' because of passages in some of its material opposing the practice of homosexuality and saying that homosexuals can change. The only possible explanation is that the homosexual lobby is so powerful that even the mighty Fox News cannot stand up to the pressure it can generate." - Cliff Kincaid, head of Accuracy In Media (snork!), in a column that also accuses Fox News of paying "hush money" to the National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association.

Once again we must congratulate Jeremy Hooper on becoming a militant gay lobby group.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Cliff Kincaid demands that Fox anchor Shepard Smith come out of the closet, refuses to comment on Matt Drudge. Kincaid says that marijuana use causes terrorism.  Kincaid says gay people live a "disease-ridden lifestyle." Kincaid lectures at Porno Pete's hate academy. Kincaid says gay people want to give Americans AIDS by donating blood. Kincaid endorses Uganda's "kill the gays" bill.

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GEORGIA: Pastor Calls For End To Gay "Erotic Liberty" During House Invocation

Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Rev. Bryant Wright, senior pastor at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, delivered the devotional Wednesday in the state House. In that sermon aimed at lawmakers, Wright twice equated gay marriage to “erotic liberty.” Here’s a sampling of his message: “It is just one example of what our culture is going to increasingly see as an issue of erotic liberty versus religious liberty,” Wright said. “We’re liable to see this with our military chaplains in the years ahead if they in good conscience believe they cannot perform same-sex weddings and could be kicked out of the military.” That looming threat, he said, is a reminder of lawmakers’ role in making sure government is “protective of its citizens against evil and is working for the common good.” Religious liberty, Wright said, is a “foundational aspect” of the U.S. Constitution and is for the “common good and welfare of man.” He urged legislators to remember the nation’s heritage “even though a majority of your constituencies have embraced erotic liberty over religious liberty.”
Openly gay Georgia House Rep. Simone Bell responded on her Facebook page:
My direct response to him: Told him he is a disgrace to the clergy, the Word and the state of Georgia. That he squandered his opportunity to bring a message of love to people who have sacrificed to serve the state. That his religious freedom is not being trampled upon, but that he is trampling upon mine and 300,000 + more Georgian's religious freedom to be who God created us to be. He responded that we clearly have a difference of opinion. I told him we have a difference of HUMANITY.
RedState editor Erick Erickson is thrilled.

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