He’s also embarrassing himself with his efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, which is the only primary healthcare source for many women.

But also?  Cuccinelli seems to be a a hardcore birther, having been caught on tape having the following conversation:

Q What can we do about Obama and the birth certificate thing?

Cooch: It will get tested in my view when someone… when he signs a law, and someone is convicted of violating it and one of their defenses will be it is not a law because someone qualified to be President didn’t sign it.

Q: Is that something you can do as Attorney General? Can you do that or something?

Cooch: Well only if there is a conflict where we are suing the federal government for a law they’ve passed. So it’s possible.

Q: Because we are talking about the possibility that he was not born in America.

Cooch: Right. But at the same time under Rule 11, Federal Rule 11, we gotta have proof of it.

Q: How can we get proof?

Cooch: Well… that’s a good question. Not one I’ve thought a lot about because it hasn’t been part of my campaign. Someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.

Right Wing Watch has the video if you want to hear the Cooch for yourself.

This of course also reveals that Cuccinelli probably has race issues, since the birf certifkit thing has been so thoroughly debunked that only backwards knuckle dragging white people with inferiority complexes in the face of black men who are smarter than them still cling to the birther fantasies, the way they cling to guns and religion. (Hee hee.)

Okay, so let’s count.  So far, Cuccinelli has

1.  Major inferiority and fear issues where gays are concerned.

2.  Major inferiority and fear issues where women are concerned.

3.  Major inferiority and fear issues where Barack Obamas are concerned, going so far as to cling to fantasies that he is ineligible for the office of the presidency.

4.  Probable Fear of a Black Planet.

Isn’t that enough?   Isn’t that enough wingnut fear, enough wingnut neurosis, enough mental illness for one far right wingnut official?

Oh, for Christ’s sake:

In an overlooked recording from the campaign trail, candidate Cuccinelli told a crowd that he was considering not registering his son for a Social Security number because “it is being used to track you.” He also claimed that many others are not registering for Social Security numbers for the same reason.

Direct quote:

We’re gonna have our 7th child on Monday, if he’s not born before. And, for the very concerns you state, we’re actually considering – as I’m sure many of you here didn’t get a Social Security number when you were born, they do it now – we’re considering not doing that. And a lot of people are considering that now, because it is being used to track you.

Video:

Good lord!

Apparently, like Victoria Jackson, Ken Cuccinelli would be a lot safer if he wore a helmet.  I’m worried he might hurt himself otherwise.

Anyway, here’s some music, just because it’s still one of the best responses to people like Ken Cuccinelli I’ve ever heard, and also because if Ken stumbles across this post, it might make him pee:

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(A very heavily made-up Greg Quinlan, left)

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays sent out, yet another, expensive media release across the wire service today. It was its latest attack on the Walt Disney Company for rejecting a nutty shareholders resolution to include so-called ex-gays in its non-discrimination policy.

Of course, PFOX’s real goal is:

1) A publicity stunt to make the organization look like it is actually doing something

2) A slippery attempt to water-down non-discrimination laws and policies.

Here is a quick guide to the nonsense spewed by PFOX on its weird media release and then a glimpse of reality:

PFOX Claim: Greg Quinlan, a PFOX spokesperson said, “Ex-gays remain closeted because they are not protected by diversity policies.  Employees who support the ex-gay community are also not welcome to express their views.”

Reality: Ex-Gays are not closeted. They simply do not exist. Washington’s City Paper asked PFOX to identify real, live ex-gays in DC – one of this nation’s largest metro areas, and they were unable to do so. It is extremely difficult to find people to come forward who are not “ex-gay” for pay. That is why we keep hearing Quinlan’s name. He is one of the few examples they have and he has made a living off this gig. PFOX is so desperate for examples that they use Quinlan despite the fact he is an unrepentant sinner, due to his recent divorce.  While the Bible is not very clear on homosexuality, it is very clear on divorce.

PFOX Claim: “How can HRC demand gay equality when it refuses to extend equality to others?” asked Quinlan.

Reality: PFOX has opposed every single law or policy that offers equality to LGBT people. So, to paraphrase Quinlan, how can PFOX ask for equality? (Although they already have legal protection since ex-gays are presumably heterosexual)

PFOX’s Claim: “Disney’s equality index score is -0- for ex-gays and their supporters.”

Reality: PFOX and other ex-gay groups do not have an equality score index.

PFOX’s Claim: Disney should treat former homosexuals with the same respect and benefits its gives to homosexuals.”

Reality: If PFOX can’t find “former homosexuals” who are not paid, political operatives, how do they expect Disney to do so? And, once again, if so-called ex-gays exist they are now heterosexual, thus protected by non-discrimination laws and policies. What PFOX is essentially saying is that ex-gays do not really exist and are not heterosexual. It is a very incongruous, convoluted message that makes no sense. PFOX has been pushing this insane strategy for several years and it has gone nowhere. Are these people insane?

PFOX Claim: “Last week HRC celebrated the first gay marriages in Washington DC, our nation’s capital.  But there is one victory HRC did not celebrate.  And that’s the DC Superior Court’s ruling that ex-gays are a legally protected class under the D.C. Human Rights Act.”

Reality: The court did not say that ex-gays constitute an explicitly protected class. The court reversed an earlier ruling that ex-gays are *not* a protected class, but it did not state that they *are* a protected class in D.C.

The court rationalized that, on the basis of the city’s unusually expansive Human Rights Act which defines sexual orientation by “preference or practice,” an ex-gay might hypothetically seek protection on the basis of a mutable decision not to “practice” homosexuality anymore. However, the court found that no such discrimination had occurred in the case of the National Education Association.

Has PFOX failed to notice it is spinning its wheels and not accomplishing anything? They can lie and spin the facts – but they will never get anywhere. Of course, what else can one expect from Greg Quinlan. He began his “ex-gay” career by claiming he had once been a part of the Human Rights Campaign.

When I worked at HRC, not one person had ever heard of Quinlan.  So, much for honesty and integrity. I also wonder why PFOX’s Executive Director Regina Griggs has no pictures. Is she ashamed of her work?

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(h/t Dan Savage)

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Exodus Should Immediately Shut Down Scandalized ‘Ex-Gay’ Group Desert Stream, Says TWO

Truth Wins Out today called on Exodus International to shut down Desert Stream Ministries (DSM) following new revelations of sexual abuse with at least one minor. The admissions were made last week on the blog of DSM’s leader, Andy Comiskey (pictured), who is also the creator of the ex-gay program Living Waters.

“Exodus should swiftly move to shutter Desert Stream Ministries to protect young people from the sordid and tawdry atmosphere revealed by Andy Comiskey,” said Truth Wins Out’s  Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Exodus has a history of turning the other cheek when confronted with inappropriate behavior in its affiliates.”

On March 8, Comiskey wrote a blog post entitled “Falling Mercies” where he says DSM had been, “cast out of our home church”, Vineyard Anaheim, as a result of “a darker strain of sin in our own ranks.” He goes onto reveal that this sin was, “a longstanding staff person from Desert Stream had sexually abused at least one teenager who had sought help from us.”

Comiskey alleges that he was a victim of seven-figure blackmail from the relative of one of the abused boys. This led to, “a scourging of our entire ministry through police interrogations, the naked bulb of insurance agents and their lawyers, and Vineyard elders who for good reason wanted to know what was really going on in Desert Stream Ministries.”

As a result of the investigation, Comiskey says DSM was “torn in two” and that “we the righteous became the scum of the earth–not only the defender of victims, but the predators.”

In his post, Comiskey seemed to care little for those harmed by DSM and tried to come across as a victim saying, “News of our tragedy, now official on police and court records, attracted our accusers like vultures: ‘Do they change homosexuals or create them?’”

Comiskey claims that, “At the end of 3 years, the case was settled. Our insurance covered most of the costs.” He rightfully thanks the media for not covering the story and allowing his ministry to continue. “Not one story was printed about the tragedy,” writes Comiskey. “God spared us. His mercy leveled and sustained DSM.”

“Comiskey is mocking the mainstream media for not serving as the public’s trusted watchdog,” said Besen. “I hope news outlets understand that inaction has allowed this ministry to continue its operations. Given these revelations, it would be an optimum time for the media to investigate this story.”

For reasons possibly related to this scandal, Comiskey moved Desert Stream from Anaheim to Kansas City, Mo., several years ago, where it currently remains in operation.

This is not the first time Desert Stream has been in trouble. In 1998, The Los Angeles Times reported that one family sued Desert Stream alleging that a minister had sexually abused a teenager while the youth was undergoing therapy to turn him heterosexual. Besen’s book, “Anything But Straight”, discusses a newsletter that says:

“At the end of 2000, we faced an unusual number of Desert Stream-related leaders who fell into sexual sin, or who at least demonstrated a colossal lack of wisdom in their social choices…several were placed on different plans of discipline and restoration.”

In February 2008, Truth Wins Out produced a video featuring ‘ex-gay’ survivor Jaylen Braiden, who claims an Exodus team leader at Desert Stream took him advantage of him.

Comiskey is one of the most influential ex-gay activists and groups use his curriculum, “Living Waters”, across the globe. Comiskey is the author of “” and calls homosexuality “spiritual disfigurement.” His book also indulges in “spiritual warfare”, calling homosexuality satanic.

“Satan delights in homosexual perversion because it not only exists outside of marriage, but it also defiles God’s very image reflected as male and female….Another related source of demonization is the homosexual relationship itself….that attachment and communion are indeed inspired, but the source is demonic.”

So far, Exodus has failed to comment on Desert Stream’s troubles, nor has it moved to either suspend or close down DSM. After stonewalling for more than six months, Exodus finally cut ties with Lansing-based Corduroy Stone last after charges of impropriety were made last year by Patrick McAlvey in a Truth Wins Out video.

“It sends the wrong message when Exodus remains silent on issues of such gravity,” said TWO’s Besen. “We urge Exodus to investigate and take proper action against one of its key ministries so more people are not harmed in the future. We also can’t fathom how Comiskey has kept his job in light of this scandal. It is truly mind boggling.”

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community against anti-gay misinformation campaigns, counters the so-called “ex-gay” industry and educates about the lives of LGBT people. Our goal is to help individuals be true to themselves and lead genuine lives of honesty and integrity.

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Let us remember that the Bible not only condemns homosexual sex, but also plainly says that “the effeminate” will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Cor 6:9 KJV).  Sin extends beyond explicit, overt activity/behavior; the attitude and demeanor of homosexuality must be cast off as well as the practice itself.

Do you hear that, Every Ex-Gay Ministry Leader?  Still going to hell.  Sorry.

You should always pay attention when a fundamentalist says that the Bible “plainly says” something, because they’re about to come at you with something intellectually equivalent to “If ‘Anglish was good enough fer Jesus, it’s good enough fer me!”

Okay, do you want to know what that verse is actually about?  Well, it goes like this:  to translate the word malakoi as “effeminate” is incorrect, at least insofar as “effeminate” is understood in modern society.  The literal meaning is “soft” and it’s used elsewhere in the Bible and in other writings of the time to describe clothing, or wearers of certain kinds of soft, lush clothing.  I could spend a lot of time explaining, but this and this are helpful places to start.  In short, if you study the passage closely [a concept completely foreign to illiterate homophobes] in light of the culture in which it was written, the best translation is more of a concept of a soft, lazy, wealthy and well-fed ne’er-do-well sort.  The word also was used sometimes in relation to the practice of pederasty, but again, one has to understand what pederasty was and was not.  Lying bigots will tell you pederasty was just like our modern day concept of homosexuality, because they know that the people who listen to them are not well-read.  Pederasty was a strange cultural phenomenon practiced by heterosexuals wherein a younger man, as a rite of passage, was sort of mentored by an older man. Sometimes it involved sex, but sometimes it didn’t.  Here’s how Plato described it:

“When an older lover and a young man come together and each obeys the principle appropriate to him – when the lover realizes that he is justified in doing anything for a loved one who grants him favors, and when the young man understands that he is justified in performing a service for a lover who can make him wise and virtuous – and when the lover is able to help the young man become wise and better, and the young man is eager to be taught and improved by his lover – then, and only then, when these two principles coincide absolutely, is it ever honorable for a young man to accept the lover.”

But again, I emphasize that the word Paul used only sometimes referred to this practice, which does not remotely resemble a married gay or lesbian couple who are committed to each other in sickness and health, etc.  But unfortunately, you fast forward 2,000 years and rednecks who can’t tell the difference between “your” and “you’re” feel comfortable explaining that the Bubble sez if you ack like a fag yer goin’ to hey-ull.  It’s mindnumbing, I know.

Anyway, thus concludes your second Bible lesson from an atheist!

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Tattooed, right-wing-Xtian rocker Bradlee Dean and his sidekick Jake apparently crashed a meet & greet in Cokato a couple weeks ago and “confronted” gubernatorial candidate John Marty on his support for marriage equality.

See Videos here

I was quite impressed with Marty’s excellent, articulate  response to these bigots who were clearly baiting him.

I also find it quite interesting that we have yet another tattooed, rocker posing as a right wing nut. It was not too long ago that tattoos and rock-n-roll (aka the Devil’s music) were big Christian issues – just like homosexuality is viewed today – and seen as marks of impurity and sin.

Yet, this hypocrite, apparently ignorant of history, has the gall to whine about changing standards and the evolution of society – even has he literally embodies it. Talk about picking and choosing so-called sin to conveniently conform to one’s own selfish interests and desires!

Note to “hip” fundies: If you are going to pretend you are a conservative, walk the walk. Stop taking advantage of the advances of liberal culture, while whining about it. If you want to be a true Christian fundamentalist, put away the boom box, take the electric guitar off your shoulder, stop shaking your pelvis and gyrating on-stage and have your tattoos removed.

Until you do this, spare me the nonsense that you are a Christian conservative representing unchanging moral codes. You are a living example of how society has changed.

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Um.  Okay.  First let’s read what they had to say on the subject.  They start off so good:

In October we learned about the effort from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, the organization for those cured of The Gay, to get Disney to ban discrimination against ex-gays, the semi-legally protected sexual orientation class. It didn’t go so well.

A shareholder meeting this week saw the proposal get shot down, which Disney’s board recommended, and because there weren’t enough votes to reach a 3 percent threshold the matter cannot be brought up again for another four years.

Good work, shareholders!

The idea of “ex-gays” as a sexual orientation is a little bit silly for a few reasons. First, it suggests that sexual orientation can be changed, which is a farce. Second, if somebody was gay, but is now straight, that person is in theory a heterosexual, and would fall under any existing sexual orientation protections, because one’s sexuality cannot be a reason for termination.

Correct!  If ex-gays exist, they’re now heterosexuals, and thus already protected under sexual orientation protections!  I can only guess that the original writer of the piece was at this point incapacitated in some way (get well soon?), because the person who completed the piece went completely off the rails:

In a blog post, the Human Rights Campaign calls the shareholder vote a “victory.” Which is a little funny, because isn’t the Human Rights Campaign in favor of prohibiting all types of discrimination?

Us? We support banning workplace discrimination based on any sexuality. And that includes someone who believes he is ex-gay. We don’t want anyone forcing us to fit into the boxes they created, and we refuse to do the same to anyone else. If ex-gays want to be protected, great! We’ll support it! We don’t really believe anyone can ditch homosexuality, but if deep down you think you did, you shouldn’t be targeted in the workplace for identifying as a former ‘mo. Even if PFOX is a laughable institution, there are people out there who believe they are ex-gay, and they should not suffer the torment of workplace harassment for the same reasons gays, bisexuals, and transgender employees should not: because it isn’t right.

GUYS.  You won the argument against yourselves in the first paragraphs of your piece.  The Human Rights Campaign is indeed against all kinds of discrimination based on sexual orientation, but you just conceded that “ex-gays,” if they exist (!), are heterosexuals!  There is no room in the current policies for discrimination against people who say they’re not gay anymore!  They’re already covered!  To give an inch on this merely (and quite naïvely) plays into Regina Griggs’ and PFOX’s inane strategy to create some phantasmagorical parallel reality where people who identify as HETEROSEXUALS are the real victims of discrimination.

Think this through, because the argument you’ve put forth is just as inane as when Tony Perkins flagellates around the television screen complaining about hate crimes laws being used to punish Christians, since religion is protected under hate crimes laws as well.

The Human Rights Campaign (and we at Truth Wins Out) are solidly against discrimination of any sort based on sexual orientation.  ”Ex-gay” is not a sexual orientation.  Even if we were to pretend for a second that “ex-gays” were a real and lasting phenomenon, and even if we were to pretend for a second that there was a shred of truth to anything that comes out of the maws of Regina Griggs and PFOX, then “ex-gays” would be, by definition, HETEROSEXUAL, and again, protected.

Put another way:  What the hell kind of discrimination would Richard Cohen and his wife be subjected to if he decided to somehow parlay his pillow tennis racket beat-off extravaganza into a career dressing up as Cinderella during the nightly parade/fireworks show?  The wife would get benefits under their family plan, he couldn’t be fired for being married to a woman, etc.

Queerty people:  this entire thing from PFOX is a publicity stunt, and you fell for it.  I don’t know if this is what you all think of as “encouraging conversation” or being a “dissenting voice,” but there are ways to do that without embarrassing yourselves.

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Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity — or because of their sexual orientation….It is time to stand up against another wrong. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God’s family….Uganda’s parliament is debating legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment, and more discriminatory legislation has been debated in Rwanda and Burundi.

These are terrible backward steps for human rights in Africa.

It is wonderful to hear these words. They are a great contrast to bloodthirsty hate preachers like Uganda’s Martin Ssempa, who is using Christianity as a cover to commit potential mass murder. We could use more inclusive, inspiring voices like Tutu’s in Africa and throughout the world.

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I remember another night long ago, when I was in college, and listening to George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex.” A thoughtful Christian who lived on my hall in the dorm asked me how I could listen to those lyrics and remain so unaffected by the sentiment. He wasn’t asking in a prudish way; he was a fan of classic jazz and pop, and as an appreciator of the refined longings expressed in, say, the songs of Cole Porter, he was appalled by the barbarism in the George Michael song. I didn’t have an answer for him, but he did make me reflect on how the lyrics of so many songs I dearly loved expressed sentiments I found at the time distasteful, and, as I matured, would come to find gross.

Just two straight Christian dudes, holding each other accountable over which gay dudes’ music they should and should not be listening to…

This is not the first time Rod has tackled pop culture, of course:

I wonder what higher faculties of the soul are nurtured by contemplating Eminem’s couplet in which he discusses ejaculating into someone’s anus, then eating the semen. (Sorry to shock you, but if we’re going to talk about this, let’s be clear what we’re talking about).

AND scene!

(h/t Roy Edroso)

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