Trump’s Louisiana Donation: The Winner Is…

Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins Bil Browning

Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins.

Yes, that’s right, Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, a rabidly anti-queer religious extremist.

Donald Trump has reportedly donated $100,000 to help Louisiana residents affected by disastrous floods — but he’s put it in the hands of an anti-LGBT church whose interim pastor is Tony Perkins, head of the infamously homophobic Family Research Council.

I want to emphasize that reportedly, because supposedly, Trump has made donations before, but they have an interesting way of never showing up anywhere.

Trump visited the church, located in the Baton Rouge suburb of Greenwell Springs, and made other stops in the area at the invitation of Perkins. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, which believes that being LGBT is a sin. The Greenwell Springs church’s website includes a “Statement on Marriage and Sexuality,” which reads in part:

We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

It asks church employees and volunteers to “abide by and agree to” the statement and “conduct themselves accordingly.”

[…]

Perkins, as a Louisiana delegate to this year’s Republican National Convention, took credit for helping to create what even the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay conservative group, termed the most anti-LGBT platform in party history. It continues to oppose marriage equality, denounces the Obama administration’s call for transgender students’ access to gendered facilities of their choice, and contends that parents have a right to enroll their children in any kind of therapy. The last is a thinly veiled endorsement of “ex-gay” therapy, even though major medical groups condemn it as ineffective and harmful, and several states and cities have barred licensed professionals from subjecting minors to it.

The Advocate has the story.

Flood of Sewer Fetuses Will Spread HIV!

Carol Everett (Photo: The Heidi Group).

Carol Everett (Photo: The Heidi Group).

In the not enough facepalm in the universe category, Texas legislature has designated 1.65 million dollars to a non-medical based, anti-abortion group, on the basis of aborted fetuses flooding the sewers, and somehow or another, causing the general water supply to be contaminated with STDs or HIV, because that’s just oh so realistic. Honestly, this is so goddamned embarrassing.

Carol Everett is the founder and CEO of The Heidi Group, an anti-abortion organization that gives women health “advice,” but is not a medical provider and can’t perform any health care services.

Earlier this month, Everett testified at a hearing at the Austin, Texas statehouse on a proposed requirement that women either bury or cremate the remains of an aborted fetus. According to The Austin Chronicle, Everett testified about her concerns of an impending public health disaster if fetuses were flushed down toilets. She argued that the general public could be afflicted with STDs or even HIV due to fetuses flooding the sewer systems.

“What if one day something horrible escaped into the sewer system?” she said, as the audience snickered.

Everett’s claims are scientifically impossible.

Just days later, the Texas legislature awarded The Heidi Group $1.65 million in taxpayer money for the organization’s “health care services.” Their organization doesn’t provide health care services.

While the group’s website advertises “Helping Texas Women,” further examination reveals their claims to have “programs” lists merely a phone number, the page that offers to help women with pregnancy/infant loss says “Page Coming Soon” and if a woman needs a pregnancy test they have a list of links to crisis pregnancy centers, that counsel women against abortion.

“The Heidi Group exists to ensure that all Texas women have access to quality health care by coordinating services in a statewide network of full-service medical providers,” the website says. It doesn’t explain how this is different from a Google search.

The grant comes out of funding that previously went to Planned Parenthood before Texas politicians kicked them out of the program in 2012.

In an interview with the Texas Observer, Everett admitted that she’ll be forking over a lot of the money to crisis pregnancy centers, which an investigation showed lie to women about the realities of their reproductive health. She assures the Observer that the taxpayer funds will not go to administrative costs at The Heidi Group or the organization’s rent, but it will go to nurses and doctors in rural Texas that urge women against abortions.

“My goal is to reach that little girl in a small county with no hope of having anybody explain her birth control options or have her blood pressure checked,” she said.

The local CVS pharmacy and Walmart often have machines where people can have their blood pressure taken for free. Crisis pregnancy centers in Texas have been caught counseling women to use abstinence only as a birth control method and refusing to dispense contraception.

Full Story Here.

Girls Do Not Need A Prince.

 

Twitter/@KNKNOKU Image caption Kim Jayeon could not have expected that a tweet would have cost her her job.

Twitter/@KNKNOKU
Image caption Kim Jayeon could not have expected that a tweet would have cost her her job.

Gamergate in Korea. Every bit as bad, and I’d say worse.

On the face of it, the slogan “Girls do not need a prince” doesn’t seem that controversial.

In many parts of the world, it would pass as the kind of thing any young woman might wear without prompting a second look.

But when the actress, Kim Jayeon, tweeted a photograph of herself wearing the garment, she generated a storm and lost herself a job.

She was the voice of one of the characters in a South Korean online game called “Closers”. Gaming is very big in South Korea, as much a part of the culture as football.

Fans of “Closers” inundated Nexon, the company which produced the game, with complaints. Many of the complaints, according to female activists, were offensive and anti-women.

Nexon quickly bowed to the protesters and sacked the actress. It told the BBC that she would be paid in full for her work but her voice would not be used on the game.

It issued a statement saying it had “recognised the voices of concern amongst the Closers community”, adding that “we have suddenly decided to seek a replacement in the role”.

The full story is at BBC.com.

Another Day, Another Bad Priest.

Monsignor Lawrence McGovern -- Fox 40 screenshot.

Monsignor Lawrence McGovern — Fox 40 screenshot.

Oh look, another priest who doesn’t understand boundaries, consent, and immoral, unethical behaviour. About the only thing new in this case is that Monsignor McGovern decided to sexually harass an adult. I have no doubt that Monsignor, who has been placed on administrative leave will be yet another priest in the Catholic church’s ongoing game of “Where’s the Pedo Priest?” Given that this is case of sexual harassment, rather than assault or rape, the Monsignor will most likely merit the lightest of smacks on the wrist, perhaps 40 Lord’s Prayers and 50 Hail Marys.

The Stockton Catholic Diocese has suspended a monsignor over allegations that he sent pictures of his penis to the church pool maintenance man who complained — only to be fired.

According to FOX40, Monsignor Lawrence McGovern, the pastor of Presentation Parish in Stockton, has been removed from his duties after the landscaper filed a lawsuit against the church for sexual harassment.

According to an attorney for the unidentified father of two, who is also a church parishioner,  McGovern sent his client sexually explicit pictures.

“It’s extremely disturbing that the person’s who is head of this parish would be sending text with photographs of his exposed genitals,” attorney Vince Finaldi said before ading. “Someone’s who’s engaging in that type of conduct has very, very serious credibility issues and issues with judgement.”

According to Finaldi, his client confronted the priest over the pictures and pressed him over his vow of celibacy.

According to the victim, McGovern responded, “Oh, that just means that you’re not married.”

The local diocese issued a statement saying, “Today the Diocese of Stockton learned for the first time of employment related allegations against Monsignor Lawrence McGovern, the Pastor of Presentation Parish in Stockton. In accordance with the Canon Law of the Church, Bishop Stephen Blaire has placed Monsignor McGovern on administrative leave pending a full and complete investigation.”

A full and complete investigation. Right. There really isn’t anything to investigate though, is there? So what they actually mean is that they need to get together to figure out what they are going to try and sell people to make them believe they are actually doing something.

According to Finaldi, McGovern should be dismissed, saying, “That person has no business being in a parish and head of a school where there are numerous young children walking around everyday.”

I’m with Mr. Finaldi. I’m damn tired of priests and cops constantly being given another ride on the merry-go-round, no matter how bad their behaviour, and no matter what heinous acts they commit.

Via Raw Story.

Depicting Hysteria.

NSFW.

1

Alexandra Levasseur.

The second annual 4%ers exhibition is at the Athen B. Gallery in Oakland. The group show of female artists explores the origins of hysteria and the artistic expressions that have come to represent it. First conceived in San Francisco at the FFDG gallery, the show has since then changed locations to host a new set of artists with what it calls a “slightly wilder premise,” according to the gallery.

[…]

The gallery explains that the term, “hysteria,” was coined by an ancient Greek physician named Hippocrates, who used the word to explain ailments and afflictions thought exclusive to the female body. Hippocrates believed the uterus was the constitutional source of female woes, “often expressed as a restless, wandering womb, creating disorder within the body and distress in the woman experiencing it,” writes the gallery. Hysteria was understood as a nervous disorder and diagnosed on physical indicators: “gestures, motions, gaits, and non verbal utterances.” Without any legitimate grounds in medicine, the expression and mitigation of its symptoms often came in the form of artistic practices, such as painting. Although the diagnosis is no longer considered valid in formal medicine, the artists in the 4%ers show believe the concept of hysteria has impacted “the way women are supposed to act, look, and express themselves, physically, sexually, and artistically.” Now, they seek to reclaim the word through their own artistic expression.

[Read more…]

Facebook, Oh Facebook, Part V.

Corey Multer (LinkedIn)

Corey Multer (LinkedIn)

Content Warning: contains social media posts that some may find offensive.

Yet another person who just could not manage to reign in their bigotry and hatred. This time it’s one Corey Multer, a managing director for New York Life Insurance Co. Well, make that former managing director. It looks like New York Life Insurance makes a concerted effort to be a diverse company, but any person of colour working with or near Mr. Multer couldn’t have had an easy time of it, given his attitude and views.

Shanelle Matthews, director of communications with the Black Lives Matter organization, was verbally attacked on Facebook by Corey Multer, a managing director of New York Life Insurance Co.

Multer wrote:

You f–king racist pig whore. The world would be a much better place if you jumped in front of a moving train. Die!

facebook

Ms. Matthews had quite the response, and it was most excellent. For those of you who aren’t on facebook, her complete response is under the fold.

After a brief back and forth with New York Life Insurance, this was tweeted:

Good for Ms. Matthews for fighting the good fight, and refusing to back down. And good on New York Life Insurance Co too, for putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

[Read more…]

#Men In Hijab.

#MenInHijabs has gone viral, following a call for men to support women's rights by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad. Photo: Facebook.

#MenInHijabs has gone viral, following a call for men to support women’s rights by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad. Photo: Facebook.

Men in Iran are wearing hijabs in a display of solidarity with women across the country who are forced to cover their heads in public.

Wearing a headscarf is strictly enforced by so-called ‘morality police’ in Iran and has been since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Women who do not wear a hijab or are deemed to be wearing ‘bad hijab’ by having some of their hair showing face punishments ranging from fines to imprisonment.

State-funded adverts appearing on billboards in Iran present those who do not cover their hair as spoiled and dishonourable. Women are also told that by not complying, they are putting themselves at risk of unwanted sexual advances from men.

But women are leading protests against enforced hijab across the country and some have resorted to shaving their hair in order to appear in public without wearing a veil.

Over the last week, a number of men have appeared in photos wearing a hijab with their wife or female relative next to them who have their hair uncovered.

The images come in response to a call by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist and journalist living in New York, who is urging men to support her campaign against enforced hijab.

Ms Alinejad runs the My Stealthy Freedom campaign and often shares pictures of women living in Iran who have enjoyed a moment of ‘stealthy freedom’ by taking their hijab off outside of a domestic setting. She has asked men to support her campaign with the #meninhijab hashtag and by sharing pictures with their heads covered while women pose without hijabs.

Ms Alinejad has received 30 images of men wearing a hijab since issuing her call on 22 July. She told the Independent some men are also posting their images on their Instagram accounts.

This is a great example of being a good ally, and how to do solidarity in an effective manner. #MenInHijab  Full story here.

Bro Yoga.

Michael DeCorte, centres, adopts an upward dog pose alongside Salmaan Sayeed, left, and Howie Track at Toronto's Moksha Yoga studio. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

Michael DeCorte, centres, adopts an upward dog pose alongside Salmaan Sayeed, left, and Howie Track at Toronto’s Moksha Yoga studio. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

Bro-yoga. Broga. Jock yoga. Jo-yoga. Yep, gotta dress it up all stupid and toxic macho, that way it just does the best for da dudes. And, they won’t be distracted by women in lycra.

“Yoga is more than just women contorting themselves into vegan pretzels,” says Michael DeCorte, the Toronto “man-treprenuer” behind Jock Yoga, an athletic mashup that combines the mindfulness of sun salutations with the muscle burn of pumping iron.

Right, women doing yoga isn’t yoga at all, it’s just women being all frilly and silly. It doesn’t have any benefits at all, no. Well, not until the carnivorous, beer swilling men get into it. Then it’s good. (There’s beer after class.)

“Originally, it was just a gimmick,” says DeCorte. “When I first saw it on a poster, it was almost like an oxymoron … You see yoga and think, ‘spiritual,’ and jock you think, ‘laid-back, swearing, burping.”‘

You know, all my life, ‘jock’ has applied to athletes. I had no idea there was a complete shift to “laid back, swearing, and burping”. I have no idea of how much these people are charging for the special homosocial yoga, but I expect a regular yoga class might be cheaper, and just exercising around women won’t have any deleterious effects. You can go and read the full silliness here.

Twitter, Oh Twitter III.

Jessica Valenti will be taking a break from social media, due to ongoing threats and harassment. Those assholes who think it’s perfectly acceptable to do such things decided to target Ms. Valenti’s 5 year old child, because of course, they are such erudite, articulate adults who have such a good, solid, fact based ability to present their arguments, but this way is just so much better. I hope every single one of you sick assholes takes a very good look in the mirror, then takes a very good look at your own family. Try to figure out how to regain your humanity, because it is missing.

As for Twitter and other social media, I guess perhaps Ms. Valenti isn’t quite famous enough to warrant action. Link.

No True Catholic.

Tim Kaine.

Tim Kaine.

While Tim Kaine’s pastor describes Kaine as “very compassionate, approachable, available, and friendly,” a Washington DC-based priest, a member of the Dominican Order, has told Tim Kaine that he is not a true Catholic and not entitled to receive communion. The issue? Tim Kaine has stated his personal opposition to abortion, but refuses to enact laws as a public official that would interfere with a woman’s right to choose.

The anti-abortion site LifeNews reported that Father Thomas Petri took to Twitter to condemn Kaine. “Senator @timkaine. Do us both a favor. Don’t show up in my communion line.” The priest also told Kaine that his beliefs that women should be priest and that “abortion is fine” makes him either “poorly catechized or a dissenter.”

I can’t say I was thrilled with the Veep pick, but anyone who pisses off priests gets credit from me. Nothing riles up priests like the disobedience of thinking. Perhaps Father Petri should spend more time praying than tweeting. I’m sure if he prays hard enough, god will do something or other, right?

Full story here.

Identity Politics for White Men.

White

Credit: Processon.

The Trump campaign made efforts to broaden the GOP presidential nominee’s appeal last night. As unmoored from reality as it was, Ivanka made a case her father would be a champion for women. During his own speech, Trump made an appeal to the LGBT community, despite providing little indication to date he’d actually do anything on their behalf.

Trump’s base, however, continues to be white men. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released early last month showed Trump with a huge 60 percent to 26 percent advantage among that demographic. It might not be enough for Trump to secure a general election victory — thanks to his unpopularity with others groups, Trump trailed Clinton overall in that same ABC poll — but it was enough to secure the Republican nomination.

During a CNN interview this morning, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) acknowledged the Trump phenomenon for what it is — identity politics for white men.

While opining about Trump’s RNC-closing speech, Duffy said, “There’s a viewpoint that says, ‘I can fight for minorities, and I can fight for women,’ and if you get that, you make up a vast majority of the voting block and you win. And white males have been left aside a little bit in the politics of who speaks to them.”

White males have been left aside. Really. How about if we shift back to reality land here, and tell the truth – white males have been on top of the pile of humanity just about everywhere on this planet for…all time. It is unfuckingbelievable how whiny white males can get over being “a little bit left aside”, when the reality is they are not at all left aside, because as usual, every damn thing is about the poor white men. I’ll try to work up a tear. If you white men feel so hurt and upsetty about that, could you possibly take it just a teeny bit further, and try to imagine what it has been like for minorities and women for fucking centuries?

Via Think Progress.

Women Don’t Need Anything Special.

Delegate Phyllis Schafly watches the speeches Wednesday night of the RNC. Credit: Kira Lerner.

Delegate Phyllis Schlafly watches the speeches Wednesday night of the RNC. Credit: Kira Lerner.

Phyllis Schlafly. Christ, I thought she was dead. I was in my teens when Ms. Schlafly was fighting ERA tooth and nail. She was a nightmarish dinosaur back then, and I see absolutely nothing has changed.

As delegates at the Republican National Convention approved a platform banning women from combat, restricting a woman’s right to an abortion in cases of rape or incest, and without any mention of equal pay or paid family leave, Phyllis Schlafly looked on with a huge smile.

[…]

But Schlafly, whose group Eagle Forum successfully defeated the ERA, said Clinton’s plans are an insult to women and that it is “ridiculous” to think she would help women get ahead.

“Women don’t need anything special,” she said. “Women need a free country just like men.”

That disgusting party and candidate you’re so happily embracing don’t want a free country. Well, perhaps a free country, so to speak, for white males who happen to be Christian. Outside of that, what they want more resembles a concentration camp for the rest of us.

Schlafly, agreeing with her party’s platform, said that a national policy on paid leave is “not what we want at all.”

“We’ve got very generous family leave right now,” she said. “I do think the support of the children is the responsibility of the husband, not the employer.”

Right, because that has worked so very fucking well. Jesus Christ, what is it with these morons who refuse to advance one bloody centimeter? Oh, no, let’s never ever look at countries 10 times more functional and progressive than ours, and take an example. That would be unamerikkkan or something.

Of all the pro-women policies Clinton is endorsing, however, Schlafly took the most issue with the Democratic Party’s support for women in combat. The GOP platform calls for reinstating the ban, which was lifted in December by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Clinton supported that decision and has said women should be allowed to make their own decisions about whether or not they engage in combat.

“The worst thing she’s doing is calling for the drafting of women,” Schlafly said. “It’s terrible because once you go in the army, you go where you’re told, and women are not suitable for combat and can’t do combat as well as men. It’s endangering the survival of our country to pretend that women can engage in military combat like men.”

Oh, the survival of our country depends on keeping women out of combat? What in the fuckety fuck would you know about combat, Ms. Schlafly? I already know where Ms. Schlafly wants women – back in the kitchen, with their mouths shut, pretending they don’t have any brain at all. Fuck you, and Fuck off, Phyllis.

ThinkProgress has the full story. I think I’ll just wander off for a moment and scream.