Annie has made a very important post that really needs to be spread as far as possible and talked about freely. If you have not been to her informative blog or read this post, please do so. You will find she writes on a variety of subjects, understands what she writes about, and has a great comment section where she allows disagreement with her posts to which she will reply. Hugs
So these Christian Nationalist racist bigots are OK and promote businesses harming / refusing service to LGBTQIA people, but refuse and will use their office to demand no business offer a safe welcoming space to those same targeted LGBTQIA people. That should tell you their goal. Remove all LGBTQIA and anything supporting it from public society. They basically are demanding a cis straight society only, a complete return back to the 1950s or earlier. Hugs
Some central Florida lawmakers said they were considering “all legislative, legal and executive options available” to stop business owners in a small town from voluntarily displaying rainbow decals in their windows indicating that they are “safe place” for LGBTQ+ people who feel threatened.
Four Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to officials in Mount Dora two weeks ago warning that the new, optional city-sponsored program could put the central Florida community outside Orlando “in the crosshairs of potentially detrimental and absolutely unnecessary economic harm.”
Mount Dora’s city council approved the Safe Place Initiative last month. The city of 17,000 residents is known for its antique shops and weekend festivals. The council’s decision to approve the program has coincided with an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, including vandalism last month at two LGBTQ+ centers in Orlando.
The initiative was approved by the City Council in a unanimous vote last week, but now may be reconsidered after city officials received the letter signed by Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, and Reps. Keith Truenow, Taylor Yarkosky and Stan McClain.
“In light of what we have seen around this country in regards to the pushback and unprecedented financial harm to long standing American made companies such as Anheuser-Busch and Target Corporation, this local ‘Safe Place’ program is negligent, irresponsible and divisive at best.”
In a Facebook post applauding the letter – claiming a “legislative wipeout INCOMING” – the Lake County Republican Party said the city “passed a woke program demanding local business owners display ‘Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime stickers’ on the front doors of their businesses.”
State Sen. Dennis Baxley [photo above] last year led the push in his chamber to pass the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In 2019, he appeared here for his failed bill that would have directed public school teachers to argue against climate change and evolution. In 2005 he introduced the NRA-written “Stand Your Ground” bill that was successfully used in the murder of Trayvon Martin. That same year he introduced a failed bill that would have allowed students to sue university professors if they failed, for example, to allow students to promote Holocaust denial in classroom discussions. A descendant of a Confederate soldier, Baxley fought against the creation of the Florida Slavery Memorial, which was approved in 2018 and remains unbuilt.
'SAFE PLACES': Some central Florida lawmakers said they were considering “all legislative, legal and executive options available” to stop business owners in a small town from voluntarily displaying rainbow decals in their windows. https://t.co/bPrNBoxCfx
OK, WE GET IT ALREADY. Florida Republican lawmakers have made it absolutely, and unequivocally clear that they do not want any safe spaces for LGBTQ people in our state.
So the “free state” of Florida is prohibiting businesses from expressing their free speech and policies. I bet other businesses are allowed to display crosses in their windows in support of Christianity or Christofascists.
Picturesque and hilly, Mount Dora has become an LGBTQ enclave of sorts in recent years due to its robust arts scene and the welcoming stance of town leaders. The town is centered around a lake of the same name about 40 minutes northwest of Orlando.
If a business wants to post a sign in the window saying “Safe Space” ,great! Other businesses should feel free to post a sign saying “Hate Space” so customers can make their own decision.
treating people equally, fairly, and with respect – is negligent, irresponsible and divisive at best.” Let that sink in. What the fuck is wrong with these shit-stirring assholes – let alone harassing small businesses.
1) I’m pretty sure that will not pass any kind of court challenge; 2) This is how far gone the GQP’s rotted little nazi brains are that they think it will; and 3) So much for the RepubliQans being the party of freedom for business!
What part of “voluntary” and “optional” fries your socks, Senator Baxley? Oh, it’s the “voluntary” and “optional” part …can’t go letting people make their own decisions, now can we?
A tactical training group is no longer participating in a planned event with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office after Able Shepherd’s leaders disrupted a PrideFest celebration last weekend. A group of approximately 70 men interrupted DougCo PrideFest’s family-friendly drag show on Saturday. The men, wearing shirts reading “Stand to Protect Children,” stood blocking the view of the performers for roughly 40 minutes until they were escorted out.
Able Shepherd issued a statement to media outlets on Wednesday simultaneously defending the protest’s aims while denying the company was involved. “The media has claimed that Able Shepherd was involved in the event. This is not true,” the company posted on Facebook. 9NEWS obtained an email that appeared to have been distributed by Able Shepherd’s email system, recruiting protesters to interrupt the DougCo PrideFest show.
NEW: The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office says a tactical training group involved with an anti-PrideFest protest will no longer be included in a Sheriff’s Office event this week. #copoliticshttps://t.co/6L9HGp30i2
Able Shepherd denied involvement with the anti-Pride protest but did not respond to 9News’ questions about an email that appeared to come from Able Shepherd’s email system recruiting protesters to show up in opposition to the event’s “perverse agenda.” pic.twitter.com/vhbWZlgVzS
This Saturday’s Douglas County Pride Fest was protested by a number of different groups — Able Shepherd, Patriot Front, the Rocky Mountain Active Club, and the Proud Boys.https://t.co/pKcIDFVAsQpic.twitter.com/Gfa0YiLL0j
— Colorado Times Recorder (@COTimesRecorder) August 30, 2023
Douglas County group Able Shepherd disrupted the planned drag show at Pride by standing in the aisles and revealing shirts that say “stand to protect children” pic.twitter.com/HG213dhHEc
Also in the Able Shepherd protest group was Bill Jake, who gained fame in 2015 for trying to get a baker to make a cake that says "God Hates Gays."https://t.co/fzKFpPLtmf
KHOU 11 Investigates discovered more than half of the cops in the Coffee City Police Department had been suspended, demoted or fired from their previous jobs. https://t.co/ygkpfTUC4W
This is why I firmly believe that liberals need to join the military and police departments. If we want to “win” for good, we need to seize control of the mechanisms that society needs to function. The Nazis realized this a long time ago. They think they can get away with shit like this precisely because they think the cops have their backs.
My spouse and I have had a front row seat to experience how they circle the wagons. The reality that our police will not investigate reported bullet holes in our property is a wake up call. And another wake up call was that no elected official, democrats included actually give a fuck.
Oh, good! They’ll “no longer be included in a Sheriff’s Office event this week.” What a penalty. How about “are disqualified from participating in police action or training”? But of course not.
And there doesn’t seem to be a person of color anywhere in that group. White racist Christian assholes. Fuck, I hate Christians and everything about their fucked up religion.
When police training units are intermingled with domestic terrorists and domestic terrorist organizations, I have to ask: who protects the community from their police when the police hang out and associate with known terrorist affiliations and groups?
The lack of self-awareness should be enough to alert the community that they are not safe from a police organization that Associates itself with known domestic terrorists.
When people say all cops are bad, this is an example.
The ACLU sued on behalf of drag performer Flamy Grant and Blount Pride after District Attorney General Ryan Desmond warned them of possible prosecution in a letter.
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. District Court Judge J. Ronnie Greer issued a ruling blocking Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond from enforcing Tennessee’s “Adult Entertainment Act,” at a festival celebrating the Blount County LGBTQ+ community on Saturday.
Greer’s order said Desmond cannot enforce, detain, arrest or seek warrants to enforce the act and cannot interfere with Blount Pride’s festival.
The Adult Entertainment Act makes it unlawful to perform “adult cabaret entertainment,” on public property or in a place where children can see. The Act defines “male or female impersonators” as adult cabaret entertainment, a classification that the ACLU said targets drag performers.
In Shelby County, earlier this summer, District Judge Thomas L. Parker ruled it unconstitutional, saying it violated First Amendment rights, and barred the attorney general there from enforcing it. The District Attorney’s Office appealed that decision, and the Memphis-area lawsuit is going through the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Their ruling would apply across all districts in Tennessee.
“Judge Parker’s 70-page opinion is well-written, scrupulously researched, and highly persuasive,” Judge Greer wrote. “The court, based on the parties’ arguments at this juncture in the proceedings sees no reason to ‘break new ground’ on the constitutional issues.”
District Attorney General Desmond sent a letter to Blount Pride arguing Blount Pride was “marketing itself in a manner which raises concerns that the event may violate certain criminal statutes within the State of Tennessee.” His office would prosecute violations of the Adult Entertainment Act, Desmond wrote.
The ACLU sued Desmond and other law enforcement in Blount County, to prevent enforcement of the law. Desmond’s office released a statement about the injunction, available below.
“My office will abide by the order of Judge Greer. We are a nation of laws and this ruling is controlling over my office and our jurisdiction. As such, we will respect and comply with the order of the Court.”
Judge Greer ordered parties involved in the lawsuit to appear at the James H. Quillen Courthouse in Greeneville, Tenn. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, for a preliminary injunction hearing.
Blount Pride previously said the event would go on as planned on Saturday. It starts at 1 p.m. at the Claxton Center in Maryville on Saturday.
A statement from Blount Pride board president Ari Baker is also available below.
“We are relieved that the court has taken action to ensure that law enforcement will not wrongly apply this unconstitutional law. This ruling allows us to fully realize Blount Pride’s goal of creating a safe place for LGBTQ people to connect, celebrate, and share resources. We appreciate the community support and look forward to celebrating with you all on Saturday.”
I have always enjoyed Ethel’s videos. I have been watching them since she was a teen. She is passionate, yet she not only well versed in the subject she speaks on, but includes all her resources in the channel notes so anyone can double check what she says if they disagree with her. She has a slight speech impediment but the closed caption is great.
The story of Luna and her rabid anti-trans Christian father is a story I have followed since I heard it when Luna was around 7 or 8, and of the horrible abuse anti-trans fanatics will go too against letting a child be themselves. Despite court orders and against the child’s will he forcibly cut her hair, he refused to even allow girl’s clothing in his home and when she came to his home when he still had court ordered visitation would make her strip in the doorway after it was closed and go to the room assigned to her and put on male clothing. He then would destroy the girl clothing in front of her. Remember, at this point she was only socially transitioning, and he simply wouldn’t allow it. His parental rights were removed because of his refusal to follow court orders and treat Luna as the girl she was. And as is normal for Anti-trans haters he would go on the anti-trans Christian circuit and lie his ass off on everything. For an example he would say his wife only took Luna to one pro-trans mental health doctor when in fact she saw four or five, two were ones he insisted on including a Christian practitioner. They all agreed that Luna identified a girl. But his denial abuse got so bad that the girl and her mother fled the state and moved to California to be safe, a court approved move. But this is a man who would rather lose his child or see them dead than admit they might not be the gender that glancing between their legs at birth was assigned to them. Hugs
[Script & References] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J… [Chapters] 00:00 – Intro & Content Warning 01:28 – Jeff Damon Younger 16:01 – The Ministry of ‘Truth’ Film Festival 18:42 – Jeff Damon Younger Boasts About Turning Luna Into A Refugee 32:48 – Jeff Damon Younger’s Antisemitism [Social Media]
House Bill 900 requires book vendors to rate all their materials based on their depictions or references to sex before selling them to schools. Vendors say the law aims to regulate protected speech with “vague and over broad” terms.
Books at Vandegrift High School’s library on March 2, 2022. A federal judge said Thursday he will temporarily block a new state law that would require book vendors to rate the materials they sell to school libraries based on the presence of sex depictions or references. Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune
A federal judge said Thursday he will stop a new Texas law aimed at keeping sexually explicit materials off of school library shelves on the eve of the law going into effect, according to state attorneys and lawyers for a group who sued over the proposal.
District Judge Alan D. Albright indicated during a hearing that he will grant a temporary injunction sought by a group of book groups and sellers, including two Texas bookstores, who sued the state over House Bill 900 in July, the group’s lawyers said in a statement. Albright will issue a written order in one to two weeks; in the meantime, the state cannot enforce the law, according to the statement.
HB 900, which was approved during this year’s regular legislative session, requires school library vendors to rate all their books and materials for appropriateness before selling them to schools based on the presence of sex depictions or references. It also requires vendors to rank materials previously sold to schools and issue a recall for those that are deemed sexually explicit and are in active use by a school.
The plaintiffs argue that the law violates their constitutional rights by targeting protected speech with its broad and vague language. The lawsuit further alleges HB 900 would force plaintiffs to comply with the government’s views, even if they do not agree with them, and that the law operates as prior restraint, which is government action that prohibits speech or other expression before the speech happens. The vendors say it is impossible for them to comply with the rating system because of the sheer volume of materials they would need to review.
The law also calls for creating state school library standards that prohibit sexually explicit materials, requiring parental consent for students to check out materials classified by vendors as “sexually relevant” and giving the Texas Education Agency authority to review a vendor’s rating. If the TEA disagrees with the vendor’s rating and gives it a different one, the vendor must use the agency’s rating. Vendors who do not will be added to a list of vendors that schools cannot buy library materials from.
During the bill’s legislative hearings, librarians and legal experts shared concerns and worries that its language would ensnare books that are not inappropriate and, to the contrary, may be titles important for students whose lived experiences may not be reflected in other literature.
The proposal, from Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, arrived amid an ongoing debate about what materials are appropriate to be stocked in school and public libraries. Patterson and supporters of such regulations say libraries are infested with inappropriate books that must be vetted and removed.
However, skeptics of that panic and literary advocates counter that the books singled out by politicians often explore sexuality and race, topics that have been swept up in culture-war politics but remain important for youth who may not be comfortable talking about such matters with others.
Despite the concerns, HB 900 sailed through the legislative process before Gov. Greg Abbott signed it in June. It was set to go into effect Friday; however, the law’s language suggests the new requirements won’t have to be fulfilled immediately.
Most, if not all, of the state’s roughly 5.4 million public schoolchildren have already begun the 2023-2024 school year.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include two bookstores, Austin’s BookPeople and West Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop, as well as the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
The Texas Attorney General’s office said Thursday it would move to reverse the injunction and appeal the judge’s decision. The office had not received the judge’s written order or decision by Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson said.
A court representative for Albright did not respond to an inquiry about his comments during Thursday’s hearing, reported by the plaintiffs’ lawyers and on social media by at least one plaintiff.
“We are grateful for the court’s swift action in deciding to enjoin this law, in the process preserving the long-established rights of local communities to set their own standards; protecting the constitutionally protected speech of authors, booksellers, publishers and readers; preventing the state government from unlawfully compelling speech on the part of private citizens; and shielding Texas businesses from the imposition of impossibly onerous conditions,” the plaintiffs said in a joint statement after the hearing. “We look forward to reading the court’s full opinion once it is issued.”
What a way to entice young people to come to your church or endorse your religion by screaming hate and angry virtual at them. What a great way to save souls. What this really is meant to show what they think is their superior morals and showcase their bigotry / hate. It is driven by right wing media anti-LGBTQIA propaganda. It is fueled by conservative preachers that can not adjust to the modern age, preferring a time when only cis straight people who dressed more modestly were in public and young people deferred to adults as a normal practice. Hugs
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As students were released from McCallum High School Tuesday afternoon, the district confirms roughly eight people stood outside with anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion signs.
“The protesters were on the sidewalk but were blocking the buses, so they were asked to move,” a spokesperson for AISD said. “Austin ISD Police officers were on-site to ensure everyone’s safety, and the protesters left after about an hour.”
KXAN does not share photos or videos of possible hate speech as standard practice, which is why we have not included photos in this story and blurred signs in the video above.
“Instead we need to be standing up and saying that everyone belongs, and this is a community for everyone,” said Council Member Alison Alter of District 10.
Alter said the goal is twofold: One, to make reporting a hate crime easier and two, to connect people with resources and support.
“{The We All Belong website} tells you when to call 911, when to use IReport,” Alter said. “Not every hate crime or hate incident is the same, but people do need to report.”
You can also partner with the city to host a pop-up event through the program. The city will provide materials and messaging for the event. You can apply to host an event here. Some funding is available.
“Take action in the form of having those hard community conversations or creating a space where people can come together and celebrate,” Alter said. She continued: “Fight hate with love, fight hate with light.”
The district said school counselors will be on standby for students at McCallum upset about the Tuesday incident.
Jill has again showed us an important voice that we should hear. I know a lot of people that come here also go to Jill’s blog, but in case anyone missed it, please go to her site and read it. Thanks. Hugs
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Scottie's Playtime 