The Westboro Baptist Church, proud owner of godhatesfags.com, is hitting up the Equality March in Washington D.C. this weekend, Joe My God reports. If the church’s nonsensical picket schedule can be believed, Fred Phelps and friends will be hitting up three D.C. locations in one big anti-gay tour: The D.C. Jewish Community Center, the Annual HRC National Dinner, and the National Equality March. See what Phelps and the gang have planned for their protests, after the jump. Spoiler alert: Antichrist Obama is gonna be there!

Read More “Follow the Westboro Baptist Church’s Tour of Anti-Gay Nonsense” »

Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government is a conservative group which opposes gender identity protections in the state. The group’s president, Ruth Jacobs, says stuff like: ““If somebody with an opposite body part is allowed in to a ladies’ restroom—a guy who has a penis, who could put his penis inside my vagina—what am I to do?” The group’s recent written materials, too, strike that special blend of horror, humor, and confusion.

Read More “Anti-Transgender Activist Group or German Party Casino?” »

Tomorrow, the U.S. House will vote on HR 1913, the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.” Also known as the “Matthew Shepard Act,” it would add the categories of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability to federal hate crime legislation.

The Human Rights Campaign is urging you to voice your support of the bill to Congress. Others want you to contact Congress, too—to protest the “un-American” bill with the sole aim of “punishing wrong beliefs about homosexuality” that “could lead to the criminalization of the Biblical view of homosexuality in sermons and elsewhere.”

Oh, bills—they “could” always “lead” places.

Here’s the National Organization for Marriage’s new anti-same-sex-marriage scare ad:

The Human Rights Campaign has released a report detailing the ad’s inaccuracies, which is great. But the HRC has outdone itself this time by tracking down the audition reels of actors stumbling over ridiculous NOM lines like “the clouds are dark and the winds are strong, and I’m afraid.” The auditions are after the jump.

Insider tip: The actress in “Audition 3″ is unbelievable.

Read More “Welcome to the Anti-Gay Auditions!” »

The Washington Blade has compiled a list of the salaries of the leaders of the District’s top gay rights and AIDS advocacy organizations. Who knew that providing “meals and nutritional services for homebound people with HIV/AIDS in the Washington, D.C. area” could be so lucrative? A representative food chain is below, from top to bottom local earners.

Craig Schniderman, Food & Friends (described above): $382,200
Joe Solomese, Human Rights Campaign: $338,400
Chuck Wolfe, The Victory Fund: $220,000
Donald Blanchon, Whitman-Walker Clinic: $170,000
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality: $82,321
Dyana Mason, Equality Virginia: $59,000

Wanda Sykes, whom I love, came out last year, meaning I have a shot with her! Sykes performed at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2009 Los Angeles Gala and Hero Awards on Saturday. For those of us who missed it, I Should Be Laughing compiled Sykes‘ best material:

On being an in-demand activist:

I’m busy! Gay, gay, gay all the time. I didn’t know it was gonna be thus much work! Geez! Every day, ‘This is something gay, can you do this?’ I’ll be there! …And I keep saying gay. I haven’t got all the correct terminology down. So many women come up to me, hard-core lesbians: “Wanda! You gotta stop saying gay! You’re a lesbian!…you’re not gay! Men are gay! You’re a lesbian, you’re a woman!” I’m like calm down dyke I just started this!

Read More “Wanda Sykes Headlines HRC Gala” »

Did the MSM leave Melissa in the dark?

The media’s short-shrifting of gay inaugural events didn’t stop at Rev. Gene Robinson’s untelevised prayer at Sunday’s Lincoln Memorial concert, says AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis.

“There seemed to be a dearth of coverage about the gay and lesbian side of the inaugural festivities. Our readers reported that a number of networks oddly cut away from the inaugural parade the moment the gay band showed up,” he writes.* “And not much mention of the gay ball the Human Rights Campaign held Tuesday night.”

Read More “Did the Media Black Out Gay Inauguration Celebrations?” »

Welcome to the final bracket of the Manliest Workplace in D.C. Competition! Well, well, it’s sure been a wild ride, hasn’t it, what with the whatsits in the Union bracket and the whosits in Government (Relive the glory of the full 64-workplace bracket here). This week: Advocacy groups compete for final D.C. do-man-ation!

Get it?

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: There’s nothing manlier than Human, am I right ladies? Or am I wrong? I’ve culled the top positions from the HRC’s staff chart, along with its four D.C.-based board members, to find out. Let’s go to the standings!

Read More “Man Madness: Human Rights Campaign Vs. EMILY’s List” »

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman says she might be. Maxwell, a “gay woman, community organizer and labor leader with an adopted African American son,” is on the shortlist for Labor Secretary, Weisman reports. Maxwell, the “founding executive director of American Rights at Work,” recently received endorsements from Representative David Bonior and the HRC—who just last week wrote to Barack Obama asking for him to consider Representative Linda Sanchez. Writes Weisberg:

Today, the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign will release a letter to President-elect Barack Obama strongly backing her. The catch: The group last week backed Rep. Linda Sanchez for the post.

“You would have received our letter in support of Representative Sánchez’s candidacy for Secretary of Labor last week,” HRC President Joe Solmonese writes, asking for a mulligan.

If nominated—and confirmed—Maxwell would be the first openly gay U.S. presidential cabinet member.

* Juicy Campus has hit George Washington University. How do G.W. gossips compare to Georgetown’s finest? So far, Juciy Campus’ G.W. page seems to have a lot more nonsense on it. That’s a good thing, writes Travis of G.W. student blog The Colonialist: “I spent the weekend surfing the site a lot, putting up things about myself and my roommates. I’d like to openly admit to writing all 10 of the comments calling The GW Patriot racist. I’d be willing to bet that 80% of the posts on the site are done with the same innocent prank attitude. It’s a playground.”

* The New Gay blogger inspired, depressed by gay couples. TNG’s Jon surveyed the scene at the annual HRC fundraiser on Saturday: “Men were holding hands, women were kissing, and partners were snuggling up and laughing together at their tables,” Jon laments. “This is all wonderful of course, but it served as an in-your-face reminder that I’m currently partner-less.”

* Sex blogger dude Roissy in D.C. says the recession will mean better sex:

If a protracted and deep recession leads to the average woman cutting costs at the supermarket and steering clear of the high calorie packaged foodstuffs, it could mean more slender women and, consequently, better sex. . . . Hard times bring “hard” times.

Hmm. Maybe it will also teach Roissy a lesson in economics.

* Local blogger Jimbo makes an appearance at Maryland Renaissance Festival, hears best catcall ever: “Oooh, gurl, he’s dressed up like an evil sex sorceror.”

* Before the presidential face-offs resume tonight, let’s remember just how far we’ve come since last Thursday’s veep debates. Thanks to The Guardian’s Michelle Goldberg for highlighting Palin’s most nonsensical non-answer:

Say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced [sic] your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education, and I’m glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right? … My brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here’s a shout-out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate.

Shit, is it possible to just place a [sic] around an entire quote? Or to have one floating over her head every time she speaks? Get on it, magic Jesus.

Photo by dumbonyc, in mourning of last night’s re-run of Gossip Girl. –XOXO, The Sexist