Tony Perkins Applauds Charlotte

"Hundreds of people packed out the small space in a heated debate over the city's special SOGI ordinance. In unprecedented numbers, more than 120 signed up to speak at the meeting before the members voted on a measure that would strip the First Amendment rights of anyone with a biblical view of sexuality. In the end, though, even carving out the most objectionable provision couldn't save the bill. Forty thousand emails, a few rallies, and several alerts later, members voted 6-5 to kill the bill -- handing the Left another crushing defeat in its bid to silence and punish conservatives for their views. At the meeting, homosexual activists insisted this was a matter of life and death for the LGBT community. The reality is, these efforts are a matter of livelihood and the death of freedom for Christians across America. Bakers, fire chiefs, policeman, lobbyists, teachers, wedding planners -- they're all being forced by the government to check their beliefs at the workplace door under measures exactly like this one. Fortunately, the American people are starting to catch on to the Left's march and demanding leaders send these SOGI ordinances where they belong: to the trash bin. Our thanks to everyone in Charlotte who stood on principle and sent a powerful message to the Left -- not in our town!" - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

Charlotte Haters: We're Not Nazis

Like Father, Like Son

CHARLOTTE: City Council Rejects LGBT Rights Bill In 6-5 Vote Even After Stripping Transgender Restroom Protections

On the slim upside, we saw some real heroes tonight - both at the speakers' podium and in City Councilwoman Lawana Mayfield.

UPDATE: The Charlotte Observer reports:

After its most contentious meeting in years, Charlotte City Council voted down the most controversial bill they have considered in years, an amended nondiscrimination ordinance that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected categories. The bill failed 6 to 5, with both supporters and opponents of the original bill voting against it. Council members voted to remove the section of the ordinance that would have allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. That issue drew the most vigorous opposition from dozens of speakers. “All over the world, there are restrooms for men and restrooms for women,” said council member Ed Driggs, a Republican. “It does not place an unreasonable burden on them and it does not stigmatize them.”

RELATED: In the clip below the Charlotte Observer recaps some of tonight's most virulently anti-gay speakers including Pastor Flip Benham. Also featured in the clip is Richard Pope, the douchecanoe who began the day by brandishing the below sign outside of the building.

UPDATE II: The Charlotte Observer has posted a second clip featuring excerpts from supporters of the ordinance.

CHARLOTTE: Pastor Flip Benham Screams "Pervert" After Trans Teen Uses Restroom

This happened tonight during the LGBT rights debate. Matt Comer reports at Q Notes:

qnotes has received two reports of confrontations of transgender people using the government center’s bathrooms, including one confrontation in which anti-LGBT street preacher Flip Benham, once convicted of stalking a local abortion doctor, confronted a 17-year-old transgender girl. Olivia, 17, told qnotes she went to use the women’s restroom on the second floor of the government center. Inside, everything was fine and she heard no complaints from the adult women in the restroom. But when she came out, Olivia says a man confronted her, called her a “young man” and said she shouldn’t have been in the women’s restroom.

Olivia also said that Benham joined in the confrontation. Benham’s fellow activist, Ante Pavkovic, apparently recorded the incident, but Benham refused to show qnotes the video, saying he’ll send it to Shawn Hannity at Fox News. “I don’t want a pervert like yourself trying to misrepresent what happened in there when that young boy went into that bathroom with the young girls,” Benham said. The teenager said she responded angrily, calling Benham an “asshole,” but her mother, Darlena, said she felt Benham was the aggressor. She stepped between them. As they walked away, Benham allegedly said the teenager should be arrested. Benham called the teenager a “punk” and a “pervert” and claimed there were children in the restroom.

Hit the link and read the full report.

LIVE VIDEO: Charlotte City Council Debates LGBT Rights Ordinance

Watch it here. The vote is expected to be very close and the chamber is standing-room only with supporters from both sides well represented.

CHARLOTTE: Christians Rally Against Proposed LGBT Rights Ordinance

Follow local journalist Matt Comer as he reports from the scene via Twitter.

NORTH CAROLINA: Local Haters Object To Charlotte's Proposed LGBT Rights Bill

Via press release from the NC Values Coalition:

Don’t do it Charlotte! Should Christian photographers in Charlotte be required to photograph a same-sex wedding ceremony? Should a Christian t-shirt printer be required to print t-shirts for a gay pride parade? Should a Christian adoption agency be required to place a child with a same-sex couple? No, of course not. Unfortunately, Charlotte businesses could soon be forced to make the difficult choice between providing services and promoting messages that violate their religious beliefs or facing legal harassment and financial penalties. This expansion of Charlotte’s nondiscrimination law would not only threaten the religious liberty of Christian business owners, but it will also threaten the safety of women and children in Charlotte’s public restrooms because it will require public restrooms to be open to use by persons of any sex. This means that any man claiming to identify as a woman would be allowed to use a public women’s restroom!

CHARLOTTE: Catholic Bishop Denouces Proposed LGBT Rights Ordinance

Via the Catholic News Herald:

The proposal has generated controversy and opposition from various religious groups, which have expressed concern that its wording and its intent are to deny churches and businesses the ability to uphold their religious beliefs about sexuality, marriage and more. "I pray that the city council will provide all of the people of Charlotte with an ordinance that respects our constitutional right to the free exercise of religion," Bishop Peter J. Jugis said in a brief statement issued Feb. 26. He added, "God made men and women different; as a society we should respect that difference."

The Catholic Church teaches that all people are made in the image of God and therefore deserving of dignity and respect. The Church's teaching that marriage can be between only one man and one woman, and its condemnation of sexual relations outside of marriage, have put it at odds with laws that are increasingly creating "rights" for the redefinition of marriage and artificial manipulation of gender while disregarding or penalizing individuals whose religious beliefs clash with the newly created "rights." "There are no federal laws that expressly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity," Charlotte City Attorney Robert E. Hagemann noted in a Feb. 3 memo to the city council.

Anti-gay activists led by the Benham brothers will stage a hate rally today outside of the chamber of the Charlotte City Council. Similar LGBT rights ordinances already exist in multiple North Carolina municipalities, including the cities of Raleigh, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, and Asheville.

From Today's Charlotte Observer

"Do you enjoy the freedom to live according to your conscience without being forced to promote ideas or behaviors contrary to your convictions? Do you believe men should be prohibited from using women’s restrooms? Should a gay T-shirt maker be forced to create anti-gay marriage T-shirts? Should a Muslim baker be mandated to make a gay wedding cake? That’s exactly what this ordinance will do if passed. There are two obvious and disturbing common sense aspects to this provision. First, by allowing transgendered males to enter women’s restrooms our City is forcing all women, including mothers and daughters, to be put in uncomfortable situations in the privacy of bathrooms, locker and shower rooms.

"Second, it opens the door for male heterosexual predators to pose as women under the guise of being transgender. Remember, being transgendered is a psychological state of mind that anyone can claim, no matter what clothes they wear. From Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Olympia, Wash., there are real examples of heterosexual men dressing like women and entering women’s rooms with intent to commit crimes. Historically, civil rights have never been provided to protect behaviors or psychological states of mind." - David Benham, in an op-ed published today by the Charlotte Observer. Benham and his brother have organized a hate rally to take place tomorrow outside of the chamber of the Charlotte City Council.

CHARLOTTE: Haters To Stage Monday Rally Against LGBT Rights Ordinance

Via press release:

The City of Charlotte is poised to pass a burdensome ordinance that will further regulate businesses, involuntarily shackle them to a political agenda, and erode their clients’ most basic sense of security that many have come to expect and enjoy in North Carolina’s premier city. On March 2, 2015 the Charlotte City Council will vote on whether to amend the non-discrimination policy requirements for businesses that offer their services to the public (i.e. public accommodations), businesses that have contracts with the city, and businesses that offer vehicles for hire such as taxis and limousines. Public accommodations include retail stores, counseling businesses, schools, parks, gyms, museums, athletic stadiums, whether these are privately owned businesses or not. If you conduct business in Charlotte you will be required to allow men to use the female restrooms, showers, and locker rooms. Most businesses already have all-encompassing non-discrimination policies that have worked effectively for many years. Additionally, this law is unnecessary because there is not widespread discrimination of these groups to begin with.

Bolding is motherfucking mine. The hate rally is at 4PM outside the Charlotte City Council chamber.  JMG readers in Charlotte, please send us your photos and video if you attend.

David Benham: How To Cure Gayness

"We had so many people from the gay community reaching out to us and one man in particular from the city of Chicago reached out and he said things to me that made me lose my appetite. But I simply responded in love. After a little conversation back and forth, I found out he loved baseball and I got him tickets to a Cubs game. He shot me a Facebook post and said, ‘I was not expecting that  and I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I’ve chosen to walk away from my lifestyle.’" - David Benham, telling the audience at the National Religious Broadcasters convention that he cured a man's gayness with a gift of baseball tickets. In two days Benham and his brother will gift the city of Charlotte with a hate rally against a proposed LGBT rights ordinance.

CHARLOTTE: Benham Brothers Oppose "Depraved" LGBT Rights Ordinance

The Benham brothers have long battled against LGBT rights in their hometown and on Monday they will lead a hate rally against Charlotte's proposed rights ordinance.

Editorial Of The Day

The Charlotte News-Observer has taken a swipe at North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis over his opposition to enacting same-sex marriage. Tillis is attempting to unseat US Sen. Kay Hagan.

Write the check, Mr. Tillis. If you want to continue North Carolina’s defense of its same-sex marriage ban, even after the U.S. Supreme Court implicitly rejected it and other bans Monday, have at it. If you want to keep fighting a fight that for all practical and legal purposes has been decided, go for it. But pay for it. Don’t spend North Carolina’s money doing so. Don’t waste tax dollars on outside attorneys that N.C. lawmakers have said you can use to intervene “on behalf of the General Assembly” in legal challenges of state laws. That’s apparently what you’re planning, given your reaction Monday to the Supreme Court’s decision to let stand lower court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans. One of those rulings, on a Virginia law, came from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. That decision applies to North Carolina, too.

In other words, Mr. Tillis: It’s over. You can disagree with the Supreme Court, but you should follow the lead of your attorney general Roy Cooper, who recognizes the legal futility of fighting. Better yet, look to your governor, Pat McCrory, who told reporters Monday that while he didn’t like the justices’ decision, he believes he must respect it. Any other course is a waste of time. It’s an irresponsible use of state resources. It’s a cynical play for conservative votes in your U.S. Senate race. It’s one last slap at homosexuals in North Carolina. It’s not, however, something that N.C. taxpayers should sponsor. If you want to keep up the battle, feel free. But write the check yourself. Or maybe your campaign can pick up the tab.

The above editorial has given local anti-gay activist Michael Brown an enormous case of the sadz.

In what sounded more like a gay activist screed in a high-school publication than a serious editorial in a major newspaper, the Charlotte Observer has officially declared war on people of faith and conservative moral values, mocking those who believe there is the slightest rational reason to resist the radical redefinition of marriage. Making no attempt to hide its disdain for the conservative, historic position, and gleefully mocking the views of the majority of North Carolinians, the editorial begins with three sentences ending in exclamation points – when is the last time you have seen that in a major editorial? – deriding the idea that there could be any negative consequences to redefining marriage.

Brown is infamous for leading hundreds of red-shirted Christians in their annual disruption of Charlotte Pride.

Charlotte Pride: The Benhams Failed

Ten years ago the Benham brothers joined anti-gay activist Michael Brown in demanding that the Charlotte City Council ban gay pride events. David Benham: "This is filth, this is vile, and should not be allowed in our city." In more recent years I've reported on Brown's annual invasion of Charlotte Pride during which hundreds of his red-shirted Coalition Of Conscience followers march into the event with signs and promises of an eternal writhing agony in a lake of fire.

From Charlotte Pride:

Despite their best attempts — regularly coming back to protest Pride events with their father — Charlotte Pride has not been pushed into a closet and our community has not been ignored by city leaders. The Benham brothers and their family tried to silence us. They wanted us in the grave! Instead, they’ve only made us stronger, but we need your support to keep growing and to ensure no one ever tries to silence us again.

Protesters like the Benham brothers have dwindled in number each year, and Charlotte Pride has grown from just a few thousand 10 years ago to over 80,000 people over two days last year. With our success, the Benhams’ father even tried suing the city over our festival permits! But City Attorney Bob Hagemann successfully defended the city and told WFAE that Charlotte Pride is “an economic development benefit to the city and an entertainment opportunity for tens of thousands of people.

Won’t you help us? Donate directly today, or schedule your donation to coincide with National Give Out Day on May 15, when you’ll join thousands of community members just like you in supporting the LGBTQ community causes closest to your heart. Charlotte Pride isn’t dead. It hasn’t been pushed in the grave. We’ve never been denied a city permit, and our voices keep growing stronger, louder and prouder with each passing year. Let’s show the Benham brothers what true equality and community looks like. Donate today or on Give Out Day on May 15 and help make the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade and all our many future events in years to come a success on which no amount of protesters can ever put a damper.”

Seen In Charlotte

Cannon, a Democrat, was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and charged with theft and bribery.

Charlotte Mayor Resigns Following Arrest

Democratic Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon today resigned after being handcuffed and perp-walked out of his office yesterday by the FBI.

Cannon submitted his resignation letter to city manager Ron Carlee and city attorney Bob Hagemann, Charlotte spokesman Keith Richardson said in an email. The 47-year-old Cannon is charged with bribery and public corruption. The Democrat took cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and the use of a luxury apartment as bribes and solicited more than $1 million more, according to a criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney's office. Cannon said in his resignation letter that the pending charges "will create too much of a distraction" for the business of the city to go forward. He said it was effective immediately. "I regret that I have to take this action, but I believe that it is in the best interest of the City for me to do so," he said.

RELATED: Wingnut shrieker site Twitchy just published an apology to the Associated Press after running a headline that denounced the AP for not mentioning Cannon's party affiliation. In fact, the AP noted that Cannon is a Democrat in its second paragraph. The apology is buried at the bottom of Twitchy's updated post.

Charlotte Mayor Charged With Corruption

Democratic Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon, who took office less than four months ago, was arrested today by the FBI on charges of theft and bribery.

The arrest follows an undercover investigation that began in August 2010. Authorities allege Cannon solicited and accepted cash from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers and investors who wanted to do business in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city. Cannon allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for the privileges of his position as an elected official, whether it be as mayor, mayor pro tem or a city council member. The FBI said he accepted money from agents on five separate occasions. The last was on Feb. 21, 2014. He is accused of accepting $20,000 in cash at the mayor's office. The exchanges began in January 2013, according to the Department of Justice. In total, Cannon accepted about $48,000 in cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and use of a luxury apartment, the FBI said.

Cannon was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 1993 at the age of 26, becoming the youngest Council member in city history. During last year's mayoral campaign, one of Cannon's Democratic opponents gained local headlines when he called Cannon, "that black gay guy." Cannon responded with a statement that denounced his opponent for "using inflammatory language to attack a family man" such as himself.

In a later campaign interview with local LGBT outlet Q Notes, reporter Matt Comer asked Cannon if he supported marriage equality. Cannon responded, "I would say my belief has always been to each his or her own, relative to what they want to practice. However, my personal belief is that I don’t subscribe to it. I am not here to be anybody’s judge relative to what they feel they want to explore and/or engage in, but it’s something that personally I don’t subscribe to." Cannon then declared that he had voted against North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage as part of his "to each his own" belief.

In November 2013 Cannon succeeded former Charlotte mayor and rising Democratic star Anthony Foxx, who was named Transportation Secretary by President Obama.  If convicted, Cannon faces up to 20 years in prison. He was freed on bail today following his arrest.

NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte Mayor Asks Fired Grocery Worker For His Resume

Drew Swope, the North Carolina grocery store worker who was fired this weekend after GOP Gov. Pat McCrory tattled on him for making a rude comment, has been asked for his resume by Democratic Charlotte Mayor Pat Cannon. From Swope's Facebook page: "The mayor of Charlotte, Pat Cannon, just called me and asked me to send him my resume and he'll see if he can help me find a position. This man is my hero. Thanks Mr. Cannon!"

But there's much more to the story. Swope, it was learned today, is openly gay and he believes McCrory's anger at him was spurred, in part, by a "swishy move" that Swope made after telling McCrory, "Thanks for nothing." Via Talking Points Memo:

"When he started yelling at me, it was a sudden turn because I made sort of a swishy move," Swope said. "I’ve been discriminated against a lot, and I can see that moment when someone just suddenly goes ballistic because of this other thing, not what you said or did." He acknowledged that he "can’t get inside [McCrory's] mind," but is certain that homophobia was at work. "I don’t know what he was thinking, but I’ll tell you from man to man: He was hating on me for being a fag," Swope said. McCrory's office did not immediately respond to TPM's request for comment, but a spokesman told the Charlotte News & Observer that the governor never raised his voice. The spokesman also said that Swope flashed an obscene gesture, an accusation that Swope emphatically denied.

TPM notes that Swope has called McCrory a "fag" several times on his Facebook page since the firing. Swope also writes, "And please don't kick anyone in the nuts. Especially the governor who has none." That comment comes because when the press became critical of McCrory's tattling, his staff delved into Swope's social media history and uncovered a January post in which he suggested that somebody kick McCrory in the groin.

RELATED:  In 2012, McCrory supported North Carolina's Amendment One, which placed a ban on same-sex marriage into the state constitution. While Charlotte mayor, McCrory threatened to cut city funding for the arts over a staging of the Pulitzer Prize-winning AIDS-themed play, Angels In America. While governor, McCrory repealed North Carolina's Racial Justice Act, which permitted death row inmates to challenge their sentences on the basis of racial discrimination. He also signed bills that require photo IDs from voters and reduce the number of early voting days. Last year McCrory taunted abortion rights protesters by bringing them a plate of cookies after signing a bill which restricts abortion access.

NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte Hosts First Gay Pride Parade In 19 Years

Yesterday Charlotte held its first gay pride parade in 19 years. Since the last parade in 1994, the celebration had been limited to a festival in a city park. 

Attendance for the weekend of festivities was 70,000-75,000, including 20,000 for the parade, said media chairman Matt Comer. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police don’t typically release crowd sizes for public events. The parade was revived this year after lacking the organization and community support it needed in previous years, he said. Marcher Ken Wittenaur, 58, a Charlotte attorney, said the crowd was energizing. “It was amazing to see so many people out here,” he said. “It was a real scene of inclusiveness. It was really touching.”

VIDEO: As always, there was a contingent of anti-gay protesters and preachers who shouted condemnation and promises of well-deserved eternal agonies in a lake of fire. Or something.