LGBT Groups Applaud Obama's Support For Laws That Ban "Ex-Gay" Torture

GLSEN

Studies conducted by major mental health organizations and personal testimony from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth have shown that conversion therapy can create dangerous and even life-threatening effects, including depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse and suicidal behavior. We are thrilled that President Obama will call for an end to the use of conversion therapy on minors. It is a harmful and discredited practice that uses rejection, shame and psychological abuse aimed at changing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Fifteen years ago, major medical, psychiatric and counseling associations rallied to GLSEN’s side to beat back attempts to force this insidious practice into our schools. We salute them for their pioneering stance and thank the President for his leadership in protecting youth from these damaging and misguided practices.

Truth Wins Out

"We are ecstatic that President Barack Obama spoke out against this harmful practice that psychologically terrorizes too many perfectly healthy LGBT youth and stigmatizes them as mentally ill,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The President’s wise words gave momentum to efforts to prohibit fringe practitioners from traumatizing vulnerable LGBT adolescents and calling it therapy.” “President Obama’s expression of support shows that he really ‘gets it’ at a fundamental level,” said TWO’s Wayne Besen. “We are very fortunate to have a president who is dedicated to equality and ending the destructive practice of conversion therapy.”

Lambda Legal

In both California and New Jersey, Lambda Legal joined with regional and national organizations working with LGBT young people to advocate on behalf of the ultimately successful efforts in both states to enact legislation preventing licensed mental health providers from using therapies with minors that are demonstrably ineffective and can be deeply harmful, and we were part of the correspondingly successful efforts to defend these bans in court. We will continue to advocate on behalf of LGBT young people as other states likewise move to protect them from this preventable harm. These dangerous and damaging efforts to change sexual orientation and gender identity have wrecked lives. Tonight the President lent the full weight of his leadership to the work our community has been doing for years to protect young people and their families. He joins not only Lambda Legal and our sister organizations, but every leading medical and therapeutic organization, as they have unanimously and unequivocally recognized that LGBT people's identities should not be targeted for change.

Flipping The Script On Religious Liberty

Via press release from Truth Wins Out:

“If LGBT people can be discriminated against based on faith, so can Christians,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “And there are millions of Americans who are not Christian and may abuse these laws to exclude people based on their Christian beliefs. This, of course, would be wrong, but in our current society today, many people still don’t see this same injustice when it’s done to gay people. They call it ‘religious freedom’. The Flipping the Script videos show it for what it really is, discrimination.” In our latest ad, a gay man who runs a theater company forbids a Christian from buying tickets to a show after he sees a cross hanging from his neck. Citing the fictitious “Church of Harvey Fierstein,” he directs the Christian to go to a theater that shows “Passion of the Christ.” This is a plausible example of what could occur under such ridiculous bills that allow the gutting of anti-discrimination laws based on declarations of “sincere” faith. The video dramatization was created for Truth Wins Out by Chicago-based writer and performance artist Eric Clements, and filmmaker Ben Nissen.

PENNSYLVANIA: Atheist Protest Of Jesus Statue Charges Meets Counter-Protesters

Remember the teenager in Pennsylvania who faces two years in juvenile detention for posing on a statue of Jesus? This happened this weekend:

A successful protest, where several dozen people rallied in favor of free speech, was marred on Saturday, when a belligerent group of counter protesters, including two from what appeared to be a motorcycle gang, crashed the demonstration and threatened those in attendance, including a 14-year old boy arrested for “desecrating” a Jesus statue and Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. Incredibly, there was not a single police officer on-hand to prevent potential violence and this left the protesters vulnerable to thugs and forced them to fend for themselves. “The Bedford police placed us directly in harms way and their inaction nearly caused a full-blown melee,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “This is the first time in two decades of protesting that I’ve been put directly in harm’s way by town officials. We call on Bedford to immediately review its policies for protecting the free speech rights of those who demonstrate in their town.”

From the clip recap:

Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen, American Atheists President David Silverman and Pennsylvania Nonbelievers President Brian Fields all three organizations came together, held a press conference and a demonstration in Bedford, Pennsylvania, to speak out for freedom of speech and freedom of religion for all after hearing of a fourteen year old child is being tried in juvenile court in Bedford on October 3 2014 for “desecrating” a Jesus statue after pictures were posted on Facebook.

Things start to get heated around the 8:00 mark.

Headline Of The Day

The Daily Beast today published a lengthy accounting of the The Gathering, a secretive meeting of anti-gay right wing activists that starts in Orlando today. An excerpt:

The Gathering is an annual event at which many of the wealthiest conservative to hard-right evangelical philanthropists in America—representatives of the families DeVos, Coors, Prince, Green, Maclellan, Ahmanson, Friess, plus top leaders of the National Christian Foundation—meet with evangelical innovators with fresh ideas on how to evangelize the globe. The Gathering promotes “family values” agenda: opposition to gay rights and reproductive rights, for example, and also a global vision that involves the eventual eradication of all competing belief systems that might compete with The Gathering’s hard-right version of Christianity. Last year, for example, The Gathering 2013 brought together key funders, litigants, and plaintiffs of the Hobby Lobby case, including three generations of the Green family. The evangelical right financial dynasties and foundations that meet each year at The Gathering dispense upwards of $1 billion a year in grants. But even that is overshadowed by the bigger sums that The Family and The Gathering have managed to route from the federal and state government to fund their movement via the Faith-Based Initiative program, USAID, PEPFAR and other multibillion-dollar programs.

Many of the anti-gay hate groups involved will be familiar to you. Definitely hit that link.

Equality Groups React To Phelps Death

People For The American Way

Fred Phelps made a name for himself by protesting the funerals of soldiers and hate crime victims. In particular, he spent decades causing immeasurable pain to LGBT people and their families. My thoughts are with all those people today. Very much in spite of himself, Fred Phelps was an important figure in the movement for LGBT equality. Other right-wing leaders have chosen their words more carefully, and the WBC even protested some far-right activists for being insufficiently hateful, but plenty of Religious Right leaders have always agreed on Phelps’s core message: that God reacts to gay people with divine punishment in this world and damnation in the next. Fred Phelps just said what so many anti-gay activists have always believed. When Americans were faced with the choice of accepting their LGBT neighbors or endorsing Phelps’s unfiltered hate, they chose the former. He showed anti-gay bigotry for what it really is: profoundly un-American. Phelps lived to see a nation that more and more decisively rejected his vile message. That’s his legacy.

Truth Wins Out

“Fred was a net positive for the LGBT community,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen, who once referred to Phelps as a "walking hate crime." “The organized Religious Right despised him. They would spend big money to concoct elaborate schemes that tried to make raw hate appear to be love. Then Fred would come along and foil their careful plans with a 'God Hates Fags sign.'" Fred Phelps’ slogan continues to be the primary message of groups like the American Family Association, Family Research Council and lesser entities like Americans For Truth and Mission America, distilled into its simplest form. Indeed, Phelps’ fundamental honesty exposed the true face of anti-gay hatred in America. “Fred was a loathsome creature,” said TWO’s Besen. “But I’ll say one nice thing about him: He’s the only honest person on the Religious Right I’ve ever met. He says what many of them truly believe but are too careful to say publicly."

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

Fred Phelps will not be missed by the LGBT community, people with HIV/AIDS and the millions of decent people across the world who found what he and his followers do deeply hurtful and offensive. Through his actions, he brought needless pain and suffering to thousands of families, including to military families, at their time of greatest pain and grieving. While it is hard to find anything good to say about his views or actions, we do give our condolences to his family members at what must be a painful time for them.

More reactions will be added to this post as they come in.

LGBT Groups React To Arizona Veto

Human Rights Campaign

With today’s veto, Governor Brewer spared her state from institutional discrimination and economic catastrophe. Make no mistake, there is no better way to doom jobs in a state than by signing license-to-discriminate bills,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin. “The bipartisan outpouring of opposition to this bill is all the proof you need that this country isn't turning backwards. Governor Brewer did the right thing in stopping this assault on businesses and the LGBT community and we call on her and the legislature--and governors and legislators in other states--to resist any attempt to give license to discrimination.”

The Task Force

"We thank Governor Brewer for her decision to veto this outrageous measure -- a law that if enacted would be bad for Arizona people and the Arizona economy. In doing so, she has stopped a bill that both cynically uses religion as a smokescreen to justify discrimination and insults people of faith who feel that discrimination is morally wrong. This decision sends a clear message that extremism is totally unacceptable to people of all political persuasions."

GetEQUAL

"Governor Jan Brewer stood on the right of history today by vetoing SB 1062. It is clear that this bill would have hurt business, caused unnecessary controversy, and -- most importantly -- increased the suffering of LGBTQ people in Arizona. We are relieved that she has shown leadership and vetoed a bill that is bad for business and bad for the people of Arizona. However, we cannot forget the suffering that some of her other decisions have caused to immigrants, LGBTQ people and women. She signed SB 1070 into the law -- one of the most anti-immigrant laws in the country -- then signed an executive order denying driver's licenses for DREAM Act-eligible youth who received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). She has de-funded Planned Parenthood clinics and signed a bill prohibiting abortion after 18 weeks after conception. She has also backed a marriage equality ban in Arizona.

Truth Wins Out

"Gov. Jan Brewer avoided going down in history as ‘Jan Crow’ by wisely vetoing this wolf in sheep’s clothing," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "If this bill had become law, it would have been a disaster for Arizona's reputation and severely tarnished the governor's legacy. “This was a major defeat for what has become a concerted Hail Mary campaign to carve out special rights for religious conservatives so that they don’t have to play by the same rules as everyone else does,” said Evan Hurst, Truth Wins Out’s Associate Director. “In this new up-is-down world, anti-gay religious folks are ‘practicing their faith’ when they’re baking cakes or renting out hotel rooms to travelers. On the ground, these bills hurt real, live LGBT people.”

ACLU Of Arizona

“Discrimination has no place in Arizona, or anywhere else,” said Alessandra Soler, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona. “We’re grateful that the governor has stopped this disgraceful law from taking effect, and that Arizona will remain open for business to everyone.” The Arizona bill was passed last week following the defeat of similar bills in Maine, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Idaho. “We strongly support the right of every person to exercise their religious beliefs, but religious freedom doesn’t give any of us the right to harm others,” said Eunice Rho, advocacy and policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union. “The massive public opposition to this, as well as several other failed bills across the country, shows that Americans of all political persuasions and religions feel the same way.”

GLAAD

"Discrimination is not an American value, plain and simple," said GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis. "Governor Brewer today demonstrated that basic respect for LGBT people extends across party lines, and anti-LGBT bias isn't just bad politics, it's bad for business. As other states consider similar laws that aim only to make LGBT people's lives more difficult, legislators would do well to remember that anti-LGBT laws just won't be tolerated."

Lambda Legal

“Arizona's recent history has taught corporate and civic leaders that discrimination is terrible for business. This religion bill would have reversed the state's hard-won economic progress by declaring "open season" on LGBT people. Everyone in Arizona deserves respect and inclusion, including same-sex couples and their families, and people of all faiths and backgrounds. Governor Brewer did the right thing with today's veto. May it be a guiding signal for elected leaders across the country considering similar bills.”

"Ex-Gay" Michael Glatze Marries

Wayne Besen writes at Truth Wins Out:

One can’t be an official “ex-gay” rock star until wedding bells ring. Apparently, this happened for publicity hound Michael Glatze, who married his prop, er bride, Rebekah, on October 26. Here are the wedding photographs of Glatze in fundie drag. The victim is attractive and seems rather sweet. I hope she knows what she’s getting into. Mr. Glatze worked for XY Magazine and was the co-founder of a short-lived LGBT teenie-bopper mag, Young Gay America. Suddenly, he broke up with his boyfriend and had what appeared to be a nervous breakdown, where he had severe panic attacks about dying. During these disturbing episodes, he renounced his sexual orientation and temporarily converted to Mormonism. Though he had dived into the Mormon faith with gusto, he just as quixotically abandoned this faith to become an outspoken fundamentalist Christian.

Besen notes that Glatze had a short time in the "ex-gay" spotlight as his racist and vitriolic columns for World Net Daily were too much for even the "ex-gay" industry. Glatze: "Have I mentioned lately how utterly *disgusting* Obama is? And, yes, it’s because he’s black. God, help us all."

Shortest Boycott Ever: Salvation Army Yanks "Ex-Gay" Groups From Website

Mere hours after Truth Wins Out called for boycotting the Salvation Army, the organization has removed the "ex-gay" groups listed on its website. From their letter to Truth Wins Out:

We sincerely appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. As you know, The Salvation Army strives to live out our mission of meeting human need without discrimination. Our doors are always open to anyone who seeks our help, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. We simply do not discriminate against the people we serve or the people we hire. We have removed the page of referrals for sexual addiction centers. Truthfully this was an old page that had been archived but was reposted when we launched our new website last month. We apologize for our oversight and any confusion this may have caused. The Salvation Army does not consider homosexual orientation a sin. Please know that we serve anyone who comes to our doors without discrimination.

Bolding is mine. Way to go, Truth Wins Out. Now...we wait for the sadz.

Truth Wins Out: Boycott Salvation Army

Via press release:

Truth Wins Out called on people today to withhold holiday donations from The Salvation Army until the organization removes all anti-LGBT materials from its website, starting with two “ex-gay” ministries that are listed as sexual addiction resources. “Don’t drop change in The Salvation Army’s bucket until it changes its website into a platform that doesn’t refer clients to dangerous groups that attempt to pray away the gay,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Ex-gay organizations are harmful, ineffective, and rejected by every mainstream mental health association in the world.”

The existence of this resource was surprising, considering that The Salvation Army’s public relations arm has launched a new campaign that portrays the organization as pro-LGBT. On its website is a page that “debunks the myth of LGBT discrimination.” According to the website: “For years, Facebook posts, forwarded emails and rumors have been leading some people to believe that The Salvation Army does not serve members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. These accusations simply aren’t true.” [snip]

“While we appreciate The Salvation Army’s recent outreach to the LGBT community, we won’t settle for cheap spin, we insist on substance,” said TWO’s Wayne Besen. “If The Salvation Army is truly committed to non-discrimination, it will immediately eliminate these “ex-gay” groups as resources, and scrub its entire website of all anti-gay materials.”

Read much more here.

About Those Totally Not-Gay Magnets

Truth Wins Out head Wayne Besen notes that the "magnets prove gay marriage is unnatural" crapola out of Nigeria actually started with the American "ex-gay" nutjob Richard "Tennis Racket" Cohen.

How do you know when your university has become an international punchline? When its star “scholar” is plagiarizing work from International Healing Foundation crackpot Richard Cohen. University of Lagos should immediately expel Amalaha for academic fraud. It should also strongly consider closing its doors, for the university has lost all respectability and credibility. If this is what University of Lagos is teaching students, the degree is essentially worthless.

Besen points out Cohen demonstrating his "magnet proof" in an excerpt from the 2009 documentary, Chasing The Devil.

LAUNCHED: The NALT Project

Via press release:

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, Christians everywhere will begin to rise up and proclaim their unconditional love and support for their gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members. This new movement, inspired by Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” project, encourages LGBT-affirming Christians to upload videos that unapologetically express their full acceptance of LGBT people. The NALT Christians Project, created by Christian author John Shore and Truth Wins Out, will be an online platform that directly challenges the idea that anti-gay Christians represent all or even most of the Christian faithful. The first two videos on the website are from author and advocate Dan Savage, and NALT co-founder John Shore and his wife Catherine.

The website has just gone live.

MASSACHUSETTS: Exorcist Testifies Against Bill To Ban "Ex-Gay" Therapy

Earlier this week a woman who claims to be able to exorcise the demons out of gay people testified against a Massachusetts bill to ban "ex-gay" therapy for minors. Wayne Besen writes for Truth Wins Out:

Known exorcist, Joanne Highley of Life Ministries in New York City, testified as a key witness on Tuesday in front of the Massachusetts legislature’s JoAnne 300x225 Known Exorcist Testifies Against Massachusetts Bill To Ban Ex Gay TherapyJoint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. She spoke out against a bill filed by Representative Carl Sciortino (D–Medford) that would ban any Massachusetts state-licensed medical, mental health, or human service professional from practicing so-called “conversion or reparative therapy” with minors.  “It was unethical for Highley to conceal the alarming fact that she is an exorcist who tries to extract demons from the bodies of LGBT people,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “This is an extremist who is Exhibit A on why we need this bill to pass. We are grateful for Representative Sciortino’s leadership and critical work to stop child abuse masquerading as legitimate therapy.”

Hit the link, there's much more to the story.

Quote Of The Day - Wayne Besen

"There was never going to be an actual ‘Ex-gay Pride Month’ because ex-gays are as rare as the Dodo bird. They simply could not find real ‘ex-gays’ to participate and had to cancel to save face. This was nothing but a desperate publicity stunt intended to revive a failing industry that has repeatedly embarrassed anti-gay organizations.  We challenge [Christopher] Doyle to come forward and release the names of LGBT activists and organizations that have allegedly jeopardized his organization’s security.  Until concrete allegations are made, we can only assume Dole is making an excuse for his organization’s abject failure to produce a viable Ex-Gay Pride Month event." - Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen, "laughing" at the yesterday's cancellation.

BREAKING: "Ex-Gay" Group Exodus International Announces It Will Shut Down

Following a lengthy apology from its head Alan Chambers, tonight the world's largest "ex-gay" organization, Exodus International, announced that it will shut down. Founded in 1976, at its peak Exodus had over 100 chapters in the United States and over 150 affiliates worldwide. From the group's website:

“Exodus is an institution in the conservative Christian world, but we’ve ceased to be a living, breathing organism,” said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus. “For quite some time we’ve been imprisoned in a worldview that’s neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical.”

Chambers continued: “From a Judeo-Christian perspective, gay, straight or otherwise, we’re all prodigal sons and daughters. Exodus International is the prodigal’s older brother, trying to impose its will on God’s promises, and make judgments on who’s worthy of His Kingdom. God is calling us to be the Father – to welcome everyone, to love unhindered.”

For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to close Exodus International and begin a separate ministry. “This is a new season of ministry, to a new generation,” said Chambers. “Our goals are to reduce fear (reducefear.org), and come alongside churches to become safe, welcoming, and mutually transforming communities.”

Truth Wins Out reacts:

Alan stated in his talk tonight that he doesn’t want to see another “ex-gay” organization fill the void left by Exodus’s closing, but called on the Church to actually become a safe place for gays and lesbians. Of course, the Restored Hope Network is having their conference in Oklahoma City, featuring the biggest quacks in the “ex-gay” industry, so they’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure that Alan’s vision of the Church being a loving place will never come to pass. Thus, our work must continue. Exodus was a large pillar in the “ex-gay” world, but this fight is far from over. We wish Alan Chambers all our best and look forward to a day when we can truly consider him an ally.

You can expect celebratory messages from anti-gay groups as Exodus has become one of their most hated enemies ever since Chambers began making conciliatory gestures towards the LBGT community that he so horribly hurt. It remains to be seen what this new "Reduce Fear" group is going to really be about.

Petition Of The Day

Details.

Ex-Gay Poster Boy John Paulk Apologizes: I No Longer Support Ex-Gay Movement

John Paulk, the man many "credit" with launching the "ex-gay" movement in the United States, has apologized for his past and denounced the "ex-gay" industry.  From an interview with Portland's PQ Monthly:

"Until recently, I have struggled all my life in feeling unloved and unaccepted,” Paulk said. “I have been on a journey during the last few years in trying to understand God, myself, and how I can best relate to others. During this journey I have made many mistakes and I have hurt many people including people who are close to me. I have also found a large number of people who accept me for who I am regardless of my past, any labels, or what I do.”

Paulk continued, “I no longer support the ex-gay movement or efforts to attempt to change individuals — especially teens who already feel insecure and alienated. I feel great sorrow over the pain that has been caused when my words were misconstrued. I have worked at giving generously to the gay community in Portland where I work and live. I am working hard to be authentic and genuine in all of my relationships.”

Truth Wins Out provides some background on Paulk:

John Paulk was at one time the most well known and influential person in the “ex-gay” industry, appearing on the cover of Newsweek with his wife Anne in 1998 under the headline, “Gay For Life?” He was instrumental in forming the Love Won Out “ex-gay” roadshow, which subjected countless LGBT youth and their families to misinformation, indoctrination and lies, and which destroyed many families in the process. In 2000, Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, photographed John Paulk coming out of a Washington, DC, gay bar, and the lies began to unravel. Though John resigned from the board of Exodus International following this incident, the Religious Right continued to use the Paulks’ story as evidence that the “ex-gay” life was a fairy tale rather than a nightmare, and many LGBT people and their families have been damaged or destroyed over the years as a result.

Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen says "not good enough."

"It is not enough to simply send an e-mail that says, ‘I’m sorry.’ John Paulk must work to atone for the damage he has done to LGBT families by taking a public role in renouncing and working against the harmful ‘ex-gay’ industry by embarking on a speaking tour to show that he truly has changed. Further, he should advocate for a bill in Oregon that would ban so-called ‘reparative therapy’ for minors. Only then can he start to repair the damage he has done to countless LGBT people and their families.”

RELATED: Last April I posted a report that Paulk's Facebook page was "littered with Glamor Shots-style images of Paulk and attractive men" and that his profile stated that he is "interested in women and men."

Wayne Besen Slams Porno Pete

"It appears that even this stalwart homo-hater, who slithers around gay porn palaces and scurries about licentious leather bars looking for smut to post on his prurient website, knows the end is near. It is clear that there is a shrinking market for professional gay bashers and one can only hope he polishes off his cracker-thin resume and finds a new gig before it is too late. Since he has so much experience visiting the tubs in Chicago, and is likely a familiar face, maybe they will be kind and offer him an exciting, new opportunity cleaning the cubicles." - Wayne Besen, head of Truth Wins Out, slamming Porno Pete's latest delirious screed. Suh-NAP.

Former Exodus Head To Divorce Wife

Back in April I reported that former Exodus International chairman John Paulk had made some interesting changes to his Facebook profile. Yesterday Truth Wins Out took the story further:

“Ex-gay” poster couple John and Anne Paulk may be Splitsville. Sources tell Truth Wins Out today that John has moved out of the couple’s Portland, Oregon home. Other sources in Portland have informed Truth Wins Out that Paulk was dating a man, although the current status of that relationship remains murky, and that Paulk has frequented homosexual establishments in the city. Speculation on the status of their relationship was heightened today after TWO spotted a cryptic status message posted by John Paulk on his business’s Facebook page:

“After a lifetime of heartache, July 19, 1992 [the date he married Anne] was the happiest day of my life. I will never forget it… It is emblazoned in my memory. And although a lot has occurred since that day long ago and I am on a hard journey right now, i want this woman to know how much she has always meant to me and that no matter where things pan out… I always will love you.”

You may recall that years ago TWO founder Wayne Besen photographed Paulk fleeing a DC gay bar where he'd been chatting up patrons. Paulk later claimed that he'd only been in the bar to use the bathroom. (And buy a couple rounds for the hotties.) Besen notes that Paulk spoke at an Exodus event as recently as two years ago. Besen is calling for Paulk to apologize to the LGBT community.

Wayne Besen Interviews Former "Ex-Gay" Researcher Dr. Robert Spitzer

Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen sends us his interview with Dr. Robert Spitzer, who earlier this month renounced his own study claiming that people can change their sexual attractions. Spitzer's now worthless study continues to be cited by hate groups and the enemies of civil equality.

UPDATE: MSNBC Says "It Was Our Fault" Maggie FLAKES On MSNBC Interview

We can stop our chortling, Maggie Gallagher did NOT flake on her interview. MSNBC host Thomas Roberts just tweeted:

MYSTERY solved... @maggiemarriage was in a studio ready for our #nom interview it was just the wrong studio booked improperly on @msnbc_booking IT WAS OUR MISTAKE and she has an open invite for the show. Our sincerest apologies.

Well, that was amusing for ten minutes, anyway. But please do watch the below clip anyway and witness Wayne Besen's righteous takedown of NOM's race-baiting.

EARLIER......
After plugging the interview several times this morning, MSNBC host Thomas Roberts just showed the above empty Seattle studio and said, "This empty studio chair was supposed to hold Maggie Gallagher, former president and co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage. But as you can see she is missing in action, although we did confirm an hour ago that she would be in that studio. I would say, 'Hello Maggie," but you're not there."

UDPATE: Equality Matters has the video.


UPDATE II: NOM quotes me, but doesn't name or link me. At least they're reading JMG.