FRC Launches Publicity For VVS 2015

Kelvin Cochran was fired for proselytizing at the workplace and the Benham brothers lost their show after Right Wing Watch publicized a host of vile anti-gay statements, including their claim that gay people are controlled by Satan. And of course, the Kleins were fined for violating public accommodation laws in Oregon, which added sexual orientation to those protections seven years before the legalization of same-sex marriage. But the FRC martyr train will not be stopped.

Matt Baume: The Map To Rights Bans

Clip recap: "Scheming villains thirst to rollback the progress our nation has attained toward full LGBT equality. But, could they actually do it? Insidious laws like Arkansas' innocent-sounding Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act (sb202) may provide the roadmap."

Perkins Celebrates Hate Summit On Fox

Tony Perkins is again fashioning himself as a king-maker, therefore hate summit straw poll winner Ted Cruz is going to be our next president. Perkins and host Megyn Kelly then go on to denounce any criticism of Cruz. And notice the dismissive comments about not-anti-gay-enough Rand Paul. "He's trying. At least he put forth an effort," shrugs Perkins.

Caption This

That's the eldest son of the Duck Dynasty clan. You'll recall that the Benhams gave the same treatment to Rick Perry and Bobby Jindal.

Bachmann Walks Back Marriage Comment

During the FRC's hate summit, soon-to-be former Rep. Michele Bachmann told Michelangelo Signorile that gay marriage is no longer an issue, adding, "In fact, it's boring." After being called out by fellow wingnuts like Bryan Fischer, Crazy Eyes is walking back that comment. Via World Net Daily:

“What I said is that this won’t be the issue that drives the 2014 election,” Bachmann said. “I told the reporter it’s getting boring having them only press this issue with Republicans while ignoring Democrats. “The media loves to divide us on this issue. They look for something all the time,” Bachmann told WND. “I said nothing different. I’m the woman who carried the traditional marriage amendment in Minnesota, and I stand firm in my belief that marriage should be between one man and one woman.” Bachmann’s aide told WND she wasn’t brushing off the radio host, she was merely making a quick, parting comment as she was leaving. Though the topic of marriage has been a hot-button issue in the last few elections, several states have begun issuing same-sex marriage licenses, and candidates for 2014 have had less to say on the matter.

"Several states." Heh.

Erick Erickson: Evolutionists Are Stupid And Jealous Of Heaven-Bound Christians

Benham Brothers: We're Like ISIS Victims

And Jesus!

Staver: How Dare They Call Me Anti-Gay!

Ted Cruz Wins Hate Summit Straw Poll

Shocking.

Sen. Ted Cruz won the 2014 Values Voter Summit straw poll for the second year in a row on Saturday, following an extremely popular speech Friday in which the Texas Republican promised a kind of salvation from the Obama presidency. Cruz earned 25% of the 1,900 votes cast at this weekend’s Values Voter Summit to be president, less than the 42% he received last year shortly after he led the government into a the shutdown. Dr. Ben Carson, a regular straw poll contender, earned 20%, while Gov. Mike Huckabee, another speaker at the event, came in third with 12% of the vote. Hillary Clinton earned one vote, likely the work of a jokester. The straw poll for vice president saw similar results: Carson and Cruz earned 22% and 14% of the vote, respectively. Perhaps the only surprise of the poll was Bobby Jindal, who earned 11% support from attendees in the vote for vice president.

No poll was held in 2008 and 2012 as the Republican nominees had already been selected. Previous winners: Ted Cruz (2013), Ron Paul (2011), Mike Pence (2010), Mike Huckabee (2009), Mitt Romney (2007).

LIVE VIDEO: FRC Hate Summit, Day Two

On the schedule for this morning beginning at 8:45AM: Sandy Rios, Mat Staver, Tony Perkins, Mark Levin, Star Parker, and Todd Starnes. Not quite the star power of yesterday, but today guarantees to provide even more anti-gay animus.

UPDATE: The event has concluded.

Tony Perkins: Jeb Bush And Chris Christie Were Not Invited To FRC Hate Summit

Perkins won't say so, of course, but Bush wasn't invited because he's "soft" on immigration and Christie wasn't invited because he dropped his same-sex marriage appeal to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Palin Mocks Obama At FRC Hate Summit

In a speech laden with so many teabagger catch phrases randomly assembled from fridge magnets and bumper stickers that it was impossible to count, Sarah Palin dug out a coffee cup from under the podium to give her impression of President Obama saluting with a coffee cup. The audience, of course, roared. Nobody on Twitter seems know what the speech was about, but whatever it was about it was totally about that. A lot! Near the end of her rambling, Palin declared that "truth is an endangered species at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue." The dude using that public restroom is in for a rude awakening.

Brian Brown At FRC Hate Summit

Brian Tashman writes at Right Wing Watch:

Back from defending anti-gay laws in Russia, Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage introduced Rick Santorum at today’s Values Voter Summit. Brown spent most of his time pushing back on claims that the GOP’s opposition to abortion rights and LGBT equality is dragging down the party, suggesting that Republicans would win more elections if they nominated more social issue crusaders in the mold of Rick Santorum. “It’s not our fault” when Republican candidates lose, Brown said. “You cannot blame social conservatives for lost elections.”

Sen. Ted Cruz At FRC Hate Summit

Cruz was introduced by Brent Bozell, who is best known around here as the guy who appeared on national television to describe the president as a "skinny ghetto crackhead."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took the stage Friday morning at the 2014 Value Voters Summit and delivered a fiery sermon full of Christian imagery and calls for the president to demand the freedom of various American “prisoners of conscious” being held by authoritarian governments around the world. Cruz spent a great deal of time discussing the story of Mariam Yehya Ibrahim, who took refuge in the U.S. Embassy after being sentenced to death by Sudan’s government for marrying a Christian man. Her story, Cruz said, demonstrates the power of Christian faith. Cruz also lambasted the Obama administration for what the senator characterized as infringements on religious liberty, but cheered on the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of Hobby Lobby in the infamous case involving the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate. The senator received a standing ovation when he implored the audience to help vote in a new GOP Senate majority and effectively vote out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “We stand for life, we stand for marriage, we stand for Israel,” Cruz said of which message wins best.

Cruz also vowed that the new Senate will repeal Common Core - which of course was never approved by Congress, but whatevs! Applause! Jesus! Praise! Glory!

Tweet Of The Day - Michelangelo Signorile

Michelle Bachmann just told me re: gay marriage, “it’s not an issue anymore,” runs off,adds, ‘In fact it’s boring.’ #ValuesVoterSummit
— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) September 26, 2014

Seen At The Values Voter Summit

LIVE VIDEO: FRC's Hate Summit

C-SPAN2 is also covering the event live.

Perkins: The Left Fears My Hate Summit

"Pop Quiz: What annual event has the Left so worried that they are spending tens of thousands in advertising dollars to stop? You guessed it; the Values Voters Summit. In the Washington Post, leftwing groups including GLAAD, (known for its failed campaign to fire Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson,) the anti-Christian Southern Poverty Law Center, and the George Soros-funded 'Faithful America,' signed onto a three-quarters page ad demanding that speakers 'not attend the Values Voter Summit.' The ad complains that I described homosexual activist Dan Savage's attacks on Christians as 'disgusting.' I believe most people would be hard pressed to disagree with my assertion. The Left is clearly discouraged by the effectiveness of the Values Voter Summit and is willing to fork over a lot of money to stifle speech they disagree with." - KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

LGBT And Civil Rights Groups To GOP: Denounce The FRC's Values Voter Summit

A coalition of LGBT and civil rights groups today published a full-page ad in the Washington Post, demanding that the GOP denounce this weekend's Family Research Council Values Voter Summit. Here is the text in full:

Dear Mr. Priebus, Fifteen years ago, your predecessor called for party members to shun the Council of Conservative Citizens because of the group’s “racist views.” “A member of the party of Lincoln should not belong to such an organization,” GOP Chairman Jim Nicholson said. His comments had their intended effect: Senior members of Congress distanced themselves from the group. Today, Chairman Priebus, we ask that you take a similar stand and call upon Republican officials to disassociate themselves from the groups behind the upcoming Values Voter Summit.

The reason is simple: These groups engage in repeated, groundless demonization of LGBT people — portraying them as sick, vile, incestuous, violent, perverted, and a danger to the nation. The Family Research Council, the summit’s host, is vigorously opposed to extending equal rights to the LGBT community. Its president, Tony Perkins, has repeatedly claimed that pedophilia is a “homosexual problem." He has called the “It Gets Better” campaign — designed to give LGBT students hope for a better tomorrow — “disgusting” and a “concerted effort” to “recruit” children into the gay “lifestyle.” He has condemned the National Republican Congressional Committee for supporting three openly gay candidates.

Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, a summit sponsor, has said the U.S. needs to “be more like Russia,” which enacted a law criminalizing the distribution of LGBT “propaganda.” He has also said, "Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine, and six million dead Jews.” Similarly, Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, another summit sponsor, has compared those who do not denounce same-sex marriage to those who remained silent during the Holocaust. Marriage equality, he has said, is the “beginning of the end of Western civilization.”

This kind of extremism should not be legitimized by elected officials, because it is contrary to our nation’s highest ideals. As you have said, “People in this country, no matter straight or gay, deserve dignity and respect.” Yet, as in years past, several prominent members of your party — including U.S. Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — are currently planning to address the Values Voter Summit that begins on Thursday in Washington. So, the question now is: Will you live up to your own words and tell the members of your party to shun groups that demean other people and deny them dignity? Will the GOP condemn anti-LGBT bigotry as vigorously as it opposed racism 15 years ago? Political leadership makes a difference. We ask that you urge the members of your party not to attend the Values Voter Summit.

The letter is signed by the heads of GLAAD, the HRC, the SPLC, the NAACP, Faithful America, and People For The American Way. Embiggen the image above to see the letter.

Final FRC Hate Summit Roster

After yesterday's addition of Sarah Palin, the Family Research Council dropped about a dozen crackpots and deleted their "invited but unconfirmed" names from its Values Voters Summit speakers roster. In addition to the confirmed fuckweasels above, Maggie Gallagher will lead a panel titled "Moral Decline Causes Big Government." Mat Staver will sit on a panel titled "The Assault On Constitutional Rights In A Nanny State." NOM's evil triad of Brian Brown, Frank Schubert, and John Eastman will have a panel all to themselves: "The Future Of Marriage: To The Supreme Court & Beyond."

Frothy Mix, interestingly, will Skype in from Pluto (or wherever his flying saucer may be) to lead a panel on "Reclaiming Blue Collar Conservatives." Heritage Foundation anti-gay wonk Ryan T. Anderson will lead a panel about the "tough questions" on "marriage and religious liberty." (Expect lots of cake talk!)  The most entertaining trio of crackpots promises to be World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah, Janet "Loony Tunes" Porter, and Pastor Rick Scarborough - who will hopefully discuss that class action suit against homosexuality when they talk about "Standing Up To The Assaults On Our Faith"

The list of exhibitors at the Values Voters Summit includes just about every anti-gay and "ex-gay" hate group you've ever heard of, including the World Congress of Families and the Red-Caped Catholic Loons, who presumably will provide the usual bagpipe accompaniment to their Hitler Youthian rants. The NRA will be there to demonstrate proper Uzi usage for grade-schoolers and the Association of Mature American Citizens will be handing out materials denouncing those homofascist commies at the AARP. See the whole list here.