Harlem Hate Pastor James David Manning: Sodomy Is A White Person's Disease

"Germany is a big hotbed for sodomy and everybody knows about France. And then of course in Belgium, and the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and Sweden, and Norway, and Finland. All that region is the hotbed and origination of modern sodomy. Not in China. You're not gonna find that in China. You're not gonna find that in India. You're not gonna find it in Africa. You're not gonna find it. It isn't there. Sodomy is a white people's disease. Now don't go thinking I'm speaking racially here. I'm just identifying a spade as a spade. Look into the eyes of these sodomite women and sodomite men. They are sick! They are demon possessed! They are possessed by the devil himself. Don't you go to sleep around a person who is a sodomite."- Harlem hate Pastor James David Manning, in today's YouTube sermon. Earlier this month Manning's church was added to the SPLC's list of hate groups.

FLASHBACK: That Time Ted Cruz Passed On Defending Sodomy Laws At SCOTUS

Bloomberg gives us some interesting history:

[Ted] Cruz is making the gay marriage debate the cornerstone of a bid to rally conservatives to his 2016 presidential bid, but same-sex issues haven't always been the top priority for a lawmaker who built his profile as a limited-government, Tea Party-aligned conservative. As Texas solicitor general when the Lawrence v. Texas case came before the Supreme Court, Cruz was "very much in the middle of all this drama," said Mitchell Katine, who was local counsel to the two gay men at the center of the case, John Lawrence and Tyron Garner. The two had been dragged out of their bedroom by police and charged with "deviate sex."

Yet "Cruz remained absolutely silent," Katine said. The case remained assigned instead to a Harris County district attorney. Through a spokesman, Cruz said he didn't step in because the case was criminal in nature and his office primarily handled civil cases. Yet six of the nine cases Cruz argued before the nation's highest court were criminal in nature. Cruz also was just beginning a new job, and his advisers say he wasn't in a position to take over. Cruz started the solicitor general's job Feb. 10, 2003 and the Texas brief was filed on Feb. 17. Yet Dellinger notes that the court argument wasn't until March 26, which gave "plenty of time to prepare." "One would expect the state solicitor to argue a case of this magnitude," said Dellinger.

The above-linked article goes on to recount the times that Cruz has courted major homocon donors including billionaire PayPal founder and GOProud supporter Peter Thiel, who contributed nearly a million dollars to Cruz campaigns. This history is rather interesting in light of the still-raging controversy about those gay hoteliers.

Liberty Counsel To SCOTUS: Don't Approve Same-Sex Marriage Because Sodomy Should Still Be Illegal Anyway

The Liberty Counsel today filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, arguing that same-sex marriage must not be legalized nationwide because homosexuality should still be criminalized in the first place. An excerpt:

Nearly seven decades of Kinseyan cultural transformation have shown that Kinsey’s promises of a freer, more enlightened and safer society were, at best, illusory, and at worst, deceptive. All of the cultural indicators that should have improved according to Kinsey and his supporters have in fact declined, in some cases, precipitously, as the full effect of the called-for changes has become manifest. Kinsey claimed that fornication and adultery were widespread and not harmful. If anything, according to Kinsey, such experiences actually strengthened marriages. Therefore, laws against fornication and adultery were unjust, unfair and unconstitutional. Drafters of the MPC [Moral Penal Code] took Kinsey’s advice and decriminalized those sexual offenses. Instead of strengthening marriages, the decriminalization and destigmatization of adultery, fornication and other non-marital conduct have had the opposite effect.

According to the Liberty Counsel, the decriminalization of "non-marital conduct" is responsible for increases in rape and illegitimate babies. So stop them gays from getting married.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention this bit from their press release: "Liberty Counsel is calling Christians to unite in fasting and prayer for three days before Supreme Court hears the case on April 23, 24, and 25."

NOTE: The anti-gay briefs are pouring in and I'll be excerpting more of them over the weekend. Hang onto your hats.

Texas State Rep: Keep Our Sodomy Ban

Via the San Antonio Express:

Barely two months after a federal judge struck down Texas’ hair braiding regulations, a move to erase the unconstitutional statute already has bipartisan support. Not so for Texas’ anti-sodomy law, which remains on the books a dozen years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. “Absolutely, there is a difference,” said Rep. James White, R-Hillister, who has filed a bill to do away with the braiding statute but wants to keep a similarly illegal law that criminalizes homosexual sex. The braiding regulation, he said, “was a way of disenfranchising them out of the marketplace. I don’t necessarily think this was the case with sodomy.” White explained the discrepancy this way: Opposing homosexuality is akin to “a community coming together and having a moral standard, per se, as opposed to using the regulatory environment to disenfranchise people.” “Obviously, sodomy covers a lot of instances. It can even cover bestiality and there are a lot of public health standards and even decency standards,” he added.

Pro-LGBT Texas legislators have tried to remove the sodomy statute in every session since the US Supreme Court ruled in 2003. White has a 93% approval rating from the Eagle Forum. John Wright notes that White is wrong about bestiality, which remains perfectly legal in Texas.

JAMAICA: Mat Staver To Headline Event To Keep Homosexuality Criminalized

Miranda Blue writes at Right Wing Watch:

American Religious Right leaders Mat Staver and Judith Reisman are scheduled to be featured speakers at a conference in Jamaica this weekend hosted by a group that has been working to preserve the country’s criminal ban on consensual gay sex. The annual conference, hosted by the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, will focus on how “[c]ontemporary society has become increasingly hostile to the traditional definitions of marriage and family” and Staver, the head of Liberty Counsel, will discuss “global legal trends impacting the institution of the family.”

JCHS’s conference has drawn prominent American anti-gay activists before. In 2012, two top lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom spoke at the conference, one of whom defended Jamaica’s anti-sodomy law, calling homosexuality “harmful not only spiritually and psychologically, but also physically.” Last year, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality’s Peter LaBarbera made an appearance at the conference, urging Jamaicans: “Do not be like us, do not be like Britain, do not sit idly by as so-called ‘LGBT activists’ manipulate words and laws to achieve dominance in your country.”

The Jamaica Observer is calling the conference "an international human rights rally." Their article begins:

Dr. Judith A Reisman, former consultant to the United States departments of justice, education, health and human services -- whose daughter's life story was made into the 2004 movie Kinsey — will be one of the two international presenters at the International Human Rights Day Conference on Saturday at the Jamaica Conference Centre. The other speaker will be Matthew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel Action, an international non-profit litigation, education and policy organisation dedicated to advancing religious freedom, sanctity of life and the family. The conference, to be held under the theme 'International Law, Development and the Family: The Family as a Strategy for Development', is one of two events being planned to commemorate International Human Rights Day by the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) in collaboration with Jamaica CAUSE

It probably doesn't matter that Alfred Kinsey died 58 years ago, before Reisman's daughter was even born, and therefore Kinsey is definitely not her "life story." But hey, it's not like Reisman hasn't made a career out of deranged and debunked claims and lawsuits regarding the work of Alfred Kinsey.

SINGAPORE: Court Upholds Sodomy Law

Via the Straits Times:

The highest court in Singapore has upheld Section 377A of the Penal Code, the law that criminalises sex between men, rejecting arguments that the provision contravenes the Constitution. In ruling that the provision is constitutional, the three-judge Court of Appeal on Wedesday rejected two separate challenges to strike down the law. Gay couple Gary Lim, 46, and Kenneth Chee, 38, as well as 51-year-old Tan Eng Hong, contend that the provision is discriminatory and should be declared void by the court.

Their argument is that Section 377A infringes their right to equal protection under the law, as guaranteed by Article 12 of the Constitution, and violates their right to life and liberty, as guaranteed by Article 9. The offence carries up to a two-year jail term for men who, in public or private, commit acts of "gross indecency" with other men. Mr Tan was the first to file a challenge against the statute in 2010 after he was charged with having oral sex with another man in a public toilet. Mr Lim and Mr Chee later filed their own challenge.

The law has been on the books since Singapore was a British colony. The photo above is from Singapore's annual Pink Dot event, which advocates for LGBT rights.

ALABAMA: Attorney General Wants Court To Reconsider Overturn Of Sodomy Ban

Last Friday an Alabama appeals court struck down the state's ban on consensual oral and anal sex. Yesterday Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange indicated that he will seek an appeal of that ruling.

In a statement, the attorney general said the office believed the law was unconstitutional as applied to consensual acts. However, he said he was concerned with the impact the decision may have on prosecutions involving non-consensual sex. The case involved Dewayne Williams who was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel clerk in 2010. Williams, who said the sex was consensual, was charged with first-degree sodomy, which carries a sentence of no less than 10 years in prison. However, a Dallas County jury convicted Williams of the lesser charge of sexual misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. As defined in state law, sexual misconduct included bans on oral and anal sex, as well as a line saying consent was not a defense. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas in 2003 that such laws banning consensual sex were unconstitutional. Strange said in the statement the case "was not about consensual sex." In the appeal, the attorney general agreed and conceded that the state ban was unconstitutional as it applied to consensual acts. However, the office asked the court to preserve language it believed would continue to criminalize non-consensual sex and send Williams' case back for a new trial.

Alabama Court Strikes Down Sodomy Law

An Alabama appeals court yesterday struck down the state's ban on consensual oral and anal sex. Such acts have been legal nationwide since Lawrence V Texas, but still.

The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals issued its unanimous ruling in Williams vs. Alabama, the appeal of a Dallas County man who was convicted of sexual misconduct, though the jury found the homosexual sexual encounter was consensual. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals said today a portion of Alabama's sexual misconduct statute is unconstitutional. It was referring to code section 13A-6-65, which reads in part, "consent is no defense to a prosecution." The state appeals court noted the legislative commentary for the statute says the consent section "was changed by the legislature to make all homosexual conduct criminal, and consent is no defense."

Sodomy laws remain on the books in many states.

COMPILATION: Gay News In The 2000s

JMG reader Dave Evans has compiled 40 minutes of gay-related news clips that aired in the 2000s. Among the topics: Lawrence V Texas, the Hate Crimes Act, Massachusetts marriage, Proposition 8, DADT, and DOMA.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Compilations of gay news in the 1970s, gay news in the 1980s, gay news in the 1990s, and the first ten years of HIV/AIDS.

INDIA: Supreme Court To Reconsider Ruling Upholding Anti-Sodomy Legislation

India's Supreme Court announced today that it will reconsider its recent ruling which upheld anti-sodomy legislation enacted under British rule. J. Lester Feder reports at Buzzfeed:

This is LGBTI rights’ advocates last chance to toss out the decision, which was a harsh blow after a 12-year litigation process. In January, a two judge panel (which included one of the judges who issued the original ruling) rejected their first attempt to have the case reconsidered, what is known as a review petition. The current motion, known as a curative petition, still faces long odds, because the five-judge panel that will consider it includes the two judges who rejected the review petition. The other judges on the panel will be the three most senior judges on the court. But the lawyers in this case got a major boost last week when a different two-judge Supreme Court panel issued a sweeping verdict recognizing broad rights for transgender people. Though the judges in the transgender rights case were careful to explicitly say they were not offering an opinion on the 377 case, their ruling reads almost like a point-by-point rebuttal to the ruling.

A date for the rehearing will be announced next week.

Sodomy Banned But Not Necrophilia

Via Gawker.

Bryan Fischer Cheers Louisiana

LOUISIANA: House Votes 66-27 To Keep Unconstitutional Anti-Sodomy Law

Thanks to pressure from a local anti-gay Christian group, the Louisiana House yesterday refused to repeal an unenforceable and unconstitutional anti-sodomy law. The vote was 66-27.

A House Committee passed the legislation onto the body's floor by a vote of 9-6 last week. But one of the state's most powerful lobbying groups, the conservative Christian Louisiana Family Forum, opposes striking the sodomy ban. The group sent out a letter to every legislator urging them to vote against the proposal, claiming that teenagers would be less protected from sexual predators if they went through with the repeal. They also said the bill would put the public health at risk. "Louisiana's anti-sodomy statute is consistent with the values of Louisiana residents who consider this behavior to be dangerous, unhealthy and immoral," stated the letter to lawmakers from the Louisiana Family Forum. During a floor discussion of the bill, the legislation's sponsor, Rep. Patricia Haynes Smith, pushed back on the Family Forum's assertions. The bill only seeks to repeal a statute that is already unconstitutional, she said.

Fucking a human corpse? Legal in Louisiana. A blowjob from a consenting adult? Technically a felony and punishable by five years in prison. Praise! Glory!

VIRGINIA: The Cooch Is Selling Legal Insurance In Case You Shoot Somebody

Former Virginia Attorney General and failed gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli is selling retainers for his legal services just in case you happen to shoot somebody.

“A legal retainer with Virginia Self Defense Law costs as little as $8.33 a month — less than half the cost of a hunting license,” the firm’s Web site says. “Don’t be a victim! Don’t let these realities become your family’s fiscal nightmare!” For that price, the firm promises to defend clients facing firearms charges stemming from an act of self defense and those who have been “harassed by law enforcement for lawfully carrying their weapon.” The firm’s Web site links to news stories about cases in which gun owners were charged with crimes, under headlines such as “Man arrested in front of his son for ‘rudely displaying weapon’ ” and “Burglar’s family awarded $300,000 in wrongful death suit.” One of the stories featured is about the legal bills racked up by George Zimmerman, the Florida man acquitted in July in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager.

Pricing varies if you are an NRA member or a police officer.

LZ Granderson Destroys The Cooch

Mediaite recaps the mayhem:

Crossfire got really heated up Tuesday over the Arizona bill that would allow businesses to refuse service to LGBT individuals. Van Jones posed a provocative question to former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: “What is the difference between a business owner saying no blacks are allowed here versus no gays are allowed here?” Cuccinelli dismissed the comparison, but CNN columnist LZ Granderson insisted the principle is the same because the bill is just “straight-up, plain nothing but discrimination!” He told Cuccinelli that it’s not a matter of religious principle, it’s always about protecting the Christian faith, and called him and others out for pushing what he deemed institutionalized homophobia.

You WILL enjoy this.

NIGERIA: Thousands Throw Stones Into Sharia Court Demanding The Executions Of Eleven Gay Men

You wouldn't think it possible, but it's getting even worse in Nigeria. Via the Associated Press:

Thousands of protesters threw stones into the Shariah court in a north Nigerian city Wednesday, urging the speedy convictions and executions of 11 men arrested for belonging to gay organizations. Security officials fired into the air to disperse protesters in Bauchi city so the accused men could be safely returned to the prison. Judge El-Yakubu Aliyu closed the court abruptly. "No one can be sentenced to death until confirmed without a reasonable doubt," Aliyu said in response to calls for the men's execution. The court was arraigning seven of 11 accused men on Wednesday. Only three had given testimony when the mayhem began. The defense counsel was unable to submit an application for bail, and the rest of the defendants were unable to give testimony. It was unclear when the arraignments would resume.

The state of Bauchi has parallel civil and Sharia courts. The sodomy law stipulates that the death penalty can be carried out by public stoning or lethal injections.

Headline Of The Day

(Via JMG reader Alex)

Fox News: The Cooch Has Lost

Let's hope this sticks...

UPDATE: CNN calls it too.

Bad News For The Cooch

Source.

McAuliffe Leads By Seven In New VA Poll

Via the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Democrat Terry McAuliffe leads Republican Ken Cuccinelli 46 percent to 39 percent among likely Virginia voters while 10 percent back third-party candidate Robert C. Sarvis, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, less than two weeks before the election. Though 47 percent of the voters say the federal government shutdown hurt the defense-heavy state “a great deal,” the poll’s analysis indicates that it did not appear to affect the governor’s race. McAuliffe leads 92 percent to 3 percent among Democrats, with 2 percent for Sarvis, while Cuccinelli leads 81 percent to 6 percent among Republicans, with 11 percent for Sarvis, according to Wednesday’s poll. Independent voters split 39-39 percent, with 14 percent for Sarvis.

Right wing sites continue to bemoan the spoiler role being played by Libertarian candidate Sarvis. Without Sarvis in the race, Cuccinelli would likely be leading.