Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

Really, South Carolina?

Chris Rudisill.

 

Even noted sexual orientation change effort proponent Warren Throckmorton said “you can’t make this stuff up” regarding a recent press release sent out by three South Carolina fundamentalists claiming to be the voice of South Carolina Evangelicals. The release entitled “S. Carolina Evangelicals Reject Romney on Homosexuality” was released by Rod Mitchell of Mass Media Distribution, a press release service based in Atlanta, and lists Rev. Huey Mills, pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Lancaster, Rev. Ray Moore, a retired U.S. Army Reserve chaplain from Columbia and Molotov Mitchell, a videographer and Columbia native who you may remember as the guy who, along with friend Martin Ssempa, misled audiences with falsehoods about the scope of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill. He offered support for the legislation and literally praised legislators’ “Kill the Gays” stance.

As Throckmorton posted on his blog last month, “If I wanted to write a parody of an anti-gay, Mormon-baiting news release, I couldn’t do a better job than this real one.”

Here’s some of the prized tidbits of hate-spun rhetoric I gleaned from the release:

Mills said, “The Word of Almighty God, from the Books of Moses to those of the Apostle Paul, commands faithful Jews and Christians to be homophobic. Carolinians have a God-fearing homophobia, while Mitt Romney wrongly endorses homosexuality as a good choice for our young people.”

Rev. Mills said, “Because Rick Santorum was willing to sign this wonderful Iowa vow last summer while Romney was calling for more gay hiring and other silly liberal things that Massachusetts RINOs embrace, I’d say Senator Santorum has proven himself a courageous Catholic Christian whom any Bible-believing Jew, Protestant or evangelical can support. He does not drink the anti-science Kool-Aid to the effect that homosexuality is inherited and immutable like fingerprints.”

Rev. Mills also said, “Romney’s liberal support for homosexuality is not only at doctrinal odds with traditional Judaism and Christianity, it’s even at odds with latter-day cults like Islam and Mormonism. As an evangelical pastor, my core problem with Romney is not necessarily with the fact that he has been an elder in the cult of Mormonism – which holds that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri, that we have a Heavenly Father and Father and that Jesus is the created brother of Satan – but rather, that Romney rejects traditionalist Mormon stands as well as basic Judeo-Christian stands against homosexuality in favor of a clueless-liberal, anti-family public policy.”

That last one really got me going – calling Islam and Mormonism “latter-day cults.” I could spend days going into this, but I’ll resist. Well, luckily Santorum didn’t win the South Carolina primary. He actually came in third behind Romney and Newt Gingrich, who took the win with 40.4 percent of the vote. You may be breathing a sigh of relief. But is it foolish to be thankful that Gingrich pulled it out in the Palmetto State?

Robert Reich, another blogger and author, gives a very clear warning, “Yet no responsible Democrat should be pleased at the prospect that Gingrich could get the GOP nomination,” wrote Reich. “The future of America is too important to accept even a small risk of a Gingrich presidency.”

The Republican concern is legit – Romney definitely has the best chance right now of beating Obama. Gingrich, with his radically conservative views, his opportunistic and ethically-challenging past and his just plain wacko nature makes him a scary possibility for Commander-in-Chief. Same-sex marriage is, according to him, a sign of the “rise of paganism” and a “fundamental violation of our civilization.” I know – let’s all just leave and colonize the moon.

Seriously, I can’t say I expected much less from South Carolina Republicans, but step it up people. It looks like the battle over homosexuality is back to the forefront for 2012, despite earlier opinions that it wouldn’t be an issue with the dire economy and job outlook. There’s a vocal group of Americans (soon to be Moonites) who are bound and determined to wage a religious war in our country and they are using us to do it.

DEEVINE TAKES TITLE

Back in September, I reported that local drag talent Kristina DeeVine had been crowned Miss Time Out! US of A – a preliminary for the state pageant, which DeeVine competed in and won on Jan. 20. The local diva beat out “RuPaul’s Drag Race” runner-up Alexis Mateo who was crowned first runner-up. The two will now go on to compete in the national pageant slated for May in Dallas. I’m lucky enough to know both of these talented entertainers so my eye will be on the Lone Star State to see who takes the big win.

EQUALITY HIGHWAY

As of Monday, you can now drive in style and speak out for equality at the same time. South Carolina has joined Maryland and Illinois as one of three states with pro-equality license plates available to motorists. According to a recent press release by SC Equality, the state’s LGBT educational and political advocacy organization, “The license plate was created as a way of allowing residents of South Carolina to publicly display their support of community, culture and policy that encourages and advocates for equal treatment for all South Carolinians, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

In order to get your specialty license plate, you must go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office and complete a specialty plate application. The plates cannot be personalized and the cost is $25, plus registration fees when applicable. Half of that fee goes directly to support the organization’s advocacy and outreach work. If you have any questions, or would like information on how to obtain one of the first 100 reserve plates, e-mail Christine Johnson, Executive Director of SC Equality, at christine@scequality.org.

“2012 represents our 10th anniversary of providing LGBT advocacy in the Palmetto State, and we can think of no better way to kick off our year of celebration,” says Johnson. “We begin the New Year feeling grateful and fortunate that South Carolina license plate policy allows a broad expression of diverse opinion and organizational support.”

OUT & ABOUT

Friday, Feb. 3 – The First Friday Happy Hour group will meet from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, 3060 Howard Avenue at The Market Common in Myrtle Beach. First Friday is a gay professionals after-work happy hour where everyone is welcome. For more information email FirstFriday@GambleLivingston.com.

Sunday, Feb. 5 – Local gay bars are gearing up for Super Bowl weekend. Time Out! will host its annual Super Bowl Party at its 520 Eighth Avenue location in downtown Myrtle Beach. Doors open at 5 p.m. Sunday and there will be additional entertainment as part of the bar’s new Sunday night “Gospel in the Trailer Park” promotion featuring a gospel show with hostess Kelly Brooks at 10 p.m. and a Camp Drag Show at midnight. No cover with membership. Rainbow House Bar & Grill, at 815 N. Kings Highway, opens at 1 p.m. Sunday and will have a food buffet, drink specials, prizes and giveaways. For more information, call 626-7298.

Saturday, Feb. 11 – CLAWS, Coastal Leather Allegiance to Wisdom and Service, will celebrate Valentine’s Day a little early this year, along with the music of the country genre’s best hit-makers. All the fun starts at 6 p.m., so throw on your country duds and head to Time Out!, 520 Eighth Avenue North in downtown Myrtle Beach. For more information call 448-1180.

Have a thought, comment or Out & About event? Send Chris Rudisill an e-mail to SouthernGayWriter@gmail.com. You can also follow along on Facebook.com @SouthernGayWriter for more news and events.