Free Republic

joseph curl�@josephcurl8m CIA source says Fox News scandal the "4th Shoe"; says it goes much deeper; says WH also sitting on "something" that has top aides terrified.

Under President Obama, “justice” is anything but blind. Neither is it deaf. In fact, based on recent revelations, it appears to be watching your every move and listening to your every word. Still, if you happen to be a federal employee, now it’s even listening for your silence. The only thing this Obama White House seems to generate is scandal. Well, here’s yet another to add to the growing list. In addition to the Benghazi cover-up, IRS targeting of political dissenters and the illegal seizure of media phone records, whistleblowers within DOJ have contacted Liberty Counsel to express grave concerns...

<p>TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Thousands of anti-gay protesters, including Orthodox priests, occupied a central street in Georgia's capital Friday, with some threatening to lash with stinging nettles any participant in a gay pride parade which was to take place there.</p>

When momentous events happen like the election of a new president, White Bear Lake resident Laurie Wenker makes sure to get two copies of that day's newspaper to tuck away in memory boxes for her teenage daughters. She did just that -- and more Tuesday. Wenker and daughters Eleanor, 16, and Lillian, 13, joined a crowd of an estimated 6,000 people who gathered at the state Capitol to witness Gov. Mark Dayton sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in Minnesota. "I wanted my kids to experience history, to take in and breathe in the equality in the air," Wenker said.

As the broadcast TV channels prepare to reveal their fall schedules this week, the renewed-or-canceled announcements that blasted out at the end of last week have already determined one characteristic of the 2013-14 TV season: It will be a lot more heterosexual than the current season, which officially ends next Wednesday. Among the shows that won’t be back next year are The New Normal, Go On, Smash, The Office, 1600 Penn, Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B___ in Apartment 23, 90210, Emily Owens, M.D., The L.A. Complex, Partners, and Southland, all of which featured gay or lesbian characters. (You can...

CAHOKIA • A Cahokia High School assistant teacher and coach has been charged with having sexual contact with a teenage boy and transmission of HIV. Mario L. Hunt, 35, of the 1900 block of Florence Street in Cahokia, was charged in St. Clair County on Monday with criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse transmission of HIV. The offenses happened with a 17-year-old boy during the first six months of 2011.

<p>"So what would possess the BSA to risk embarrassing themselves on a national stage by opening back up such a controversial and divisive issue when months earlier they proclaimed they had the "absolute best policy?"</p> <p>For me, the answer to that question was found in a little chicken wing and pizza restaurant right across from my office in Orlando, Florida last year in the summer of 2012. I was at this dive of a restaurant I frequent and happened to see Tico Perez..."</p>

In 2011, a little boy became the victim of gay adoption laws. Perhaps he was difficult to adopt due to having a substantial speech impediment and only began communicating at age three with sign language. This is the vulnerable population of children that are considered ‘un-adoptable’, perhaps. These are the poor children whom the gay community say they are ‘rescuing’ from adoption homes. These are the children that are being experimented on by our Godless society today. “Let’s see if two lesbians or two gay men can raise a child as well as a proper male/female married couple. This grand...

entire Wabasha bridge this morning downtown St.Paul(both sides) Wonder hoe much the public works spent putting all these nice, new rainbow flags up? might explain your property tax rates, St.Paulites...

It's been a rough end to what started out as a record-breaking season for openly gay characters on the small screen.

Colonel Tim Collins has acknowledged the possibility that a teenage soldier who allegedly committed suicide may have been a victim of a "homosexual predator" at a time when both men were under his command. The commanding officer of the 1st Bn the Royal Irish Regiment, who was internationally praised for a rousing speech before the Iraq conflict, conceded in a confidential report that he "would not have them (homosexuals) in proximity of young soldiers again" following the death of Ranger Paul Cochrane. The controversial circumstances of the 18-year-old soldier's death led to an Army board of inquiry report, chaired by...

After three hours of noticeably civil debate and personal, sometimes emotional speeches, the Minnesota House passed a bill Thursday, May 9, that would make it legal for same-sex couples to marry. The bill is scheduled for a vote Monday in the Senate, where leaders have said they have the votes to approve it. Gov. Mark Dayton has said he will sign it. If approved, the law would make Minnesota the 12th state in the nation to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. It would take effect Aug. 1. The House vote was 75-59. All but two of the 73...

Gay activists show up with dirty hands to protest Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, are denied entry NEW YORK CITY, May 7, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – After Timothy Cardinal Dolan wrote a column comparing practicing homosexuals and others who approach Holy Communion in a state of serious sin to children who fail to wash their hands before supper, homosexual Catholics and their supporters showed up for Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with filthy hands as a form of protest, and were denied entry. Joseph Amodeo, the organizer of the protest, said that the act of dirtying their hands was an attempt...

Minnesota might be poised to become the 12th state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, as House leaders prepare for a floor vote Thursday, May 9. House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he believes the 73-member DFL majority has the 68 votes needed to pass the bill allowing same-sex couples to wed, even without a single Republican vote. As of late Tuesday, no GOP House members have said publicly they would vote "yes." Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leaders say they also have the votes to pass a same-sex marriage bill, and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll sign it.

Mixed in with the multi-pronged attack Progressives are staging on society is their takeover of our education system. As America battles with left-wing ‘educators’ and their agenda of indoctrination, Canada’s school system finds itself deeply ensconced in the New Age muck. Canadians know the tribulations of one Jessie Sansone, the Ontario father who unexpectedly found himself in handcuffs when he tried to pick his daughter up from school. His home was ransacked by cops, his child taken away by Protective Services, his wife interrogated, all for an inexcusable crime: his daughter drew a gun in class. The fallout caused even...

LAS VEGAS — “My whole libertarian approach comes out of being just a nutty f'ing peacenik,” magician Penn Jillette confides backstage at his show, a few hours before he is set to perform.

Former megachurch pastor Rob Bell appeared in a recent radio discussion with Christian British minister Andrew Wilson to discuss his new book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, and grew frustrated when pressed by Wilson to explain his theological reasons for affirming homosexuality and same-sex relationships. Bell and Wilson appeared on the U.K. faith debate program "Unbelievable?" hosted by Justin Brierley on Premier Christian Radio. Wilson is a published theologian and elder at Kings Church in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The men, moderated by Brierley, started the discussion by debating various issues during the hour-plus program, but it...

"There’s a brouhaha a-brewin’ over comments by Niall Ferguson at an investor conference. Ferguson suggested that because John Maynard Keynes was gay, effete, and childless he might have lacked concern for posterity. After all, Keynes famously proclaimed ”in the long run we’re all dead.” In a nigh-upon hysterical and terribly written item, Tom Kostigen of Financial Advisor says Ferguson took “gay-bashing to new heights.” He adds, “Apparently, in Ferguson’s world, if you are gay or childless, you cannot care about future generations nor society.”  Now, I don’t know exactly what Ferguson said, and I don’t trust Kostigen’s version of events either. There are few full quotes and virtually...

As expected, the media has crowned Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, the new Jackie Robinson, and the Human Rights Campaign has called Collins a “hero for our own times.” His actions were deemed worthy of a personal phone call from President Obama, who told Collins that he “couldn’t be prouder.” Without disparaging Collins personally (I understand he had a great reputation among his teammates), here are some reasons why he is absolutely not the new Jackie Robinson. When Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, there were no black equivalents of prominent and influential gays and lesbians...

Nigel Evans, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, will stand aside from his ceremonial role in the Queen's Speech after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. Mr Evans, who strongly denies the allegations, asked the Speaker to be excused from chairing the event taking place on Wednesday. The MP for Ribble Valley will not resign from his job and has received the backing of a number of fellow MPs. However, Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, suggested it would be "difficult" for him to carry on in such a high-profile role while under such scrutiny....

Golfer Bubba Watson said he supported Christian ESPN analyst Chris Broussard's statement that NBA player Jason Collins' announcement about being gay is open rebellion against God. At the same time, he respects "anybody that's gay" while believing that homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible. "The Bible says you're not supposed to be gay, and so I never downed Jason," Watson told Golfweek, referring to his tweet this week, which said "Thanks @Chris_Broussard for sharing your faith & the bible!! #GodIsGood." During a segment on "Outside the Lines," Broussard said Tuesday that as a Christian he does not agree...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be among the speakers at the "Stand with Scouts Sunday" nationwide simulcast event to support Boy Scouts of America's membership policies on homosexuality. Perry, a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, will be joined by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, the organization that's hosting the Stand with Scouts Sunday event, along with John Stemberger, Eagle Scout and founder of OnMyHonor.Net, a coalition of BSA parents and scouting leaders, who are asking members of the national council to vote "No" on the BSA's resolution to lift the ban on openly gay membership....

So I guess you’ve heard. Fading, 34 year-old NBA free agent Jason Collins has been declared a hero for publicly announcing that he digs dudes. Well, it’s about time! Used to be all a guy had to do was die at Omaha Beach or some other such nonsense. The Imperialist USA is finally seeing some major progress. What callous soul wouldn’t be moved by this youngish man’s gallantry? Who wouldn’t shudder at his sacrifice? Merriam-Webster’s defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Think of it. Just as his middling basketball career...

On April 1, 2013 Dr. Phil aired a show titled: "Shocking Mom Revelations." As a part of this episode, he interviewed a mother whose daughter identified as a lesbian. During the episode, the mother shared about her disapproval of her daughter's "lifestyle choice" and expressed a desire for her daughter to see a counselor to get help in exploring her same-sex attraction. In shockingly un-therapeutic fashion, Dr. Phil flat-out shut the mother's opinion down, along with her Christian values, in favor for the simple explanation that "this is who her daughter is" and she should just accept it. Below is...

Faithful America refused on Thursday to verify a claim that it had collected signatures from more than 20,000 Christians petitioning ESPN to suspend sports analyst Chris Broussard for what they feel are "hateful" comments towards NBA player Jason Collins who recently revealed he is gay. Collins announced in a Sports Illustrated article on Monday that he was a gay man who took his faith in Jesus Christ seriously. In a later interview on ESPN's "Outside the Lines"show, however, Broussard – who is a practicing Christian – said Collins' position was inconsistent with biblical teachings. "Personally, I don't believe that you...

On Monday, former Washington Wizards center Jason Collins revealed to the world that he is gay, prompting a complete media meltdown. Collins appeared on Good Morning America; he made the cover of Sports Illustrated; he became the lead on Huffington Post. The president of the United States congratulated him at a press conference, and the former president of the United States congratulated him via Twitter. So did the first lady, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association and a bevy of pundits and athletes across the spectrum. Which leaves one question: What's the big deal? Tennis star Martina Navratilova, the...

The results of a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) survey shows that a majority of members support keeping in place the policy that prohibits homosexuals from joining or leading the organization. Ahead of a May 23 vote on whether to change its policies to allow openly homosexual scout members and/or gay scout leaders, the BSA has provided CNSNews with the results of survey conducted in February of BSA members, parents, donors and other interested parties. The survey’s executive summary describes it as “the most comprehensive listing exercise in [BSA] history.” The survey shows that of the 200,000 adult members who...

Not Safe For Work (some foul language) - Full title - "Jason Collins Isn't A Hero, Hes A Liar & A Fraud! Here's Why! Pt 1 (1st Openly Gay NBA Player)" The woman who was once engaged to NBA star Jason Collins says she had NO CLUE he was gay at the time of their relationship ... in fact, she only found out last weekend ... and she was floored. Carolyn Moos (who played a few seasons in the WNBA) dated Collins for seven years and was engaged to him until they broke up in 2009 ... after Collins pulled...

AFP - US basketball player Jason Collins joins a growing list of athletes to publicly declare their homosexuality but fear and suspicion remain, notably in the "world game" of football, about gay players, despite changing social attitudes and initiatives to combat homophobia.

With Jason Collins clearing one of big-time team sports’ last barriers to equality, it’s time to extend an olive branch to some of the other people who also came out Monday: Let’s give it up for the heterosexual religious zealots, some of whom let us know their true, authentic selves. It takes a lot of Old Testament moral certainty to have such strong conviction against a 7-foot NBA journeyman’s sexuality, especially after Collins had the guts to become the first active male athlete in a major team sport to say he’s gay — which, by the way, is so universally...

Former GOP vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., now supports the rights of gay Americans to adopt children, though he still believes marriage “is between a man and a woman.” In a town hall meeting with constituents in Wisconsin on Monday, the House Budget Committee chairman said he has changed his mind on the adoption issue, even though his opinions on other aspects of gay rights have remained unchanged. To date, two Republican senators — Rob Portman of Ohio, who had been in the mix for Mitt Romney’s No. 2 spot, and Mark S. Kirk of Illinois — have...

I had a disturbing dream last night. I guess you could call it a homophobic nightmare. The fact is, wherever I turned in the dream, from McDonald’s to ESPN, charges of “homophobia” and “transphobia” were flying. First I dreamed that I was sitting at McDonald’s with our two granddaughters, aged 12 and 6, and they needed to use the bathroom. “Go ahead kids,” I said. “I can see you from here.” Off they went, under my watchful eyes, the older girl holding the younger girl’s hand, until they disappeared into the ladies room. But seconds later, they came running...

It’s the Monday after the NFL draft and the NBA playoffs are in full swing. But today, Jason Collins, a journeyman basketball payer who averaged just over 1 point per game in the past season, is the leading sports story. The reason is that Collins declared himself the first openly gay male athlete in a major American team sport. The announcement garnered an outpouring of support, as admirers praised Collins for being willing to come out as gay in a field in which homosexuality has been particularly stigmatized. Others didn’t think Collins' announcement should be much of a story. I...

Two sports stories made headlines yesterday: The New York Jets released openly Christian quarterback Tim Tebow, and NBA player Jason Collins came out of the closet, making him the first active, openly gay professional athlete in the four major U.S. sports (basketball, football, baseball and hockey). It's not surprising to hear of Tebow's release; he rarely played for the Jets, was seldom used at all, and ended up being their third-string quarterback. I'm certainly no sports analyst, but it seems to me that he really wasn't given much of a chance in New York, especially considering that starting quarterback Mark...

Two weeks ago we were writing about a terrorist attack, today we’re writing about gay basketball players. A blogger’s life for me, my friends.Easy prediction: 75 percent of the public will be casually supportive or casually disapproving but either way almost entirely indifferent. Fifteen percent, including lots of pols, celebrities, and the media, will support him enthusiastically. The other 10 percent will hassle him on the court or from the stands either because they dislike gays or just to spite the 15 percent of “opinion leaders� on the other side. Collins will get a standing O at his first home...

Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, who has repeatedly spoken out in favor of same-sex marriage, says he now worries that his career with the team may be on the line. On Sunday, Kluwe said he is starting to sense that rumors surrounding whether or not he will be released from the team will soon become ‘distractions.’ ‘It’s a shame that in a league with players given multiple second chances after arrests, including felony arrests, that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut,’ Kluwe told NBC’s Pro Football Talk via text message.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given tacit approval to the Boy Scouts’ proposal to allow gay youth to join, saying they “appreciate the positive things” included in the plan to end the organization's controversial ban on gay boys. The Boy Scouts of America last week proposed allowing gay youth – but not adults – to participate in the private youth organization. That came two months after they floated the idea of allowing gays and lesbians of all ages to join, a proposal that was denounced by the conservative religious groups that make up a bulk of...

A ban on gay therapy in New York has been proposed in a bill introduced on Friday, modeled after the 2012 California law that first banned the service. The bill seeks to ban licensed therapists from helping minors change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. "There are often challenges to any manner of legislation that is protecting of the LGBT community and you can't sit on your hands and wait until things get resolved somewhere else," said Sen. Deborah Glick, a New York Democrat who proposed the bill alongside fellow Democrat Sen. Michael Gianaris. Gay therapy remains a controversial...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CBS Cleveland) - A former physical education teacher lost her job because of her relationship with another woman. The private life of former Bishop Watterson High School educator Carla Hale became public when her female partner was listed as a surviving family member in her mother’s obituary.

The Boy Scouts are one of the great jewels of American culture. The success of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a result in no small part of the organization’s commitment to a set of ideas and principles that have guided the program for more than 100 years. Until recently, the BSA was unwavering in its conviction that these values and principles were “timeless.” But now those values are under attack. The Boy Scouts are the victims of an aggressive, well-funded and relentless campaign to inject sex and politics into Scouting. Homosexual-rights activists have aggressively pushed a handful of...

COLUMBUS, OH, April 22, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – The firing of a teacher at Bishop Watterson Catholic High School after it was learned she was involved in a long-term homosexual relationship may pit the Catholic diocese against a Columbus city ordinance barring employers from discriminating based on sexuality. Gym instructor Carla Hale, 57, was fired last week after an anonymous parent wrote the Diocese of Columbus to complain because in an obituary for Hale’s mother, Hale was listed as a survivor alongside her longtime lesbian partner, Julie. Hale signed a morality clause as part of her contract, affirming that “Catholic school...

PARIS (AP) — French lawmakers have legalized same-sex marriage after months of bruising debate and street protests that brought hundreds of thousands to Paris. Tuesday's 331-225 vote came in the Socialist majority National Assembly. France's justice minister, Christiane Taubira, said the first weddings could be as soon as June. Opponents of the law say France is not ready to legalize adoption for same-sex couples, and polls show a France sharply divided on the issue. Thousands of police mobilized ahead of the vote, preparing for dueling protests around the National Assembly building and along the Seine River. At least one spectator...

Also breaking today: This is a proposal that would go from the executive council to the Boy Scouts of America voting members in May, , and if approved, go into effect in January 2014: The Boy Scouts of America would no longer deny membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation, but would maintain its ban on openly gay adult leaders under a proposal it is considering, the group said Friday…“If approved, the resolution would mean that ‘no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.’ The...

Unfortunately, in our ever-”progressive” culture, being Christian has fast become a most dangerous proposition. As each homofascist demand is checked from liberals’ sin-centric wish list, it only gets worse.

Liberals constantly decry conservatives’ slippery slope arguments against their progressive legislation as simply red herrings. Their refrain is usually “Don’t be absurd, no one’s trying to do _____ (insert the relevant slippery slope argument here).” They suggest that such an argument is mere hyperbole and conservatives are introducing ideas no one wants. As usual, the liberals are wrong on both scores. History provides a rich trove of liberal camel noses leading to a tents full of camels. The most famous of course is the income tax. In 1913 when the income tax was established, the top rates began at 1%...

PHILADELPHIA — Take five or 10 minutes, the professor said, and write down things that you love, like, need or enjoy. Now pair up with someone you don’t know and spend 20 minutes introducing yourself. Talk about whatever you want. But don’t mention anything that you wrote down. Try going on for a half-hour without a word about the most important things in life. Imagine a full day. “It might be difficult,” said instructor Robin Brennan. “That’s what this course is about. That is just a glimpse of what it is like for somebody who is LGBT” — lesbian, gay,...

Az AG Tom Horn made the threat. Bisbee will rewrite it's city ordinance.

Officials in West Hollywood are warning members of the public to protect themselves against meningococcal infection, an illness caused by a bacteria or virus that can be fatal. City Councilman John Duran held a news conference Friday afternoon alongside Chris Brown, director of health and mental health for the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, to sound an alarm. Duran told NBC4 one of his long-time supporters -- a 33-year-old gay man -- had been diagnosed with meningitis two days ago, was hospitalized and is now in a coma. The man died Friday afternoon, Duran said. The man had attended an...

Two people were arrested in Britain Thursday over an assault on an "emo" teenager -- the first such move after police began recording attacks on subculture members as “hate crimes.” The term, short for “emotive” or “emotional,” usually refers to an introspective style of music -- somewhere between punk and grunge -- and its associated fashion styles. Earlier this month, Greater Manchester Police became the first force in the U.K. to treat attacks on groups such as goths, emos and punks in the same way as crimes based on race, religion, disability or sexual orientation. The 16-year-old victim was “distinctively...

In a move that foreshadows the radical left’s plans for churches should gay marriage become the law of the land, the California legislature is moving to strip the Boy Scouts of America – a private organization – of its non-profit status for refusing to allow gay scoutmasters...