Bob Vander Plaats’ controversial 14-point marriage fidelity pledge and rather embarrassing “caught on camera” moment laughing at a “faggot joke” has caused a rift within the Republican party and led several GOP insiders and 2012 presidential candidates to raise concerns about the FAMiLY LEADER’s extreme conservative ideology and social beliefs. Iowa House Speaker Pro-Tem Jeff Kaufmann (R), who worked as a county chairman on Vander Plaats’ failed gubernatorial campaign, e-mailed Vander Plaats and the organization’s other leaders to tell them that the pledge — which contained a bizarre reference to slavery, asked candidates to ban porn, and claimed that being gay is a choice — had “ridiculous implications” and that they would soon have “no impact” in the state. LGBT groups have called on Vander Plaats to apologize for seemingly embracing the “faggot” slur, Mitt Romney described his Pledge as “undignified and inappropriate,” and Blue Bunny, a company with close connections to the group, has also distanced itself from the organization.

Now, it appears that state conservatives may be moving even further away from the LEADER. Yesterday, the Family Research Council, National Organization for Marriage, and Susan B. Anthony List, along with Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX), announced that they would be chartering an anti-gay, anti-choice “Values Bus 2011 Iowa Tour” next week. The tour, organized by the same groups who took to the road for a “Judge Bus Tour” as part of a campaign to recall the Iowa Supreme Court justices who overturned a state law outlawing same-sex marriage, will attract a who’s-who of religious right personalities, including GOP presidential candidates Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum. One name missing from the roster? Bob Vander Plaats and the FAMiLY LEADER:

Vander Plaats, who attended the Judges Tour, may still appear at some of the bus stops and events, but his exclusion from the website and the group’s press release may be notable. ThinkProgress contacted the FAMiLY LEADER to ask if the group intended to participate, but our calls were not returned.

Bryan Fischer, voice of the AFA

Today’s New York Times profile of the American Family Association (AFA) stops short of accurately portraying it as the hate group that it is. Under the guise of Christian values, AFA spreads some of the most demonizing rhetoric about the LGBT community of all Religious Right groups, as blogs Right Wing Watch and Good As You document on almost a daily basis. These attacks flow primarily from the group’s spokesperson, Bryan Fischer, but they are amplified by Republican presidential candidates who appear on his radio show, reinforced through the organization’s news outlet, One News Now, and further disseminated through 10 state-level affiliates. For instance, AFA’s president, Tim Wildmon, has confirmed that one of the goal’s of this week’s high-profile prayer rally headlined by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is to end the “increasing acceptance of homosexuality” by American society.

But the New York Times both downplayed and even humored some of AFA’s rhetoric — so much so that bloggers have called it “rightwashed” and a “glowing tribute.”  Mainstream media outlets often attempt to create a false “balance” on LGBT issues by ignoring much of the harm caused by those who oppose equality, as NPR did earlier this week. The Times achieved this by merely ascribing AFA’s designation as a “hate group” to “liberal critics,” juxtaposed against the Values Voter Summit honoring the group’s founder, Don Wildmon, as “one of the most effective Christian leaders of our time.” The reality is that the “hate group” language doesn’t just come from “liberal critics,” but from the prestigious Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). A year ago, the SPLC designated 18 organizations, including AFA, as anti-gay “hate groups” for the way their rhetoric and actions encouraged violence against the LGBT community. Here is how SPLC rationalized the label:

Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family moderate their views, a hard core of smaller groups, most of them religiously motivated, have continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual minorities. These groups’ influence reaches far beyond what their size would suggest, because the “facts” they disseminate about homosexuality are often amplified by certain politicians, other groups and even news organizations. Of the 18 groups profiled below, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be listing 13 next year as hate groups (eight were previously listed), reflecting further research into their views; those are each marked with an asterisk. Generally, the SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods — claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling. Viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups.

Another problem with the article was its poor framing of some of Fischer’s rhetoric. For example, the article highlights Fischer’s outlandish claims that Hitler was gay and that Nazis were “homosexual thugs,” suggesting it’s all part of the same “disputed theory” and up for debate. While some historians have raised questions about Hitler’s sexual orientation, no legitimate historians suggest the holocaust was evidence of the “inherent pathologies of homosexuality.” It’s unfortunately ironic that the story was published on the same day as the passing of Rudolf Brazda, who was the last known survivor of the Nazis’ persecution of homosexuals.

By ignoring the SPLC’s research on AFA and humoring Fischer’s rhetoric, the New York Times grossly misrepresented the group’s intentions and the incredible harm it does to the LGBT community.

“The resolution of the debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders has HIV/AIDS advocates concerned that federal funds for prevention and drug initiatives could be on the chopping block as a result of the agreement,” the Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson is reporting. That deal would raise the debt ceiling through 2012 by immediately cutting $917 billion from mostly discretionary spending and empowering a joint congressional committee to recommend $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in additional cuts. HIV/AIDS programs could be targeted in both rounds of reductions and through spending triggers that would go into effect should Congress fail to enact the committee’s recommendations.

All federal funding of discretionary HIV/AIDS programs could see an impact as a result of the decision, HIV/AIDS activists warn, “including the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and AIDS research programs.”

Unfortunately, the deal comes on the heals of a new government released report, which found that while the number of people infected with HIV each year is relatively steady, rates of infection have gone up significantly among men who have sex with men (MSM), especially for those who are African American. “The current level of HIV incidence in the United States is likely not sustainable,” the report found, since the large and growing number of people living with HIV infections means more people can transmit the virus. If current prevention efforts “are not intensified,” the country could see “significant increases in new infections.”

Janet Boynes' autobiography is the only book about homosexuality offered in Marcus Bachmann's clinics.

Today, Truth Wins Out has a lengthy special report debunking the ex-gay narrative of Janet Boynes, the leader of a Minnesota ministry with close ties to Republican candidate Michele Bachmann. She is “the Religious Right’s ‘ex-gay’ du jour,” embraced by hate groups like the Family Research Council and touted by Marcus Bachmann in his Christian counseling clinics. Her public profile is quickly growing — she was recently featured on the cover of Charisma magazine and on Lisa Ling’s special on ex-gay therapy for the Oprah Winfrey Network, making her one of the most public faces of the ex-gay movement. Despite the fact she and the Bachmanns describe each other as “friends,” Michele Bachmann continues to dodge questions about her connections to the harmful ex-gay movement.

Boynes has made a profitable career peddling her ex-gay autobiography and other ex-gay propaganda through her eponymous Exodus International-affiliated ministry and an ex-gay front group known as the National Ex-Gay Educators’ Caucus, which pushes the dangerous therapies at education conferences like the National Education Association’s. In addition to being the darling of the ex-gay movement, Boynes is also directly fueling anti-LGBT efforts.

The Vice President of her ministry is Barb Anderson of the Minnesota Family Council, the group spearheading next year’s ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota’s constitution. Boynes testified in support of the bill and Bachmann also spoke out for it. Further, Anderson and Boynes have been directly involved in the curriculum discussions at Anoka-Hennepin School District, where teachers are forbidden from discussing sexual orientation, creating a toxic environment which may have contributed to the suicides of multiple students. Boynes’s efforts are perhaps the best example yet of how ex-gay therapy is the underpinning of all anti-gay attitudes, and thankfully, TWO is here to show just how phony her story is. It’s worth reading the entire special report, but here is a quick breakdown of the analysis:

- EXCEPTION TO THE RULE: Boynes’ “stardom” as an ex-gay is a clear indication of the Religious Right’s “desperate to find anyone willing to claim that they have successfully gone from gay to straight.”

- NOT ACTUALLY EX-GAY: Boynes is obviously bisexual, recounting in her book her regular attractions to men and relationships with them, which means her claims of being “a former lesbian” are a stretch. Arguably, her entire ex-gay narrative is a fraud, and she even admits in her book, “I was not born homosexual. I made a decision.”

- “BORN THIS WAY” IS IRRELEVANT: According to Boynes, race is inborn and sexual orientation isn’t, and thus the struggle for LGBT rights is incomparable to the Civil Rights Movement. Animus must motivate this distinction, because she suggests that even if a “gay gene” is discovered, “it doesn’t really matter,” dismissing the injustice and violence still faced by the LGBT community.

- NO EVIDENCE OF EX-GAY THERAPY’S SUCCESS: Parroting the talking point of all ex-gay groups, Boynes claims there are “thousands of ex-gays,” but offers no evidence besides herself and a boy named Christian, who admits he’s totally still sexually attracted to men.

- STIGMA IS WHAT HURTS, NOT HOMOSEXUALITY: By trying to suggest that the “homosexual lifestyle” is ugly and unhealthy, Boynes proves the opposite in her book. The stigma against being gay, which was hammered into her by her family growing up, is what led her to make all the unhealthy decisions she made. Research from the Family Acceptance Project shows that when families do not accept LGBT youth, those young people are much more likely to engage in self-destructive behaviors.

- UGLY COMPARISONS: Throughout her book and ministry, Boynes regularly compares homosexuality to polygamy, pedophilia, incest, and bestiality.

Read the whole report for countless excerpts from Boynes’ book that show how truly toxic her views are. Hers is the one book about homosexuality Marcus Bachmann makes available at his clinic. As her public profile grows, it’s likely she will continue using her influence to perpetuate harm against the LGBT community and live quite comfortably off the profit of her efforts.

Ben Smith reports that Mitt Romney has signed-on to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM’s) anti-gay campaign pledge, joining fellow candidates Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann. The document — while far less controversial than a similar effort by Iowa’s FAMiLY LEADER — commits the 2012 contenders to strongly opposing the advancement of LGBT equality:

Romney has consistently opposed expanding marriage to gays and lesbians, while paradoxically insisting that he supports equal rights for everyone. And he has tailored that massage to please his shifting audiences.

During his failed 1994 campaign for the Senate, for instance, Romney told the Log Cabin Republicans, “We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern,” promised to co-sponsor the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and even claimed that he would do more for the gay community than the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

In his 2002 campaign for governor, Romney struck a similar note, saying that “all citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation” and argued that “domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship.” His campaign even sent out a “Happy Pride” flier to the gay community.

Shortly thereafter, Romney began emphasizing his opposition to marriage equality, reiterating traditional conservative talking points about how same-sex unions would negatively affect children. He testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of a federal marriage amendment and later sent a letter to Congress urging it to pass the measure. “I think, very important to the country because marriage is not just about adults. Marriage is about the development and nurturing of kids, and in my view, the development of a child is enhanced by having a mom and dad,” Romney explained in 2007.

Yet today, the former Massachusetts governor still insists that he is “in favor of gay rights.” Asked if he believes homosexuality is a sin by CNN’s Piers Morgan, Romney simply said, “Nice try.”

Tim Pawlenty took a shot at the American Conservative Union (ACU) for barring the gay Republican group GOProud from participating in next year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). ACU announced the decision last month in an effort to appease social conservatives who boycotted the conference last year in protest of GOProud’s presence. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Pawlenty stressed that Republicans shouldn’t be afraid of more debate:

Q: A gay conservative group (GOProud) won’t be allowed to participate in the Conservative Political Action Committee conference. What do you think of that?

PAWLENTY: “I’m not familiar with that particular controversy. But I don’t think Republicans or conservatives should be afraid of debating the issues. We can agree or disagree on the merits of it. I’m for more debate, not less debate.”

Some prominent conservatives — including Andrew Breitbart who sits on GOProud’s board — have also denounced CPAC’s decision, arguing that “barring GOProud from a huge political event in a Presidential election year will only serve to fracture the conservative movement.” “What the American Conservative Union did with CPAC has nothing to do with true conservative values, because GOProud supports those,” conservative blogger Jeff Dunetz explained.