Earlier today, Floyd Lee Corkins pleaded guilty to several counts relating to when he opened fire at the Family Research Council, injuring a guard before he was subdued. FRC’s Tony Perkins used that news to reiterate his belief that by labeling groups like his as “hate groups,” the Southern Poverty Law Center gave Corkins a “license” for violence:

PERKINS: The day after Floyd Corkins came into the FRC headquarters and opened fire wounding one of our team members, I stated that while Corkins was responsible for the shooting, he had been given a license to perpetrate this act of violence by groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center which has systematically and recklessly labeled every organization with which they disagree as a “hate group.”

Today both assertions were validated in court as Corkins plead guilty to multiple criminal charges, including terrorism. The Southern Poverty Law Center can no longer say that it is not a source for those bent on committing acts of violence.  Only by ending its hate-labeling practices will the SPLC send a message that it no longer wishes to be a source for those who would commit acts of violence that are only designed to intimidate and silence Christians and others who support natural marriage and traditional morality.

Once again, I call on the SPLC to put an immediate stop to its practice of labeling organizations that oppose their promotion of homosexuality. Whether the SPLC continues to demonize those who hold to biblical morality or not, the Family Research Council will remain unequivocally committed to our mission of advancing faith, family and freedom.

Perkins’ accusation is just as “outrageous” now as it was back in August. The SPLC is simply identifying “hate” as “hate.” Contrary to Perkins’ implication, hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased in 2011 despite the fact that the overall number of hate crimes declined. Of course, he never takes responsibility for the rhetoric FRC puts forth everyday, such as this morning when he reminded the world that he believes gay men are pedophiles, despite claiming to say the opposite. In September, just moments after once again painting FRC as a victim to the SPLC, Perkins then compared homosexuality to drug abuse. It’s not hard to draw a connection between that kind of hateful rhetoric and the ongoing harassment of the LGBT community, but FRC’s “mission of advancing faith, family, and freedom” is not particularly concerned with reality.

Jeff Johnston is Focus on the Family’s resident ex-gay, who regularly promotes harmful ex-gay therapy because he claims conforming to heteronormativity is ideal for society. He applies this to trans people too, rejecting transgender identities as disordered. In a new screed against LGBT equality today, he discounted any understanding of gender whatsoever, claiming the only determining factors in gender are what men and women contribute to human reproduction:

Despite years of brainwashing from academia, radical feminists, the media, and entertainment, most people know that men and women are different, unique and complementary. A society that attempts to erase male and female or to create new categories to stand next to male and female is living in unreality. Which of the supposed “other genders” being created by individuals or groups can reproduce or replicate itself? [...]

As Christians we also reject the reduction of humanity to groups defined by their sexual attractions and behaviors. Male and female are categories of existence – there is the biological reality of being male or female, and we live in the spiritual reality of a masculinity or femininity that reflects God’s image. It is de-humanizing to categorize individuals by the ever-proliferating alphabet of identities based on sexual attractions or behavior or “gender identity” – LGBBTTQQIAAFPPBDSM – however many letters are added. No. We stand with the truth that there are male and female. There is no recently discovered race of “homosexuals” or “gays” or “lesbians.” We don’t define people’s essence, their being, by their sexual appetites or by other desires.

Actually, there is a biological reality of being gay or straight too, and no sexual orientation compromises whether someone is male or female. And gender involves so much more than just whether you contribute sperm or eggs — it is the complex intersection of socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, activities, and attributes that might be associated with one’s sex and how they interact with society.

Johnston believes he successfully erased his own sexual identity so now he works to erase others’. His simple-minded view of the world ignores wide swaths of diversity within sex, gender, and sexual orientation to the detriment of all. He may claim that Christians “reject the reduction of humanity,” but his narrow categories for who people can be does just that.

The Boy Scouts of America decided today to delay reconsideration of its anti-gay policy so it can gather more feedback, but a new poll from Quinnipiac provides an immediate answer to the question. According to the poll, 55 percent of American voters support the BSA dropping its policy, while 33 percent feel it should keep it. Support for a more inclusive policy is particularly strong among women (61-27) and Catholics (63-25), whereas white evangelical Protestants oppose gay scouts (56-33). A Gallup poll in December had a less positive response for gay Scouts.

Today is National Gay-Straight Alliance Day, an opportunity to celebrate the work that GSAs are doing in middle schools, high schools, and on university campuses across the country to create safe learning environments for LGBT students. Increasing the visibility of these 3,000+  groups is essential to ensuring their efforts reach as many students as possible:

Violence and discrimination against LGBT students is the rule, not the exception, in American schools. It is a national disgrace that students feel threatened in school simply because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.  While Americans need to know that thousands of students each day go to school or college and endure LGBT violence and harassment, they must also know that GSAs are a tool in helping end violence and that these student groups save lives.

Indeed, research has shown that LGBT students at schools with a GSA hear fewer homophobic marks, experience less victimization, and generally feel safer. Even the mere presence of a club can help mitigate students’ depression and improve the likelihood they’ll succeed in college.

Show your support for GSA Day by standing up against bullying:

Maryland De. Emmett Burns (D)

Last September, Maryland Del. Emmett Burns (D) wrote a letter to Baltimore Ravens owner Steven Disciotti demanding he silence linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo from speaking out for marriage equality. (That letter prompted Minnesota Viking Chris Kluwe’s infamous response that gay people “won’t magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster.”) A few days later, Burns admitted that Ayanbadejo “has his First Amendment rights.” Now, a Maryland legislative ethics committee has found that his use of government stationary was “an abuse of public resources“:

Your use of official General Assembly letterhead to pressure the employer of a citizen of Maryland to suppress the citizen’s right of free speech was a particularly egregious abuse of public resources.

The committee recommended no disciplinary action, however, telling Burns “you have recognized the error of your violation and have publicly apologized.” It’s unclear that he actually ever apologized, though. Despite having admitted Ayanbadejo has First Amendment rights, Burns still feels that “professional football is not the place to be pushing gay rights.” Given Burns’ vociferous opposition to LGBT equality, he likely doesn’t believe that any such “place to be pushing gay rights” exists at all.

The expectation was that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) would vote today on whether to end its national policy banning gay Scouts and leaders, but it has decided to delay making that decision until May. The delay came at the request of the Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts, which opposes the change and joined with 32 other councils calling for an “open forum discussion with councils across the country.” In a joint letter, the Councils suggest polling should be done to determine the outcome:

Time must be allowed for accurate polling data to be collected from stakeholders at all levels and all areas in an unbiased way. The voices of existing chartered partners and financial contributors must be heard alongside those of our volunteer leaders and the parents who entrust their children to us. [...]

We must ask, what could have so radically altered the results of the [July] study as to shift the position on such an important issue? What does this say about the validity of either position or the character of our organization if we are so readily willing to dismiss the former for the latter?

While we understand the urge to support those councils who feel that the current policies negatively impact their ability to remain viable we also think that equal support and consideration should be given to those councils whose ability to remain viable will be impacted by adopting the new policy.

The Mormon Church’s role in this decision cannot be overstated. Though the Church itself has not issued a comment, it is the largest faith-based sponsor of the Scouts, supporting more than 39,000 troops. Church President Thomas Monson has longstanding ties with the Great Salt Lake Council and sits on the BSA national executive board, as do other high-ranking Mormon officials. The Church recently updated its policies on homosexuality, but still condemns it as sinful and calls on gays to be chaste, and it continues to advocate against LGBT equality.

Deciding whether or not to discriminate is not a question that can be answered by polling. If the Scouts choose to make such a decision by catering to financial stakeholders, then any claim the organization has to promoting character is without merit.

A new study from University of Hawai’i economics professor Sumner La Croix suggests that if Hawai’i lawmakers pass the proposed marriage equality legislation, it could provide a significant boost to the state’s economy. Same-sex couples that visit the state to marry, out-of-state guests for same-sex weddings, and same-sex couples who honeymoon there would all generate new tax revenues. The ultimate benefit could be somewhere between $46 million and $258 million over the 2014-2016 period. Conversely, marriage equality is not expected to burden either public or private employers with substantial increases in health insurance expenditures for employees.

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien challenged the conservative opposition to keeping gays scouts and leaders out of the Boy Scouts on Wednesday morning, comparing the organization’s ban to past restrictions on African Americans and women.

The group has come under pressure from corporate sponsors to expand its policy of excluding gays and lesbians from the ranks and prominent right-wing activists like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry have come to its defense, arguing that excluding gays is part of the organization’s “core values” and essential for raising boys into men.

O’Brien disputed these claims during an interview with Perkins, pointing out that “core values” and moral codes evolve over time. “I remember when I was in school,” she said. “If you were a teacher and you were pregnant, you were removed from the classroom. It was considered morally inappropriate to have a pregnant woman in the classroom. Blacks in the military was morally problematic.” “How come this doesn’t fall into the same kind of guidelines?” O’Brien asked.

Perkins responded by arguing that unlike the immutable characteristic of race or gender, gay people can change their sexual orientation to become straight and insisted that allowing them into the Boy Scouts would lead to inappropriate sexual relationships and increase instances of pedophilia:

PERKINS: We’re talking about comparing immutable characteristics with characteristics that are not immutable. First, the Boy Scouts have had a long history of struggling with an issue of protecting the boys. Last fall they were forced by the court to release about 15,000 pages that identified 1,900 predators within the Boy Scouts. [...]

O’BRIEN: Are you saying that someone who is gay is a pedophile, Sir?

PERKINS: No, I never said that. You said that. I didn’t.

O’BRIEN: I’m asking the question. You are saying that you would be worried about –

PERKINS: They are trying to create an environment that is protective of children. This doesn’t make it more protective. There is a disproportionate number of male on boy — when we get on pedophilia, male on boy is a higher incident rate of that. We never said all homosexuals are pedophiles. that’s not what we’re saying.

Watch it:

In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts — a private and traditionally religious organization — did not have to include gay and lesbian scout masters since it undermined its core value. In response to growing public pressure and plummeting membership rates, the group is considering instituting a local option, that will allow local chapters to admit gays, but could undermine its legal argument.

The Boy Scouts’ approach to admitting gays could “mirror the leave-it-to-the-locals tack the organization once took in deciding how to tackle the issue of desegregating its Scout troops.” Throughout the 20th century, the national leadership “gave wide discretion to councils to set their own racial policies,” permitting chapters in the South to run segregated groups or prohibit blacks. The last last council did not integrate until 1974.