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National Anti-LGBT Hate Groups Join Fight Against Tennessee High Schoolers’ Gay-Straight Alliance

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MassResistance, Liberty Counsel Lobby School Board Members Ahead of Monday’s Meeting

Two anti-LGBT hate groups from out of state, MassResistance and Liberty Counsel, reportedly have joined the battle against a newly formed Gay-Straight Alliance at Franklin County High School in Winchester, Tennessee. 

In response to a controversy over the GSA, the Franklin County school board will again discuss its policies related to student organizations on Monday night. Chairman Kevin Caroland recently told The New Civil Rights Movement that officials may consider eliminating all 17 of the school’s non-curricular clubs in an effort to ban the GSA without violating the federal Equal Access Act. 

MassResistance, which is listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBT hate group, reported Saturday that it had been contacted about the GSA by local parents and a Franklin County school board member, and now plans to send a representative to the meeting. 

MassResistance also reportedly contacted the Liberty Counsel, also listed by the SPLC as an anti-LGBT hate group. Liberty Counsel has provided legal guidance to local officials. 

“With a good legal group now backing them, a decision has been made to take a vote at the School Board’s upcoming meeting this Monday, March 14,” MassResistance wrote. “If the Board does the right thing, listens to their outraged constituents, and votes to disband the GSA club in the face of the LGBT movement, it will be a great show of pro-family strength. And it could be the start of a larger counter-revolution in other places!”

Lisa Rung, a local citizen journalist, disputed MassResistance’s account, saying it was actually a representative from the group, Brian Camenker, who contacted the school board member: 

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Rung also said in an interview with Franklin County Buzz that even if the school board eliminates all non-curricular clubs, it could be a violation of the Equal Access Act, since it’s clear officials are targeting the GSA. 

“It is absolutely cut and dried; the only reason you’re doing this is because of that one club,” Rung said. “They’re basically saying, ‘We want to erase you, we wish you didn’t exist, and to say that to someone who’s already marginalized. … I hope they won’t walk off a cliff. They’re talking about walking off a cliff. It would be a very extreme thing they’re talking about doing.” 

Franklin County Buzz also reported that if the board violates federal law and loses in court, individual members could be held liable.

The school board has again moved its meeting to the Franklin County High School auditorium to accommodate a large expected crowd.

At the board’s last meeting, opponents of the GSA waved Christian flags and warned that the club is part of a “youth recruitment strategy” from radical gay activists, who want to expose children to fisting, rimming and anal sex. Opponents of the GSA have also compared it to ISIS, and students have vandalized the club’s posters and worn “Straight Pride” stickers in protest. 

Trouble for the Franklin County High School Gay-Straight Alliance first came in January when anti-gay parents compared the GSA to ISIS and called on school officials to resign for allowing it. 

The parent who compared the GSA to ISIS, apparently a Donald Trump supporter based on posts to his Facebook page, also posted the statement from MassResistance to his Facebook page.

Supporters of the GSA again plan a rally prior to the meeting, and they’ve launched a petition calling on the school board to keep non-curricular clubs. 

“In the high school, there are clubs related to the Christian faith,” Franklin County High School senior Katlyn Council wrote in the petition. “Also, in the high school, there are students who do not believe in the Christian faith. There is a simple solution the students in disagreeance with Christian clubs have already found: Don’t attend the club meetings.

“As a senior applying daily for admission into college and scholarship applications, I am able to firsthand tell you how important clubs are to students,” she wrote. “Punishing all students of FCHS is not the answer to a problem that already has a simple solution.”

The Franklin County Buzz reportedly will be streaming video from the rally and school board meeting on its YouTube channel.

 

EARLIER:

Tennessee Officials Weigh Eliminating All School Clubs in Attempt to Ban Gay-Straight Alliance

Anti-Gay Parents Tell TN School Board Gay-Straight Alliance Will Be Used To ‘Recruit’ Children

Anti-LGBT Parents Force Tennessee School Board To Consider Shutting Down Gay-Straight Alliance

 

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Reporters Reveal Some Republicans Don’t Understand What a Default Means – and Don’t Believe the Debt Ceiling Is Real

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CNN’s Jim Acosta and John Avlon compared notes on Republicans speaking on raising the debt ceiling over the weekend only to realize that the far-right members refuse to support the deal between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.

Acosta cited an interview he conducted Saturday with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who said he’s voted for shutdowns and would vote again this week.

After ranting about cutting spending, Acosta said, “Well, you can have the argument about cutting spending during the budget and appropriations process, but as you know, Congressman, the U.S. has never missed making payments on its bills before. In the last 45 years, Congress has raised the debt ceiling 65 times. So, again, I go back to the question: is it responsible — I understand what you’re saying about how much your daughter spends, but we’re not talking about $15. We’re talking about the American economy. Is it responsible to be the deciding vote to send the country into default?”

Burchett claimed that the country wasn’t going to be sent into default. He crafted a conspiracy that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen kept changing the date the U.S. default would happen.

“Nobody is, as the young people say, nobody has provided the receipts. Nobody has called her into Washington and said, ‘Show us the math on this,'” he said.

Yellen works at the Treasury Department, which is in Washington.

Burchett also had his own math, saying that if they cut the budget spending to the 2022 levels, the country would be in a surplus. The House passed a massive defense spending package that would have required cuts from other places.

“All they’re doin’ right now is scarin’ people,” Burchett claimed. “They’re talkin’ about cutting programs that have no need other than political cronyism, we’re tellin’ our seniors — and the Democrats will, and I get it — they’re tellin’ the seniors they’re gonna be cut. Veterans are gonna be cut. And nothing can be farther (sic) from the truth. And that’s just the reality of politics.”

The reason Democrats were citing cuts to seniors and veterans goes back to the Republican Party budget bill that required cuts to seniors and veterans. That’s because returning to the 2022 budget levels means making cuts to increases already passed by Congress.

Acosta turned back to Burchett to ask if he believed the debt ceiling wasn’t real.

“I think the debt ceiling is — it’s just a creative thing to hold us into responsible — into check,” said Burchett.

Avlon cited Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), who claimed he refused to sign a bill that would bankrupt the economy.

“Well, hold it right there,” said Avlon. “I mean, if you let the country default on its debt, that’s functionally the same thing.”

An annoyed Avlon was frustrated the process was even something allowed to happen.

“It’s a fact, Congress has to control the pursestrings. So, frankly, someone should figure out the 14th Amendment side of this because I think this is not the way we’re supposed to play ball, the greatest nation in the world constantly every couple of years when there’s a Democratic president flirting with defaulting on our debt because it’s fiscal policy by extortion,” said Avlon. “This is a win to the extent that we came up to a bipartisan agreement, but this is not the way the greatest nation in the world should conduct its fiscal policy. It’s ridiculous. And it didn’t happen when Donald Trump was president because Democrats worked with Republicans to ensure the debt ceiling was raised three times.”

See the discussion below or at the link here.

Image: GOP Rep. Tim Burchett

 

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‘Start the Kevin McCarthy Death-Clock’ After Biden Wins Debt Ceiling Battle: Rick Wilson

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Appearing late Saturday night on MSNBC after it was announced that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had reached an agreement “in principle’ on a budget deal, former GOP strategist Rick Wilson claimed this could be the beginning of the end for McCathy’s speakership.

Sitting in on a panel with guest host Michael Steele, Wilson suggested that McCarthy’s decision to compromise with the president to avoid a default that would spin the economy into chaos will not go over well with far-right members of his House caucus who could make a motion to “vacate the chair” to express their displeasure.

Asked by host Steel about what comes next, Wilson stated it was a win for the White House which will not make conservatives happy.

RELATED: ‘Crazy cuckoo MAGA people’ could sink debt ceiling deal: Dem strategist

“Great night for Joe Biden, great night for the White House even though I think their messaging has been kind of tentative the past few weeks” the Lincoln Project founder began. “I think though we are now going to start the Kevin McCarthy death-clock. He has certainly got a very angry part of his caucus tonight who probably burning up his phone no matter how good it is for the country not to default.”

“It’s not going to please the chaos caucus in the GOP,” he added.

Watch below or at the link:

 

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Debt Ceiling: McCarthy Faces ‘Lingering Anger’ and a Possible Revolt as Far-Right House Members Start Issuing Threats

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As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continues to negotiate a deal to avoid a debt crisis, members of the far-right Freedom Caucus are growing furious with him over broken promises he made to them.

According to MSNBC political analyst Steve Benen, with a slim GOP majority in the House, McCarthy is walking a tightrope to get a budget deal passed and may need help from House Democrats if members of his caucus refuse to go along with him.

As Benen points out, in order to win the speakership McCarthy agreed to an easier path for a motion to “vacate the chair” which could end his tenure as Speaker. That could come into play if the Freedom Caucus stages a revolt.

“… as the negotiations approach an apparent finish line, the House Republicans’ most radical faction is learning that it isn’t likely to get everything its members demanded — and for the Freedom Caucus, that’s not going to work,” he wrote in his MSNBC column.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Trump in danger of heightened espionage charges after bombshell report: legal expert

Citing a Washington Times report that stated, “[Freedom Caucus members] want everything from the debt limit bill passed by the House last month plus several new concessions from the White House,” Benen suggested far-right House Republicans are now issuing veiled threats.

In an interview, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) stated, “I am going to have to go have some blunt conversations with my colleagues and the leadership team. I don’t like the direction they are headed.”

With Politico reporting, “The [House Freedom Caucus] was already unlikely to support a final bipartisan deal, but lingering anger with Kevin McCarthy could have lasting implications on his speakership,” Benen added, “If this is simply a matter of lingering ill-will from members who come to believe that GOP leaders ‘caved,’ the practical consequences might be limited. But let’s also not forget that McCarthy, while begging his own members for their support during his protracted fight for the speaker’s gavel, agreed to tweak the motion-to-vacate-the-chair rules, which at least in theory, would make it easier for angry House Republicans to try to oust McCarthy from his leadership position.”

Adding the caveat that he is not predicting an imminent McCarthy ouster he added, “But if the scope of the Freedom Caucus’ discontent reaches a fever pitch, a hypothetical deal clears thanks to significant Democratic support, don’t be surprised if we all start hearing the phrase ‘vacate the chair” a lot more frequently.”

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