Saudi Arabia: Push for gays to be executed because social media is ‘making too many homosexuals’

Saudi Arabia: Push for gays to be executed because social media is ‘making too many homosexuals’
	A newspaper in Saudi Arabia has reported that prosecutors in the country are pushing to enforce the death penalty for homosexuality - because social media is turning people gay.

NC Gov. Pat McCrory on Anti-LGBT Bill: We’ve Been ‘The Target of a Vicious, Nationwide Smear Campaign’

NC Gov. Pat McCrory on Anti-LGBT Bill: We’ve Been ‘The Target of a Vicious, Nationwide Smear Campaign’

In a video released on Tuesday, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory alleged that his state has been “the target of a vicious, nationwide smear campaign” since he signed an anti-LGBT...

Vermont and Washington Are Latest States to Ban Travel to North Carolina

Vermont and Washington Are Latest States to Ban Travel to North Carolina

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 06:30 AM PDT

Washington and Vermont have joined Seattle, San Francisco, and New York's ban on employee travel to North Carolina because of its anti-LGBT bill.

Despite $80,000 Fine, B&B Vows To Disregard ‘Immoral Laws’

Despite $80,000 Fine, B&B Vows To Disregard ‘Immoral Laws’



The owner of an Illinois inn says he won’t be changing his business policy despite a hefty fine for refusing to host a gay couple’s civil union ceremony. Jim Walder, who owns TimberCreek Bed & Breakfast in Paxton, Illinois, was fined more than $80,000 by the Illinois Human Rights Commission on March 29, Reuters is reporting. Walder was ordered to pay $30,000 to Todd and Mark Wathen for emotional distress and $50,000 in fees to their attorneys.

90 Big-Name Business Leaders Just Took A Stand Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law

90 Big-Name Business Leaders Just Took A Stand Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law

They say the bill is bad for economic development. Read more.

New York, Seattle, San Francisco Ban Travel To North Carolina Over Anti-Gay Law

New York, Seattle, San Francisco Ban Travel To North Carolina Over Anti-Gay Law

Three major U.S. cities are protesting an anti-gay bill approved last week by North Carolina lawmakers by limiting travel to the state

men Clock

And it's the correct time!    c2

http://lovedbdb.com/nudemenClock/index2.html

How North Carolina Became The Most Anti-LGBT State In Less Than A Day

How North Carolina Became The Most Anti-LGBT State In Less Than A Day

 by Zack Ford Mar 24, 2016 10:17 am

 Wednesday was a whirlwind day in North Carolina’s government. The legislature convened a special session, a complicated multi-part bill was introduced, it passed through the House and Senate — both Republican controlled — and Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed it into law. Just like that, North Carolina became the state with the most hostile laws against LGBT people in the country.

 Targeting Charlotte for passing its recent LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance, the sweeping legislation preempts municipal nondiscrimination ordinances, essentially making it illegal for cities and counties to extend protections to the LGBT community. Only two other states, Arkansas and Tennessee, have such a law, but North Carolina’s bill goes much further. It also bans transgender people from using restrooms that match their gender unless they’ve managed to change their birth certificate, and prevents civil suits from being filed in state court even when discrimination is documented by the already-poorly-funded Human Rights Commission. On top of all the anti-LGBT measures, the legislation went further and prohibited cities from mandating any employment compensation (minimum wage, benefits, etc.) beyond what is offered at the state level.

 Gleefully signing the bill that he openly called for, McCrory claimed that “the basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was violated by government overreach and intrusion by the mayor and city council of Charlotte.” Calling the ordinance a “radical breach of trust and security under the false argument of equal access,” he said that he believes it “defies common sense and basic community norms by allowing, for example, a man to use a woman’s bathroom, shower or locker room.”

 In a video statement, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R) added that “the loophole this ordinance created would have given pedophiles, sex offenders, and perverts free reign to watch women, boys, and girls undress and use the bathroom.”

What is perhaps most troubling about the passage of this law in North Carolina is that it could pave the way for other states to also target the transgender community for discrimination. South Dakota’s may have been vetoed, but Tennessee’s supposedly dead bill has already been revived this week as several other states continue to introduce theirs.

 Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban transgender people from bathrooms and allow people to sue schools and government agencies if they saw transgender people in their facilities. Republicans in Minnesota’s legislature have similarly introduced a bill targeting public restrooms — albeit without the lawsuit provision. And when the Michigan Department of Education announced this week that it was considering some protections for transgender students, it prompted a GOP backlash that could result in legislation to either overturn or block them.

 What happened in North Carolina could prove to be the deadly recipe that helps these other discriminatory bills actually make it across the finish line. Indeed, the rushed special session was a perfect recipe for avoiding all of the various resistance that has held back these bills from even being considered in previous years.

 For example, the bill’s language was only made public mere minutes before it was considered. The committee first tasked with voting on it had to request to even have five minutes to read it. There was only a total of 30 minutes of public comment, meaning there was basically no opportunity for public input. (Polling showed that there was bipartisan opposition across the state to overturning Charlotte’s ordinance.)

This meant that transgender people did not have the notice or option of traveling to the capitol to share their stories. Businesses had no opportunity to chime in about the economic impact on the state. Though companies like Dow Chemical, Biogen, and Red Hat software tweeted their opposition during the day, it was too little too late. In short, the anti-transgender motives of the lawmakers eager to pass this legislation did not have to pass through any filters before it became law.

 The very opposite is happening in Georgia. Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has until May 3 to consider an anti-LGBT bill that has been widely scorned. Just this week, Disney and Marvel promised to pull out of the state if he signs it, following pressure from other companies like Apple and the NFL that have made similar threats, including not bringing the Super Bowl to the state. This was after plenty of public debate during the many weeks the legislature spent considering and amending the bill.

 The test for North Carolina will be to see what political and legal consequences there will be for the lawmakers who rushed this legislation through. Democratic National Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) scorned the Republican party for being “stuck in the Stone Age on LGBT equality.” Denouncing North Carolina’s lawmakers for “steamrolling over local officials just because they had the courage to stand up for transgender rights,” she promised that “our friends in the LGBT community deserve better and so do all the people of North Carolina.”

 The new law also flies in the face of Title IX, which protects against discrimination on the basis of sex in education. The Federal Department of Education has interpreted this law to include protections for people who identify as transgender. If North Carolina schools are prohibited by state law from accommodating transgender students, they could risk losing $4 billion in federal funding statewide.

 Whether a legislative turnover in November or these legal consequences will ever correct this new law, transgender people will be left wondering if there is any safe place for them to use the bathroom in the meantime.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/03/24/3763023/north-carolina-anti-lgbt/

An Obituary printed in the London Times.....

An Obituary printed in the London Times.....Absolutely Dead Brilliant!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: 

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain; 
- Why the early bird gets the worm; 
- Life isn't always fair; 
- And maybe it was my fault. 

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. 

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. 
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. 

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. 

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. 

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. 

Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason. 

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers; 
- I Know My Rights 
- I Want It Now 
- Someone Else Is To Blame 
- I'm A Victim
- Pay me for Doing Nothing 

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

FBI Will Determine If Boiling Water Attack On Gay Men Was A Hate Crime

FBI Will Determine If Boiling Water Attack On Gay Men Was A Hate Crime



Martin Blackwell, 48, was arrested on state aggravated battery charges after the Feb. 12 incident and remains jailed, records show. Blackwell, who dates the mother of one of the victims, told police he attacked the men because he was disgusted by their relationship.

“They’ll be all right. It was just a little hot water on them,” he said, according to police documents cited by WSB-TV.

Antarctica Was Just Declared ‘The World’s First LGBT-Friendly Continent’

Antarctica Was Just Declared ‘The World’s First LGBT-Friendly Continent’


That’s right — at least if Planting Peace has anything to say about it.

The non-profit advocacy organization, which created the pro-queer rainbow Equality House adjacent to the Westboro Baptist Church compound in Topeka, Kansas, recently traveled across Antarctica carrying a Pride flag in a symbolic effort to declare full human rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in or visiting Antartica. The gesture is also meant to raise awareness about securing equality for queer people on a global level.

Coach of high school ‘No Gay Thursday’ hazing attack resigns

Coach of high school ‘No Gay Thursday’ hazing attack resigns

A Philadelphia area football coach steps down, and the entire coaching staff dismissed, due to older students raping a freshman with a broom handle

Ghanaian president confronted over LGBT rights abuses during visit to Scotland

Ghanaian president confronted over LGBT rights abuses during visit to Scotland

Opposition MSPs say the invitation to the president undermines the safety of the Scottish parliament for members of the LGBTI community

Pacquaio’s anti-gay remarks gets him ‘banned’ from LA mall for a second time

Pacquaio’s anti-gay remarks gets him ‘banned’ from LA mall for a second time

'Manny Pacquiao is no longer welcome,' said the owner of the mall where the boxer was watching a movie with his entourage

A Guy Asks His Roommate If They're Boyfriends. His Reply Is So Cute!

This is a very cute story about a Reddit user who asks the community for advice about his relationship with his roommate after having come to the conclusion that they might be a bit more than just "friends with benefits". The 32-year-old commitment-impaired reddit user "hesmyboyfriend" met his current roommate/boyfriend Alan at a supermarket 18 months ago. "I'll be the first to admit, I have huge commitment issues- my parents threw me out for being gay and then shortly after I entered into an abusive relationship with a much older man. After that broke up because he found someone younger, I was inn a relationship with a guy who was in the closet and basically was his dirty secret until he got engaged to a woman without telling me and then wanted me to stick around. I didn't. After that I became pretty anti relationship," he says. They flirted, hooked up and started hanging out together both inside and outside the bedroom. Then Alan's lease was up and "hesmyboyfriend" asked him if he was interested in becoming his housemate. Alan couldn't really afford it but they came to an arrangement where Alan would pay what he could, while also contributing by cooking and keeping the house clean.

Finish Reading The Story

NFL, Twitter, Square Object To Georgia Bill Critics Say Would Allow LGBT Discrimination

NFL, Twitter, Square Object To Georgia Bill Critics Say Would Allow LGBT Discrimination

The National Football League (NFL) on Friday came out against a bill approved by Georgia lawmakers that seeks to protect opponents of marriage equality

Georgia legislature passes controversial religious freedom bill

Georgia legislature passes controversial religious freedom bill

Friday 18 March 2016 at 3:18 PM ET by Matthew Santiago

©  WikiMedia (Ken Lund)

[JURIST] The Georgia state legislature [official website] on Thursday approved a bill [text, PDF] to allow faith-based establishments, including churches, schools and other organizations, to refuse service or employment to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. While groups such as the Georgia Baptist Mission Board [advocacy website] see the bill as a First Amendment victory, opponents argue [CNN report] that the bill promotes discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Currently more than 400 businesses, including large corporations such as Microsoft and Virgin Atlantic, stand against the bill and could threaten Georgia's status as a leading business state. The bill must still be signed by Governor Nathan Deal [official profile], who has recently implied that he has sympathies for the LGBT community. The Georgia legislature plans [Reuters report] to conclude their session regarding the bill next week.
LGBT rights, as well as freedom of religious practice, remain controversial issues in the US. At least nineteen states have enacted some variety of religious freedom laws, most modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act [text] signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1993. The Kentucky Senate on Tuesday approved a bill [JURIST report] allowing businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians based upon their religious beliefs. Last Friday Missouri lawmakers approved a proposal [JURIST report] to provide similar religious protections to individuals and businesses in opposition to gay marriage. Following the US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges [JURIST report] in June, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis refused to issue [JURIST report] marriage licenses, arguing that her Christian faith should exempt her from issuing the licenses to same-sex couples. Also in June North Carolina lawmakers passed SB 2, a law that permits magistrates to refuse to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds, overriding a veto [JURIST reports] by Governor Pat McCrory.

The Boy and The Puppy (keepyopur hanky ready!)

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell.  He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy..

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

"I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"

"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers.

In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup.

 

Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy... "No charge," answered the farmer, "There is no charge for love..."

Maybe You Shouldn't Use Public Wi-Fi In New York City

Maybe You Shouldn't Use Public Wi-Fi In New York City

Or any government-backed Wi-Fi, for that matter. Read more.

Sally Field Offers Beautiful Advice For Parents Of Gay Kids

Sally Field Offers Beautiful Advice For Parents Of Gay Kids



In terms of how she helped guide her son through his struggles with his own sexuality, the star of "Lincoln" and "Steel Magnolias" said, "I welcomed him to welcome himself, and find that part of his life."

Field also said she was horrified by parents who disapproved of their LGBT children and, in some cases, disowned them.

'We Kill Gay People,' This Closeted Baseball Player Was Told

'We Kill Gay People,' This Closeted Baseball Player Was Told



A former pro baseball player who is gay is speaking out against homophobia in the sport more than a year after hateful comments drove him to quit the minor leagues.

In a letter to SB Nation's Outsports published Wednesday, Tyler Dunnington wrote that he was "one of the unfortunate closeted gay athletes who experienced years of homophobia in the sport I loved." Dunnington played at three colleges and then with the St. Louis Cardinals minor league team in Florida for the 2014 season.

Barber Cites His Faith For Why He Refused To Cut Army Vet's Hair

Barber Cites His Faith For Why He Refused To Cut Army Vet's Hair



Army reservist Kendall Oliver, who identifies as a transgender man and uses the gender-neutral pronoun "they," said they were turned away from The Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on March 8 because the shop doesn't cater to "women."

The shop's owner, Richard Hernandez, did not dispute Oliver's claims, and argued that he was simply following his faith in turning Oliver away.

Cardinal Hid Scouts Sex Scandal

Cardinal Hid Scouts Sex Scandal BY Barbie Latza Nadeau

One of France's most prominent cardinals knew about a pedophile priest abusing young Catholic Scouts—and now the alleged cover-up will be tried in secular courts.

Wisconsin Supreme Court justice: ‘Queers’ deserve ‘no sympathy’

Wisconsin Supreme Court justice: ‘Queers’ deserve ‘no sympathy’

Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley is in hot water after homophobic attacks on people with AIDS are revealed.

Theodore Shoebat: Violence is the best way to combat gay activists

Theodore Shoebat: Violence is the best way to combat gay activists

He sees it as protecting "society from this invasion -- and it is an invasion."

The gay man long accused of “starting AIDS” is finally off the hook

The gay man long accused of “starting AIDS” is finally off the hook

New research shows that Gaetan Dugas was not the "Patient Zero" long thought to have launched HIV in the U.S.

California bill would ban public funds being spent on travel to anti-LGBT states

California bill would ban public funds being spent on travel to anti-LGBT states
	A proposed bill in the US state of California would stop public money from being spent on travel to states with an

Supreme Court smacks down Alabama bid to stops lesbian mum seeing her own kids

Supreme Court smacks down Alabama bid to stops lesbian mum seeing her own kids
	The US Supreme Court has smacked down a decision in Alabama to block legal recognition of a same-sex adoption, wh

High school students charged after brutal attack on ‘No Gay Thursday’

High school students charged after brutal attack on ‘No Gay Thursday’

Three football players have been arrested after sodomizing a freshman with a broom handle.

McDonald's Under Fire For Depicting Gay Man's Coming Out In New Ad

McDonald's Under Fire For Depicting Gay Man's Coming Out In New Ad



A young man comes out to his dad in a new McDonald's McCafe ad airing in Taiwan by writing his secret on a coffee cup. If only the commercial, titled "Acceptance," were met with such tolerance. It's brewing up protests from Taiwan's religious community.

South Dakota Stops Just Short Of Being The First State With A Transphobic Bathroom Law

South Dakota Stops Just Short Of Being The First State With A Transphobic Bathroom Law



The bill, which passed the state Senate last month, marked the first time that American lawmakers voted to force children to choose between school facilities based on the "physical condition of being male or female as determined by a person's chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth."

Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto comes as something of a surprise. He previously said that the bill seemed like a good idea and that he didn't plan to meet with any transgender people before deciding whether to sign it.

Texas Political Hopeful Claims Obama Was A 'Male Prostitute'

Texas Political Hopeful Claims Obama Was A 'Male Prostitute'



Mary Lou Bruner, who reportedly spent 36 years as a public school teacher before retiring in 2009, is one of three candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the State Board of Education District 9.

The 68-year-old reportedly slammed President Barack Obama's stance on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, and suggested that the president had personal experience that made him particularly sympathetic toward those causes.

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Challenge To New Jersey's Ban On 'Ex-Gay' Therapy To Minors

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Challenge To New Jersey's Ban On 'Ex-Gay' Therapy To Minors

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to New Jersey's ban on 'ex-gay' therapy to minors, leaving in place a lower court's decision upholding the law's constitutionality

50 Priests Raped Hundreds of Kids, Jury Finds

50 Priests Raped Hundreds of Kids, Jury Finds

A Pennsylvania state grand jury ruled in a Tuesday report that hundreds of children were molested or raped by at least fifty priests and religious officials associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown over the past half-century. None of the accused clergymen will be charged, the report added, because of the statute of limitations for such accusations, and because of the potential for trauma among witnesses.The two-year grand jury also found that the two previous bishops of the diocese actively worked to cover up the sexual abuse, in conjunction with law enforcement officials controlled by the church. According to the report, James Hogan, who served as bishop from 1966 to 1986 and died in 2005, and Joseph Adamec, who retired after serving from 1987 until 2011, both “took actions that further endangered children as they placed their desire to avoid public scandal over the wellbeing of innocent children."

'Groundbreaking' Discrimination Lawsuits Brought On Behalf Of Gay Workers

'Groundbreaking' Discrimination Lawsuits Brought On Behalf Of Gay Workers



The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Tuesday that it has filed two cases it described as "groundbreaking" -- one on behalf of a gay male employee of a Pennsylvania medical center, another on behalf of a lesbian employee of a Maryland pallet manufacturer.

Mormon Leader: 'There Are No Homosexual Members Of The Church'

Mormon Leader: 'There Are No Homosexual Members Of The Church'



During a Feb. 23 meeting, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Elder David A. Bednar claimed that he and his fellow Mormons "do not discriminate" against gay and lesbian members because "there are no homosexual members of the church," Raw Story first reported.

"We are not defined by sexual attraction. We are not defined by sexual behavior," he continued. "We are sons and daughters of God, and all of us have different challenges in the flesh."

Growing up Sikh and gay: ‘When I came out, my mum thought I was becoming a woman’

Growing up Sikh and gay: ‘When I came out, my mum thought I was becoming a woman’ · PinkNews

Shared by
Gay News Net

pinknews.co.uk - A Sikh man has opened up about his journey to reconciling his religion and sexuality, as a new toolkit aims to bridge the gap between the two. Children’s charity Bernardo’s announced the new toolki...

The sudden intensity of Indonesia's anti-gay onslaught

The sudden intensity of Indonesia's anti-gay onslaught - BBC News

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global news

bbc.co.uk - A few short weeks in Indonesia has seen a former communications minister make a call for the public to kill any gay people they find and the leading psychiatric body describe transgenderism as a me...

Swiss voters reject same-sex marriage ban

Swiss voters reject same-sex marriage ban · PinkNews

Shared by
Gay News Net

pinknews.co.uk - Voters in Switzerland have rejected a referendum initiative that would have changed the constitution and banned same-sex couples from marriage. The country, which regularly puts key legislation bef...

Donald Trump's disrespect for the military is appalling – and unprecedented

Scott Beauchamp

So far, Trump has only insulted, abused and patronized service members and veterans on the trail. That’s no way to win our support

No, Donald Trump, attending a behavior modification military academy doesn’t make you a combat veteran. Photograph: Richard Ellis/Getty Images

Monday 29 February 2016 17.39 GMT Last modified on Monday 29 February 2016 17.50 GMT

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Donald Trump has disparaged many a group – most recently, he refused to flat-out denounce white supremacy – but his transgressions against the military have been less remarked upon.
The disrespect that the Republican frontrunner for the presidential nomination has consistently shown towards veterans and service members is unprecedented, especially for a member of the party that, at least nominally, prides itself on being more supportive of the troops.
On Friday, on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, former head of the CIA and NSA Michael Hayden said that the American armed forces would “refuse to act” if a President Trump actually gave some of the orders that he’s been proposing on the campaign trail. Troops are required to refuse unlawful orders (as would be Trump’s proposed targeting of terrorists’ family members), but the statement reveals a deep antipathy that the defense establishment harbors for Trump. It’s an antipathy that I share as a former US army infantry soldier.
Trump’s disrespect of veterans began long before the current election cycle. On the Howard Stern show back in 1997, sandwiched in between a bunch of embarrassing comments about women, Trump compared his sex life in the 1980s to a war experience.
“I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there – it’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier,” Trump bloviated. And while it’s true that being crass and disgusting is the entire point of the Howard Stern show, for someone who wants to be commander-in-chief of the armed forces to indulge himself by denigrating the war experiences of veterans is beyond the pale.

A bruising day on Planet Trump

Read more

Trump has no way to know if dating has anything in common with combat, because he was a draft dodger. As Tim Mak wrote in the Daily Beast: “When Trump had the chance to join the military and fight in Vietnam, he did not take it. Instead, the rich kid got multiple student deferments from the draft and a medical deferment.”
Trump continued to inappropriately compare his civilian experiences to military ones since the Howard Stern appearance. Last year Trump told a biographer that he “always felt like I had been in the military” because of his time at the New York Military Academy, an expensive military-themed boarding school where Trump’s parents sent him because of behavioral problems.

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That might be a uniquely idiotic statement from someone running for president, but it’s an attitude that, as a veteran, I’ve seen before. There’s always a guy at the bar sloppily explaining to you how he was in Junior Officer Training Corps during high school so, you know, he gets it. That guy should never run for office either.
A telltale sign that Trump does not actually know what it feels like to be in the military is his denigration of POWs. Last July at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, Trump said of Arizona senator and former Vietnam POW John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He’s not a war hero because he was captured. I don’t like people who were captured.” Who would want to go to war for a President Trump knowing that if you were captured in the heat of battle your commander-in-chief wouldn’t “like” you?
When Trump does gesture at supporting the troops, it rings hollow. He offers six figures to buy veterans groups as props to use during campaign rallies, as if risking life and limb for your country can be monetized. And his ads that are meant to show respect to veterans probably shouldn’t feature images of Soviet and Nazi soldiers rather than American troops. To lift one of Trump’s own favorite words: it’s pathetic.
Hayden was quick to point out on Friday that the armed forces wouldn’t foment a rebellion against Trump; they’d just refuse to obey unlawful orders. Nevertheless, it was a big statement that took even the usually nonplussed Bill Maher by surprise.
It shouldn’t have. For all his talk about leadership, something that Trump fails to understand is that real leadership is predicated upon respecting the people that you want to follow you. So far, Trump has only insulted, abused and patronized service members and veterans. It’s shocking that these kinds of tactics have gotten him this close to the White House, but it will never earn him the respect of the armed forces.