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When I last touched on the issue of the intentional dumbing down of the American Public, I took aim at the Republican Party during 2008's Presidential election. It seemed the new "culture war" or wedge issue in the election was intelligence, with cries of Folksy Appeal, Joe Six-pack, Too Professorial, Celebrity, Evil Elitist, and Arugula-Eating Liberals coming from the GOP as a rallying cry for the "common man." The war on intellectualism was on and the Republicans had launched another surge strategy.But they didn't do it in a vacuum. The devolving level of discourse in this country can be traced to the continual dumbing of the news from our "mainstream" media sources. What used to be a proud tradition of finding the facts, truth, and coming to an independent conclusion to inform the public has become a fractured, tabloid regurgitation of party spin and talking points. There is no fact-finding, only moderating two screaming heads from "both sides" of issues that really don't get to the bottom of the topic at hand. Often times it only serves to further obscure, rather than educate, the general public that is watching.It used to be that journalist and media associations fought for access to information. Now it seems like the main goal is simply access to the politicians themselves. Private parties thrown by politicians for the DC media blur the lines between aggressive truth-finding and a friendly relationship that gets you softball interviews. John McCain's barbecues are legendary in the press and well attended. Embedded press pools play basketball with the President instead of seeking out information that the American public needs.This lazy new journalism bleeds into the 24 hour news stations, where they throw on two people from opposing sides of an issue and give them face time, no matter how ridiculous the talking points spewing forth. Talking about repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Put on a discharged gay soldier versus the head of the Family Research council who has never served, knows nothing about the military, and who's argument is "gay is gross." Want to talk about how midterm election are going to shake out? Put on a democratic strategist and a republican strategist and listen to the "illuminating" discussion begin. That's what passes for quality journalism.And this isn't just about the segregating of news in a new information age. Yes, Fox is watched by conservatives, MSNBC is watched by progressives, and CNN is watched by people's cats who are left home alone so they don't get lonely. People have always tended to find news sources that play to their beliefs, whether it be on TV, blogs, or newspapers. This is about the general state of news, which has become a corporate, entertainment-based, sensational scream-fest.The media has even taken to simply pulling information off Facebook and twitter, then calling it reporting. Most reports on Sarah Palin begin with:"Sarah Palin responded by Facebook today, saying..."The problem is that this lets Palin have an unchallenged voice. There is never a chance for a follow-up question or pushing on an issue to see if she even begins to have a basic understanding of what she is talking about. She has gamed the entertainment media system and comes out as the new leader of conservatism without ever having to answer questions.In the same vein, the media has given up any semblance of balanced reporting and simply create a meme and stick with it. From the rise of the Tea Party to the wiping out of incumbents in recent elections to the "controversy" around gay rights, the media wants the story of conflict and strife, abandoning what the facts actually show. The more they can weave a story that is easy to sell to the public, the more they can dumb down the facts and thereby dumb down America, the better for them, their ratings, and their pocketbooks.Just look at Glenn Beck.Of course there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. And this certainly isn't a liberal or conservative issue alone. It is a decisive move to play to the lowest, basest part of our society: fear, ignorance, and conflict.Intellectualism, curiosity, facts, deconstructing challenging issues, and educating are not bad words. The media has a duty, one they have sacrificed on the alter of cheap entertainment and corporate profits. They have declared war on intellectualism... and they are winning.

Now that a little time has passed after the midterm elections, it's time for us to pick ourselves up and figure out how to move forward in a very different political climate.  There has been much talk about voter disillusionment with the Democrats, especially in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) community, which voted for the GOP in much higher numbers than in previous cycles- even against their own interests and rights in many cases.There is no doubt that proponents of equality are in a tough spot.  We have the Democrats on one side, who constantly ask for our votes while also demanding our patience and to "wait" for our rights until it's a politically good time (which never comes despite controlling the Presidency, House, and Senate).  On the other side are the Republicans, a political party with discrimination against LGBT people literally written into their platform and a history of not just blocking our rights, but using us as a "wedge issues" to drive out bigoted voters in elections.  We have supportive lip-service or outright hostility.  Not exactly the best choices, proven by the fact that even though LGBT rights are gaining broad support among the American public, politicians continue to lag generations behind.Given this, it's no wonder our community has grown angry, disillusioned, tired, and feels betrayed on all sides as the basic American Dream continues to allude us for no other reason than outdated bigotry and personal bias.  But how can we move beyond those feelings, or perhaps even use them, to push forward on the equality and basic rights we need to live full, complete lives especially given an at least two year period when the GOP is going to block any forward movement on civil rights in the House?

Be The Ally We Want

The LGBT community is a small minority group, with many of our number unable to live openly or identify as such.  As such, we need to cultivate and engage our natural allies in the fight for minority rights, personal freedom, and basic civil rights so we can have the hard numbers to make the gains we need.  But we can't simply demand our fair-minded allies be there for us when we need them and not do the same in return.In short, we must be the allies for others that we want for our issues.If we want our straight allies to go to bat for us, we need to do the same.  Issues like fair pay for women and women's reproductive rights, anti-poverty initiatives, fair immigration reform, healthcare, education, and many other issues that touch our community should be part of our movement.  Besides just being the right thing to do and being part of issues that directly affect members of the LGBT community, we become good allies and a group that others can count on when they need us.  Building bridges to other communities that are in fights for minority rights as well can only help our cause as we push forward in a hard political climate.  We need all the help we can get.

Taking it to the Courts

Let's be honest- chances for equality are stalled for awhile in Congress now that the GOP has gained control of the house.  We were told to wait and they would get to our rights later in the Obama administration, but that seems unlikely to happen.  So we need to continue to stop the waiting and use the system our founding fathers set up to address issues exactly the ones we face: the judiciary.It's the job of the courts to make sure the constitution and our laws are applied equally and fairly.  They are there to make sure the tyranny of the majority doesn't trample to rights of the minority.  And we need to continue to use it.Seeing the movement on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the new challenges against the "Defense of Marriage Act", challenges to adoption bans, the challenge against Prop 8, and other chipping away of bigoted laws through the courts is where nearly all of our movement forward has been made.  And it looks to be where we will continue to be able to make wins for equality even while the political route stalls.  Plus, the court cases often put politicians in tough spots and force their hands on issues, helping us see where we stand with them or making them take quicker action than they like.

Electing Our Own

Getting directly involved in politics and having a seat at the table is huge.  I've seen first hand how having an openly LGBT person on a local city commission, for example, can change the complete dynamic of that region for equality.  We need to run for office at every level.  Visibility in the political process, whether it be at the national level down to local school boards, can have huge impacts.According to the Victory Fund, this past election over 100 openly LGBT where elected to office- a record number.  In fact, the LGBT community had a better election rate than Tea Party-backed candidates (although you'd be hard-pressed to see the media talk about the surge of equality-minded candidates like they do the Tea Party).We can be voices of fairness and reason, putting a face on our community and making it harder for our opponents to blindly attack us as the "scary gays" when we're sitting right beside them in positions of public influence.  We can also make huge pro-equality gains on the municipal and state level.

Continued Political Pressure & Public Education

While our political prospects for equality on the national level look grim, we can't simply withdraw and give up for the next two years.  We've seen the consequences of disillusionment and how the shift in power can squash momentum for our cause.  So while the fight just got harder, we have to continue.We have to use everything in our toolbox, from insider access and lobbying to politicians and grassroots direct action and protests to keep our issues in the public debate.  We also have to stay engaged to make sure we aren't the ones thrown under the bus in the name of political "compromise", as has been the case in the past with things like the creation of DADT and DOMA.  History and shifting demographics that support equality are on our side, so we have to continue to build the political influence and structure that can make the political jumps forward we want when the opportunity presents itself and stop any regression in its tracks.That means we have to support the individual candidates that support our issues, pressure those that are on the fence, hold our enemies accountable, and stay engaged at all levels.  We can't just sit out of voting or stop pushing the legislation we want.  We have to protest, engage, educate, and lobby.

Just Stay Involved

It's easy to give up, throw up our hands, and retreat to our everyday lives, especially when faced with an uphill battle like we have the next two years.  But the fight for equality is never easy and never over.The stakes are too high- our youth feel increasingly bullied as shame and bigotry trickle down through our anti-equality laws and the rhetoric around it.  The forces for outdated homophobia are fighting harder and louder as they see the public opinion turn against them.  We take steps forward, get pushed back, but have to keep moving.Find a way to get involved and engaged.  Make calls to your legislators, run for local boards, talk to your friends and family about our issues, and do what you can in your every day life.It's a hard fight, but we have to keep at it and push that arc of history towards the justice we deserve.

Benedictine University doesn't mind you being gay. Really. As long as you don't tell anyone.

Administrator Laine Tadlock, who was director of the education program at Benedictine, was forced from her job from the Catholic university in Springfield, Illinois after a local paper, The State Journal-Register, published her wedding announcement to her partner Kae Helstrom in Iowa. The university knew she was gay and about her out of state wedding, but apparently took issue with the announcement mentioning she worked at the university:

"In a Sept. 30 letter to Tadlock's attorney, Benedictine President William Carroll wrote, '... By publicizing the marriage ceremony in which she participated in Iowa she has significantly disregarded and flouted core religious beliefs which, as a Catholic institution, it is our mission to uphold.'"

That's right- marrying her partner "flouted" the Catholic institution so much that she couldn't do her job anymore.

I wonder how many other legal weddings of employees disregard the "core religious beliefs" of the church. By this down-the-rabbit-hole logic, there must certainly be no one on staff that is divorced... Or that *gasps* curses or takes the lord's name in vain in a public forum or on campus. That would flout the mission of the university. Right?

This just boils down to plain anti-gay discrimination, even by the schools own admission:

"Tadlock met that day with Carroll and Mike Bromberg, dean of academic affairs. Tadlock said Carroll told her he had consulted three Catholic bishops about the situation, including Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Springfield diocese. At least one person, Catholic activist Steve Brady of Petersburg, said he complained to Paprocki. He also wrote and sent e-mails to other church officials condemning Tadlock and Benedictine following the announcement's publication."

So all it took was one anti-gay activist with no connection to the university to activate the Catholic Church's longtime bias against LGBT people and force Tadlock from her job, despite the University's own employee handbook statement on discrimination:

"It is the university's policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, handicap, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any basis protected by law."

People wonder why we need things like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) or need protections to simply live our lives in a way equal to our heterosexual counterparts. All it took was one person complaining to get a longtime educator removed from her job for simply celebrating a special (and legal) occasion in her life like any other person would do.

Discrimination doesn't get more plain than that.