Minnesota Independent

Video: Franken grills Focus on the Family head during DOMA repeal hearing

By Andy Birkey | 07.20.11 | 10:51 am

At a hearing on the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, Sen. Al Franken took issue with the testimony of Tom Minnery, the head of Focus on the Family’s political arm, CitizenLink. After Minnery cited a government study he said showed that the children of married gay and lesbian couples fared worse than married opposite-sex couples, Franken flatly stated that Minnery was wrong and called into question any further testimony from Minnery.

Anti-gay groups to boost spending, activity through 2012

By Andy Birkey | 05.05.11 | 11:54 am

Anti-gay rights groups around the country will see a cash infusion over the next two years through a plan called “Ignite an Enduring Cultural Transformation.” And the groups are remaining mum about who is responsible.

Minnesota Family Council pushes back in Anoka-Hennepin anti-gay bullying controversy

By Andy Birkey | 10.04.10 | 8:37 am

The Minnesota Family Council (MFC) is pushing back against efforts to improve the climate for LGBT students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, where community members are mourning suicides by four LGBT students in the last year. The real issue is “homosexual indoctrination,” not anti-gay bullying, says MFC’s Tom Prichard, who says the students are dead because they adopted an “unhealthy lifestyle.” MFC’s campaign against anti-bullying education comes as national religious right groups mount a similar campaign in the aftermath of nearly half a dozen suicides by LGBT students around the country in the last month.

Bachmann to headline North Dakota ‘Take Back Washington’ event

By Andy Birkey | 01.20.10 | 2:56 pm

Rep. Michele Bachmann will head to North Dakota on Feb. 12 to “Take Back America” at a rally and town hall meeting sponsored by the the North Dakota GOP. The rally will take place in Bismarck.

Bachmann to join Pawlenty at controversial religious right rally

By Andy Birkey | 09.11.09 | 2:57 pm

Rep. Michele Bachmann will join Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the biggest religious right event of the year. The Sept. 18 Values Voter Summit, hosted by Focus on the Family and several…

Focus on the Family cuts 8 percent of workforce

By Andy Birkey | 09.03.09 | 2:33 pm

James Dobson’s Focus on the Family announced Wednesday that it’s cutting 75 jobs due to a decrease in profits and donations, according to the Denver Post. The organization, which works…

Religious Right Watch: Did God send the Minneapolis tornado?

By Andy Birkey | 08.25.09 | 4:44 pm

Minneapolis pastor John Piper seems to have sprouted the idea that God sent a tornado to the Minneapolis Convention Center last Wednesday to express his displeasure that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was considering relaxing its teachings on LGBT issues. But his statement has blossomed among theologians and members of the religious right chiming in with their own answers to the question: Did God send the Minneapolis tornado because Lutherans were voting on gay issues?

IRS loophole gets Minnesota churches off tax-violation hook

By Andy Birkey | 08.24.09 | 1:47 pm

The Internal Revenue Service’s investigations into alleged tax violations by two Minnesota-based churches have been thwarted by procedural problems. Those cases highlight the special tax-exempt status churches receive under federal law, but also problems at the IRS. While reforms are underway, the religious right is planning to take advantage of a neutered IRS by encouraging a mass law-breaking day when churches endorse candidates from the pulpit.

Focus on the Family drops ex-gay program, faces budget shortfall

By Andy Birkey | 08.14.09 | 3:47 pm

Focus on the Family, James Dobson’s anti-LGBT empire and the largest organization in the religious right, announced earlier this week that it would be selling off its ex-gay therapy program called…

Religious right watch: Health care reform is against God’s design

By Andy Birkey | 08.07.09 | 9:36 am

The religious right is ramping up its campaign against health care reform, even joining with the “tea party” movement to encourage conservative Christians to swamp town hall meetings. Minnesota’s religious right leaders say that the health care reform package is against God’s plan for health care and that Christians should go to community forums and “read them the riot act.”