Terry Kemple Off of the Diversity Council

Via Stogie: This gave me a laugh when I read it on his blog. Hillsborough County commissioners Al Higginbotham and Ken Hagan are shocked that Christian Right activist Terry Kemple was disqualified from the new diversity council. The National Diversity Council disqualified Kemple after he sent an email to supporters disparaging the county's new diversity council for being used to promote homosexuality. Apparently, Kemple fails to understand that the whole point of a diversity council is to not discriminate against people.

“Whether you like Kemple or not, they had no criteria for excluding him,” said Commissioner Al Higginbotham. “I have great trouble with that.”

Actually, there is a good reason not to appoint Kemple to the diversity council. Kemple has a history of being anti-gay, believes evolution is fantasy, has shown racist tendencies towards Muslims and is a silly man.

This is the man that Higginbotham and Hagan feel to they need to back to appeal to the base. Kemple race for the Hillsborough County school board and lost badly. Kemple once held a press conference that was attended by no one. Kemple is an embarrassment. For a guy that is supposed to be the most powerful Christian Right activist in Tampa, you would think he would have more than 167 followers. sOmehow I am not surprised that more people don't want to read tweets like this.

I did

— Terry Kemple (@Terry_Kemple) December 3, 2012

Terry Kemple is the Wile E. Coyote of Tampa political activists.

Terry Kemple on Human Relations Board

How the hell did anti-gay clown Terry Kemple get voted onto the Hillsborough County Human Relations Board? Kemple was voted on the board by a 5 to 2 vote. Hillsborough County Commission placement Kemple of on the board shows the GOP pandering to the base. Kemple as no qualifications in promoting equality. Eemocrats Kevin Beckner and Les Miller were the dissenting votes.

The job of the Human Relations Board is to review complaints and promote equality. Kemple has made a career of accusing gay people of being sexual predators and attempting to pass off bogus Founding Fathers religious quotes as historical truth.

Nadine Smith of Equality Florida is urging the Commission to remove Kemple.

"Terry Kemple's presence on the Hillsborough County Human Relations Board creates an insurmountable obstacle to the fulfillment of it's stated purpose - encouraging equality among all people - and we strongly urge the commissioners to replace him with someone who believes in the state mission of the Board."

The REpublican members of the Commission are terrified of the base. They will appoint Kemple because they will do whatever is needed to prove they hate gay people more than their futre GOP primary opponents.

Equality Florida Endorsements

Equality Florida has their endorsements for candidates online. I will make note of the local Tampa races.

Pinellas County Commission District 4 - Susan Latvala (REP)

Hillsborough County Commission District 1 - John Dingfelder (DEM)
Hillsborough County Commission District 5 - Linda Saul-Sena (DEM)

Pinellas County School Board District 7 - James Jackson
Hillsborough County School Board District 6 - April Griffin

House District 44 - Diane Rowden (DEM)
House District 49 - Darren Soto (DEM)
House District 51 - Janet Long (DEM)
House District 53 - Rick Kriseman (DEM)
House District 57 - Stacy Frank (DEM)
House District 60 - Russ Patterson (DEM)
House District 69 - Keith Fitzgerald (DEM)

The big story is how did Bob Hackworth lose out on an endorsement to Susan Latvala. I hope to get an answer to that question shortly. Hackworth mentions nothing about gay rights issues on his campaign web site. I do take exception with Hackworth's claims that the Tampa Bay Rays have had a "huge economic impact to the county and to the region." I have blogged about how tax subsidized stadiums bring money only to sports franchises. The taxpayer is left paying the bill.

The April Griffin is of great interest to me. Griffin is running against Terry Kemple. The latter's campaign is so broke that Kemple's web site has been suspended.

Please contact Inspyre at (813) ***-**** and follow the prompts to our
Billing Department for assistance with this matter. We are sorry for any
inconvenience this has caused.

Kemple is against the teaching of evolution and billboards of the bogus quotes the Founding Fathers never made about the separation of church and state. This blog has also had great joy mocking Kemple. I usually don't do endorsements, but I want to see Griffin win big.

Update: Nadine Smith of Equality Florida sent me this email to explain the endorsement.

"Both candidates are strong supporters of equal rights. Susan Latvala led the push to expand the human rights ordinance in Pinellas County and Bob Hackworth helped pass the Dunedin HRO. Our PAC criteria gives weight to incumbancy and found Susan to be the stronger candidate to endorse."

Thanks to Ms. Smith for responding to my email.

Terry Kemple On Wrong Side of 14 Amendment

The Tampa City Council will take it's final vote on, if transgender people should be protected from decrimination. On November 5, the Council held a preliminarily on transgender protection. The Council voted unanimously in favor. Longtime Pushing Rope reader (and punching bag) Terry Kemple sent out a mass email claiming the ordinance would violate religious rights.

Please stop this assault on Christian values! Do this whether you live in the city or outside the city. If you don’t, here are just a few of the things that will happen. 1. People who dress like the opposite sex will be allowed into the restroom of the gender they feel like today. 2. Sexual predators will be able to take advantage of the law to go into the other sex’s restroom. 3. Regardless of their religious beliefs, rental property owners will be forced to rent to cross dressers. 4. Regardless of their religious beliefs, business owners will be forced to hire and/or retain cross dressers. 5. These special privileges will be granted because of a person’s aberrant sexual behavior. These are not hypothetical! Example after example exists of this discrimination against people of faith! If the City Council hears a loud voice from the Church they’ll think twice and we may actually defeat this proposal. If they don’t hear from us be ready to lose a few more of the religious freedoms our country was established to protect. Please contact City Council members and ask your Pastor to tell the congregation to contact them as well.

Gay people are sex predators is the oldest lie the Christian Right dish out. Kemple is literally saying that his religious beliefs require him to use Jim Crow-style oppression on transgender people. Kemple wants people to continue to not provide housing or jobs to gay and transgender people. Kemple is arguing discriminatory practices are required forms of religious expression.

To make matters clear: the ordinance does not close down churches or force Mr. Kemple to give up his freedom of expression. The First amendment protects Kemple's speech and religious views. Kemple should read the 14 amendment.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

This passage is known as the Equal Protection Clause. the 14 amendment was instrumental in ending the Jim Crow laws. Strauder v. West Virginia allowed blacks to serve on juries. Brown v. Board of Education ended racial segregation in learning institutions. Due process was cited in Lawrence v. Texas. The decision ended Texas' law against same sex sexual intercourse. Christian conservative arguments that gay and transgender rights are not a civil rights issue is not founded in reality.

Since Kemple is sending a mass email out, I thought ask readers to message Kemple on Facebook. Feel free to let Kemple know how you feel about his opposition to the ordinance for transgender protection.

Terry Kemple War Against Separation of Church and State

Terry Kemple's organization Community Issues Council spent $500,000 on billboards in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. My first question was where the hell did Kemple get $500,000? He is the only employee of Community Issues Council. Retired businessman Gregg Smith came up with the idea and the cash for the billboards.



The one problem with the billboard is Washington never said or wrote those words. Kemple admits Washington did say the quote. That isn't going to stop him from running his billboard and misleading people.

Others carry the same message but with fictional attribution, as with one billboard citing George Washington for the quote, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

"I don't believe there's a document in Washington's handwriting that has those words in that specific form," Kemple said. "However, if you look at Washington's quotes, including his farewell address, about the place of religion in the political sphere, there's no question he could have said those exact words."

Common sense dictates one doesn't help his cause with false quotes. Kemple is so loopy that he doesn't care. He just wants to tear down the separation of church and state. Bithers don't let facts interfere with their agenda. Why should Kemple?

The Wolves Are Out to Get Kevin Beckner

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner asked the commission to study if same-sex benefits would be more cost efficient. In 2004, The commission voted 4 to 3 against same-sex benefits for county employees.

"I see this as (leading) to gay marriage next," said Commissioner Jim Norman. "This is not going to be San Francisco east. That's the way I see it."

The 2004 vote against same-sex benefits was led by Ronda Storms. Commissioner Pat Frank (D) accused Storms was using the issue to her Frank with conservative voters. This past November, Hillsborough County resident David Caton is collecting signatures to put a state ban on same-sex benefits. Caton is targeting Beckner in his crusade.

In addition to passage of Amendment 2, Caton said he probably would not be pursuing the matter at this time if not for the election of openly gay County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, who won office Nov. 4. He cited strong turnout at Beckner's swearing-in Tuesday as evidence that his supporters will press him to pursue a gay-rights agenda.

"I think the heavy turnout for his swearing-in was more than just friendship; it was a politically motivated event," Caton said.

Caton would be persuing the matter, regardless of Beckner. Caton attacked Tampa's nude strip clubs. Caton attempted to prevent a local airing of Saving Private Ryan. Caton's reasoning was military men, in time of war, do not use profanity.

I never heard my dad use the “f” word. I neverheard his World War II buddies use the “f” word. Therefore, Spielberg’s prolific use of the “f”word in Saving Private Ryan does notaccurately represent the service of many menwho I personally know.

Caton lost a lawsuit from bogus claims against Clear Channel.

One of the sponsors, a man who owned a Ford dealership, and Clear Channel sued Caton in February 2001. They won in a heartbeat. An Orange County judge issued a temporary injunction against him.

The judge declared that Caton's First Amendment rights were outweighed by those of the businessman and Clear Channel. He ruled that Caton's claims about pornography were false and defamatory; that the fliers put the lives and property of Caton's targets in danger; and that Clear Channel's business relationships were also damaged. He called Caton's actions extortion.

The judge could not have issued a more sweeping ruling. Caton's lawyers told him it meant he couldn't lobby any of Clear Channel's sponsors anyhow, anywhere, about anything. Caton appealed. He lost.

Brian Blair and Terry Kemple have joined the attack against Beckner.

Blair email.

From: Brian Blair
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009

Subject: Fw: New County Commissioner tries “stealth attack”! Please read and act - THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT!

Do you think with $250,000 in campaign donations we should have mentioned he [Beckner} was an Activist on several G.L.B.T. Boards and that a large percentage of his campaign donations came from out of State? I want to personally appoligize to all that suported me! May God Sincerely Bless you in 2009!

Brian

Is Blair shocked the openly gay Beckner would support same-sex benefits? Blair's comment that Michael Jackson was a white man is more surprising.

Kemple email.

From:
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009
To: CIC
Subject: New County Commissioner tries “stealth attack”! Please read and act - THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT!

Community Issues Council - Your help is urgently needed again!

This urgent message is short - please read it and act on it!

THEN FORWARD IT TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK WHO CARES ABOUT FAMILY VALUES!

Almost before sitting in his new furniture Commissioner Beckner is trying to undermine the conservative values that prevail in Hillsborough County. In an apparent attempt to sneak in a radical change to employee policy in the county he placed an item on the agenda for next week’s agenda at 4:00 on Friday (this afternoon). One could easily surmise that he did this, with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and the Presidential inauguration coming up on Monday and Tuesday, in the hopes that there would be no chance to mobilize any opposition.

That’s exactly the reason that it’s so important to have teams like Community Issues Council prepared to jump into the fray at a moment’s notice!

Mr. Beckner wants us to foot the bill for health care for “domestic partners” of county employees. Since Equality Florida endorsed him as an “out” homosexual and since he brags about having been with his “partner” for 9 years, one might be led to assume that he wants us to pay for health benefits for this other man!

This is absurd on 2 key points (these points can be used for your emails to the Commissioners):

1. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of the people in Hillsborough County just voted to keep marraige, and the benefits associated with marriage, between one man and one woman. This seems to me to be nothing more than a back door attempt to establish those benefits through his office as County Commissioner.

2. It’s bad judgment, at a time of budgetary crisis like this, to even suggest that money be spent investigating this issue. It becomes absolutely ludicrous when you take into account the possible presupposed result. If the recommendation comes back yes it means the proposal would be made that tax money be used to pay for health benefits for unmarried partners - whether they be heterosexual or homosexual.

THIS CAN’T BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!

Please contact all 3 county wide commissioners - Norman, Beckner , and Sharpe - and your commissioner from your district and let them know that you don’t want this to go any further.

Contact information

District 1 Rose Ferlita 272-5470 ferlitar@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 2 Ken Hagan 272-5452 hagank@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 3 Kevin White 272-5720 whitek@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 4 Al Higginbotham 272-5740 higginbothama@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 5 Jim Norman 272-5725 normanj@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 6 Kevin Beckner 272-5730 becknerk@hillsboroughcounty.org
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District 7 Mark Sharpe 272-5735 sharpem@hillsboroughcounty.org

LET’S SHOW COMMISSIONER BECKNER THAT THIS ISN’T CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!!

Together we can make a difference!

God bless you!
Terry

Blair lost badly to Beckner and Kemple once held an anti-gay marriage press conference attended by no one. Kemple filed an appeal that helped a Valrico Bikini Bar open. The problem was Kemple was trying to shut the establishment down forever.

Bikini bar lawyer Luke Lirot: “Had Mr. Kemple not filed his appeal, the true flaws would have been more difficult to prove. In essence he assisted us.”

Caton, Blair and Kemple are not smart people. What they have going for them is they refuse to shut up and fearmongering. Beckner is going to have to work hard to keep these wolves at bay.

The Evolution of Terry Kemple

The fact that Florida educators are scared to use the word evolutions shows how a few organized members of the Christian Right have dominated the debate. Educators are attempted to please people that hate public education and want to force Christian ideology. Nevermind how poorly the state's school system is ranked.

JACKSONVILLE -- Florida public school educators are considering revisions in state science standards that would substitute the word evolution for ''biological changes over time,'' a subject sure to cause intense debate during the coming six weeks.

It gets better. Noted anti-titty bar crusader Terry Kemple weighs in.

But Terry Kemple of Tampa Bay, president and founder of the Community Issues Council, disagreed.

''This isn't about whether or not our children should be taught that evolution is a fact. The issue goes to whether our schools are places of learning or indoctrination centers,'' he said.

''The science standard is a set of beliefs -- unproven,'' Kemple said. ``Leave the science standards as they are, so our children are taught to think.''

Kemple is a longtime Christian activist and founder of the Community Issues Council, whom is attempting to indoctrinate people to his evangelical thinking and believes in a God that can not be scientificly proven.

Kemple often receives media attention, but is considered a joke in Tampa. Kemple held a press conference to spout his views against gay marriage. No one attended. Kemple filed an appeal to keep a Valrico bikini bar from opening. Through a bizarre set of matters, Kemple's appeal helped open the bikini bar. Just ask the establishment's attorney Luke Lirot.

“Had Mr. Kemple not filed his appeal, the true flaws would have been more difficult to prove. In essence he assisted us.”

Kemple says that attempting to shut down adult businesses "was a training God had given me." That unscientific theory is "unproven" by his track record.

Side note: Kemple is the only employee of Community Issues Council.