One day after a Virginia man is alleged to have shot a security guard at the D.C. headquarters of the anti-gay Family Research Council, the organization's president, Tony Perkins, held a press conference to blame the shooting on the Southern Poverty Law Center -- the group that in 2010 named FRC a "hate group" based on the SPLC's documentation of FRC's efforts to "knowingly spread false and denigrating propaganda about LGBT people" -- declaring that the watchdog group had given the shooter a "license" to shoot.

Perkins claims that FRC was designated a "hate group" for its political stance against marriage equality, even though SPLC and others have long documented the organization's stances and statements on homosexuality, including the consistent linking of gays to pedophilia. Metro Weekly captured the entire press conference on video. Despite some audio issues, what really stands out is, just over Perkins's right shoulder, a man wearing a priest collar and a t-shirt for emblazon with www.tearsforchildren.org, along with quotes about Sodom & Gommorrah and stickers promoting the National Organization for Marriage.

On its website, Tears for Children -- led by Maryland's "Minister Leroy" -- lists the Family Research Council as one of its partners, along with other anti-gay groups such as the American Family Association. From the website's home page: "I weep because of sadness in the world. I can not look into the eyes of a child and tell them that they have a choice of being a heterosexual or homosexual. My heart weeps when I think about the wolves and snakes who seek to manipulate innocent minds to believe that sin should be celebrated. We must speak truth in spite of evil and wickedness."

[See Metro Weekly's full report from Chris Geidner: "King and Spalding Files Motion to Withdraw From DOMA Defense, Prompting Clement's Resignation."]

King and Spalding, the international law firm that had contracted with the House of Representatives Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) to defend Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court challenges, announced this morning that the firm plans to withdraw from the case.

Robert D. Hays, Jr., chairman of King & Spalding, said in a statement to Metro Weekly:

“Today the firm filed a motion to withdraw from its engagement to represent the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives on the constitutional issues regarding Section III of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.  Last week we worked diligently through the process required for withdrawal.

“In reviewing this assignment further, I determined that the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate.  Ultimately I am responsible for any mistakes that occurred and apologize for the challenges this may have created.”

Today's White House conference on bullying is underway. First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama opened the conference this morning, addressing an audience of activists, politicians and others committed to combatting bullying in schools, including bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Metro Weekly senior political writer Chris Geidner is at the White House for the conference and will be providing live-tweets throughout the day -- follow him at @chrisgeidner and @metroweekly to get the latest from the White House, as well as further reports to come. (Photo by Ward Morrison/Metro Weekly.)

Here are their remarks:

MRS. OBAMA:  Good morning.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Everyone, please.  Good morning, and welcome to the White House. 

     I want to thank all of you for joining us here today to discuss an issue of great concern to me and to Barack, not just as President and as First Lady, but as a mom and a dad.  And that is the problem of bullying in our schools and in our communities.  

     As parents, this issue really hits home for us.  As parents, it breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, or on the playground, or even online.  It breaks our hearts to think about any parent losing a child to bullying, or just wondering whether their kids will be safe when they leave for school in the morning.

     And as parents, Barack and I also know that sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time, it’s really hard for parents to know what’s going on in our kids’ lives. 

     We don’t always know, because they don’t always tell us every little detail.  We know that from Sasha.  Sasha’s response is -- “What happened at school today?”  “Nothing.”  (Laughter.)  That’s it.  It’s like, well, we’re taking you out of that school.  (Laughter.)

     So as parents, we know we need to make a real effort to be engaged in our children’s lives, to listen to them and be there for them when they need us.  We need to get involved in their schools and in their activities so that we know what they’re up to, both in and out of the classroom.  And when something is wrong, we need to speak up, and we need to take action.

It hasn't been that long since anti-gay activist George Rekers put "lifting my luggage" into the American dictionary of hypocritical sexual innuendo by taking a European vacation with a young man from Rentboy.com. But Truth Wins Out today went public with accusations of another closeted hypocrite -- although this case is more disturbing because of the claims of sexual abuse.

From TWO:

Truth Wins Out (TWO) released an exclusive video statement today from two former clients of “ex-gay” life coach Alan Downing. The clients, Ben Unger and Chaim Levin, alleged that during individual therapy sessions, Downing (pictured) made them undress in front of a mirror and touch their bodies while the significantly older therapist watched. Unger and Levin call the sessions a “psychological striptease” and believe they were harmed by what they consider unprofessional behavior and sexual misconduct.

Downing, who admits he is still attracted to men, is a major player in the “ex-gay” industry and a practitioner of so-called “reparative therapy”. He is the lead therapist for Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH) and is listed on the People Can Change website as a “Senior Trainer” for Journey into Manhood, which is a controversial “ex-gay” backwoods retreat designed to supposedly make gay men more masculine.

It seems that as one reparative therapy charlatan falls, another soon follows. Perhaps the domino effect may finally take effect, even as the far-right, anti-gay establishment of organizations such as the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage try to keep putting new pieces into place. But the whole facade's looking shakier than ever.