Updated Monday, 3:45 P.M. (PST):

A few eyebrows were raised last week when it was discovered that TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie recently appeared and spoke at a Focus On The Family event in Southern California. After all, TOMS was believed by many to be a pretty progressive company with a large gay following. But after a web uproar, Mycoskie is changing his tune. Read what he has to say now—and now how Focus is responding to Mycoskie—after the jump.

Last month we told you that "Focus on the Family" finally got something right. Well late yesterday, Jim Daly, leader of the homophobic group, expanded on the rare enounter with logic and reality to once again say that the fight for hate and inequality is "over." 

Did one of the country's most prominent anti-gay hate groups concede a loss in the struggle for marriage equality?

Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos quarterback and poster boy for the SPLC-certified hate group Focus on the Family, lands in Jockey underwear ads this week—"underwear" ads shot from the waist-up, with Tim in a t-shirt (if the preview pics are any indication). So what does he want his concerned Christian fans to know about his decision to become an "underwear" model?

The South Florida Raging Grannies (perhaps one of my favorite phrases I've ever had to write) won't take no crap from CBS anymore, and has decided to put down the Activia and pick up a song book, all in the name of pro-choice. The catalyst to get these gorgeous grannies off their plastic-covered sofas? CBS's close work with Focus on the Family to run a pro-life, anti-choice spot during the Superbowl.

(Via Dlisted)

Updated Wednesday, February 3

The plot regarding the controversial anti-abortion ad scheduled to run during the Superbowl on Sunday thickens as evidence that CBS worked closely with Focus on the Family before the commercial emerges.

The Daily Beast reports:

"There were discussions about the specific wording of the spot," said Gary Schneeberger, spokesperson for Focus on the Family. "And we came to a compromise. To an agreement." Schneeberger declined to comment on exactly how CBS changed the ad's message.

"We've worked with [CBS] almost since the beginning," Schneeberger added. "Our senior vice presidents talked to CBS executives throughout the process. It was a very cordial, very professional, fruitful relationship."

CBS declined...

Update:

This fishy plot thickens. CBS has now officially rejected the ManCrunch.com ad, as questions still float around about whether or not the company even intended for the ad to run, or whether it just wanted free publicity.

"After reviewing the ad—which is entirely commercial in nature—our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot," said CBS in a statement. "As always, we are open to working with the client on alternative submissions."

"We're 100% serious," said the site's spokesperson, Elissa Buchter. "We have the money to pay for it. If the ad showed a man and woman kissing it would have been accepted. You see ads for erectile dysfunction morning, noon and night. It's discriminatory that they...

Playwright Jeffrey Solomon, writer and performer of "Santa Claus is Coming Out" (and regular Instinct contributor) has issued a response to a Focus on the Family blogger's attacks on the production. You may have heard that fundies aren't too happy with what they call the "sexualization" of Santa, but Solomon himself isn't too happy with their manipulation and vilification of the play.

Solomon's response, fresh in our hands:

I must strongly take issue with some misinformation, distortions, half truths and outright lies being disseminated in Ms. Cushman's blog about my play.

I will address the charges and accusations in the order in which they appeared.

"Pictures on a Web site promoting the production depict Santa in not-so-subtle sexually...

James Dobsons' notorious Focus on the Family announced on Wednesday it will be cutting 75 jobs. The “reorganization” is the third round of layoffs for the company since September 2008. This latest cut eviscerates FOF’s creative division within its advertising department – a slash that accounts for nearly half of the total job cuts.

Maybe when your business plan is built upon a prejudiced foundation, you should re-focus. Provoking families to see their gay sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, etc. as “abominations,” “second-class” and in need of “curing” destroys families rather than help them. Perhaps if the wolf removed the sheep’s clothing to reveal its true purpose – the very un-Christian qualities of hate and intolerance...