God's Gentle People, Part 89

Dancing For Gender Equality

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) Wins Values Voters Summit Presidential Straw Poll

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has won the Family Research Council's presidential straw poll at the Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC. Yesterday Pence told convention attendees that God will smite the United States if the GOP doesn't win control of Congress in November.

Pence, chair of the House Republican conference, received 24% of the vote, edging the winner of the 2009 straw poll, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who received 22%. Each addressed the gathering on Friday, as did third-place finisher Mitt Romney, who won 13% of the vote. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who spoke Saturday, received 10%. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who did not attend, finished a distant fifth with 7%. Of the nearly 2,000 people who registered for the conference, 723 voted in the straw poll.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, whose group organized the event, said the results were "descriptive of the type of candidate value voters would be looking for." "We're a long ways from the election," he said. But Pence "represents the qualities and the character that many voters in America are looking for." Perkins attributed Palin's underwhelming performance to the fact that she did not speak to the group in person. But he also said it could show that voters see her more as a "cheerleader who rallies conservatives together" than as a potential elected leader. "She is a great spokesman," he said. "She says what a lot of people think. But a lot of people sometimes realize we shouldn't say everything we think." Palin did, however, place just behind Pence in a second poll for vice presidential preference. Perkins called a potential Pence-Palin pairing a "dream ticket."

Attendees were also asked to rank which social issues most drove their interest in a candidate. Abortion ranked at #1. Gay-related issues did not appear in the reported top five.

NYC's Niketown Closed Due To Bedbugs

Nike's national flagship store in Manhattan has been closed due to bedbugs infestation.

The massive East 57th Street Niketown location is a fave of tourists and shoppers with its array of shoes, clothes and gizmos, and officials said they’d like to just-do-it and reopen as soon as possible. "It’s one of our most popular stores," said Nike spokesman Kijuan Wilkins. In a statement, Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike — which became synonymous with ex-NBA superstar Michael Jordan when he was its celebrity spokesman — the company said it had "proactively closed Niketown" when bedbugs were discovered there. "Our primary concern is the well being of our consumers and sales associates," the statement said. "We are taking all proper steps to eradicate the problem and we expect the store to reopen shortly."

RELATED: In recent months several other high-profile Manhattan retailers such as Abercrombie and Victoria's Secret have closed due to bedbugs. Last month the city's largest movie theater, the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square, closed for two days of bedbug fumigation after bite-covered patrons emerged from a premiere screening.

MONTANA: Republican Party Wants To "Keep Homosexual Acts Illegal"

The Montana GOP refuses to remove a call to "keep homosexual acts illegal", which falls under the "Crime" section of their party platform, despite the Supreme Court's 2003 Lawrence ruling. In fact, they are keeping the plank even though Montana's own state Supreme Court struck down a ban on gay sex six years before SCOTUS.

Montana GOP executive director Bowen Greenwood said that has been the position of the party since the state Supreme Court struck down state laws criminalizing homosexuality in 1997 in the case of Gryczan v. Montana. Nobody has ever taken the initiative to change it and so it's remained in the party platform, Greenwood said. The matter has never even come up for discussion, he said. "There had been at the time, and still is, a substantial portion of Republican legislators that believe it is more important for the Legislature to make the law instead of the Supreme Court," Greenwood said.

Critics say the policy is a toothless statement, the effect of which is simply to make gays feel excluded. A University of Montana law professor says Montana's 1997 case and the U.S. Supreme Court's Lawrence decision means there's no real chance for the state GOP to act on its position. "To me, that statement legally is hollow," said constitutional specialist Jack Tuholske. "The principle under Gryczan and under Lawrence, that's the fundamental law of the land and the Legislature can't override the Constitution. It might express their view, but as far as a legal reality, it's a hollow view and can't come to pass."

RELATED: In June the Texas GOP called for the recriminalization of sodomy and for making it a felony to perform a same-sex marriage.

FLORIDA: City To Fine Would-Be Koran Burner $180K For Security Costs

The city of Gainesville, Florida says it is sending Dove World Ministries a bill for $180,000 to pay for all the extra police protection they had to provide Pastor Terry Jones during the week-long media circus as he threatened to burn the Koran. Stand by for the teabagger fundraising to commence.

Campaign Button Of The Year

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Children Of The Corn Clown Car

The Duggars and their nineteen crotch-fruit won the "Pro-Family Entertainment Award" at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit yesterday, where human clown car Michelle Duggar railed against abortion and contraception. And then the children of the corn took out their violins and sang about the righteousness of Jeesbus and the cold, cold loneliness of being just one of nineteen children.

Latest Forecasts From Nate Silver

More at FiveThirtyEight.

Charleston, New York City

(Via - Gothamist)

WISCONSIN: Sen. Russ Feingold Vs. Teabagger Ron Johnson A Toss-Up

Three term incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold is tied in the polling averages against anti-gay teabagger Ron Johnson, who believes that "freedom of religion does NOT mean freedom FROM religion." The latest Rasmussen poll, released yesterday, puts Johnson in a seven point lead, although many claim Rasmussen has a distinct GOP bias.

While both candidates are holding their respective party's voters -- 94 percent of Republicans support Johnson, and 86 percent of Democrats back Feingold -- Johnson wins non-affiliated voters by nearly two-to-one. Additionally, though 51 percent of Wisconsin voters still have a favorable view of Feingold, he is hampered by opposition to President Obama and the health care reform bill in the state. Fifty-five percent of Wisconsin voters support repealing the health care bill, and though 49 percent of voters approve of the job the president is doing, a significant number (40 percent) say they strongly disapprove. Only 29 percent say they strongly approve of the president's job performance.

Cat Loaf

Photo by Dr. Jeff.

The Straight Guys' Anthem

She's A Witch, Burn Her!

Can Christine O'Donnell's past GET any more bizarre?

UPDATE: O'Donnell has canceled her appearance on tomorrow's Face The Nation after the witchcraft clip surfaced. She's even bailed on Fox News Sunday, despite Sarah Palin's advice to only speak through Fox News.

Wayne Besen On Rachel Maddow

Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen appeared on Rachel Maddow last night to discuss Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and the "ex-gay" movement.

Dude, Those Were Totally Tornadoes

The National Weather Service has decided that NYC actually got hit by two confirmed tornadoes on Thursday evening. The city is applying to FEMA for disaster relief for parts of Queens and Brooklyn. About 15,000 residents are still without power more than a day later.

October 7th In NYC: Ali Forney Center's "A Place At The Table" Annual Benefit

The Ali Forney Center, NYC's homeless shelter for LGBT youth, will be holding their annual "A Place At The Table" benefit gala dinner on October 7th at 91 Horatio Street in the West Village. Get tickets here. This year's host is openly gay Tony winning actor Denis O'Hare, whom you may best know as True Blood's vicious vampire, Russell Edgington.

The Ali Forney Center's 2010 honorees are furniture mogul, author and gay activist Mitchell Gold...and somehow...yours truly. How'd that happen? I can just picture the King Of Mississippi ripping my heart out in mid-acceptance speech. "Now, time for the weather. Tiffany?" Seriously, I'm very flattered. As longtime JMG readers and my pals know, I can't go two sentences about the noble and desperately needed work of the Ali Forney Center without needing a tissue.

Get tickets here. If you can't attend, please consider making a donation. Times are hard everywhere, but nowhere more so than charities such the Ali Forney Center, where the stream of desperate gay youth is endless, but the money flow is definitely not. If you are a business owner or ad buyer, please consider placement in the evening's program.

RELATED: Check out my post from last year's "A Place At The Table" where the honorees were NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Councilman Lewis Fidler, with entertainment provided by Rufus Wainwright. Also in the house last year: Sandra Bernhard, Dan Choi, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Christine O'Donnell's Formerly "Ex-Gay" Employee Speaks Out

(Via JMG reader Dennis)

Andrew Sullivan On Christine O'Donnell

"A mischievous thought: when will someone ask O'Donnell, as a single woman, if, since her conversion to Catholicism, she has ever masturbated? She cannot have had any sex, right? And that includes sex alone. Since she has made this a public stance, and since, apparently, she cannot lie (even if it would mean handing over Jews to Nazis), she has made the question perfectly legit." - Andrew Sullivan on Christine O'Donnell, who has said if she knew where the Jews were hiding and the Nazis asked, she'd have to tell them because she cannot tell a lie.

New From Barbara Boxer

Nice work using Carly Fiorina's own words against her.

(Via - AmericaBlog)

Rep. Mike Pence: If The GOP Loses In November It Will Be The End Of America

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) got one of the most enthusiastic receptions at the FRC's Values Voters Summit today, where he warned that God will punish America if the GOP loses in November. Smite us, oh mighty smiter!

Rick Santorum Spreads His Frothy Mix At Values Voters Summit

Former Sen. Rick Santorum: "People are living longer because we said that people should be allowed to live longer." Wait, what?

Sen. Jim Inhofe Warns Of "Open Gay Activities" After DADT Repeal

At the Values Voters douchebag-a-thon.

Catholic League Nutter Bill Donohue: Atheists Should Apologize For Adolf Hitler

"The pope cited Hitler today, asking everyone to 'reflect on the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century.' Immediately, the British Humanist Association got its back up, accusing the pope of 'a terrible libel against those who do not believe in God.' The pope did not go far enough. Radical atheists like the British Humanist Association should apologize for Hitler. But they should not stop there. They also need to issue an apology for the 67 million innocent men, women and children murdered under Stalin, and the 77 million innocent Chinese killed by Mao. Hitler, Stalin and Mao were all driven by a radical atheism, a militant and fundamentally dogmatic brand of secular extremism. It was this anti-religious impulse that allowed them to become mass murderers. By contrast, a grand total of 1,394 were killed during the 250 years of the Inquisition, most all of whom were murdered by secular authorities." - Catholic League nutjob Bill Donohue.

FACT CHECK: As Donohue knows, Hitler was in fact a Catholic JUST LIKE BILL DONOHUE and sang in the choir at the Benedictine monastery he attended as a child.

Hitler publicly denounced atheism as inherently communist. "For eight months we have been waging a heroic battle against the Communist threat to our Volk, the decomposition of our culture, the subversion of our art, and the poisoning of our public morality. We have put an end to denial of God and abuse of religion. We owe Providence humble gratitude for not allowing us to lose our battle against the misery of unemployment and for the salvation of the German peasant."

The Catholic Hitler also denounced secular education. "Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith."

Here's your precious fucking Pope, Bill!

Three Angelic Hotties Were Waiting For The Pope As He "Swished By" In Britain

The gay dating site Gaydar stationed the above winged hotties on the Pope's route today. Via press release:

It's day two of the Pope Benedict's state visit to the UK. This morning he visited St. Mary's University in Twickenham, the same town where gay dating megasite Gaydar.net* is based. On arrival he was met by a large crowd of protestors, including a posse of Gaydar Angels, sent down to underscore the Pontiff's anti-gay stance. Much to the amusement of the gathered press, his procession took him past Gaydar's flock of winged muscle boys and not the eagerly waiting nuns at the other end of the street!

Do angels wear codpieces? More photos at the link.

Anderson Cooper Vs. Teabagger Carl Paladino About Those Bestiality Emails

Last night whackadoodle teabagger and New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino faced off against Anderson Cooper to defend his practice of sending out bestiality-laden and racist emails. Paladino also plugs his plan to house New York's welfare recipients in prisons for their own good.

CALIFORNIA: Denny's Waiter Stabbed For Being Gay, Cops Rule It A Hate Crime

A waiter at a Denny's restaurant in Santa Maria, California is hospitalized with neck and throat wounds after being attacked by a customer who first demanded to know, "Are you gay?" When the waiter replied that he was, the customer stabbed him with a knife. The 24 year-old assailant fled the scene but was later apprehended and charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. The waiter is expected to survive.

DADT Action: GetEQUAL Delivers Signed Combat Boots To Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)

AmericaBlog reports:

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) voted against the compromise DADT amendment in the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 27th. He's getting a visit from GetEQUAL today, which you can follow on GetEQUAL's Facebook page and via Twitter.the 2006 campaign, Webb wore the combat boots of his son who was serving in Iraq. Servicemembers will be leaving their combat boots for Webb, which is a powerful symbol. During the 2006 campaign, Webb wore the combat boots of his son who was serving in Iraq.

Joe Sudbay notes that the following Senators are uncommitted to breaking a possible GOP filibuster:

--Susan Collins (R-ME)
--Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
--Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
--Richard Lugar (R-IN)
--Judd Gregg (R-NH)
--Jim Webb (D-VA)
--George Voinovich (R-OH)

Have you called your Senators today? The vote is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30pm.

MINNESOTA: Bachmann Leads Clark By 9

Tarryl Clark is performing better in the polls than many expected, but still trails Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann by nine points.

HAWAII: Christianist Group Fined $20,000 For Excessive Anti-Gay Lobbying

Not a huge amount, but satisfying nonetheless.

Hawaii Family Forum, a Christian charity that helped lead the fight against civil unions, spent so much money politicking last year that it had to pay the IRS $20,741 in taxes for its "excessive lobbying," according to its latest tax return. The nonprofit group reported spending $125,695 on lobbying last year, a huge jump over the zero dollars it said it spent on lobbying in 2008. The change comes after at least two complaints were filed with the Internal Revenue Service about the forum's extensive political activities. "This tax form just confirms what we had suspected, and that is that they engaged in excessive lobbying, that they have no charitable programs, that they are 100 percent a lobbying organization," said Holly Huber, who filed a complaint with the IRS in June on behalf of Hawaii Citizens for the Separation of State and Church. "They should not be a tax-exempt nonprofit charitable organization. They are a political action group."

But why haven't they been busted for lying in 2008?

In 2008, its tax return reported no lobbying expenses. Its "End of Session Report" to members, however, said: "2008 was a very successful legislative session for the Hawaii Family Forum." It listed 19 bills along with copies of the forum's testimony.

Crazy Eyes At Values Voters Summit

From today's Christian Reich confab in DC.

Bryan Fischer's Greatest Snits

The American Family Association's Bryan Fischer will be addressing the Christian Reich at the Values Voters Summit. Right Wing Watch rounds up some of his latest bits of bile below.

Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Freddie

Sacha Baron Cohen will play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic.

The film, which will focus on the period leading up to Live Aid in 1985, will begin shooting next year. "I think we'll try and keep ourselves out of it as much as we can," Queen guitarist Brian May said. Baron Cohen had been "on this project since we started talking about it seriously with Peter Morgan a couple of years ago," he added. May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor will oversee music featured in the film, which will include songs by the band and by Mercury as a solo performer. Graham King, of GK Films, which is co-producing the movie along with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's production company Tribeca, said Queen was "a music brand all unto itself". "Freddie Mercury was an awe-inspiring performer so with Sacha in the starring role, coupled with Peter's screenplay and the support of Queen, we have the perfect combination to tell the real story behind their success."

Good casting? I'm not sure...

Gillibrand Tweets Gaga

Dude, It's Fucking Funneling!

Gothamist points us to this rather hilarious clip of two guys in Brooklyn freaking the fuck out over yesterday's tornado/whatever. The comments on YouTube are a riot. "Fake and gay." I just think they have a really nice apartment. Anyway, stand by the inevitable auto-tuned remixes.

This Is An Actual Movie

Screening tonight at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit is Christmas With A Capital C, a movie depicting how one Satanic atheist tried to ruin Christmas for an entire Alaskan town.

"Christmas with a Capital C" was filmed in Seward the last of February and early March. The movie stars Daniel Baldwin (the second-oldest of the Baldwin brothers) and Ted McGinley (from "Married ... with Children), plus a slew of Seward extras, including high school students, stay-at-home moms and guys standing in the cold rain for hours without a jacket. The straight-to-DVD movie centers around two high school rivals - Baldwin and McGinley - at odds over a Nativity scene in a city building. Baldwin plays the antagonist, or the Grinch, who experiences an eventual change of heart. "This is a feel-good movie, with a lot of conflict and the theme of the Grinch finally coming home," said Anchorage-based executive producer David Cuddy. "The final scene is like 'It's a Wonderful Life,' where his character melts and becomes a good guy."

Free Trent Reznor Downloads

Trent Reznor is offering a free download of a five-track EP from his coming soundtrack to The Social Network, which will be released on September 28th. The download is live for the next 24 hours only.

Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert Plan "Dueling" Rallies For Washington DC

Vanity Fair has the deets:

On last night’s Daily Show and Colbert Report hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, respectively, announced that they would be holding concurrent rallies on the Mall, in Washington, D.C., on October 30. Stewart’s event, the Rally to Restore Sanity, will urge citizens to “take it down a notch for America.” This means, according to the host, attendees are assembling to encourage others to ”stop shouting, throwing and drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler.” Colbert’s convention, “Keep Fear Alive,” aspires to achieve precisely the opposite. According to PopEater, in a press release about the event, Comedy Central gave its word that the rivaling rallies would “bigger than Nixon/Kennedy, Ali/Foreman, Aniston/Jolie, 50/Nas, Joe/the Volcano, Alien/Predator, Bunny/Fudd and Ecks/Sever combined.” Another question, though, is whether the pow-wow will garner the same turn-out and press coverage as Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin’s Restoring Honor, a summertime Tea Party variety show, which drew crowd of anywhere from 100,00 to a million, depending on who‘s lying to you.

Who's down? I'm thinking about attending and have already gotten emails from friends in Chicago and San Francisco who are flying in.

(Image via Towleroad)

National Convention Of Anti-Gay Douchebags Underway In DC

The Family Research Council's so-called Values Voters Summit is underway in DC today. Pretty much every anti-gay, racist, teabaggger, Christianist douchebag you've ever heard of is there. Watch live online. Right now some asshat Sen. Jim Inhofe is at the podium screaming about "open rampant gay sex in the military." Crazy Eyes and Christine O'Donnell are due up soon.

A Message From Gaga To The Senate

O'Donnell's Backers Cheer Money Flow

This is the same outfit that Christine O'Donnell used to gay-bait Rep. Mike Castle.

Tea Party Comes To Australia

Get ready, Australia. Here come the teabaggers.

An anti-tax, anti-government Tea Party has set up shop in Australia, inspired by the US-based movement that has turned the Republican Party upside down. The Australian T.E.A. Party (an acronym for Taxed Enough Already) will be targeting pre-selections across the country and heavily promotes its links to "our friends" in the United States. Reluctant spokesman David Goodridge - "just call me the website editor" - says the grassroots movement has no plans to register as a political party, won’t stand candidates and won’t accept politicians as members. "We’ve been around for a little while but we made a conscious decision not to involve ourselves at the last election - we’re not a political party, we are a political movement, we influence parties that already exist," he said. Mr Goodridge says the Australian party has not received US funding - "that would not be appropriate, they don’t want to interfere" - but it is looking to update and adapt US training videos for its own purposes.

Here's their website.

Quote Of The Day - Floyd Brown

"The Obama presidency is a disease. Article 2, Section 4 (the impeachment clause of the Constitution) is the cure. And it's Obama's hatred of America that makes it absolutely imperative that we take action now. Barack Hussein Obama is not some do-gooder that has had his plans go astray. He is not a person of good will just trying his best to make America go the right direction. He is not. Barack Hussein Obama is a liar that absolutely knows what he's doing to the United States of America. He has a plan. He has an agenda. This man knows exactly where he's taking us. Obama hates Christianity. He is a Muslim. Others will say he's just a godless atheist. The bottom line is that this man hates Christianity." - Floyd Brown, president of the Western Journalism Center, in today's top post on World Net Daily.

NOTE: The Western Journalism Center was founded by World Net Daily creator Joseph Farah in 1991 to publicize Farah's claim the the Clintons had murdered former White House counsel Vince Foster.

Maddow: Karl Rove & GOP Flip-Flop On Backing Christine O'Donnell

Plus lots more about O'Donnell's whackadoodle past.

WASHINGTON: "A Black Girl Threw Acid In My Face! (Oh, Wait...I Did It Myself)"

A Washington woman who told reporters that she was only alive because of her faith in Jeebus has been exposed as having actually thrown acid on her own face. So much for the unidentified black woman the hoaxer had accused. The "attack" has been discussed daily on right wing talk radio.

A woman who said she was attacked with acid outside a Starbucks has admitted her injuries were self-inflicted, Vancouver, Wash., police said. Police Chief Clifford Cook said investigators questioned Bethany Storro, confronting her with inconsistencies in her story, The Portland Oregonian reported. "She is extremely upset. She is very remorseful," said Cmdr. Marla Schuman, describing Storro as being in a "fragile" emotional condition. Storro, 28, who had recently moved to Vancouver, told police she was approached Aug. 30 by a young black woman who said "Hey, pretty girl, do you want to drink this," before throwing the acid in her face.

Police don't know why the devout woman "went out of her way" to claim that the attack had been committed by a black person.

Possible Tornado Hits Brooklyn

Folks in the midwest will likely be unimpressed, but it was a pretty wild storm by New York City standards. One person killed, lots of cars and trees wrecked. The NY Times has plenty of photos.

Comics Love Christine O'Donnell

LOUISIANA: Sen. David "Diaper Boy" Vitter Signs Tea Party Morality Pledge

Sanctity of opposite-marriage hero, serial adulterer, hooker patron, and diaper fetishist Sen. David Vitter has signed the Tea Party Patriots' morality pledge.

I hereby pledge to: Support and defend the U.S. Constitution as originally intended by the Founders and as explained in the "Federalist Papers." Act in a fiscally responsible manner: Decrease the size and scope of government on all levels--localstate, and federal; Decrease spending on all levels--local, state and federal; Work toward a balanced budget. Support the free market by lower taxes and fees on businesses and individuals: support only those regulations that enhance competition. Conduct myself personally and professionally in a moral and socially appropriate manner.

Somebody just made a hypocrisy boom-boom in their diaper.

Kinsey Sicks - Bedroom Ants

New from "America's favorite dragapella beauty shop quartet." Rachel's looking rather buff these days!

Gay Patriot Endorses "People With AIDS Deserve It" Christine O'Donnell

Finishing out today's homocon hat trick of self-loathing, Gay Patriot blogger and GOProud member B. Daniel Blatt announces that Christine O'Donnell has "the right message." That message being that people with AIDS deserve what they get. Yup, the homocons actually want an "ex-gay" advocate and pathological enemy of gay people in the United States Senate.

NOTE: I know a lot of you think I give these repulsive homocons far too much publicity, but the unfortunate fact is that THEY are the go-to "gays" in the national media these days.

DADT Repeal Vote Set For Tuesday

The Washington Post reports:

The U.S. Senate will hold a key vote Tuesday on a defense bill that includes language repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the Clinton-era policy banning gays from openly serving in uniform, Democratic and Republican aides said Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier this week vowed to hold a vote next week, even taking to Twitter to respond to gay rights advocates.

NOW is the time to call your Senators (both of them).

Sky Saddles

Here's a prototype of the "seating" that may be used by airlines that hope to offer "standing-room" tickets, as I've mentioned here before.

The new airplane seat, to be unveiled next week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas conference in Long Beach, would give passengers an experience akin to riding horseback. They'd sit at an angle with no more than 23 inches between their perch and the seat in front of them — a design that could appeal to low-cost airlines that have floated the idea of offering passengers standing-room tickets on short flights.

Short-haul European carrier Ryanair is awaiting permission for standing-room flying and reportedly some U.S. airlines have also expressed interest in the seats.

LCR Backs Rep. Mary Bono Mack

Sonny's widow voted against the repeal of DADT. She faces openly gay Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, who if elected would become the first gay-married gay parent in the national legislature. Pougnet has been facing his own local problems regarding a sex sting by Palms Springs police on gay men in a local park.

Sarah Palin To Christine O'Donnell: You Have To Speak Through Fox News

Russian Activist Nikolai Alekseev Detained By Police Over Gay Pride Complaints

Noted Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev was taken away by authorities yesterday he attempted to board a flight to Geneva. According to Alekseev, Russia's government is angry over a complaint he filed with the European Court Of Human Rights over Moscow's five year old ban on gay pride events. Officials are also demanding that he call off a picket of Moscow's anti-gay mayor.

“They demanded of me to give up on the picket Luzhkov and withdraw a complaint by the gay pride of European court” Mr. Alekseev said today at 6:00 am. Later, at 8 am, he clarified that he is no longer held in Domodedovo Airport, where he was detained at the airport yesterday evening. “I cannot say where [I am], but not in Moscow,” he said when asked about his whereabouts. Mr Alekseev told about the pressures exerted on him. The authorities have threaten to block his exit from Russia. “They also threatened me that a lot of bad things about me will be given to the Swiss authorities should I leave,” he said. The head of the Moscow Gay Pride was arrested yesterday by police at Domodedovo Airport as he was about to board the evening flight to Geneva. No explanation was given for the reason of his detention.

The European Parliament's Intergroup On LGBT Rights has written an urgent message to Russia government protesting Alekseev's arrest. Unconfirmed reports say that Alekseev was released in Minsk hours ago.

One Million Dollars In One Day

And that money will go a long way in a tiny state like Delaware.

Brittany Novotny Vs. Sally Kern

Sally Kern claims that "out of state gay millionaire" Tim Gill is secretly backing Brittany Novotny. Neither Gill nor his PAC have donated to Novotny.

Christine O'Donnell Has A Long Sordid History Of Demonizing LGBT People

Wade Richards, a former member of Christine O'Donnell's "ex-gay" group who has since come to terms with his sexuality, tells all in a report published today by the Daily Beast. According to Richards, O'Donnell has a lesbian sister, whom he credits with helping him accept himself. The article lists some of O'Donnell's track record in her long campaign to demonize LGBT people.

Toward the end of the Clinton administration, she protested the appointment of James Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg, a posting the religious right opposed because Hormel was gay. “The SALT was concerned about Hormel’s ties to the pedophile-rights movement,” her website said, though there was not a shred of evidence behind the slur. In 1997, in a clip recently unearthed by Talking Points Memo, she appeared on C-SPAN, where, looking fresh, lovely, and innocent, she objected to AIDS sufferers being called “victims” because the disease is the product of their own actions. In an appearance on Fox in 2000, she exclaimed over the horrors of New York’s gay pride parade: “They’re getting away with nudity! They’re getting away with lasciviousness! They’re getting away with perversion!”

After working with O'Donnell's group, Richards went to work for Peter LaBarbera, going undercover at International Mister Leather.

Richards was unnerved when he went into Americans for Truth About Homosexuality’s “media room” and found copious hard-core porn—for research, naturally—as well as leather bondage gear for undercover work. “The sad thing was, there’s that 80-year-old grandma in Wichita, Kansas, thinking she’s donating this money to a good cause, and it’s going to who knows what kind of ‘research,’” says Richards. “As someone struggling with same-sex attraction, I thought, this is really not a place I need to be hanging out in.”

Richards eventually became an ex-ex-gay after reaching out to Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out. Read the entire story at the Daily Beast.

Homocons GOProud Endorse Rep. Barney Frank's GOP Opponent Sean Bielat

This just in from GOPRoud at Quisling Headquarters:

Today, GOProud, the only national organization representing gay conservatives and their allies, endorsed Republican Sean Bielat in his race to unseat Democrat Barney Frank in Massachusetts’s 4th Congressional District. “If we really want to protect gay jobs we don’t need to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act [ENDA], we need to fire Barney Frank,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud. “From his perch atop the Financial Services committee, Barney Frank was one of the architects of the financial meltdown that cost millions of Americans – including gay and lesbian workers – their jobs. Sean Bielat is a common-sense conservative who supports policies that will grow our economy, create jobs, and improve the lives of all Americans, but especially gay and lesbian Americans.”

So in addition to opposing ENDA, GOProud supports a guy who wants to dismantle Social Security and Medicare, who opposes civil unions and same-sex marriage, and who has vowed to fight the repeal of DADT. GOProud and their supporters are no less the enemies of every LGBT American than the Family Research Council or Focus On The Family.

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #49

1940's The Philadelphia Story starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Ruth Hussey.

AFA'S Bryan Fischer Tells Teabaggers: Attack On Social Issues Or Lose Christianists

The American Family Association's Bryan Fischer debated a Tea Party organizer on NPR to warn that unless the teabaggers embrace the AFA's positions on gay rights and abortion, they'll lose the support of the nation's Christianists. It's rather astonishing that NPR would provide a platform to a crazy like Bryan Fischer, who has called for homosexuals to be sent to internment camps, along with a zillion other outrageous things.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jack)

BREAKING: GetEQUAL Protests McCain At Senate Armed Services Hearing

Follow the action on GetEQUAL's Twitter feed.

Remixer & Blowoff DJ Rich Morel Scores 15th Billboard #1 Dance Hit

Remix artist Rich Morel, also one-half of the Blowoff DJ team, notches his 15th Billboard dance chart topper this week with his reworking of Yoko Ono's Wouldnit (I'm A Star). Morel has previously reached the dance summit with remixes for Pet Shop Boys, Seal, Cyndi Lauper, Depeche Mode, New Order, Vivian Green, and t.A.T.u. Morel is currently writing songs with Cyndi Lauper for a Broadway adaptation of the hit movie Kinky Boots.

RELATED: This is Yoko Ono's fifth #1 Billboard dance hit and her third with Rich Morel. At age 77, she is by far the oldest person to reach the top of the dance chart.

Joe Biden: I'm Confident We Can Overcome Any GOP Filibuster On DADT

Calling DADT "absolutely mindless," Vice President Joe Biden tells Rachel Maddow that he is confident Democrats came overcome any GOP filibuster of the defense authorization bill to which the repeal of DADT is attached.

Christian Charity Fires Non-Christians

The Christian disaster relief charity World Vision, which receives federal funding to the tune of $300M annually, has won the right to fire non-Christian employees. The case is headed to federal appeals court.

(Tipped by JMG reader Andy)

MINNESOTA: Democrat Mark Dayton Leading Anti-Gay Tom Emmer

Anti-gay Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, the man at the center of the Target controversy and boycott, is trailing Democrat Mark Dayton by five to ten points in most polls. The two are tied in a poll conducted by Minnesota Public Radio.

Morning View - The Ugly Sister

Pancakes Vs. Jeebus: IHOP Sues Anti-Gay Christian Group For Using Their Acronym

IHOP is suing the International House Of Prayer, the virulently anti-gay group affiliated with whackadoodle preacher Lou Engle, for stealing their famous acronym.

The Kansas City, Missouri-based church group "selected and adopted the International House of Prayer name, knowing it would be abbreviated IHOP. IHOP-KC intended to misappropriate the fame and notoriety of the household name IHOP to help promote and make recognizable their religious organization," the lawsuit says. Lawyers from the pancake restaurant say the odds are stacked against the church group and provided the court with pages and pages of documentation of websites, newsletters and signs on buildings where the prayer group allegedly used the IHOP acronym. The use of the acronym infringes on the restaurant's trademark, the restaurant contends. So, IHOP, the pancake house, is asking a judge to get IHOP, the church group, to stop using the letters IHOP. The restaurant says it has used the acronym for more than 30 years.

The International House of Prayer holds rallies to pray away gay rights. Apparently they also want to pray away copyright law.

Australia Bans Pro-Euthanasia Ad

Australia's advertising regulation agency has banned the below ad advocating for the legalization of assisted suicide or "voluntary euthanasia."

(Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

FLORIDA: Crist's Flip-Flop Could Actually Continue Ban On Gay Adoption

Earlier this week FL Gov. Charlie Crist announced that he was considered dropping the state's appeal of a ruling allowing a Miami Beach gay couple to adopt. But dropping the appeal could mean the court never rules on the law's constitutionality, leaving the issue in limbo.

"We'd still be left with the statute" that bans gay adoptions, said Miami Beach lawyer Alan Mishael, who has represented two homosexuals who successfully adopted. "We'd still be where we started - judging on a case-by-case basis." At first blush Crist's flip-flop to support gay adoption might seem to thrill Gill. If the challenge was dropped, Gill could go home to his sons in peace and perhaps not worry that they could be torn away from him. But that is not what Gill or the lawyers attacking the law - the last one in the nation expressly banning all homosexuals from adopting - want.

Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida which represents Gill, has said if the state were to drop its appeal, the Miami-Dade judge's decision that found the law unconstitutional likely would be the final say in that county. But not so elsewhere, and judges in other counties could still turn down gays seeking to adopt. The ban has prevented most adoptions by gays, but a few trial court judges have declared it unconstitutional, allowing a small handful to adopt. Simon and other advocates want the ban struck down statewide.

Crist has not given a timetable for making his decision.

Maddow On The O'Donnell Backlash

Open Thread Thursday

Astro Boy. Time Tunnel. Dark Shadows. Tell us about your favorite TV shows when you were a kid.

Donna Summer & Prince Poppycock

Top Ten Cities For Sexy Time

Another day, another meaningless list to chew on. Men's Health has ranked 100 U.S. cities for a list called "Hotbeds Of Sex." Cities were ranked based on "condom sales, birthrates, sex toy sales and rates of sexually transmitted diseases." Here's the top ten.

1. Austin, TX
2. Dallas, TX
3. Columbus, OH
4. Durham, NC
5. Denver, CO
6. Indianapolis, IN
7. Arlington, TX
8. Oklahoma City, OK
9. Bakersfield, CA
10. Houston, TX

That's an awful lot of Texas. NYC is way down at #73.

Sharron Angle: Harry Reid Is The Best Friend An "Illegal Alien" Ever Had

Can this season's political ads GET any uglier?

O'Donnell: Obama Is Anti-American

Two years ago Fox News asked teabagger Christine O'Donnell who she'd most like to see the GOP face in the 2008 election. "Barack Obama because he is so liberal, he is anti-American. He did not vote for English as the official language!"

Not For A Jillion Dollars

Watch as repairmen climb to the top of a 1768-foot broadcast tower to make a repair. Or don't watch, if like me your balls ache merely from the sight of someone on a precarious high place. This is why I don't go to Cirque Du Soleil.

(Via Anthony Slecht at Slog)

The Power Of Gaga

Rex Wockner tips us to this clip in which two girls who don't even know the names of their Senators obey Lady Gaga's edict that they call Congress to demand the repeal of DADT. Stick around while they visit the boys next door to get them onboard. These kids are alright.


UPDATE: The power continues. Sen. Michael Bennet responds by YouTube to the girls in the clip above.

Sarah Palin Vs. Karl Rove

Sarah Palin is SO not happy with Karl Rove for his declaration that her protege Christine O'Donnell is unelectable.

NJ Transit Fires Koran Burner

The man who ripped out pages of the Koran and burned them during the 9/11 protest at Ground Zero has been fired by his employer, NJ Transit. The incident was posted on YouTube and aired on television around the world.

NJ Transit said that Derek Fenton's "public actions" violated its code of ethics and that he “violated his trust as a state employee.” It was not clear that Fenton was terminated because of his actions on Saturday. The NJ Transit statement indicated that he was fired on Monday.In response to questions from NewsCore Tuesday, NJ Transit released a statement saying: “Derek Fenton was terminated on September 13, 2010 from his employment at NJ TRANSIT. An at-will employee, Mr. Fenton’s public actions violated New Jersey Transit’s code of ethics." It continued: "NJ TRANSIT concluded that Mr. Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and therefore was dismissed.”

Here's the clip.

PENNSYLVANIA: Israeli Intelligence Outfit Spying On LGBT Groups For The State

Saying he is "appalled" at the revelation, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has ordered his state's Homeland Security agency to stop spying on LGBT groups and other activism movements.

Information about an anti-BP candlelight vigil, a gay and lesbian festival and other peaceful gatherings became the subject of anti-terrorism bulletins being distributed by Pennsylvania's homeland security office, an apologetic Gov. Ed Rendell admitted. Rendell, who claimed he'd just learned about the practice, said Tuesday that the information was useless to law enforcement agencies and that distributing it was tantamount to trampling on constitutional rights. [snip] "I am deeply embarrassed and I apologize to any of the groups who had this information disseminated on their right to peacefully protest," Rendell said at an evening Capitol news conference.

The spying was committed courtesy of a $125,000 state contract with an Israeli intelligence firm called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. According to the ITRR's website:

All of the information ITRR's staff creates is sent to its monitoring center in Jerusalem, where it is analyzed and verified with other local sources. "We never have just one member of the ground truth network in a country," Perelman said. Right now, the institute has more than 15 people in the field. "We are constantly cross checking with ground truth sources and communications that we receive through other means." ITRR's network is global but not all countries are currently monitored. "If a client feels the need for coverage in a particular area we will obtain the information and coverage," Perelman said.

More on this as it develops...

(Tipped by JMG reader Ian)