John McWeasel

We agree with today's NY Daily News headline, but for different reasons.

42nd Street: Then & Now

The New York Times says that with this week's opening of a new 40-story tower at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, the 30-year remodel of Times Square is finally over.

The plan, to radically make over 13 acres, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, primarily fronting 42nd Street, outlived three mayors, four governors, two real estate booms and two recessions. It faced widespread derision in the beginning from jaded New Yorkers who were wise to grand plans. It faces occasional derision today from New Yorkers who speak of the old Times Square with newfound fondness. It embodied both the hubris of urban master planning and its possibilities, and showed the value of ripping up blueprints and starting over in midstream. And it has been a touchstone experience for a city that is now building, or trying to build, several multibillion-dollar projects, including ground zero, the Atlantic Yards, Willets Point and the Hudson Yards. “So often, people say New York can’t build large-scale projects anymore,” said Lynne B. Sagalynn, a professor of real estate finance at Columbia University and the author of “Times Square Roulette: Remaking the City Icon.” But, Professor Sagalynn said, “Times Square is an example of how a city was able to think on a grand scale and carry it out.”

There's a cool interactive slideshow thingy in the above-linked story.

The United States of Auto-Complete

Here's what Google thinks the next words should be when you enter the name of a state. Hawaii, FTW.

(Via - Gothamist)

GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions Takes Odd DADT Question About Gay High School Athletes

The interviewer was trying to make a comparison between presumably tough soldiers and high school athletes who may be showering with gay students, but it's not clear that Sessions really got the point.

(Via - Matt Comer)

Google Buys 111 Eighth Avenue

Google has agreed to pay $1.8B for its massive Manhattan office building, which looms over Chelsea and covers an entire city block. Real estate watchers say the move signals a rebounding in New York's long-slumping office space market.

“This decision is further evidence that large-scale buildings are trading once again,” said Ross Moskowitz, a real estate lawyer at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and a former city economic development official, “and high-end users are looking to take advantage of these opportunities.” The brick building, which covers an entire block bound by 15th and 16th Streets, already houses Google’s East Coast headquarters and 1,800 employees, as well as Lifetime Entertainment, barnesandnoble.com, Nike USA and Deutsch advertising. But at 2.9 million square feet, it has more space than the Empire State Building and plenty of room for Google to grow.

Nigeria Wants To Arrest Dick Cheney

Which is funny and totally deserved, but so not gonna happen. The real humor in this clip is this on-air bitch fight between the one-named liberal personality Lionel and GOP strategist/Quisling/closet case Ron Christie, who has a full-on queen attack. "WhatEVER!"

NOM Celebrates 2010

ABC's What Would You Do? Tackles Homophobic Parenting

Even though it's acting, this is hard to watch.

Calling The Creation Museum

POST-HEARINGS: White House Holds Meeting With DADT Repeal Groups

Following today's conclusion of the Joint Chiefs' testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the White House hosted an off-the-record meeting with members of various DADT pro-repeal groups. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly that today's was the largest of several such recent meetings.

Two people who attended the meeting but asked to remain anonymous because of the off-the-record nature of the meeting told Metro Weekly that those organizations that were represented included Center for American Progress, Human Rights Campaign, Log Cabin Republicans, National Black Justice Coalition, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, OutServe, People for the American Way, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Servicemembers United, Stonewall Democrats and Third Way. [Politico's Josh Gerstein, who first reported the news, also reported that representatives from OutServe and the Palm Center attended the meeting, a fact confimed to Metro Weekly by a third attendee.] As such, it would make it the largest of several such White House meetings held about DADT repeal this year. The two attendees of the meeting said that the White House was represented at the meeting by Christopher Kang, White House legislative affairs; Christina Tchen, director of the public engagement office; Brian Bond, deputy director of public engagement; and representatives from the Domestic Policy Council and White House Counsel's Office.

According to Metro Weekly, White House representatives expressed optimism that a Senate vote on DADT will take place before the end of the year. One attendee reported that the meeting did not feel like pandering: "I know it wasn't. I've been mollified before, and this wasn't mollification."

Read Chris Geidner's full report.

KANSAS: Disabled Iraq Vet Arrested For Stalking Westboro Church Members

An 26 year-old veteran who lost both his legs in Iraq has been charged with stalking members of the Westboro Baptist Church after police found him following the Westboro family van in a car stocked with handguns, a rifle, and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Sedgwick County sheriff's detectives arrested Newell mid-morning Tuesday in the Wichita City Hall parking lot after a detective saw him following a van that carried Westboro church members. The church members were meeting in City Hall with police officials. Detectives found Newell in a vehicle backed into a parking space. In the vehicle, investigators found two handguns, a rifle and more than 90 rounds of ammunition, sources have said. The stalking charge accuses Newell of actions targeted at Westboro members and putting them in fear for their safety. The weapons charges accuse him of unlawfully carrying and concealing or possessing with "intent to use" an M4 rifle, .45-caliber Glock handgun and .38-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun.

At Newell's arraignment several lawyers arrived to offer pro bono defense services, prompting the judge to quip, "The more, the merrier." Reportedly "many other lawyers" have contacted him with the same offer. Newell, who uses a wheelchair due to difficulties adjusting to Army-supplied prosthetic legs, pleaded not guilty via a video link from his cell. He is being held on $500,000 bond on one felony and several misdemeanor charges. Other charges may be filed pending the result of an FBI search of his home.

Westboro's Megan Phelps comments on Twitter: "Peacefully protesting institutionalized sin on public sidewalks =\= loading up your car with weapons & lying in wait to commit murder. But somehow, in the totally backward minds of many of you, the former (loving our neighbor) is worse than the latter (planning murder)! Wtf?" Phelps claims that Newell was planning to murder her parents and the 26 children in the Westboro clan.

A defense fund has been set up for Newell via several popular conservative websites. Late this afternoon the Facebook page "Let Ryan Newell Go" was established. Westboro will continue with their planned Hanukkah picket of a Harvard student Jewish group tomorrow.

UPDATE: Shirley Phelps-Roper weighs in.

Westboro spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper said today: "Here is what I expect to happen: This guy is going to be called a hero, he may get a parade." People "will line up to sing his praises, to pay his legal fees and to get him a lawyer," she said. "Then he will be permitted to plead to some nothing charges." Phelps-Roper also said, "We've had communication about a federal investigation" involving Newell.

Sen. Mark Udall (D) Polls The Joint Chiefs: All Agree They Can Implement Repeal

Over at the Wonk Room, Igor Volsky reports on a tactic taken today by Sen. Mark Udall. Several of the top military brass testifying today indicated that they were hesitant to institute the repeal in a time of war.

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) — a strong proponent of repeal — said that the amendment included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) offered the perfect compromise: the certification process provides the military with the flexibility not to implement repeal right away, while undermining the possibility that the courts would force the Armed Forces to act quickly. Every Service Chief agreed that they were comfortable that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates would take their concerns into consideration before certifying repeal and admitted that they could effectively implement the policy change.

Critics were quick to point out that such a compromise could stall the implementation of the repeal until the end of the Afghanistan war. (And longer, should other conflicts arise before then.)

Tweet Of The Day

That's Gay: The A-List Interview

Billionaires Are "Good Without God"

Gothamist tips us to the latest atheism campaign which just launched on Chicago's public transit system. This one is from the Illini Secular Student Association at the University of Illinois.

ISSA explains, "A consequence of the centuries-spanning PR campaign conflating theism (and especially Christianity) with the impulse to charity has largely duped Americans into believing that Christians are the major givers and that non-believers are selfish, angry loners unconcerned with the struggles of the less fortunate...Not only is the stereotype untrue, it is perversely untrue." The bus campaign ads feature high profile philanthropists including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The ISSA's tagline? "Good without god."

RELATED: On their Secular Samaritan blog, today the ISSA notes that Catholic Cardinal George Pell is calling atheists "immoral, frightened, and without purpose."

Today's DADT Hearing: Top Military Leaders Split 3-3 On When To Repeal

The Human Rights Campaign recaps today's hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, where all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke at length about the repeal of DADT.

Speaking today before a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Chiefs of the military services all expressed that they would successfully implement "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal should Congress change the law. Testifying were General James Cartwright, General George Casey, Admiral Gary Roughead, General James Amos, General Norton Schwartz and Admiral Robert Papp.

Among the six testifying, three expressed that the law should be repealed and three gave a mixed reaction, expressing some opposition to repeal at this time. Only one - Marine Commandant General James Amos - expressed his opinion that there could be strong disruption. In contrast his fellow Marine, General Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, made clear that not only could Marines carry out successful repeal but also there was "benefit derived from being a force identified by honesty & inclusivity."

General Amos did however express that he and his Marines would "faithfully support the law." "Not only do a majority of senior military leaders support repeal, they are unanimous that they will faithfully carry out any repeal passed by Congress," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "The vast majority of the American people are looking for action as are the thousands of men and women currently serving in silence."

The Full Castro

According to Lauren Smiley's cover story in the latest issue of SF Weekly, some locals aren't taking too well to the recent mini-explosion of nude men strolling around the Castro. Nudity, per se, isn't illegal in San Francisco, but even lots of gay men don't like running into twigs and berries while doing their shopping. It's a long feature story, here's how it begins:

In Chinatown, it may be the Year of the Tiger, but in the Castro, it's almost always the Year of the Cock. Judging from a walk down Castro Street, cocks are the unofficial mascot. You've got the Sausage Factory (an Italian restaurant named with a wink), Hot Cookie (a bakery that sells chocolate-covered cookie cocks), and Rock Hard (a porn shop full of gigantic, X-rated cocks). To cap it off, the Castro just elected a supervisor named Scott Wiener.

But this year, the neighborhood found out that the male anatomy can still cause a stir when the real-life cocks arrived. In broad daylight. At the plaza on the corner of Market Street, right by the F-line trolley stop. Sometimes flapping down Castro Street. Or hanging out in line for coffee at Starbucks.

These cocks were not metaphorical or ironic in the least bit. They were sometimes more than 60 years old. Or dangling amid red pubic hair. Or cinched with rings, or pierced with metal, or hanging free with nothing on at all. They felt entitled for a reason: The law in San Francisco is more or less on their side. At least, they know it's extremely unlikely they'd ever be prosecuted for walking around in public naked.

I've never been one of the "naked people." Not at nude beaches, not at the clothing-optional gay campground where I've spent my summer weekends for the last ten years. But like almost all non-naked people do, I can't help observing the seemingly inviolable and inversely proportional nudity vs. attractiveness rule.

(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)
[Photo credit: Kimberly Sandie]

Glee Preview: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Glee is changing America. There's no way it can't be.

Geoff Kors To Leave Equality California

Equality California executive director Geoff Kors revealed today that he'll be leaving the organization this spring. EQCA spearheaded the unsuccessful attempt to defeat Proposition 8 in 2008. Seth Hemmelgarn at Bay Area Reporter:

Kors, who has been EQCA's only executive director since it was created in 1998, announced this morning (Friday, December 3) that he's resigning from the group, effective March 31. The date marks the eve of his ninth anniversary with the state's biggest LGBT rights organization. "I felt I'm ready to do some different things," Kors, 49, told the Bay Area Reporter , adding that nine years is a "long tenure" for the leader of a political organization like EQCA. He has yet to decide where he'll go next and has not applied yet for any other jobs.

Widely criticized for his leadership of the unsuccessful fight to defeat Prop 8 in the fall of 2008, Kors declined to talk about regrets or things he would've done differently. Instead, he talked about his accomplishments. He said when he became executive director, there was a staff of two, there was no statewide LGBT political action committee, and California was "a state with very limited rights" for same-sex couples. At the time, couples had less than 15 legal rights and protections, and there are now more than 400. He also pointed to employment and housing protections for transgender people

Read Hemmelgarn's complete analysis of Kors' tenure.

Freep This Cat Lady Poll

As a silly diversion from all this DADT drama, I promised Dan Savage I'd help him freep this Tidy Cat poll in favor of his cat lady relative, Colleen K. In return, Dan has promised to lunch with MY cat lady, Dr. Jeff, a massive Savage Love fan who'll be watching Shelley while I'm in Florida for two weeks over the holidays. So go vote for Colleen K. It'll make Dr. Jeff and Shelley very happy.

Explaining Dr. Who To America

This is a pretty good example of why Craig Ferguson is my favorite late-night television host.

GOP Ransom Note

LIVE VIDEO: Senate DADT Debate

UPDATE: Today's hearing has concluded.

American Family Association: Gays Should Be Paying For 100% Of All AIDS Research

Bryan Fischer, radio host for the SPLC-certified hate group the American Family Association, says that gay people should shoulder the cost of AIDS research. Because only homosexuals get it.

We know what causes AIDS: homosexual sex and injection drug use. The Centers for Disease Control tell us that of all the males who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS since the epidemic started in 1977, 91% contracted it either through having sex with other males or through intravenous drug abuse.

Since we know the cause, we know the cure: stop engaging in homosexual sex and stop shooting up with drugs. Well, homosexual activist groups likewise are pushing a lifestyle that kills. If anybody should be obligated to pony up funds to mitigate a health crisis, it ought to be the organizations that are responsible for advocating the very behavior that created and perpetuates the epidemic.

Surely we will be accused of lacking compassion. But this is hardly the case. If you care about an individual, and you see that he is involved in a self-destructive pattern of behavior, the most loving thing you can to is appeal to him to start making better lifestyle choices. It is hardly compassionate to urge him to continue to engage in conduct that everybody in the world knows has a good chance of killing him in the end. That, in fact, is a form of cruelty.

Bryan Fischer's AFA radio show is heard for two hours daily on over 200 Christian radio stations in North America, with an estimated daily audience of over two million. And you can fucking bet that many, many of his listeners completely believe that only dirty queers get AIDS.

Today In Loving Christianity

"If hating homosexuals and wishing them dead makes our church a hate group, then we are a hate group." - SLPC-designated hate preacher Steve Anderson. (Click image to play video.)

(Via - Right Wing Watch)

Bristol Palin On Keith Olbermann

Bristol Palin isn't happy about being one of Olbermann's "Worst Person In The World" targets for preaching abstinence while being a teen mother.

Accusing me of hypocrisy is by now, an old canard. What Mr. Olbermann lacks in originality he makes up for with insincere incredulity. Mr. Olbermann fails to understand that in order to have credibility as a spokesperson, it sometimes takes a person who has made mistakes. Parents warn their children about the mistakes they made so they are not repeated. Former gang members travel to schools to educate teenagers about the risks of gang life. Recovered addicts lecture to others about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse. And yes, a teen mother talks about the benefits of preventing teen pregnancy. I have never claimed to be perfect. If that makes me the "worst person in the world" to Mr. Olbermann, then I must apologize for not being absolutely faultless like he undoubtedly must be.

Nobody seriously believes that Bristol Palin knows the meaning of the word "canard," do they?

John McCain: The Bigot Remix

Another winner from JMG reader Sean Chapin.

Quote Of The Day - Oliver North

"Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo tried and failed. Mao Zedong, Nikita Khrushchev and Ho Chi Minh couldn't do it. But commander in chief Barack Obama may well succeed where others could not. If he has his way, he will demolish the finest force for good in the history of mankind — the U.S. armed forces. And he wants to make it all happen before the end of the year.

"Nearly 25 percent of those now serving — and as many as 32 percent of Marines — said they are likely to leave the service rather than be assigned to live with and serve beside active homosexuals. This potential attrition — while more than 150,000 troops are serving in harm's way — hasn't diminished the O-Team's zeal for repeal. When Sen. John McCain confronted Mullen with this consequence from allowing homosexuals into the military, the admiral replied, 'We'll deal with that.' Gates, ever sympathetic to the needs of our troops, observed, 'They can't just up and leave.'

"No, they can't. But when they come home, they can vote with their feet. Is wrecking the world's finest military the price we have to pay for a campaign promise?" - Accused drug trafficker Oliver North.

Frank: If DADT Doesn't Pass, Obama Has No Moral Right To Defend It In Court

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear, Will There Be Dinosaurs On Your Ark?

Red Honey In Red Hook

Beekeepers in Red Hook, Brooklyn say their hives are producing Red Dye #40-laden honey because their bees have been dive-bombing a nearby maraschino cherry factory.

Mr. Selig, who owns the restaurant chain Rice and raises the bees as a hobby, was disappointed that an entire season that should have been devoted to honey yielded instead a red concoction that tasted metallic and then overly sweet. He and Ms. Mayo also fear that the bees’ feasting on the stuff could have unforeseeable health effects on the hives. But Mr. Selig said there was something extraordinary, too, about those corn-syrup-happy bees that came flying back this summer. “When the sun is a bit down, they glow red in the evenings,” he said. “They were slightly fluorescent. And it was beautiful.”

The real point of this post, of course, is "Hello, hot beekeeper!"

Rep. Jared Polis On McCain: Old White Male Senators Need To Get Over Their Bigotry

Tony Perkins On Smithsonian Flap

"The Battle of the Smithsonian is more than a Ben Stiller movie--it's reality for conservatives on Capitol Hill, who are disgusted by the latest exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Just across the street from FRC headquarters, a month-old display called "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" is causing quite an uproar for a series of images that range from homo-erotica to religious blaspheme. The exhibit is so graphic that curators posted a "mature themes" warning on the doors outside.

"One video on a constant loop showed Jesus lying on a crucifix, covered in ants. Or it used to. Thanks to incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), that clip was discontinued. Yesterday, Smithsonian officials scraped the video stream when Rep. Boehner said the Gallery should be correct the mistake or face big budget cuts. "American families have a right to expect better from recipients of taxpayer-funds..." But they couldn't expect better from this new leadership. Our hats go off to Congressmen Boehner and Eric Cantor (R-Va.) for taking a principled stand on the city's "art." House Republicans may not be in power until January, but they are already empowering America 's families." - Hate group head Tony Perkins, warning that the GOP has only just begun to clamp down on freedom of expression.

Droning New York City

"FP/V" refers to the hobby of flying first-person/video cameras attached to tiny remote-controlled planes. Or as the U.S. military calls them, "drones." Judging by the comments on this YouTube clip, some FP/V hobbyists aren't too happy about the guy who flew his drone around Manhattan because now the FAA is going to "crack down" on them. Cool clip, in any case.

Sarah Palin: Jan Brewer Has The Cojones That Obama Should Have On Immigration

Broadway Friday

-Steve Hayes (Tired Old Queen At The Movies) stars with playwright Bradford Scobie and drag legend Murray Hill in Moisty The Snowman Saves Christmas, now running Off Broadway at Dixon Place. Get tickets here.

- Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) will replace Christian Borle as Prior Walter in the critically raved Off Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's Angels In America. Urie steps in on February 2nd, the production has been extended until March 27th.

- Whoa. Jackie Hoffman (love her!) is talking serious trash about her role in The Addams Family. "We're the only musical that doesn't appeal to gay people." But it has Nathan Lane and (JMG reader/Tony nominee) Kevin Chamberlin in it!

- Henry Rollins brings his one-man show to Joe's Pub for a week beginning February 8th. It's his 50th birthday celebration and you know you're going.

- Beginning previews Off Broadway on December 22nd is Richard Skipper As "Carol Channing" In Concert. Get tickets here.

- Oscar winner Halle Berry makes her Broadway debut this fall in Katori Hall's The Mountaintop opposite Samuel L. Jackson. Last year the play won the Olivier Award for its West End run.

- ABC is developing a drama for Tony winner Idina Menzel (Wicked), who will play a single mom who sings at weddings and bar mitzvahs to pay the rent. Menzel makes her debut with the New York Philharmonic on February 5th.

TRAILER: Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Still in heavily-laden with tech glitches previews.

GOP Reps Call For Unfunding The Smithsonian Over Gay Exhibit

More Christianist bullshit about the gay video exhibit that I reported on yesterday.

(Via - Truth Wins Out)

Sen. John McBigot: This Survey Is Flawed And Should Be Disregarded

Pravda Calls Sarah Palin A Traitor To USA

Russia's Pravda newspaper is blasting Sarah Palin as an unpatriotic traitor to the ideals of America because she has advocated what the paper characterizes as "cyber terrorism" to bring down WikiLeaks.

She turns not only against the fibre and backbone of her country, but against its democratically-elected President, accusing him of being incompetent for not stopping Wikileaks. Where was she and where was her GOP before and during the 9/11 attacks? She accuses President Obama of not taking "steps" to assure the leaks were not published. What "steps"?

Sinister Sarah Palin then goes on to insinuate that she is an advocate of cyber terrorism, questioning "Did we use all the cyber tools at our disposal to dismantle WikiLeaks?" Surely a more sensible question would have been why the material for the leaks was provided in the first place...and this has nothing to do with President Obama, but indeed speaks volumes about the State apparatus itself which goes beyond party politics. Her question also speaks volumes about her own inability to perform logical and strategic thinking. [snip]

To attack the President of the country at a time when the USA needs to close ranks and stand together to consolidate the enormous strides his intelligent and respectful approach has achieved in building bridges, when her party's period in government bombed them, Spankin' Sarah Palin comes across as a pitifully inadequate anachronism from the times of the Far West. The United States of America has evolved. She has not.

Prava also describes Palin as "a clown short of a circus" with the tact of a "boorish drunkard bawling obscenities at a funeral."

"My Parents Were Druggies And Alcoholics But NOW They're Not Gay Anymore!"

Why is it that almost every "ex-gay" person we hear about is also a former drug addict and/or alcoholic and/or felon? Could it be that happy, well-adjusted, healthy people in control of their lives don't need to run to Jeebus and blame their gayness as the source of their fucked-up existence?

DADT Hearings Recap

Wonk Room's Igor Volsky ticks off the ways that GOP objections have been dispatched so far today.Read more Volsky's analysis. Here's his video recap.

Lieberman Rips McCain On DADT

Catholic School Essay Question

(Source)

Ann Coulter On DADT

"Liberals don't care. Their approach is to rip out society's foundations without asking if they serve any purpose. Why do we have immigration laws? What's with these borders? Why do we have the institution of marriage, anyway? What do we need standardized tests for? Hey, I like Keith Richards -- why not make heroin legal? Let's take a sledgehammer to all these load-bearing walls and just see what happens!

"For liberals, gays in the military is a win-win proposition. Either gays in the military works, or it wrecks the military, both of which outcomes they enthusiastically support. But since you brought up gays in the military, liberals, let's talk about Bradley Manning. He apparently released hundreds of thousands of classified government documents as a result of being a gay man in 'an awkward place.' Any discussion of 'don't ask, don't tell' should begin with Bradley Manning. Live by the sad anecdote, die by the sad anecdote." - GOProud's BFF Ann Coulter, in an essay declaring that history's most notorious spies and traitors have been gay.

Coulter's piece manages to work in references to Cher, Lady Gaga, Liza Minnelli, Patti LaBelle, "butt-less chaps," The Wizard Of Oz, Halloween, Greenwich Village, and Steven Slater.

DELAWARE: Jury Awards Record $30M Settlement To Victim Of Priest Molestation

A jury in Delaware has awarded a record $30M settlement to a man who says that he was sexually assaulted by a Catholic priest more than 100 times while he was a boy. That is the highest amount ever awarded to a single plaintiff in any clergy abuse case. In an unusual turn, the judgment rules that the man's parish itself must pay $3M of the settlement, as the Diocese of Delaware conveniently declared bankruptcy last year in anticipation of the verdict.

Parishes have previously been held liable in only one or two cases involving abuse by Catholic priests, according to records kept by an advocacy group for victims known as bishopaccountability.org. It is usually the diocese or the religious order, not the parish, that is held responsible for damages. But the Diocese of Wilmington, which covers all of Delaware, declared bankruptcy last year just as the lawsuit was going to trial, so this lawsuit as well as more than 100 pending lawsuits against the diocese was frozen. The jury is set to hear evidence on punitive damages on Monday. Thomas S. Neuberger and Stephen J. Neuberger, father-son lawyers for the plaintiffs, say they have saved the most damning evidence for this phase, and that the award to the plaintiff could grow substantially beyond the compensatory damages.

According to testimony, other priests in the man's parish were aware of the assaults, but did nothing.

LIVE VIDEO: Senate DADT Debate

Defense Secretary Gate and Admiral Mike Mullen appear today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. I'll bump this video player to the top of the blog a few times as the hearings go on today.

UPDATE: The hearing has concluded for today.

Prop 8 Judge Refuses To Recuse Himself

Ninth Circuit Court Judge Stephen Reinhardt has refused to recuse himself from next week's hearing of the appeal of the overturn of Proposition 8. Here's his legalese-laden refusal.

“Filed order (STEPHEN R. REINHARDT) I have before me defendants-intervenors-appellants’ motion to disqualify myself from this appeal. I have not hesitated to recuse from cases in the past when doing so was warranted by the circumstances. See Khatib v. County of Orange, 622 F.3d 1074, 1074 (9th Cir. 2010); Mohamed v. Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc., 586 F.3d 1108, 1109 (9th Cir. 2009); Buono v. Kempthorne, 527 F.3d 758, 760 (9th Cir. 2008); Sw. Voter Registration Educ. Project v. Shelley, 344 F.3d 913, 914 (9th Cir. 2003); Valeria v. Davis, 320 F.3d 1014, 1015 n.** (9th Cir. 2003); Alvarez-Machain v. United States, 284 F.3d 1039, 1039 n.1 (9th Cir. 2002); Coalition for Econ. Equity v. Wilson, 122 F.3d 692, 711 (9th Cir. 1997). Here, for reasons that I shall provide in a memorandum to be filed in due course, I am certain that “a reasonable person with knowledge of all the facts would [not] conclude that [my] impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” United States v. Nelson, 718 F.2d 315, 321 (9th Cir. 1983); see also Sao Paulo State of the Federated Republic of Brazil v. Am. Tobacco Co., 535 U.S. 229, 233 (2002) (per curiam). I will be able to rule impartially on this appeal, and I will do so. The motion is therefore DENIED. [7564262]”

NOM and Protect Marriage will be furious!

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #60

1939's Midnight, starring Claudette Colbert, Dom Ameche, Mary Astor, and Rex O'Malley.

Kenya's Prime Minister: I Was Misquoted, Gays Won't Be Arrested

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga now says he's been misquoted and that homosexuals will not be rounded up and arrested.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday denied that he had ordered a nationwide crackdown on homosexuals but maintained that such unions were illegal. He argued that he was misquoted and that his statements were not meant to victimise anyone because: “I understand there are gay rights.” The Premier, who was speaking during the opening session of the review on Kenya’s progress two years after the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Accord was signed, also argued that he was only highlighting some of the half truths that were used during the referendum campaigns. “It was said that I ordered the arrest of gay people but nothing could be further from the truth. I did not say that. I was just explaining the propaganda used by people who were campaigning against the new constitution,” he argued.

Contradicting Odinga's claim of being misquoted is the video tape of his speech in which he clearly says: “We will not tolerate such behaviour in the country. The Constitution is very clear on this issue and men or women found engaging in homosexuality will not be spared. Any man found engaging in sexual activities with another man should be arrested. Even women found engaging in sexual activities will be arrested."

European Parliament Says Gay Unions Must Be Recognized By All EU Members

The European Parliament has declared that official documents such as marriage, civil union, birth, and death certificates must be recognized by all members of the European Union. Rex Wockner reports at Pink Paper:

"This is a great development for the many couples and families who see their fundamental rights diminished every day when crossing a border inside the EU," said Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights. Co-President Michael Cashman said the statement adopted by the Parliament "follows the Commission's assertion in September that freedom of movement must be guaranteed for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation." "Claims that mutual recognition will undermine national sovereignty are plain wrong; it won't affect national marriage or partnership laws, but simply recognize civil unions that already exist," Cashman said.

Same-sex marriage is legal in the EU member nations of Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Civil unions or partnerships are recognized in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

Hungary Bans Gay Marriage

Hungary has adopted a new constitution which stipulates that marriage is for heterosexuals only.

Human life will be protected from conception and marriage will be defined as heterosexual co-existence in the new Constitution, according to the specimen The Principles of Regulating the Constitution of Hungary. Hungary would continue to be a republic and a democracy governed by the rule of law. The Royal Crown will be included in the preface to the Constitution and will be emblazoned on the state flag, the concept adds.

Hungary joined the EU in 2004. In 2009 Hungary established registered partnerships for same-sex couples.

Real Or Not Real?

For a couple of weeks I've been following the YouTube channel of a user calling himself "JesseTheStraightGuy." Jesse says he's a high school student who has successfully completed an unnamed "ex-gay" program. In this latest clip, he drops the n-word and refers to fellow students as "fags" and "fag-enablers," all while declaring that he's "not sick anymore." It's all so over the top, I can't even tell if it's for real.

Kim Jong-Il Looking At Things

A new Tumblr blog.

David Cameron For World AIDS Day

I missed this message from Britain's Prime Minister yesterday. "We have made a lot of progress in fighting HIV and AIDS so far and I believe that by working together, we can help reduce the stigma, reduce the number of new infections and enable those living with HIV to lead full productive and happy lives."

KENTUCKY: Creation Museum To Build "Full-Scale Replica" Of Noah's Ark

The famed/infamous Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky has announced plans to build a "full-scale replica" of Noah's Ark. SRSLY.

The $24.5 million project will be constructed by the same team that built the Creation Museum. The religious ministry is soliciting online donations to help construct the project, which they expect to draw an estimated 1.6 million visitors per year. Ken Ham, president and CEO of Answers In Genesis, cites poll data showing that an estimated 63 percent of Americans would visit a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark if one were built in the U.S. "We see a full-scale, wooden ark as something so significant that it will shake up this nation," Ham said. "It would be a clear reminder to America about the truths of the Bible. The building of a huge ark is a unique and powerful opportunity to reach millions in our nation (and around the world) with a bold statement: God's word is true."

The dinosaur stalls will be hilarious.

USC Students & Staff - It Gets Better

Photo Of The Day

(Via - Boing Boing)

Rachel Maddow: Racial Integration Of The Military Vs. DADT Situation

Surprise. "Strikingly similar."

CALIFORNIA: Protect Marriage Files Request For Recusal Of Prop 8 Judge

Protect Marriage has filed a formal request for the recusal of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reindhardt, who is scheduled to be part of the three judge panel hearing the appeal of Proposition 8 on Monday. As I noted yesterday morning, at issue is Reinhardt's wife and her involvement with the No On 8 campaign via her job with the ACLU.

In papers filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, lawyers for Proposition 8's supporters said Judge Stephen Reinhardt's "impartiality might reasonably be questioned" because his wife heads the Southern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. In that role, the judge's wife, Ramona Ripston, has been an outspoken opponent of Proposition 8 and taken part in legal proceedings to overturn the voter-approved law, the lawyers said. They cited the friend of the court brief the ACLU filed on behalf of the plaintiff's in the case pending before her husband as an example.

According to the above-linked story, Reinhardt has recused himself from past cases involving the ACLU.

Open Thread Thursday

Pimp out your own blog or personal site with some links to your favorite work. And tell us what other sites are ringing your bell these days.

The Best Speech Of Today's Civil Unions Debate In The Illinois State Senate

Folks, give it up for our hero of the day, Illinois state Sen. Ricky Hendon! "It's just fairness, y'all. That's ALL."

Catholic League Pressures Smithsonian Into Removing Exhibit By Gay Artist

The Catholic League, that one-guy-with-a-computer outfit headed by anti-gay nutjob Bill Donohue, has successfully pressured the Smithsonian into removing an AIDS-themed video exhibit by the late gay artist David Wojnarowicz. Because for eleven seconds, ants can be seen crawling on a crucifix. The Smithsonian acted after incoming GOP House Speaker John Boehner and incoming GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor echoed Donohue's complaints.

The Washington Post's art critic Blake Gopnik reports:

As part of "Hide/Seek," the gallery was showing a four-minute excerpt from a 1987 piece titled "A Fire in My Belly," made in honor of Peter Hujar, an artist-colleague and lover of Wojnarowicz who had died of AIDS complications in 1987. And for 11 seconds of that meandering, stream-of-consciousness work (the full version is 30 minutes long) a crucifix appears onscreen with ants crawling on it. It seems such an inconsequential part of the total video that neither I nor anyone I've spoken to who saw the work remembered it at all.

But that is the portion of the video that the Catholic League has decried as "designed to insult and inflict injury and assault the sensibilities of Christians," and described as "hate speech" - despite the artist's own hopes that the passage would speak to the suffering of his dead friend. The irony is that Wojnarowicz's reading of his piece puts it smack in the middle of the great tradition of using images of Christ to speak about the suffering of all mankind. There is a long, respectable history of showing hideously grisly images of Jesus - 17th-century sculptures in the National Gallery's recent show of Spanish sacred art could not have been more gory or distressing - and Wojnarowicz's video is nothing more than a relatively tepid reworking of that imagery, in modern terms.

Here's that "hate-filled" clip by David Wojnorawicz. (The music is by the brilliant Diamanda Galas.) Congratulations, Catholic League. You've spring-boarded a relatively obscure work by a gay artist into national prominence.


RELATED: Over at Art Info, Tyler Green has a lot of questions for the curators at the National Portrait Gallery regarding their capitulation to this act of religion-based censorship.

ALSO RELATED: Since we know Donohue can't resist visiting JMG whenever his name is mentioned, here Bill, this Andres Serrano is for you.UPDATE: People For the America Way respond: "There is absolutely no reason for our government to be in the business of censoring art, or cave to pressure from extreme Religious Right organizations just because it’s Christmas. That Bill Donohue and the Catholic League are fighting for censorship is unsurprising. That the GOP leadership is echoing their call is shameful. That the Smithsonian has given into their transparent political bullying is deeply disturbing."

Chris Matthews BUSTS Tony Perkins' Lies About Fake Pediatricians Group

Homocon Tweet Of The Day - GOProud

GOProud wants "every single LGBT org" to surrender to the GOP's tactic of holding the nation hostage over extending Bush's tax cuts to the nation's millionaires. Beyond repulsive.

DADT DEBATE: Hate Group Head Tony Perkins Vs. USMC Sgt. Brian Fricke

Openly gay MSNBC host Thomas Roberts did a good job of keeping Perkins in line and called out his opinions several times. Excellent work by Sgt. Fricke as well.

Illinois Family Institute: It's A Tragic Day (To Be A Hate Group) In Illinois

"We are very disappointed that the Illinois General Assembly succumbed to emotional manipulation instead of reasoned justifiable evidence regarding the government's recognition of the public purpose of marriage. Proponents engaged in embarrassing and maudlin displays of sentimentality intended to emotionally manipulate rather than intellectually persuade their colleagues. Illinois is now among the unfortunate minority of states with legalized civil unions.

"The state has the dubious honor of being not only one of the most politically corrupt states in America, but also one with a dearth of wise and courageous leaders. Even when four state representatives argued deceitfully from the floor that this bill was needed to assure hospital visits for homosexual partners, not one conservative representative made clear that on April 15, 2010 President Obama issued an executive order mandating hospital visitation for same sex partners that applies to any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funds, which is virtually every hospital. Today is not merely a sad day; it's a tragic day for Illinois" - David Smith, executive douchenozzle of the SPLC-designated hate group, the Illinois Family Institute, deceitfully failing to mention that the IFI also opposed the above-mentioned hospital mandate.

American Family Association: Flaming Liberals Want To End Freedom Of Speech

BREAKING: Civil Unions PASS In Illinois Senate, Gov. Quinn To Sign Bill

The bill just passed 32-24! Updates and reactions will be added to this post shortly. Somebody rush a defibrillator to Porno Pete's house! Or don't!

Lambda Legal

"Same-sex couples in Illinois, many together for decades, will finally have the legal protections to take care of each other and their children," said Jim Bennett, Regional Director of Lambda Legal's Midwest Regional Office in Chicago. "Same-sex couples and their families faced a range of barriers to things that other couples take for granted, including spousal health benefits and hospital visitation - the goal of this law is to correct those problems. While all couples deserve the right to marry, all of us in the Land of Lincoln can be proud of this important step forward."

LGBT Change

"We are ecstatic,” stated Anthony Martinez, Executive Director of The Civil Rights Agenda and Co-Executive Director of LGBT Change. “It makes all of our work over the past two years worth every second.” The bill now makes its way to Governor Quinn’s desk and the Governor has indicated he will sign it. We would like to thank the Leadership in the General Assembly on this Bill including Senator Koehler and Senator Steans, as well as Representative Harris, Representative Mell, Representative Feigenholtz, and Representative Osterman. We also congratulate Equality Illinois, Lambda Legal, ACLU and all of the organizations, individuals, community members and everyone who contributed to this victory.

Freedom To Marry

"While a welcome step, civil union is no substitute for the full measure of respect, clarity, security, responsibilities, and protection of marriage itself. States that have created civil union as a means of both giving and withholding - providing legal protections while withholding the freedom to marry and all its meaning - have found that civil union falls far short of marriage with all its tangible and intangible significance in our lives. Many of those states - Connecticut, New Hampshire, and even Vermont, which first created civil union - have since pushed past civil union to marriage, recognizing the inadequacy and unfairness of a separate and unequal status. In five states and the District of Columbia, as well as 10 countries, same-sex couples have the freedom to marry, and the sky has not fallen. Having now laid a good foundation with civil union, Illinois should move swiftly to finish the job, ending exclusion from marriage for committed couples seeking the same responsibilities, same respect, and same rules."

Human Rights Campaign

"HRC applauds the Illinois Senate for recognizing that our families need the security of legal recognition now by swiftly passing a civil unions bill," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "Thank you to all of the Senators and Representatives who took a stand for justice, and to the tireless advocacy of Equality Illinois and other organizations who made such a victory possible." The bill, introduced by Rep. Greg Harris and passed by both the House and Senate, would permit both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to enter into civil unions and receive the same benefits, protections, and responsibilities under Illinois law that are granted to spouses. The bill, however, does not provide for same-sex marriages.

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

“Same-sex couples in Illinois today moved closer toward realizing equal treatment under the law. While not a substitute for full legal marriage, this measure provides important protections, rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples, and will help ensure they're able to take care of each other and their families. This is both fair and humane. We thank Equality Illinois and the many fair-minded people who advocated and fought for this bill. The lawmakers who voted for this legislation did the right thing, and we now look forward to the governor signing it into law.”

Daily Grumble

Anytime a politician utters a sentence which begins "What the American people want..." - they should be delivered a sharp electrical jolt in the gut. Just enough to make them stop. And maybe pee a little.

Janet Jackson For The Trevor Project

Sen. Joe Lieberman: We Have The DADT Votes, But May Not Have The Time

NOM Demands Recusal Of Prop 8 Judge

NOM is demanding that Ninth Circuit Court Judge Stephen Reinhardt recuse himself from the three-judge panel set to hear the appeal of Prop 8's overturn on Monday. NOM's objection arises from a National Review article posted yesterday which points out that Reinhardt's wife is the executive director of the Southern California chapter of the ACLU, that she made personal contributions to the No On 8 campaign, and that she issued a statement cheering Prop 8's overturn.

NOM writes:

Federal law and the Code of Conduct for United States Judges provide a non-exhaustive list of circumstances in which a judge must disqualify himself on the ground that his “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” Those circumstances “includ[e] but [are] not limited to instances in which … the judge’s spouse … is (i) a party to the proceeding, or an officer, director, or trustee of a party; or (ii) acting as a lawyer in the proceeding.” Ripston is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Southern California. The Whelan Bench Memo makes it clear that Judge Reinhardt must disqualify himself because of the intimate involvement of his wife on behalf of participants in this case.

Complicating the issue is the pro-repeal amicus brief filed by the Northern California chapter of the ACLU, a group not under the supervision of Reinhardt's wife, but related as part of the national organization.

CA Attorney General-Elect Kamala Harris: We Will Not Defend Proposition 8

There wasn't any doubt, but it's nice to hear her work it into her victory speech.

WATCH THIS: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Tells The Truth About Republican Agenda

Simply brilliant. And not at all unrelated, Sanders is the only openly socialist member of Congress. We need 99 more of him. WATCH THIS.

SHOCKER: The Wealthy White Men At GOProud Want To Keep Their Tax Cuts At The Expense Of Homosexuals

Don't fall out of your chairs, but the wealthy white men at gay billionaire funded GOProud have endorsed the GOP's plan to hold the nation hostage unless America's millionaires get richer. GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia:

“Senate Republicans are absolutely right. It is time that Democrats in the Senate stop playing political games with our economy. If Democrats are truly interested in getting to other important lame-duck issues, like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, then they should act immediately to prevent jobs-killing tax increases. The American people are watching, now is the time for Democrats to decide what they want more – tax increases or repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The choice is theirs.”

One thing about the kapo bootlickers at GOProud, we alway$ know where their prioritie$ lie.

GOP Senators: We Will Block 100% Of All Bills Until Bush Tax Cuts Are Extended

Today all 42 GOP members of the Senate issued a letter declaring that not one single bill (including DADT) will be considered until Congress agrees to extend the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy. Because when you're out of money, the thing to do is cut your income. And so much for yesterday's bipartisan summit.

"[W]e write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers," the letter reads. "With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike." It was penned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and signed by all 42 Republicans. According to the AP, which first broke the news of the letter, and portrayed it as a GOP effort to block all Dem initiatives unilaterally, the START treaty would be exempted. But everything else -- particularly DADT, unemployment insurance and the DREAM Act would be ensnared.

And once again the billionaires of America fuck over the rest of us.