Saturday, February 26, 2011

MARYLAND: Marriage Backers Concerned Over "Eroding" House Support

The coming marriage equality vote in the Maryland House of Delegates is now thought to be in jeopardy due to a ferocious campaign by anti-gay Christianists. Only a couple of days ago the vote was considered to be an easy win. Lou Chibarro reports at Washington Blade:
Backers said that as of this week, the number of delegates who have publicly declared their support for the bill was just short of the 71 votes needed in the 141-member House. “There’s an effort to derail this bill like none I’ve seen before,” said gay State Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery County), the author and one of the lead sponsors of the marriage equality bill in the Senate. In a telephone news briefing on Friday, Madaleno said the mainstream media have repeatedly reported an earlier assumption that support for the bill was greater in the House than in the Senate, and approval of the measure in the Senate guaranteed its passage in the House. With opponents, including the Maryland Catholic Conference and the New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage, applying enormous pressure on wavering delegates, Madaleno and Equality Maryland officials said support in the House might be in jeopardy.
Supporters of the bill had originally planned to pass it as close to the end of the legislative session as possible in order to diminish the time available to collect petition signatures for a ballot referendum. By Maryland law, signature gathering can only begin once the governor signs the bill and must be completed by June 1st. But with support for the bill possibly eroding (one delegate has already removed his name as a cosponsor), backers are now pushing for passage as soon as possible. If the petition requirements are met in time, marriage equality (if passed) then goes on hold until the referendum.

TAKE ACTION: Maryland residents please contact your delegates immediately and urge that they maintain their support of equality.

VIDEO: As yesterday's House debate, nutjob Delegate Don Dywer, who has joined with NOM in an anti-gay robocall campaign, sat next to Maggie Gallagher and opened his testimony with a prayer that God stop the Maryland House from "redefining and destroying forever the God-ordained institution of marriage." According to Dwyer, House delegates that vote in support of same-sex marriage are subject to arrest for perjury, because saying that gay people deserve equality is a lie and they know it. Or something like that.


UPDATE: AmericaBlog reports that Dwyer is distributing materials from the SPLC-certified hate group, Mass Resistance. Here's the email he sent to his constituents.
This is Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer, Jr.

I have been fighting for many years now to keep marriage between a man and a woman as the Creator God intended. We are about to redefine the term “marriage” to include same sex marriages. Please open, print and read the attached files regarding Same Sex Marriage

PLEASE NOTE: THE EFFECTS OF SSM AND THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK ARE VERY DISTURBING BUT YOU MUST KNOW WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT TO CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

For more information on the educational agenda please click these links. http://www.massresistance.org
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/kevin_jennings/index.html

Montgomery County Maryland is currently teaching homosexuality in their schools.

I NEED YOUR HELP TO WARN PARENTS AND OTHER CHURCH LEADERS

In His Service,
Delegate Don Dwyer, Jr

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Bishop Eddie Long-Stroke Announces Late Night "Men Only" Prayer Meetings

"If you're a man. Come. And join us. Bring your friends." (Also: "Make sure you bring an offering worthy of the Lord.")

(Via - Rod 2.0)

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Big Week For LGBT Rights

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Lawrence O'Donnell Takes On DOMA Lies Of Newt Gingrich & Glenn Beck

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Friday, February 25, 2011

This Is Why GOP Rep. Chris "Craigslist" Lee Resigned From Office In Such A Hurry

Once again, Gawker has the scoop:
Lee's sudden exit took many people by surprise. Hadn't other members of Congress admitted to worse than an unconsummated, PG-13 flirtation and managed to stay in office? It turns out Lee may have had good reason to step out of the spotlight so quickly: It wasn't just women that the Craigslist Congressman was hunting for on the Internet. In the past two weeks, two D.C.-area transgender women contacted us, each with a separate story about exchanging emails with the ex-congressman. One sent us an ad that Lee allegedly posted on Craigslist in search of trans women; the other sent us a never-before-seen photo that she says Lee sent her after they started chatting by email. Taken together, they present a possible explanation to those who have wondered why such a tame "sex scandal" forced Lee's hand so quickly.
Gawker also has some evidence that at least one of the trans women Lee pursued is a prostitute.

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Thrice-Married Serial Adulterer: Obama Could Be Impeached Over DOMA

Three times married serial adulterer and prospective 2012 GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich today suggested that President Obama could be impeached for his DOMA decision.
"I believe the House Republicans next week should pass a resolution instructing the president to enforce the law and to obey his own constitutional oath, and they should say if he fails to do so that they will zero out [defund] the office of attorney general and take other steps as necessary until the president agrees to do his job," said Gingrich. "His job is to enforce the rule of law and for us to start replacing the rule of law with the rule of Obama is a very dangerous precedent."
Gingrich would like to remind everybody that that marriage is between one man and one woman whom you abandon riddled with cancer on her hospital bed while you fuck the shit out of your mistress whom you later marry and cheat on with a third woman while screaming with Godly moral outrage about the infidelities of the president.

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Homocon Tweet Of The Day - Gay Patriot

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SPLC Brands NYC Anti-Islam Blogger Pamela Geller As Hate Group

The Southern Poverty Law Center has branded vile NYC-based Atlas Shrugs blogger Pamela Geller and her fellow anti-Islam protesters as a hate group. Geller came to national prominence last year when she led the attack against the so-called Ground Zero mosque.
Stop the Islamization of America was included in the civil rights organization's annual roundup of extremist groups - a rogue's gallery that includes everything from the Ku Klux Klan to white supremacists and Nazis. Geller's group was one of the most vocal opponents of the proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero. The group was also behind ads that were placed on city buses urging Muslims to leave "the falsity of Islam." Geller, who runs a blog called Atlas Shrugs, dismissed the Law Center as an "uber left" group that has "failed to address the greatest threat to our national security." "My group is a human rights group," she said. "And these people are taken seriously? This is the morally inverted state of the world."
Also making the new list is the Dove World Outreach Church, whose Pastor Terry Jones threatened to burn a stack of Korans if the mosque wasn't stopped.

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Louis CK To Rumsfeld: Are You A Flesh Eating Alien Lizard Person?

While guest-hosting on the Opie & Anthony Show yesterday, comedian Louis CK repeatedly asked Donald Rumsfeld to deny to that he is a "flesh-eating alien lizard person" and whether he has "tasted human flesh." It all starts around 2:30.

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LEAKED: Two & A Half Men Finale

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NEW YORK: Gay Man Wins Landmark Suit To Inherit Late Husband's Estate

A New York state appeals court has ruled that a gay man married in Canada has the right to inherit the estate of his late husband, despite claims by the husband's family that their marriage was invalid.
While same-sex couples can't wed in the state, J. Craig Leiby and H. Kenneth Ranftle were legally married in Canada, so Leiby is entitled to recognition as the surviving spouse in a dispute over Ranftle's estate, the appellate judges said. Ranftle died Nov. 1, 2008. His brother Richard contested the will and challenged the legitimacy of the marriage, saying it violated state policy.But the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division wrote, "New York's long-settled marriage recognition rule affords [recognition] to out-of-state marriages" that are valid where they are made.
And once again we thank former Gov. David Paterson!

Full text of the court's ruling.

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NEW YORK CITY: Activists Announce Plan To Block Traffic Over Marriage Rights

Perhaps taking their cue from GetEQUAL's blockade of the Las Vegas strip last summer, Queer Rising today issued a press release announcing their plan to blockade Manhattan traffic next Tuesday in a protest over marriage rights.
The LGBTQ activist organization Queer Rising has planned a March 1 demonstration to protest the lack of marriage equality in New York State. A protest and civil disobedience will occur in Midtown Manhattan on the morning of Tuesday, March 1, 2011. Complete details as to the location, action and Queer Rising participants will be released to media on the morning of March 1st. "The federal government has advanced the cause of marriage equality this week, with the decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act," said Queer Rising founding member Natasha Dillon. "But New York State shamefully lags behind on the issue. Marriage equality was defeated in December 2009 and the measure was not included in Governor Cuomo's 2011 Executive Budget. LGBTQ New Yorkers refuse to be persecuted, second-class citizens any longer!"

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Sen Patrick Leahy: I Will Cosponsor Feinstein's Bill To Repeal DOMA

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) emailed his constituents today with a promise to cosponsor Sen. Dianne Feinstein's coming bill to repeal DOMA.
As a Vermonter who has been married for 48 years, I believe it is important to encourage and to sanction committed relationships; relationships that encourage us all to give back to our community; and relationships that complete our lives. Vermont led the way by being the first state to adopt a same-sex marriage law through a legislative process. Now that several states that have voted to give full marriage rights to same-sex couples, I believe that the Federal government should not interfere with those laws or discriminate between marriages sanctioned by State law. Vermont and other states have determined that committed same-sex couples and their families should be entitled to all the protection of that state-sanctioned union. The Defense of Marriage Act denies some Vermont families equal treatment, creating a system of second-class citizens. This goes against American values and it must end. In the coming days, I will join with Senator Dianne Feinstein to introduce legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. It is a core American value that all people should be treated equally by their government. Vermont has been leading the nation on this important civil rights issue and this week, President Obama and Attorney General Holder moved the Federal government in the right direction.
(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

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Gay Man Named WH Social Secretary

Longtime Obama fundraiser Jeremy Bernard (on left, with former partner Rufus Gifford), has been named White House social secretary. He's the first openly gay man to hold that position and the third in the job since Obama took office.
“Jeremy shares our vision for the White House as the People’s House, one that celebrates our history and culture in dynamic and inclusive ways,” President Obama said in a statement, “We look forward to Jeremy continuing to showcase America’s arts and culture to our nation and the world through the many events at the White House.” Bernard comes to the White House from the US Embassy in Paris, where he served as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador. Prior to this role, he worked as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Obama's first social secretary departed after that dumbass Real Housewives debacle. The second left to campaign for Rahm Emanuel.

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FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Declares Union Membership To Be A Basic Right

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HRC Launches DOMA Petition To Congress

The Human Rights Campaign today launched a petition to members of Congress, demanding that they not allow a defense of DOMA.
This week, the Obama Administration made history by ending its defense of DOMA in the federal courts. But just as President Obama dealt a blow to this discriminatory law, Speaker Boehner and Republican leaders could step in and begin defending it. Anti-LGBT lawmakers are being pressured by right-wing groups to use taxpayer resources to defend this discriminatory law in court. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and other members of Congress have already stepped in to defend DOMA in another federal court. Republican leaders could decide within days, so we don't have much time. Congress should be helping Americans in this struggling economy, not wasting our tax dollars to defend an unconstitutional law!
NOTE: You'll probably end up on HRC's mailing list if you sign.

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MD House Begins Marriage Debate

I'm hunting for an embeddable video stream, but in the meantime you can watch it live here.

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BAHRAIN: Gay Partygoers On Trial

As Bahrain continues to be roiled by widespread civil unrest, the trial has begun for some of the 127 men arrested earlier this month at a purported "gay party." Gay Middle East reports:
Al Wasat News reported today that court proceedings commenced against 52 men who were arrested on the third of February. 49 of the 52 defendants attended the court proceeding, while two are fugitives, and one, who was released on bail, failed to appear before the fifth branch of lower criminal court of Bahrain. Al Wasat reports that 40 of the men are gay while the rest were involved in the running of the party. The men were not named but given numbers. Since there is no law against homosexuality in Bahrain the 40 defendants nevertheless were charged with incitement to immorality/debauchery and prostitution. Of the 40, 29 were also charged with engaging in immoral behaviour "in public" by dressing up like women and dancing in public. Some were also charged with cannabis consumption and being drunk "in public."
All of the defendants denied the accusations. GME notes that since the party was held in private, the charges of "offending public morality" should not apply.

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DOMA Renews Immigration Challenge

This week's DOMA news has set activists into high gear on many fronts. Immigration Equality founder Lavi Soloway emails us today with his latest move.
In New York, New Jersey and California three married, same-sex binational couples, two gay male couples and one lesbian couple, are facing Immigration Judges in deportation proceedings. Each will brandish a pending green card petition filed by the American spouse on behalf of the foreign spouse. In each case their lawyer, Lavi Soloway, will argue that deportation proceedings should be halted because the only thing standing between each couple and a green card is the Defense Of Marriage Act which the President and the Attorney General announced this week will no longer be defended in court based on their finding that the statute is unconstitutional. Soloway, an immigration lawyer and long time gay rights activist, argues that the Department of Homeland Security should cease giving effect to this unconstitutional law and put all deportation proceedings on hold where they involve married gay binational couples, who but for DOMA, would be eligible for green cards on the basis of their marriages.
Soloway notes that the issue is quite urgent because deportation from the United States stipulates a ten year ban on ever returning.

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Rush Limbaugh Loses Shit Over DOMA

"The president is lawless and the only ones blind to it are his ass-kissers in the media! A lefist is a leftist whether they're a journalist or a pundit."

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CALIFORNIA: Imperial County Clerk Files To Defend Prop 8 To Ninth Circuit Court

Even though the Imperial County idiots were essentially laughed out the courtroom on their last attempt, they are trying again and the newly elected county clerk has filed a request to defend Proposition 8 before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Via Rex Wockner, here's the just-posted notice.
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:16:32 -0800
From: ca9_ecfnoticing@CA9.USCOURTS.GOV

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Notice of Docket Activity

The following transaction was entered on 02/25/2011 at 8:16:30 AM PST and
filed on 02/25/2011
Case Name: Kristin Perry, et al v. Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al
Case Number: 10-16751

Docket Text:
Submitted (ECF) Intervenor brief for review and filed Motion to
intervene. Submitted by Chuck Storey. Date of service: 02/25/2011.
[7659627] (RHT)
UDPATE: Legal costs for Imperial County are being paid by the anti-gay Advocates For Faith & Freedom.

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DOJ Notifies Court Of DOMA Withdrawal

Via press release from GLAD:
The Department of Justice followed Wednesday’s withdrawal from two DOMA cases in the Second Circuit, including GLAD’s Pedersen v. OPM by notifying the clerk of the First Circuit that they will also “cease to defend” the two consolidated DOMA cases, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management and Massachusetts v. HHS. The DOJ has not sent a letter to the Congress declining to defend DOMA in toto in the Gill case, so its determination may only apply to the extent the court determines that heightened scrutiny is the proper standard of review for DOMA’s constitutionality. No matter what happens, the case will proceed with DOJ as the attorneys for the government defendants.

“It is increasingly clear to everyone what has been clear to gay and lesbian families for years - that DOMA’s denial of protections available to all other married families is discriminatory, harmful, and unjustifiable,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director and lead attorney on both Gill and Pedersen. “DOJ’s acknowledgement of this is momentous. At the same time, we know this isn’t the end of the road.” In a letter to the court Assistant Attorney General Tony West writes that “the Department will cease its defense of Section 3” in cases including Gill and Massachusetts. DOJ also “notifies the courts of our interest in providing Congress a full and fair opportunity to participate in the litigation of those cases,” and that “we will remain parties to the case and continue to represent the interests of the United State throughout the litigation.”

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Tweet Of The Day - Gay Obama

Last night Jon Stewart claimed that this is his account.

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WISCONSIN: Assembly GOP Pulls Sneak Attack Vote To Ban Bargaining Rights

The vote took place at 1am with most of the Democrats out of the chamber, sending the entire room into chants of "Shame! Shame! Shame!"

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Alan Keyes: Allowing Gays To Marry Is Like Granting The Right To Own Slaves

"Government doesn't endow people with the ability to procreate the species. The Creator takes care of that. Like all unalienable rights, those associated with the natural family exist in consequence of this endowment. A couple that cannot, by nature, procreate has no claim to those rights. Nor can government grant them a semblance of it without impairing the claims of one or both of the parents biologically implicated in the physical conception of the child. The DOMA simply makes more explicit the government's obligation to secure the Creator-endowed unalienable rights of the natural family. This obligation precludes government from fabricating other rights that impair them. In this respect, granting homosexuals the right to marry is like granting plantation owners the right to own slaves." - Alan Keyes, writing for World Net Daily.

(Via - Equality Matters)

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Family Research Council Issues DOMA Bulletin For Distribution By Churches

The Family Research Council has posted a "DOMA Alert" bulletin for its followers to print out and distribute at their churches. The document provides the number for the Capitol switchboard and includes a reminder that homosexuals and male prostitutes will never be allowed into heaven. Female hookers apparently get right in.

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Altruistic Punishment

It turns out there's another name for that Manhattan phenomenon commonly called "sidewalk rage."
While it sounds like an oxymoron, altruistic punishment is basically how social norms get enforced. So when you expel a huffy "Excuse me!" to the rude sidewalk clogger in front of you who has stopped midstride to check his BlackBerry, you're trying to discourage behavior that endangers other members of the society. It's called "altruistic" punishment, because your efforts to protect civility come at personal cost with little chance of personal benefit: you are far more likely to get an obscene gesture or even a punch in the mouth than a thank you.

Many evolutionary psychologists believe, however, that without altruistic punishment, cooperation could not have evolved. In simulations of "selfish" versus "cooperative" strategies for living, for instance, researchers have found that altruistic or cooperative creatures beat out selfish ones only in an environment in which the failure to cooperate is actively detected and punished. Sidewalk rage — anger over the selfish violation of a cooperative social norm that protects the group — is a nice example of that.
What's the altruistic punishment for the people who argue about their coupons at Walgreens?

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Scott Walker Channels Charlie Sheen

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Tony Perkins: Obama Conspired With Ted Olson On Timing Of DOMA Decision

"The administration seems to be coordinating these efforts with the assault on marriage in the states. Yesterday, within two hours of the President's statement, a document was quietly filed in the Proposition 8 lawsuit. And not just any document, but a 23-page motion that noted the Justice Department's withdrawal from the DOMA case as a reason to lift the stay on Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling. Why is that significant? Because legal documents of this magnitude take days, if not weeks, to review.

"Obviously, Ted Olson's team had inside knowledge from someone at DOJ that this decision was coming down--and made sure the Prop 8 challengers were strategically positioned to capitalize on it. If this is true, and Olson's team was fed information before Congress or even the Speaker of the House was made aware, there's something fishy going on." - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, who adds that GOP leaders have assured him that "DOMA is safe on their watch."

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Jennifer Hudson - Where You At

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Tired Old Queen At The Movies #69

1952's Singing In The Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, and Donald O'Connor.

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An Update Is Available

(Source)

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Mike Huckabee: I Hate Everything In The Entire World To Do With Gay People

In so many words...

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

MARYLAND: Senate Approves Marriage!

Moments ago the Maryland Senate approved its marriage equality bill by a vote of 25-21. The bill now moves to the Democrat-heavy House of Delegates where it is expected to pass easily before landing on the gay-friendly governor's desk. We're almost there, kiddos! Follow along on Twitter at the hashtag #Marryland.

UPDATE: A reader emails to note that despite some predictions of the bill breezing through the Maryland House, some are cautioning to "take nothing for granted" as by at least one count, the vote may be closer than previously thought. Maryland residents, please contact your Delegates immediately and encourage their support for equality.

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Shuttle Discovery Launches For Final Time

Today's is the 39th and final launch of the space shuttle Discovery. I was there at the Cape for the Discovery's first launch in 1984 as a lowly news assistant/gopher for WMFE-PBS in Orlando. It was a terrible gig and my first real post-college jobby-job, but I did get to attend three shuttle launches in the six months I lasted. From outside the media center near the VAB, you can feel the heat of the solid rocket boosters.

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Sharpton Gets Abortion Billboard Yanked

Rev. Al Sharpton says he's convinced an outdoor advertising company to pull the controversial anti-abortion billboard that went up in Soho earlier this week. Sharpton: "The billboard was offensive, especially during Black History Month, and I had intended to hold a press conference Friday in front of the billboard to protest the message of racial profiling and against a woman's right to choose."

UPDATE: Gothamist notes that the woman whose child posed for the stock photo used on the billboard is not very happy either. "I would never endorse something like that. Especially with my child's image. It's bad enough you're saying this about African Americans, but then you put a child with an innocent face. I just want the image off of it. Use another image—just not hers."

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Vampire Forecloses On Bank

Alternate headline: Bloodsucker Vs. Bloodsucker.

(Via - Daily What)

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HATE GROUP ALERT: Family Research Council Launches DOMA Petition

The Family Research Council has just launched a DOMA petition, asking its millions of followers to demand that Congress do "what the president will not" and authorize intervention in DOMA litigation. The petition reads in part:
Now that President Obama has tossed aside federal law, it is up to Congress to intervene and defend DOMA. Congress will be under political pressure from the far Left to leave the issue alone, but with inaction, Congress will join the President in his dereliction of duty. On behalf of me and my family, please work with your colleagues in Congress to quickly intervene by supporting a resolution authorizing Congress to intervene in the ongoing litigation challenging DOMA.
RELATED: Earlier today two Christianist anti-gay legal groups, the Alliance Defense Fund and the Heritage Foundation, indicated their eagerness to intervene in DOMA-related court cases.

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NYC LGBT Center Israel Flap Continues

Earlier this week the NYC LGBT Center canceled a planned Israel Apartheid Week meeting after gay porn kingpin Michael Lucas threatened to have the Center's wealthy donors pull their support. Immediately after the event's cancellation, a petition went online with a demand that the Center not let "wealthy bigots censor free speech." Among the petition's sponsors are well-known activists Cleve Jones, Judith Butler, and Sherry Wolf of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

Today the Village Voice's Steven Thrasher interviews Wolf, who says it's an insult for her group to characterized as a "hate group" by a pornographer. (Snap!)
"More than half of [Siege Busters] is Jewish, and the others are mostly Arabs, and they call us anti-Semitic? Isn't the center a place where different people are supposed to meet and discuss? Shouldn't Jews and Arabs, gay and lesbian and transgender, working together towards peace be something that is celebrated? We cannot allow a wealthy porn entrepreneur to dictate what kind of speech is allowed, at a center whose very mission is to represent the oppressed and the marginalized!"
Read Thrasher's full interview.

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Rick Santorum Defends The Crusades

“The idea that the Crusades and the fight of Christendom against Islam is somehow an aggression on our part is absolutely anti-historical. And that is what the perception is by the American left who hates Christendom. They hate Western civilization at the core. That's the problem." - Former Sen. Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum, who says that Christians have never persecuted Muslims.

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ILLINOIS: Bed & Breakfasts Turn Away Gay Couple's Civil Union Ceremony

Two Illinois bed and breakfast hotels have turned away a gay couple's request to hold their civil unions ceremony, with one lodging manager emailing the couple to tell them to repent.
"We will never host same-sex civil unions. We will never host same-sex weddings even if they become legal in Illinois," Timber Creek operators told [Todd] Wathen in an e-mail. “We believe homosexuality is wrong and unnatural based on what the Bible says about it. If that is discrimination, I guess we unfortunately discriminate." When informed of Illinois's new civil unions law, Jim Walder of Timber Creek replied, “The Bible does not state opinions, but facts. It contains the highest laws pertinent to man. It trumps Illinois law, United States law, and global law should there ever be any.” Walder later sent an unsolicited e-mail of Bible passages to Wathen. He wrote, “Hi Todd, I know you may not want to hear this, but I thought I would send along a couple of verses in Romans 1 detailing how the Creator of the Universe looks at the gay lifestyle. It’s not to late to change your behavior.”
The couple has filed complaints with the state, which bans lodging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In response, David Smith of the (SPLC-certified hate group) Illinois Family Institute has issued a bizarre demand that Gov. Pat Quinn and President Obama apologize for their support of LGBT rights. According to Smith, the owners of Timber Creek have received "poisonous, hate-filled letters and phone calls from leftists who demand that we accept their life choices." Timber Creek's website presently notes that it is an "upscale Christian" business.

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Open Thread Thursday

Oscar picks, let's have 'em. Do you throw one of them there big fabulous gay Oscar watching parties?

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A Day Made Of Glass

Yeah I want pretty much everything in this ad. And a flying car. We were all promised flying cars, you know.

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Sign-Bombing CNN

The CNN reporter was unaware of the man parading back and forth behind her with his "Walker sucks Koch" sign. I had to dive for my camera and take a screen shot.

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Mandated Paid Holidays By Nation

The above chart depicts the number of paid holidays and vacation days legally mandated by the world's 21 richest nations. The labor movement is completely out of control in America!

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HAWAII: Civil Unions Signing Ceremony

Towleroad points us to this clip of yesterday's civil unions signing ceremony in Hawaii. Gov. Neil Abercrombie makes a great speech that you should enjoy.

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Iowa GOP Intro's Bill Granting Immunity To Murderers Of Abortion Providers

A coalition of 29 Tea Party-backed GOP members of the Iowa House have introduced a bill that would grant criminal and civil immunity to any person who uses deadly force to prevent an abortion. The bill further stipulates that if the police do make an arrest in such a case, the arrested party has the right to sue them.
House File 7, which has been sponsored by 29 GOP House members, seeks to expand state law regarding use of reasonable force, including deadly force. Current state laws provide that citizens are not required to retreat from their dwelling or place of business if they or a third party are threatened. The proposal would significantly expand this to state that citizens are not required to retreat from “any place at which the person has a right to be present,” and that in such instances, the citizen has the right to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to protect himself or a third party from serious injury or death or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

Also included in the proposal is a new section to the Iowa Code that would provide automatic criminal and civil immunity to a person who uses deadly force, unless a police investigation proves that the person was not acting “reasonably.” Also key to the immunity clause is the fact that law enforcement would likely be barred from arresting a person at the scene of an incident “unless the law enforcement agency determines there is probable cause that the force was unlawful under this chapter.” If law enforcement does make an arrest, and if that person is later found to have used reasonable force by a court of law, taxpayers could be on the hook for the reimbursement of the person’s attorney fees, court costs, compensation from loss of income and other expenses.
A companion bill filed by the above group defines human life as beginning "the moment the female ovum joins with the male sperm to create a fertilized egg."

UPDATE: A similar bill has just been re-introduced in Nebraska.

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Bryan Fischer: Nothing In The Constitution Says We Cannot Hate Homosexuals

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Westboro Screen Shot

Westboro's sites are down again at the moment, but the above is a screen shot captured earlier and sent to me by a purported member of 4chan. Embiggen the image or hit the above link to read the message claiming to be from Anonymous.

UPDATE: On today's David Pakman Show, a purported member of Anonymous and Westboro's Shirley Phelps-Roper butt heads over the hacking. Anonymous denies the initial hacking threat, but then performs a live hack of the Westboro site during the below interview.

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Email Of The Day - Eugene Delguadio

"Could I have stood by and watched as Radical Homosexuals spread lies and deceit about their true goals? Who else would have exposed the truth about the 'gay' agenda? These people admit that they want to molest our children. They admit that they want special rights that no American has. They admit that they want to infiltrate and weaken our military’s moral fiber. They admit that they want complete control over the national law enforcement apparatus. They admit that they’re deviants.

"But now, my friend, I need to count on you. I absolutely must raise $107,372.19 in the next 25 days to pay past bills and keep programs going. I need to be able to count on you for a special gift of $50 or more. Can I count on you? If I am not able to raise the money, I don’t know what I will do. I don’t know how I can keep fighting. Without you, it will be impossible to hold off the Gay Bill of Special Rights, the Homosexual Classrooms Act or the Entry for Alien Homosexuals Bill. Without immediate help, how can Public Advocate fight to keep children safe in school from lustful deviants?" - Eugene Delguadio, Public Advocate for the United States, who says that if the evil homosexuals find out about his debts, they will destroy him. So send money.

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Kazaky - Love

Four gay Ukrainian muscle boys in heels. Audio NSFW.

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

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Anti-Gay Groups Vow DOMA Defense

Anti-gay legal groups from the Alliance Defense Fund to the Heritage Foundation are saying that the president's decision yesterday clears the way for them to mount a "truly rigorous" defense of DOMA.
Chuck Donovan, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, says the government's decision to abandon the federal law is outrageous because it is now understood that the administration's defense of DOMA in court has only been a pretense. "The silver lining, though, is that now, we're going to get away from this farce of a representation we've had out of the Obama Justice Department," Donovan suggests. That means "we'll have a clear attempt...by others in Congress to interject the congressional view and defend marriage." The Department of Justice has already told one federal court that DOMA is unconstitutional, while maintaining in another case that the government could make a defense, even though the agency believes the law is unconstitutional. "It's embarrassing for the administration to have it play out this way," the research fellow decides. "It looks very political. But actually, there's a chance that DOMA will now get a much better defense."
An ADF attorney says, "The Department of Justice has a constitutional duty to defend the laws duly enacted by Congress. And the refusal of the attorney general to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act just because they don't like it politically is really inexcusable."

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Glenn Greenwald Explains DOMA

According to openly gay Salon reporter Glenn Greenwald, the president deserves "enthusiastic unqualified praise" for yesterday's DOMA move. "This is a case where there's a fair amount of political risk, very little political benefit."

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INDIA: Television Station Outs "Deviant" Gay Men In Dating Site "Sting"

The Australian site SameSame reports that an Indian television has conducted a "sting" to out men using a gay dating site.
The report from news channel TV9 Telugu shows people searching through gay youths profiles on online dating/social networking website planetromeo.com. The men found on the website were labeled ‘deviants’ and photos of them, along with personal information such as names, were clearly displayed. Extremely private information about one user – including his penis size, fetishes, and his preferred sexual position – was shown in the report. The item continued with phone-call ‘gay-stings’ of two of the website’s users whose profiles and faces were also shown. During the calls an investigator posed as a planetromeo.com user and the men are covertly asked questions about their sexual lives and preferences. Homosexual activity in India, while legalised in 2009, still remains a cultural taboo within wider Indian society and government.
Outraged Indian activists have told the station that it will be held responsible for any reprisals or physical attacks made against the men it outed. The station has since removed the report from its official YouTube channel, but others have reposted the clip. An English translation of the video can be found at the above link.

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Gay Black History Month

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Quote Of The Day - Tony Perkins

"Never in the history of this great nation has a President so openly defied his duty to uphold and defend the law of the United States . Now, this White House is declaring war--not only on marriage--but on Congress, whose authority this President now rejects. If this congressional leadership does not intervene with the force this attack demands, then they will become complicit in behavior that is more befitting of a Middle East regime.

"To our friends who want nothing more than to leave these issues behind, this is what a social truce would look like. Republicans need to see this challenge for what it is: the White House, throwing down the gauntlet on marriage and declaring them irrelevant. That same piece of yellowed parchment that empowers this President is the one that demands, 'He shall take care that the laws be faithfully enforced.' And where he fails, Congress must not" - Family Research Council spokesbigot Tony Perkins, via press release.

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DOMA Rally In The Castro

Shot yesterday by JMG reader Matt Baume.

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Fox Anchor Calls President "Mubarak Obama" Over DOMA Decision

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Tea Party Or Taliban?

(Source)

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AFA Reacts To DOMA News

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Now Casting

(Source)

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Fox News' Napolitano Backs Obama

Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano says the president is "doing the taxpayers a favor" because DOMA is doomed on constitutional grounds anyway.

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Richard Socarides & Pat Buchanan On Barack Obama And DOMA

Socarides, who is now with the Media Matters affiliate Equality Matters, says that today's move "will definitely help Obama with gay groups." Understatement.

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The Frothy Mix On DOMA News

"When the definition of marriage has been put before the people, they have time and time again - from Maine to California - stood up in defense of the traditional family. President Obama's refusal to defend a law that was overwhelmingly supported on both sides of the aisle and signed into law by a president of his own party is an affront to the will of the people. This is yet another example of our president's effort to erode the very traditions that have made our country the greatest nation on earth, and it begs the question what language changed in the constitution since 2008 to reverse his position?" - Former Sen. Rick "Man On Dog" Santorum.

(Via - Talking Points Memo)

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Hawaii Civil Unions Are Now Law

To the thunderous cheers of activists and allies, moments ago Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed his state's civil unions bill into law. As he signed his name, Abercrombie announced that the measure is "the essence of 'aloha'." I'll post video of the signing ceremony shortly.

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WH Press Secretary Jay Carney: Obama Is "Grappling" With Marriage Issue

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MARYLAND: Marriage Equality Bill Advances 25-22 In State Senate

Maryland's marriage equality bill survived a number of amendment attempts today to pass 25-22 in a preliminary vote in the Senate. The final vote will take place tomorrow.

The Washington Post reports:
Measures were defeated that sought to allow religiously affiliated adoption agencies to refuse services to same-sex couples, to allow clerks of courts to refuse to conduct marriages based on religious objections and to exempt public school teachers from teaching materials that "promote" gay unions. A couple of other proposed amendments were added to the bill, including one that makes clear that religious organizations do not have to promote same-sex marriages through educational programs, counseling, retreats or summer camps.Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs, an opponent of the bill, acknowledged after debate ended Wednesday that its passage was all but certain and said there were no plans for a filibuster - perhaps the only remaining hurdle in the Senate. "It definitely will pass," Jacobs (R-Harford) said. "We all know the outcome of this."
After tomorrow's state Senate vote, the bill goes to the Democrat-heavy House of Delegates where it is expected to pass easily. Gov. Martin O'Malley has promised to sign the bill, so marriage equality in Maryland is essentially a DONE DEAL, people!

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Mike Huckabee Slams Obama: Gays Are Breaking Up "Traditional" Families

Prospective 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has slammed President Obama's decision on DOMA, saying that dirty queers are behind the nation's crisis of deadbeat dads. Or something.
"I'm deeply disappointed," Huckabee said. "They are clearly out of sync with the public." Huckabee noted that 33 states have affirmed, via ballot initiatives, that marriage should be between a man and a woman. "When the voters are so overwhelmingly [supportive of DOMA] what does the president believe he knows that citizens in all these other states don't," Huckabee said. Huckabee opposes gay marriage on the grounds that, according to him, it destroys traditional families. "There is a quantified impact of broken families," Huckabee said. "[There is a] $300 billion dad deficit in America every year...that's the amount of money that we spend as taxpayers to pick up the pieces because dads are derelict in their duties."
Somebody call Wingnutistan and get a translator on the line.

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DOMA Rally In SF Today At 5PM

Judging by a flurry of tweets I'm seeing, it appears that there will be a DOMA-related "celebration of love" at Market & Castro at 5PM today. If you attend, please tweet or email us your photos!

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Gay Preacher PWNS Haters

Clip description:
The Gay Preacher: A small group of Christian radicals came to Auburn University screaming at the students about how the are living unholy lives and how they are all going to hell, the students decided to respond back to the radicals.
I love that he quotes the scripture of RuPaul.

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Iowa GOP Attempts To Bypass State Supreme Court On Latest Marriage Bill

Another attempt to thwart civil rights in Iowa:
County recorders would be prohibited from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and the Iowa Supreme Court would be unable to rule on the issue under a new bill sponsored by six conservative House Republicans. House File 330 specifically says that the Supreme Court shall not be able to prohibit or restrict the law if the bill were passed. Review of laws by the Supreme Court is one of the fundamental pieces of Iowa’s checks and balances system.

However, there is a provision in the Iowa Constitution (Article 5, Section 4) that allows lawmakers the ability to make laws that skip Supreme Court review, noted Drake Law Professor Ian Bartrum. “It’s technically probably constitutional but it’s a pretty rare and radical step and probably an ill-advised one,” said Bartrum. “I think this is a knee-jerk reaction. They say, we have this power and they don’t think about what this means to the outcome on the ground.”
GOP state Rep. Glen Massie openly admits that his bill is an attempt to install biblical law.
“The Republic is ruled by law. Now the question is from what source do those laws come,” Massie said. Massie continued: “Everything I do in this building I look at as: I swore an oath to a supreme creator to uphold his law. I know that’s something more of a lecture but I want you to know where I come from. Is this guy just another religious Bible-thumping nut or do I have some reasoning for my thoughts? Historically, I think I have some reasoning for my thoughts.”
Still pending is Iowa House Study Bill 50, which would allow the refusal of jobs, goods, housing, and services to LGBT people on the basis of "personal religious conviction."

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Feinstein Promises DOMA Overturn Bill

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today vowed to introduce a bill to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
"My own belief is that when two people love each other and enter the contract of marriage, the Federal government should honor that. I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It was the wrong law then; it is the wrong law now; and it should be repealed," the California lawmaker said in an e-mailed press statement.
Feinstein's bill will likely have a decent shot of passing in the Senate, but any companion House bill would be dead in the water.

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Hate Groups React To DOMA News

Family Research Council
"This decision by President Obama and the Department of Justice is appalling. The President's failure to defend DOMA is also a failure to fulfill his oath to 'faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.' What will be the next law that he will choose not to enforce or uphold? "Marriage as a male-female union has been easily defended in court and overwhelmingly supported by the American people. There is absolutely no excuse beyond pandering to his liberal political base for President Obama's decision to abandon his constitutional role to defend a federal law enacted overwhelmingly by Congress. "With this decision the President has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Congress. It is incumbent upon the Republican leadership to respond by intervening to defend DOMA, or they will become complicit in the President's neglect of duty."
Liberty Counsel
“This is outrageous and unthinkable that the President would abandon the defense of marriage. President Obama has betrayed the American people by his refusal to defend the federal law that affirms what many courts upheld as constitutional, namely, that marriage is between one man and one woman. Regardless of President Obama’s own ideological agenda, as President, he and his Attorney General have a duty to defend lawfully passed legislation, especially when the essence of the law has been upheld by many courts. Thirty states have passed marriage amendments affirming marriage as one man and one woman. Today President Obama has abandoned his role as President of the United States and transformed his office into the President of the Divided States. He has been the most divisive president in American history. He has today declared war on the American people and the fundamental values that are shared by most Americans. His radicalism resulted in the historical push-back in the 2010 elections. His radicalism today will come back around when the people respond to this betrayal in 2012."
NOM
“We have not yet begun to fight for marriage. The Democrats are responding to their election loss with a series of extraordinary, extra-constitutional end runs around democracy, whether it’s fleeing the state in Wisconsin and Indiana to prevent a vote, or unilaterally declaring homosexuals a protected class under our Constitution, as President Obama just did. We call on the House to intervene to protect DOMA, and to tell the Obama administration they have to respect the limits on their power. This fight is not over, it has only begun! On the one hand this is a truly shocking extra-constitutional power grab in declaring gay people are a protected class, and it’s also a defection of duty on the part of the President Obama. On the other hand, the Obama administration was throwing this case in court anyway. The good news is this now clears the way for the House to intervene and to get lawyers in the court room who actually want to defend the law, and not please their powerful political special interests.”
More schadenfreude will be added to this post as it arrives....

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NOM Supporters Routinely Call For Murdering Gays, Yet NOM Is Furious
About "Incivility" Of Gay Protests

Even though, as has been documented here many, many times, NOM's supporters routinely invoke Biblical calls for the execution of homosexuals, NOM has the motherfucking nerve to clutch their beads because LGBT activists peacefully protested outside a Chicago-area Catholic Church.

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Tweet Of The Day II - Porno Pete

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Fox News Loses Shit Over DOMA

And they bring on Maggie to ride the waambulance!

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Freep This Boston Globe Poll

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley will hold a DOMA press conference at 3:30PM today. In the meantime, you know what to do.

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Tweet Of The Day - Matt Barber

Barber followed the above tweet with one calling the president a "fruit."

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Boehner's Office Reacts To DOMA News

House Speaker John Boehner's spokesman just issued this terse statement: "While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation."

Talking Points Memo sez: "Boehner could, in theory, intervene as a third party defendant in those cases, or could sue Holder, or could just make a fuss that amounts to nothing. But there's no indication yet of what he will actually do."

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CALIFORNIA: Prop 8 Plaintiffs Ask Court To Lift Stay On Same-Sex Marriage

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) has asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift their stay on the overturn of Proposition 8, saying any delay "can no longer be justified."

Here's a portion of their request:
Today, the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and its legal team — led by Theodore B. Olson and David Boies — filed a motion with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit asking that the Court immediately lift an order preventing gay and lesbian couples from marrying in California. That order, issued in August 2010, stayed the injunction issued by the U.S. District Court that barred further enforcement of Proposition 8. This comes on the heels of a request last Thursday by AFER to the California Supreme Court to expedite the hearing of questions relating to the standing of Proponents to maintain an appeal in federal court. AFER’s attorneys urged the California Supreme Court to hear arguments in May, rather than September.

“We are respectfully asking the Court to lift its stay on marriage for gay and lesbian couples because it has become apparent that the legal process is taking considerably longer than could reasonably have been anticipated,” said Theodore B. Olson, co-lead counsel for AFER. “It’s important to remember that the stay was originally ordered with the understanding that the Ninth Circuit would rule swiftly on the case before it. Now that the issue of the Proponents’ standing to appeal has been referred for analysis by the California Supreme Court, substantial additional, indefinite and unanticipated delays lie ahead. It’s unreasonable and decidedly unjust to expect California’s gay and lesbian couples to put their lives on hold and suffer daily discrimination as second class citizens while their U.S. District Court victory is debated further.”
NOTE: This move may not be related to today's news from AG Eric Holder as AFER yesterday announced that they'd have major news today.

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DOMA Reactions

Human Rights Campaign
“This is a monumental decision for the thousands of same-sex couples and their families who want nothing more than the same rights and dignity afforded to other married couples,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “As the President has stated previously, DOMA unfairly discriminates against Americans and we applaud him for fulfilling his oath to defend critical constitutional principles.” Under federal law, the Department of Justice must report to Congress its intent not to defend the statute and it is likely that anti-LGBT leaders in Congress will take up its defense. “Congressional leaders must not waste another taxpayer dollar defending this patently unconstitutional law,” said Solmonese. “The federal government has no business picking and choosing which legal marriages they want to recognize. Instead Congress should take this opportunity to wipe the stain of marriage discrimination from our laws.”
Freedom To Marry
"Freedom to Marry applauds the President and the Attorney General for acknowledging that sexual orientation discrimination has no place in American life and must be presumed unconstitutional, recognizing that discriminatory laws like so-called DOMA must be looked at with skeptical eyes, not rubber stamped. “The Administration today acknowledges that there is no legitimate reason for this discrimination and therefore it cannot be defended under the Constitution. This a momentous step forward toward Freedom to Marry's goal of ending federal marriage discrimination and fully protecting all loving and committed couples.”
People For The American Way
“In the 15 years since DOMA was made law, it has hurt untold numbers of gay and lesbian Americans, depriving them of the rights to enjoy the full benefits of marriage and forcing them to live as second class citizens. The President has chosen to defend the Constitution of the United States over a discriminatory and clearly unconstitutional law. That decision should be commended. A discriminatory law like DOMA has no place in a country grounded in the values of freedom and equality.”
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand
“Sexual orientation discrimination has no place in American law. I commend the Obama administration for upholding this American value today by concluding this statute is unconstitutional. “The fact is that history is moving in a direction that ensures gay and lesbian couples are offered the same basic rights as everyone else – the right to get married, start a family and receive the full benefits that come with it, and be counted the same as everyone else. I look forward to the day when New York and all states accept this basic principle of fairness. “The time for Congress to repeal DOMA is now, and I will work hard to make sure marriage equality becomes a reality for all.”
Marriage Equality USA
"This is a watershed moment as the President of the United States and the Attorney General have together taken a powerful stand against this unjust law. We are overjoyed that President Obama has taken concrete measures to fulfill on his pledge to end DOMA. The momentum is building to stop using taxpayers’ money to enforce laws that serve only to deny Gay Americans equality under the law. The President and Attorney General have followed the example of California Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown and State Attorney Generals Bill Lockyer and Kamila Harris who have refused to defend Proposition 8 as constitutional. President Obama will be remembered as standing on the right side of history and for ensuring that the enduring American principle of equality under the law is finally extended to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans."
Lambda Legal
"We are proud of our part in the precedent setting cases leading to today's announcement. Both Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas are landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases litigated by Lambda Legal that established among other things that the equal protection guarantee in the federal Constitutional applies to gay people. The Attorney General expressly relied on these cases in his letter to Congress explaining why laws discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation are suspect and that the so-called DOMA is unconstitutional. "While the so-called DOMA is very clearly crumbling it is not yet gone. The executive branch will continue to enforce it until it is repealed by Congress or struck down by the courts. We will continue our efforts to dismantle this law, along with all other laws that discriminate based on sexual orientation. Today's action by the President and the Department of Justice hastens the day when those laws will no longer stain our nation."
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
"The decision by the Obama administration not to defend the discriminatory, so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act' is a tremendous step toward recognizing our common humanity and ending an egregious injustice against thousands of loving, committed couples who simply want the protections, rights and responsibilities afforded other married couples. We thank the Obama administration for having the integrity to recognize that this law should not be defended in court. Discrimination has no place in our society, and DOMA has only served to belittle our country's deeply held values of freedom and fairness. It's time to end DOMA once and for all."
Equality Matters
“This is a very significant and welcomed development. I commend the President on his bold leadership. It means that the discriminatory and harmful Defense of Marriage Act is on its last legs. The federal government is one big step closer to providing equal rights and responsibilities to millions of loving and legally married same-sex couples. This is an important moment in the struggle for full equality and the President deserves a lot of credit.”
CA Assembly Speaker John Perez
“This is a profound decision by President Obama. He has put the Justice Department on record as calling into question the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, and has struck a significant blow to those who mask their objection to marriage equality as a defense of the constitution. I am grateful for the bold and visionary leadership the President showed today.”
Center For American Progress
“DOMA is a discriminatory law that targets gay men and women simply because of their sexual orientation. It serves no purpose but to advance discrimination. DOMA should be repealed, and if Congress fails to do so, I hope to see it struck down by the courts in the months ahead. Federal law requires the attorney general to inform Congress of its intent not to defend the law. Unfortunately, antigay leaders in Congress will likely take up DOMA’s defense. We urge them to think twice about this decision and to not tether themselves to a patently discriminatory law that undermines our nation’s fundamental principle of equality. We thank President Obama and Attorney General Holder for their leadership on this issue, and their commitment to equality for all Americans.”
American Foundation for Equal Rights
Today’s decision by the federal government underscores the unconstitutionality of gay marriage bans in states across the country, and further supports the August 2010 ruling by the US District Court in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that California’s ban on marriages for gay and lesbian couples is unconstitutional. “This is a huge victory for gay and lesbian couples and removes any doubt that the freedom to marry is a constitutional right for all Americans,” said Chad Griffin, AFER Board President. “The U.S. District Court has already ruled marriage to be a right for all Californians, and now the federal government has sent a clear message that it too sees the freedom to marry as a fundamental constitutional right.”
GLAD
It is extraordinarily significant that the Dept. of Justice recognizes what we have been saying for years in our litigation. Laws that distinguish between people based on sexual orientation are more likely to reflect prejudice against gay people than good public policy. Discrimination based on sexual orientation needs to be justified by the government with exceptionally good reasons rather than being assumed to be permissible. The Attorney General concedes that DOMA fails this test. This is a welcome acknowledgment but is not the end of GLAD’s DOMA litigation. Ultimately, the courts will decide the standard of review. Moreover, the Attorney General notified Congress that it will not defend the Second Circuit cases and either chamber may step in and appoint counsel to defend DOMA. We are prepared to address head on whatever arguments Congress may make, and bring to an end the harms DOMA imposes on our plaintiff couples and surviving spouses in the litigation and others like them.
NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell
"The decision to stop defending this egregious, unconstitutional statute is an exceedingly important step in making Marriage Equality a reality for all Americans. I applaud President Obama and Attorney General Holder for taking a stand on the issue and recognizing the truly indefensible nature of the inaptly named ‘Defense of Marriage Act.' Without leadership at the highest levels, our country cannot, and will not, move forward on issues so central to what it means to be an American. I look forward to the day when each American is able to marry the individual he or she loves and everyone enjoys the full rights to which every citizen is entitled."
ACLU
"The president did the right thing and just propelled gay rights into the 21st century, where it belongs. Our government finally recognizes what we knew 14 years ago — that the so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act' is a gross violation of the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection before the law. DOMA betrays core American values of fairness, justice and dignity for all, and has no place in America. Our Constitution promises that the government will treat everyone equally. Today's announcement is a recognition that gay people, too, are promised equal treatment under the law. Now it is only a matter of time before LGBT people in the United States will finally have full equality in our society."
Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley
“I am very pleased that the Department of Justice and President Obama have determined that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. This is a position that we have held and argued since we filed our lawsuit in July 2009. We brought our case based on a firm conviction that to achieve equality for all married couples in Massachusetts, we need to ensure that all citizens enjoy the same rights and protections under the Constitution. Today’s decision is another important victory for the civil rights of same-sex couples and their families, as it now means that DOMA has been declared discriminatory and unconstitutional by a federal judge, the Department of Justice, and the President of the United States. A letter sent today from Attorney General Eric Holder informed Congress that it has the ability to continue to defend these suits. Exactly what that means for our litigation pending in the First Circuit Court will become clear in the next few days.”
More reactions will be posted as they arrive...

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