Tired Old Queen At The Movies #72

Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains.

Quote Of The Day - Donald Trump

"Even before Gail Collins was with the New York Times, she has written nasty and derogatory articles about me. Actually, I have great respect for Ms. Collins in that she has survived so long with so little talent. Her storytelling ability and word usage (coming from me, who has written many bestsellers), is not at a very high level. More importantly, her facts are wrong! [snip]

"For some reason, the press protects President Obama beyond anything or anyone I have ever seen. What they don't realize is that if he was not born in the United States, they would have uncovered the greatest 'scam' in the history of our country. In other words, they would become the hottest writer since Watergate, or beyond. Open your eyes, Gail, there's at least a good chance that Barack Hussein Obama has made mincemeat out of our great and cherished Constitution!" - Word usage king Donald Trump, writing to the New York Times to denounce the hilarious take-down by columnist Gail Collins.

Christianist Hate Group Issues Call To Pull Kids Out Of School On Day Of Silence

The Illinois Family Institute, an SPLC-certified Christian hate group, says that parents should yank their kids out of class on the Day of Silence rather than have them exposed to the message that it's wrong to beat up gay children.

GLSEN’s end game is the eradication of conservative moral beliefs and the creation of a social and political climate in which it is impossible to express them. Their cultural vehicle of choice for this radical social experiment is public education. What a strategic coup for homosexualists: use our money to capture the hearts and minds of our children. And we do virtually nothing. Our complacence makes us complicit in the damage done to our children and our culture. Moreover, we teach our children by example to be cowardly conformists. It’s time to resist, and there’s no easier way to resist than to call your children out of school on the Day of Silence. Parents and Guardians: Call your children’s middle and high schools and ask if students and/or teachers will be permitted to refuse to speak during class on Friday, April 15. If your administration allows students and/or teachers to refuse to speak during class, call your child out of school. Every student absence costs school districts money. When administrators refuse to listen to reason and when they allow the classroom to be exploited for political purposes, parents must take action. If they don’t, the politicization of the classroom and curricula will increase.

The "student walkout" has been endorsed by pretty much every hate group listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, including the American Family Association, Concernstipated Women for America, MassResistance, and pedophile-enabler Scott Lively.

NOM Lies About Defector Louis Marinelli: He Was Just A Volunteer Bus Driver

NOM took note of the defection of Louis Marinelli yesterday by dismissing him as nothing more than a volunteer bus driver. In fact, as Jeremy Hooper has well documented, Marinelli was the administrator of their very popular Facebook page and the creator of last year's national NOM hate tour.

SAN FRANCISCO: Parents Complain About Student Field Trip To The Castro

As you might expect, this story is all over the wingnut blogs this week.

While the majority of the second-grade parents were in support of the field trip, the school is under fire by a handful of parents* who questioned whether the Castro is an appropriate destination for 8-year-old boys. One parent in particular reached out to SFGate and expressed frustration, anxiety, and confusion around the field trip, as well as a complex array of sentiments ranging from disapproval of teachers who told students that the word gay means "happy," to fears that the Castro community would be unwelcoming to children.

Stab The Evil Demon

P-Town Performer Ellie Castillo Dies At 80

Provincetown Magazine laments the passing of local legendary street performer Ellie Castillo.

Ellie was Provincetown. Her spirit - one of reinvention, fun, glamour, joie de vivre - came through as she sang up and down Commercial Street year-round for the past decade, making her not only a town favorite, but also an instant icon. Ellie arrived in Provincetown at the age of 70 as Elliot. As her placard read, she came here, like so many others, to live her dream. A former minister, Ellie's own ministry of peace and love reached thousands. Never without a smile, Ellie loved Provincetown, and Provincetown loved Ellie – so much so that when Town Hall re-opened, Ellie sang one of her standards, Frank Sinatra's "Its Impossible", to an adoring crowd. Ellie will be remembered always for her kindness and commitment to this community. We'll all miss her.

Here's the performance mentioned above. You can see more of Ellie on her YouTube channel.

Tweet Of The Day II - Louis Marinelli

Billie Ray Martin - Fantasy Girl

House up your weekend with the latest from Electribe 101 legend Billie Ray Martin. This is from Sold Life, her coming collaboration with underground buzzmakers Hard Ton, which is due out on April 26th.

Crazy Eyes: Democrats Want Government Shut Down So They Can Blame Tea Party

WND Busted In Photoshop Lie

Today World Net Daily published a lengthy column claiming that Barack Obama had been photoshopped into the top photo with his white grandparents. Because he couldn't have been with them in New York City and in Kenya/Indonesia/Pakistan at the same time. However Media Matters points out that in fact it's WND's image that is photoshopped, as evidenced by the fact that they didn't even take out the president's leg. Hilarious. Sad and repulsive, but hilarious.

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg Won't Get Off The Apple Waambulance

"Today’s politically correct America would have seemed like a paradise to the homosexual activists of a quarter-century ago but today’s activists have become frustrated with the pace of change. Since neither research, persuasion nor politics have been effective in implementing the full homosexual agenda, which seeks unqualified celebration and subsidization of homosexual conduct in every realm of society, some in the homosexual movement have turned to brute force, using censorship to trample on freedom of speech and freedom of religion. [snip]

Supporting the natural definition of marriage as the union of male and female (as 45 of the 50 states do) is not 'hate,' and supporting the personal freedom and autonomy of those who seek sexual orientation change 'demonizes' no one. There can be legitimate debate about these issues - but Apple, as one of the gatekeepers of today’s information technology, should be doing everything it can to facilitate that debate, not stifle it." - Family Research Council spokesbigot Peter Sprigg, once again riding the waambulance in the Moonie Times.

RELATED: For their part, the Moonie Times illustrates the above-linked story with a rainbow-colored Apple infested with worms.

Campaign 2012: Anyone But Trump

According to some 2012 presidential polls, Donald Trump is somehow now eclipsing Crazy Eyes, Gingrich, and Palin. And he's not far behind leader Mitt Romney.

Donald Trump: I Sent Private Birther Investigators To Hawaii

American Family Association: All Immigrants Must Convert To Christianity

"It’s simple: don’t break the law (that is, come in through the front door instead of breaking in through a window), convert to Christianity, fully assimilate (become an authentic American, not a hyphenated American), and support yourself. If you commit to those things, you are welcome here. If you don’t or won’t, perhaps it’s best for you to stay home." - American Family Association spokesdouche Bryan Fischer.

TENNESSEE: Anti-Gay Housing Official Reprimanded And Censured

Last month I called attention to Vicki Barnes, the Tennessee housing official who wrote a letter to HUD denouncing their proposed federal plan to end housing discrimination against LGBT people. In the letter, Barnes compared gay people to murderers and drug dealers. Yesterday local NBC television reported that Barnes has been reprimanded and censured for her letter, but still has her job. All future correspondence out of Barnes' office must now be reviewed by her superiors. Not a complete win for us, but probably the best we could hope for.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

Tweet Of The Day - GOProud

Activist Michael Crawford points out that GOProud chairman Chris Barron was singing a different tune just a few years ago when he was hired by Planned Parenthood. From a 2005 news story by the Christianist outlet, Covenant News:

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has hired an official from the Log Cabin Republicans to head its Republican Party outreach efforts. One pro-choice Republican leader called the move "very exciting," but conservative opponents of the nation's top abortion provider are not impressed. Christopher Barron has served as political director of the homosexual advocacy group within the GOP since February 2004. A press release announcing his departure from the Log Cabin Republicans praised Barron for helping the organization "achieve important progress in making the conservative case for gay and lesbian equality." In the statement, Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero said that Barron had been "a huge asset" for the organization, which chose not to endorse President Bush in the 2004 election and instead supported "inclusive" Republican candidates for Congress.

According to the above-linked article, Barron also advocated for hate crimes legislation and ENDA while with the Log Cabin Republicans. Under Barron, GOProud now opposes both.

Swedish Army Recruitment Ad

From the official YouTube channel of Sweden's Armed Forces.

Damage Control For NOM

Good As You notes that NOM has ditched the 219,000 followers on the Facebook page moderated by defector Louis Marinelli and started a brand new page. Snork! Back to zero, NOMbies.

CHINA: Disney Shanghai Breaks Ground

Today the Walt Disney Company broke ground on the five-year construction project for Disney Shanghai.

"We're incredibly excited to build a Disney resort in Shanghai, one of the world's most vibrant cities," said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "We are hard at work designing Shanghai Disneyland, which when complete will be a special place where guests of all ages will discover a world of imagination, creativity, adventure and thrills." The resort will "include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney's destination resorts worldwide," Disney said.

Disney already has a park in Hong Kong.

NOM Claims Victory In Rhode Island

NOM is proclaiming victory in the Rhode Island marriage equality battle.

The Rhode Island newsblog GoLocalProv is reporting this morning: "GAY MARRIAGE CAN'T PASS RI HOUSE"!!!! Even Edith Ajello, a prominent Providence progressive, admits the bill is currently at least six to eight votes short of the 38 votes needed to pass the Rhode Island House. And the RI House was supposed to be the easy part. A lot of House members are scratching their heads, wondering why they should be pushed to vote on a bill causing such a public outcry—when it's clear, they say, that the bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. "Why we're going to take on a contentious issue when we know it's dormant in the other side of the building—higher minds would have to answer that question," Democrat Jon Brien said. "The Senate's not going to pass," said Robert Flaherty, D-Warwick. "It's just an exercise in futility." Don't stop now, in other words—another tremendous victory is within our grasp!

Rhode Island Marriage Equality says it's not over yet and promises the bill will pass sometime this year.

Pastor David Barton: The Tower Of Babel Proves That God Hates Socialism

John Boehner: I Have No Idea How Much DOMA Defense Will Cost Taxpayers

House Speaker John Boehner said yesterday that he doesn't have a clue how much the GOP defense of DOMA will cost. Chris Johnson reports at Washington Blade:

“I do not have an estimate,” Boehner said. “But we were placed in a position where we were in effect allowing the administration to determine the constitutionality of a bill that passed the United States Congress because they were unwilling to defend it. I don’t think the House had any choice but to take the position that we were going to defend the work that the Congress — and only the courts are in the position of determining the constitutionality of any bill.” Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, blasted Boehner for not having the cost on defending DOMA readily available. “For a speaker so obsessed with budgets and cost cutting, it’s laughable that he claims not to know what hiring outside attorneys will cost the American public,” Cole-Schwartz said. “If the Speaker is going to force taxpayers to defend discrimination, it’s reasonable that the public understand what the bill will be.”

The House has an April 18th deadline to respond to the DOMA case, Windsor v. United States, which is pending before the U.S. District Court of Southern District of New York.

Top Chef For New York Marriage

BREAKING: Major Defection At NOM, Top Organizer Now Supports Gay Marriage

Jeremy Hooper has a big scoop over at Good As You today, where he exclusively reports that a top organizer at NOM has announced that he now supports marriage equality. Louis Marinelli, known to some of us the virulently nasty moderator of NOM's Facebook page and the organizer of last year's laughably unattended national bus tour, tells Hooper all about his dramatic change of heart. An excerpt:

As a supporter of civil marriage equality, any statements I’ve made in the past about not recognizing homosexual relationships for one reason or another, of course it goes without saying that I no longer stand by these comments and I apologize for the insensitivity. Same-sex couples, whether they are married, in civil unions or domestic partnerships, ought to be recognized for what they are. I consider myself agnostic and while homosexual acts may very well be “immoral” in the eyes of Christian morality, I can no longer stand by any comments I’ve made in the past about the immorality of homosexuality.

There are a variety of different sets and sources of morals and no one has the right to impose their set on the rest of society. Once I wrote that homosexuals are deceitful people who care only about themselves or something to that effect. Honestly, aren’t we all? It was wrong for me to exclude everyone else from that description. We all lie and when it comes down to it, we will do what is best for ourselves. So throwing in a little levity, I stand by the comment but want to apologize for limiting its scope to the gay community.

Go and read the complete interview at Good As You, where Marinelli also denounces Paul Cameron and Peter LaBarbara. And now we wait to see if Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown will have anything to say about this.......

UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign reacts via press release:

“This defection is a good example of what is, and will continue to be consistent in the fight for equality,” said Kevin Nix, NOM Project Director for the Human Rights Campaign. “Once people actually meet LGBT people, they are more likely to support equality.” Marinelli did harm to the LGBT community. He was the strategist behind NOM’s multi-state 2010 Summer Bus Tour and a key digital strategist for the organization, writing things like, “Those who wish to promote homosexual behavior are encouraging people to shorten their life spans.” “Even NOM’s own people are having trouble with the organization’s unusual mission: to stop committed gay and lesbian couples from getting married,” Nix added. “We know such defections among more Americans, including NOM’s most strident supporters will continue over time.”

Citation Needed

(Source)

Studio Killers - Ode To The Bouncer

Not normally my style, but quite catchy.

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

ARIZONA: Donald Trump To Meet With Legislators Over Birther Bill

Tomorrow Donald Trump will meet with Arizona state legislators to discuss their pending bill which would require the submission of a birth certificate in order to be placed on the state presidential ballot.

Lawmakers in Arizona confirmed their plans to meet with Trump at his invitation, and Rep. Carl Seel, whose bill is one of those pending in the state legislature, said he was surprised and pleased to be invited to a meeting. Trump, who has been expressing his concerns about the absence of proof of Obama's eligibility for weeks, said on the "Today" show this morning there are "real doubts" about whether Obama was born in the U.S. His comments have placed the issue squarely in the middle of the 2012 presidential election race, and, meanwhile, his poll numbers – he's considering a bid for the GOP nomination – have soared to the point he's now trailing only Mitt Romney in some polls.

Twelve states are presently considering "birther ballot bills," with Arizona and Oklahoma closest to passage.

OREGON: Marriage Ad Launched

Who's missing from this ad?

(Tipped by JMG reader Derek)

Quote Of The Day - Jerry Cox

"What this ruling does is it puts the rights of adults and their preferences ahead of what's best for children, and that's a sad thing and a bad day for the foster and adoptive children of Arkansas. The court simply ignored the will of the people, took matters into their own hands and looked at the people and said, 'What you think doesn't matter; we're going to have the final word in this.' And they took control of the issue and struck down a good law that's there for the welfare of children." - Arkansas Family Policy Council spokesbigot Jerry Cox, lamenting the "judicial activism" of yesterday's state Supreme Court ruling.

In 2008 an Arkansas voter referendum against gay adoption was approved by 57% of the state's voters. Cox and his group are now threatening to "boot from office" the state Supreme Court, as was done last year in Iowa over same-sex marriage, where three justices lost their jobs.

Freedom To Marry's Roadmap To Victory

Target Issues Gay-Positive Message

A little damage control from Target: "Whether we're gay, straight, or identify any other way...we love whoever it is we love."

(Tipped by JMG reader Donald)

RELATED: Target has lost its lawsuit against the gay group it was trying to stop from collecting marriage equality petitions outside its San Diego stores.

Judge Barton said Target and its powerful law firm of Morrison & Foerster, which has offices globally, failed to show sufficient evidence that the big-box retailer’s business was suffering as a result of the petitioners. “This million-dollar law firm overreached in this case,” Watson said. “They got beat by a lawyer fresh out of law school and a volunteer lawyer.” Canvass For A Cause team members were out today at Target stores in Mission Valley in San Diego and in Encinitas. “We are celebrating our freedom of speech rights today,” Watson said.

Target now has a track record of 121-1 against groups canvassing outside its California stores. They are expected to appeal today's ruling, their first such loss.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates To Troops: DADT Repeal Will Bring Little Change

Just posted to the Pentagon's official YouTube channel.
(Tipped by JMG reader John)

HomoQuotable - Kerry Eleveld

"President Barack Obama has just announced his 2012 bid for re-election and the inevitable push for LGBT support - donor, voter, and activist - has begun. To be sure, many LGBT Americans would much rather see Barack Obama still gracing the Oval Office come January of 2013 than a Republican. And so, many of us are faced with a familiar dilemma: should we sublimate our intrinsic desire to continue advocating for full equality to the urgency of reelecting a man who has presided over some of the greatest advances in the history of the LGBT movement? My answer: No.

"This not an either-or proposition in my opinion, nor should we feel compelled to surrender our basic humanity to the whims of the election cycle. That type of thinking is a relic of days past when politicians held firmly to the notion that addressing LGBT concerns would undoubtedly be a drag on their electability. What we have witnessed over the past couple years is just the opposite. The repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' scored huge points with President Obama's target voters -- independent, moderate, and progressive alike - and his declaration that the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional reestablished his ability to show bold leadership. Here's our new reality: The right thing to do is also the popular thing to do." - Former Advocate White House reporter Kerry Eleveld, writing for Equality Matters.

Read Eleveld's complete essay.

Daft Punk - Alive

I've never gotten into Daft Punk, but there's a smokin' hot guy in this clip and Towleroad notes "the homoerotic tension runs high."

Hacker: I'm Done With Westboro

(Tipped by JMG reader NYC Girl)

DELAWARE: Civil Unions Passes Senate

The Delaware Senate just approved its civil unions bill! Washington Blade reports:

The Delaware Senate on Thursday passed a bill to legalize civil unions in the state by a 13-6 vote. Eleven votes were needed to pass it. The approval came after the Senate defeated two hostile amendments, including one that would have forced a state referendum on the issue. The second amendment called for expanding the measure to include opposite-sex couples. It was defeated 12-2.

The bill will be considered next week by the state House, where it is expected to pass easily. However...remember Maryland.

Tweet Of the Day - Sarah Palin

Joint Chiefs: No Problems With Repeal

Today the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified before the House Armed Services Committee to report that they foresee no problems with the implementation of the repeal of DADT.

"We've not seen issues," said Gen. James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps. "There's not been anxiety over it from the forces in the field." Amos had been one of the strongest opponents of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, the 17-year ban on gays in the military. Last year, he said his men would be distracted - possibly fatally - by allowing gays to serve. But testifying alongside the chiefs of the Navy, Army and Air Force on Thursday, he told the House Armed Services Committee that training of the rank and file was going smoothly. "There hasn't been pushback," Amos said. Army Gen. Norton Schwartz said he was "more comfortable than I was" last year about the new policy.

The compulsive liars at the anti-gay Moonie Times report today's hearing differently, citing the "skeptical" words of one congressman in their headline.

Bill Cosby: Donald Trump Is Full Of It

American Family Association Poll: Why Are Homosexuals So Culturally Powerful?

In reaction to today's release of a Williams Institute study showing fewer LGBT Americans than other studies have shown, the American Family Association asks its followers why gay people are still so damn culturally powerful. Could it be...SATAN?

Cast Out Your Poverty Demons

Prosper! Become a millionaire! Jeebus wants you rich!

(Source)

Turning Gay Mice Straight?

The science journal Nature has published a study claiming that the sexual orientation of mice can be changed with the neurotransmitter 5-HT.

Although the question of to whom a male directs his mating attempts is a critical one in social interactions, little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling mammalian sexual preference. Here we report that the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is required for male sexual preference. Wild-type male mice preferred females over males, but males lacking central serotonergic neurons lost sexual preference although they were not generally defective in olfaction or in pheromone sensing. A role for 5-HT was demonstrated by the phenotype of mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2), which is required for the first step of 5-HT synthesis in the brain. Thirty-five minutes after the injection of the intermediate 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), which circumvented Tph2 to restore 5-HT to the wild-type level, adult Tph2 knockout mice also preferred females over males. These results indicate that 5-HT and serotonergic neurons in the adult brain regulate mammalian sexual preference.

You'll have to subscribe to Nature to read the full study.

SATURDAY: Furball NYC @ LGBT Center

Doors open 8PM, $10. Always a hot sweaty good time.

Montana State GOP Rep Celebrates: Gays Can't Act Gay In Public In My State

Montana GOP state Rep. Bill Peterson claims that since the state legislature blocked a recent move to decriminalize homosexuality, there are happily still two laws which he can use to persecute gay people.

According to Peterson, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, there are at least two prosecutable offenses—felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. One is the "recruitment" of non-gays. "Homosexuals can't go out into the heterosexual community and try to recruit people, or try to enlist them in homosexual acts," Peterson says. He provides an example: "'Here, young man, your hormones are raging. Let's go in this bedroom, and we'll engage in some homosexual acts. You'll find you like it.'"

Peterson hasn't actually seen this happen, he says, because "I don't associate with that group of people at all... I've associated with mainstream people all my life." The other offense, in Peterson's legal opinion, is the public display of homosexuality, since he believes the Supreme Court's decision only applies to private acts behind closed doors. Being gay in public, he says, is a wholly different matter: "In my mind, if they were engaging in acts in public that could be construed as homosexual, it would violate that statute. It has to be more than affection. It has to be overt homosexual acts of some kind or another... If kissing goes to that extent, yes. If it's more than that, yes."

The head of a local lawyers group clarifies: "The statute will not be enforced as written—ever. We take our marching orders not only from the legislature but from the courts in which we appear."

(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

Anti-Condom Message For Christian Kids

Satan makes condoms seem delicious like rat poison.

MISSISSIPPI: 46% Of Polled Republicans Would Make Interracial Marriage Illegal

Public Policy Polling asked self-identified Mississippi Republicans how they feel (PDF) about interracial marriage. And 74% of those who'd like to ban interracial marriage also have a "favorable view" of Sarah Palin.

ARKANSAS: State Supreme Court Blocks Move To Ban Gay Adoption

Something to brighten your day:

The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld a decision to strike down a state law barring gay couples and other unmarried people living together from serving as adoptive or foster parents. The state's high court wrote in an opinion Thursday that the law burdens the privacy of unmarried couples who live together. A state judge struck down the law last April because he said it forced unmarried couples to choose between their relationships and becoming adoptive parents.

The case had been brought by the anti-gay state attorney general, who said that adoption was not a constitutionally protected right.

Orlando Loses PBS Station

This morning my mom tips me to the news that Orlando's PBS station has been sold to a religious broadcaster. If the deal is approved by the FCC, Orlando will now have four local Christian television stations. Cable customers will continue to get the PBS station out of Daytona Beach. Television industry blog TVB reports:

The Public Broadcasting Service has lost its second large-market member station since the year began. WMFE-TV in Orlando, Fla., has been sold to Dallas-based Christian broadcaster Daystar Television for $5 million, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Community Communications Inc., the nonprofit that runs WMFE’s TV and radio operations, said increasing financial pressure led to the sale of the television station. [snip] Orlando is the 19th largest TV market in the United States, with 1.45 million television homes. Earlier this year, PBS lost its main member station in the nation’s No. 2 market, Los Angeles, when KCET-TV dropped its affiliation. KCET went independent Jan. 1, 2011, after being the main PBS affiliate in Southern California for four decades, citing financial pressure brought on by a 40 percent fee hike from PBS.

As I've mentioned here before, my first real post-college jobby-job was at WMFE, where I was a lowly news assistant. It was a generally terrible gig, but I did get to work the first space shuttle launches at Cape Canaveral. I was also out at work, as was my boss and half of the news department. I'm guessing that the GOP's recent attacks on PBS has something to do with WMFE throwing in the towel.

Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites Glenn Beck

Another classic take-down by Lawrence O'Donnell.

Another Big Earthquake Rocks Japan

Tsunami warnings have been issued. Developing...

Jon Stewart Grills Huckabee Over Support For Seven Mountains Dominionism

Last night Jon Stewart took Mike Huckabee to task over his declaration that Americans should be "forced at gunpoint" to listen to whackjob Seven Mountains dominionist David Barton. This is the first of three clips, Right Wing Watch has the full set.

Open Thread Thursday

How's your love life?

Homophobia From Manwich

Copyranter sez: "Maybe I'm just being a too-sensitive NYC metrosexual here, but casting a shirtless bear kinda adds fuel to the gay-bashing Manwich flame."

Does Not Apply To Gay Men

(Source)

ENDA Reintroduced In House

The doomed-from-the-start 2011 edition of ENDA was introduced yesterday by Rep. Barney Frank. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

At the end of the 111th Congress, 203 members of the 435-member body had joined Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) in co-sponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The jobs protection bill, though only 14 members away from having a majority of the House as co-sponsors, never made it out of the House Education and Labor Committee chaired by ENDA co-sponsor Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.). Today, the bill, which would prohibit most employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation of gender identity, was reintroduced by Frank with only a few more than half that number -- 111 co-sponsors.

The HRC's Fred Sainz tells Geidner: "It's a start. The goal will be to work back up to a number that exceeds last session's number with a greater number of Republicans. We know that this is a building session, and frankly, I wouldn't measure success by the number of co-sponsors alone but by the amount of education and outreach we do to members."

Crazy Eyes Gets Cozy With Hate Group

Yesterday Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann traded compliments with Tony Perkins, the head of the SPLC-certified hate group, Family Research Council, as they discussed teabagger strategies to "take this country back."

New Study: Nine Million LGBT Americans?

According to a study released today by the Williams Institute (PDF), there are almost nine million LGBT persons in the United States. That works out to 3.5% of the adult population. Via press release:

The Williams Institute, a leading think tank dedicated to the field of sexual orientation and gender identity-related law and public policy, released new research that estimates the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the United States. Drawing on information from four recent national and two state-level population-based surveys, the analyses suggest that there are more than 8 million adults in the US who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, comprising 3.5% of the adult population. There are also nearly 700,000 transgender individuals in the US. In total, the study suggests that approximately 9 million Americans - roughly the population of New Jersey - identify as LGBT.

The study notes: "Estimates of those who report any lifetime same-sex sexual behavior and any same-sex sexual attraction are substantially higher than estimates of those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. An estimated 19 million Americans (8.2%) report that they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and nearly 25.6 million Americans (11%) acknowledge at least some same-sex sexual attraction."

Beck: I Didn't Want This Job Anyway

FOX NEWS: GOProud's Chris Barron Mistaken For Spin Doctors Lead Singer

Savage Vs. Gallagher, Round 2

"I do not intend to 'educate your college students,' Maggie. Your college students—the offspring of NOM supporters—are being 'educated' at Brigham Young, Liberty University, Bob Jones, Seattle Pacific University, and other Christianist madrassas. My college tours typically take me to secular institutions of higher learning where the kids were hooking up and having sex long before my visit to campus.

"I know what women are like. I may not know what women taste like—I've never gone down on one—but I do know what women are like. My mother was a woman, my sister is a woman, my aunts are women, my favorite bartender is a woman, lots of my friends, neighbors, and coworkers are women. And as someone who sleeps with men and is a long-term relationship with a man, I know what (straight) women have to put up with. I'm not the first gay man that women have turned to for advice about love and sex, Maggie, and I won't be the last. And aren't you a practicing Catholic? Not knowing what women are like (or taste like) has never stopped the Pope from offering his unsolicited advice to women—no birth control, no abortions, no oral, no anal, no handjobs—and it's hypocritical of you to suggest that I'm not qualified to advise women, since I won't fuck 'em, without first telling that old fag in Rome to STFU already." - Dan Savage, responding to yesterday's attack from NOM chaircow Maggie Gallagher.

Read Savage's complete essay.

A Gay Caveman?

The discovery of a 5000 year-old skeleton in the Czech Republic has scientists speculating.

During that period, men were traditionally buried lying on their right side with the head pointing towards the west; women on their left side with the head facing east. In this case, the man was on his left side with his head facing west. Another clue is that men tended to be interred with weapons, hammers and flint knives as well as several portions of food and drink to accompany them to the other side. Women would be buried with necklaces made from teeth, pets, and copper earrings, as well as domestic jugs and an egg-shaped pot placed near the feet. The ‘gay caveman’ was buried with household jugs, and no weapons.

Archaeologists do not think it was a mistake or coincidence given the importance attached to funerals during the period, known as the Corded Ware era because of the pottery it produced. From history and ethnology, we know that people from this period took funeral rites very seriously so it is highly unlikely that this positioning was a mistake,’ said lead researcher Kamila Remisova Vesinova. ‘Far more likely is that he was a man with a different sexual orientation, homosexual or transvestite. What we see here does not add up to traditional Corded Ware cultural norms.’ An oval, egg-shaped container usually associated with female burials was also found at the feet of the skeleton.

Gadhafi To Obama: Please Call Off Attacks

CALIFORNIA: Christianists Ramp Up Attacks On Gay-Positive Education Bill

Anti-gay Christianist groups are launching an all-out war on California's pending SB 48 bill, which calls for the inclusion of notable LGBT figures in lessons about civics and history. From a World Net Daily story about "sexual brainwashing":

"Life has consequences. This is what parents get with the Democrats," said SaveCalifornia.com President Randy Thomasson (pictured). "It's what they get with the teacher unions. It's what they get by believing the lie that people are born 'gay,' when they're not. Or that this is a harmless lifestyle. "This is what parents get when they place their children in the government school system and say that they have no other options," he continued. "Parents are seeing the tip of the iceberg in SB 48, and they need to wake up to the fact that the public school they went to as a child no longer exists. "Government schools in California are mandated by more than half a dozens laws already to bring children to think that homosexual, bisexual and transsexual [lifestyles are] good and natural and maybe even for them," he said.

SB 48 is sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, who, the above-linked article pointedly notes, had a former partner who died of AIDS. Because teaching kids about Harvey Milk will give them AIDS. Or something.

The Palin/Bachmann 2012 Opera

From voiceover artist D.C. Douglas.

Student Voting Laws By State

GOP-dominated state legislatures are making it harder for college students to vote without a local ID. Cuz you know who young people tend to vote for. Embiggen for details.

Slick It Up

Probably NSFW.

MSNBC On "Refuse To Lie" Campaign

You have to wonder how much editorial control openly gay MSNBC midday anchor Thomas Roberts has, as it seems he rarely misses an important LGBT story.

Poor To Suffer Under GOP Budget

We can't be surprised by this.

NASHVILLE: City Council Passes Bill Banning Businesses That Discriminate

If your company discriminates against its LGBT employees, Nashville will no longer do business with you.

Councilman Jamie Hollin, a sponsor of the bill, said after the vote that Metro had “sent a clear signal all around the world” that people of all kinds are welcome to work in Nashville. Advocates of gay rights agreed. “If you’re willing to work hard, and you’re talented, you’re welcome in Nashville, Tenn.,” said Chris Sanders, chairman of the Tennessee Equality Project’s Nashville chapter. Several council members spoke passionately against the bill. Critics on the council had so far made two arguments: that creating another protected class of employee made companies vulnerable to litigation, and that uneven policies across county lines would hamper commerce. Councilman Phil Claiborne said more bluntly what others had hinted at previously. Claiborne said the policy told business owners with religious convictions opposing homosexuality that they had to “abandon their core beliefs” to do business with Metro. “That’s a hypocritical travesty,” Claiborne said.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is expected to sign the bill.

Tweet Of The Day - Stop Beck

SAN DIEGO: Appeals Court Upholds Firing Of Teacher For "Immoral" Craigslist Ad

A California state court of appeals has overturned a lower court's ruling that the San Diego Unified School District acted improperly when it fired a teacher for his "men seeking men" ad posted on Craigslist.

The appeals court agreed with the school district that Lampedusa's conduct fit the Education Code definition of "immoral conduct." The district had appealed the commission's ruling. The ad included explicit pictures and a graphic explanation of the kinds of sexual activities that Lampedusa preferred. The ad, however, did not include his name or school affiliation. In a commission hearing, Lampedusa said he had placed similar ads four or five times in the past. The appeals court, in agreeing with the school district, noted that Lampedusa did not accept that the ad was improper because it might be seen by students or their parents.

The above-linked story does not say how the school learned about the ad.

UPDATE: According to CBS News, the school found about the ad when an anonymous male called the police. It's not clear why the police felt the need to notify the school.

Jerry Falwell's Liberty University Got $445M In Public Money Last Year

Alex Pareene reports at Salon:

Liberty University, the evangelical private Christian school founded by dead apartheid-supporting bigot Jerry Falwell, received $445 million in federal financial aid last year. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, by the way, received $420 million from the federal government. That massive sum was thanks to the growth of Liberty's online program, which enrolled 52,000 students last year. The school is the No. 1 recipient of Pell grant money in the state of Virginia.

Liberty was deeply in dept and on the verge of bankruptcy as recently as 2006. But shortly after Jerry Falwell was found face down in a pool of his own gravy, the school learned that he'd left them $34M via his life insurance policy.

Westboro Mocks The NOH8 Campaign

If you can bear it (or even care) Westboro is tweeting out the link to the below video in which they mock the NOH8 campaign. (Twitter is all they have these days as all of Westboro's sites remain hacked.) Lots of NSFW language from God's Most Holy Family.

HomoConQuotable - James Kirchick

"Those who fault [Pastor Terry] Jones for the behavior of Muslim extremists in Afghanistan must answer: Where does the blame-shifting end? Is Salman Rushdie, whose Satantic Verses earned him a fatwa from the Ayatollah Khomeini, to blame for the murder of his Japanese translator? Should the Danish cartoonist who drew images of Mohammed foot the bill for repairs to his nation's embassy in Damascus, which was burned by a mob in 2006? Why don't we just veil our women and execute our gays while we're at it, since that's what the radicals want? [snip]

"It is one thing to say that Jones' Koran-burning was a stupid and offensive thing to do. He is not Rushdie, after all, whose 'provocation' was the exercising of the creative spirit. It is another thing entirely, however, to move to the accusation that Jones is culpable for the murderous acts of people half way around the world. People who riot and murder at the burning of a book do not need a pretext to act like savages. That's exactly what they already are." - Homocon journalist James Kirchick, writing for the New York Daily News.

FRIDAY: Blowoff NYC @ Highline Ballroom

Doors open 11:30PM, advance tickets are $15. One of these days, I'm going to get around to framing one of their great posters. By the way, Bob Mould's memoir, See A Little Light: The Trail Of Rage And Melody, comes out on June 15th.

GOProud Vs. "Union Scum"

Yesterday GOProud members Matt Hissey and Brendan Kissam crashed a pro-union rally at Philadelphia's Temple University where their "Union Scum" sign was destroyed by union supporters. Hissey writes on his blog:

Two brave college students, who only wanted to bring a different point of view to a protest, were eviscerated, and nearly attacked. This was my first direct confrontation with union protesters, and I have never been so scared for my safety. They proved to me that they are not only un-educated on issues, but they are un-democratic. A democracy cannot function without dialogue and difference of opinion. The union thugs proved to me that they do not care about dissenting opinion. It is there way or the high way. No wonder they have such extravagant pensions and healthcare plans. When they do not get what they want, they take to the streets like wild animals and stifle any opposite whatsoever. Unions, simply put, are anti-American. They are like a virus, taking, taking, taking, growing stronger, and destroying everything they come into contact with.

RELATED: You may recall Matt Hissey for his declaration that he really doesn't like gay people, who "need to be more normal and straight-acting."

COLORADO: Denver Archbishop Celebrates Defeat Of Civil Unions Bill

"In the face of unfriendly media coverage and heavy political pressure, opponents of the legislation did the right thing. They challenged and tabled the bill, killing it for this session. That sounds like a small act, but it took courage, especially in an environment of bitter criticism. The committee members who opposed the bill deserve our gratitude and support. The civil unions debate is about securing legitimacy for social arrangements and personal behaviors that most societies and religious traditions have found problematic from long experience—and that a great many people see as morally troubling, not because they are 'haters' or 'frightened' or 'bigots' or 'uneducated'—that kind of language is the real bigotry in this debate—but because they’ve carefully thought through the implications for society at large." - Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput.

George Takei Auditions For Spider-Man

(Source)

New Heights Of Hypocrisy For NOM

NOM is ALL upset because openly gay philanthropist and mega-millionaire Tim Gill has promised to oppose anti-gay politicians in his home state of Colorado. How dare he "threaten to dump" millions to oppose people who don't vote the way he wants them to! Oh wait, last month that's exactly what NOM said they would do to any Maryland legislator who voted for same-sex marriage.

The $69 Hot Dog

What recession? "NYC restaurant Serendipity 3 now serves the world's most expensive hot dog, a steal at $69. Some of its features: truffle oil, a Germany-imported pretzel bun, and pure beef."

Clever Dicks Use Condoms

Copyranter reviews this condom ad from France: "Watch our hero's smart-missile solve a complicated math problem, do a book signing, disable a bomb, and paint a nude—ladies swooning at every pants-drop. And of course, it always wears a condom. Because it's SMART. A bit heavy-handed (that's what his chafed dick said last night) for my tastes. The guy looks like a douche."

Quote Of The Day - Diane Gramley

"We are undermining our military [with this policy] and thus undermining our national defense, so we are encouraging them to get into the thick of the battle because that's what it's going to take to get this terrible law thrown out. If we allow this implementation to go forth, then it will destroy our military, and there's no doubt about that. So we're encouraging Pennsylvanians to contact Congressman Bill Shuster and Congressman Mark Critz and ask them to protect our military." - Diane Gramley, head of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Family Association, announcing a new AFA campaign against the repeal of DADT. The congressmen named above sit on the House Armed Services Committee.

Bristol Palin Paid $262,000 For Work Against Teenage Pregnancy

Abstinence advocate and teen mother Bristol Palin was paid $262,000 for appearances made on behalf of a teen pregnancy prevention group.

Bristol Palin was 18 when she was appointed as a teen ambassador for the New York-based foundation in 2009, months after giving birth to son, Tripp. She and the 2-year-old boy's father, Levi Johnston, are no longer together. Palin family attorney John Tiemessen and foundation officials did not immediately return calls for comment Tuesday. Palin, who still works for the foundation, told The Associated Press last year that girls would think twice about having sex if they knew how tough it is to be a mother. She said she "wasn't prepared at all" for the dramatic changes in her life since becoming a mom. "I don't think anyone realizes how difficult it really is until you actually have a screaming baby in your arms and you're up all night," Palin said

United States Of The Environment

(Source)

Eurovision: Poland's Magdalena Tul

Anybody else hearing Britney?

LGBT Rights Advocate Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) Tapped To Chair Democratic National Committee

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL), who has an stellar record regarding LGBT rights, was today named to head the Democratic National Committee. She will continue to serve in the House and replaces outgoing DNC chair Tim Kaine, who also today announced a Virginia bid for the Senate.

Schultz is a founding member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and in 2007 she voted for ENDA. She supports marriage equality, gay adoption, and unsurprisingly, has a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign. On Sunday she was named Public Official Star of the Year by the South Florida Pride Center.

Vice President Jesse Ventura

Former Minnesota governor, pro wrestler, and 9/11 truther Jesse Ventura says he'd consider running for vice president on a ticket headed by Libertarian whackadoodle Rep. Ron Paul.

Ventura claimed that he would never run as a Republican or Democrat. "They are the problem, not the solution. We need to abolish political parties in this country,” he said in the Good Morning America interview. The former governor described Ron Paul as "the only federal elected official who will stand up for America on the congressional floor.” Paul ran as a Republican in 2008, and as a Libertarian in 1988. Jesse Ventura also spoke of Sarah Palin in a CNN interview, and estimated that she may win the Republican ticket in 2012.

An open atheist, Ventura is actually fantastic on LGBT rights. His TruTV series, Conspiracy Theory, just completed its second season.