Herman Cain Makes It Official
The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza has never held elected office and wants to start at the top.
Labels: 2012 elections, fast food, GOP, Tea Party, teabaggers
The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza has never held elected office and wants to start at the top.
Labels: 2012 elections, fast food, GOP, Tea Party, teabaggers
Yesterday virulently anti-gay preacher Bradlee Dean delivered the invocation before the Minnesota legislature. Dean's prayer was so offensive, it may have the unintended result of thwarting the attempt to place a ban on same-sex marriage on the statewide ballot.
Dean, who heads a ministry he calls "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," has caused uproars before, saying homosexuals should be jailed and making comments that appear to support their execution. Friday's bombshell arrived just as legislators were prepping for a vote to put the amendment question on the 2012 ballot. While the vote had once seemed a certainty for this session, by Friday afternoon it was in serious doubt.The Republican legislator who invited Dean to speak compared him to a Nazi, adding: "Little did I know there's another side of him, which, by the way, I just learned today." That seems doubtful, as Dean is easily the most famously evil homophobe in Minnesota.
"We never said whether we are going to take it up or not," said Zellers, R-Maple Grove. Pressed on the timing of the vote, Zellers said: "At this point, I don't [know] and I'm not prepared to say." Zellers later said he still believes he has the votes to pass the amendment. The Minnesota Family Council, advocates of the amendment, sent out an evening e-mail to its members, asking them to turn out at the State Capitol to apply pressure. The Legislature must adjourn its regular session by Monday at midnight.
Labels: bigotry, marriage equality, Minnesota, religion
"I honestly believe if Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck announced that they were in favor of the Black Plague, you'd see every Republican primary candidate for president go along with it."
Labels: 2012 elections, Alan Grayson, GOP, Medicare
Clip description: "Horror emerges from the muck and the mire of the Amazon in Universal Studio's classic trilogy The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), Revenge Of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us. (1956)."
Labels: Steve Hayes, Tired Old Queen At The Movies
The Guardian reports:
Christian doomsday prophet Harold Camping looks likely to be less than rapturous after his prediction that the world would end on Saturday failed to materialise. The 89-year-old Californian preacher had prophesied that the Rapture would begin at 6pm in each of the world's time zones, with those "saved" by Jesus ascending to heaven and the non-believers being wiped out by an earthquake rolling from city to city across the planet. But as the deadline for the Apocalpyse passed in the Pacific islands, New Zealand and Australia, it became apparent that Camping's prediction of the end of the world was to end not with a bang but with a whimper.
Labels: crazy people, end times, FAIL
GLAD reports via press release:
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives filed a motion to intervene in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management the multi-plaintiff challenge to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), filed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) with co-counsel Foley Hoag LLP, Sullivan & Worcester and Jenner & Block in March 2009.Read the full motion (PDF).
On July 8, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro ruled that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional with respect to claims brought by the seven married same-sex couples and three widowers represented in the case. The case is now on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
“As always, we are prepared to address whatever comes our way,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director and lead attorney in Gill. “We are eager to move forward and end the serious harms that are experienced not only by our plaintiffs and their families, but by same-sex married couples all over this country.”
Labels: DOMA, GLAD, GOP, U.S. House
All the fun is to be had in the write-in field, of course.
Labels: 2012 elections, AFA, freeping, GOP
On the left, what they say. In the center, what they really mean. On the right, what Europeans hear.
Labels: Britain, language, silliness
Hoyt is the New York Assembly's majority whip, the guy in charge of rounding up votes.
Labels: marriage equality, NY Assembly, NY Senate
This went out today over the American Family Association's 200-station radio network, which reaches an estimated two million listeners.
Labels: AFA, assholism, bigotry, Bryan Fischer, douchenozzles, hate groups, religion
Via press release from Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, who are very unhappy with the religious exemption in Rhode Island's civil unions bill:
Everyone agrees that religious denominations should not be required to join any two people in any legal relationship – whether marriage or a civil union – that is contrary to their religious teachings. However, the religious exemption amendment goes much further in allowing religious charitable and educational organizations – such as social service providers, hospitals, and educational institutions – to treat legal civil unions, authorized under Rhode Island law, as invalid for any purpose.
Karen Loewy, Senior Staff Attorney for GLAD, said “This unprecedented exemption means a civil union spouse could be denied the ability to make medical decisions for her spouse in a hospital; it means that a math teacher at a religiously-based school could not get the same health insurance for his legally recognized partner that all other teachers receive. This exemption actually diminishes nondiscrimination protections in public accommodations and employment that Rhode Island employers and institutions have successfully lived with since 1995. It just inflicts gratuitous harm on Rhode Island’s gay and lesbian families.”
Labels: civil unions, GLAD, LGBT rights, religion
Tourisme Montreal and Montreal Pride are teaming up for a "Queer Of The Year" contest in which five semi-finalists will win trips to this year's gay pride week.
Whether you’re a do-gooder, a diva, the average guy next door, a girl just out of the closet or anywhere in between, from now through May 30, Montreal wants you to visit our Facebook contest and show the world that you have what it takes! Participants are required to submit applications explaining why they should be the rightful owner of the crown. People will be judged on the following five criteria: personality, community involvement, sex appeal, healthy lifestyle and yes, even talent! Finalists will be chosen by Tourism Montreal representatives to be interviewed and answer open-ended-questions.More details: "At the end of Pride Week (August 15), the finalist with the most public votes, combined with most points from the judges, will win the ultimate title of “Queer of the Year,” a chance to take part in the Pride parade, $5,000 and a Montréal getaway! The four other finalists will also receive $1,000."
Labels: Canada, contests, gay Pride, gay tourism, Montreal
AmericaBlog Gay reports on the backers of yesterday's ban on LGBT rights in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce - chaired by Nissan, and whose other board members include such companies as FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare - actively lobbied for a religious right bill in the Tennessee legislature that would rescind Nashville's civil rights protections for its gay and trans citizens, and which bans every city in Tennessee from passing any civil rights laws, for anyone, ever again. The bill passed yesterday. It's on its way to the state's Republican governor for his signature, unless he vetoes it. And these companies led the way in making it happen.Sign this open letter to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce demanding that they rescind their support for this hateful bill.
Labels: AmericaBlog, business, LGBT rights, Tennessee
One day after approving a ban on all local LGBT rights, the Tennessee Senate has approved the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Under the proposal approved 20-11 on Friday, any instruction or materials at a public elementary or middle school will be "limited exclusively to age-appropriate natural human reproduction science." Republican Senate sponsor Stacey Campfield of Knoxville says "homosexuals don't naturally reproduce." Campfield says current state curriculum is not clear on what can be taught.The House version of the bill has been withdrawn for the current session, but its sponsor has vowed to reintroduce it next year.
Labels: assholism, bigotry, education, Tennessee
At the invitation of the Republican Party, this morning virulently anti-gay preacher (and BFF to Crazy Eyes) Bradlee Dean delivered the invocation for the Minnesota legislature. The Minnesota Independent reports:
The prayer was so offensive to many legislators that House leadership brought in the chaplain to redo the prayer. Dean has made many controversial statements as pastor of You Can Run, including advocating the incarceration of gays and lesbians, that the LGBT community is trying to usher in Sharia law in Minnesota, that gay men molest an average of 117 children “before they get caught,” and that Muslim nations that execute gays are more moral than American Christians. His prayer on Friday touched off a firestorm at the Capitol as the LGBT community was rallying outside the House chambers against a proposed anti-gay marriage amendment. Dean said during his prayer, “I know this is a nondenominational chamber,” he said listing off a litany of Christian denominations and leaving off any mention of Judaism. Then he took a dig at President Obama, insinuating that he is not a Christian. “The head of the denomination is Jesus as every president up until 2008 has acknowledged, in Jesus name.”Several Democrats immediately rose to denounce the prayer.
Labels: douchenozzles, GOP, Minnesota, religion
Good As You tips us that the Illinois Defense of Marriage Initiative is fighting against the "proponents of communism and fascism" who want to "control the lives of the Free World" through their "unGodly behavior." OK, then.
Labels: bigotry, hate groups, Illinois, Illinois Family Institute, Peter LaBarbera, religion
World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah says that he will be suing Esquire Magazine for posting a satirical claim that he had decided to pull the publication of Jerome Corsi's birther book, Where's The Birth Certificate?
In an exclusive interview, a reflective Farah, who wrote the book's foreword and also published Corsi's earlier best-selling work, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak out Against John Kerry and Capricorn One: NASA, JFK, and the Great "Moon Landing" Cover-Up, said that after much serious reflection, he could not go forward with the project. "I believe with all my heart that Barack Obama is destroying this country, and I will continue to stand against his administration at every turn, but in light of recent events, this book has become problematic, and contains what I now believe to be factual inaccuracies," he said this morning. "I cannot in good conscience publish it and expect anyone to believe it."The Esquire piece, which was not marked as satire until an update was posted several hours later, was picked up by numerous blogs. Farah rails: "I have concluded with attorneys who say we have an excellent chance of winning a lawsuit or lawsuits for the reckless disregard for the truth demonstrated by Mark Warren, Esquire and the Hearst Corporation in this matter. Personally, I think we should set our sights on taking ownership of Esquire. I think that would be a fair settlement. Obviously the magazine is in dire need of professional management."
Labels: birthers, Joseph Farah, lawsuits, World Net Daily
"GLSEN poses as a 'gay rights' and 'anti-bullying' group for youth, going to bat for them on issues like discrimination. But GLSEN is actually a threat to children, unless parents don’t care about their kids being drawn into early deviant sexual activity, or learning to approve of sinful, God-defying behaviors without the parents' knowledge. To put it bluntly, when you think GLSEN, think 'children and bodily fluids.' Yes, it’s that bad. Behind GLSEN’s window-dressing rhetoric about safe schools, bigotry, 'homophobia', oppression, and concerns about harassment, lies the reality: advocacy of actual homosexual sex, sometimes implicit, sometimes very explicit, even for young kids. And sometimes it’s with adults." - Linda Harvey of the SPLC-certified hate group, Mission America, claiming that GLSEN advocates for pedophilia.
Labels: bigotry, GLSEN, hate groups, liars, Linda Harvey, Mission America, religion
Los Angeles cop Sgt. Ronald Crump has won a $1M judgment in a lawsuit filed against the LAPD because of retaliation he suffered after complaining about anti-gay mistreatment by a superior.
Sgt. Ronald Crump sued the city last year, alleging that his direct supervisor at the Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section -- Lt. John Romero -- made derogatory remarks about his homosexuality. Romero, who has since been promoted to captain, allegedly described him as "the new Ruby minus the heels," in reference to the woman he replaced in the unit. On another occasion, Romero allegedly told him, "I was a religion major at Liberty University. Jerry Falwell would roll over in his grave if he knew I had hired you."
Labels: gay cops, LAPD, lawsuits, Los Angeles
Yesterday the New York Times profiled Michael R. Long, the head of the New York Conservative Party and the man they charge with almost single-handedly blocking same-sex marriage.
“In order to get the endorsement of the Conservative Party, one of the deal breakers is traditional marriage,” Mr. Long said in an interview last week. “You say ‘I’m not for traditional marriage,’ you’re not going to get our endorsement. It’s as simple as that.” It is not an idle threat. New York is among a handful of states where elected officials can run on the ballot line of more than one party, and Republicans have come to rely on Conservative Party votes to win office in an increasingly Democratic-leaning state. No Republican has won statewide office without the Conservative Party’s support in more than three decades. When Republicans won control of the State Senate last year, five of the Republican candidates won by a margin less than the number of votes they received on the Conservative line.Read the full article.
Labels: bigotry, GOP, marriage equality, New York state
Gallup reports: "For the first time in Gallup's tracking of the issue, a majority of Americans (53%) believe same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The increase since last year came exclusively among political independents and Democrats. Republicans' views did not change."
Labels: Gallup, marriage equality, polls
Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission: "The next time you see an 'It Gets' Better' ad, call your local television station and ask them why they hate children."
Labels: bigotry, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, Gary Cass, hate groups, religion
The Rhode Island House has overwhelmingly approved civil unions by a vote of 62-11 after a last-ditch attempt to convert the bill to full marriage equality failed. The bill now goes to the state Senate, where it is predicted to pass easily. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has promised to sign it.
Labels: civil unions, LGBT rights, Rhode Island
New York GOP state Sen. Marty Golden today quietly introduced a bill that would "void" out of state same-sex marriages. In 2008, then Gov. David Paterson issued an executive order that New York state recognize gay marriages from other jurisdictions. Anti-gay groups sued, but courts upheld Paterson's order, which would apparently be undone by Golden's bill. Democrats react:
Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran responded to the bill’s introduction saying, “It’s unfortunate the Senate Republicans continue to show hostility to protecting equal rights for all New Yorkers. Whether it’s on rent regulations or marriage equality, Marty Golden has proven he is out of touch with his district by once again putting the political priorities of his Republicans colleagues over the city he’s supposed to represent.”The text of Golden's bill reads: "Marriages contracted between two persons of the same sex, regardless of whether such marriage is recognized, solemnized or legal in another jurisdiction, shall be considered void in New York."
Labels: assholery, bigotry, GOP, marriage equality, New York state, NY Senate, religion
"Are we ready to have our sports information delivered by someone who is gay? We're going to find out. Because for the last 16 years I've been living a free life among all my close friends and family. But I've been living behind what is a gargantuan size secret in the sports world. I am gay. Yeah, Jared Max, the sports guy with one of the most familiar voices in New York sports isn't quite like the majority." - Veteran NYC sports radio announcer Jared Max, speaking yesterday to his audience on ESPN 1050 AM.
Labels: coming out, HomoQuotable, radio, sports
Yes, that's the official Twitter account for the Secret Service. The tweet was deleted almost immediately and an "internal follow-up" has been promised.
Labels: Fox News, Secret Service, tweet of the day
The Libertarian Party of Minnesota has "rebuked" the GOP for the campaign to put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to a statewide vote.
The proposed Gay Marriage Ban would expand government control and restrict the freedom of consenting adults to live their own lives as they choose. Libertarians believe that marriage is a private matter between individuals. We believe that marriage is a fundamental human right, and that all personal relationships, including marriage, should be at the sole discretion and agreement of the individuals involved, as well as any family, friends, or religious institutions they may choose to involve. Government has no business restricting or interfering with marriage. This ban would create a caste system by dividing society into two classes: those who are permitted to marry, and those who are not. We also oppose any attempt to place a marriage ban before voters, as the trappings of democracy do not legitimize infringements upon personal liberty; a 51% majority does not have the right to force its will upon the other 49%. We instead support a free society, where 1% can still be free to live their own lives as they choose, even if 99% might disapprove. Furthermore, we call upon legislators to expand liberty by repealing the existing statutory gay marriage ban.
Labels: GOP, Libertarian Party, marriage equality, Minnesota
Village Voice reporter Steven Thrasher points out a major lie told by Sen. Ruben Diaz at Sunday's hate rally in the Bronx.
Last Sunday, Reverend Ruben Diaz made a big deal about the role of Latino state senators in deciding the future of same-sex marriage in New York. As he addressed a crowd overwhelmingly composed of religious Hispanics, Diaz repeatedly led the flock to believe that the issue would be made or broken by his five fellow Hispanic colleagues. Well, under Diaz's logic, it's a done deal, then. All five say they support same-sex marriage. Staffers of the five other members of the Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus — José Peralta, Gustavo Rivera, José Serrano, Martin Malavé Dilan, and Adriano Espaillat — tell the Voice that each firmly supports marriage equality. Not that Diaz's logic can be trusted, because despite what he was putting out, these senators were never really swing votes. All five have long been counted in the yes column, and one or more may co-sponsor same-sex marriage legislation when it comes up in the Senate.
Labels: liars, marriage equality, NY Senate, Ruben Diaz
In an interview with Andrew Harmon at the Advocate, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speculates that President Obama might complete his "evolution" on same-sex marriage before the 2012 election.
Harmon: Do you think it’s possible that he could come out in support of marriage equality before the 2012 election?Read the full interview.
Gillibrand: Definitely. He put the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in his State of the Union address. So there’s no reason why he can’t lean into marriage equality in a public speech or through some action he could do through the White House. I’d be thrilled if he decided to do that. He did take the step of not [defending] DOMA through his Department of Justice, which is a fantastic step because it was one that he was unwilling to do in “don’t ask, don’t tell.” So it shows a shift in his willingness to use the power of the White House — the power of the administration — to change public perception and to change policy. So I think we could get a very strong public statement out of him.
Labels: 2012 elections, Advocate, Barack Obama, Kirsten Gillibrand, marriage equality
According to dominionist David Barton, the Democrats of today are no better than those who supported the Ku Klux Klan. Barton, you should know, advocates for a completely Christian takeover of the U.S. government. He frequently shares the stage with major GOP players.
Labels: Democrats, dominionists, slavery, theocracy
I suppose this was inevitable.
HUSTLER VIDEO ANNOUNCES BIN LADEN PARODY
(Canoga Park, CA) — May 18, 2011 — During this period of history where we seem to be in a state of perpetual war, nothing adds a little levity to a tense situation better than one of Hustler Video’s artfully crafted and expertly written parodies. With the recent death of one of the world’s most abhorred terrorist leaders behind us, Hustler Video is pleased to announce its next big political parody, This Ain’t Bin Laden XXX. “Oh yeah, we’re going there,” commented the Director of Operations for Hustler Video. “We’re pretty sure from what we’ve heard that Bin Laden was a big fan of Hustler. He was looking at porn, now porn is looking at him. See, it all comes full circle.”
This Ain’t Bin Laden XXX is coming to DVD this summer.
Labels: Osama Bin Laden, porn, silliness
The Concernstipated Women of America have joined NOM in trumpeting this Queerty post as a huge "SEE? They admit they want our children!!!" moment.
A recent Queerty blog entry written by Daniel Villarreal, admits that the “gay activists” actually do want to indoctrinate America’s children. Villarreal wrote, “We want educators to teach future generations of children to accept queer sexuality. In fact, our very future depends on it.” He bragged that their agenda was even broader than mere indoctrination, “I and a lot of other people want to indoctrinate, recruit, teach, and expose children to queer sexuality AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT” (emphasis Villarreal’s). So, there is nothing wrong, in his view, with vulgarities and crudities in talking about sex or with graphically depicting homosexual sex to children as young as pre-school. The “rights” and goals of these adults supersede concerns about the well-being of children. In fact, our nation’s children are nothing more than fodder in their gay activist campaign.(Image via Good As You)
Labels: Concerned Women Of America, hate groups, Queerty
Yesterday San Francisco election officials certified the petition campaign to place a city-wide ban on circumcision on the November ballot.
If the measure passes, circumcision would be prohibited among males under the age of 18. The practice would become a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. There would be no religious exemptions. The initiative appears to be the first of its kind in the country to actually make it to this stage, though a larger national debate over the health benefits of circumcision has been going on for many years. Banning circumcision would almost certainly prompt a flurry of legal challenges alleging violations of the First Amendment's guarantee of the freedom to exercise one's religious beliefs.Approximately 80% of adult American men are circumcised. Worldwide, that number is only about 30%.
Labels: 2011 elections, circumcision, San Francisco
El Paso police have arrested a third suspect in the beating of a 22 year-old Texas man, who remains in critical condition more than two weeks after six men assaulted him with a baseball bat outside the popular El Paso gay nightclub, Old Plantation.
The El Paso Police Department's Intelligence Unit has arrested and charged a 17-year-old male in the aggravated assault that occurred outside the Old Plantation nightclub on May 7. He is the second person arrested in the case. A 16-year-old juvenile also has been detained in the case. Ivan Gallardo, 17, of the 900 block of S. Tays, has been charged with Aggravated Assault and booked into the El Paso County Jail on a bond of $50,000.00. Roman Olvera, 19, of the 2200 block of Bassett, has been charged with aggravated assault and booked into the El Paso County Jail on a bond of $50,000. Police had previously detained a 16-year-old boy in the assault of 22-year-old Lionel Martinez outside of the Old Plantation (OP) nightclub. The unnamed juvenile was referred to the Juvenile Probation Department for the offense of aggravated assault.Police have classified the attack as gang-related, although a witness reported the attackers using anti-gay epithets during the beating. The victim is not gay and reportedly is not involved with gangs.
Labels: El Paso, gay bashing, nightlife, Texas
The official CDC site and blog is today overwhelmed by folks trying to find out more about their elaborate hoax and warning of a zombie apocalypse, which was made tongue-in-cheek because the same emergency preparedness routine is required for hurricanes, apparently.
Labels: CDC, silliness, zombies
"We are becoming a country that not only supports perversion, we cheerlead for perversion. A day against homophobia and transphobia -- what they're saying is Judeo-Christian morality is the equivalent of bigotry and irrational fear, and that is a false message. What they're saying essentially is if you are a Christian, a Muslim or a Jew, and you oppose sexual perversion or gender confusion, you are a hater; you are a bigot. This is the liberal message." - Porno Pete LaBarbera, denouncing Hillary Clinton's statement in support of the International Day Against Homophobia.
Labels: assholery, bigotry, hate groups, Hillary Clinton, Peter LaBarbera, Quote Of The Day, religion
Boy meets pervy clown. Probably NSFW.
Labels: gay artists, pop music, silliness
The Family Research Council-sponsored hate group Watchmen On The Wall are asking their followers to pray that Tennessee approves its pending ban on local LGBT rights laws.
May Tennessee enact this bill to prevent ENDA-like ordinances! May Congress do so likewise, if the President dares to circumvent Congress by issuing an ENDA-like Executive Order! (Dt 8:11-20; Is 5:20-21, 23; Rom 1:24-32; Jude 7)NOTE: Watchmen On The Walls (plural) was founded by Pink Swastika author and pedophile-protector Scott Lively. On the west coast they are known for their violently anti-gay membership comprised of Slavic immigrants. Watchmen On The Wall is the FRC group. Thanks to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin for the clarification.
Labels: Family Reseach Council, hate groups, religion, Scott Lively, Tennessee, Watchmen On The Walls
The FDA has approved the first in a new class of drugs that may increase the cure rate for Hepatitis C.
The new drug, Victrelis from Merck, effectively cured more than 60 percent of patients in clinical trials when used along with existing drugs. That compared with 20 to 40 percent of patients cured by the existing drugs alone. “This new medication provides an effective treatment for a serious disease, and offers a greater chance of cure for some patients hepatitis C infection compared to currently available therapy,” Dr. Edward Cox, director of the F.D.A.’s office of antimicrobial products, said in a statement. An estimated 3.2 million Americans have a chronic infection of the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, though these problems may take decades to develop and may not develop at all.
The red-caped loons of the Catholic Society for the Defense of Tradition have posted the below recap of their day leading the anti-gay hate parade into the Bronx. As you may have noted from my Sunday slideshow, the average age of these brainwashed zombies seems to be around 20. And in case this is your first time hearing about them, you should know that these nutjobs believe that society contains a "naturally elite class" that should be running a strictly and exclusively Catholic government in the United States. They claim to have 120,000 members.
Labels: Bronx, Catholics, hate groups, NYC, religion, TFP, theocracy
Planning anything fun for this summer? Tell us about your favorite "off the beaten path" destinations.
Labels: Open Thread Thursday
The reliably yellow journalists at the New York Post have outraged AIDS activists with a front-page claim that the hotel maid at the center of an rape scandal lives in subsidized public housing for HIV patients. The Post darkly warns that alleged rapist and International Monetary Fund head Dominque Strauss-Kahn now "has more to worry about" than a lengthy prison sentence. Housing Works weighs in angrily:
“Once again the New York Post proves that they are happy to trample on human dignity to sell newspapers. There is no public interest in knowing this woman’s HIV status—yet the woman herself could suffer greatly from the revelation,” said Housing Works President and CEO Charles King. “The Post’s story is an attack on women and all people with HIV.” The Post story intensifies the stigma surrounding AIDS by implying that HIV is an inherently horrifying disease.The woman's lawyer this morning denied the Post's claim, saying she "absolutely" does not live in housing for people with HIV. But the story has already been picked up in France, where a new poll revealed that almost half of the nation believes the entire case was a set-up meant to derail the political ambitions of Strauss-Kahn, who was widely pegged to become the next president.
Labels: HIV/AIDS, Housing Works, journalism, New York Post
At yesterday's giant anti-gay rally in Raleigh, local police told a small group of counter-protesters that their "Equal Rites For All" sign would not be allowed. The cops backed off after the intervention of a local news reporter. Stick with the clip until the end and listen to the speaker at the podium rail against diseased homosexuals and warn the audience that "all forms of marriage in Scandinavia" have "disappeared" because of them there gays.
Labels: LGBT rights, North Carolina, religion
The New Gay has launched a "Ruben Diaz fan fiction" story writing contest. Rules at the link.
Labels: Ruben Diaz, silliness, The New Gay, writing
All I've seen of this new HBO series is the below clip sent by JMG reader Bruce. Totally adding it to the DVR.
Labels: HBO, television
Today a Minnesota House panel narrowly voted 13-12 to send a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to the full chamber. The vote was hotly denounced by Democrats.
“The founding fathers warned against tyranny of majority,” said Rep. Kathy Brynaert, DFL-Mankato. “Don’t do this.” Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton, said. “Why take away rights in our constitution? Why tear the people of our state apart?” She added, “It makes me physically ill to think of the division we’ll see.” Rep. Carolyn Laine, DFL-Columbia Heights, said, “Clearly this isn’t about the sanctity of marriage; it’s about discrimination.” As the roll call was being taken, several protesters shouted “Shame!” and “You are damaging my life and my family!” One was dragged from the committee room. According to OutFront Minnesota, five Republicans would need to vote with the DFL to defeat the amendment in the House. Along with Rep. Tim Kelly who voted against the amendment in the committee, Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove, has said he will vote against it on the House floor.Last week the state Senate approved the measure. If the bill passes in the House, it will appear on the 2012 ballot. Recent polling indicates that a majority of Minnesotans oppose the ban.
Labels: GOP, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Minnesota
Via Buzzfeed, here's the video companion to the SF Chronicle piece I quoted from earlier today.
Labels: crazy people, end times, religion
In a blistering essay which name-checks right wing gays Roy Cohn and Ken Mehlman, today Michelangelo Signorile posts an Advocate column ripping GOProud and its chairman, Chris Barron. An excerpt:
[D]enialists and elitists who believe they are superior to other gays — even if the attitude masks a pitiful self-loathing — are clearly as prevalent as ever in the LGBT movement, except that they can now be out of the closet. Perversely, the fact that we can find such people in GOProud is a measure of our success. The other thing we’ve learned is that the Christian right, contrary to all the media blather about it losing steam as the Tea Party ascends, still has a grip on the GOP, and this can actually be helpful in gaining civil rights through the Democratic Party—if the Democrats recognize a useful wedge issue staring them in the face. [snip]Read the full article.
GOProud’s Chris Barron fits right in, often appearing desperate for Republican acceptance, compromising his positions at a moment’s notice—if he even had any to begin with. Formerly political director for the Log Cabin Republicans, he broke away and cofounded GOProud, claiming that Log Cabin wasn’t conservative enough. Since its founding in 2009, GOProud slowly moved in the direction of not taking any pro-gay positions, all in an attempt to be included in the Republican Party, even though Barron oddly once tweeted that GOProud is “a gay organization, we only work on gay issues.”
Labels: Advocate, Christopher Barron, GOP, GOProud, homocons, Michelangelo Signorile
Anti-gay groups will rally this afternoon at the Connecticut state capitol building in opposition to the pending transgender rights act, which Christianist groups have characterized as a "bathroom bill" which will allow men in dresses to molest little girls in public restrooms.
"HB 6599 is subjective and vague. Terms such as 'gender expression' and 'gender identity' vary by person and include such vagaries as 'mannerisms.' It will permit men - sexually attracted to women, but dressed as women (or not) -- to access women's public bathrooms, showers, changing rooms and locker rooms. Women and families that object will be bigots under the law. It takes away parental rights to object to cross-dressing persons -- or persons who permanently express characteristics of both sexes -- teaching in the classroom. It even prevents adults from regulating such behavior by the students. Parents, principals and School Board members that object will find themselves bigots under Connecticut law."
Labels: bigotry, Connecticut, religion, transgender issues
As Tony Perkins noted in a post several below this one, for the first time in a century the GOP now controls both chambers of the North Carolina legislature. Yesterday thousands rallied in Raleigh in support of the renewed push for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. North Carolina, which already bans gay marriage by statute, is the only southern state without a constitutional ban.
State Capitol Police estimated about 3,500 people participated in the marriage amendment rally behind the Legislative Building and organized by the Forsyth County-based Return America group. Visitors carried placards, American and Christian flags and listened to ministers and other speakers argue it's time for the voters to cast yes or no votes for the amendment. "We're here today to protect families and make sure every child retains the right to have both a mother and a father," Bill Brooks with the North Carolina Family Policy Council told the crowd on the Halifax Mall. "We're here today to preserve our right to religious freedom and our sincere belief that anything other than marriage shared between a man and a woman goes against God's design for creation."(Video via Towleroad)
Labels: bigotry, marriage equality, North Carolina, religion
The San Francisco Chronicle reports today that End Times proponent Harold Camping credits gay pride events and same-sex marriage for hastening the arrival of Saturday's rapture. Camping also says that 200 million Christians (only) will ascend to heaven in three days (time zone by time zone, beginning at 6PM, you'll recall) with the rest of us to be turned into pillars of salt, destroyed by earthquake, or burned alive in a hail of sulfur. All that will take place over the next five months because the Earth itself isn't scheduled to explode until October 21st.
Labels: crazy people, end times, religion
Gay City News reports that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn visited Albany yesterday to personally lobby GOP state Senators on same-sex marriage.
“Today I’ve been spending time talking to Republican senators,” Bloomberg said. “I’ve been reminding them marriage equality is entirely consistent with the GOP’s core values of promoting limited government and individual liberty.” Bloomberg said Senate Republicans — who ultimately get to decide whether a bill hits the floor for a vote — were Tuesday’s focus, but did not close the door on lobbying undecided Democrats, such as Joseph Addabbo and Shirley Huntley of Queens and Carl Kruger from Brooklyn. “If Chris [Quinn] or anyone else thinks it’s useful for me to call or visit, I am certainly not reticent to tell you what I believe or what I think is right,” said Bloomberg, who finished his day by meeting with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.Last week openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell introduced a marriage equality bill to his chamber. The Assembly has approved same-sex marriage three times in years past.
Labels: Albany, Christine Quinn, marriage equality, Michael Bloomberg, New York state, NY Senate
From the virulently anti-gay Save California.
Labels: California, education, Harvey Milk, Harvey Millk Day, hate groups, Save California
Days after ripping off my Bronx hate rally video and posting it as theirs, NOM has issued its own production video of Sunday's event.
Labels: bigotry, Bronx, hate groups, NOM, religion, Ruben Diaz
"For the first time in over a century, Republicans hold a majority in the North Carolina House and Senate. That fact is not lost on Tar Heels conservatives, who are trying make the most of the opportunity by passing a Marriage Protection Amendment. Right now, two companion bills are making their way through the state capital to defend marriage. After seven years of trying, it's time for North Carolina to join the south in protecting marriage from pandering politicians and activist judges who would destroy the family to advance their careers! If you live in the Tar Heel state, I encourage you to get on the phone today and call your members at 919-733-4111. Ask them to give the people a voice--and a vote--on marriage." - Family Research Council head bigot Tony Perkins, via press release. NC residents...DO use the number Perkins provided.
Labels: Family Reseach Council, hate groups, marriage equality, North Carolina, Tony Perkins
The Rhode Island state Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday voted 9-3 to send a civil unions bill to the full chamber.
The civil union bill has attracted little public support from groups and lawmakers on both sides of the marriage debate. Gay marriage supporters say civil unions treat gay couples as second-class citizens. Opponents say civil unions are marriage by another name and worry they could open the door to gay marriage in Rhode Island. Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and the District of Columbia currently recognize gay marriage. Four states -- Illinois, Hawaii, New Jersey and Delaware -- have passed civil union laws similar to the one being considered in Rhode Island.The House is expected to vote on the bill tomorrow.
Labels: civil unions, LGBT rights, Rhode Island
According to a five year study commissioned by the Catholic Church, the real reason all those priests committed child molestation is because they were "poorly prepared and monitored" during the social tumult of the sexual revolution. Blame it on Woodstock.
The researchers concluded that it was not possible for the church, or for anyone, to identify abusive priests in advance. Priests who abused minors have no particular “psychological characteristics,” “developmental histories” or mood disorders that distinguished them from priests who had not abused, the researchers found. Since the scandal broke, conservatives in the church have blamed gay priests for perpetrating the abuse, while liberals have argued that the all-male, celibate culture of the priesthood was the cause. This report will satisfy neither flank.The $1.8M study was conducted by New York's John Jay College, with the DOJ kicking in $280K.
The report notes that homosexual men began entering the seminaries “in noticeable numbers” from the late 1970s through the 1980s. By the time this cohort entered the priesthood, in the mid-1980s, the reports of sexual abuse of minors by priests began to drop and then to level off. If anything, the report says, the abuse decreased as more gay priests began serving the church. Many more boys than girls were victimized, the report says, not because the perpetrators were gay, but simply because the priests had more access to boys than to girls, in parishes, schools and extracurricular activities.
Labels: Catholic Church, molestation, NYC, religion
Stay out of the comments if you haven't yet seen tonight's episode. Otherwise, dive in and dish!
Labels: GLEE, spoiler alert, television
"First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say, ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play. Any professional athlete who gets on TV or radio and says he never played with a gay guy is a stone-freakin’ idiot. I would even say the same thing in college. Every college player, every pro player in any sport has probably played with a gay person. They always try to make it like jocks discriminate against gay people. I’ve been a big proponent of gay marriage for a long time, because as a black person, I can’t be in for any form of discrimination at all." - Retired NBA star Charles Barkley.
Labels: Charles Barkley, gay athletes, NBA, sports
I'd put my money on Amy, should Crazy Eyes dare agree to the challenge. But I'm not holding my breath on that ever happening.
Labels: education, Michele Bachmann, New Jersey, U.S. Constitution
Patrick Schwarzenegger, age 17, today changed the last name on his Twitter account to "Shriver."
Labels: Arnold Schwarzenegger, scandal, tweet of the day
"Surrendering on the legal definition of 'civil marriage' is not a prelude to winning any of those other deeper battles. It is a prelude to an ever deeper surrender to the main idea now being propagated: if you believe in the message of Genesis, as repeated by Jesus—that marriage from the beginning has been the union of male and female, husbands and wives called to give themselves to each other and to their children—then you are a bad person. You are like a racist. You should be ashamed and shamed in public. You should, ideally, lose your job." - Maggie Gallagher, in a column citing this Queerty post as evidence of the true gay agenda.
Labels: hate groups, Maggie Gallagher, NOM, Queerty
New York GOP state Sen. Mark Grisanti now says that he will definitely vote against same-sex marriage. Grisanti was considered one of the "moveable" Republicans in the state Senate. Capitol Tonight reports:
Grisanti represents one of the most Democrat-dominated districts in the state. He ousted a “yes” voter on marriage, former Democratic Sen. Antoine Thompson, in last year’s elections. Grisanti’s on-the-fence status drew him the attention of Lady Gaga, a major gay rights advocate, during a her concert in Buffalo back in March. But apparently, even the pressure of her Little Monsters hasn’t been enough to sway the senator.VIDEO: Grisanti says that he only objects to the word "marriage" and that gays do deserve all the rights that come with it.
Labels: GOP, marriage equality, New York state, NY Senate
One month after the city of Moscow granted permission for the city's first authorized gay pride event in years, that ruling has been revoked.
The reasons given by the deputy mayor of Moscow, Ludmila Shvetsova, is because of “the impossibility to provide security” – and a high number of letters of protests received by the City Hall against this event. “The reasons for banning the Moscow Pride this year are exactly the same reasons used in the past years – and for which the European Court of Human Rights judged against Russia for violating the European Convention on Human Rights, Pride chief organiser Nikolai Alekseev. “Russia has decided to mark the Day Against Homophobia by showing, once again, its homophobic policy towards its LGBT citizens. He revealed that an application would now be made directly to the Russian President. “We will apply today to President Dmitri Medvedev for permission to hold our Gay Pride March next to Kremlin, an area which is solely within his jurisdiction.
Labels: LGBT rights, Moscow, Moscow Pride, Russia
Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today published an op-ed piece in the New York Daily News explaining why civil unions are an unacceptable compromise in the marriage equality battle. Olson, as you doubtlessly know, was the co-lead attorney in the battle to overturn Prop 8. An excerpt from today's essay:
A civil union is not a marriage, nor is it an adequate substitute for one. To suggest otherwise is a cruel fiction. Even if all of the inherent confusion and complexities could be resolved and civil unions could somehow provide couples with the same rights and responsibilities of a true marriage, the separation of the two institutions creates a badge of inferiority that forever stigmatizes the relationships of committed same-sex couples as different, separate, unequal and less worthy. Time and time again, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that marriage is one of the most fundamental rights that we enjoy as Americans under the Constitution. It's a right older than the Bill of Rights and older than our political parties. It is the foundation of society. The time to grant the right of marriage to all New Yorkers is now.Read the entire article.
Labels: civil unions, Eric Schneiderman, marriage equality, New York state, Ted Olson
Courtesy of the promoter, today's Swag Tuesday prize is two tickets to this Sunday's installment of Trippin' On The Moon, a reunion of the patrons and performers of New York City's legendary Saint disco. (And one of the consistently best parties in town!) Doors open at 6PM at Santos Party House in lower Manhattan. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in your entry. If you cannot be in the city for Sunday's party, your winning entry is transferable to your favorite disco oldies fan.
Labels: nightlife, NYC, Saint disco, Swag Tuesday
"If as human beings created in the image of God, we fail to appreciate the difference between males and females and start marrying man-to-man and woman-to-woman, are we not worse than dogs that appreciate nature's arrangement? Have you ever seen a he-goat getting attached to another he-goat? Or a male dog to another male dog? Think about these things." - Malawi president Bingu Mutharika, speaking at a rally against the proposed decriminalization of homosexuality in his country.
Labels: Africa, assholery, bigotry, LGBT rights, Malawi, PhoboQuotable, religion
A civilian employee of the Marine Corps writes us this morning to note that the USMC has blocked the website of the International Day Against Homophobia. The repeal of DADT is nearly official and the Secretary of State has issued a statement in support of the site's goals. But Marines still can't read about it. Or any other "LGBT" classified sites, apparently.
Labels: homophobia, internet, military, USMC
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a statement supporting today's International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Via press release:
In every part of the world, men and women are persecuted and attacked because of who they are or whom they love. Homophobia, transphobia and the brutal hostility associated with them are often rooted in a lack of understanding of what it actually means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). So to combat this terrible scourge and break the cycle of fear and violence, we must work together to improve education and support those who stand up against laws that criminalize love and promote hate. As we mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia this May 17, let us resolve to redouble our efforts.And we stand with YOU, Madame Secretary.
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am proud to reaffirm our support for LGBT communities at home and abroad, and to call for an end to discrimination and mistreatment of LGBT persons wherever it occurs. Whether by supporting LGBT advocates marching in Belgrade, leading the effort at the United Nations to affirm the human rights of LGBT persons, or condemning a vile law under consideration in Uganda, we are committed to our friends and allies in every region of the world who are fighting for equality and justice. These are not Western concepts; these are universal human rights.
Despite these gains and hard work, there is more to do to turn the tide of inequality and discrimination against the LGBT community. If you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, know that the United States stands with you and we are unwavering in our commitment to ending this cycle of hate.
Labels: feds, Hillary Clinton, homophobia, State Department