Saturday, May 19, 2012

MANILA: Christians Protest Lady Gaga

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NAACP Endorses Marriage Equality

MAJOR news today. The board of directors of the NAACP has voted to officially endorse same-sex marriage. Reactions from other civil rights groups will be added to the bottom of this post as they arrive.
“The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people,” board chair Roslyn M. Brock said in a statement following passage of the resolution on Saturday. “We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.”The chairman emeritus, Julian Bond, had already pledged his support earlier this week as part of a coalition of black leaders trying to tamp down speculation that Obama’s support of gay marriage would divide the black community.

The resolution and statement Saturday specifically noted that the group supports “civil marriage” for same sex couples, while respecting religious freedom -- something the president also mentioned when announcing his stance. “Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law,” NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said in the statement. “The NAACP’s support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people.”
Here is the text of the resolution:
The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, education, social and economic equality” of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Further, we strongly affirm the religious freedoms of all people as protected by the First Amendment.
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
This is truly a historic moment as the NAACP — the nation’s oldest civil rights organization — takes an official and unequivocal stand for marriage equality. As the country’s oldest national LGBT rights group, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force could not be more thrilled. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NAACP working together on the many issues that affect all of our lives. Whether it be fair access to education and jobs, an end to voter suppression and racial profiling, the right to love and be who we are free of discrimination — these issues affect all of us, our families and our country. Today the NAACP did what it does so well — inspires and affirms our common humanity.
Freedom To Marry
The NAACP has long been the nation's conscience and champion for an America where all share equally in the promise of liberty and justice for all. Today the NAACP resoundingly affirmed that the freedom to marry is a civil right and family value that belongs to all of us, and that discriminatory barriers to marriage must fall. The toxic tactics of anti-gay groups like NOM to 'drive a wedge between blacks and gays' will be washed away in the wave of righteous affirmation.
Human Rights Campaign
We could not be more pleased with the NAACP’s history-making vote today – which is yet another example of the traction marriage equality continues to gain in every community. It’s time the shameful myth that the African-American community is somehow out of lockstep with the rest of the country on marriage equality is retired - once and for all. The facts and clear momentum toward marriage speak for themselves. NOM has pursued ugly racial politics seeking to divide people, but what is becoming crystal clear is that its strategy is not working. Americans from all walks of life are uniting to support love, commitment, and stronger families.
GLAAD
"For more than 103 years, the NAACP has been a leading advocate and a voice for members of marginalized communities. Today’s announcement represents their continued stance against the discrimination that LGBT families face. We applaud President Ben Jealous and the NAACP Board of Directors for their leadership on this issue," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "Across races, faith traditions, and political persuasions, a majority of our culture recognizes that denying gay couples the chance at happiness that comes with being married is unfair and un-American.”
National Black Justice Coalition
“As a Life Member of the NAACP, I am happy to see the organization join the President of the United States in ‘evolving’ and follow the powerful example of civil rights icons and Black voices like Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, Julian Bond, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and others who have said committed LGBT couples and families deserve the same protections as everyone else,” says Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director and CEO. “Family is the epicenter of Black life, community and culture. For Black LGBT people, its importance is just as great.”
Marriage Equality USA
"The NAACP has an unbroken history of standing up for civil rights for all Americans, right up through their stand against the discriminatory Amendment 1 in North Carolina, and now today’s historic vote affirming marriage equality for all loving and committed couples,” said Stuart Gaffney, MEUSA Media Director. “Standing together from coast-to-coast with allies such as the NAACP is what is going to make the dream of marriage equality for all loving and committed couples a reality.”

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Afternoon View - Bethesda Fountain

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Today's Racist Anti-Obama Ad

Blacks live in slums. Real white Americans are Boy Scouts.

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Barry Walters On Donna Summer

"When Summer died from cancer yesterday at the age of 63, the straight world lost a superstar, but gays of my generation lost an emblem of our lives that we may never experience again, even at a time when everything is marketed more and more brazenly to us. We’ll probably never have another open secret like Summer again because a mystery like hers will either be answered forthwith or never allowed to occur.

"And maybe that’s good: At a time when even the President supports gay marriage, possibilities exist that we couldn’t have dreamed of when Summer recorded her first faked orgasm on behalf of our suppressed own. Given the choice between equal rights and second-class citizenry sweetened by beat-driven romance, we’ll still take our Constitutional prerogative, thankyouverymuch. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t mourn the shared sense of community Summer both helped made possible and embodied. Even outlaws remember their last dance." - Famed music critic Barry Walters, writing for Pop Dust.

Donna Summer, Me, And The First Days Of Disco.

NOTE: A few years ago I found out that Barry Walters, the esteemed Rolling Stone music critic I'd been following for twenty-five years was a regular JMG reader. THUD. Since then I've gotten to hang out with him at a couple of great dance parties. Definitely one of the cooler perks of this here website thingy.

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CDC Tells Boomers: Get A Hep C Test

The Centers For Disease Control has issued a call for all "baby boomers" to get a one-time test for Hepatitis C.
One in 30 baby boomers – the generation born from 1945 through 1965 – has been infected with hepatitis C, and most don’t know it. Hepatitis C causes serious liver diseases including liver cancer, which is the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related deaths, and the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. CDC believes this approach will address the largely preventable consequences of this disease, especially in light of newly available therapies that can cure up to 75 percent of infections. “With increasingly effective treatments now available, we can prevent tens of thousands of deaths from hepatitis C,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
The CDC estimates that more than two million baby boomers are presently infected with Hep C, which is the leading cause of liver transplants.

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Number One On Amazon

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Poll Averages Unmoved By Marriage

Several national polls taken since Obama's "evolution" indicate that the race remains a statistical dead heat.

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Birthers Never Give Up (Con't)

"First of all, I’m not playing to the birthers, I’m not a birther. I believe that the president was born in Hawaii, or at least I hope he was. Hawaii has a special provision in their law that allows other government officials from other states to request what’s called a verification in lieu of a certified copy of a birth certificate. So I’m not asking for the certified copy of the birth certificate at all. I was frankly expecting that they would very quickly and very simply say ‘yes.’ Eight weeks later, they haven’t. I can’t seem to get them to say yes." - Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, saying he may keep President Obama off his state's November ballot.

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Russians In High Places

Just watching this makes my balls ache.

UPDATE: About the bridge.
The bridge to the Russky Island will be one of the world’s largest cable-stayed bridges, the 1104m long central span of which will establish a new record in the world bridge building practice. The bridge will also have the world's highest bridge towers and the longest cable stays.

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Write-In Campaign

The latest con job from scamvangelist Bill Keller.

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Ron Paul Can Still Win This Thing!

So sez hardcare Paul follower Adam Kokesh, who is telling Ron Paul delegates to disrupt the Republican Convention.

RELATED: Five years ago many of us panted for Kokesh during his anti-war protests at the U.S. Capitol. Kokesh was eventually separated from the military over his activism and he then ran for Congress unsuccessfully in 2010. Then came the cray-cray.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Two U.S. House Reps Seek To Reinstate Domestic Propaganda Program

Two members of the U.S. House, one from each party, are seeking to lift a decades-old ban on distributing pro-America propaganda campaigns within the United States. Congress passed bills in 1948 and again in 1987 to protect American audiences from disinformation campaigns created by the U.S. government for use overseas.
The bi-partisan amendment is sponsored by Rep. Mark Thornberry (R) from Texas and Rep. Adam Smith (D) from Washington State. In a little noticed press release earlier in the week — buried beneath the other high-profile issues in the $642 billion defense bill, including indefinite detention and a prohibition on gay marriage at military installations — Thornberry warned that the current law “ties the hands of America’s diplomatic officials, military, and others by inhibiting our ability to effectively communicate in a credible way.” The bill's supporters say the informational material used overseas to influence foreign audiences is too good to not use at home, and that new techniques are needed to help fight Al-Qaeda. Critics of the bill say there are ways to keep America safe without turning the massive information operations apparatus within the federal government against American citizens. [snip]

The new law would give sweeping powers to the State Department and Pentagon to push television, radio, newspaper, and social media onto the U.S. public. “It removes the protection for Americans,” says a Pentagon official who is concerned about the law. “It removes oversight from the people who want to put out this information. There are no checks and balances. No one knows if the information is accurate, partially accurate, or entirely false.” According to this official, “senior public affairs” officers within the Department of Defense want to “get rid” of Smith-Mundt and other restrictions because it prevents information activities designed to prop up unpopular policies—like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The House version of the defense authorization bill passed today. The Senate takes up their version of the bill shortly.

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One Million Shrews Notices GAP Ad

I called this two weeks ago, but finally One Million Shrews have noticed that GAP ad.
In Los Angeles, CA, GAP has a billboard located downtown that reads: "GAP- BE BRIGHT- BE ONE" with two homosexual men pressed together under a shared t-shirt. They are hugging each other and facing the camera cheek-to-cheek. "BE ONE" is in large letters which emphasizes the same-sex relationship. You can see the actual billboard here. GAP Inc. Brands, including Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Athleta, does not deserve, nor will it get, money from conservative families across the country. Supporting GAP is not an option until they decide to remain neutral in the culture war. GAP needs to seriously consider how their immoral advertising affect the youth of our nation. Christians should urge for the removal of GAP's offensive billboard in Los Angeles and any other city where it is located. GAP will also need to cancel any plans to use the "Be One" ad campaign elsewhere including store-front posters, its website, and in print magazine ads.

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Russian Activists Defy Law, Release Balloons On Day Against Homophobia



UDPATE: Commenters point out that things got ugly after the above clip was recorded.
Several gay rights activists have suffered injuries after being assaulted during and after a chaotic demonstration in St.Petersburg. Dozens gathered in a city center park to mark International Day Against Homophobia. City authorities had sanctioned the demonstration, and a police unit shielded participants as they chanted slogans and gave out balloons to passers-by. A larger crowd of anti-gay protesters, some wielding Orthodox crosses, repeatedly shouted death threats, and attempted to break the cordon. Eventually, one man struggled past the police and sprayed mace at one of the demonstrators, who lay prone for several minutes until paramedics arrived.

Afraid the police would not be able to keep the peace, the activists wrapped up the event within minutes. Police escorted the participants on to buses, but the convoy had only traveled several streets when a large group of shaven-headed men sporting football and neo-Nazi attire blocked their path. The assailants threw several smoke grenades at the buses, before rushing them. They broke the windows with rocks and clubs and climbed inside, punching and kicking the activists. Police officers intervened and the drivers managed to get away.

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Douchebag Of The Day - Bill Donohue

"The people who go know they are not witnessing a wedding. I will be at a bar [on Saturday] watching the Preakness. The horses are a lot more fun - and it's real." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue, who wasn't fucking invited to NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn's totally legal and real wedding anyway.

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MALAWI: New President Vows To Decriminalize Homosexuality

Sit down, there's good news from Africa.
President Joyce Banda has said she wants Malawi to overturn its ban on homosexual acts - the first African country to do so since 1994. Two Malawian men were sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2010 after saying they were getting married. Several Western leaders have recently said they would cut aid to countries which did not recognise gay rights. In her first state of the nation address to parliament, Mrs Banda said: "Some laws which were duly passed by the august house... will be repealed as a matter of urgency... these include the provisions regarding indecent practices and unnatural acts." The BBC's Raphael Tenthani in the main city, Blantyre, says the president has the support of a majority of MPs and so should be able to get parliament to overturn the law.
Religious groups are expected to loudly oppose Banda's plan.

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Aussie Gay Pol Steps Up On National TV
"I Know What My Family Is Worth"

Clip description: "Australian Finance Minister Penny Wong delivers a dignified and emotionally powerful response to Joe Hockey after a question about same-sex parenting on the ABC TV show Q&A. This happened live on TV and Twitter went mad."

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Europe Marriage Map

With France to join shortly, it appears. Via Wikipedia.

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Maryland OK's Gay Divorce

You can't yet get gay-married in Maryland, but you can get gay-divorced.
The Court of Appeals ruled 7-0 that couples who have a valid marriage from another state can divorce in Maryland. The case involved two women who were married in California and denied a divorce in 2010 by a Maryland judge. “A valid out-of-state same-sex marriage should be treated by Maryland courts as worthy of divorce, according to the applicable statues, reported cases, and court rules of this state,” the court concluded in a 21-page ruling. It said Maryland courts should withhold recognition of a valid foreign marriage only if that marriage is “repugnant” to state public policy. The court says the threshold is a high bar that has not been met in the case that it ruled on.

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Yo Soy Mitt Romney

How do you say "flip-flop" in Spanish?

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Email Of The Day - Mark Neumann

"My opponent is radical leftist Tammy Baldwin who was ranked the #1 most liberal Representative in Congress last year. She voted for ObamaCare but complained it didn’t go far enough! She openly pushes for a full government takeover of our health care system. She's been on the front lines of the effort to Recall Scott Walker. She eats, sleeps, and breathes radicalism. Now Tammy Baldwin wants a promotion to the U.S. Senate so she can have a bigger impact pushing her out-of-touch liberal views. We cannot let her get there." - Former Rep. Mark Neumann, who is battling openly lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by the retirement of Sen. Herb Kohl.

Support Tammy Baldwin for Senate.

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AFA's Poll Of The Day

Details.

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Obama Is Cheating On Black People

"The black community is in an adulterous relationship with President Obama. He is asking us to stray from the most basic tenets of Scripture – that marriage is an institution made by God for man and woman to become one and procreate. He's telling us it's fine to hold onto our beliefs but that it's also okay to accept his stance on a position that goes against that core belief. This is no different than a married person having a relationship with someone other than their spouse."- Pastor Harry Jackson, speaking to the Christian Post.

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Jesus Of Siberia

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France Promises Gay Marriage

France's new prime minister yesterday vowed to fulfill the promise of just-elected President Francois Hollande (above right) and implement full civil marriage equality for same-sex couples.
A communiqué issued by the office of the prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, who took office on 15 May, marked the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia yesterday with a pledge to put the president’s manifesto promise into law. It said: “On the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment against violence and discrimination perpetrated as a result of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Government is determined to challenge prejudice and to put an end to discrimination and violence. It will implement the commitment of the President of the Republic to the right to marriage and adoption to gay couples.
How soon the process might begin is not yet known.

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Kids Review Skrillex

Clip description:
Despite his trans-continental fame, multiple Grammy wins, and nearly perfect 'do, a lot of people still don't know what to make of Skrillex. With that in mind, we asked our panel of adorable tots, tykes, and toddlers to give us their honest opinion of "Bangarang," the prince of dubstep's wobbly banger.

(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

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Public Offering

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Internet Protest Sells Out Queens Stadium

Remember when I told you that Ultra Orthodox Jews had rented Citi Field for a massive anti-internet protest? Well, it's so sold out, they've had to also rent the nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium, home of the U.S. Open, as a satellite protest venue. The New York Times has more:
Speakers at the rally in Queens will not seek to ban the Internet, but rather to raise awareness about how, unmonitored, it poses a grave risk to the community, said Eytan Kobre, a spokesman for the organizers. The risk, he said, comes not only from pornography, but also from social media and the addictive pull of the Internet, which can limit human interaction, reading and study. “These are the same concerns that people across society — in academia, in psychology, parents, spouses — have about the Internet,” he said.

“But here is a community that is actually standing up and coming together and putting our money where our mouth is, to express a unified communal resolve to address the issues.” At both stadiums, only men are invited, because of the ultra-Orthodox practice of strict gender separation. The meeting will be broadcast live to audiences of women in schools and event halls in Borough Park and Flatbush in Brooklyn and in other ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, according to Hamodia, a newspaper serving the Orthodox.
RELATED: As he always does, Bill Donohue finds a reason to make himself the victim of something that has nothing to do with him.

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Richard Branson Comes Out For Marriage

It never hurts to have a billionaire on your side.

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RUSSIA: The Media Makes You Gay

According to a just-published poll, almost half of the people in Russia believe that gayness is acquired through exposure in the media.
“Forty-seven percent of the respondents said media and propaganda were the key factors contributing to development of a person’s non-traditional sexual orientation,” the pollster said in a press release issued Thursday. Among other vital factors that impact the development of homosexuality, respondents named the influence of friends and parents (35 and 33 percent, respectively). Only 16 percent said that negative experience of past relationships with people of the opposite sex brings about homosexuality. Same-sex relations were only decriminalized in Russia in 1993, and anti-gay sentiment remains strong among Russians, including the political establishment.

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Solar Eclipse On Sunday

Visible on the west coast only.

NORTH CAROLINA: More Blacks Back Gay Marriage After Obama's Announcement

Public Policy Polling has published a fascinating result out of North Carolina, where support for gay marriage has surged among black voters such the president's announcement.
There's been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of African Americans in North Carolina toward rights for gay couples in the wake of President Obama's announcement last week that he supports gay marriage. Our final poll before the primary last week found only 20% of black voters in the state favoring gay marriage, with 63% opposed. Now 27% express support for gay marriage with 59% opposed, for an overall 11 point shift on the margin.

There's been a similar movement when it comes to the overall idea of providing gay couples legal rights in the form of either marriage or civil unions. Before the primary 44% of African Americans favored one of those with 51% opposed to any sort of legal recognition for same sex couples. Now 55% of blacks support either gay marriage or civil unions with only 39% against any sort of recognition. Obama's words look to be having an impact.
Great news!

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Concerned Women Are Concernstipated That Muslims Are Dangerous To Convert

"It is well-known that strict Muslims advocate killing and desecration, so we, as educated Christians, must be aware of this and, as Jude cautions, 'save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.' Nurture this aggressive faith by passionately seeking after God through prayer and action. And notice the order: first and foremost, pray. Secondly, take action by educating yourself and refusing to be passive. We need to conquer through conviction, defend our morals, and lead by example.

"America was founded on Biblical principles. Our Founding Fathers built this country on aggressive thoughts and actions. They went up against a tyrannical government to gain freedom of religion and speech, which would not have been obtained without an aggressive faith. So rise up! Heed the call! Have an aggressive faith, and trust God to lead you. Remember, as Americans, we don’t negotiate with terrorists, and as Christians, we do not negotiate with those who seek to destroy what God has set apart. Our faith is a weapon! Use it!" - Alexandria Paolozzi, writing on the Concerned Women blog.

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Anti-Abortion Activists Force "Conscience Protections" For Kansas Pharmacists

Kansas has become the fifth state to allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception. Focus On The Family cheers:
The Health Care Rights of Conscience Act prevents anyone from being forced to prescribe, distribute or administer drugs they “reasonably believe” could kill a preborn child. Supporters said the bill updates a 1969 law preventing people from being required to perform or participate in abortions. But since the advent of abortifacient drugs, an update was needed. “Before, it was just doctors and nurses and people who had conscience concerns because these things often happen in medical clinics and places like that,” said Robert Noland, executive director of the Kansas Family Policy Council. “But now it can be as simple as writing a prescription. And a pharmacist may not agree with these kinds of things.”
Kansas joins Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota.

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CALIFORNIA: Hate Group Calls For Skipping School On Harvey Milk Day

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New From Minnesotans United

This is about Sunday's house parties.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Elton John On Donna Summer

"I'm so sad. This woman was the queen of disco and so much more. Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace, especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted. She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly." - Elton John, reacting to the death of Donna Summer.

Summer has been nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame four times, including this year. I didn't disagree with any of the 2012 inductees, but in previous years...yeah, I hear ya, Elton.

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Eight Years Of Gay Marriage

And yet, somehow, Massachusetts is still there. Happy anniversary, Bay State. It's damned shame it's taking the rest of us so long to catch up.

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Donna Summer & Paul Jabara

We cannot properly memorialize Donna Summer without mentioning Paul Jabara, the late gay songwriter and performer who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song after his Last Dance was performed by Summer in the pitiful disco movie, Thank God It's Friday. Jabara had a bit part in the film and his own track, Trapped In The Stairway, was included on the terrific soundtrack.

Jabara also wrote No More Tears for Summer and Barbra Streisand, but his greatest fame, perhaps, is for co-writing It's Raining Men with Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer. As so many of our most creative did, Paul Jabara succumbed to AIDS in the early 90s. Below is his amusing 1977 duet with Donna, Shut Out/Heaven Is A Disco. "To get off my bummer, I play Donna Summer!" Donna's spoken impression of Tina Turner is worth waiting for. The questions are easy...the answers are RUFF.

And here's Donna's Thank God It's Friday turn as aspiring disco singer Nicole Sims, in a bit that also pokes fun at her first hit. Trivia: Jeff Goldblum plays the owner of the disco. And watch out for Debra Winger with a tissue.

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Birthers Never Give Up

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Bigot Of The Day - Roger Schlafly

"Immigrants do not share American values, so it is a good bet that they will not be voting Republican when they start voting in large numbers. The NY Times liberals seek to destroy the American family of the 1950s, as symbolized by Ozzie and Harriet. The TV characters were happy, self sufficient, autonomous, law abiding, honorable, patriotic, hard working, and otherwise embodied qualities that made America great. In other words, the show promoted values that NY Times liberals despise. Instead, the USA is being transformed by immigrants who do not share those values, and who have high rates of illiteracy, illegitimacy, and gang crime, and they will vote Democrat when the Democrats promise them more food stamps." - Roger Schlafly, son of Phyllis, writing for the Eagle Forum.

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Two Princes

Andrew Belonsky has the story.

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North Carolina Activists Battle On

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Donna Summer - The Hostage

In 1968, an aspiring 18 year-old singer auditioned to replace Melba Moore in the Broadway musical Hair, but was instead cast in the German road production of the show, later switching to the Austrian version. Years later, during a stint in the Vienna Folk Opera, she met, married, and had a child with Austrian performer Helmut Sommer.

In 1974, Mrs. Sommer met an influential German producer while singing background on a Three Dog Night demo record and he immediately recorded her first single, The Hostage, which went to number one in France, Belgium and The Netherlands. However, due to a typo on the label, the world now knows the singer as Donna Summer.

The Hostage
is oh-so-corny, with its kidnapped husband theme and the phone calls throughout the record. But the power of Donna Sommer/Summer's voice cannot be denied. And thanks to the magic of YouTube, here's the video of her first hit record from 38 years ago.

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Could It Be Magic? Yes, It Could!

Three years ago, with Dr. Jeff and our DC pal Jimbo, I trekked out to Coney Island for Donna Summer's massive outdoor free concert under the Brooklyn stars. It was hot, pushy, and maddeningly overcrowded. It was also fantastic. But not just for the music. It was also amazing to see several generations of gay men, including not a few seniors, bouncing to songs that had filled their lives for as long as 35 years.

Donna Summer came to fame at a magical time in the development of popular gay culture. No longer were our bars exclusively confined to unlit, unsigned, shabby doorways on shadowy streets. Those places still existed, to be sure. But in the bigger cities, often to the sound of Donna Summer records, gay men, many for the first ever, proudly crowded into giant, glittery, celebratory, and gleefully unrestrained discos.

More than Judy, more than Liza, and yes (gasp), more than Madonna, I submit that Donna Summer owns more square miles of emotional real estate in the hearts of older gay men than any other artist. Back in the days when I maintained online "dating" profiles, I would flippantly post that I couldn't possibly consider any applicant who was unable to knowledgeably discuss the entire Donna Summer discography, "including the Geffen years." That was my unsubtle way of weeding out the daddy chasers, but right now I feel the same way.

VIDEO: Donna Summer, Coney Island, 2009.

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Donna Summer Dead At 63

Horrible news. Donna Summer, the queen of disco, has died of cancer. TMZ has the early details.


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ZIMBABWE: Government Leader Calls For Gay People To Be Evicted And Banished

A member of the Zimbabwe Parliament yesterday called for gay people and their allies to be forcibly evicted from their homes and banished from their communities.
Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has urged traditional chiefs to banish "people who support homosexuality" from their communities and take away their land. The ZANU PF MP was addressing villagers in Lupane who had come to witness the installation of Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo last Thursday. "The chiefs are there to protect and promote our cultural values and those who support same sex marriages must be banished from the communities and be dispossessed of their land. What kind of madness is this that when we have beautiful women in our country some people want to marry other men," he said.
Local human rights lawyers condemned Chombo: "Chombo's appetite for forced evictions, especially in the month of May, is reminiscent of the scorched earth programme of Operation Murambatsvina which had far-reaching consequences on a large portion of the Zimbabwean population."

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Morning View - Manhattan From Brooklyn

Submitted by Dr. Jeff. Embiggens nicely.

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All Of This Is Now In Your Back Pocket

Source.

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Reverend Shirley Says....

Richmond, Virginia street preacher Reverend Shirley says she'll be protesting against Obama on that corner until November. From the clip description:
She accused President Obama of pretending that he was against gay rights and turning his back on god. Reverend Shirley stood on the corner holding a bible and wearing two signs, one saying "Don't vote for Obama" and on the back it said "God says it's wrong". She says that she will not vote for President Obama because of his views on homosexuality. The pastor said that she will stand out there until the election in November. She quoted Leviticus and talked about women marrying dogs. Several people challenged her views including a homeless woman and brought interesting perspective.

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Atlantis Cruise Passengers Confess:
We Were Fucking On That Balcony

Queerty has posted a message from the Atlantis Events cruise passengers arrested on board their ship earlier this year while moored at the Caribbean island of Dominica. An excerpt:
Yes, we were having sex on the balcony. We were fucking. There, I said it. The complaints came from Dominica dock workers, who were offended. I’m sure if it had been a naked women they would have continued to stare and most likely would have commented on her breasts. This is something that we could not previously address or admit to. Many have taken this as an opportunity to attack our character and integrity. We were originally charged with “buggery,” which is equivalent to sodomy. However, the charge was later reduced to indecent exposure, a lesser-inclusive charge.

We were represented by counsel who had advised us not to speak or admit to anything we were not being charged with. Had we been found guilty of buggery, we were facing a prison sentence of up to 14 years in a Third World country. We have never denied our responsibility for our indiscretion. We entered a guilt plea to the charge of indecent exposure. The Magistrate excepted our guilty plea, set a fine in the matter and then released us from custody. In addition, we were expatriated and deported from their country at our own expense.
The letter goes on to complain at length about Atlantis Events for taking passengers to anti-gay destinations.

Read the full letter.

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VA Delegate Bob Marshall On Gay Judge Vote: Sodomy Is Not A Civil Right

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WaPo's Electoral Map

Washington Post writes:
Obama starts the general election with 15 states (plus the District of Columbia) and 196 electoral votes solidly for him while Romney begins with 21 states and 170 electoral votes solidly in his corner. (One of the states solidly for Romney is Indiana, where Obama won in 2008 but no one expects a repeat performance in 2012.) Another three states — Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), Michigan (16) and New Mexico (5) — lean toward Obama while Arizona (11) and Missouri (10) lean toward Romney. Add up the states solidly for Obama and those leaning his way and you get 237 electoral votes. Add up the states solidly for Romney and those leaning his way and you get 191 electoral votes. While Obama is closer to the prize than Romney, victory will likely come for either man from the nine swing states — Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia — that are considered genuine toss-ups in our first electoral college predictions.Those nine states comprise 110 electoral votes; whichever candidate wins a majority of them will almost certainly win the presidency.
NOTE: I deleted the map I posted early this morning as I'd uploaded the wrong image. I need to label these files better.

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International Day Against Homophobia

Details.

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New From Karl Rove

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FedEx Loses Religion-At-Work Case

Christian websites are crowing today after a federal judge quashed a request by FedEx to dismiss a suit filed against them by an employee who claims they trampled his right to proselytize at work. FedEx then settled the case confidentially. Note how the Alliance Defense Fund characterizes the employee's behavior:
FedEx refused to allow Weathers to answer questions from others about the Bible or others matters of faith. After his director refused to answer his questions as to why his speech was banned, Weathers turned to a Human Resources representative who replied in e-mail stating that his speech was an “act detrimental to the company”—a designation given to sexual harassment, possession of illegal drugs or weapons in the workplace, theft, workplace violence, and other egregious acts. Though Weathers only answered questions about the Bible, the HR representative also told Weathers that discussions of religion and politics are “forbidden in the workplace.”
He wasn't annoying coworkers with God-talk! He was just answering their questions about the Bible. That happens on the loading dock all the time, people!

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That Starbucks Preacher? Child Abuser!

Anti-gay but gay-sounding Denver preacher Bob Enyart, it turns out, is a convicted child abuser. Yesterday Enyart posted a clip of himself pouring a cup of Starbucks (which he bought) down the sewer. After internet ridicule reached viral proportions, Enyart pulled his clip. But it lives on elsewhere.

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Strip Tease

Source.

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Polls Say People Hate Polls

Fewer that 10% of those contacted bother to complete a political poll. But pollsters say that doesn't really affect the results.
The Pew Research Center’s latest detailed study of survey quality paints a worrisome picture for survey response rates, but again shows that a well-done telephone poll — even one with response rates in the high single-digits — accurately represent the U.S. population on a broad range of political and demographic measures. The apparent accuracy of results from a survey where fewer than one in 10 people completed the interview parallels previous studies showing a weak connection between response rates and survey quality. A 2008 study of more than 100 surveys, including many media polls, concluded that “lower response rates do not notably reduce the quality of survey demographic estimates.”
Do you hang up on pollsters?

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Betty Bowers Meets Ann Romney

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NOM Files Florida Appeal To Secretly Campaign In Favor Of Gov. Rick Scott

NOM has filed a federal appeal demanding that they be exempted from a Florida law that bans out of state groups from secretly campaigning for local politicians. In their filing, NOM argues that they would be unfairly burdened if forced to disclose the source of their funding.
Electioneering communications organizations, or ECOs, are structured differently than traditional political-action committees and provide another vehicle for outside groups to try to influence elections or issues. In the case, the National Organization for Marriage argues that the state law "chills" political speech and that the definition of ECOs is too vague. [snip] The lawsuit started in September 2010 because the National Organization for Marriage wanted to run ads and send mailers related to the November 2010 elections. The material, examples of which were included in the lawsuit, did not explicitly endorse candidates but it lauded some for their positions on issues such as opposing gay marriage. As an example, the group planned to send mailers that would tout at least one legislative candidate as a "proven fighter for Florida families and children, an effective fiscal conservative, a tireless taxpayer advocate (and) a dedicated community volunteer." The mailer also would urge voters to call, e-mail or write the candidate to offer thanks for public service. The examples don't name the lawmakers that would be featured in the mailers. But they indicate the group planned to run upbeat radio and television ads about Gov. Rick Scott.
The rules? Those are for OTHER people.

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Activist Priest Is A Baby Daddy

A prominent Catholic priest noted for his media appearances has been exposed for fathering a baby with his secret lover.
Father Thomas Williams, who has appeared on CBS and NBC and was interviewed by ABC News for a 2010 report on the Legion, made the acknowledgment after an activist who had sought reform in the order contacted the Vatican with his suspicions. "I am truly sorry to everyone who is hurt by this revelation," said Williams in a statement. He said that he would be taking a year's leave from his public duties "to reflect on my commitments as a priest." According to the National Catholic Reporter, the Legion has confirmed that seven other priests are now being investigated for the alleged abuse of minors. The Legion has more than 800 priests. The Legion of Christ was founded by Mexican priest Marcial Maciel in 1941, who built it into a powerful international order with 70,000 followers and many wealthy benefactors. Maciel, however, was accused of sexual abuse, drug abuse and of fathering multiple children with women in Europe and Mexico. In 2006, Pope Benedict banned Maciel from active ministry after 20 men testified that he had molested them when they were teens.
No sex outside one man - one woman marriage!

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Open Thread Thursday

Favorite movie lines, the national gay hobby. GO.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

A REAL Boxing Hero

Via Buzzfeed.

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The Godfather Of Go-Go, Dead At 75

Chuck Brown, the famed spark of that uniquely DC style of horn-driven funk called "go-go," has died at the age of 75.
In addition to being go-go’s principal architect, Mr. Brown remained the genre’s most charismatic figure. On stage, his spirited call-and-response routines became a hallmark of the music, reinforcing a sense of community that allowed the scene to thrive. As go-go became a point of pride for black Washingtonians, Mr. Brown became one of the city’s most recognizable figures. “No single type of music has been more identified with Washington than go-go, and no one has loomed so large within it as Chuck Brown,” former Washington Post pop music critic Richard Harrington wrote in 2001.
I first discovered go-go when Brown's biggest hit, 1979's Bustin' Loose, topped the Billboard R&B chart for four weeks, no easy feat in the era of Ring My Bell, Good Times, and other disco standards now more firmly associated with that era. And then I forgot about go-go for a few years until Spike Lee featured Brown's protegees Experience Unlimited and their smash Da Butt in his 1988 film School Daze. Gimme da bridge, Chuck.

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Israel Rejects All Civil Marriages

Israel's Knesset today rejected a bill that would allow civil marriages. Currently all Israeli marriages must be conducted by a religious institution. The proposed bill would have allowed secular, interfaith, and same-sex unions.
The legislation, by MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) opens the option of civil marriages for those who may not be wed according to halacha (Jewish law), as well as those who choose not to be married by the Chief Rabbinate. It was rejected, with 39 MKs opposed and 11 in favor. Horowitz said there are tens of thousands of homosexual couples in Israel, and his law would help them and others who cannot exercise the basic right to be married and build a family. “There is an extremist, dark institution deciding who may or may not get married,” the Meretz MK said. “The public is sick of the rabbinate.” According to Horowitz, coalition parties betrayed their secular voters by rejecting the bill, choosing to pander to haredi (ultra-orthodox) parties, instead. “Now, more than ever, it is clear to the public in Israel who is for a free society and who is for haredim,” he added.
Like the U.S., Israel is ostensibly a secular democracy.

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PacMan Doubles Down

"I only voiced out my opinion that same-sex marriage is against the law of God. I’m not against homosexuals. I have a relative who is also gay. We cannot do anything if they were born that way. What I do not want is when you disobey the commandment of God." - Pro boxer Manny Pacquiao, responding to a firestorm of criticism following yesterday's newspaper interview. This quote comes via the Courage Campaign, which has launched a petition drive calling for Nike to end their endorsement deal with Pacquaio.

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David Pakman Vs. Paul Cameron

During an interview with radio host David Pakman, today infamous anti-gay activist Paul Cameron confessed that was once attracted to males. But that's only because he was "seduced and homosexually raped" at the age of three. Eventually "the gay" wore off, apparently. Cameron's widely discredited "research" is regularly quoted by all of the major hate groups. His most famous lie is that the average gay man has a life expectancy of 42 years. In the below video, Cameron continues to maintain that President Obama is probably gay himself and that all gay men are inherent pedophiles. And this can be proven because the Denver Post has written about gay rights. Of something.

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Go Joe Biden! Again!

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Sunday: AIDS Vigil In The Castro

This Sunday the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence will lead the 29th annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial in San Francisco's Castro District. Similar events will take place that day throughout the world.
Health, faith and community-based organizations in some 115 countries will use the event to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, to support those living with HIV and affected by its impact and spur calls to greater action from all actors in the HIV response. This year’s theme Promoting Health and Dignity Together carries a lot of meaning. The theme focuses onthe fact that the HIV response will only be successful when it is an effortthat is supported by and addresses the needs of all those affected by HIV,including all people living with HIV key populations such as men who have sexwith men, people who use drugs, and sex workers, as well as women and young people.
San Francisco's event starts at 8pm at Harvey Milk Plaza.

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Man Candles

These don't actually seem terrible. Source.

Helping Hand

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Hate Group Leader Bradlee Dean: Just Look At What Gay Marriage Did To Canada

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The Latest From Maine's Hate Groups

If you donate a nickel, what's their cost? (Via Good As You)

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There's A New Joey Ramone Album

And Rolling Stone is streaming it today.
Joey Ramone's second solo album ya know? is a posthumous collection of demos and unreleased tunes that the Ramones singer recorded over the last 15 years of his life. The set may have been written and recorded at different times, but it's very cohesive, thanks to the rocker's distinct vision as a songwriter.
So far I'm digging it. But I'm a biased Ramones freak going way back to the 70s.

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Freedom To Serve, Freedom To Marry

Clip description:
Gay and lesbian service members risk their lives to protect ours while their families are denied the critical protections of marriage because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. This video is part of Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, a new multimedia persuasion campaign to highlight the stories of military families harmed by DOMA. The campaign is a partnership between Freedom to Marry and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

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They Will Wait And Wait And Wait

From the Family Research Council:
Almost unbelievably, there has been a bounty put out on Tim Tebow’s virginity. There is an organization that says they will pay $1 million to any woman that will come forward and prove that she has had sex with Tim. But there's a powerful and encouraging response happening. Check out this video, and join us in prayer that many will join the We Will Wait movement.
Pointedly, the FRC omits the inconvenient fact that Ashley Madison is actually offering the reward to anybody than can prove having had sex with Tebow. Not "any woman." Anybody. Hello.

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Virgin Atlantic Now Allows Cell Phone Use

But only on flights between NYC and London. So far.
Passengers on certain Virgin Atlantic flights are now able to use their cell phones to make and receive phone calls at 35,000 feet, the airline announced Tuesday. The British airline’s new service could be a blessing for business travelers who want to stay connected during eight-hour flights across the ocean. It could also be a nightmare for the passenger sitting next to them. “I suspect most passengers, like myself, would prefer not to listen to somebody on the phone for what might be hours,” said airline analyst Robert Mann. Only six passengers at a time will be able to use the system, which the airline says is intended “for use in exceptional situations.” Passengers will be able to send text messages, make a call or access email on mobile devices. The airline won’t charge extra for the service but cell phone users will be charged their carrier’s international roaming rates.
What's an "exceptional situation"?

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Why Young People Leave The Church

Dan Savage points us to this fascinating story:
When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “anti-homosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith. The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. (The next most common negative images? : “judgmental,” “hypocritical,” and “too involved in politics.”)

In the book that documents these findings, titled unChristian, David Kinnaman writes: “The gay issue has become the 'big one,' the negative image most likely to be intertwined with Christianity’s reputation. It is also the dimensions that most clearly demonstrates the unchristian faith to young people today, surfacing in a spate of negative perceptions: judgmental, bigoted, sheltered, right-wingers, hypocritical, insincere, and uncaring. Outsiders say [Christian] hostility toward gays... has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith.”

Later research, documented in Kinnaman’s You Lost Me, reveals that one of the top reasons 59 percent of young adults with a Christian background have left the church is because they perceive the church to be too exclusive, particularly regarding their LGBT friends. Eight million twenty-somethings have left the church, and this is one reason why.
The author of the piece, Rachel Held Evans, has closed commenting on her post because "I want to keep this a safe place for conversation." Read some of the responses from her Christian readers and you'll see why.

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New From Minnesotans United

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Perkins On Amendment One

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Look Magazine Flashback

Embiggen the image or go here. I scored 11!

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MINNESOTA: Activists Plan Statewide House Parties To Support Marriage

From Minnesotans United:
On Sunday, May 20th join with Minnesotans all across our state to host a house party on One Day United. By hosting an event on this day you will help support Minnesotans United – by inviting your friends, coworkers, neighbors and family to events on this day you will help organize Minnesotans to Vote No and raise the money needed to defeat this amendment. We have all the materials you will need to help you throw a great party, including invitation templates, theme ideas and more. Sign up now and we’ll even provide you with a One Day United House Party Kit!
Facebook event page.

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Name Ten Things That Aren't Skrillex

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ARMENIA: Bar Bombed Over Owner's Participation In A Gay Pride Parade

Last week a gay-friendly bar in Armenia was fire-bombed, reportedly because the owner is an LGBT rights activist who once marched in a gay pride parade. The suspects have been bailed out by members of parliament.
A homemade bomb this month targeted a bar, called “DIY,” which is seen as a haven for “free thinkers” and welcomes the often-shunned gay community of Yerevan. The hate crime, which happened just two days after the parliamentary elections, has given way to controversy, as ARF MPs Artsvik Minasyan and Hrayr Karapetyan reportedly posted the one million dram (approximately USD 2,500) bail to free the assailants. The attackers, Iranian-Armenian brothers Hampig and Mgrdich (also referred to as Arame) Khapazian, are said to have targeted bar owner Tsomak Oganesova for her activism in the LGBT community, and her participation in a Gay Pride Parade in Turkey. No one happened to be at the bar at the time of the attack, which happened during the early morning hours on May 8. However, substantial damage was reported to the walls and furniture, which were burned from the bomb.
Other attackers returned to the bar yesterday to paint swastikas on its walls. Two more men were arrested. (Tipped by JMG reader Roger)

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NEW JERSEY: Chris Christie & Cory Booker Team Up For Press Club Comedy Video

It's actually pretty good. "BOOKER!" Made for the New Jersey Press Association Legislative Correspondents Club Show.

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Brian Brownshirt: North Carolina's Vote Predicts That Obama Will Lose

"Obama's embrace of same-sex marriage will help ensure he becomes a one-term president, and his political demise will begin with North Carolina. Despite what many in the media claim, the American people do not support same-sex marriage. They sure as heck don't in North Carolina, where voters made it clear they want to prevent activist judges and politicians like Obama from redefining marriage. [snip]

"The president has tied his presidency to a cause that has never been successful with voters -- not in a single state -- not at any time. Not in blue states such as California and certainly not in swing states such as North Carolina. What Obama has just succeeded in doing is to give an incredibly powerful reason to hundreds of thousands of social conservatives, and especially evangelicals, across America to rally behind Mitt Romney if they want to preserve marriage -- and they most decidedly do want to preserve marriage." - Hate group leader Brian Brownshirt, writing for CNN.

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Totally Not Gay-Sounding Preacher Buys Starbucks To Pour It Down The Sewer


(Via Good As You)

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World Net Daily: Will Obama Cancel The Election And Impose Martial Law?

Today World Net Daily offers a faint criticism of growing wingnut claims that President Obama plans to cancel the election and hold onto power by declaring martial law. It's not that he won't necessarily do that, mind you, it's just that it won't work.
Yes, we’ve let ourselves become dull, lazy and ignorant over the years. But not that dull, lazy and ignorant. This American population is plenty smart enough to tell real public disorder from a staged, oversized “October Surprise.” And if we’re not smart enough, there’ll be plenty of wagging tongues, whistleblowers and true patriots clued in and doing their bit to inform and defend America. Stick the fork into this American turkey and you’ll see we’re not done yet. Far from it. If you’ve forgotten the “shellacking” the real Americans handed the quick-change artists in 2010 and the breathtaking Republican victory for prankster-liar Anthony Weiner’s congressional seat inside New York City in 2011, just consider the lopsided defeat of gay marriage in North Carolina May 8 of this year. How much of that vote was plain old repudiation of Barack Obama? Plenty!
The above-linked story is festooned with ads about the coming End Times and with ads about retirement planning. Confusing!

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