Friday, May 29, 2009

Clinton approves partner benefits for State Dept. workers

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that gay American diplomats will be given benefits similar to those that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy, according to U.S. officials.

In a notice to be sent soon to State Department employees, Clinton says regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families the same rights and privileges that straight diplomats enjoyed are “unfair and must end,” as they harm U.S. diplomacy.

“Providing training, medical care and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety and effectiveness of our posts abroad,” she says in the message, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

“It will also help the department attract and retain personnel in a competitive environment where domestic partner benefits and allowances are increasingly the norm for world-class employers,” she says.

“At bottom, the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex domestic partners because it is the right thing to do,” Clinton says.

Among the benefits that will now be granted gay diplomats: the right of domestic partners to hold diplomatic passports, government-paid travel for their partners and families to and from foreign posts, and the use of U.S. medical facilities abroad.

In addition, gay diplomats’ families will now be eligible for U.S. government emergency evacuations and training courses at the Foreign Service Institute, the message says.

The announcement, expected this week, was provided to the AP by a State Department official who is a member of the Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies organization. Two department officials not affiliated with the organization confirmed its accuracy.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the changes.

Previously, the State Department had withheld some benefits from the families of gay diplomats, citing the Defense of Marriage Law, which had restricted federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

One former ambassador, Michael Guest, resigned from the foreign service in 2007 to protest the restrictions. Guest was a part of the Obama administration’s State Department transition team and played a major role in lobbying for the changes.

Dueling marriage bills in Penn.

Pennsylvania has become the latest same-sex marriage battleground, with the legislature being pushed to pass both a marriage equality bill and one that would bar gays from marrying.

Sen. Daylin Leach (D) announced the marriage equality bill on Wednesday.

“There has never been a more propitious time for Pennsylvania to embrace equality and enshrine the civil right of all Pennsylvanians to marry,” Leach told reporters.

The bill would provide “full and equal marriage rights to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania,” said Leach. But it would not force churches to conduct ceremonies or recognize same-sex marriages against church doctrine.

The legislation also would recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other areas where they are legal.

Earlier this month, Republican state Sen. John Eichelberger filed a bill to amend the state constitution to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.

The state already has a so-called Defense of Marriage law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, but Eichelberger said the law could be overturned by a judge. Only through a constitutional amendment could the intent of the law be carried out without “judicial interference.”

A similar proposed amendment was pulled last year, just hours before the state Senate was expected to approve it. The measure would have banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.

While it was likely to pass the Senate, the amendment was equally likely to have died in the House. An attempt to move the amendment in 2006 also failed.

Republicans control the Senate 30-20, but Democrats have a 104-99 majority in the House.

Amending the constitution requires approval from both the House and Senate in two consecutive two-year sessions before the measure goes to voters for final approval in a statewide referendum.

Last year, a poll found that although most Pennsylvanians oppose same-sex marriage, there was widespread support for civil unions. The poll, conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, found 65 percent of those questioned support civil unions, while only 27 percent were opposed.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

NIGEL LYTHGOE RESPONDS: NOT A FAN OF 'BROKEBACK' BALLROOM

Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance responds on Twitter to internet uproar over his homophobic remarks on last night's show in response to a pair of same-sex dancers.


Nigel Lythgoe issued an apology for his remarks. Here is his statement, via GLAAD:
“I sincerely regret the fact that I have upset people with the poor word choices and comments I made both during the taping of the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ audition and on my personal status update. I am not homophobic and it was extremely upsetting for me to be classed as such.
I have been forthright and consistent with my opinion, as a judge, that professional male dancers should move with strength and agility — like Gene Kelly and Rudolph Nureyev. I now realize how this could be misconstrued.

I have been a dancer, and involved in the dance world, for nearly 50 years. Professionally and personally, I believe the sexual orientation of an auditioner or contestant is irrelevant. All that said, the fact that I have unintentionally upset people is distressing to me and it is obvious I have made mistakes that I must learn from. I trust that my humor will be more sensitive and mindful moving forward.”

Said GLAAD President Neil Giuliano: “We certainly appreciate the dialogue, and the opportunity for Nigel to help further educate people about how words and images matter. His sincere words are appreciated, and we look forward to words, images and representations of the LGBT community on So You Think You Can Dance that will be fair, accurate and inclusive in the future.”


TAKE ACTION: Call on Fox Entertainment and So You Think You Can Dance Judge to Apologize for Homophobic Remarks

On the May 21 season premiere of Fox’s popular reality competition show So You Think You Can Dance, aspiring competitors Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel performed a samba for the judges at the program’s Denver auditions. Though the judges did offer some praise to the men, judge Nigel Lythgoe -- in his on-air and online criticisms of their performance -- made snide, and ultimately homophobic, comments about the routine that have led to calls for an apology to both the dancers and to the LGBT community.

During the telecast, Lythgoe said: “I think you probably alienate a lot of our audience. I mean, we’ve always had the guys dance together on the show, but I’ve -- they’ve never really done it in each other’s arms before.” Shortly thereafter, he added, “Do you know what? I’d like to see you both dancing with a girl.”

Lythgoe later wrote on Twitter: “The same sex ballroom guys did remind me of 'Blades of Glory.' However, I'm not a fan of 'Brokeback' Ballroom.”

"It's unacceptable for this kind of blatant homophobia to occur" said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "Fox Entertainment and Nigel Lythgoe owe Misha, Mitchel and the whole LGBT community an apology."
Since the incident, GLAAD has been flooded with feedback from community members concerned that last night’s comments and tweets amount to a promotion of homophobia by a top-rated network reality-show judge. After contacting Fox, a representative at So You Think You Can Dance told GLAAD they are passing along our concerns and will get back with us.


TAKE ACTION

Contact Fox Entertainment today.

Call on them to listen to and discuss our community’s concerns -- and call on Nigel Lythgoe to apologize for his snide, homophobic remarks.

Contact:
Erica Keane
Vice President, Media Relations
Fox Broadcasting Company
(212) 301-3613

Michelle Hooper
Senior Vice President of Entertainment
Publicity Fox Broadcasting Company
(310) 369-1000

Lindsay Luttrell
So You Think You can Dance
(323) 575-6100

EMPIRE STATE PRIDE AGENDA DEBUTS SECOND NY MARRIAGE EQUALITY AD



The Empire State Pride Agenda has debuted its second marriage equality ad which they hope to start running soon in markets across the state:

They write: "Our new ad features Karen Schuster from Rochester, NY and two of her children. Karen wants all of her kids to be treated equally by New York State. Her 23-year old daughter Jessica looks forward to the day when she can marry the person she loves. Her 19-year old gay son Luke, however, feels like he is less of a citizen because he will not be allowed to one day marry the person he loves. Like Barb and Don Crawford in our first ad that has been running on television for the past two weeks, Karen, Luke and Jessica demonstrate how the denial of civil marriage rights for same-sex couples affects entire families—parents who want their children to have all of the same opportunities that they have and siblings who can’t understand why their brothers and sisters are not treated equally under the law."

Judges in Prop 8 case threatened

A newly-formed group has issued a warning to California’s Supreme Court justices: Overturn Proposition 8 at your own peril.

The court will issue its ruling today on the constitutionality of Prop 8, the voter measure banning same-sex marriage in the state that was approved in November.

The group calling itself the American Civil Responsibilities Union held a news conference Monday on the steps of the court to announce plans to launch a statewide effort to recall any state of the justices who vote to overturn Proposition 8.

“We believe homosexuality in all its manifestations is an unfortunate abnormality,” the group said in a statement distributed to the news media.

“However, we wish it understood that we fully support alternative civil unions between like sexes. As registered `domestic partnerships,’ they should have all the state rights and responsibilities that are assumed in traditional marriages,” the statement said.

The organization was formed by Howard Garber who started “Californians For A Responsible Supreme Court,” in the 1980s.

That group succeeded in having Chief Justice Rose Bird recalled from the state Supreme Court because of her opposition to the death penalty.

Monday night, hundreds of gay marriage supporters filled San Francisco’s Grace Episcopal Cathedral for a prayer service conducted by representatives of more than 40 Christian, Jewish and Buddhist denominations.

Whichever way the court rules, LGBT activists and their supporters will take to the streets on Tuesday following the ruling.

The marches will take place throughout the state. Organizers say they will be celebratory if the court rules in their favor and protests if Prop 8 is upheld.

Waiting for the decision “has been an absolutely gut-wrenching experience,” Molly McKay, spokesperson for Marriage Equality USA told The Associated Press.

“As Californians, we are all under tremendous strain worrying about the economy, our jobs and our families,” McKay said. “On top of that, gay families have been living for months with the fear that the court will allow a bare majority of voters to strip gay and lesbian families of their constitutional protections and eliminate our marriages - or just as bad, eliminate new couples’ ability to get married.”

Prop 8 was passed by voters by a slim 52 percent.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights immediately filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the vote. They were joined by additional suits by the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles and a legal opinion by California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

For the court there are three issues to be determined: Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution; Does Proposition 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution; and If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Proposition 8?

Two separate groups are not taking any chances should the court fail to overturn Prop 8 and are preparing voter measures to overturn it in 2010.

The California Secretary of State has given the group Yes on Equality until Aug. 17 to collect the nearly 700,000 signatures needed to qualify its initiative for the 2010 ballot. It would ask voters to repeal Prop 8. The other, by two college students, would strike the word “marriage” from all state laws.

Federal Challenge to Prop 8 Already Underway

Same-sex marriage may be dividing a nation (or at least conservatives hope it is), but it's common ground for two big time attorneys who we never expected to see on the same side of the courtroom.

"Two prominent attorneys who argued on opposite sides of Bush vs. Gore, the legal battle over the 2000 presidential election, announced Tuesday that they will challenge Proposition 8 in federal court and seek to restore gay marriage until the case is decided. Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, who represented then-Vice President Al Gore in the contested election, have joined forces to tackle the same-sex marriage issue, which has deeply divided Californians and left 18,000 gay couples married last year in legal isolation. In a project of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, Olson and Boies have united to represent two same-sex couples filing suit after being denied marriage licenses because of Proposition 8. Their suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court in California, calls for an injunction against the proposition, allowing immediate reinstatement of marriage rights for same-sex couples."

Gay groups say federal marriage suit premature
After defeat in Calif. court, they don't see good odds at U.S. Supreme Court

A coalition of gay-rights groups said Wednesday that a federal same-sex marriage lawsuit brought by two high-profile lawyers is premature and they'd rather work through state legislatures and voters to win wedding rights.

A day after the California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on gay marriage, the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and other national organizations issued a statement saying they think the U.S. Supreme Court is not ready to rule in their favor on the issue.

"In our view, the best way to win marriage equality nationally is to continue working state by state, not to bring premature federal challenges that pose a very high risk of setting a negative U.S. Supreme Court precedent," said Shannon Minter, legal director of National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Adam Lambert talks about Pink Elephant in the Room!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

NOH8

The first official PSA for the NO H8 Campaign, a silent photographic protest in response to the passage of California's Proposition 8; a state ballot measure banning same-sex marriage.

"Fidelity": Join the Movement to Repeal Prop 8

ACLU Responds to Supreme Court Ruling on Proposition 8



Matt Coles, Director of the ACLU LGBT Project, responds to the California Supreme Court decision upholding Proposition 8

Schwarzenegger on Prop 8

“While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage, as governor of California I will uphold the decision of the California supreme court. Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8’s passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact. I also want to encourage all those responding to today’s court decision to do so peacefully and lawfully.”

-- California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the state supreme court's decision to uphold Prop. 8

REPEAL PROP. 8 – We Won't Back Down!

California's Proposition 8 will stand. The court's decision is heartbreaking.


But if enough of us stand up and speak out, if enough refuse to back down, we can build the support to get this hateful law repealed. We can organize faith communities and other allies and win the fight for marriage equality in California and across the country.

The Civil Disobedience Begins

Two hundred people are blocking the intersection of Grove and Van Ness, one of the major thoroughfares in San Francisco, in front of City Hall.

Advocate reporter Sue Rochman says clergy members and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are going around blessing people willing to be arrested. A couple hundred people appear to be willing to be arrested and are signing civil disobedience forms. Traffic is completely blocked and no one is getting through.


"I am outraged and disgusted, but this is only a momentary setback. We will soon win back this right and the victory will be even more thrilling because we had to fight so hard to get it."
-- Margaret Cho reacts to the California supreme court's decision to uphold Prop. 8

"So, will anyone be sleeping better tonight? Those full of hate and fear will surely be disappointed that 18,000 same-sex couples will be living in wedded bliss, kissing their spouses goodnight, checking off those little 'married' boxes on all those forms we fill out nowadays. That’s really going to drive them crazy. Then there are those of us like me who still dangle in 'domestic partnership.' We can adopt our own children, but we can’t bring our partners who might be citizens from out of the country, here. We can’t file joint tax returns. I could go on. Who will be happy tonight?


"How do I explain this to my children? 'Well, you know Ellen? She is married, but Mommy and I are not.' That is liberty and justice for all? I am hopeful as I see more and more states turn to the inevitable future of equality, California will get there. Change takes time."


-- Melissa Etheridge on the California supreme court's decision to uphold Prop. 8

Prop 8: Marriage Ban Upheld. Here's What's Next

California Supreme Court upholds Prop 8

The decision LGBT Californians expected (and feared) was handed down by the justices of the state’s Supreme Court this morning. In a 6-1 ruling, the court upheld the voter-approved ban on state recognition of same-sex marriage as outlined in Proposition 8. Justice Carlos Moreno is the only judge who dissented.

The court, as expected, also ruled that the 18,000 or so same-sex marriages that took place last year after the court’s previous ruling that gays could not be denied the right to marry each other would remain valid.

Thousands of Prop 8 opponents gathered outside San Francisco City Hall in anticipation of the decision. They began to chant "Shame on you!" once they heard the court upheld Prop 8. Roughly 100 Prop 8 supporters also gathered.

"Our worst fears have come to pass," Equality California executive director Geoff Kors and Marc Solomon, director of marriage for the organization, said after the court announced its decision. "The California Supreme Court just ruled that a slim majority of voters could eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. This unjust decision flies in the face of our constitution’s promise of equal protection."

Although the immediate impact of the decision is on the status of marriage for same-sex couples, the real question the court was clarifying was what kinds of changes to the Constitution make it an amendment, requiring only a simple majority vote of the electorate, and what make it a revision, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Legislature and a simple majority vote of the people. By ruling that Prop 8 was indeed an amendment as it was submitted, the justices found the will of the majority, at least in California, is sufficient to strike down the rights of a minority because doing so does not change the fundamental nature of the governmental process.

Activists and others echoed Equality California’s sentiments.

"Today our highest court ruled that minorities do not matter," state Sen. Mark Leno [D-San Francisco] said in a statement.

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, also criticized the court’s decision.
"Today’s ruling is a huge blow to Americans everywhere who care about equality," he said. "The court has allowed a bare majority of voters to write same-sex couples out of basic constitutional protections."

When the justices heard arguments from all parties in the petitions to repeal Prop 8 less than three months ago, many supporters of marriage for gays and lesbians felt the justices’ questions indicated a predisposition to uphold Prop 8’s ban on nuptials for same-sex couples. In anticipation of today’s decision, dozens of rallies were scheduled within the past few weeks for this evening.

In Los Angeles, Prop 8 opponents were set to rally at noon at the county marriage license office at 4716 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. in East Los Angeles, then rally again at 7 p.m. in West Hollywood Park at the intersection of San Vicente and Santa Monica Boulevards. In San Francisco, supporters will rally at 5 p.m. at City Hall for a march to Yerba Buena Gardens at Fourth and Mission Streets. A list of rallies in other locations across the state and the nation are available at http://www.marriageequality.org/ and http://www.dayofdecision.com/.

Activists have also said they plan to bring another initiative before California voters next November that would overturn Prop 8.


Prop 8 Upheld

After nearly three months of waiting for a decision, California's supreme court justices voted Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8, the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

After nearly three months of waiting for a decision, California's supreme court justices voted Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8, the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

The court ruled that the decision to eradicate the ban would go against the will of the people if overturned.

Despite the ruling, the 18,000 gay and lesbian couples that wed after the supreme court's original decision in May 2008 will be allowed to stay married. Six of the seven supreme court justices voted to uphold Prop 8.

Protests directly following the November 4, 2008 election called for a hearing to repeal Proposition 8. The California supreme court agreed to hear arguments later that month. Hundreds of friend-of-the-court briefs followed by various organizations followed, both for and against the state's most expensive ballot initiative in history.

Day of Decision rallies have been planned for the evening of the ruling in all 50 states. For more information about the protests, visit DayofDecision.com for locations and action plans.

Calif. court to rule Tuesday on gay marriage

The nation's most populous state stood poised to recapture the spotlight in the debate over gay marriage as California's highest court prepared to rule on the legality of a voter-approved ban on same-sex unions.

The California Supreme Court planned to hand down its decision Tuesday in a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn November's Proposition 8. Gay rights advocates maintain the ballot measure so dramatically revised the state constitution's equal protection clause that it needed the Legislature's approval before it could be put to voters.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Jesse Ventura Lays Waste To Fox And Friends

Jon Stewart Questions Steele's 'Gay Marriage Is Bad For Small Business' Theories

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Gay Marriage Is Bad for Small Business
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White House Response To DOMA Question

The White House issued its official response to The Advocate's question earlier this week about what the Obama administration is doing to ensure that same-sex marriages could be recognized by the federal government.

According to a statement from the White House press office, "DOMA is a federal law passed by Congress that precludes uniform federal recognition of same-sex relationships, even those recognized as valid under the law of the state. Because the President believes that this is an issue that should be left to the states, he continues to support the legislative repeal of DOMA."

The answer more or less summarized a portion of the 1996 law and restated the first part of the original question, which referenced President Obama's support for full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

But the White House statement stopped short of substantively addressing the second part of the question, which sought a remedy and a timeline for honoring same-sex marriages: "Now that same-sex couples can marry legally in five different states, what is the president doing to make sure those marriages can be recognized at the federal level, and what's the timeline for something like that?"

Robert Gibbs, responded during the press briefing by saying, "I have to go check on that. I honestly don't know the answer to that."

Thursday, May 21, 2009

For the first time in history, we have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution.

- PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, unveiling environmental standards for U.S. automobiles

Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach Discharged For Being Gay

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Reports On: Decorated Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach Discharged For Being Gay

California Election Results: Schwarzenegger's Third Budget Reform Attempt Flops

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to permanently fix California's "broken budget system." But three times now he has tried and failed to smooth out the state's roller coaster revenues.

Voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected his latest effort, a package of budget-balancing measures that he promised would provide a short-term patch for the current financial crisis and prevent further catastrophe in the future.

Instead, he now faces a $21.3 billion budget deficit and a budget system that has not changed a bit since he took office nearly six years ago.

"I think he's discovered that this job is a lot harder than he anticipated in a state of economic downturn," Treasurer Bill Lockyer said Tuesday of the governor who came into office in 2003 promising to "end the crazy deficit spending."

The Republican governor faces another tough round of budget negotiations after months spent haggling with lawmakers to close the state's first budget shortfall, which was initially $42 billion through June 2010.

Schwarzenegger will be forced to spend much of his final year-and-a-half in office struggling with the same financial woes that led to the recall of his predecessor instead of enacting the sweeping policy changes he once envisioned.

"The biggest loser would be Arnold," said Dave McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. "It's time to start looking for a cabinet post in the Obama administration or an ambassadorship someplace warm."

Lockyer said Schwarzenegger and lawmakers will have to reach a new budget agreement quickly, with tax revenue coming in far below projections. Unless a compromise is struck by the end of June, the state could have trouble paying its bills by the end of July.

Nevada Gov. to Veto DP Bill

Nevada governor Jim Gibbons has pledged to veto a bill passed by the legislature on Tuesday that would give same-sex domestic partners many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.

Gibbons, a Republican, has up to five days to veto the bill. Both houses of the legislature are expected to override the veto.

A spokesperson for Gibbons told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the Republican governor will oppose the bill on the grounds that it involves government in residents’ personal lives, and because existing laws already provide adequate domestic contract options.

Nevada voters twice approved a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, in 2000 and 2002. The domestic partnership legislation specifies that the contracts are not marriages.

The new legislation would give domestic partners, including same-sex couples, the same rights as married couples in estate planning, medical decision, community property and children if they enter into a civil contract and obtain a state registration.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

SF MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM ASKED COURT TO DELAY PROP 8 RULING

Sources close to San Francisco City Hall sasid that the California Supreme Court was prepared to release its opinion on Proposition 8 tomorrow, but decided to delay the ruling after a call from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

"Newsom reached out to the Supreme Court and asked them to hold off releasing their decision so it did not coincide with the White Night riots," said our source.


As mentioned earlier, a ruling Thursday would have fallen on the 30th anniversary of the San Francisco riots, which were set off when the court handed down the most lenient decision possible (voluntary manslaughter) against Dan White for the murders of supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. The ensuing riots in San Francisco on May 21, 1979 caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.


May 22 also happens to be a significant date. It would have been Milk's 79th birthday.

White House Dodges "Defense Of Marriage Act" Question

Pentagon: Bible Quotes No Longer In Reports

The Pentagon said Monday it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the Bush administration.

DeGeneres Salutes Tulane University Graduates

Ellen DeGeneres gave the commencement speech at Tulane University over the weekend in which she talks about her girlfriend who was killed in a car accident when she was 19, her stand-up comedy path, coming out as a lesbian, and living one's life with integrity.

"Why is Newt Gingrich on my news crawl this morning? Last time he was interesting, I hadn't hit puberty yet."

MEGHAN MCCAIN,
daughter of John McCain and blogger, on Twitter

Nebraska Parents Allow Biological Son, 8, to Live as the Girl She Says She Is

Parents of an 8-year-old transgendered child who insists on her gender identity despite her male physiology have decided that it’s in their child’s best interests to allow her to live as a girl.
The decision means removing the child from Catholic school, where the issue of the child--now free to live as "Katie," rather than "Ben"--being transgendered was regarded as "unfair" to ask others to accept.

The move also pre-empts potential acts of aggression from Katie, who, reported a May 16 story in the Omaha World-Herald spat at a classmate who called her a "boy."

In an example of Katie’s artwork, a picture shows Katie being called a boy by another child; the legend reads, "I feel angry when..."

The case seems to fit with classic instances of transgenderism, with Katie rejecting the very notion that she is anything other than a little girl, despite the evidence of her body’s male physiology.

For Katie’s parents, the issue has meant learning that there’s a huge difference between homosexuality (they at first thought Ben was gay) and transgenderism.

Now that Katie is headed to pubic school, the immediate problems are more or less solved. What to do as Katie gets older is another question, which her family will have to deal with in the fullness of time.

One possibility is to embrace a new, and controversial, therapy in which a transgendered child is given medications to delay the onset of adolescence, in order to make a surgical transition to a female physique less grueling.

The drug therapy also would buy time for a child to decide once and for all whether she really is a she, though in Katie’s case she’s been insistent and sure of herself since the age of two.
The article said that the best advice for Katie’s parents was to let her take the lead in determining who she is, and to go from there.

The parents have taken that advice to heart; said Katie’s mother, "This really isn’t our journey.
"We’re kind of observers on this path."

Observers who have had to take a hand in matters from time to time. Katie was allowed to be Katie while at home, but during the time she attended an Omaha Catholic school, she was required to be "Ben" during school hours.

When Katie finally convinced her parents to allow her to express her indentified gender full time, the parents ran into a wall when it came to allowing Katie to return to Catholic school in the fall.
The church sees gender as determined by the physical body, and not subject to change, the article noted, citing Rev. Joseph Tephorn, the chancellor for the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Taphorn also claimed that it was an issue of fairness--to Katie’s classmates and their parents.
"It’s not fair to other children or families to introduce this question and this issue that is obviously a very real and serious one," the article quoted Taphorn as saying.

That was heartbreaking to Katie’s mother, who went to Catholic school in Omaha herself, but Katie’s wellbeing came first: she’s headed to public school in the fall.

The family’s choices are not without critics. At conservative chat room FreeRepublic.com, where chat participants on any given day could be reliably expected to defend parental rights when it comes to keeping their kids out of sex ed classes, the issue of parents choosing to allow their biological son to live as the daughter she is convinced that she truly is under the skin was greeted with contempt and generalizations about the "loony left."

Wrote one chat participant, "This is what you can look forward too.

"First comes gay marriage then comes more and more.

"Won’t be able to say anything about it either or you will be labeled a bigot."

Evidently blaming individuals of certain political leanings for the child’s sense of herself, the posting went on, "Maybe they will counsel your child to consider whether they really are the sex they were born or not or maybe if they would like to be the opposite sex. Isn’t that such a wonderful thing?

"The left is such a horrible ugly beast. It is long over due for being slain," the posting concluded.
Wrote another, "Imagine they are letting a 8yr old decide what he wants and they think it is ok.
"I am totally disgusted and at a loss for words...”

Added another, "I’ll bet the parents are both nutcase liberals!"

Echoed another, "I feel for the kid.

"He She,he it will be confused all it’s life and vote democratic.."

Another offered a prescription for the issue. "One word for ya--home school."

Another predicted that violence would result. "Beat up or killed.

"That happened to a kid near here (So Cal) about 5 years ago. All the ’counseling’ and ’sensitivity training’ in the world did not make it work, nor did the PC ’thinking’ make it TRUE."

Another tossed off, "Messed up parents make messed up kids."

Another raised the specter of the restroom dilemma: "Parents of real girls at the school had better be up in arms if the school allows this kid to use the girl’s restroom."

Wrote another, "Children are taken form [sic] parents who will not allow a blood transfusion--why aren’t the authorities rescuing this sick kid?"

Another speculated that despite Katie’s long-standing convictions, she could simply be going through "a phase," writing, "In my opinion, a kid doesn’t have a firm idea of ’gender’ until they’ve reached puberty and their hormones start influencing them--until then, their idea of ’gender’ is almost entirely based around arbitrary social constructs like ’blue is for boys and pink is for girls’."

Added the contributor, "What does an 8-year-old girl have that an 8-year-old boy doesn’t, beyond Hannah Montana stuff and dolls instead of Spiderman stuff and trucks?

"Parents who encourage things like allowing a toddler to ’change their gender’ are only going to make their child terribly confused during at least their teenage and adult years."

While such opinions such as that last one may seem to be common-sense to many lay people, some mental health professionals disagree. The Omaha World-Tribune cited psychologist Diane Ehrensaft as saying that if a child "grows out" of being transgendered, then he or she wasn’t transgendered at all.

Transgendered individuals, by contrast, have a core identity as a member of the other gender, and a conviction that they are in the wrong sort of body, the article reported, citing psychotherapist MeganSmith, who has worked with Katie’s family. It’s not a conviction that comes and goes: it’s permanent and definite.

Said Smith, "If the child is truly transgender, it’s not going to go away."

The choice becomes one of accepting that the person’s sense of self belongs to the gender opposite that of his or her body, and working for there, or attempting to suppress and deny the transgendered person’s innate sense of who they are.

When the latter choice is made, and the individual’s "truth" about his or her gender smothered under gender conformity, the consequences can be drastic, including drug use, depression, and suicide, the article said.

For Katie, the details of her journey’s future may not as yet be settled, but she’s on a path to life as a person who has not been forced into a painful, even destructive, denial of her own deepest truths.

Insurers Planning on Double-Crossing Obama

According to new information obtained by the Washington Post:

One week after the nation's health insurance lobby pledged to President Obama to do what it can to constrain rising health costs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is putting the finishing touches on a public message campaign aimed at killing a key plank in Obama's reform platform.

As part of what it calls an "informational website," the company has hired an outside PR company to make a series of videos sounding the alarm about a government-sponsored health insurance option, known as the public plan. Obama has consistently maintained that a government-run plan, absent high-paid executives and the need for profits, could be a more affordable option for Americans who have trouble purchasing private insurance. The industry argues that creating a public insurance program will undermine the marketplace and eventually lead to a single-payer style system.

Pennsylvania Senator Introduces Gay Marriage Ban

State Sen. John Eichelberger, a Republican from Blair County in central Pennsylvania, plans to introduce a bill to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage, reports the Philadelphia Daily News. The senator will make the announcement at a press conference in Hollidaysburg at noon on Tuesday.Pennsylvania enacted a law in 2006 to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but Eichelberger contends a constitutional amendment is needed to prevent courts from overturning that law.

The amendment would require approval from the house and senate in two consecutive two-year sessions, followed by approval from voters in a statewide referendum. Proposals to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage have failed in the past two legislative sessions.

Despite recent advances such as benefits recognition for the domestic partners of state employees, attitudes on same-sex marriage remain slower to change in Pennsylvania than neighboring states. A poll from Muhlenberg College and the Allentown Morning Call earlier this month showed that support for same-sex marriage rose from 35 percent to 42 percent since 2004, with public opinion split on a constitutional ban.

UNITE AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE!

Here is the description of the video from the person that posted it:

If everyone would keep their sexual perversions to themselves, we'd be fine. We have women who dress and act all butch, wear baggy clothes, want to piss standing up...then we have men who dress and act feminie, switch when they walk, talk with a broken wrist, dress in feathers and prance around like faries....then we have these "cross gendered" freaks who look like they are dressed for Halloween... and these people want to be seen as NORMAL?! And then they got the nerve to get upset wjem they get funny offensive looks and people can't distinguish their true gender. Ha ha ha!Homosexuals have been around forever. But all of a sudden they want to force their lifestyle on society by using the strong arm of the government to back them up, knowing darn well that people are grossed out by their behavior...so this is the problem I have. Its like my buttons are being pushed now, so I have to react and let them know how repugnant their behavior is. If the homos could just sit quietly and do what they do behind closed doors, that would be fine. But now they want to call themselves "married"...and adopt kids...and teach kids this lifestyle is ok? Aw hell naw!!!!! lol.I'm tellin ya...this is a stepping stone. Next comes polygamy, beastiality, pedophilia, legalizing drugs, less censorship in the media, etc.Have you googled "NAMBLA", its some sick organization trying to legalize pedophilia. This country is losing its morals. :-(

But I think the comments to the video sum it up perfectly:

Text Comments
adrade (4 minutes ago)I can't tell whether this is a joke or not.

Bradshawful (8 minutes ago)
...but remember, we have numbers on our side...Would those numbers be 666 by any chance? Sorry that you can't get a man and all, but do you really think that demonizing gays and lesbians with silly schoolyard taunts will fill that, erm, "void" in your life?

jojococoa (10 minutes ago)
yes it is happening in churches. but its happening in churches that support and welcome gay people. it can and will never happen in your church if you don't want it to. i don't see the problem. nobody is going to force your church into marrying same sex couples.

scrappysf (14 minutes ago)
Moron.

Belkara
Wow...that was lame.

boydh88
Why do you feel so resposible for achieving this? Tomorrow I'll be forgotten your name and this pointless video. The fact that you can't let this go sounds like inner frustration to me. I'm sure your father was a guy with very radical ideas. And probably you've been raised in the church. You're a really sad person, and I'm sure it;s the result of people who never reveiced love from their family nor other people. Try to live a happy life instead of trying to make it misereable to others..

top37ccs (1 hour ago)
This must be a joke...

obamadidit2008 (1 hour ago)
california is a schizophrenically liberal state. it only goes as far as it wants to. and remember this, you have a very progressive coastal area, and an area, the inland, which seems to have the mentality of idaho

Same-Sex Marriage Is Good For Business. So Why Won't Republicans Support It?

Adam Lambert's Boyfriend Drake?

Perez Hilton claims that this man, allegedly named Drake, is Adam Lambert's love interest and Lambert was affectionately referring to him as "my boy" at a recent party. Over the weekend, the New York Daily News floated a rumor that Lambert was spotted with someone he referred to as "his boyfriend" while dining out with fellow Idol contestants over the weekend.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

New Hampshire Could Get Same-Sex Marriage Tomorrow

If all goes accordingly, Gov. John Lynch will have revamped same-sex marriage bills on his desk after legislators update them today to include more explicit language "protecting" religious freedoms. And then he will sign them. And then New Hampshire will become the sixth state where gays are truly equal.

America's Youngest Gay Rights Activist: 9-Year-old Ethan McNamee



Ethan McNAmee, a third-grader at Montclair Elementary School in Denver, organized a rally for marriage equality and delivered a speech at the Colorado State Capitol on Saturday:

"He was concerned about the issue after hearing about anti-gay remarks on the playground and then learning about a same sex couple in his neighborhood that couldn't get married. 'Everybody is different in a good way,' he said. Ethan believes that if two people love each other that is the only issue to be considered. Ethan took it upon himself to arrange the rally and line up the guest speakers. He admitted it was more work then he thought it would be, but adds it was fun."

NOM's 'I'm Confused' Ad Attempts To Sway New Hampshire Governor


NOM "I'm Confused" ad
by 2dobiedc

Obama to Issue National Auto Emissions Standard: All Cars Must Get 42 MPG by 2016

After much speculation, news just broke that Obama is going to announce a national emissions standard tomorrow--and it's going to be tough. As tough as California's, in fact, which is the strictest in the nation. Indeed, Obama is combining the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard with California's new emissions law--and the result is great news: cars will be 30 percent more efficient by 2016, as all cars sold then must get 42 miles per gallon.

GOP: Gay Marriage Will Cost Money

According to GOP Chair Michael Steele, Republicans can reach a broader base by using same-sex marriage as an issue that could financially hurt people as small business would be forced to spend more on health care and other benefits.

Earlier today Steele said that was just an example of how the GOP can rebuild and find a message that appeals to young voters and minorities without giving up their core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.

Monday, May 18, 2009

California's Plans for Biggest Desalination Plant Are a Go


The $320 million desalination plant planned for Carlsbad, California was approved earlier this week, making it a prime opportunity to test out how desalination might work as a way forward through the water issues the state faces.

Obama's War on Terror Doesn't Extend to Actually Understanding the Terrorists

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Wisconsin High Court to Review Marriage Ban

The Wisconsin supreme court said on Thursday that it would review whether the 2006 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was properly put to voters, reports the Washington Post.
The amendment, which voters passed with nearly 60 percent approval, changed the constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and to prohibit legal recognition for any union that is “identical or substantially similar to marriage.”

Political science instructor William McConkey is challenging the referendum. He charges that by asking voters two questions -- whether to ban same-sex marriage and whether to ban civil unions -- it violated the state law that limits referendums to one subject.

A Dane County judge previously upheld the referendum, but McConkey appealed the decision. An appeals court in Madison asked the supreme court to hear the case immediately.

Should the high court strike down the amendment, same-sex marriage would remain illegal in Wisconsin, where a state law still defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. However, the potential overturn of the constitutional amendment could open the door for legislative or judicial efforts to recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Lawyers have 30 days to file initial briefs. Oral arguments, which are not scheduled yet, are expected to take place this fall.

Marriage Equality Boosts Mass. Economy

As Massachusetts marks the fifth anniversary of recognizing same-sex couples’ right to marry, two new studies show that marriage equality has helped bring more than $100 million to the Bay State’s economy.

The studies, released by UCLA’s Williams Institute on Friday, show that Massachusetts has gained clear economic advantages from the young, highly educated “creative class” of professionals drawn by marriage equality, and from the boost that same-sex weddings give to the economy.

Following a November 2003 ruling by the state supreme court, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation where same-sex couples could legally marry on May 17, 2004.

Data show that same-sex couples in the “creative class” were 2.5 more times likely to move to Massachusetts after 2004 than before, while local businesses have benefited from more than 12,000 same-sex couples who typically spent $7,400 on their weddings in the state.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

200 Divas - but just one Queen

On June 27th and 28th, there'll be just one Queen in Glendale.
When GMCLA decided to celebrate showtunes - and how could they not - there was only one person to call.

Jennifer Holliday.

So they did - and she said yes!

Join GMCLA for a weekend of Broadway, old and new. Songs from shows as different as Spring Awakening and South Pacific, presented with the style you'd expect from GMCLA.

Tickets to see Jennifer Holliday in 'Broadway!' are selling fast, so go to www.gmcla.org to get yours today.

Friday, May 15, 2009

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAILING GRADE ON GAY RIGHTS



Dan Savage appeared on MSNBC yesterday and told Andrea Mitchell he'd give Obama an "F" on gay rights nearly four months into his first term.

"I have a sickeningly familiar feeling in my stomach, and the feeling deepens with every interaction with the Obama team on these issues. They want them to go away. They want us to go away. Here we are, in the summer of 2009, with gay servicemembers still being fired for the fact of their orientation. Here we are, with marriage rights spreading through the country and world and a president who cannot bring himself even to acknowledge these breakthroughs in civil rights, and having no plan in any distant future to do anything about it at a federal level. Here I am, facing a looming deadline to be forced to leave my American husband for good, and relocate abroad because the HIV travel and immigration ban remains in force and I have slowly run out of options (unlike most non-Americans with HIV who have no options at all). And what is Obama doing about any of these things? What is he even intending at some point to do about these things? So far as I can read the administration, the answer is: nada."

N.H. Gov. Will Sign Marriage-Equality Bill

New Hampshire governor John Lynch announced Thursday that he will sign legislation to extend full marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples, making his state the seventh in the nation to do so -- counting California, where the supreme court is expected to rule shortly on the constitutionality of Prop. 8, which in November threw the court's year-old marriage-equality ruling into flux.

"My personal views on the subject of marriage have been shaped by my own experience, tradition, and upbringing," he said in a statement on Thursday. "But as governor of New Hampshire, I recognize that I have a responsibility to consider this issue through a broader lens."

Speaking with lawmakers, religious leaders, and residents helped Lynch form his decision, he said. The legislation would "simply change the term "civil union" to "civil marriage," which he says is a meaningful change.

Letterman - Top Ten Surprises In The Sarah Palin Memoir

Conservative Media Attack Marriage Equality


In recent weeks, conservative media figures have attacked marriage equality by arguing that legal same-sex marriage will lead to "triads," interspecies marriage, and pedophilia. From mediematters.org

Thursday, May 14, 2009

FRC's Peter Sprigg vs HRC's Joe Solmonese on Same-Sex Marriage




MSNBC's Harball "Gay Marriage Debate" - With Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese & Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg

A Closer Look at the 57 MPG Toyota iQ


57 MPG, "The Smallest Four-Passenger Car in the World"The Toyota iQ (which will come to the US under the Scion brand) is a very interesting small urban car. We'd rather that people in cities took public transit or walked, but if they have to have a car, something like the Toyota iQ would probably be better than most other alternatives.

Vatican Rep: No Catholic Should Vote for Marriage Equality Supporter

Catholic officials have launched a fresh initiative to influence secular law according to the religious teachings of the Catholic Church, with marriage equality firmly in their sites.

Church officials in Maine, the fifth and most recent state to offer marriage equality to gay and lesbian families, seek to bring those families’ rights to a popular vote, in hopes of seeing marriage equality repealed, as happened in California last year when, after a bruising and extremely expensive campaign to rescind family rights for gays and lesbians, voters narrowly passed Proposition 8.

An Associated Press story from May 10 quoted Maine’s Secretary of State, Matthew Dunlap, as saying, "The wheels are turning," with marriage foes planning to collect signatures toward putting family rights on the ballot.

If enough signatures are gathered, the article said, the petition will go to election officials--and it won’t be necessary for voters to weight in before marriage equality is suspended in Maine: as soon as the petition is in the hands of election officials, gay and lesbian families will lose the right to proceed with their legal weddings.

That may mean that marriage equality in Maine, set to begin in September, is stymied before, or just as, it takes effect.

A popular vote on the rights of gay and lesbian families could follow as soon as November of this year, the article said.

If not, the vote could take place in mid-2010.

Aiken Blocked From Meeting Lambert

American Idol season two runner-up Clay Aiken got the cold shoulder when he swung by a taping last week. Aiken was allegedly trying to get some face time with Adam Lambert for a forthcoming duets album.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Aiken -- the first Idol contestant to break from his management agreement with the show's producers, 19 Entertainment -- is none too popular in Idol circles. A source told the paper that Aiken wasn't even allowed face time with this season's favored winner.

A staff member told the Times, "'To say the least, it was tense around here when Clay showed up -- and boy, did they hustle him off the premises as fast as possible. If he didn't get the hint after that -- he never will.”

Rumor has it:

Her attorneys are working on a “Dissolution of Contract,” not a “Dissolution of Marriage” - yet. That’s the next step. She will be asking for sole custody of the kid/s. She is not currently pregnant.

Her attorneys - especially one who worked with her predecessor - have been able to work around most of the restrictions in her original business agreement with her husband. She did not fulfill the terms of the contract that would maximize her payout, but she will receive a sizeable chunk of change to keep quiet about his personal life and his special relationship with another high-profile man.

You will still see them together, albeit much less frequently, and they will continue to be very civil towards each other. They will attend events and will travel as a family when one goes to work. They will both have smiles plastered on their faces, but you will know that hers is really just a smirk, and he is absolutely seething inside over having lost control of the situation.

In the past few weeks, she has left two events separately from her husband because she was so annoyed with his behavior. Each time, she met up with her ex for several hours. While she is spending time with her ex, we do not know if they are romantically involved again.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"WTF!?! Moment" Carrie Prejean [Miss California]

New York Assembly Approves Gay Marriage Bill

Yesterday, the New York State Assembly voted in favor of a gay marriage bill with a 89-52 vote. The measure will now move to the Senate.

Gay Families Tell Their Stories in New Equality California Ads



Pass Hate Crimes Legislation Now

Los Angeles Named America's Most Overpriced City

Los Angeles has been named America's most overpriced city -- but if you live in LA, you probably already knew that.

Forbes, a magazine addicted to ranking cities, based this batch of rankings on earnings potential and living expenses in the 50 largest continental U.S. metro areas. The cities are ranked by average salary for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, annual unemployment statistics, cost of living and the Housing Opportunity Index.

Riverside also cracked the top 10, taking the No. 6 spot. Both LA and Riverside have double-digit unemployment and housing woes, according to the magazine.

"The unemployment (in Southern California) is definitely driven by the housing bust. Prices are collapsing, but if you're looking at buying a house, it's still expensive," said Al Lee, director of Quantitative Analysis at PayScale.

Even though the median LA home price dropped from $525,000 to $319,000 in the last two years, "Angelinos still face one of the least affordable housing markets in the country," according to Forbes:
Vexed by gang wars and rising real estate prices, late rapper Tupac Shakur mused in 1996 that the overall cost of living in Los Angeles was so high he would almost rather "live life in the pen[itentiary]."

Though East Coast-West Coast gang violence has since subsided, life in the City of Angels remains far from affordable. Thanks to bloated housing prices, lofty living costs and unemployment rates among the highest in the nation, the Los Angeles metro area tops our list of America's Most Overpriced Cities.

On the plus side though, remember that while the rest of the country was freezing back in January, LA was sunny and had a few days with temperatures in the 80s.

So, yes, we're overpaying, but at least we can wear shorts year-round.

Forbes: Top 20 America's Most Overpriced Cities:
- No. 1: Los Angeles, Calif.
- No. 2: Chicago, Ill

.- No. 3: Miami, Fla.

- No. 4: New York, N.Y.

- No. 5: Providence, R.I.

- No. 6: Riverside, Calif.

- No. 7: Long Island, N.Y.

- No. 8: Cleveland, Ohio

- No. 9 (tie): Newark, N.J.

- No. 9 (tie): San Diego, Calif.

- No. 11: Philadelphia, Pa.

- No. 12: Portland, Ore.

- No. 13 (tie): Tampa, Fla.

- No. 13 (tie): Memphis, Tenn.

- No. 15: Orlando, Fla.

- No. 16: St. Louis, Mo.

- No. 17: Jacksonville, Fla.

- No. 18: San Francisco, Calif.

- No. 19 (tie): Warren, Mich.

- No. 19 (tie): Boston, Mass.