Thursday, June 30, 2011
Dr. Maher Hathout at All Saints Church, Pasadena
Sermon given by Dr. Maher Hathout at All Saints Church, Pasadena, on Sunday, June 26, 2011 as part of the nationwide FaithShared initiative.
Former Bush adviser: ‘I was wrong about same-sex marriage’
Frum once said that those who support same-sex marriage “are hastening a process of social dissolution that has already brought misery to untold millions of people, with children suffering most grievously of all.”
David Frum
But today, he supports marriage equality, uttering words that rarely ever seem to leave the lips of his fellow conservatives: “I was wrong.”
I was a strong opponent of same-sex marriage. Fourteen years ago, Andrew Sullivan and I forcefully debated the issue at length online (at a time when online debate was a brand new thing).
Yet I find myself strangely untroubled by New York state’s vote to authorize same-sex marriage — a vote that probably signals that most of “blue” states will follow within the next 10 years.
I don’t think I’m alone in my reaction either. Most conservatives have reacted with calm — if not outright approval — to New York’s dramatic decision.
Why?
The short answer is that the case against same-sex marriage has been tested against reality. The case has not passed its test.
Since 1997, same-sex marriage has evolved from talk to fact.
If people like me had been right, we should have seen the American family become radically more unstable over the subsequent decade and a half.
Cuomo should be denied Communion for supporting gay marriage
Professor Edward Peters of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, a consultant to the Vatican’s highest court, hopes that punishing Cuomo would “serve as an example” to other Catholic politicians and clergy across the U.S. who might be considering same-sex marriage in light of New York’s approval on Friday.
“I see no way, absent a public reversal of his public conduct, that Andrew Cuomo may present himself for holy Communion,” Peters wrote Sunday on his blog. And, “I see no way that a minister of holy Communion may administer the sacrament to him.” [...]
He said New York bishops should make clear publicly that Cuomo can’t receive Communion because of the “danger of scandal presented to the faithful.”
San Diego Catholic Church Denies Funeral to Gay Man
A Catholic Church in San Diego denied a funeral to one of its longtime parishioners because he was gay, 10 News reports:
Local businessman and devout Catholic John Sanfilippo died last week after struggling with emphysema. Friends said Sanfilippo planned for the funeral mass to be held at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Little Italy, where Sanfilippo had attended for decades. Friends said he even left the church a large sum of money in his will.
This past weekend, Sanfilippo's partner of 28 years and Sanfilippo's family were notified that the church canceled the funeral because Sanfilippo was gay.
And, apparently after outrage and some attention, the church has changed its mind:
In an email, Rodrigo Valdivia, the chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, told 10News, "The Diocesan office was notified about this situation earlier today... Diocesan Authorities have concluded that the funeral as scheduled at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish may take place. Plans for the ritual are yet to be made."
At the cocktail lounge that Sanfilippo owned for 28 years came outrage from friends over what some called a confusing statement from the San Diego diocese.
"All of a sudden, they change their mind and say, 'Well, you know, we may still allow the funeral to be here.' Why? Because they got caught in the process of denying equal rights to people?" asked Neil Thomas, a friend and customer of Sanfilippo's.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz1QhGZ5g1P
Local businessman and devout Catholic John Sanfilippo died last week after struggling with emphysema. Friends said Sanfilippo planned for the funeral mass to be held at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Little Italy, where Sanfilippo had attended for decades. Friends said he even left the church a large sum of money in his will.
This past weekend, Sanfilippo's partner of 28 years and Sanfilippo's family were notified that the church canceled the funeral because Sanfilippo was gay.
And, apparently after outrage and some attention, the church has changed its mind:
In an email, Rodrigo Valdivia, the chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, told 10News, "The Diocesan office was notified about this situation earlier today... Diocesan Authorities have concluded that the funeral as scheduled at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish may take place. Plans for the ritual are yet to be made."
At the cocktail lounge that Sanfilippo owned for 28 years came outrage from friends over what some called a confusing statement from the San Diego diocese.
"All of a sudden, they change their mind and say, 'Well, you know, we may still allow the funeral to be here.' Why? Because they got caught in the process of denying equal rights to people?" asked Neil Thomas, a friend and customer of Sanfilippo's.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz1QhGZ5g1P
NOM Posts Plan to Reverse Marriage Equality in New York
The National Organization for Marriage's Brian Brown has announced NOM's plan to reverse marriage equality in New York.
And here it is:
We're putting together a 4-year campaign strategy that will reverse same-sex marriage in New York. We'll have many more details, and ways for you to get involved, in the days ahead but the overall plan will have three phases:
PHASE 1:
Elect pro-marriage majorities next November that will approve a marriage amendment in both the Assembly and Senate during the 2013 legislative session.
PHASE 2:
Protect pro-marriage candidates in the 2014 elections, so that the amendment can receive final legislative approval in the 2015 legislative session.
PHASE 3:
Successfully pass the ballot measure when it goes before voters in November 2015.
And here it is:
We're putting together a 4-year campaign strategy that will reverse same-sex marriage in New York. We'll have many more details, and ways for you to get involved, in the days ahead but the overall plan will have three phases:
PHASE 1:
Elect pro-marriage majorities next November that will approve a marriage amendment in both the Assembly and Senate during the 2013 legislative session.
PHASE 2:
Protect pro-marriage candidates in the 2014 elections, so that the amendment can receive final legislative approval in the 2015 legislative session.
PHASE 3:
Successfully pass the ballot measure when it goes before voters in November 2015.
Mehlman Confronted at Marriage Celebration
Ken Mehlman, a former Republican National Committee Chairman who later came out as gay, was confronted by a gay rights activist, as he was celebrating the passage of marriage equality in New York.
Jon Winkleman asked Mehlman about his previous affiliation with President George W. Bush, and the passage of several state-based antigay marriage amendments that were approved in tandem with Republican campaigning. Mehlman countered that he was now focused on fighting to legalize marriage equality in New York.
Jon Winkleman asked Mehlman about his previous affiliation with President George W. Bush, and the passage of several state-based antigay marriage amendments that were approved in tandem with Republican campaigning. Mehlman countered that he was now focused on fighting to legalize marriage equality in New York.
Dustin Lance Black Takes On Obama's Marriage Position
"I prefer President Obama to the alternative. That is true," Black said during recent remarks at the San Francisco Pride festival. "But I cannot and we should not hide our disappointment with his response to our historic victory in New York. In his response he wrongly claimed that marriage equality should be left up to individual states to decide.
"President Obama, with all due respect, you know the proud history of civil rights in this nation and you understand that the ultimate responsibility of protecting our minorities falls on the federal government, on our courts and on your desk, Mr. President -- not on each individual state’s legislature or ballot box,” Black said.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Anniversary Of Deadliest Gay Massacre In U.S. History
This Sunday will be the anniversary of the UpStairs Lounge fire which massacred 32 gay people. The Lounge had just hosted its regular services for the gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Church. In the evening about 60 patrons enjoyed David Gary’s piano playing and discussed the bar’s upcoming MCC fundraiser to help the Crippled Children’s Hospital, Queerty writes:
"At 7:56PM the bartender Buddy Rasmussen heard the downstairs buzzer and asked Luther Boggs to go check the door. Normally cabbies would ring the buzzer to tell people that they had arrived, but when Boggs went to answer the door, he found no cab driver. Instead he found the flames of a molotov cocktail engulfing the wooden staircase and climbing towards the bar.
Rasmussen led about twenty or thirty people out through an unmarked exit behind the bar where they emerged onto the roof and hopped from roof to roof until they found a way down.
But the thirty others remaining in the lounge ran confusedly to the barred windows where they tried to escape. One man managed to squeeze through the fourteen-inch gap between the bars and the sill—he jumped onto the street, his entire body in flames, and died there. The Reverend Bill Larson clung to the bars and slowly melted into the window frame where his charred body stayed visible for hours afterwards.
MCC assistant pastor George 'Mitch' Mitchell escaped but when he realized that his boyfriend Louis Broussard was still in the bar, he went back to save him—workers would later find their charred bodies holding each other among the charred wreckage.
The fire only lasted 16-minutes. It killed 29 people and three more who later died from their burns, including Boggs the man who had answered the door. New Orleans had never seen a larger death toll by fire up to that time nor had the United States seen such a large mass murder of gays and lesbians."
I had never heard this story until today. HuffPost remembered the largely forgotten tragedy in 2008 during Pride season:
"It was almost assuredly the largest mass murder of gays and lesbians to ever occur in the United States.
Yet the city tried mightily to ignore it. Public reaction was grossly out of proportion to what would have happened if the victims were straight. The fire exposed an ugly streak of homophobia and bigotry. It was the first time New Orleans had to openly confront the existence of its own gay community, and the results were not pretty.
Initial news coverage omitted mention that the fire had anything to do with gays, despite the fact that a gay church in a gay bar had been torched. What stories did appear used dehumanizing language to paint the scene, with stories in the States-Item, New Orleans' afternoon paper, describing 'bodies stacked up like pancakes,' and that 'in one corner, workers stood knee deep in bodies...the heat had been so intense, many were cooked together.' Other reports spoke of 'mass charred flesh' and victims who were 'literally cooked.'"
Furthermore, media was extremely unsympathetic and even mocked the victims, HuffPost recounts:
"The press ran quotes from one cab driver who said, 'I hope the fire burned their dress off,' and a local woman who claimed 'the Lord had something to do with this.' The fire disappeared from headlines after the second day.
A joke made the rounds and was repeated by talk radio hosts asking, 'What will they bury the ashes of queers in? Fruit jars.' Official statements by police were similarly offensive. Major Henry Morris, chief detective of the New Orleans Police Department, dismissed the importance of the investigation in an interview with the States-Item. Asked about identifying the victims, he said, 'We don't even know these papers belonged to the people we found them on. Some thieves hung out there, and you know this was a queer bar.'
In the days that followed, other churches refused to allow survivors to hold a memorial service for the victims on their premises. Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists all said no.
Even more stunning, some families refused to claim the bodies of their dead sons, too ashamed to admit they might be gay. The city would not release the remains of four unidentified persons for burial by the surviving MCC congregation members. They were dumped in mass graves at Potter's Field, New Orleans' pauper cemetery. No one was ever charged with the crime, and it remains unsolved."
This is a tragic reminder that fighting for our rights is the same as fighting for our lives, and dignity thereafter.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sen. Ruben Diaz warns marriage equality a sign of the coming apocalypse
“I’m a preacher and they say in the Bible all these things will come to pass. They say there will be a time when good is bad and bad is good,” he said. “I say the end is coming and they laugh at me, but the Bible calls on the faithful not to give up.”
He’s also proud of his “nay” vote.
“I always knew it would pass in New York and if they allowed it here, in New York, the whole nation goes. But I am Christian first and then a Democrat,” he said. “I always vote my conscience.”
Diaz, a Pentecostal minister, placed the blame squarely on Republicans in the state Senate for making New York the sixth -– and most populous -– state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.
“All Democrats do is abortion and gay marriage, but the Republican party has always been the party that protects traditional values and family values.,” he said.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Cuomo signs Marriage Equality Act just before midnight
has signed New York’s gay marriage bill, starting what is expected to be a crush of gay weddings starting in 30 days, reports the Associated Press.
The Democratic governor signed the measure shortly before midnight Friday, following up on a promise to put his name on the legislation as soon as he received it rather than wait the usual 10 days to sign it for it to become law.
New York lawmakers narrowly voted to legalize same-sex marriage, handing activists a breakthrough victory in the state where the gay rights movement was born.
“New York has finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted,” said Cuomo, in a statement late Friday evening.
“With the world watching, the Legislature, by a bipartisan vote, has said that all New Yorkers are equal under the law. With this vote, marriage equality will become a reality in our state, delivering long overdue fairness and legal security to thousands of New Yorkers.”
“I commend Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Minority Leader John Sampson for their leadership and Senator Tom Duane for his lifetime commitment to fighting for equality for all New Yorkers,” Cuomo continued.
“I also thank Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell for ushering this measure through their chamber.”
Cuomo signed the bill at 11:55 p.m. ET.
New York becomes sixth, most populous U.S. state to legalize marriage equality
After a tense several days past the scheduled end of the legislative session, in which it was unclear if Republican leaders in the state Senate would even allow a marriage bill to come up for a vote, the Senate voted 33 to 29 in favor of the bill. The vote was taken at approximately 10:30 p.m. EDT.
The Assembly, which passed its version of the bill on June 15, voted again on Friday to approve several amendments agreed to by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau), Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), and Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) after they met earlier in the week. The amendments passed the Assembly 82 to 47.
Governor Cuomo, who worked closely with marriage equality advocates and sent an early version of the marriage bill to both houses of the legislature on June 14, is expected to sign the bill. No date was known as of press time. The law will go into effect 30 days after his signature.
The delay in the Senate vote, which had both marriage equality advocates and opponents on pins and needles all week, was in part because of the desire of some senators to insert additional religious exemptions—but several other contentious issues also occupied legislators in the last days of the session, including rent control and property taxes.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." New York becomes the sixth state where gay couples can wed, and the biggest by far.
NY State Legislature approves same-sex civil marriage. The bill makes New York only the second state, after Vermont, to legalize marriage through a legislative act and without being forced to do so by a court.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Southwest Pilot Suspended for 'Fag' Rant Broadcast Over Air Traffic Control Frequency
Pilots within certain altitude guidelines over that entire geographic area were unable to communicate with Houston Center air traffic controllers for the entire four-minute duration of his conversation since his headset microphone was stuck.
Terry Maxon at the Dallas Morning News explains:
The theme of his profanity-filled comments was his disappointment at the lack of available dating partners among flight attendants. He said of 12 flight attendants he flew with during a certain period, 11 were gay and one was a "granny."
"Think of the odds of that. I thought I was in Chicago, which was Party Land. After that, it was a continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes," the pilot said.
"Six months, I went to the bar three times - three times! Once with the granny and the fag, and I wish I hadn't gone. At the very end, with two girls, one of them that was probably do-able. But we ended up going to the bar and then the crew room in St. Louis and all these women wanted to do was, one wanted to berate her sister and the other wanted to bitch about her husband. Literally. For three hours, me and the FO. When that was done, 2:30, got back to my room, I'm like, 'Why the **** did I stay up?'"
Whoopi Goldberg Spars With Elisabeth Hasselbeck About David Tyree's Gay Marriage Views
The ladies discuss NFL player David Tyree's beliefs and comments about gay marriage!
Transgender Woman wants drag queens banned from pride parade
Rose White, a transgendered woman in the town of Halifax-Calderone Nova Scotia, wants drag queens banned from the gay pride parade or make them hold up a disclaimer saying that they are homosexual men and not transsexuals. White feels it promotes negative stereotypes about transsexuals.
Rise Against’s new video — Make It Stop — pays homage to teen suicide victims
In this new video — “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” — the band Rise Against pays homage to LGBT suicide victims in this just released second single from their album, Endgame.
The track was written in response to the rash of teen suicides in September 2010, by teens who were bullied for their sexual orientation, or perceived orientation. Among the teens memorialized in the video: Tyler Clementi, Billy Lucas, Cody Barker, and Seth Walsh.
"With the release of ‘Make It Stop’ and the accompanying video, Rise Against is sending the message to its fan base that the bullying and harassment of LGBT teens needs to stop and that suicide isn’t a solution.”
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Top Marine Tells Corps to 'Get Over' Prejudices, Welcome Openly Gay Troops with 'Compassion and Respect'
On a visit to Marines based in South Korea last week, top enlisted officer Sgt. Maj. Micheal Barrett told troops to prepare for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with a "tough, hard charging...intimidating" address that is characteristic and expected of his office, the WSJ's Nathan Hodge reports:Said Barrett:
"Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution is pretty simple,...It says, ‘Raise an army.’ It says absolutely nothing about race, color, creed, sexual orientation. You all joined for a reason: to serve. To protect our nation, right?...How dare we, then, exclude a group of people who want to do the same thing you do right now, something that is honorable and noble?...Right?...Get over it. We’re magnificent, we’re going to continue to be. … Let’s just move on, treat everybody with firmness, fairness, dignity, compassion and respect. Let’s be Marines.”
Voting against marriage equality ‘biggest mistake of my career’
New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) on Monday apologized in a speech on the Senate floor for casting a vote against marriage equality in January 2010.
“Seventeen months ago, I stood up here and made the biggest mistake of my legislative career,” Sweeney said. “I made a decision based purely on political calculations not to vote in support of marriage equality. I failed in my responsibility as leader of this house of government to actually lead. I was wrong.”
Jon Stewart Slams Fox News For Editing Interview With Chris Wallace
The other side of the story. "We don't tell both sides of the story, we tell one side...the other side, the one we perceive is never told. Because as you know, news only comes in two sides. And if the conservative side isn't being told what's being told must be liberal. Fox News isn't fair and balanced. It's balancing the system, man. Don't you get it? The system's unfair and unbalanced. To balance the system, Fox has to be the purest form of right wing resin. Because of how heavy left wing America is. Hollywood, comedians, every single news organization, the Internet, facts, history, science, it's all just left wing bullshit, man...." Is Fox unbalanced? Yeah. Seriously, their ears are nearly touching the floor. But it's only because the system is unbalanced.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Cee Lo Green’s homophobic tweet: ‘I shouldn’t have to apologize’
Cee Lo Green, who on Friday took to Twitter and called a reviewer “gay” for writing a negative review of his June 16 performance in Minneapolis, said he said shouldn’t “have to apologize for speaking my mind or defending my performance.”
In an interview with Us Weekly, Green, a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show “The Voice,” said he “spoke too soon,” and wants his fans to know that he isn’t a homophobe.
“She was very critical of me. At the time I didn’t even know what gender the person was. I was being a little outspoken that night, a little outrageous,” he tells Us. “I always expect people to assume that everything I do is part of my character and sense of humor. I assumed that whoever it was would assume it was all in good fun. It wasn’t taken so well, apparently.”“I most certainly am not harboring any sort of negative feeling toward the gay community. I don’t have an opinion on people with different religious, sexual or political preferences,” he explains.
“I’m one of the most liberal artists that I think you will ever meet, and I pride myself on that. Two of the remaining members that I have on my team on The Voice are proud and outspokenly gay. We just did a team performance of ‘Everyday People,’ and I picked that song for us to do specifically to highlight how we can get along even though we’re so different.”
Google "Gay" for Sign of Solidarity
Run a search for “gay” and related terms and users see a swooping rainbow appear next to the search box at the top of results pages. During previous pride months, Google had included a thin rainbow bar above results
Comedian Booed Off Stage After F Bomb
Comedian Jo Koy, a regular on the show Chelsea Lately, was booed off a Chicago stage Wednesday after he imitated a supposed gay dance and called an audience member a "fucking faggot."
Church of England May Allow Gay Bishops
In response to Britain’s Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, the Church of England is expected to confirm that openly gay clergy can serve as bishops if they remain celibate.
The church is set to update its rules in a paper titled "Choosing Bishops — The Equality Act 2010."
While the new guidelines state that sexuality cannot be a factor when considering candidates for promotions within the organization ("A person's sexual orientation is in itself irrelevant to their suitability for episcopal office or indeed ordained ministry," says the paper), the report does go on to say that certain individuals may be blocked if "the appointment of the candidate would cause division and disunity within the diocese in question.”
While church head Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, said last year that he had no problem with gay bishops as long as they remained celibate, another member of the clergy sees the move as a step backward.
Michele Bachmann Glittered By Gay Activist
The glitter attack was carried out by Minneapolis-based LGBT rights activist Rachel E.B. Lang. Lang rushed toward the stage as Bachmann was exiting and shouted, "You can run, but you can't hide," as she was removed by members of the event's security staff.
Lang released the statement explaining her stunt on Colage, a website for people with LGBT parents: "I’m Rachel E. B. Lang and today I 'glittered' Representative Michele Bachmann to draw attention to her anti-gay crusade against families like yours and mine. As the proud daughter of a lesbian mom living in the state of Minnesota, I know first hand how harmful Michele’s anti-gay rhetoric and policy positions can be.
Monday, June 20, 2011
UN Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As 'Historic Moment'
Members of the U.N. Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favor of the resolution put forward by South Africa, against strong opposition from African and Islamic countries.
"You just witnessed a historic moment at the Human Rights Council and within the U.N. system with a landmark resolution protecting human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people," U.S. ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe told reporters after the vote.
Couched in delicate diplomatic language, the resolution commissions a study of discrimination against gays and lesbians around the world, the findings of which will be discussed by the Geneva-based council at a later meeting.
The proposal went too far for many of the council's 47-member states, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Speaking on behalf of the powerful Organization of the Islamic Conference, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said the resolution had "nothing to do with fundamental human rights."
"We are seriously concerned at the attempt to introduce to the United Nations some notions that have no legal foundation," Ambassador Zamir Akram said.
Nigeria claimed the proposal went against the wishes of most Africans. A diplomat from the northwest African state of Mauritania said it was "an attempt to replace the natural rights of a human being with an unnatural right."
The resolution passed with 23 votes in favor and 19 against, with 3 abstentions, including that of China. Backers included the United States, the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries.
Gay-Straight Alliances are protected under federal law
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this week warned school administrators nationwide that gay-straight alliance groups must be recognized as having the the same legal rights and protections as other student clubs at public secondary schools.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
President Obama's Statement On The Observance of Juneteenth
On this day in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the word finally came down to slaves in Galveston, Texas, that they were free and entitled to the same “absolute equality of rights” and “right to property” protected under law.
It would take many more years and many more struggles before African-Americans received full and equal treatment under the law. But today, here and around the world, we commemorate Juneteenth as a time to celebrate the rich heritage and significant contributions of African-Americans, and to recommit ourselves – as Americans – to the enduring pursuit of a more perfect union and to the eternal principles of liberty and justice for all.
It would take many more years and many more struggles before African-Americans received full and equal treatment under the law. But today, here and around the world, we commemorate Juneteenth as a time to celebrate the rich heritage and significant contributions of African-Americans, and to recommit ourselves – as Americans – to the enduring pursuit of a more perfect union and to the eternal principles of liberty and justice for all.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
DMC Calls on Fellow Hip Hop Artists To Fight Homophobia
Darryl 'D.M.C' McDaniels (of Run DMC) calls on rappers and fellow hip hop artists to speak out against homophobia in a new clip.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Republican New York Senator Comes Out For Gay Marriage With Awesome Quote
New York State Senator Roy McDonald, one of a handful of Republicans bucking their own party who will vote to legalize gay marriage in the state of New York, got sick and tired of being pushed around by gay marriage opponents. He released a statement to the press with the following quote. "You get to the point where you evolve in your life where everything isn't black and white, good and bad, and you try to do the right thing,” Senator Roy McDonald, 64, told reporters. “You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, fuck it, I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing. “I'm tired of Republican-Democrat politics. They can take the job and shove it. I come from a blue-collar background. I'm trying to do the right thing, and that's where I'm going with this.”
Premature aging seen as issue for AIDS survivors
Having survived the first and worst years of the AIDS epidemic, when he was losing three friends to the disease in a day and undergoing every primitive, toxic treatment that then existed, Peter Greene is grateful to be alive.
But a quarter-century after his own diagnosis, the former Mr. Gay Colorado, now 56, wrestles with vision impairment, bone density loss and other debilitating health problems he once assumed he wouldn’t grow old enough to see.
“I survived all the big things, but now there is a new host of things. Liver problems. Kidney disease. It’s like you are a 50-year-old in an 80-year-old body,” Greene, a San Francisco travel agent, said. “I’m just afraid that this is not, regardless of what my non-HIV positive friends say, the typical aging process.”
Even when AIDS still was almost always fatal, researchers predicted that people infected with HIV would be more prone to the cancers, neurological disorders and heart conditions that typically afflict the elderly. Thirty years after the first diagnoses, doctors are seeing these and other unanticipated signs of premature or “accelerated” aging in some long-term survivors.
Government-funded scientists are working to tease apart whether the memory loss, arthritis, renal failure and high blood pressure showing up in patients in their 40s and 50s are consequences of HIV, the drugs used to treat it or a cruel combination of both. With people over 50 expected to make up a majority of U.S. residents infected with the virus by 2015, there’s some urgency to unraveling the “complex treatment challenges” HIV poses to older Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“In those with long-term HIV infection, the persistent activation of immune cells by the virus likely increases the susceptibility of these individuals to inflammation-induced diseases and diminishes their capacity to fight certain diseases,” the federal health agency’s chiefs of infectious diseases, aging and AIDS research wrote, summing up the current state of knowledge on last September’s National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. “Coupled with the aging process, the extended exposure of these adults to both HIV and antiretroviral drugs appears to increase their risk of illness and death from cardiovascular, bone, kidney, liver and lung disease, as well as many cancers not associated directly with HIV infection.”
But a quarter-century after his own diagnosis, the former Mr. Gay Colorado, now 56, wrestles with vision impairment, bone density loss and other debilitating health problems he once assumed he wouldn’t grow old enough to see.
“I survived all the big things, but now there is a new host of things. Liver problems. Kidney disease. It’s like you are a 50-year-old in an 80-year-old body,” Greene, a San Francisco travel agent, said. “I’m just afraid that this is not, regardless of what my non-HIV positive friends say, the typical aging process.”
Even when AIDS still was almost always fatal, researchers predicted that people infected with HIV would be more prone to the cancers, neurological disorders and heart conditions that typically afflict the elderly. Thirty years after the first diagnoses, doctors are seeing these and other unanticipated signs of premature or “accelerated” aging in some long-term survivors.
Government-funded scientists are working to tease apart whether the memory loss, arthritis, renal failure and high blood pressure showing up in patients in their 40s and 50s are consequences of HIV, the drugs used to treat it or a cruel combination of both. With people over 50 expected to make up a majority of U.S. residents infected with the virus by 2015, there’s some urgency to unraveling the “complex treatment challenges” HIV poses to older Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“In those with long-term HIV infection, the persistent activation of immune cells by the virus likely increases the susceptibility of these individuals to inflammation-induced diseases and diminishes their capacity to fight certain diseases,” the federal health agency’s chiefs of infectious diseases, aging and AIDS research wrote, summing up the current state of knowledge on last September’s National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. “Coupled with the aging process, the extended exposure of these adults to both HIV and antiretroviral drugs appears to increase their risk of illness and death from cardiovascular, bone, kidney, liver and lung disease, as well as many cancers not associated directly with HIV infection.”
Michele Bachmann Called Police on Lesbian Nun, Believes in Gay 'Cure'
A new Daily Beast story on Michele Bachmann reveals that Bachmann once called the police on a lesbian couple at a constituent forum and claimed she was being "held against her will" in a bathroom when one of them started to ask her questions:
A few dozen people showed up at the town hall for the April 9 event, and Bachmann greeted them warmly. But when, during the question and answer session, the topic turned to same-sex marriage, Bachmann ended the meeting 20 minutes early and rushed to the bathroom. Hoping to speak to her, Arnold and another middle-aged woman, a former nun, followed her. As Bachmann washed her hands and Arnold looked on, the ex-nun tried to talk to her about theology. Suddenly, after less than a minute, Bachmann let out a shriek. "Help!" she screamed. "Help! I'm being held against my will!"
Arnold, who is just over 5 feet tall, was stunned, and hurried to open the door. Bachmann bolted out and fled, crying, to an SUV outside. Then she called the police, saying, according to the police report, that she was "absolutely terrified and has never been that terrorized before as she had no idea what those two women were going to do to her."
The article also details her belief in gay "reparative therapy":
Both she and her husband, by all accounts her most trusted political adviser, believe that homosexuality can be cured. Speaking to a Christian radio station about gay teenagers last year, Marcus, who treats gay people in his counseling practice, said, "Barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined, and just because someone feels this or thinks this, doesn't mean that we're supposed to go down that road."
NY Assembly passes marriage equality bill
The New York state Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage while Senate Republicans debated over whether to let the measure come to the floor for a vote.
The measure passed 80-63, the lowest margin in the four times it has been approved by the Assembly since 2007.
“It feels different this time because I’m very hopeful it will pass the Senate and become law this year,” said Assembly bill sponsor Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan), one of a handful of gay state lawmakers.
The measure passed 80-63, the lowest margin in the four times it has been approved by the Assembly since 2007.
“It feels different this time because I’m very hopeful it will pass the Senate and become law this year,” said Assembly bill sponsor Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan), one of a handful of gay state lawmakers.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Ben Cohen on the Cover of 'Gay Times'
Rugby star, anti-bullying champion and straight ally Ben Cohen accessorized sparingly for the cover of July's Gay Times magazine.
Thomas Roberts Talks to AFER's Chad Griffin About Prop 8 Ruling
Chad Griffin, Board President of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, talks about the ruling denying Prop 8 proponents motion to vacate Judge Walker's ruling over his sexuality.
Bishop Eddie Long's Wife Splits
Weeks after he allegedly paid a $15M hush-money settlement to the four young men who accused him of sexual coercion, the wife of publicly anti-gay Bishop Eddie Long has reportedly moved out the house.
Appeal planned after gay marriage ban upheld in CA
The sponsors of California’s same-sex marriage ban are planning to appeal a federal judge’s decision that his predecessor had no obligation to divulge that he was in a long-term relationship with another man when he struck down the ban.
Lawyer Charles Cooper, who represents the conservative religious coalition that put the ban on a 2008 ballot, said he disagrees with the ruling Tuesday in San Francisco by U.S. Chief District Judge James Ware.
Ware upheld former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling from last year that struck down Prop. 8. Ware found Walker could not be presumed to have a personal stake in the case just because he has a same-sex partner.
Cooper says the appeal is intended to defend the will of Californians to preserve marriage as the union of a man and woman.
Lawyer Charles Cooper, who represents the conservative religious coalition that put the ban on a 2008 ballot, said he disagrees with the ruling Tuesday in San Francisco by U.S. Chief District Judge James Ware.
Ware upheld former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling from last year that struck down Prop. 8. Ware found Walker could not be presumed to have a personal stake in the case just because he has a same-sex partner.
Cooper says the appeal is intended to defend the will of Californians to preserve marriage as the union of a man and woman.
Chris Christie Makes the Gaga Argument for Gay Rights
Republican golden boy Chris Christie, the outspoken governor of New Jersey, is making the Lady Gaga argument for gay rights.
“My religion says it’s a sin. But for me, I have always believed that people are born with the predisposition to be homosexual,” Christie told Piers Morgan on Tuesday night. “And so I think if someone is born that way it’s very difficult to say then that that’s a sin. I understand that my church says that. But for me personally, I don’t look upon someone who's homosexual as a sinner.”
Gaga’s “Born This Way” is a new gay anthem, and she performed it during an appearance at EuroPride in Italy on Saturday. Gaga is all for gay marriage, but Christie drew the line there.
“I believe marriage is an institution between one man and one woman,” he said, repeating the mantra of equality opponents. “I think it’s special and unique in society, and I think we can have civil unions that can help to give the same type of legal rights to same-sex couples that marriage gives them. But I just think marriage has as a special connotation. And I couldn’t see myself changing my mind on that. But I am in favor of making sure that homosexual couples have the same type of legal rights that heterosexual couples have.”
Christie has long been on the short list of possible presidential contenders for 2012, but he’s almost equally as long denied any interest in running this time around.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Dan Savage Accepts Special Webby Award for His Work on 'It Gets Better' Project
This American Life's Ira Glass presents Dan Savage with a Special Achievement Award at the Webby Awards last night for his work on the "It Gets Better" project.
DOMA Declared Unconstitutional by Bankruptcy Court
In a ruling on a case filed one day after the Obama administration released its opinion, declaring Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutuional, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, in Los Angeles, has concurred.
MetroWeekly's Chris Geidner reports on a bankruptcy filing brought by a same-sex married couple, Gene Douglas Balas and Carlos A. Morales:
After reviewing the law as it relates to DOMA, the court concluded:
This court cannot conclude from the evidence or the record in this case that any valid governmental interest is advanced by DOMA as applied to the Debtors. Debtors have urged that recent governmental defenses of the statute assert that DOMA also serves such interests as “preserving the status quo,” “eliminating inconsistencies and easing administrative burdens” of the government. None of these post hoc defenses of DOMA withstands heightened scrutiny. In the court’s final analysis, the government’s only basis for supporting DOMA comes down to an apparent belief that the moral views of the majority may properly be enacted as the law of the land in regard to state-sanctioned same-sex marriage in disregard of the personal status and living conditions of a significant segment of our pluralistic society. Such a view is not consistent with the evidence or the law as embodied in the Fifth Amendment with respect to the thoughts expressed in this decision. The court has no doubt about its conclusion: the Debtors have made their case persuasively that DOMA deprives them of the equal protection of the law to which they are entitled.
MetroWeekly's Chris Geidner reports on a bankruptcy filing brought by a same-sex married couple, Gene Douglas Balas and Carlos A. Morales:
After reviewing the law as it relates to DOMA, the court concluded:
This court cannot conclude from the evidence or the record in this case that any valid governmental interest is advanced by DOMA as applied to the Debtors. Debtors have urged that recent governmental defenses of the statute assert that DOMA also serves such interests as “preserving the status quo,” “eliminating inconsistencies and easing administrative burdens” of the government. None of these post hoc defenses of DOMA withstands heightened scrutiny. In the court’s final analysis, the government’s only basis for supporting DOMA comes down to an apparent belief that the moral views of the majority may properly be enacted as the law of the land in regard to state-sanctioned same-sex marriage in disregard of the personal status and living conditions of a significant segment of our pluralistic society. Such a view is not consistent with the evidence or the law as embodied in the Fifth Amendment with respect to the thoughts expressed in this decision. The court has no doubt about its conclusion: the Debtors have made their case persuasively that DOMA deprives them of the equal protection of the law to which they are entitled.
Boston Priest Defies Archdiocese, Declares Gays Welcome At Catholic Mass
Sunday Mass at St. Cecilia’s Church in the Back Bay brought the first standing ovation any parishioner could remember.During the first Mass since the Archdiocese of Boston canceled one planned for next weekend in support of St. Cecilia’s gay and lesbian churchgoers, the Rev. John J. Unni preached a fiery message of unconditional love and what he called “acceptance of all.’’
“You are welcome here, gay or straight, rich or poor, young or old, black or white,’’ Unni said as he paced up and down the center aisle. “Here, you all can say, ‘I can worship the God who made me as I am.’ ’’
France Rejects Marriage Equality
The French National Assembly has rejected a Socialist Party-backed bill that would have legalized marriage equality.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Motion to Vacate Prop 8 Ruling Over Judge Walker's Sexuality is Denied
A federal judge has denied Prop 8 proponents' Motion to Vacate Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling in the Prop 8 case over Walker's sexuality.
Prop 8 proponents filed the motion in April to vacate the ruling overturning California's ban on same-sex marriage, saying that the judge's recent statements that he is gay mean he should have recused himself from the case, and give them grounds to appeal.
Walker came out publicly for the first time in early April.
At the time, Walker said he would never think of recusing himself from a case over his sexuality:
Walker, who retired from the bench at the end of February, said it would not be appropriate for any judge's sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin or gender to stop them from presiding over a case.
"That's a very slippery slope," Walker said.
Writes Ware in the ruling:
After considering the Oppositions to the Motion and the governing law, as discussed below, the Court finds that neither recusal nor disqualification was required based on the asserted grounds. The sole fact that a federal judge shares the same circumstances or personal characteristics with other members of the general public, and that the judge could be affected by the outcome of a proceeding in the same way that other members of the general public would be affected, is not a basis for either recusal or disqualification under Section 455(b)(4). Further, under Section 455(a), it is not reasonable to presume that a judge is incapable of making an impartial decision about the constitutionality of a law, solely because, as a citizen, the judge could be affected by the proceedings. Accordingly, the Motion to Vacate Judgment on the sole ground of Judge Walker’s same-sex relationship is DENIED.
Thousands Unite To Support LA Pride Parade
The streets of West Hollywood were filled with thousands of people Sunday celebrating the 41st annual L.A. Pride Parade.
Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir served as the grand marshal and celebrity attorney Gloria Allred and comedienne Margaret Cho addressed the crowds.
Among the most anticipated guests was a gay corrections officer whose department initially didn’t allow him to march in uniform.
Officer Andrew Johnson finally broke his silence about the battle, and he finally won.
Johnson was joined in the parade by other law enforcement agencies.
The crowds lining Santa Monica Boulevard joined the parade participants as they sang and danced their way past, blaring music that stressed pride, unity and love.
The parade was a celebration but it featured serious messages — there was a call for parents to love their children, no matter their sexual orientation, and for the end of violence and bullying against gay, lesbian and bisexual children.
From CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc.
Chris Rock Defends Morgan, GLAAD Responds
"Comedian-actor Chris Rock has defended the controversial comments made by fellow comic actor Tracy Morgan via Twitter, saying "I don't know about you, but I don't want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say foul inappropriate shit."
Morgan made derogatory comments about gay people during his stand-up act on June 3, calling gay people "mistakes" and joking that he would stab his son if he came out as gay.
GLAAD swiftly responded with a statement, saying, "Language about stabbing kids for being gay isn't 'foul.' It's dangerous."
‘Out in America’ documentary showcases everyday LGBT Americans
“Out in America,” a one-hour documentary showcasing LGBT Americans in their everyday lives, premieres nationally on PBS on Wednesday:
“Out In America” will deliver a compelling, multi-layered portrait of LGBT Americans through their own words and experiences. The film will connect the common themes running through numerous personal stories about growing up, coming out, nurturing relationships, overcoming social and familial challenges, fighting discrimination and HIV, and achieving individual status and respect in America.
Rick Santorum: I Love My Gay Friends and I Want to Stop Them from Marrying
GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, tells CNN anchor Don Lemon, that he loves his gay friends, and they respect him. Oh, he also has black friends.
He believes he should be able to disagree with equality advocates without being called a bigot. Santorum spoke with CNN’s Don Lemon Sunday about social issues and same-sex marriage. Santorum tried to position himself on focused on all the issues, not just social issues. Lemon elegantly tried to get Santorum to see what a bigot and a hater he really is, but he refused.
Wanda Sykes "Piss'd" At Chris Rock Over Tracy Morgan Anti-Gay Rant
Wanda Sykes, who Friday night on Twitter called Tracy Morgan a “dumb comic” who would not have been “so ignorant in LA,” responded to a tweet from fellow comedian Chris Rock which supported Tracy Morgan, by saying she was “piss’d.”
“I dont know about you, but I dont want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say foul inappropriate shit,” Chris Rock said via Twitter.
Sykes, an African-American, a lesbian, and a comedian, tweeted, “Ok, piss’d reading, “I don’t want 2 live n a world where Tracy can’t say…” I Do! U Keep the world, just break me off an evolved country,” but did not mention Chris Rock by name.
Clergy Proclamation: Being Gay Not A Sin
Omaha area ministers will publicly unveil a proclamation on Wednesday calling for an end to religious and civil discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Rev. Eric Elnes, pastor of Countryside Community Church, said the proclamation was created because, “we were just fed up with the popular notion that the Christian point of view is anti-gay.”
Elnes, who leads an Omaha church of 1,500 members at 87th Street and Pacific Street, said more than 100 ordained Christian ministers have signed the proclamation, including leaders from Lutheran, Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
The ministers will join together on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to publicly unveil the proclamation and show full acceptance of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people.
“We believe homosexuality is not a sin. It’s not a birth defect or a choice. God created people this way. And if God created them this way, they need to be honored for who they are, and fully included in church life and wider society,” said Elnes, whose words are reflected in the document.
Elnes said after sharing his point of view, he’s learned that many Christians hold the same beliefs, but have not openly expressed them. That’s the reason the proclamation also includes an apology to the gay community.
“We felt it was important for us to apologize for the times when we ourselves have been silent. Some of us have not always been on this side of the issue,” Elnes said.
Rev. Eric Elnes, pastor of Countryside Community Church, said the proclamation was created because, “we were just fed up with the popular notion that the Christian point of view is anti-gay.”
Elnes, who leads an Omaha church of 1,500 members at 87th Street and Pacific Street, said more than 100 ordained Christian ministers have signed the proclamation, including leaders from Lutheran, Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
The ministers will join together on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to publicly unveil the proclamation and show full acceptance of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people.
“We believe homosexuality is not a sin. It’s not a birth defect or a choice. God created people this way. And if God created them this way, they need to be honored for who they are, and fully included in church life and wider society,” said Elnes, whose words are reflected in the document.
Elnes said after sharing his point of view, he’s learned that many Christians hold the same beliefs, but have not openly expressed them. That’s the reason the proclamation also includes an apology to the gay community.
“We felt it was important for us to apologize for the times when we ourselves have been silent. Some of us have not always been on this side of the issue,” Elnes said.
Same-Sex Vote Unlikely in California
It was three years ago this month that thousands of gay couples began to wed in California after the state’s highest court legalized same-sex marriage, setting off a joyous — if short-lived — period for supporters.
That matrimonial bliss was quickly snuffed out in November 2008, when California voters passed Proposition 8, which limited marriage to unions between a man and a woman.
It was a crushing defeat for gay rights groups, many of which swore to take the issue back to voters — in a kind of instant do-over — as soon as possible.
But with a pending federal court case showing promise and major donors reluctant to step forward, it is unlikely that California voters will revisit same-sex marriage anytime soon.
“I’m not aware of a single donor who would support a ballot measure campaign,” said Chad Griffin, the co-founder and board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights. “A ballot would be unwise, foolish and, in fact, dangerous.”
That danger, according to several leaders in the gay community, comes from the potential impact that a failed effort in 2012 could have on the federal case, which was brought in 2009 by Mr. Griffin’s group. Mr. Griffin, an experienced fund-raiser, hired the high-powered legal team of David Boies and Theodore B. Olson to pursue a constitutional challenge to the law, and last August, a federal judge — Vaughn R. Walker of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California — sided with opponents of Proposition 8, finding that the voter-approved law violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.
From The New York Times.
That matrimonial bliss was quickly snuffed out in November 2008, when California voters passed Proposition 8, which limited marriage to unions between a man and a woman.
It was a crushing defeat for gay rights groups, many of which swore to take the issue back to voters — in a kind of instant do-over — as soon as possible.
But with a pending federal court case showing promise and major donors reluctant to step forward, it is unlikely that California voters will revisit same-sex marriage anytime soon.
“I’m not aware of a single donor who would support a ballot measure campaign,” said Chad Griffin, the co-founder and board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights. “A ballot would be unwise, foolish and, in fact, dangerous.”
That danger, according to several leaders in the gay community, comes from the potential impact that a failed effort in 2012 could have on the federal case, which was brought in 2009 by Mr. Griffin’s group. Mr. Griffin, an experienced fund-raiser, hired the high-powered legal team of David Boies and Theodore B. Olson to pursue a constitutional challenge to the law, and last August, a federal judge — Vaughn R. Walker of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California — sided with opponents of Proposition 8, finding that the voter-approved law violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.
From The New York Times.
Lawsuit Filed Against Tenn. Antigay Law
Tennessee's recently enacted HB600, which made it virtually impossible for LGBT citizens to be protected from firing or eviction, will likely face a judge or jury.
Nashville attorney Abby Rubenfeld, the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights Monday filed suit against the law, which came in response to Nashville enacting workplace protections for LGBT people employed by city contractors. The new law rescinded those protections, but went further by making it so that no Tennessee city or county could establish protections for groups not covered by state protections — that includes not only LGBT people, but veterans and those with disabilities.
Additional plaintiffs in the suit against HB600 include Lisa Howe, the Belmont University soccer coach pressured to leave her job after she announced that she was having a child with her partner — Howe's termination served as impetus for the Nashville antidiscrimination ordinance, which itself served as motivation for HB600. Another plaintiff is Shirit Pankowsky, a senior at Martin Luther King Magnet High School and founder and president of MLK's gay-straight alliance. HB600 also stripped protections for gay people from Nashville public schools — the law makes it impossible for new antibullying protections to be enacted.
"This law is contrary to core Tennessee values," Rubenfeld said in a statement. "Tennessee is the volunteer state — we help each other, we don't single out certain Tennesseans who are deemed unworthy of help. Our legislators abused their power by preventing localities from assisting their own citizens. Rather than considering what is best for our state, they passed a law based on disapproval of gay and transgender people, which the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions do not permit."
Nashville attorney Abby Rubenfeld, the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights Monday filed suit against the law, which came in response to Nashville enacting workplace protections for LGBT people employed by city contractors. The new law rescinded those protections, but went further by making it so that no Tennessee city or county could establish protections for groups not covered by state protections — that includes not only LGBT people, but veterans and those with disabilities.
Additional plaintiffs in the suit against HB600 include Lisa Howe, the Belmont University soccer coach pressured to leave her job after she announced that she was having a child with her partner — Howe's termination served as impetus for the Nashville antidiscrimination ordinance, which itself served as motivation for HB600. Another plaintiff is Shirit Pankowsky, a senior at Martin Luther King Magnet High School and founder and president of MLK's gay-straight alliance. HB600 also stripped protections for gay people from Nashville public schools — the law makes it impossible for new antibullying protections to be enacted.
"This law is contrary to core Tennessee values," Rubenfeld said in a statement. "Tennessee is the volunteer state — we help each other, we don't single out certain Tennesseans who are deemed unworthy of help. Our legislators abused their power by preventing localities from assisting their own citizens. Rather than considering what is best for our state, they passed a law based on disapproval of gay and transgender people, which the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions do not permit."
Tracy Morgan Comes Out For Gay Marriage, Says He'd Love His Son If He Were Gay
In an interview with Russell Simmons at Global Grind, Morgan apologized again for his verbal tirade that sparked national outrage, swore off his hate speech and came out for marriage equality.
"Of all the sicknesses, there is probably none more abusive than homophobia. My heart is committed to giving everyone the same rights that I deserve for myself," Morgan said. "I don't care if you love the same sex as long as you have the ability to love someone I am deeply sorry for the comments I made. What I am most sad about is the comments I made about kids and bullying."
Morgan also noted his support for gays serving in the military -- an issue solved by the recent repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and then insisted he believed in gay marriage, too.
"I believe everyone deserves the right to be happy and marry who they want too; gay, white, black, male or female. Let me know where the rally's at Russ. I'm there!" Morgan promised.
The words came as he works to make amends, not only with his public, but his friends, too. Tina Fey, his "30 Rock" co-star and executive producer slammed his comments but noted that she believed Morgan was a loving person.
"It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person," Fey said in a statement.
Monday, June 13, 2011
California Same-Sex Marriage Opponents Seek To Overturn Proposition 8 Ruling Because Judge Was Gay
A retired federal judge's long-term relationship with another man will be the subject of an unusual and possibly unprecedented court hearing Monday involving California's same-sex marriage ban.
Lawyers for the sponsors of the voter-approved ban are asking the chief federal judge in San Francisco to vacate the decision issued by his predecessor last year that declared Proposition 8 an unconstitutional violation of gay Californians' civil rights. They maintain that former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself or disclosed his relationship status before trial because he and his partner stood to personally benefit from Walker's verdict.
Attorneys for the ban's backers and for two same-sex couples who successfully sued to overturn the measure in Walker's court are scheduled to present arguments on that question to Chief U.S. Judge James Ware, who could rule from the bench or at a later date.
Walker publicly revealed after he stepped down in February after 20 years on the federal bench that he is in a 10-year-old relationship with a same-sex partner, although rumors that he was gay had circulated both before and after he presided over the Proposition 8 trial in early 2010.
Ted Olson, one of the couples' lawyers, said he is unaware of any other cases in which a ruling was challenged because of the issuing judge's sexual orientation. He called the move to disqualify Walker "frivolous" and "demeaning" and said that expecting judges to reveal parts of their personal lives when hearing gay rights cases would set a dangerous precedent.
"What would a judge do who was Mormon knowing the Mormon Church took such an active role" in campaigning for Proposition 8, Olson asked. "What would a judge who had a nephew or niece or son or daughter who was gay or lesbian do? We have an unlimited number of permutations of what a judge might be asked to disclose."
Many legal scholars have said they do not expect Ware to overturn Walker. They point out that while a having a judge's impartiality be questioned because he is gay is new territory, efforts to get women judges thrown off gender discrimination cases or Hispanic judges removed from immigration cases have failed.
Nonetheless, in a fundraising appeal to Proposition 8's supporters Friday, Ron Prentice, chairman of the religious coalition that qualified the gay marriage ban for the November 2008 ballot, said, "We are much more hopeful for success with a judge presiding over the case who has greater respect for legal precedent and the rule of law."
Ware also is scheduled to hear arguments on whether he should unseal videotaped recordings of the trial. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, after Walker proposed having the proceedings uploaded on a YouTube channel, that the trial could not be broadcast beyond the federal courthouse in San Francisco. Lawyers for the gay couples that sued to overturn Proposition 8 and for the news media are asking Ware to now make those recordings public.
WHY PROP 8 MUST FALL: CIVIL RIGHTS
[USA.TODAY] This Sunday we celebrate the 44th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court decision that struck down anti-miscegenation laws that forbade African Americans and whites from marrying.
In the Loving case, a unanimous court held that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man…fundamental to our very existence and survival." The court also held that "under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not to marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State."
The Loving decision, which was a watershed moment in the civil rights movement, has deep implications today for gay and lesbian couples who want that essential freedom: to marry.
My wife, Pamela Horowitz, and I were married in Virginia in 1990. Prior to the Loving decision, we could have been sentenced to time in prison for that loving act — committed in the state that likes to claim it "is for lovers."
Of course, prior to the Loving decision, the parents of the current president of the United States would have been committing a felony had they lived in Virginia.
Today, we look at anti-miscegenation laws as a stain on our history and an affront to our beliefs as Americans. In this country, we do not create separate classes of Americans based upon inherent characteristics. Sexual orientation is immutable and unchangeable. It is as much a part of our DNA as our race.
Because I have spent my life fighting to make ours a more just society for all Americans, I'm a supporter of marriage equality. I believe this to be a fight for civil rights.
Fourteen times, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that marriage is a fundamental human right. In Loving v. Virginia, the justices guaranteed that right could not be taken away because of the way we're born. Yet that's exactly what happened when California passed Proposition 8, which declared marriage valid only when between a man and a woman.
Last summer, after a lengthy trial, a federal court declared Prop 8 to be unconstitutional, saying that this discriminatory law does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution "the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples." Almost a year later, the case is on appeal, Prop. 8 still remains on the books, and a motion to throw out the case on blatantly homophobic grounds will be heard in federal district court on Monday.
Prop 8 continues to label some Americans as second class. It denies those Americans the fundamental rights afforded their fellow citizens. Like the anti-miscegenation statutes struck down 44 years ago, Prop 8 serves no purpose but to permit one group of Americans to degrade another.
Mildred Loving passed away in 2008, but on the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision, she reflected on the impact of her case.
"I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all."
Mildred and Richard Loving were not political people — they were a committed couple who believed they should have the ability to share their lives together, just as their neighbors did.
As Mildred Loving said four year ago, "That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."
And that is why Proposition 8 must not stand.
Apology Falls Flat — Like Morgan's Jokes
Comedian Tracy Morgan’s apology for a homophobic onstage tirade hasn’t satisfied the gay rights groups that demanded an explanation.
The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement saying the 30 Rock star “did the right thing by apologizing,” but “that’s just not enough.” On its blog, Truth Wins Out said, “We are glad that he recognizes that he hurt and offended people. However, questions remain.” Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays executive director Jody Huckaby called for “meaningful action to prove the sincerity of that apology” and condemned Morgan for joking about violence “when kids are being assaulted, are dying.”
Kevin Rogers was in the Nashville audience and was the whistle-blower on Morgan’s jokes. In a post to his Facebook page, Rogers described the scene as Morgan called gay people “mistakes,” said lesbians just hate men and don’t have real attraction to women, and advised gays to “quit being pussies” and stop whining about bullying in schools. Then, Rogers said, Morgan talked about stabbing his son to death if he were effeminate.
In Morgan’s formal apology, he said that “while I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”
Rogers accepted the apology from Morgan during an interview with CNN today — albeit with caveats.
“I only hope that it actually is genuine and that's how he feels,” Rogers said. “If that's the case, and he shows my community and his fans that he truly is sorry for those remarks, and takes content like that from his show, then yeah, I greatly accept his apology.”
But HRC spokesman Fred Sainz said the damage is done.
“Words have consequences and Morgan should be held to a higher standard,” Sainz said in a statement. “Until he does something meaningful, his brand will remain tarnished.”
Suggestions for how Morgan should atone for his tirade were wide-ranging on Twitter, where fans expressed shock. Some said he should volunteer at a center for homeless gay youth to see the reality of being ostracized by family. Other suggested donations to gay charities, while still others said NBC should fire him from 30 Rock.
“If Tracy Morgan is sincere, he should take us up on meeting these families who have lost loved ones to the type of violence that he is mocking,” said Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Jarrett Barrios in a statement. “Perhaps by hearing their stories, he will learn that while we all love humor, this is no laughing matter.”
The comedian’s words did have an effect, Rogers said.
“It had gotten to the point within the rant that I was actually a little numb to everything that was being said,” he told CNN. “I was still trying to process everything and decide if there was going to be a punch line somewhere and exactly what was I hearing. To me, the entire thing really did hurt me.”
Calif. Episcopal Diocese to Bless Same-Sex Unions
Bishop Chester Talton of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin in California has authorized clergy to bless the relationships of same-sex couples in church as “sacred unions.”
According to London's Guardian, the move from Bishop Talton breaks a ban on blessing same-sex unions, an issue that has divided the Anglican Communion, which includes the U.S. Episcopal Church. Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion, has declared his opposition to blessing same-sex unions.
The directive from Bishop Talton says that clergy may bless "same-gender civil marriages, domestic partnerships and relationships which are lifelong committed relationships characterised by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect [and] careful, honest communication,” reports the Guardian.
California recognizes same-sex domestic partnerships, and marriages were legal for a brief time in 2008 until voters passed Proposition 8. The authorization states that no diocesan priest may perform a same-sex marriage until allowed by church and civil law and that no clergy member is required to bless same-sex relationships.
Most Americans Disagree With Church Teaching On Homosexuality
The findings, released Thursday (June 9) in a detailed survey by Public Religion Research Institute, held true for major religious groups, including Catholics and white evangelical Protestants.
The findings reflect the complicated tasks faced by Catholic bishops to discipline politicians who stray from church teaching, or evangelical groups that try to toe a traditional line as cultural values shift around them.
In fact, the survey found that six in 10 Americans chafe at the idea of religious leaders publicly pressuring politicians on the issue of abortion, as has happened to several high-profile Catholic Democrats in recent years.
Overall, 72 percent of Americans say it's permissible to disagree with church teaching on abortion, and 63 percent say the same for homosexuality.
Catholics closely mirror the general population's position on abortion and church teaching, but are more progressive than the general population on the issue of homosexuality and church teaching.
Two-thirds of evangelicals (67 percent) said they could differ with church teaching on abortion, and slightly less than a majority (47 percent) said the same about homosexuality.
The report focused on the views of millennials (people ages 18-29) and found that they are more supportive than their parents of gay marriage. Their views on abortion closely mirror their parents, however, with six in 10 saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Also, most millennials -- 68 percent -- think at least some health care professionals in their community should provide legal abortions.
"Millennials are actually more likely to say that abortion should be available in their local community than say it should be legal," said Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Washington-based research firm, whichannounced its results at the Brookings Institution.
Obama Extends Medicaid To Same-Sex Couples
It’s important to note that this guidance allows, but does not require, states to offer the Medicaid rights. Nor does the direction state what level of legal protections, i.e., marriage or civil union, the same-sex couples must obtain. Additionally, like many of President Obama’s extension of protections to the LGBT community, his successor could revoke these protections with the stroke of a pen.
“Under the new guidance, dated June 10, states have the option to allow healthy partners in a same-sex relationship to keep their homes while their partners are receiving support for long-term care under Medicaid, such as care in a nursing home,” an exclusive and extensive report from The Washington Blade states.
“Medicaid kicks in for a beneficiary to receive care after an individual depletes virtually all of their money. To pay for the beneficiary’s expenses under Medicaid, a state could impose a lein, or take possession, of a beneficiary’s home to pay for Medicaid expenses.
“However, federal law prohibits imposing this lein if beneficiaries are married to someone of the opposite-sex who’s still living in their home. The new guidance, signed by Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Cindy Mann, clarifies that states can offer this protection to the healthy partner of a Medicaid recipient in a same-sex relationship.”
DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act is still fully in effect. While Speaker of the House John Boehner continues to insist on spending at minimum $500,000 to defend in federal court the already declared as unconstitutional law, same sex couples are forced to be at the mercy of their state governments and the federal government to access over 1100 — 1400 rights that opposite sex couples are given at birth.
Target shareholders pepper CEO over donations to anti-gay politicians
Steinhafel was peppered with questions about a $150,000 donation Target made in 2010 to MN Forward, a group that supported gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Emmer, who lost the race to Gov. Mark Dayton, supported a proposed amendment to Minnesota constitution to ban gay marriage.
Several shareholders and shoppers were disappointed after Target donated money to the group. Musician Lady Gaga, who supports gay rights, walked away from plans to sell a special album at Target in early 2011.
Bill de Blasio, New York City public advocate and trustee of the New York City employees retirement system, which holds about $50 million in Target shares, said on Tuesday that he is “deeply concerned” when he sees those pension investments used unwisely.
A number of shareholders at Wednesday’s meeting echoed his comments, repeatedly asking Steinhafel about the donation. Target has changed its review process for donations since the MN Forward donation, but some shareholders would like to see a more explicit apology and broader change from the company.
Several shareholders and shoppers were disappointed after Target donated money to the group. Musician Lady Gaga, who supports gay rights, walked away from plans to sell a special album at Target in early 2011.
Bill de Blasio, New York City public advocate and trustee of the New York City employees retirement system, which holds about $50 million in Target shares, said on Tuesday that he is “deeply concerned” when he sees those pension investments used unwisely.
A number of shareholders at Wednesday’s meeting echoed his comments, repeatedly asking Steinhafel about the donation. Target has changed its review process for donations since the MN Forward donation, but some shareholders would like to see a more explicit apology and broader change from the company.
Silverlake Nude Bike Ride Fight
Police are looking for two suspects in a car who attacked bikers Saturday in what is being investigated as a hate crime.
Riders gathered near Echo Park Lake Saturday afternoon for a local edition of the World Naked Bike Ride. The event was meant to celebrate cycling and underscore the vulnerablity of bikers in a car culture. A video uploaded late Saturday afternoon makes the latter point handily.
The video shows fighting breaking out just before 5:00 p.m. between "naked" bike riders and the occupants of a car on Sunset Boulevard near Waterloo. Here’s the account that Johnny, who filmed the video, provided to the EastsiderLA:
"People were having fun it seemed, we took a video to document the fun things that happen in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some guys behind us in traffic, got out of their car to beat up the riders. I don’t know what provoked them to do such a thing. All I heard them yelling was 'faggot' at the riders."
According to Lt. Wes Buhrmester of Rampart Division added these details about the incident on the EastsiderLA site Sunday morning:
“The suspects were shouting at the riders, when one of them exited their car and punched one of cyclists, using anti-gay slurs. The punch was unprovoked and a blind-side, and knocked the cyclist to the ground. The second suspect exited and committed a similar act against a second victim, knocking him to the ground, then throwing his bicycle at him. More anti-gay slurs were shouted, and the suspects left.”
Buhrmester confirmed for Echo Park Patch Sunday morning that the incident is indeed being investigated as a hate crime.
Burhmester provided this description of the suspects, again in the EastsideLA comments section:
The first suspect is described as a male, 20 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 5-8, 180 pounds, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect is a male, late 20s, black “buzz cut” hair, dark complexion, 5-10, 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans.
If you have information about the incident call the Rampart Division detectices at (213) 484-3450.
Riders gathered near Echo Park Lake Saturday afternoon for a local edition of the World Naked Bike Ride. The event was meant to celebrate cycling and underscore the vulnerablity of bikers in a car culture. A video uploaded late Saturday afternoon makes the latter point handily.
The video shows fighting breaking out just before 5:00 p.m. between "naked" bike riders and the occupants of a car on Sunset Boulevard near Waterloo. Here’s the account that Johnny, who filmed the video, provided to the EastsiderLA:
"People were having fun it seemed, we took a video to document the fun things that happen in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some guys behind us in traffic, got out of their car to beat up the riders. I don’t know what provoked them to do such a thing. All I heard them yelling was 'faggot' at the riders."
According to Lt. Wes Buhrmester of Rampart Division added these details about the incident on the EastsiderLA site Sunday morning:
“The suspects were shouting at the riders, when one of them exited their car and punched one of cyclists, using anti-gay slurs. The punch was unprovoked and a blind-side, and knocked the cyclist to the ground. The second suspect exited and committed a similar act against a second victim, knocking him to the ground, then throwing his bicycle at him. More anti-gay slurs were shouted, and the suspects left.”
Buhrmester confirmed for Echo Park Patch Sunday morning that the incident is indeed being investigated as a hate crime.
Burhmester provided this description of the suspects, again in the EastsideLA comments section:
The first suspect is described as a male, 20 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 5-8, 180 pounds, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect is a male, late 20s, black “buzz cut” hair, dark complexion, 5-10, 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans.
If you have information about the incident call the Rampart Division detectices at (213) 484-3450.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Old Navy Gets Backlash for Gay T-Shirts
Right-wing activists who are used to seeing an American flag across the front of Old Navy T-shirts are calling for a boycott of the clothing chain for its new tees featuring rainbow flags.Old Navy is celebrating gay pride by donating 10% of proceeds from the new shirts to the It Gets Better Project, which seeks to combat teen suicide. And for that, the American Family Association says the store should be “ashamed.”
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Marriage Equality: Unsafe at Any Speed?
We’ve heard right-wingers cast same-sex marriage in the same light as incestuous and polygamous relationships, but a Missouri congresswoman has a new take: Letting gay couples marry is like letting a 3-year-old drive a car.
Vicky Hartzler, a first-term Republican from southwestern Missouri, made the analogy in remarks at the Eagle Forum Collegians Leadership Summit last week in Washington, D.C. The group is the student affiliate of Eagle Forum, a conservative organization founded by antifeminist, antigay activist Phyllis Schlafly.
Hartzler said government licensing of same-sex marriages could lead to “group marriage” or allowing “an uncle to marry his niece.”
“So pretty soon, if you don’t set parameters, you don’t have any parameters at all,” she continued. “The license means nothing, marriage means nothing. We’re saying marriage is between a man and a woman. ... It’s not a right in the Constitution as far as that goes either. It’s not a right of a ... 3-year-old to be able to drive a car. The government has set some parameters.”
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Gay Cop Barred From Pride March
LAPD officer Kristi Nielsen (right) in the 2008 Gay Pride Parade
A gay police officer in California was told by superiors that his request to participate in the West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade was denied because it would bring "discredit" to his department.
The unidentified officer wanted to march in his uniform at this weekend's parade. However, the department responded to his request, in writing, by saying his participation would be a "discredit" to the force, according to TMZ.
Georgia School System Blocks Gay Websites
The public school system in Gwinnett County, Ga., has installed an Internet filter that blocks students’ access to some sites with LGBT content — and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia is objecting.
The Georgia ACLU sent a letter to school superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks two weeks ago informing him that such blocking was illegal, violating both the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the federal Equal Access Act, which mandates equal access to school resources for all extracurricular clubs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
“If you continue to censor these websites, you could be subject to legal liability and the expense of litigation,” read the letter from ACLU legal director Chara Jackson. She gave Wilbanks until last week to reply, and he had not done so as of Monday.
The ACLU became involved when a senior at Brookwood High School contacted the organization, saying she had lost access to sites she had used to plan activities for Brookwood’s gay-straight alliance. Blocking access to such sites, Jackson told the Journal-Constitution, “doesn’t serve a legitimate purpose.”
The Georgia ACLU sent a letter to school superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks two weeks ago informing him that such blocking was illegal, violating both the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the federal Equal Access Act, which mandates equal access to school resources for all extracurricular clubs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
“If you continue to censor these websites, you could be subject to legal liability and the expense of litigation,” read the letter from ACLU legal director Chara Jackson. She gave Wilbanks until last week to reply, and he had not done so as of Monday.
The ACLU became involved when a senior at Brookwood High School contacted the organization, saying she had lost access to sites she had used to plan activities for Brookwood’s gay-straight alliance. Blocking access to such sites, Jackson told the Journal-Constitution, “doesn’t serve a legitimate purpose.”
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