Friday, October 31, 2008
Poll: 49% of Likely Voters Oppose Prop. 8
A poll released on Thursday shows that 49% of likely California voters oppose Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage. The Field Poll also showed that 44% of likely voters were in favor of the measure, while seven percent remained undecided. The results indicate a narrowing of opinion since the last Field Poll in mid September, when 55% of respondents opposed Prop. 8 and 38% supported it.
"It's certainly closer than it was before the advertising campaign hit," Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo told the Sacramento Bee. "A lot of that has to do with the campaigning on the yes [on 8] side."
The No on 8 campaign, however, saw reason for optimism. In a statement, No on 8's senior campaign adviser Steve Smith said the poll shows that the opposition's "deceptive campaign has failed to move their numbers much at all," noting that in this survey and others, support for Prop. 8 has remained below 50%.
According to the poll, 22% of respondents have already voted. Among that group, the yes side was ahead by six points.
October 31
October 31, 1968 - Silent film star Ramon Novarro was found murdered. A bathroom mirror had the words “US GIRLS ARE BETTER THAN FAGGITS” smeared with blood. Hustler Paul Ferguson and his brother Tom Ferguson were convicted of the murder and both received life sentences. During the trial, Novarro’s sexual orientation was called into question with more vigor than the guilt or innocenceof the defendants.
October 31, 1969 - Time magazine ran a cover story on “The Homosexual in America” that included a report on the Stonewall Riots. It was protested by the Gay Liberation Front because the writer said homosexuals are mentally ill and immoral.
October 31, 1977 - Halloween brings thousands of queer-bashers to Toronto’s Yonge Street looking for the annual drag parade. Gay representatives meet with police beforehand to try to prevent crowd from gathering. Operation Jack-o’-Lantern, a gay street patrol is organized to monitor situation but police do little to control crowd.
October 31, 1980 - For the first time, Toronto police do not allow queer-bashers and spectators to congregate outside St Charles Tavern to wait for drag queens. Traffic and pedestrians are kept moving with help of large numbers of police officers. Not a single egg thrown.
October 31, 1987 - The Associated Press reported that several nursing homes in King County Washington were under investigation for refusing to accept AIDS patients or those suspected of being likely to have been exposed to HIV.
October 31, 1992 - The coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights held a march in London.
October 31, 1969 - Time magazine ran a cover story on “The Homosexual in America” that included a report on the Stonewall Riots. It was protested by the Gay Liberation Front because the writer said homosexuals are mentally ill and immoral.October 31, 1977 - Halloween brings thousands of queer-bashers to Toronto’s Yonge Street looking for the annual drag parade. Gay representatives meet with police beforehand to try to prevent crowd from gathering. Operation Jack-o’-Lantern, a gay street patrol is organized to monitor situation but police do little to control crowd.
October 31, 1980 - For the first time, Toronto police do not allow queer-bashers and spectators to congregate outside St Charles Tavern to wait for drag queens. Traffic and pedestrians are kept moving with help of large numbers of police officers. Not a single egg thrown.
October 31, 1987 - The Associated Press reported that several nursing homes in King County Washington were under investigation for refusing to accept AIDS patients or those suspected of being likely to have been exposed to HIV.
October 31, 1992 - The coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights held a march in London.
Constitutional lawyers, actors union latest to oppose Calif. gay marriage ban
The Screen Actors Guild has come out against a proposed amendment to the California constitution that would ban same-sex marriage, while 59 noted constitutional lawyers have issued a statement denouncing arguments being used by supporters of the measure.
The list of 59 law professors includes Erwin Chemerinsky, the Founding Dean of the University of California School of Law; Kathleen Sullivan, Former Dean of Stanford Law School; and Paul Brest, Dean Emeritus of Stanford Law School.
“We recognize that people of integrity can differ in their views of the meaning of marriage,” the legal scholars said in a joint statement. “But people who want to take the right to marry away from same-sex couples should not rely on misleading claims about the current state of the law or about what Proposition 8 would do.”
The statement said that the proposed amendment, known as Proposition 8, “clearly discriminates against gay men and lesbians.” The constitutional experts also said that the California Supreme Court ruling that opened up same-sex marriage has “no effect on the tax exemptions of churches” as claimed by the backers of the amendment. The statement further noted that ruling has no effect on teaching or parental rights.
“As teachers of the law we feel an obligation to speak out when claims are made about the law that are simply and clearly false,” said Professor Pam Karlan, the Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School.
State Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a member of the House Judiciary Committee said that “the Prop. 8 campaign can’t produce a single respected expert to back up any of their preposterous claims.
The list of 59 law professors includes Erwin Chemerinsky, the Founding Dean of the University of California School of Law; Kathleen Sullivan, Former Dean of Stanford Law School; and Paul Brest, Dean Emeritus of Stanford Law School.
“We recognize that people of integrity can differ in their views of the meaning of marriage,” the legal scholars said in a joint statement. “But people who want to take the right to marry away from same-sex couples should not rely on misleading claims about the current state of the law or about what Proposition 8 would do.”
The statement said that the proposed amendment, known as Proposition 8, “clearly discriminates against gay men and lesbians.” The constitutional experts also said that the California Supreme Court ruling that opened up same-sex marriage has “no effect on the tax exemptions of churches” as claimed by the backers of the amendment. The statement further noted that ruling has no effect on teaching or parental rights.
“As teachers of the law we feel an obligation to speak out when claims are made about the law that are simply and clearly false,” said Professor Pam Karlan, the Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School.
State Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a member of the House Judiciary Committee said that “the Prop. 8 campaign can’t produce a single respected expert to back up any of their preposterous claims.
"If you're not fearful, you're crazy."
JAMIE DIMON, JPMorgan Chase's chief executive, on the fear factor among credit card lending
Are credit cards the next collapse?
First came trouble with mortgages, then home equity loans and commercial real estate. Now, banks are starting to worry about credit cards.
As the economy slows and unemployment rises, consumers are defaulting on credit-card payments more often. And though that trend is unlikely to create a crisis in line with the mortgage fallout, it's still a headache for banks that are already hurting.
U.S. banks charged off 5.47 percent of all credit card loans in the second quarter, according to the Federal Reserve, representing some $50 billion that they'll likely never collect. That's up from 3.85 percent the year before, and that is a movement that's on the radar of Ken Lewis, chief executive of Charlotte's Bank of America Corp.
Asked in a recent TV interview if credit-card debt would be “the next shoe to drop” for the banking industry, Lewis replied: "It, in some ways, already is," adding that such losses have risen "pretty substantially."
EPA Rates smart fortwo Most Fuel Efficient Non-Hybrid
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 Fuel Economy Guide 2009 ranks smart fortwo as the most fuel efficient, non-hybrid vehicle in the United States. The guide places the fortwo as fifth overall in the ranking. The smart fortwo is sold in the United States by smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc."The smart fortwo demonstrates there are options, other than hybrids, when seeking excellent fuel economy at a time when fuel prices have been at a historic high," said Dave Schembri, president of smart USA. "This vehicle has a low cost of ownership starting under $12,000 and is one of the most ecological vehicles on the road today, not only for its environmental friendliness, but also for its compact size in an age of increasing urban congestion."
The 2009 smart fortwo achieves an average of 41 miles per gallon on the highway according to 2009 EPA regulations. The smart fortwo is powered by a state-of-the-art, compact, three-cylinder gasoline engine that sits at the rear of the vehicle. The engine capacity is 61 cubic inches, producing an output of 70 hp.
The vehicle already exceeds the goal set by Congress for the vehicle fleet and is classified as an Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle by the California Air Resources Board for its extremely low exhaust emissions. It is also certified by EPA as a "Smartway" vehicle, which indicates good environmental performance, placing it among the "greenest" vehicles on the market.
The ecology of the smart fortwo extends into its component materials and the manufacturing processes used to produce it. Ninety-five percent of the vehicle is recyclable, and the dash material is made from recycled synthetics. In addition, the "smartville" factory in France, where the vehicle is produced, is one of the most modern and environmentally friendly plants in the world.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Schwarzenegger Releases Position on Calif. Ballot Measures
Though he’s been saying for months he would not support California’s Proposition 8, which would strip same-sex couples of the right to marry, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made his vow official today by releasing his position on the state’s ballot measures.According to The Sacramento Bee, Schwarzenegger said he would vote no on Prop. 8. His position aligns with that of nearly every major newspaper throughout the state.
Schwarzenegger’s opinion on several other ballot measures was more in line with the Republican Party platform.
He supports a measure which would require girls under 18 years of age to notify their parents before having an abortion, and he opposes altering farm animal confinement standards.
But the governor took a neutral stance on two proposed crime bills.
Despite the urging of the No on 8 campaign, Schwarzenegger has stopped short of appealing to California voters directly to vote no on Proposition 8.
Melissa On Prop 8: "Lame."
I believe in our democracy. I believe in our constitution. I believe we live in the greatest country in the world. I believe that we are as strong as our weakest link and if we deny any of our citizens the right to “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” then we deny it to all of us.I will be waking up with my children on November 5th and I will be fixing them breakfast as I usually do. I look forward to telling them that prop 8 was defeated. I am sure my son will say, “Good, that was lame.”
Yes, lame indeed.
October 30
October 30, 1976 - The first gay civil rights group in Quebec, Association pour les droits de la communauté gaie du Québec (ADGQ) is formed.
October 30, 1987- A panel discussion on gays and the constitution was held during the inauguration of the new Lesbian and Gay Studies Center at Yale University.
October 30, 1992 - New Ways Ministry, a Mt. Rainier Maryland group led by three Roman Catholic bishops, announced it would release a statement of disagreement with the Vatican’s call for gays and lesbians to be barred from becoming adoptive or foster parents, teachers, coaches, or military personnel. 1,500 lay persons signed the statement.
October 30, 1987- A panel discussion on gays and the constitution was held during the inauguration of the new Lesbian and Gay Studies Center at Yale University.
October 30, 1992 - New Ways Ministry, a Mt. Rainier Maryland group led by three Roman Catholic bishops, announced it would release a statement of disagreement with the Vatican’s call for gays and lesbians to be barred from becoming adoptive or foster parents, teachers, coaches, or military personnel. 1,500 lay persons signed the statement.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Connecticut Same-Sex Couples to Begin Marrying in November
Gay Connecticut couples will be able to start marrying sometime in November, though the exact date is not known, reports the Associated Press.Lawyers who argued the state's marriage case said Tuesday that couples will be able to pick up their marriage license applications beginning sometime on or after Nov. 10th. The exact date has yet to be determined by a judge in New Haven Superior Court, where the case originated in 2004.
According to the AP, the Supreme Court's ruling is considered official now that it has been published in the Connecticut Law Journal. Motions for reconsideration of the case will be accepted for the 10 days following that publication. Once the period ends, the Superior Court judge will be freed up to set the exact date for when gay marriages can begin.
October 29
October 29, 1979 - Gay activists hold “mince-in” at Ontario legislature in Toronto to draw attention to inaction on human rights protections for gays and lesbians.
October 29, 1995 - In Iran, a 31 year old man was convicted of “ugly and improper conduct” and sentenced to twenty lashes for cross-dressing.
October 29, 1997 - Representatives from the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Educators Network met with House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt to discuss the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and funding for AIDS care and research.
October 29, 1997- US House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt met with several leaders of national gay and lesbian organizations to discuss ways in which the party could assist gay and lesbian candidates through the coming election cycle.
October 29, 1997- Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill calling for the extension of health insurance coverage to the domestic partners of US federal employees through the federal employee health program.
October 29, 1997- Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals unanimously overturned Circuit Court Judge Lawrence H. Rushworth’s decision prohibiting a divorced gay man from seeing his children in the presence of his partner.
October 29, 1995 - In Iran, a 31 year old man was convicted of “ugly and improper conduct” and sentenced to twenty lashes for cross-dressing.
October 29, 1997 - Representatives from the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Educators Network met with House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt to discuss the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and funding for AIDS care and research.October 29, 1997- US House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt met with several leaders of national gay and lesbian organizations to discuss ways in which the party could assist gay and lesbian candidates through the coming election cycle.
October 29, 1997- Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill calling for the extension of health insurance coverage to the domestic partners of US federal employees through the federal employee health program.
October 29, 1997- Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals unanimously overturned Circuit Court Judge Lawrence H. Rushworth’s decision prohibiting a divorced gay man from seeing his children in the presence of his partner.
Republicans Against 8
The latest round of grassroots No on 8 public service announcements started with a simple conversation. Republicans Against 8 campaign director Scott Schmidt ran into Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black, who Schmidt says wanted to know if there was anything more than fund-raising he could do to fight Proposition 8, California's proposed ban on same-sex marriage.
“This community has many, many talents that run beyond phone banking and fund-raising,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt said the effort is an example of the “unprecedented cooperation in the gay community to beat Prop. 8. I am a Republican, Lance Black isn’t one. ... It doesn’t matter who you are -- Democrat, Republican, Trojan, Bruin -- we want to work together to accomplish the same goal.”
The two ads feature an impressive roster of everyday gay citizens, including a Vietnam veteran and a Boeing rocket scientist, two people who say they have devoted their careers to protecting the rights and lives of Americans. The ads urge Californians to now step up and return the favor on November 4.
Schmidt says several high-profile Republicans have been instrumental in fighting Prop. 8.
“Having Governor Schwarzenegger on board since the beginning made it easier to get other people,” he said. “San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, L.A. sheriff Lee Baca. ... Big government shouldn’t be telling people who they can marry.”
Schmidt said having Black on board gave the effort an added bit of authenticity. The No on 8 logo that appears throughout the ads is a re-creation of a logo from San Francisco's 1978 No on 6 effort. Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, would have prohibited gay people from teaching in California.
Schmidt said buttons featuring the No on 8 logo would be handed out at Monday's San Francisco premiere of Milk, the biopic about pioneering gay politician Harvey Milk.
“This community has many, many talents that run beyond phone banking and fund-raising,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt said the effort is an example of the “unprecedented cooperation in the gay community to beat Prop. 8. I am a Republican, Lance Black isn’t one. ... It doesn’t matter who you are -- Democrat, Republican, Trojan, Bruin -- we want to work together to accomplish the same goal.”
The two ads feature an impressive roster of everyday gay citizens, including a Vietnam veteran and a Boeing rocket scientist, two people who say they have devoted their careers to protecting the rights and lives of Americans. The ads urge Californians to now step up and return the favor on November 4.
Schmidt says several high-profile Republicans have been instrumental in fighting Prop. 8.
“Having Governor Schwarzenegger on board since the beginning made it easier to get other people,” he said. “San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, L.A. sheriff Lee Baca. ... Big government shouldn’t be telling people who they can marry.”
Schmidt said having Black on board gave the effort an added bit of authenticity. The No on 8 logo that appears throughout the ads is a re-creation of a logo from San Francisco's 1978 No on 6 effort. Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, would have prohibited gay people from teaching in California.
Schmidt said buttons featuring the No on 8 logo would be handed out at Monday's San Francisco premiere of Milk, the biopic about pioneering gay politician Harvey Milk.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
"N-word" Used at Palin Rally
She doesn't even stop... she doesn't even say anything... she doesn't condemn it... she just keeps on going.
Focus on the Family inducted into Radio Hall of Fame
On November 8, 2008, the Museum of Broadcast Communications plans to induct James Dobson’s anti-gay Focus on the Family radio program into its Radio Hall of Fame.
And while the Radio Hall of Fame justifies the induction by claiming it, “does not endorse or support the views voiced by any nominee or inductee on the air or via any other platform,” his nomination came from “the 27 members of its Steering Committee.”
Either the members of the Steering Committee don’t know who James Dobson is and of the hurtful and defamatory things he says about LGBT people, or they just don’t care.
And while the Radio Hall of Fame justifies the induction by claiming it, “does not endorse or support the views voiced by any nominee or inductee on the air or via any other platform,” his nomination came from “the 27 members of its Steering Committee.”
Either the members of the Steering Committee don’t know who James Dobson is and of the hurtful and defamatory things he says about LGBT people, or they just don’t care.
October 28
October 28, 1903 - British writer Evelyn Waugh is born in London. The writer of “Brideshead Revisited” kept diaries of his affairs.
October 28, 1970 - Author Kate Millet came out.
October 28, 1987 - The Human Rights Campaign Fund began running ads in response to an amendment introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and passed by the house and senate to restrict funding to AIDS organizations which distributed gay-related prevention literature.
October 28, 1987- At the University of Vermont in Burlington nineteen people were arrested in a demonstration protesting the CIA’s exclusion of gays and lesbians.
October 28, 1990 - During a campaign speech, US Congressman Jesse Helms referred to gays and lesbians as “disgusting people marching in the streets demanding all sorts of things, including the right to marry each other.”
October 28, 1990 - Placido Domingo and Andre Watts raise $1.5 million at a fundraiser for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis.
October 28, 1992 - Episcopal bishop A. Theodore Eastman issued an order to clergy in Maryland not to bless same-sex unions.
October 28, 1992 - The lesbian comic book “Hothead Paisan #7″ was seized from Toronto Women’s Bookstore. Officials sited “sexual degradation” as the reason for the seizure, though it contained no sex. The prohibition would be lifted seven months later.
October 28, 1997 - The National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum condemned gospel singers Angie and Debbie Winans for their anti-gay song “It’s Not Natural” and BET-TV for providing them with a one-sided forum to promote their homophobic views. Earlier in the year, BET-TV refused to air MeShell NdegeOcello’s video “Leviticus Faggot,” about a black gay teenager’s struggle to come to terms with his sexuality.
October 28, 1998 - Welsh secretary Ron Davies resigned after British tabloids reported he was robbed at knifepoint in a London park while looking for a male sexual companion.
October 28, 1998 - Glen Murray, an out gay man, was elected mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
October 28, 1970 - Author Kate Millet came out.
October 28, 1987 - The Human Rights Campaign Fund began running ads in response to an amendment introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and passed by the house and senate to restrict funding to AIDS organizations which distributed gay-related prevention literature.
October 28, 1987- At the University of Vermont in Burlington nineteen people were arrested in a demonstration protesting the CIA’s exclusion of gays and lesbians.
October 28, 1990 - During a campaign speech, US Congressman Jesse Helms referred to gays and lesbians as “disgusting people marching in the streets demanding all sorts of things, including the right to marry each other.”October 28, 1990 - Placido Domingo and Andre Watts raise $1.5 million at a fundraiser for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis.
October 28, 1992 - Episcopal bishop A. Theodore Eastman issued an order to clergy in Maryland not to bless same-sex unions.
October 28, 1992 - The lesbian comic book “Hothead Paisan #7″ was seized from Toronto Women’s Bookstore. Officials sited “sexual degradation” as the reason for the seizure, though it contained no sex. The prohibition would be lifted seven months later.
October 28, 1997 - The National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum condemned gospel singers Angie and Debbie Winans for their anti-gay song “It’s Not Natural” and BET-TV for providing them with a one-sided forum to promote their homophobic views. Earlier in the year, BET-TV refused to air MeShell NdegeOcello’s video “Leviticus Faggot,” about a black gay teenager’s struggle to come to terms with his sexuality.
October 28, 1998 - Welsh secretary Ron Davies resigned after British tabloids reported he was robbed at knifepoint in a London park while looking for a male sexual companion.
October 28, 1998 - Glen Murray, an out gay man, was elected mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"We Can Stand Up To Right-Wing Extremists."
Proposition 8 is a terrible attack on our lesbian and gay friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members. But the response of our community shows the best of California — hundreds of thousands of regular people across the state joining together almost spontaneously to say "NO" to using our laws to hurt our fellow Californians.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Berkeley supports the Full Inclusion
Robert J. Birgeneau, the Chancellor of UC Berkeley, sent a message to the entire campus informing them of the impacts of Proposition 8:"Proposition 8 is in conflict with the principles of equity and inclusion to which our campus is committed. Berkeley supports the full inclusion and equal treatment of all members of our community and we have affirmed the position that any treatment of individuals that is not equal and inclusive is discriminatory. In denying a fundamental civil right, passage of Proposition 8 would undermine these principles, not just for our LGBTQ community, but for all racial, religious and cultural minorities and would harm the university as a whole."
Fait Comes Out and Say No on 8
Glenn Fait, former GOP mayor and councilman of Folsom, California, comes out of the closet with an ad in the paper announcing he's gay and urges people to vote 'No' on Prop 8: "Fait, 65, said he felt so strongly about his opposition to Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that seeks to ban same-sex marriage, that he decided to out himself to the community where he has lived for more than 40 years. 'I think people will be surprised,' said Fait. The one-time president of the Rotary Club said he wanted to do something beyond donating and volunteering against the ballot measure. 'For weeks, I was trying to figure out what I can do and then I thought, well, I can do this.' Fait paid $660 for the quarter-page ad that ran Wednesday in the weekly Folsom Telegraph, which has a printing of 17,000. 'I have lived in Folsom most of my life,' the ad began. 'As a gay man, I have a personal interest in Proposition 8. My civil rights are at stake.'"
Apple Comes Out Against Prop. 8
Apple Inc. announced on Friday that it had donated $100,000 to fight California’s Proposition 8, which aims to change the state’s constitution in order to outlaw marriage equality, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.“Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental right -- including the right to marry -- should not be affected by their sexual orientation,” the company said in a statement. “Apple views this as a civil rights issue rather than just a political issue and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.”
Turnout will be key in marriage battles in California, Florida, and Arizona.
"Expected record turnout among blacks and young voters backing Democrat Barack Obama could cut both ways. Most members of Tampa's African-American Beulah Baptist Institutional Church view gay marriage as 'an abomination to God's word,' minister W. James Favorite says. He rejects equating the struggle for gay rights with the civil rights movement. Opponents hope young people, who a Pew Research Center for the People & the Press poll showed are more tolerant of gay marriage, will help their side.With only 10 days until election day, Proposition 8's fate is still hard to predict. The polls remain close, with the newest Public Policy Institute of California poll showing 52% opposing the ban with 44% in favor. The opposition is still ahead, but those in favor have risen since the last poll was taken.
October 27
October 27, 1903 - In “Die Zeit”, Sigmund Freud was quoted as saying homosexuals are not sick and should not be treated as sick.
October 27, 1951 - The French postal service issued stamps with gay lovers Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud.
October 27, 1970 - Forty members of the Gay Activist Alliance invaded the offices of Harper magazine to protest an article which presented homosexuality as a mental illness. GAA president Arthur Evans verbally attacked editor Midge Decter for publishing an article which would add to the suffering of homosexuals. The protest led to a three part television news series on gay liberation.
October 27, 1977 - A meeting between Quebec Human Rights Commission and representatives of gay group ADGQ results in public recommendation that government amend Human Rights Charter to include sexual orientation.
October 27, 1990 - US Congress repealed a law barring homosexuals from being admitted to the United States on grounds of mental illness.
October 27, 1992 - The Federal Court of Canada ordered the military to lift the ban on gay and lesbian service personnel. The Defence Department declined to appeal the decision.
October 27, 1993 - Allen Schindler, a gay American sailor, was beaten to death by his shipmates.
October 27, 1997 - BET-TV withdrew an invitation to Keith Boykin to appear on a show with Angie and Debbie Winans. The Winans objected to his presence on the show, which featured their anti-gay song “It’s Not Natural.”
October 27, 1999 - The Ontario provincial government changed 67 statutes to give same-sex couples equal treatment to heterosexual couples.
October 27, 1999 - Democratic presidential nomination candidates Al Gore and Bill Bradley promised that if elected they would do everything in their power to ensure equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans.
October 27, 1951 - The French postal service issued stamps with gay lovers Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud.
October 27, 1970 - Forty members of the Gay Activist Alliance invaded the offices of Harper magazine to protest an article which presented homosexuality as a mental illness. GAA president Arthur Evans verbally attacked editor Midge Decter for publishing an article which would add to the suffering of homosexuals. The protest led to a three part television news series on gay liberation.
October 27, 1977 - A meeting between Quebec Human Rights Commission and representatives of gay group ADGQ results in public recommendation that government amend Human Rights Charter to include sexual orientation.
October 27, 1990 - US Congress repealed a law barring homosexuals from being admitted to the United States on grounds of mental illness.
October 27, 1992 - The Federal Court of Canada ordered the military to lift the ban on gay and lesbian service personnel. The Defence Department declined to appeal the decision.
October 27, 1993 - Allen Schindler, a gay American sailor, was beaten to death by his shipmates.October 27, 1997 - BET-TV withdrew an invitation to Keith Boykin to appear on a show with Angie and Debbie Winans. The Winans objected to his presence on the show, which featured their anti-gay song “It’s Not Natural.”
October 27, 1999 - The Ontario provincial government changed 67 statutes to give same-sex couples equal treatment to heterosexual couples.
October 27, 1999 - Democratic presidential nomination candidates Al Gore and Bill Bradley promised that if elected they would do everything in their power to ensure equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
October 26
October 26, 1990 - A U.S. Army colonel was discharged and sentenced to 90 days in Leavenworth for appearing in drag at an AIDS benefit and kissing another man.October 26, 1992 - Portland Oregon police chief Tom Potter testified before a state senate committee, saying many victims of anti-gay assaults do not report the crimes because of fear that their identities will be made public.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
October 25
October 25, 51 AD - Titus Flavius Domitianus was born in Rome. The Emperor is the first recorded case of a married man ditching his wife for his boyfriend. The young man was the mime, Paris. After a public outcry he killed off Paris and went back to wife. It didn’t last long though. Domitian kept up his affairs with young men, and the wife had him assassinated.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Palin Touts McCain's Conservative Views
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin stopped by Focus on the Family head Jim Dobson’s radio show this week to assure the evangelical Christian that if elected, she’s convinced John McCain will implement more traditional Republican policies on issues including stem cell research, abortion and same-sex marriage.
Ellen to Sarah Palin: "You're Wrong on the Federal Marriage Amendment
Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres spoke out against Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin on her show Wednesday. Palin said last Saturday that she would support a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
"Maybe it's because I'm gay that we should all be equal, but I feel that we're all equal," DeGeneres said on her show. "I don't know what people are scared of. Maybe they think their children will be influenced. I gotta say, I was raised by two heterosexuals, I was surrounded by heterosexuals, everywhere I looked were heterosexuals, and they did not influence -- I mean I dabbled in high school, who didn't? Everyone dabbled. People are going to be who they want to be, and we have let them love who they want to love."
DeGeneres married her partner of four years, Portia de Rossi, this August in Los Angeles.
October 24
October 24, 1926 - The New York Times printed a book review of “The Doctor Looks at Love and Life” by Dr. Joseph Collins. In the chapter on homosexuality, Dr. Collins countered the claim that homosexual love is pathological and that homosexuals are psychopaths or neurotic, saying that he knew many well-balanced homosexuals of both sexes who have distinguished themselves in various fields from arms to the pulpit. He also stated that “Genuine homosexuality is not a vice, it is an endowment.”
October 24, 1981 - The first National Conference on Lesbian and Gay Aging was held in California.
October 24, 1987 - Elizabeth Kirby Lewallen was named the new president of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays at the organization’s Sixth International convention in Washington DC.
October 24, 1992 - Thirty-five religious leaders in northwest Vermont joined to condemn two acts of hate-motivated violence, one anti-gay and one anti-Semitic.
October 24, 1981 - The first National Conference on Lesbian and Gay Aging was held in California.
October 24, 1987 - Elizabeth Kirby Lewallen was named the new president of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays at the organization’s Sixth International convention in Washington DC.October 24, 1992 - Thirty-five religious leaders in northwest Vermont joined to condemn two acts of hate-motivated violence, one anti-gay and one anti-Semitic.
Mormons Bankroll Anti–Gay Marriage Amendments in California and Arizona
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has mobilized followers to give an estimated 77% of donations to support California's proposed marriage ban.Californians Against Hate released figures Tuesday showing that $17.67 million was contributed by 59,000 Mormon families since August to groups like Yes on 8. Contributions in support of Prop. 8 total $22.88 million. Additionally, the group reports that Mormons have contributed $6.9 million to pass a similar law, Proposition 102, in Arizona.
"It is a staggering amount of money and an even more staggering percentage of the overall campaign receipts," Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate said in a press release. "The Mormon Church, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has hijacked the campaigns in both California and Arizona, where voters face constitutional amendments to end same-sex marriage."
Karger said Californians Against Hate came up with the figures by cross-referencing donor information from the California secretary of state with Brigham Young University alumni lists, church memberships, and other personal documentation that could identify Mormon Church members. He said the surge in support has been an attempt to boost the church's social standing among the greater religious community.
"For whatever reason, they're trying to get some respect from other religions," he told The Advocate Tuesday. "They've always been looked down upon by the Christians, the Catholics, and evangelicals."
Success with the marriage amendment would give the church credibility, Karger said.
The Latter-day Saints Church says it has approximately 770,000 members in California, accounting for about 2% of the state's population. Senior church elders broadcast a call to Mormons October 8 for increased volunteer efforts and donations for the marriage fight. The hour-long message went out to churches in Utah, Hawaii, and Idaho as well as California.
Members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, the second-highest church governing body, explained their plan to pass the ballot initiative. They asked each California congregation to commit 30 volunteers to donate four hours a week to Proposition 8. They also urged young people to use technology -- such as social networks, text messaging, and blogging -- to spread the word.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Top 8 Reasons Why You Should Donate to No on Prop 8
8. John McCain can look Ellen Degeneres straight in the face and reject her right to marriage.
7. Luckily, the big donors behind Prop 8 don't think stoning gays is a "necessity."
In 2004, Howard F. Ahmanson -- who gave $900K to the Yes campaign -- told the Orange County Register: "I think what upsets people is that Rushdoony seemed to think –- and I'm not sure about this –- that a godly society would stone people for the same thing that people in ancient Israel were stoned. I no longer consider that essential. It would still be a little hard to say that if one stumbled on a country that was doing that, that it is inherently immoral, to stone people for these things. But I don't think it's at all a necessity."
6. "Yes on 8" supporters are emptying out their savings accounts to defeat "the gays"
"Pam and Rick Patterson have always followed teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and tried to live within their means. He drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic to his job at Intel. She is a stay-at home mom who makes most of the family meals and bakes her own bread. The couple, who have five sons between the ages of 3 and 12, live in a comfortable but modest three-bedroom home in Folsom. It's a traditional lifestyle they believe is now at risk. That's why the Pattersons recently made a huge financial sacrifice – they withdrew $50,000 from their savings and donated it to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, the ballot measure that seeks to ban same-sex marriage."
5. They are gracious enough to remind us that it's not about intolerance. "Proposition 8 is NOT an attack on gay couples" --www.Protectmarriage.com In August [2008], the prophets added pages of elaboration: "The Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a husband and a wife united in bonds of matrimony."
4. They value America's workers. "The (one million) YES on Prop 8 yard signs have been delayed in route from China."
3. Mormons love gays so much, they have pressured their 770,000 members to donate millions of dollars to pass Prop 8 and eliminate marriage rights.
2. Their spokespeople want to extend the "equality" to elderly and sterile couples!
And, the #1 reason why you should donate to defeat Prop 8:
1. Religious wingnuts are packing Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on November 1. And they are mobilizing millions across America at "TheCall.com"
7. Luckily, the big donors behind Prop 8 don't think stoning gays is a "necessity."
In 2004, Howard F. Ahmanson -- who gave $900K to the Yes campaign -- told the Orange County Register: "I think what upsets people is that Rushdoony seemed to think –- and I'm not sure about this –- that a godly society would stone people for the same thing that people in ancient Israel were stoned. I no longer consider that essential. It would still be a little hard to say that if one stumbled on a country that was doing that, that it is inherently immoral, to stone people for these things. But I don't think it's at all a necessity."
6. "Yes on 8" supporters are emptying out their savings accounts to defeat "the gays"
"Pam and Rick Patterson have always followed teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and tried to live within their means. He drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic to his job at Intel. She is a stay-at home mom who makes most of the family meals and bakes her own bread. The couple, who have five sons between the ages of 3 and 12, live in a comfortable but modest three-bedroom home in Folsom. It's a traditional lifestyle they believe is now at risk. That's why the Pattersons recently made a huge financial sacrifice – they withdrew $50,000 from their savings and donated it to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, the ballot measure that seeks to ban same-sex marriage."
5. They are gracious enough to remind us that it's not about intolerance. "Proposition 8 is NOT an attack on gay couples" --www.Protectmarriage.com In August [2008], the prophets added pages of elaboration: "The Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a husband and a wife united in bonds of matrimony."
4. They value America's workers. "The (one million) YES on Prop 8 yard signs have been delayed in route from China."
3. Mormons love gays so much, they have pressured their 770,000 members to donate millions of dollars to pass Prop 8 and eliminate marriage rights.
2. Their spokespeople want to extend the "equality" to elderly and sterile couples!
And, the #1 reason why you should donate to defeat Prop 8:
1. Religious wingnuts are packing Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on November 1. And they are mobilizing millions across America at "TheCall.com"
New Poll Finds Likely Voters Oppose Prop. 8, But By Slimmer Margins
A new poll released Wednesday found that California’s gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, is losing among likely voters 52% to 44%.
But comparing those results to previous polls conducted by the same organization indicates that the margin is tightening, not widening. Last month, likely voters said they would vote against the measure 55% to 41%, and in August likely voters opposed it 55% to 40%. Support for Prop. 8 among Republicans has risen to 70%, up from 62% in September; and Democrats now oppose the initiative by only 67%, down from 71% last month.
In the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama’s lead over Sen. John McCain has grown to 23 points (56% to 33%), a 13-point gain since September.
The new statewide telephone survey of 2,004 adult residents was conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California from October 12-19 and the margin of error among the poll’s 1,186 likely voters is +/- 3%.
WOMAN ATTEMPTS CITIZEN'S ARREST OF KARL ROVE FOR TREASON
Here's the most amusing Karl Rove clip:
At a forum at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, a discussion between Rove and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell was interrupted by three sets of protestors, including one woman who got on stage and tried to put handcuffs on Rove and make a citizen's arrest for treason.
Following that exchange, Rove tried to make a point about negative campaigning by discussing John Kerry's jab the other day about McCain wearing Depends adult diapers.
Said Mitchell "I have to say I feel like Dorothy in the land of Oz hearing about you lecture about negative campaigns by others."
[Yes, I think I love that woman. I just wish she had a chance to get the handcuffs on him. That would have been PRICELESS!]
At a forum at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, a discussion between Rove and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell was interrupted by three sets of protestors, including one woman who got on stage and tried to put handcuffs on Rove and make a citizen's arrest for treason.
Following that exchange, Rove tried to make a point about negative campaigning by discussing John Kerry's jab the other day about McCain wearing Depends adult diapers.
Said Mitchell "I have to say I feel like Dorothy in the land of Oz hearing about you lecture about negative campaigns by others."
[Yes, I think I love that woman. I just wish she had a chance to get the handcuffs on him. That would have been PRICELESS!]
Gay Marriage in Peril in California
A state ballot measure to ban gay marriage in California is gaining momentum, with polls showing almost even odds of it passing after trailing by double digits a month ago.In June, the state legalized same-sex marriages. The next month, Proposition 8, defining marriage as between a man and a woman, was put on the ballot for November. Initial polling showed that a majority of Californians were likely to vote against Proposition 8. A Sept. 18 poll by the San Francisco-based Field Poll found the measure losing 55% to 38% among likely voters.
But now the measure is favored 48% to 45% among likely voters questioned in an Oct. 17 poll by Survey USA. The poll's margin of error, four percentage points, means the results were a statistical tie.
A group leading the fight against the measure, Equality for All, said this week that one of its internal polls shows Proposition 8 leading by four percentage points. The close results of that poll, too, may suggest a dead heat as the Nov. 4 election approaches.
"The outcome will be close because Californians are evenly divided on gay marriage," said Mark Baldassare, chief executive of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California in San Francisco. A new poll by the institute, due out late Wednesday, is expected to show a tight race. The measure needs a simple majority vote to pass.
Proposition 8 was initiated after the state's Supreme Court said in May that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, paving the way for the legalization of gay marriage in California starting June 17. Same-sex marriages are also legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The issue has come up in the presidential campaign, with Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, suggesting this week that she would support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage nationwide. The outcome of California's battle could affect whether states move to recognize gay marriages.
Supporters of Proposition 8 have gained ground by capitalizing on their opponents' missteps. They have been running a television ad for several weeks that shows San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom delivering a boisterous response to a throng of supporters after the state Supreme Court ruling. "The door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not," the Democratic mayor says loudly.
"Gavin Newsom has been a great player on our team," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California, a group that has been leading the "Yes on 8" campaign.
Pollsters say that fueling the rise in support for Proposition 8 is an advertising blitz heavily bankrolled by the Mormon Church, which suggests, among other things, that if Proposition 8 doesn't pass then schoolchildren will be indoctrinated about gay marriage.
Between 30% and 40% of the $25.5 million in donations raised as of last week by the "Yes" campaign has come from the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, supporters of the measure say. "Yes" campaigners say the Mormons are just one of many religious groups that support the ban.
Officials in San Francisco -- a national pioneer in recognizing gay marriages -- have come out strongly against the Mormon Church's campaign. "This is a blood feud on their part," said Therese Stewart, chief deputy city attorney of San Francisco.
A Mormon Church spokesman said it is acting only as a part of a broad coalition of groups opposed to gay marriage. "The campaign has had the support of over 60,000 individual contributors, the majority of which are not Mormons," Mormon spokesman Michael Purdy said in a statement. Mormon leaders, on the church's official Web site, ask their followers to support the California ballot measure to reinforce church teachings that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God."
Proposition 8 opponents are scrambling to turn back the tide. They have raised about $20 million by enlisting powerful allies such as the state teachers and nurses unions. The "No" campaign also is unleashing its own attack ads. "Unfair, Unnecessary, and Wrong," says one new ad, which calls attention to a wave of newspaper, union and other endorsements against the measure.
Proposition 8 draws its heaviest support in Republican strongholds such as the Central Valley and Inland Empire of Southern California, according to recent polls. Its biggest opposition is coming from Democratic bastions such as San Francisco and Los Angeles along the coast.
But two Democratic constituencies -- African-Americans and Latinos -- are leaning toward the ban. Among likely black voters, 58% supported Proposition 8 compared with 38% who opposed it in the most recent Survey USA poll. Among Latinos, 47% supported the proposition while 41% opposed it; white voters were nearly evenly split. The reason, "Yes" officials say, is that church attendance is strong in many minority communities.
As a result, both sides are lobbying to corral votes in minority neighborhoods. Tuesday, for instance, African-American leaders in Oakland and Los Angeles held news conferences opposing the ban. The same day, other African-American leaders in those cities came out in support of Proposition 8.
October 23
October 23, 1766 - Christoffel Bosch van Leeuwarden, a seventy year old porter in the Netherlands, was convicted of seduction to sodomy and sentenced to three years of prison labour.
October 23, 1907 - The Molte v. Harden trial began in Germany. Journalist Maximillian Harden accused General Kuno Count von Moltke of being in a homosexual relationship. Moltke filed a civil suit, and though Harden was acquitted the verdict was later overturned and he was found guilty.
October 23, 1937 - Mattachine Society founder Harry Hay’s former lover Stanley Haggart wrote to him after marrying a woman in an attempt to change his sexuality, “To think it had to take a marriage with its wedding night experiences to show me where my real affinity lies. Every cell in me screamed out in protest at my desecration of my body. At that time I knew that I belonged to you and you to me.”
October 23, 1977 - Two thousand people demonstrate in downtown Montreal to protest October 22 bar raids. Police attack the demonstrators with motorcycles and billy-clubs and made further arrests.
October 23, 1979 - Former Winnipeg Free Press publisher Richard Malone pleads guilty to charges of buggery and obstructing justice. He is given a one-year sentence, following “juvenile sex ring” investigation in February 1979.
October 23, 1993 - In Helena Montana the state supreme court ruled that transvestitism is not a sufficient reason to deny a father joint custody of his 3-year old child.
October 23, 1998 - The Los Angeles City council condemned the “Making Sense of Homosexuality” conference, organized by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, saying that claims of “curing” homosexuals create an atmosphere that can lead to anti-gay violence.
October 23, 1999 - Religious right leader Rev. Jerry Falwell and evangelical Christian supporters met with Rev. Mel White and gay Christians for an anti-violence forum.
October 23, 2002 - Pioneering gay activist Harry Hay dies. A founder and architect of the modern gay rights movement in 1950, Hay and four others formed one of the nation’s first gay rights organizations, the Mattachine Society.
October 23, 1907 - The Molte v. Harden trial began in Germany. Journalist Maximillian Harden accused General Kuno Count von Moltke of being in a homosexual relationship. Moltke filed a civil suit, and though Harden was acquitted the verdict was later overturned and he was found guilty.
October 23, 1937 - Mattachine Society founder Harry Hay’s former lover Stanley Haggart wrote to him after marrying a woman in an attempt to change his sexuality, “To think it had to take a marriage with its wedding night experiences to show me where my real affinity lies. Every cell in me screamed out in protest at my desecration of my body. At that time I knew that I belonged to you and you to me.”October 23, 1977 - Two thousand people demonstrate in downtown Montreal to protest October 22 bar raids. Police attack the demonstrators with motorcycles and billy-clubs and made further arrests.
October 23, 1979 - Former Winnipeg Free Press publisher Richard Malone pleads guilty to charges of buggery and obstructing justice. He is given a one-year sentence, following “juvenile sex ring” investigation in February 1979.
October 23, 1993 - In Helena Montana the state supreme court ruled that transvestitism is not a sufficient reason to deny a father joint custody of his 3-year old child.
October 23, 1998 - The Los Angeles City council condemned the “Making Sense of Homosexuality” conference, organized by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, saying that claims of “curing” homosexuals create an atmosphere that can lead to anti-gay violence.
October 23, 1999 - Religious right leader Rev. Jerry Falwell and evangelical Christian supporters met with Rev. Mel White and gay Christians for an anti-violence forum.
October 23, 2002 - Pioneering gay activist Harry Hay dies. A founder and architect of the modern gay rights movement in 1950, Hay and four others formed one of the nation’s first gay rights organizations, the Mattachine Society.
Gay marriage foes on Calif. campus face recall
Nine of the 15 members of American River College's student association are facing a recall election after voting to support a ballot measure seeking to ban gay marriage.The vote last month in favor of Proposition 8 sent the suburban Sacramento campus into an uproar, pitting politicized Christian fundamentalists against a more liberal campus faction.
It's the latest instance in which religious tensions have flared on the campus. Last year, a group called the Christian Civilization Club observed Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. Angry Muslim students and others ripped down signs that maligned Muslim prophet Muhammad.
Most of those facing recall on Tuesday and Wednesday are fundamentalist Christian, and three are members of the Mormon church, which is active in the statewide campaign for Proposition 8.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Post-Obama Report
The self-proclaimed religious-conservative activist Janet Porter took it upon herself to cast this "news report" from the dark, bleak post-Obama inauguration America.
Ron Burkle hosted a "No on 8" benefit
Big names and deep pockets were out last night at Ron Burkle’s Green Acres Estate in Beverly Hills. The straight billionaire and former owner of the Ralphs supermarket chain opened his home to a gala fund-raiser for No on Proposition 8. With Melissa Etheridge and Mary J. Blige headlining and a host committee of names ranging from producer Bruce Cohen (Milk) and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, the event with tickets starting at $500 was sold out. They raked in $3.9 million, including $100,000 from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom.
Marriage ban's passage, school curriculum are separate issues
The Los Angeles Times addresses misconceptions linking a defeat of California's constitutional marriage ban to adding a gay-marriage curriculum to the state's public schools. The decision to educate students about marriage rights is left up to individual schools, and parents are entitled to prevent their children from receiving such instruction.
"The measure would do one thing: use the state Constitution as the device to take away an existing, fundamental right from a particular group of people, so that a loving adult in that group could not marry the person of his or her choice."
Palin Expresses Support for Federal Marriage Amendment
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin expressed support for a federal marriage amendment on the Christian Broadcasting Network on Saturday. In an interview with CBN's David Brody the Alaska governor said, "I wish on a federal level that that's where we would go, because I don't support gay marriage."Her running mate, Sen. John McCain, has said he doesn't support the federal amendment, saying gay marriage should be decided by each state.
"In my own state, I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman," Palin also told Brody.
She added: "I'm not going to be out there judging individuals, sitting in a seat of judgment telling what they can and can't do, should and should not do, but I certainly can express my own opinion here and take actions that I believe would be best for traditional marriage.... It's the foundation of our society."
[part of me just really wants to call her the "c" word]
The National Organization for Women breaks precedent!
Friends:We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact.
Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech, gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears -- to say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-(and possibly first)-most-powerful person on the planet.
We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and altogether devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and from which we've so demonstrably benefited.
First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters.
We want to disagree, publicly. If you agree that Palin is an irresponsible, even dangerous, choice for VP, please consider participating in this drive. Gentlemen, send this to the women you know and care for. I know it's tough to understand the way this choice is impacting women, but I have never seen so many women so outraged, angry and distraught in my entire life. We'd like our voices heard.
FYI: The National Organization for Women has endorsed the Obamba-Biden ticket for just the reasons listed above. They usually do not endorse, but in this case believed it was absolutely necessary to take a stand.
October 22
October 22, 1870 - Lord Alfred Douglas is born near London. Forever known as Bosie, the boy lover of Oscar Wilde was regarded at the time as a mincing queen intent on self-destruction. In the end it was Wilde who was destroyed.
October 22, 1916 - Police in New York City raided an all-male Turkish bath after agents from the New York Society for the Prevention of Vice, who had infiltrated the establishment, filed a detailed report. Thirty-seven men, including the manager, were arrested. Twenty-five of them were convicted and sentenced to prison. The manager committed suicide.
October 22, 1986 - U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop advised that sex education that includes information on both gay and straight relationships would help prevent the spread of AIDS.
October 22, 1977 - Montreal Police raid gay bars Truxx, and Le Mystique charge 146 men with being found-ins in common bawdyhouse. More than fifty uniformed and plainclothes police in bullet proof vests from the divisional morality, mobile and technical squads carried off the raid. It was the largest mass arrest since War Measures Act during the FLQ Crisis. The 146 men arrested were held for up to 15 hours at police headquarters “while ‘compulsory’ VD tests were administered
October 22, 1992 - A report on hate crimes in Michigan was rejected by the US Civil Rights Commission because it included documentation of anti-gay hate crimes.
October 22, 1993 - US Air Force Lt. Heide De Jesus announced that she was dropping her lawsuit challenging her discharge from military service under the ban on gay and lesbian service personnel because the fight had left her literally broke.
October 22, 1999 - Boeing announced it would begin offering domestic partner benefits to its gay and lesbian employees. The company explained that unmarried opposite sex couples would not be included because marriage is an option for them, which brought criticism from union leaders.
October 22, 1999 - San Francisco archbishop William Levada announced he would make a $30,000 contribution to a California ballot initiative to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite sex couples.
October 22, 1916 - Police in New York City raided an all-male Turkish bath after agents from the New York Society for the Prevention of Vice, who had infiltrated the establishment, filed a detailed report. Thirty-seven men, including the manager, were arrested. Twenty-five of them were convicted and sentenced to prison. The manager committed suicide.
October 22, 1986 - U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop advised that sex education that includes information on both gay and straight relationships would help prevent the spread of AIDS.October 22, 1977 - Montreal Police raid gay bars Truxx, and Le Mystique charge 146 men with being found-ins in common bawdyhouse. More than fifty uniformed and plainclothes police in bullet proof vests from the divisional morality, mobile and technical squads carried off the raid. It was the largest mass arrest since War Measures Act during the FLQ Crisis. The 146 men arrested were held for up to 15 hours at police headquarters “while ‘compulsory’ VD tests were administered
October 22, 1992 - A report on hate crimes in Michigan was rejected by the US Civil Rights Commission because it included documentation of anti-gay hate crimes.
October 22, 1993 - US Air Force Lt. Heide De Jesus announced that she was dropping her lawsuit challenging her discharge from military service under the ban on gay and lesbian service personnel because the fight had left her literally broke.
October 22, 1999 - Boeing announced it would begin offering domestic partner benefits to its gay and lesbian employees. The company explained that unmarried opposite sex couples would not be included because marriage is an option for them, which brought criticism from union leaders.
October 22, 1999 - San Francisco archbishop William Levada announced he would make a $30,000 contribution to a California ballot initiative to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite sex couples.
SAN JOSE MARRIAGE EQUALITY SUPPORTERS POINT OUT PROUD BIGOT FAMILY
The Proposition 8 battle is being fought on the street in San Jose. After one family claims a 'Yes on 8' sign was stolen from their front yard, they replaced it with a huge banner on the front of their house.
Supporters of marriage equality then parked an SUV directly in front of the house with a sign and arrow on the windshield, indicating "Bigots Live Here."CBS5 reports: "The Sundstroms called the police, but an officer told them he couldn't do much about the car unless it was parked for more than 3 days on the public street. The Sundstroms have taken particular care not to touch or wash off the message, hoping it will just go away without further incident. Even if it is an embarrassment to all who pass by. Michele Sundstrom has had difficulty explaining the van to her children, 'My 11-year-old asked me 'What's a bigot? Is that a bad word?'"
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Update: No on 8
With exactly two weeks to go until the entire nation votes, one state's ballot initiative has drawn particular attention and anxiety for the gay community. Proposition 8, as many know, seeks to overturn the May California Supreme Court decision that allowed same-sex couples to marry.First, a new SurveyUSA poll finds that the race is dead even with 48% supporting the ban, while 45% oppose it. That is a narrow lead for supporters, but because of the margin of error the race is considered tied. This one maybe impossible to call until the votes are actually cast, unless there is a big shift in the polling in the last two weeks.
The donations to fight Proposition 8 remain low, and many gays haven't donated. According to the Bay Area Reporter, the No on 8 campaigns only have 30,000 donors out of an estimated 1 million GLBT Californians.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has come under some heat for not speaking up against Proposition 8, especially given her relationship with Harvey Milk and as a former mayor of San Francisco. Lane Hudson penned an open letter to Dianne Feinstein, asking where she's been on the issue: "Your statement opposing Prop 8 is insufficient and borders on disrespect to our community. You announced the murder of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone to the world from the steps of San Francisco City Hall. You have not only seen first-hand the horror that results from discrimination, but have had to deal with its aftermath. That you have not joined with the campaign to actively and vocally oppose this awful assault on civil equality is shameful."And a Mormon scholar, has come out against Proposition 8, in a big split with his church, which has raised millions to pass the ban. "Morris A. Thurston, a professor at Brigham Young University law school, confirms what others have been saying for weeks – that the advertising claims that the measure would affect teaching or schools are “untrue” and “misleading,” and that nothing in Prop. 8 would affect California schools. The Thurston memo has been posted to www.mormonsformarriage.com, a website sponsored by Mormons who do not support their Church’s active campaign against gay marriage."
Joe Biden Tells Ellen He "Would Vote No on 8"
Democratic vice presidential hopeful Joe Biden sat down with Ellen DeGeneres Monday afternoon to campaign for Barack Obama. During his visit to the show, he made clear that if he were a resident of California, he would be voting no on Proposition 8.
Biden’s appearance on the show had been widely publicized for much of the past week, and both he and Obama have said that they would not support a same-sex marriage ban, but Biden’s appearance on the show served as a visible reminder of his position to voters weeks before the election.
“First of all, congratulations,” Biden said, in reference to DeGeneres’s own marriage. “Number two, if I lived in California, I’d clearly vote against Proposition 8.”
Biden reminded the audience that both he and Obama had both opposed Bush’s proposed Federal Marriage Amendment on a national level, which would have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“I think it’s regressive, I think it’s unfair, and so I’d vote no,” he said.
Biden’s appearance on the show had been widely publicized for much of the past week, and both he and Obama have said that they would not support a same-sex marriage ban, but Biden’s appearance on the show served as a visible reminder of his position to voters weeks before the election.
“First of all, congratulations,” Biden said, in reference to DeGeneres’s own marriage. “Number two, if I lived in California, I’d clearly vote against Proposition 8.”
Biden reminded the audience that both he and Obama had both opposed Bush’s proposed Federal Marriage Amendment on a national level, which would have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“I think it’s regressive, I think it’s unfair, and so I’d vote no,” he said.
October 21
October 21, 1797 - Reinder Pieters van Workum of Frisia Netherlands was convicted of seduction to sodomy and sentenced to flogging, ten years in prison, and banishment for life.
October 21, 1893 - Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward made the cover of “The Mascot,” a New Orleans periodical. It read, “Good God! The Crimes of Sodom and Gomorrah Discounted.” The editors referred to it as a “story of the love of two women-licentious, horrible love.”
October 21, 1939 - In New York, police raided a masked drag ball and arrested 99 men and charged them with masquerading as females.
October 21-22, 1977 - Days of Protest Rallies are held across Canada protesting job discrimination with focus on John Damien a judge with the Ontario Racing Commission who was fired for being gay.
October 21, 1979 - Letters between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok were made available. Many of the letters are of a romantic nature.
October 21, 1985 - Dan White, who murdered San Francisco mayor George Moscone and gay City Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978, committed suicide by asphyxiating himself in his wife’s car. White served just over 5 years for the murders.
October 21, 1992 - The University of Iowa in Iowa City’s school board approved a policy to extend spousal insurance benefits to same sex couples and unmarried heterosexual couples.
October 21, 1993 - Yale University announced that it would extend spousal health benefits to the domestic partners of its gay and lesbian faculty members, administrators, and managers.
October 21, 1993 - Openly gay author James Leo Herlihy died in Los Angeles at age 66. Herlihy wrote “Midnight Cowboy” and “Season of the Witch.”
October 21, 1998 - US Surgeon General David Satcher released a report with recommendations for suicide prevention. The report recognized that gay and lesbian youth are a high risk group and recommended target prevention efforts.
October 21, 1893 - Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward made the cover of “The Mascot,” a New Orleans periodical. It read, “Good God! The Crimes of Sodom and Gomorrah Discounted.” The editors referred to it as a “story of the love of two women-licentious, horrible love.”
October 21, 1939 - In New York, police raided a masked drag ball and arrested 99 men and charged them with masquerading as females.
October 21-22, 1977 - Days of Protest Rallies are held across Canada protesting job discrimination with focus on John Damien a judge with the Ontario Racing Commission who was fired for being gay.
October 21, 1979 - Letters between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok were made available. Many of the letters are of a romantic nature.October 21, 1985 - Dan White, who murdered San Francisco mayor George Moscone and gay City Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978, committed suicide by asphyxiating himself in his wife’s car. White served just over 5 years for the murders.
October 21, 1992 - The University of Iowa in Iowa City’s school board approved a policy to extend spousal insurance benefits to same sex couples and unmarried heterosexual couples.
October 21, 1993 - Yale University announced that it would extend spousal health benefits to the domestic partners of its gay and lesbian faculty members, administrators, and managers.
October 21, 1993 - Openly gay author James Leo Herlihy died in Los Angeles at age 66. Herlihy wrote “Midnight Cowboy” and “Season of the Witch.”
October 21, 1998 - US Surgeon General David Satcher released a report with recommendations for suicide prevention. The report recognized that gay and lesbian youth are a high risk group and recommended target prevention efforts.
Los Angeles County Public Transit Could Face Blowback from Credit Crisis
Add another potential victim to the long list of those already claimed by the rolling credit crunch: Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Yes, in another sign of the financial crisis's pervasiveness, the public transit authority could be forced to slash services for its 1.5 million customers because of a series of (now toxic) deals it made with insurance giant American International Group.The Los Angeles Times reports that the agency may need to quickly raise hundreds of millions of dollars to repay investors. The financial woes will likely extend to other major transit agencies, such as Metrolink, that made similar deals in the past -- deals that were encouraged by tax laws until the early 2000s.
New Policy Promoted by the Bush Administration Opens Millions of Acres to Logging, Mining and Road Construction in Idaho
A new state policy that recently went into effect has removed nearly all protection to over 400,000 acres of national forest, and has opened millions of acres of roadless forests to construction, logging and mining across Idaho. The policy has been denounced by the Wilderness Society, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and other regional and national conservation groups. The policy leaves a vital national forest vulnerable to a host of environmentally damaging activities.
Feinstein and Partner Get Married in L.A.
Pianist-singer Michael Feinstein and his longtime partner of 11 years, Terrence Flannery, are scheduled to marry Friday at the couple's estate in Los Angeles. The wedding ceremony, which is to be officiated by close friend Judge Judy Scheindlin, will take place on the couple’s estate in Los Angeles. Feinstein and Flannery will celebrate their nuptials with 115 of their close friends, including Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, David Hyde Pierce, Doris Roberts, Joan Collins and Henry Winkler. There will also be special performances by Liza Minnelli and Barry Manilow in honor of the couple’s special day. In spite of the much opposed Proposition 8, the initiative measure currently on the 2008 California General Election ballot entitled 'Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry,' the couple firmly believes that their blessed union will be legally recognized as long as they both shall live."
FLORIDA ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT LACKS VOTES TO PASS
A Sun Sentinel and Florida Times-Union poll shows that Amendment 2, which would amend Florida's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, currently lacks the numbers to pass: "The poll of 600 likely voters shows support for Amendment 2 at 53 percent, less than the 60 percent approval rate required to change the constitution...Backers of the gay-marriage ban say the poll should be a wakeup call to conservatives to vote. Opponents say the poll shows they have made progress in explaining that the proposal could jeopardize domestic partnership benefits that many governments and companies offer straight and gay employees. Gay marriage has been prohibited under state law for more than a decade, but supporters say a constitutional amendment would protect the law from court challenges. The amendment would define marriage as between a man and a woman and would say that no "substantial equivalent" is legal either. Opponents fear that if the amendment passes, conservatives will raise legal challenges to domestic partnership benefits, from health insurance to hospital visitation rights."
Monday, October 20, 2008
SHAKE-UP IN 'NO ON 8' CAMPAIGN
CBS5 in San Francisco reports that things are being "shaken up" at the "No on 8" campaign because of criticisms from the gay community that the ads are lame, homophobic, and that the campaign is being run badly.
Kate Kendall of 'No on 8' tells CBS it's more of a "ramping up" than a shake-up.
October 20: Gay History Month
October 20, 1969 - The National Institutes of Mental Health released a report based on a study led by psychologist Dr. Evelyn Hooker. The report urged states to repeal sodomy laws.
October 20, 1987 - Over fifty ACT-UP members were arrested during an act of civil disobedience protesting President Reagan’s lack of action in the AIDS epidemic. Another demonstration of about 150 people was held across the street from the United Nations building during the UN General Assembly’s first debate on AIDS.
October 20, 1987 - The US House of Representatives voted 368-47 to approve an amendment to withhold federal funding from any AIDS education organization which encourages homosexual activity. The senate approved a similar amendment the previous week by a vote of 94-2. It was introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms.
October 20, 1987 - The US House Judiciary Committee voted 21-13 to approve a bill requiring the justice department to collect statistics on hate crimes, including anti-gay violence.
October 20, 1992 - The San Diego Police Department announced that it was severing its ties with the Boy Scouts of America due to a local chapter’s dismissal of a gay police officer who was involved with the Explorer program.
October 20, 1993 - Roman Catholic priest Rev Andre Guindon died of a heart attack at age 60. In his book “The Sexual Creators” he wrote that heterosexuals should look to same-sex couples to learn about tenderness and sharing.
October 20, 1997 - Portugal’s first Gay and Lesbian Community Centre opened in Lisbon.
October 20, 1987 - Over fifty ACT-UP members were arrested during an act of civil disobedience protesting President Reagan’s lack of action in the AIDS epidemic. Another demonstration of about 150 people was held across the street from the United Nations building during the UN General Assembly’s first debate on AIDS.October 20, 1987 - The US House of Representatives voted 368-47 to approve an amendment to withhold federal funding from any AIDS education organization which encourages homosexual activity. The senate approved a similar amendment the previous week by a vote of 94-2. It was introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms.
October 20, 1987 - The US House Judiciary Committee voted 21-13 to approve a bill requiring the justice department to collect statistics on hate crimes, including anti-gay violence.
October 20, 1992 - The San Diego Police Department announced that it was severing its ties with the Boy Scouts of America due to a local chapter’s dismissal of a gay police officer who was involved with the Explorer program.
October 20, 1993 - Roman Catholic priest Rev Andre Guindon died of a heart attack at age 60. In his book “The Sexual Creators” he wrote that heterosexuals should look to same-sex couples to learn about tenderness and sharing.
October 20, 1997 - Portugal’s first Gay and Lesbian Community Centre opened in Lisbon.
Rosarito to Ensenada: 50 Mile Bike Ride
A funny picture from one of our training rides: the rattlesnake warning sign on the San Gabriel river bike trail. The trail goes from Azusa to Long Beach, 37.5 miles. We rode the entire trail, from the foothills to the ocean, two week prior to the Mexico bike ride.This was the second time for Andy and I, but the first for Nick and Heather. 50 mile bike ride from Rosarito to Ensenada, Mexico. We drove down to Ensenada on Friday and managed to make to to our favorite margarita place.
Nick had the 16-inch burrito for dinner.Up on Saturday morning on the shuttle to Rosarito. Okay, it was a little bumpy on the ride.
Andy had to stop at this favorite place for breakfast before the ride started.
Andy, above, doing a little "stretching." Heather and Nick below. There were about 6,000 people this year. 9,000 last year. Due to the decrease of tourists in Baja Mexico because of the drug violence, this is the last year they are doing the bike ride.
Everyone is smiling when we start the ride.
The kids are cheering us on... and yelling for candy.
The big Jesus is watching over us.
Notice, Heather and Andy are still smiling at this point.
We take a snack break before we get to the 'hill.'
Even with the hill in sight, Nick is still smiling.
The climb begins - two miles up to the high desert.
Heather is feeling it now!
Yes, I am still smiling, even after the big hill.
10 miles downhill to the ocean, then several miles more to Ensenada.
Heather crosses the finish line!
Tacos, churros, and margaritas at the after party under the Mexican flag.
So after the party at the end of the ride, we went back to our favorite margarita place... with the entire gang.
Before we left the room to check out on Sunday morning, I took a picture of the view from our room and the pool! 
Breakfast for the bunch at McDonalds!
We head back over the boarder into the U.S. -- after some last minute shopping opportunities from the car.
Within a couple feet of the actual boarder between Mexico and the U.S., we were almost in the middle of a big drug bust. The SUV, a couple cars ahead of us in line waiting for the crossing, apparently got a little nervious when he saw the drug dogs and started BACKING UP... so he didn't have to cross into the U.S. and the waiting police. It must have taken him hours to back up through all of that traffic.
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