tagged w/ LGBTQ
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http://bit.ly/youlose - Anti-gay extremists are pumping millions of dollars into campaigns across the country. Their goal: to silence fair-minded American voters by electing candidates who won't stand up to their hate and bigotry. But what's really at stake? If anti-gay extremists win, what will you lose? - http://bit.ly/youlose
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"I think fruits are decorative, Hang [them] up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions."
Dennis Scranton, Supporter
Big Sky Tea Party, September 2010
*******************************http://bit.ly/youlose - Anti-gay extremists are pumping millions of dollars into... more
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http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/muskegon_county/ACLU-may-enter-school-transgender-case
http://talkaboutequality.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/screen-shot-2010-09-27-at-3-53-34-pm.png
Oakleigh Marshall not allowed to compete for court
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - Some Mona Shores High School students say administrators stole the homecoming king throne from the rightful winner -- a transgender senior.
The controversy is playing out in the school's hallways, and on Facebook.
Some classmates believe the crown belongs to Oakleigh Reed -- who was born as Oakleigh Marie, but who now goes as Oakleigh Marshall, or Oak for short.
In fact, friends have started a Facebook page, titled, "Oak is My King."
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103699403028170
"It's the senior class that votes for their representative," Reed said. "What they did was taking away the voice of the senior class."
Assistant Superintendent Todd Geerlings said the issue is simple: The ballots gave two choices -- vote for a boy for king and a girl for queen.
And, in school records, he said, Oakleigh is still listed as a female.
The 17-year-old says the gender struggle has been life-long -- with sports, family and friends, even band camp. After years of counseling, Oakleigh plans a sex change operation at age 18.
Already, the school has made concessions.
"They let me wear a male tux for band uniform, and they're going to let me wear the male robe and cap for graduation."
Teachers, Oakleigh said, use male pronouns.
"They call me Oak, and they say, he, him, his," the teen said.
Oak, an honor student, campaigned for homecoming king on Facebook -- a one-day campaign.
"I just said, 'Vote for me for homecoming king.' I don't see why there's any reasons why someone who's different shouldn't be on court. I thought, 'Hey, why not put myself out there? I have just as much qualifications as anyone else in the school."
The campaign took off.
"I knew I had a lot of votes because people were telling me in the hallway, 'Hey, I voted for you, I voted for you.'"
Oakleigh was overwhelmed by the support of classmates.
Then, last Monday, the principal called Oak into her office.
"They told me that they took me off because they had to invalidate all of my votes because I'm enrolled at Mona Shores as a female," Oakleigh said.
Oakleigh was happy with the support from classmates, but "sometimes it's nice to have something tangible."
The teen's mother says she's angry.
"He was voted for homecoming king and, according to the votes, he should have been homecoming king, and it's just sad, and it just breaks my heart that all these people all voted and it was taken away, it was completely taken away from him."
The ACLU may enter this case . Oakleigh said he'd be willing to talk with them.http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/muskegon_county/ACLU-may-enter-school-transgender-... more
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Over 150 people attended a community meeting at Walker Church Friday night, most on less than six hours notice, to begin to respond to Friday morning's FBI raids and subpoenas to local antiwar and international solidarity organizers. (See video of the meeting at right.) At the church, activists confirmed that five homes and the Anti-War Committee's office were raided.
Organizers also announced two upcoming events: a protest outside the Minneapolis FBI office, 111 Washington Ave. S., at 4:30pm on Monday; and a solidarity committee meeting on Thursday at 7pm, location to be determined. The subpoenas ask activists to appear before a grand jury in Chicago, where a solidarity vigil was held last night as a raid was still ongoing in that city, on or around October 19, reported a Chicago Indymedia post.
Those following international news on Friday noticed an eerie coincidence--or perhaps not. On Thursday, the Colombian military assassinated the #2 leader of the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, or FARC. On Friday, President Obama met at the U.N. General Assembly to schmooze with incoming Colombian President Juan Manual Santos, leading to clear suspicion of U.S. involvement in the assassination. FARC is among the resistance groups termed "foreign terrorist organizations" by the U.S. and is listed in the warrant for Mick Kelly's residence. Another bit of interesting timing: just earlier this week, the FBI's Inspector General criticized the FBI for lying to the Justice Department about raids and surveillence of peace groups after 9/11.Over 150 people attended a community meeting at Walker Church Friday night, most on... more
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This year as we approach National Coming Out Day (NCOD) I’ve had a different feeling than in the past. Normally, I would let the day slide by and not really think about it. It’s never held a huge significance in my life. And I’ve always thought, why just one day out of the year? However, this year it hit me — the connection finally hit me — LGBT youth are three times as likely to attempt suicide. LGBT youth need role models. LGBT youth need hope.
So I decided to celebrate the whole month with stories from readers and people prominent in the LGBT community, as a way to bring hope to those in our community who are still in the closet, or struggling with the process of coming out. We all know it can be difficult and it’s a process that one has to do on one’s own time frame, but no one should have to do it alone.
Here is my call. I ask you to write down your story, or record it on video. Tell us how you felt about it, tell us how people reacted, tell us what it meant for and to you, and what time this took place, in your life and in society. We all know that during these times in our lives we’ve needed hope and encouragement. If you’re comfortable, we would love to have a head shot of you or a photo of you and your loved one.
For the 31 days of October I am going to post a story a day (maybe two if I have enough!) here at The New Civil Rights Movement, to highlight people, of all sexual orientations and identities, who have “Taken the next step.”
Please join us and help fight the hopelessness that some members of the LGBT community are feeling.
All stories should be submitted to newcivilrightsmovement@gmail.com by September 30, 2010. Attach your photo to the email, preferably in jpg format.
By the way, the official National Coming Out Day is October 11, 2010 for all of us here in the States, however if you are in the U.K., it is October 12, 2010.
Don’t put this off. It’s too important. Someone you don’t know needs your help.This year as we approach National Coming Out Day (NCOD) I’ve had a different... more
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The Senate needs to fix the filibuster, which is an antiquated provision in Senate procedure that requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass legislation, confirm nominees or even perform some of the most mundane parliamentary tasks.
In the 50s and 60s, the filibuster was used to keep racist, Jim Crow laws on the books. It was used to prevent the Senate from passing anti-lynching laws.
And yesterday, due to the filibuster, the Senate was unable to even take a vote on the legislative repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy, which prevents gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers from serving their country openly.
Tell the Senate: It's time to fix the filibuster. Click here to automatically add your name to the petition.
It wasn't just DADT that was denied a vote yesterday. The underlying bill, which was filibustered in part to prevent the repeal of DADT from getting a vote, was the National Defense Authorization Act that authorizes funding for our military.
This means that in the middle of two wars, the U.S. Senate was unable to even discuss a bill to fund the troops.
There is good reason to be skeptical about how much we spend on our military and to doubt the merits of our military actions. And we must not fall into the conventional stupidity of equating support for the men and women in our military with the amount of money one is willing to burn in the American war machine.
But there is no good reason to think that a minority of Senators intent on a partisan strategy of obstructionism should be able to prevent these issues from being decided (one way or another) by a majority vote of their peers when our military is engaged in two wars.
Yesterday was one of the clearest examples yet of the degree to which the Senate is broken, and how the filibuster is the cause of such dysfunction.
Click to automatically sign our petition to the Senate. It reads:
"I am writing today to demand that you support Senate rules reform and fix the filibuster at the beginning of the next Congress."
The good news is that, contrary to popular belief, the filibuster isn't some immutable part of the Senate. The filibuster isn't in the Constitution — in fact it's the product of a historical accident. Not only that, the rules governing the filibuster have been changed twice before.
For the first time in 30 years, there is growing momentum to change the filibuster rules in the Senate again. This can be done with a simple majority vote on the first day of the next Senate session.
With different rules in the Senate, we might be celebrating the end of DADT, not to mention dozens of progressive policies passed by the House and killed in the Senate.
So we cannot allow the opportunity to fix the Senate pass by without pushing for reform.
Tell the Senate: It's time to fix the filibuster. Click here to automatically add your name to our petition.
Thank you for working for a better world.
P.S. Some progressives oppose efforts to reform the filibuster because they anticipate times when the filibuster will be used by a progressive minority to stop the overreach of a conservative majority.
If you look at the totality of how the filibuster has been used, it has on rare occasion achieved tactical success for progressives. But on the whole it has proved a strategic disaster for those who fight for social change.
The filibuster systematically works against those who want the government to function, who want to see our legislators address problems and fix things, and who want the government to move us past old prejudices and hateful laws written in the bad blood of our forbears.
And given the craven, callous disregard of Senate Republicans for the multiple crises we face as a nation, given their utter willingness to place political ambition and partisan gain over the need to legislate, is there any doubt that they will have the slightest scruples in eliminating the filibuster when its to their advantage?
Rather than endure additional years of dysfunction in one of the most important institutions of our Republic, we should address the problem on our own terms.The Senate needs to fix the filibuster, which is an antiquated provision in Senate... more
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"These kids are thrown to the wolves every day," says FOX 9 Minneapolis's Jason Matheson about the state's student bullying epidemic that's leaving suicides in its wake. Teased as a kid himself, Matheson knows first hand how "just awful" it is to be a young person taunted by your peers — and nobody, NOBODY, is stepping in to keep you safe. Tom Emmer might make fiscal conservatives happy, but as governor it's clear he will only help perpetuate the nightmare LGBT(http://www.queerty.com/mn-gov-hopeful-tom-emmer-doesnt-want-schools-telling-his-kids-not-to-taunt-gay-kids-20100910/) kids (and straight ones branded queer) face every fucking day."These kids are thrown to the wolves every day," says FOX 9... more
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Texas-based radio host Alex Jones, of The Alex Jones Show, knows America's real problem isn't with more gays on television, but more gays in real life. Who's to blame? The government, of course: Jones says he's seen the documents proving the feds are engaged in a "chemical warfare operation … so that people don't have children." And how are they feeding distributing these nefarious nelly chemicals? By putting MSG in juice boxes! It makes dudes want to wear skirts and put on lipstick! Mr. Jones also happens to operate the websites Infowars.com and PrisonPlanet.com, which alternate between attacking Lady Gaga fans and pumping up gold prices. (Update: Appears this clip has been circulating for a few months.)Texas-based radio host Alex Jones, of The Alex Jones Show, knows America's real... more
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The Knights of Columbus, the Connecticut-based Catholic group, in 2009 donated some $1.4 million to the National Organization for Marriage, more than it used to fund to food and educational programs.
But while that information was already known, what's worth noting is that while NOM has gone to court to hide its donor list, KoC freely disclosed its pro-discrimination donation. How come? Says spokesman Patrick Korten: "The fact of the matter is that those who favor same sex marriage are working hard to intimidate individuals and groups that support our cause, but [the Knights] are big enough that intimidation doesn’t work on us."The Knights of Columbus, the Connecticut-based Catholic group, in 2009 donated some... more
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Cover your ears, because boy do we have a spoiler for you! Tom Emmer, the Republican who wants to be Minnesota's next governor, and who Target is throwing its weight behind, doesn't just want to keep marriage out of the hands of gays. Emmer also wants to keep bully protection from them too.
The Safe Schools for All bill, vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty last year and opposed by Emmer as a state rep, would also get the ax under an Emmer administration, the candidate told an audience(http://minnesotaindependent.com/64600/advocates-say-anti-bullying-laws-needed-emmer-says-no) at the Minnesota State Fair debate. But what about the three bullying-related student suicides in the Anoka-Hennepin School District alone? And all those allegations of even teachers participating in the ridicule of fey kids?(http://www.queerty.com/there-are-repercussions-when-teachers-make-fun-of-a-high-school-students-sexuality-20090813/)
While the other gubernatorial candidates, including Mark Dayton, said they'd sign it, Emmer insisted, "I would have to see what it looks like. I’ll tell you right now, bullying is a serious issue. You’re talking to the parent of seven kids — Jacquie and I have seven kids — we’re very, we’re very aware of what happens when a child is faced with an uncomfortable situation at school or out in a public place. But tell you what, it’s up to the parents, Jacquie and I, to educate our children, how they handle that situation. We’re the ones who have to be the front line of defense for our children. I don’t want the government doing that for us."
Yeah, pesky big brother! Get out of the way of parents teaching their kids whether or not pushing the faggot down the steps is okay.Cover your ears, because boy do we have a spoiler for you! Tom Emmer, the Republican... more
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The deputy of Michigan's Attorney General Mike Cox is, uh, being one. Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell has a problem with Chris Armstrong, the gay president of University of Michigan’s Student Assembly, who is apparently on his radar! Shrivell has a blog where he's dedicated more than 20 posts to attacking Armstrong, whose "agenda was … to promote the radical homosexual agenda at the University of Michigan, and to use his position to promote that cause." Loves it!
Armstrong is "Nazi-like," a "fierce advocate" for "the cult that is homosexuality," a "viciously militant homosexual activist," and a supporter of a racist agenda, according to Shirvell's blog Chris Armstrong Watch, which touts "EXCLUSIVE photos and video" of a police raid on Armstrong's home during a "gay rush party," the goal of which "was to liquor-up underage freshmen and promote homosexual activity in an effort to recruit them to the homosexual lifestyle."
Oh, and Shirvell, a U Mich alum, adds this: Armstrong is "Satan’s representative on the Student Assembly." Holy crap this is amazing. And that's not even the best part! Shirvell also says Armstrong has been hosting gay orgies in his dorm room (at least the one in 2009), and that Armstrong broke the law by attending a binge drinking event. (Armstrong was out of town that evening.)
Them's be fighting words from a freakin' AG. Especially since Shirvall's claims are a blatant example of cyber bullying — something his boss, AG Mike Cox, teaches students about in classroom videos — but very possibly amount to defamation.
Why Shirvall is spending so much off-the-clock time attacking a college student is still unknown, though it appears Armstrong merely being gay is the biggest factor. Says Shirvall: "Did he think he was just going to get some free pass just because he’s gay or whatever?" Apparently not. In one post Shirvell "exposes" Armstrong is dating the Student Assembly's vice president Jason Raymond (pictured). Armstrong "seduced" Raymond, claims Shirvell.
Now who else, after watching this video of Shirvell speak, thinks there's about to be a leak about a certain assistant attorney general enjoying the company of men? Because my gaydar is about to need a repairman it's beeping so loudly. In my wildest scandal dreams, me thinks maybe Mr. Shirvell and Mr. Armstrong had a lover's quarrel? Or fought over the some freshman twink? Or something equally salacious?The deputy of Michigan's Attorney General Mike Cox is, uh, being one. Assistant... more
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Grass-roots activists have accused Facebook of anti-democratic behavior for disabling key features on corporate boycott pages.
Indeed, the popular social networking site recently locked-down sections of a page that been created to boycott Target until the company ceased funding [allegedly] anti-gay politicians, such as Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.
Jeffrey Henson - who runs the controversial group - told Politico(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42364.html) that FB was banning new discussion threads, preventing members from posting videos and barring administrators from sending updates to boycott members.
"It slices the [virtual] vocal cords," claimed an angry Henson. "Our page [members] are now outraged over the website's actions."
Nicholas Lefevre, an avid promoter of the Target boycott, expressed similar sentiments.
"Facebook is interfering with the function of a page dedicated to individuals organizing in response to corporate action to which they object.
"With the limited avenues for such expression and organization and the importance of the Internet to that ability, anything that threatens that expression is dangerous."
However, a Facebook spokesperson told Politico the pages were restricted because they didn't comply with the site's (stringent) terms of service.
"Facebook Pages enable public figures, organizations, businesses, and brands to share information, interact with interested people, and maintain an engaging presence on Facebook.
"They're...optimized for official entities' needs to communicate, distribute content, engage people and capture new audiences. To protect people from spam and other unwanted content, we restrict Pages that represent ideas or positions - rather than discrete entities - from publishing stories to people's News Feeds."
But Ilyse Hogue of the liberal grassroots group Moveon.org said she believes democracy clearly "works best" when every single citizen's voice is weighed equally.
"[Unfortunately, it seems as if] the whole [FB] system is titled away from those individual voices," added Hogue.Grass-roots activists have accused Facebook of anti-democratic behavior for disabling... more
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Russia’s top gay-rights activist says he was kidnapped and pressured by his captors to withdraw a complaint against Moscow authorities from the European Court of Human Rights.
Nikolai Alekseyev resurfaced early on Saturday in Moscow after being arrested at the capital’s Domodedovo airport late on September 15 as he prepared to board a flight to Geneva. He had been missing since, and his friends and colleagues had feared for his life. [Radio Free Europe](http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_GayRights_Activist_Says_Released_After_TwoDay_Detention/2161477.html)
Alexeyev is widely known in the international gay rights movement for his repeated efforts to organize parades in Moscow. The city, whose mayor Yuri Luzhkov has publicly called homosexuals “satanic,” routinely bans the gatherings, most of which are harshly dispersed by police within minutes. [Associated Press](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iXs0aSovj21Tkba-49-QFcNytcOgD9IAG7OO0)
Alexeyev said his captors, four men who were not in uniform and didn’t identify themselves, insulted him, using “all the slang words for homosexuals in the dictionary” and demanded he withdraw suits he had filed with the European Court of Human Rights protesting Moscow’s continued ban on gay rights rallies.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay feelings remain strong.Russia’s top gay-rights activist says he was kidnapped and pressured by his... more
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http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/042009/gay_vietnam_veteran.jpg
The Washington Blade has learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) intends to schedule a vote next week on major defense budget legislation that contains “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal language, regardless of any objection from members of the U.S. Senate.
A senior Democratic leadership aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Reid met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday to inform the Republican leader that the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill will come to the Senate floor the week of Sept. 20.
The aide said Senate leadership is anticipating the Senate won’t have unanimous consent to bring the legislation to the floor, so 60 votes will be necessary to end a filibuster and move forward with debate on the bill.
“We are going to take it the floor next week to see where the votes are,” the aide said.
Last month, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) objected to moving forward with the defense authorization bill after August recess. The aide said he’s “hopeful” the Senate has at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/042009/gay_vietnam_veteran.jpg
The Washington... more
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http://shop.hrc.org/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/380x/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/H/R/HRC12005_2.jpg
A prominent gay rights organization is sending a chunk of money to liberal groups in Minnesota to offset Target's controversial donation to a pro-Tom Emmer political action committee.
The Human Rights Campaign, based in Washington, D.C., will donate $100,000 to Win Minnesota, a PAC that helps fund ads targeting Emmer, the GOP candidate for governor. They will toss another $20,000 to OutFront Minnesota, a GLBT group, and $30,000 to individual candidates -- including DFLer Mark Dayton.
Dayton expected to attend HRC's annual Twin Cities dinner Saturday night at the Depot Minneapolis Hotel, along with Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.
"With all of our success in corporate America, we found ourselves at a crossroads recently during HRC's dispute with Target and Best Buy," HRC president Joe Solmonese said in prepared remarks. "It wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't on our list of things to do, but it was the right thing to do."
HRC had previously pressed Target to make its own offsetting donation to gay rights groups, but the company declined.
"Given the current political and emotionally charged environment, we have concluded that it is best to wait before taking further external action regarding our MN Forward contribution," the company said in a statement last month. "We believe that it is impossible to avoid turning any further actions into a political issue and will use the benefit of time to make thoughtful, careful decisions on how best to move forward."
ERIC ROPERhttp://shop.hrc.org/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/380x/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c2... more
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VONORE (WATE) - The home of Carol and Laura Stutte on County Road 320 in Vonore was destroyed by fire last Saturday.
The word "queers" was also spray painted in large letters on their garage.
The couple feels they're victims of a hate crime, and were targeted because they're gay. They've been together for more than 15 years.
Carol Stutte has an adult daughter from a previous relationship who also lived with them.
At the time of the fire, they were in Nashville celebrating their fifth anniversary in Tennessee.
"My daughter was supposed to be here. She was sick," Carol Stutte said. "I was grateful my baby girl didn't get killed in this fire. She would have been trapped in the basement."
The couple moved to Vonore from Oklahoma.
Carol Stutte says her partner is too afraid to come back to the property since the fire. She says they've been harassed all five years they've lived there by one neighbor.
She also says recently the neighbor threatened to kill them and burn down their house. "I knew we had been threatened, but we never thought anything would be followed through."
Lora Black, the Stutte's neighbor and friend, was with the couple in Nashville when they learned their home was on fire.
"Right now, they are just terrified that our county is feeling like this about homosexual couples. Most homosexual couples are no different than any other couples," Black said.
The Stuttes are staying in a safe house until investigators can determine what happened the night of the fire.
"I would really like to see them get help," Carol Stutte said. "I don't want anyone else to go through what we've gone through and live through the fear we've gone through."
The couple says they have no plans to return to the property.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the fire, trying to determine if it was a hate crime. Investigators have called in the state Bomb and Arson Squad to help.
The sheriff's office received one complaint of harassment from the couple in August.
The neighbor the Stuttes say made the threat declined to go on camera.VONORE (WATE) - The home of Carol and Laura Stutte on County Road 320 in Vonore was... more
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A Florida pastor may have called off his plan to burn Qurans on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But David Grisham, the leader of a militant evangelical group in Amarillo, tells the local CBS affiliate(http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=13135412) that he plans to publicly burn the Muslim holy book on Saturday. Grisham is the leader of Repent Amarillo, which gained attention in January when it launched a boycott of Houston after the city elected on openly gay mayor, Annise Parker:
> According to Grisham, he has questioned why he should go through with his plan,
> but in the end, he feels it is right.
> “Terrorism was seeded by the ideas in the Quran. It’s the Quran that has put our troops
> in danger. Burning one isn’t going to put our troops in danger. It’s the ideas contained
> in that book that put them in danger,” said Grisham.
Grisham is a security guard at a NUCLEAR-BOMB facility called Pantex, according to media reports. Repent Amarillo goes by the moniker “Army of God” and refers to itself as the “special forces of spiritual warfare.” The group has also gained attention for a campaign to shut down a local swingers club, as well as a “warfare map” posted on its website identifying its enemies in Amarillo.A Florida pastor may have called off his plan to burn Qurans on the anniversary of the... more
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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jrwjt6DrVOw/SlDahF6hQxI/AAAAAAAACN8/D5WLB5zPBDg/s400/gay_military.jpg
A U.S. District Court Judge in Riverside, California, declared that the law banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military violates the First Amendment rights of gay Americans:
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy banning gays did not preserve military readiness, contrary to what many supporters have argued, saying evidence shows that the policy in fact had a “direct and deleterious effect’’ on the military.
Phillips said she would issue an injunction barring the government from enforcing the policy. However, the U.S. Department of Justice, which defended “don’t ask, don’t tell” during a two-week trial in Riverside, will have an opportunity to appeal that decision.
The Judge’s ruling can be downloaded here. (PDF: 236KB/86 pages). Judge Phillips not only ruled that DADT violated the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and petition, she also ruled that the act violated LGBT service member’s rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment:A U.S. District Court Judge in Riverside, California, declared that the law banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military violates the First Amendment rights of gay Americans:
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy banning gays did not preserve military readiness, contrary to what many supporters have argued, saying evidence shows that the policy in fact had a “direct and deleterious effect’’ on the military.
Phillips said she would issue an injunction barring the government from enforcing the policy. However, the U.S. Department of Justice, which defended “don’t ask, don’t tell” during a two-week trial in Riverside, will have an opportunity to appeal that decision.
The Judge’s ruling can be downloaded here. (PDF: 236KB/86 pages). Judge Phillips not only ruled that DADT violated the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and petition, she also ruled that the act violated LGBT service member’s rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment:
FOLLOW THE LINK(http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2010/09/09/26010)http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jrwjt6DrVOw/SlDahF6hQxI/AAAAAAAACN8/D5WLB5zPBDg/s400/gay_mili... more
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Activists with GetEQUAL have begun a sit-in protest at Rep. Chris Carney's (D-PA) office in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
"In addition to a day-long phone swarm (details here), a sit-in is currently underway in Rep. Carney’s Williamsport Office. The secretary in the office is an out lesbian herself and has been sympathetic with the protesters. The police will only be called when the office closes today at 4:30. In the meantime, the protesters are chanting for equality and singing 'We Shall Not Be Moved' and 'We Shall Overcome' while calls from the phone swarm continue to pour in. Rep. Carney is currently on active duty at Langley Air Force base and will likely not respond today."Activists with GetEQUAL have begun a sit-in protest at Rep. Chris Carney's (D-PA)... more
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Perusing the Family Research Council’s webpage is always a bonanza for me because there is always something there which can be pointed out as an example of how religious right groups distort studies and current events to push the false “radical homosexual activists are hurting America” narrative.
And today didn’t disappoint. There is a piece, Ten Facts About Counterfeit Marriage, which supposedly gives a point-by-point reason as to why gay marriage is wrong.
Now many of the points are basic arguments with no facts backing them up as to why heterosexual marriage is “pure as the driven snow” and how gays and lesbians want to drive a bunch of tire tracks into this snow.
But when FRC starts spouting studies, the organization gets into trouble in terms of accuracy:
�� Many homosexuals and their sex partners may sincerely believe they can be good parents. But children are not guinea pigs for grand social experiments in redefining marriage, and should not be placed in settings that are unsuitable for raising children.
�� Transient relationships: While a high percentage of married couples remain married for up to 20 years or longer, with many remaining wedded for life, the vast majority of homosexual relationships are short-lived and transitory. This has nothing to do with alleged “societal oppression.” A study in the Netherlands , a gay-tolerant nation that has legalized homosexual marriage, found the average duration of a homosexual relationship to be one and a half years.
�� Serial promiscuity: Studies indicate that while three-quarters or more of married couples remain faithful to each other, homosexual couples typically engage in a shocking degree of promiscuity. The same Dutch study found that “committed” homosexual couples have an average of eight sexual partners (outside of the relationship) per year. Children should not be placed in unstable households with revolving bedroom doors.
But the study FRC is referring to had nothing to do with same-sex marriage or same-sex households with children for a number of reasons.
The study was conducted by one Maria Xiridou of the Amsterdam Municipal Health Service. Her study did not look at gay marriage but was designed to “access the relative contribution of steady and casual partnerships to the incidence of HIV infection among homosexual men in Amsterdam and to determine the effect of increasing sexually risky behaviours among both types of partnerships in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.”
For this study, Dr. Xiridou received her information from the Amsterdam Cohort Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS Among Homosexual Men. To gain this information, researchers studied 1,800 gay men between the years of 1984- 2000.
Same sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001, thus making the information irrelevant to points about gay marriage. Information for the Amsterdam Cohort Study is found here.
Furthermore, lesbians were not included in the study and, as far as it is known, there were no questions in the study regarding lgbt households with children.
Now far be it from me to start pointing fingers, but I noticed how cleverly FRC pushed that talking point without actually stating that the couples in the study were married.
Also where would the FRC piece be without a phony panic story about what could happen if same-sex marriage became legal across the country:
The rest is here > http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/09/09/family-research-council-attacks-same-sex-marriage-with-counterfeit-facts/http://prideinutah.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gay-marriage-hands-and-rings.jpg... more
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http://www.newdeal20.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/picture-21.png
In the wake of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling earlier this year,
corporations and special interest groups now enjoy the ability to spend unlimited
amounts of money on elections. Now, with less than 10 weeks until November,
it’s clear just how far conservative groups are willing to go to try to influence
the midterm elections.
According to a new report from ThinkProgress, conservative organizations have
committed (or already spent) $400 MILLION to advance their conservative agenda
at the ballot box this year. For comparison’s sake, this outside money alone
is more than the Democratic campaign committees http://bit.ly/ahWQxY spent
combined when they took back both houses of Congress in the last midterm
election. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal notes that special interest groups have
already spent three times as much in 2010 than they had in 2006 http://bit.ly/aKSlIP.
Among the outside groups that plan to spend hundreds of MILLIONs of dollars
electing conservatives are some familiar faces and some new ones as well.
While the NRA and the Chamber of Commerce have long supported conservative
causes, the former plans to double its spending from $10 MILLION in 2006
http://bit.ly/dmz7Gt to $20 MILLION http://bit.ly/bZHEsw now and the latter
will triple its commitment http://http://bit.ly/aKSlIP to $75 MILLION this year
http://bit.ly/9v6ClV .
Many new groups are also entering the scene in a big way, including
Karl Rove’s American Crossroads group with $52 MILLION http://politi.co/awScg7 and
Norm Coleman’s American Action Network with $25 MILLION http://bit.ly/aslsCg .
Those conservative groups trying to use $400 MILLION in outside spending
to tip the midterm election include:
> - *Chamber of Commerce* has pledged to spend
> - $75 MILLION http://http://bit.ly/9v6ClV
> - *American Crossroads* has pledged to spend
> - $52 MILLION http://http://politi.co/awScg7
> - *Americans for Prosperity* has pledged to spend
> - $45 MILLION http://nyti.ms/a8gWtX
> - *Republican State Leadership Committee* has pledged to spend
> - $40 MILLION http://http://bit.ly/aslsCg
> - *American Action Network* has pledged to spend
> - $25 MILLION http://bit.ly/aslsCg
> - *American Future Fund* has pledged to spend up to
> - $25 MILLION http://bit.ly/dywWzx
> - *Club for Growth* has pledged to spend AT LEAST
> - $24 MILLION http://bit.ly/cCKOS5
> - *National Republican Trust PAC* has pledged to spend AT LEAST
> - $20 MILLION http://bit.ly/aKSlIP
> – **An unnamed** *Health Insurance Industry Coalition* has pledged to spend
> - $20 MILLION http://bit.ly/bST4bX
> - *National Rifle Association* has pledged to spend
> - $20 MILLION http://http://bit.ly/bZHEsw
> - *Faith and Freedom Coalition* has pledged to spend
> - $11 MILLION http://bit.ly/ddcqhn
> - *FreedomWorks* has pledged to spend
> - $10 MILLION http://http://nyti.ms/a8gWtX
> - *Americans for Job Security* has pledged to spend
> - $10 MILLION http://politi.co/cSUiQa
> - *Susan B. Anthony List* has pledged to spend
> - $6 MILLION http://bit.ly/9T5PLf
> - *Our Country Deserves Better (Tea Party Express)* has ALREADY SPENT
> - $5 MILLION http://bit.ly/ajFcGU
> - *Tax Relief Coalition* has already spent
> - $4 MILLION http://bit.ly/a0V4p2
> - *Republican Majority Campaign* has pledged to spend
> - $3 MILLION http://bit.ly/avk0QQ
> - *Campaign for Working Families* has pledged to spend
> - $2 MILLION http://bit.ly/cpP6Bv
> - *Heritage Action for America* has pledged to spend
> - $1 MILLION http://bit.ly/9Wb55b
> - *Financial Services Roundtable* has already spent
> - $0.5 MILLION http://bit.ly/aQ4pNR
> - *Family Research Council* FRC has raised
> - $0.5 MILLION http://bit.ly/dx5RWf
> - *Citizens United Political Victory Fund* has pledged to spend
> - $0.2 MILLION http://bit.ly/caDIWO
- ** TOTAL: $399.2 MILLION or $399,200,000 ** -
Given the number of progressive accomplishments in the 111th Congress,
including health care reform, the economic stimulus bill, and Wall Street reform,
it’s no wonder that conservative groups are fighting tooth-and-nail to prevent a
repeat next term. Chris LaCivita, a Republican strategist who has also been
involved in many independent-expenditure campaigns, told Politico,
“If there is a time for independent groups to step up, this is it. This is the year for independent groups to put up or shut up.” http://politi.co/cSUiQa
Indeed, with conservative special interest groups putting it all on the line this November, their $400 MILLION pledge may even increase before long.http://www.newdeal20.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/picture-21.png
In the wake of... more
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