Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Via Belirico: Sam Brownback's Pastor Problem: Evangelical Extremist Lou Engle

Filed by: Waymon Hudson

May 18, 2010 2:30 PM

American Evangelical Extremist Lou Engle is making waves again. Readers may remember Engle as the fringe pastor behind TheCall Rally in California supporting Proposition 8, where he called homosexuality a "spirit of lawlessness" and called for "martyrs" to become "God's Avengers of Blood" to stop the "homosexual agenda" at all cost.

SamBrownback.jpgHe also recently held another TheCall Prayer Event in Uganda where he praised the country's "courage" and "righteousness" in promoting the horrific Anti-Homosexuality "Kill the Gays" Bill. The bill calls for gays to be executed, says "known Ugandan homosexuals" abroad should be extradited back to Uganda for "punishment", and that people in Uganda must report anybody known to have committed a homosexual act within 24 hours, among other horrific provisions.

Now Lou Engle is back in America and causing a major headache for Republican Senator Sam Brownback in the Kansas gubernatorial race. It seems people aren't taking to kindly to Engle and Brownback being so close, including being former roommates and "soldiers for salvation" together. Brownback even appeared at a TheCall Rally as a special guest of Engle.

Continue reading "Sam Brownback's Pastor Problem: Evangelical Extremist Lou Engle" »

Daniel Radcliffe's Trevor Project PSA

Via Belirico: Bullies: The Wizard of Oz and Tomato Soup

Filed by: Peter Monn and Alex Paredes

May 18, 2010 5:00 PM

Editors' Note: Peter Monn (and his partner, Alex) is a Bilerico-Indiana blogger. We've lifted this up to the main site to share with everyone.

anti-gay bullyingWe have this amazing little girl that lives next door to us. Everyday when we take the puppies out she comes running over, filled with stories about her two younger siblings and frustrated that our oldest dog won't let her catch him. She is 6. Today, I came home and she was dressed, from head to toe, like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with sparkling ruby red slippers. Her hair was tied back in braids and she was carrying a basket on her arm as she ran around the backyard, her sister, dressed like a beautiful princess in pink taffeta, chasing her around, reaching for her in the wind.

And I thought...what a wonderful thing to be a child.

But not for everyone.

Not for me.

Continue reading "Bullies: The Wizard of Oz and Tomato Soup" »

Neo-Neands

LGBT leaders, community members demand vote on ENDA


Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey speaks at today's ENDA press conference, where
LGBT rights advocates and community members call on Congress to pass ENDA.


Right now people can be fired in 29 states for being lesbian, gay or bisexual and in 38 states for being transgender. There’s no excuse for this kind of backwards discrimination in this day and age.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, PFLAG National, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Black Justice Coalition, National Stonewall Democrats, National Center for Lesbian Rights and Pride at Work today held a press conference at the National Press Club urging Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Community members — Donna P., Terrance L. and Gloria Nieto — came forward to share powerful stories of the discrimination they have experienced in the work place for simply being who they are.

Help us ensure that this discrimination becomes a thing of the past. Help us pass ENDA once and for all! Please make a short phone call now to your legislators to keep the pressure on. They need to hear loud and clear from people who support equality. Even if you’ve called before, and even if you think your representative is supportive of ENDA, it’s critical that they hear from you again today.

Just follow these three steps:

1) Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask to speak to your representative. (If you’re not sure who your representative is, simply give the operator your zip code and they will connect you.)

2) Follow this script:

My name is _____ and I live at (say your street address) in (say your city and state). I am calling to ask that you please pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act now! Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can't wait any longer for protection from job discrimination. So, please — no more delays. Pass ENDA right away. Thank you for your time.

3) Go back to step 1 and call at least one of your senators — we need to make our voice for equality as loud as possible.

Thank you for taking action with the Task Force today!

To read Rea Carey's remarks, go here.
For photos and more from today's press conference, visit ENDAnow.com.

Via JMG: Nancy Pelosi: I Have No Intention Of Losing On DADT And ENDA

According to an unnamed person on a conference call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she vowed that she has "no intention" of losing the (hopefully) upcoming votes on DADT and ENDA. Kerry Eleveld reports for the Advocate:
A second participant said the Speaker discussed the timing of taking a vote on ENDA relative to a DADT repeal vote, which is automatically built into the calendar for next week based on the fact that the House is scheduled to consider the National Defense Authorization Act that week. A DADT repeal measure is likely to be proposed on the House floor as an amendment to the NDAA. The second source said the Speaker went through the chronology of the calendar and the fact that taking a vote on ENDA and DADT in the same week is literally impossible from a scheduling standpoint. Pelosi also said she thought ENDA would have a much better likelihood of passing if DADT were successfully ushered through first. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force planned to hold a press conference in Washington, D.C. Tuesday urging a vote on ENDA. In addition, Get Equal, a new LGBT direct action organization, planned a demonstration outside of Pelosi’s San Francisco district office Tuesday afternoon.
Rumors are flying that the GOP is planning new language for ENDA that would strip transgender and gender identity protections from the bill. In 2007 the House passed a trans-exclusive version of ENDA. The bill did not come to a vote in the Senate.

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reposted from Joe

Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Ed Koch

"Solicitor General Elena Kagan's sexual orientation is the subject of much discussion in blogs and mainstream newspapers. The White House response denied Ms. Kagan is a lesbian. Instead, shouldn't the White House have denounced the speculation and conveyed that such inquiries are improper? By denying she is lesbian instead of denouncing the inquiry, the White House is implicitly stating sexual orientation is a legitimate issue of discussion in the confirmation process.

"On the positive side, raising the issue of Ms. Kagan's sexual orientation may give more support to Barney Frank's [ENDA] bill with 198 co-sponsors in the House and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon with a similar bill and 45 co-sponsors barring employment discrimination by the federal government against people because of their sexual identity. Only 20 states in the Union - New York being one of them - have such legislation. The current debate regarding Ms. Kagan's candidacy demonstrates the imperative of passing such legislation. How many U.S. Senators now considering Ms. Kagan's nomination will vote for such legislation? Write to yours and let's find out. Also, ask your member of Congress." - Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, writing for the Huffington Post.

For decades Koch has refused to acknowledge his own gayness, which explains why he's so upset about the speculation regarding Elena Kagan.

(Via - Towleroad)

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reposted from Joe

Quote of the Day (VIA JMG):

To paraphrase Frank Rich - this would be laughable if gay people's rights were not being taken away:

1. We've got a closeted Lesbian Governor in Hawaii claiming that civil unions are like marriage when the mantra of the anti-gay marriage crowd has always been about the word of marriage.

2. We've got a Governor in Minn. who has taken away the rights of dead gay people.

3. We've got the US military (and their families - now) which claims to be the greatest fighting force ever-assembled scared of a bunch of homos.

4. We've got a 'proud homophobe' trying to clean up the mess in the Gulf of Mexico

5. We've got Congress afraid to pass ENDA because of a bunch of men with beards in dresses.

6. We're got the founder of the anti-gay movement's Family Research Council caught with a rentboy whose testimony is on court record in major anti-gay causes in FL, AK and CA and taxpayers money is paying for it.

7. We've got a Supreme Court nominee forced to demean herself by telling the President that she's not a Lesbian - she's just too ugly to find a man. As if the Dean of Harvard Law School who everyone loves couldn't find a nice Jewish boy.

8. We've got the Catholic Church (unmarried Priests) ... and the Mormon Church (polygamy) as the foot soldiers against gay marriage.

9. We've got Bauer, Sanford and Graham in SC.

10. And, then we've got Laura Bush and Cindy McCain as the only people with a brain in America

(via JMG)