Via OutSports:

Gay, straight teenagers more alike than not

Jan 4th, 2011

by Jim Buzinski.

1 comment

While this is not exactly sports-specific, a recap of new research contradicts some long-held beliefs about being a gay teenager. Basically, according to this excellent article by Jane Brody in the New York Times, gay teens aren’t much different than their straight counterparts.

The good news is that recent research finds more similarities than differences among gay and straight adolescents. For example, studies in Salt Lake City by Lisa Diamond, an associate professor of psychology and gender studies at the University of Utah, found that young gays had as many friends and were just as popular and socially connected as other teenagers.

Continue reading →

Via Belirico: Were LGBT people really fine with Obama back in October?

I've stayed out of the "Obama totally sucks for not giving me my rights" camp, but this is ridiculous:

In an October survey conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 64 percent of self-described LGBT community members said they approved or strongly approved of the way Obama was handling his job. While only 30 percent of all likely voters said the country was headed in the right direction (62 percent said the opposite), 46 percent of LGBT respondents answered "right direction" (49 percent said "wrong direction").

The normal questions pop into my mind when it comes to LGBT polling (like, uh, where did they find their queers?), but there won't be any answers:

Continue reading "Were LGBT people really fine with Obama back in October?" »

ViaBelirico: Cindy Sheehan on DADT Repeal

In an op-ed written for Al-Jazeera, peace activist Cindy Sheehan lets loose with her opinion on the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. While she is supportive of LGBT rights, she echoes some of the opinions of Bilerico contributors who've worried that fighting for the right to kill brown people halfway around the world isn't exactly a way to advance human rights.

While I am a staunch advocate for equality of marriage and same-sex partnership, I cannot - as a peace activist - rejoice in the fact that now homosexuals can openly serve next to heterosexuals in one of the least socially responsible organisations that currently exists on earth: The US military.
...
Championing equal rights is an issue of morality, war is immoral, and the US military is heading further and further down the path of immorality... The only difference being one can now admit their orientation without fear of official recrimination - a major boon for the equal rights movement! The capacity for increased carnage should not be celebrated as a victory!
...
Don't equal human rights extend to those that the Empire has mislabeled as the "enemy"? Or do we now have to ignore the fact that innocent people are being slaughtered by the thousands?
...
Don't equal human rights extend to those that the Empire has mislabeled as the "enemy"? Or do we now have to ignore the fact that innocent people are being slaughtered by the thousands?
...
I want to bang my head against a wall when another young gay person commits suicide as a result despicable bullying, yet people within the same community have fought hard for the right to openly join the biggest bully ever! Don't go, don't kill!

Jamie Kilstein Updated Gay Rights Material

Kate's Theme

Mike Bloomberg: It Gets Better

Via Courage Campaign:

Dear Daniel -- If you didn't see, today the 9th Circuit made a ruling on the Prop 8 case. The court declined to rule on the constitutionality, instead submitting a question to the California Supreme Court with regard to the question of standing and whether state law allows ballot initiative proponents to defend initiatives in court. At issue is the question of standing in state and federal law. Okay, now what the heck does all that mean? We'll tell you. Today at 2:30 p.m. PST we're hosting a live chat with The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director and Prop 8 expert Shannon Minter at www.Prop8TrialTracker.com. You can join us by going to www.Prop8TrialTracker.com at that time. Shannon was the lead attorney on the In re Marriage Cases ruling at the California Supreme Court. That was the ruling that set this whole ball rolling; a case we won in which the Court ruled that same-sex couples cannot be constitutionally denied the freedom to marry. Shannon's also the Legal Director at the NCLR, one of the country's foremost and successful legal organizations. You may recall he and his deputy Chris Stoll joined the P8TT community a few months ago to answer your questions at the time. They had so much fun, they agreed to come back! Got questions on what the 9th Circuit "question" is, exactly? How the California Supreme Court may rule? When the 9th Circuit will decide on the merits, if at all? What will happen if the case is dismissed for lack of standing at the California Supreme Court or 9th Circuit? We're here to help. So if you've got Prop 8 questions, we've got answers. Join us at www.Prop8TrialTracker.com at 2:30 PM PST and fire away. Thanks for all you do, Rick Jacobs Founder and Chair, Courage Campaign

Via JMG: Another Reason To Boycott Chick-Fil-A

Not that we really needed another one.

(Via - Good As You)

Labels: bigotry, boycotts, fast food, religion

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Gareth Thomas On Ellen DeGeneres

After Elton points us to this clip of today's Ellen appearance by out rugby star Gareth Thomas. Mickey Rourke has said he'll have his front two teeth removed to play Thomas in an upcoming biopic.

Via JMG: Billboard Of The Day

Real or photoshopped? The source doesn't give a location.

Labels: advertising, atheism, religion

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Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Jonathan Capehart

"I guess we're supposed to presume that Palin supports the repeal of the ban on gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. And I suppose by extension we should presume that she is down with gay equality. But it's easy to support something that has already happened and costs you little to speak out about -- even if it is in the form a retweet. DADT was repealed with 65 votes in the Senate on Dec. 22.

"Palin had a chance to take a stand last November when her daughter Willow apparently unleashed the f-bomb (the one that rhymes with drag) on someone criticizing the premier of Sarah Palin's Alaska on Facebook. Bristol Palin seemed to step up with an apology of sorts. But the former governor, reality television star and self-proclaimed Mama Grizzly remained mute. This raises lots of questions about what constitutes accepted banter in the Palins' Wasilla manse. Leadership is about staking out positions when it's difficult, not just when it's easy. Once again, it seems, Palin has taken the easy route." - Jonathan Capehart, writing for the Washington Post.

Labels: DADT, HomoQuotable, Jonathan Capehart, Sarah Palin

reposted fromJoe

Via JMG: BREAKING: 9th Circuit Court Punts Prop 8 To State Supreme Court On "Standing"

Here's the ruling. Analysis and reactions shortly.

Labels: California, Ninth Circuit Court., Proposition 8

reposted from Joe

Via EQCA:

January 4, 2011

Dear Daniel, The Ninth Circuit Court has just released its opinion on the Proposition 8 case. The Court has asked the California Supreme Court to consider whether Protect Marriage -- the campaign that put Prop. 8 on the ballot -- has standing to appeal. The Court also ruled that Imperial County, which had tried to intervene in the case, does not have standing to appeal. Equality California’s amicus briefs helped shape the Court’s opinion. We were the only party to file an amicus brief on Imperial County’s attempt to intervene, contending exactly what the Court found -- that the County does not have standing. The Ninth Circuit Court is also sending the California Supreme Court our second amicus brief that contends that Protect Marriage also does not have standing to appeal. Our amicus brief is the only amicus brief from our side they are sending the California Supreme Court, out of the 25 total amicus briefs filed in the case. Thanks to our counsel, David C. Codell, for writing these influential amicus briefs. We owe our thanks to the American Foundation for Equal Rights and the brilliant legal team, including Ted Olson, David Boies and San Francisco Deputy City Attorney Terese Stewart, for once again making the case. We are incredibly lucky to have them on our side. Now we wait, again. The California Supreme Court will schedule its hearing shortly. As always, Equality California will continue to track the case’s progress and put our legal experts and our team to work to shape the outcome. In solidarity, Geoff Kors Executive Director Equality California

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day II - Father Cutie

"There are so many homosexuals, both active and celibate, at all levels of clergy and Church hierarchy that the church would never be able to function if they were really to exclude all of them from ministry." - Father Alberto Cutie (his real name), in his new book which slams the Catholic Church as misogynistic and hypocritical.

Cutie left the priesthood in 2009 after a Miami tabloid photographed him making out with the woman who eventually became his wife. Prior to being outed as a heterosexual, Cutie had been something a pop star in Latin media, earning him the nickname, "Father Oprah."

Labels: Alberto Cutie, books, Catholic Church, Quote Of The Day, religion

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Via JMG: Debate Watch: 100% Of RNC Chair Candidates Denounce Same-Sex Marriage

RNC Chairman Michael Steele is fighting for his job at today's debate, where every single candidate responded to NOM's question on marriage equality by invoking Jeebus, traditional values, and the sanctity of one man-one woman.

Labels: bigotry, GOP, marriage equality, Michael Steele, NOM, RNC

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Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Pastor Who Backed Prop 8 Held On Multiple Child Molestation Charges

Pastor Tom Daniels of Rio Linda, California is being held on $6M bail after being charged with multiple felony counts of sexual assault on a child. Lavender Newswire reports that Daniels twice made donations to Protect Marriage, the backers of Proposition 8.

reposted from Joe 

Via Adam & Andy:

 

http://www.adamandandy.com/archive.html

Via SacBee:

Via JustaBahai: new blog posting on same sex marriage

 

http://justabahai.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/we-verily/   ...and the hot discussion in some Bahai circles is the conviction that gays and lesbians cannot do the same, cannot “verily” state their committment as equals...

Via JMG: Los Angeles Times: President Obama, Enough Agonizing Over Gay Marriage

From an editorial in today's Los Angeles Times:

We can't peer into President Obama's soul, but his statement last week that he is "struggling" with whether to endorse same-sex marriage is open to an unedifying interpretation. Given the president's support of gay rights in other contexts, his opposition to marriage equality raises the question of whether the struggle Obama referred to is between politics and principle. If so, we hope principle will prevail. [snip] When he ran for the presidency in 2008, it was the conventional wisdom that supporting gay marriage would be politically fatal. With shifts in public attitudes, that probably will not be the case in 2012. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 42% of adults now favor same-sex marriage, compared to 37% in 2009. The trend seems clear. We'd prefer to think that such considerations wouldn't be uppermost in Obama's mind. What should determine his position is logic and the fact that same-sex couples across America, not just those in his circle, yearn for recognition of their relationships. Enough agonizing, Mr. President. Support marriage equality.

Labels: Barack Obama, Los Angeles Times, marriage equality

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Via JMG: Dan Savage On Sex, Religion & Bullying

Via JMG: Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2 (Stand-up Special) - "The Book of Noah"

Via Sacbee:

Via JMG: The $50,000 Cock Shot

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has been fined $50,000 by the NFL for sending his cock shot to a female employee of the New York Jets, for whom Favre played at the time. Favre had faced a suspension by the league, a slight punishment considering he is expected to retire after this weekend. The fine is less than 1% of Favre's 2010 salary, but on a per-inch basis (NSFW), the fine, at least, is a whopper.

Labels: football, NFL, silliness, sports

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Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Steve Weinstein

"[T]he majority of gay men and lesbians want nothing more than to raise families behind picket fences. There are other signs of increasing conformity in the gay world. Leather is seen by most younger men as more silly than hot. While they may exercise, younger men mostly don’t strive for Adonis physiques. It goes on. (Lesbians are way ahead of the curve on this. They’ve been mating and nesting for years.)

"Is this bad? Probably not. We’ve been fighting for acceptance. Now that we’re getting it, it’s up to us to do what we want with it. If younger gay men and lesbians want the same things as their straight counterparts, so be it. Have we lost something? Probably. Just as blacks lose their jive and soul when they become middle-class suburbanites, and Jews lose their Yiddishkeite, so we shed the camp, the bitchy humor, the diva worship, and the other facets that defined “gay” for so long. Most people, however, would consider it a fair tradeoff." - Steve Weinstein, writing for Edge On The Net in response to yesterday's JMG post about Jonah Goldberg's column on the "homosexual bourgeoisie."

Labels: DADT, Edge, HomoQuotable, LGBT culture

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Behind the Scenes: Signing Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal

National Organization for Marriage LATE Again With Federal Tax Returns

WASHINGTON, DC – The four year old National Organization for Marriage (NOM), and the National Organization for Marriage Foundation (NOMF) has once again failed to file its required Federal Income Tax Returns.  Their IRS 2009 returns for both of these non-profits, their 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 were due on May 15, 2010.  If they received an extension, then they were due October 15, 2010.  Now they are 2 ½ months LATE!

I recently visited their new National Office in Washington, DC twice during regular office hours to view the returns.  No one was there.  They must make them available to anyone during regular business hours.  We also have checked online repeatedly for their 2009 returns, and again, nothing.  What is NOM trying to hide?  Why do they not file their tax returns every year?


How do you say, “Front Group?” I went again to the NOM National Office
at 2029 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC  20006 to see their
2009 Tax Returns.  Notice the UPS delivery slip on the doorknob.
Neighbors said they never see anyone there, yet they are leading
the fight against gay marriage in 14 states.

Déjà Vu

I went through the identical exercise in 2009 when I attempted to view NOM’s 2007 and 2008 990’s, but they never filed those either.  We visited their then National Office in Princeton, NJ many times and no one was ever there either.

One set of 990’s was 5 months late.  The other set was 17 months late, when finally, the night before NOM President Brian Brown was to testify in front of the Maine Ethics Commission last year, all of their delinquent tax returns magically appeared on the NOM web site.

It was too late to stave off a State of Maine investigation of NOM, because in spite of threatening to sue the State of Maine (which NOM eventually did), the Maine Ethics Commission voted to investigate the National Organization for Marriage for election “Money Laundering.”


NOM President Brian Brown getting questioned by reporters right after
Maine Ethics Commission voted to investigate his organization for alleged
money laundering.

NOM is not above the law.  They need to file their Income Tax Returns like everyone else and every other organization.  We are entitled to see just how much money they raised and spent in 2009.  Whom are they trying to protect?

NOM has sued 14 states to invalidate those state’s campaign finance laws.   12 of those lawsuits were in 2010 alone.  NOM hopes to invalidate those state’s election laws, so when they spend their millions in those 14 states, it would not have to be reported.

NOM goes into these states and attacks anyone and everyone viciously that dares to support marriage equality in this country, and they do it without obeying election laws.  They even subpoenaed me last year as soon as I filed the complaint against them in Maine.  They are relentless.

Congressional Investigation of NOM -- Now a “Hate Group”

We have tried repeatedly to get the Congress to investigate the National Organization for Marriage.  There are numerous active complaints filed against NOM with the IRS.  We need to get to the bottom of this highly questionable organization, now officially designated a “Hate Group,” by the prestigious Southern Poverty Law Center. CLICK HERE

Where’s Doug Manchester?  He’s Not on Bust the Blacklist!
 

NOM now has a new web site up to defend its multi-millionaire and billionaire contributors.  Their most famous donor of all is missing, hotel owner Doug Manchester.  Manchester’s own people have admitted that they are losing $1 million per month from the boycott that Californians Against Hate (now Rights Equal Rights) launched on July 17, 2008, because of Doug Manchester’s $125,000 early donation to qualify and pass California’s Proposition 8.  Here’s NOM’s new site, Bust the Blacklist:  CLICK HERE

Manchester’s close friend, fellow San Diegan Terry Caster, who gave $693,000 to qualify and pass Proposition 8, is on NOM’s list.  Guess the last thing Doug Manchester wants is any more publicity.  He got a lousy return on his $125,000 contribution to take away marriage equality in California – at least $30 million in lost business to the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel alone!

Lula's legacy, leaving behind a transformed Brazil

By BRADLEY BROOKS
Associated Press

Published: Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 - 9:04 am

Last Modified: Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 - 7:08 pm

SAO PAULO -- Plopping her swollen ankles upon a purple couch, 72-year-old Dilma de Lima exults in the new government-built apartment she now calls home after a lifetime of misery in Brazil's slums.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/27/3283394/lulas-legacy-leaving-behind-a.html#ixzz19Si1D1fS

Via JMG: NORTH CAROLINA: Openly Gay Man Elected To Head Council Of Churches

An openly gay man has been elected to head North Carolina's Council of Churches. Stan Kimer, 55, is a retired businessman and a lay leader of the Metropolitan Community Church.

Only one other of the country's 33 similar church councils has elected an openly gay leader. Only one other of the country's 33 similar church councils has elected an openly gay leader. In California, a lesbian was elected president in the late 1990s. That makes Kimer's presidency of the N.C. Council - a coalition of 17 Christian denominations and eight individual churches that work on social issues - historic in the South. It also signals an acceptance among member denominations - Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics - that even if they have theological differences about homosexuality, they are OK with a gay man at the helm. Or at least, they don't see it as an issue worth fighting. "A lot of our member denominations have internal battles about this," said the Rev. George Reed, the council's executive director. "But the governing board felt the fact that he is a gay man was not a disqualifying factor."

A sample reader comment on the above-linked Charlotte Observer story: "Having him over the board of church's is like building a mosck on ground zero. Its obsurd!!!! If he is a true Christian and in fact reads the word of god then he should know how the lord feels about homosexuals. Sir you are an abomination and when you burn your smoke and ashes will ascend up to his nostrils like insence. Read it for yourself!!!"

Labels: MCC, North Carolina, religion

reposted from Joe

Via oneinchatatime: Just for the record ...

Via Fred Karger: President Obama, Evolve Already!

President Obama, Evolve Already!

By Fred Karger
Founder, Rights Equal Rights
Posted: December 24, 2010 05:35 PM

For link to story, Click Here

WASHINGTON, DC - Like millions of Americans, I was so happy to see the president's bill signing ceremony. Don't Ask, Don' Tell created nearly 18 years of government sanctioned and enforced discrimination. Now that it is on its way out, the president seemed genuinely happy for the first time in months.

See how great it can be to do the right thing. All that excitement and emotion at the signing ceremony was seen and heard around the world.

Barack Obama was probably one of the first prominent Americans to support gay marriage way back in 1996 when he was first running for state office in Illinois.

"I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages," Obama wrote in the typed, signed, statement 14 years ago.

Then he switched his position, to opposing gay marriage, when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

The president is undoubtedly the only person to ever change his position on gay marriage the wrong way. Every day, gay marriage opponents are switching their positions and supporting full marriage equality, but no one has ever gone the other way.

Now President Obama says that he is "evolving" (again) on gay marriage.

I hope that the president will continue to evolve and help our community end all the hate and discrimination that is hurled at us. There are way too LGBT Americans who do not feel equal. I know. I felt that way for far too long.

The lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community is at least 21 million strong in this country, and we will no longer be second class citizens.

Gay marriage sends a very loud and clear message to LGBT youth that they are equal. When gay marriage is the law of the land, that will become our civil rights bill. What a strong message to younger people when that day comes.

Like the president said in his speech yesterday, "We area a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal."

President Obama, please come back to the right side of history and lead. Support full marriage equality for everyone in this country, and let's repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next year!

---

Fred's HuffPost column has been picked up all over and appeared in many blogs and posts.  Here are some of the links:

Regator  President Obama, Evolve Already

Democrati  President Obama, Evolve Already

The Freedomist   President Obama, Evolve Already


World News Mania   President Obama, Evolve Already

Onyx Book  President Obama, Evolve Already

RSS Hog Blog   President Obama, Evolve Already

The America News  President Obama, Evolve Already

inflight wedding rap

Via JMG: Joe Biden: Gay Marriage Is Inevitable

During an appearance on the Today Show, this morning Vice President Joe Biden said that he agreed with the president's "evolving" position on gay marriage and that a "national consensus" on the issue is inevitable.

“I think the country’s evolving,” he said. “And I think you’re going to see, you know, the next effort is probably going to be to deal with so called DOMA [Defence of Marriage Act].” DOMA prohibits federal government from recognising gay marriage, meaning that even if states allow the practice, gay couples still cannot access federal benefits. Mr Biden added that attitudes had changed to openly gay soldiers and that consensus was beginning to turn in favour of gay marriage. He said that gay troops were now “widely accepted” and “the same thing is happening now in regard to the issue of marriage.”

Labels: Joe Biden, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Obama administration, Today Show

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Rachel Maddow - Lt. Dan Choi Gets His Ring Back!

Pres. Obama: I Struggle With Gay Marriage

Via JMG: Rep. Barney Frank Rips Christian Network Reporter Over Dumbass DADT Question

Via JMG: An American Soldier

Labels: American history, DADT, LGBT History, military

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Via JMG: PROMISE RING: Lt. Dan Choi Gets His West Point Ring Back From Sen. Harry Reid

Sen. Harry Reid has returned Lt. Dan Choi's West Point ring, fulfilling a promise he made to Choi at Netroots Nation in front of hundreds of progressive writers, including yours truly. Upon receipt of the ring, Choi tweeted: "The next time I get a ring from a man, I expect it will be for full, equal, American marriage.

Labels: DADT, Dan Choi, Harry Reid, LGBT History

posted by Joe

Via SacBee:

Via JMG: LeAnn Rimes & GMCLA - The Rose

Via JMG: Obama On "Evolving" Marriage Position

Yesterday the president sat down with Advocate reporter Kerry Eleveld, who reminded him of his recent comment that his position on same-sex marriage has been evolving.

OBAMA: I'm not going to make more news today. The sentiment I expressed then is still where I am—which is, like a lot of people, I'm wrestling with this. My attitudes are evolving on this. I have always firmly believed in having a robust civil union that provides the rights and benefits under the law that marriage does. I've wrestled with the fact that marriage traditionally has had a different connotation. But I also have a lot of very close friends who are married gay or lesbian couples.

OBAMA: And squaring that circle is something that I have not done yet, but I'm continually asking myself this question and I do think that—I will make this observation, that I notice there is a big generational difference. When you talk to people who are in their 20s, they don't understand what the holdup is on this, regardless of their own sexual orientation. And obviously when you talk to older folks, then there’s greater resistance. And so this is an issue that I'm still wrestling with, others are still wrestling with. What I know is that at minimum, a baseline is that there has to be a strong, robust civil union available to all gay and lesbian couples.

Eleveld then pressed the president as to a timeline for "getting there" on marriage. Obama: "I'm going to stick with my answer."

Labels: Advocate, Barack Obama, LGBT rights, marriage equality

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'Yes We Did': President Obama Speaks Before Signing DADT Repeal

Quote of the Day: Dalai Lama

People often expect the other person to respond first in a positive way, instead of taking the initiative to create that possibility. I feel that's wrong; it can act as a barrier that just promotes a feeling of isolation from others. To overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness, your underlying attitude makes a tremendous difference - approaching others with the thought of compassion in your mind is the best way.

via jmg: Sen. Lindsey Graham About To Be Outed?

Wonkette reports that outing kingpin Mike Rogers finally has the goods on Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s favorite lifelong bachelor and former military prosecutor, is always reliably against homosexuals having any basic human rights in America because Lindsey’s a Republican, y’all. Anyway, famous outer-of-self-hating-queers Mike Rogers says he’s got pictures of one of Lindsey’s boy toys leaving Lindsey’s house. This would be SHOCKING because come on, everybody knows Republicans cannot be gay because Jesus did not make gays.

Mike Rogers has a 100% track record for correctly outing anti-gay closet cases. He's never been proven wrong.

Labels: closet cases, GOP, Lindsey Graham, Mike Rogers, outing, South Carolina

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Via JMG: Blowhard Bill Donohue: The $26M Man

It turns out that the anti-gay Catholic League, whose leader Bill Donohue was once famously insulted as "one guy with a fax machine," has assets of over $26M. And Donohue pays himself quite handsomely out of that hate jackpot.

Via Catholics United:

Controversial Catholic League president William Donohue – whose work has now gained the support of the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – earned a salary of $342,500 in 2009, with an additional $56,656 in fringe benefits. According to annual IRS Form 990 filings, the organization spent more than $2.6 million in 2009, despite the fact that its program work constitutes little more than the issuing of inflammatory press releases.[snip] The organization shells out $335,914 for its midtown Manhattan office space, and compensates vice president Bernadette Brady to the tune of $203,727. An additional $57,826 is spent on office equipment. As organizations go, the Catholic League is a “non-profit” in name only. In 2009 it pocketed $943,516 in excess revenue, down from $1.35 million in 2008. As of the most recent filings, the Catholic League reported $26.2 million in net assets.

While impoverished parishes close down and soup kitchens are shuttered, the Catholic League spends somehow spends millions and makes millions doing nothing but fighting against LGBT rights. And this they do completely tax-free. Holy crimes, indeed.

Labels: Bill Donohue, Catholic Church, Catholic League, hate groups, NYC

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Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit)

Via JMG: USMC Gen. James Amos Pledges To Lead Implementation Of DADT Repeal

Even though he thinks having openly gay soldiers will cost Marines their limbs, USMC Commandant James Amos says he will personally lead the implementation of the repeal of DADT. Here's his full statement as published by Stars & Stripes:

"Fidelity is the essence of the United States Marine Corps. Above all else, we are loyal to the Constitution, our Commander in Chief, Congress, our Chain of Command, and the American people. The House of Representatives and the Senate have voted to repeal Title 10, US Code 654 "Policy Concerning Homosexuality in the United States Armed Forces." As stated during my testimony before Congress in September and again during hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month, the Marine Corps will step out smartly to faithfully implement this new policy. I, and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, will personally lead this effort, thus ensuring the respect and dignity due all Marines. On this matter, we look forward to further demonstrating to the American people the discipline and loyalty that have been the hallmark of the United States Marine Corps for over 235 years."

Labels: DADT, military, Pentagon, USMC

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Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Barney Frank

“It’s one thing to have a gay person in the abstract. It’s another to see that person as part of a living, breathing couple. How would a gay presidential candidate have a celebratory kiss with his partner after winning the New Hampshire primary? The sight of two women kissing has not been as distressful to people as the sight of two men kissing. [And because of DOMA] it’s not clear that a gay president could use federal funds to buy his husband dinner. Would his partner have to pay rent in the White House? There would be no Secret Service protection for the paramour." - Rep. Barney Frank, responding to Jimmy Carter's contention that America is ready for a gay president.

Labels: Barney Frank, gay politicians, Jimmy Carter, Quote Of The Day

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Via JMG: Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann Named To U.S. House INTELLIGENCE Committee

She wanted to be on the powerful Ways & Means Committee, but instead incoming House Speaker John Boehner has appointed Crazy Eyes to the House Intelligence Committee. Yup.

The committee has oversight jurisdiction of the CIA, the National Security Agency, other intelligence agencies within the Department of Defense, and the Departments of State, Justice, and Treasury, and the FBI. This is the perfect reward for a member of Congress who thinks that Barack Obama spent $200 million a day on a trip to India, wants the president and Congress investigated for being anti-American, and who thinks the Charge of the Light Brigade was a military victory? Given that she's already enlisted Justice Antonin Scalia to teach frosh teabaggers about the Constitution, perhaps we can expect her to nominate George W. Bush to instruct them on foreign intelligence.

We are truly lost.

Labels: Congress, crazy people, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

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Via JMG: LAUNCHED: Equality Matters

Media Matters has launched Equality Matters, a new LGBT activism site meant to serve as a "communications war room for gay equality."

It will be run by Richard Socarides, a former domestic policy adviser to President Bill Clinton who has been deeply critical of President Obama’s record on gay rights. A well-known gay journalist, Kerry Eleveld, the Washington correspondent for The Advocate, will leave that magazine in January to edit the new group’s Web site, equalitymatters.org, which is to go online Monday morning. “Yesterday was a very important breakthrough,” Mr. Socarides said in an interview on Sunday, “and President Obama’s comments, especially following the vote, were very significant, where he for the first time connected race and gender to sexual orientation under the banner of civil rights. “But we will celebrate this important victory for five minutes, and then we have to move on, because we are the last group of Americans who are discriminated against in federal law and there is a lot of work to do.”

Among the major backers of Media Matters is billionaire philanthropist George Soros. The homocon teabaggers are already whining.

Labels: activism, LGBT rights, Media Matters, Richard Socarides

reposted from Joe