Best wishes from Brasil where it is almost party time! Crank it up!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Bil Browning sent a message to the members of The Bilerico Project.
Subject: Weekly Reader: The Salvation Army, Katy Perry, & Lance Bass
It might have been a holiday week, but we kept plugging away to bring you the best content we could - including tons of holiday-themed posts! Check out some of these great posts from last week:
Sunday
Disturbing: Pelosi & Reid burnt in effigy by schoolchildren
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/disturbing_pelosi_reid_burnt_in_effigy_schoolchildren.php
The Last Minute Gay Geeks Gift Guide
Filed by: Nathan Strang
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/the_last_minute_gay_geeks_gift_guide.php
Monday
The year Lance Bass saved Christmas
Filed by: Joe Mirabella
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/gay_christmas.php
Surprise -- Roses at Christmas
Filed by: Patricia Nell Warren
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/roses_at_christmas.php
Tuesday
Katy Perry offends LGBT people in a bout of twitterrhea
Filed by: Jerame Davis
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/katy_perry_offends_lgbt_people_in_a_bout_of_twitter.php
8 Tips for LGBT People to Lower Holiday Stress
Filed by: D Gregory Smith
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/tis_the_season_for_depression.php
Wednesday
How Newsweek Got It Wrong On Gay Rights
Filed by: Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/how_newsweek_got_it_wrong_on_gay_rights.php
Just say no to the Salvation Army's red bucket
Filed by: Alex Blaze
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/just_say_no_to_the_salvation_armys_red_bucket.php
Thursday
My Marriage is a Stone
Filed by: Father Tony
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/my_marriage_is_a_stone.php
Christmas Eve in the Tenderloin
Filed by: Guest Blogger Jerry Weiss
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/christmas_eve_in_the_tenderloin.php
Friday
Merry Christmas!
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/a327f;www.bilerico.com/2009/12/merry_christmas_1.php
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Friday, December 25, 2009
This from The New Civil Rights Movement
Hey, CNN: “Admit” You’re Gay Is Wrong
Just a few days ago, we witnessed an “amazing” revelation: Former international rugby star Gareth Thomas said, “I’m gay.”
What’s also amazing is that so many mainstream, big media outlets did not say this:
“Gareth Thomas admits he is gay.”
Except CNN.
In, “Thomas relief after admitting he is gay,” CNN writes,
“Every gay man will tell you that ‘coming out’ is like a weight lifted from your shoulders and beng able to walk down the street knowing that there is nothing for me to hide has been a liberating experience, ” admitted Thomas…”
Because, really, why would anyone use the word “admit” when it comes to coming out? Being gay is not wrong. We “admit” to things we’ve done wrong.
We admit to lying. We admit to stealing. We admit to adultery.
We “come out,” we “acknowledge we’re gay,” we can even “reveal” we’re gay. But “admit?” Why would you “admit” to something that isn’t wrong?
Words matter.
It’s time for the media, especially the MSM, to get it straight: “admitting” you’re gay is like “admitting” you’re human.
Got it?
From The New Civil Rights Movement
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Senate Passes Health Care Bill
It's definitely not the bill we wanted, but this morning the Senate voted 60-39 to approve its version of health care reform. The Senate voted Thursday to reinvent the nation’s health care system, passing a bill to guarantee access to health insurance for tens of millions of Americans and to rein in health costs as proposed by President Obama. The 60-to-39 party-line vote, on the 25th straight day of debate on the legislation, brings Democrats a step closer to a goal they have pursued for decades. It clears the way for negotiations with the House, which passed a broadly similar bill last month by a vote of 220 to 215.Senator Robert Byrd voted this way: “This is for my friend Ted Kennedy. Aye!”
If the two chambers can strike a deal, as seems likely, the resulting product would vastly expand the role and responsibilities of the federal government. It would, as lawmakers said repeatedly in the debate, touch the lives of nearly all Americans. The bill would require most Americans to have health insurance, would add 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls and would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people, at a cost to the government of $871 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Labels: Congress, health care reform, insurance, Senate
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Utah Congressman Chaffetz Leads Effort to Dump
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Fred Karger
December 22, 2009 619-592-2008
Utah Congressman Chaffetz Leads Effort to Dump
Salt Lake City, UT -- Mormon freshman Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), ranking Republican on the Congressional subcommittee that oversees Washington, DC, is now trying to undue the District's new law that allows same-sex marriage in our nation's capitol. Congress has 30 days to overturn that law.
The president of the National Organization for Marriage, which was created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) two years ago to fight gay marriage throughout the country, announced last week that they would go to the ballot and to the courts to overturn marriage equality in Washington, DC. Well, she left out a third avenue, going to the Congress to veto the new law. Maggie Gallagher, NOM's President said that they would defeat it, and here they go again.
NOM is very effective. They were responsible for Proposition 8 qualifying for the California ballot last year which ended same-sex marriage there. They were successful in overturning Maine's gay marriage law last month, having contributed 64% of all money raised ($1.9 million of the $3 million) in that state. Now they have set their sights on our most recent victory in Washington, DC.
"We have been tracking NOM from day one, and while effective, they do all this secretly and utilizing highly questionable practices," said Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate. "Maggie and executive director Brian Brown are single handidly fighting same-sex marriage in 11 sates, and now Washington, DC, all by themselves -- truly amazing."
"That is why we have called for investigations in California and Maine into their fund-raising, which is shrouded in mystery. In Maine they refused to disclose the names of thier contributors even after being ordered to do so by Federal Judge D. Brock Hornby and Maine attorney General Janet T. Mills.
"That is why we have called for investigations in California and Maine into their fund-raising, which is shrouded in mystery. In Maine they refused to disclose the names of thier contributors even after being ordered to do so by Federal Judge D. Brock Hornby and Maine attorney General Janet T. Mills.
Both California and Maine are investigating NOM right now, and the California investigation has included the Mormon Church. It has been ongoing for the past 13 months (FPPC Case # 08/735)."
"Now we need a Congressional investigation of the National Organization for Marriage as they come charging into out nation's capitol to attempt to undo marriage equality there. They must no longer go unchecked," demanded Karger.
"Now we need a Congressional investigation of the National Organization for Marriage as they come charging into out nation's capitol to attempt to undo marriage equality there. They must no longer go unchecked," demanded Karger.
Read the story about Rep. Chaffetz from the Mormon Church owned Salt Lake City Deseret News:
Chaffetz, family differ on gay marriage
SALT LAKE CITY — Gay rights groups are flabbergasted that Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is leading a charge to block gay marriage in the District of Columbia, since his family has some interesting gay and liberal ties.
After all, his father, John Chaffetz, wrote a complimentary book about a gay couple that competed in the "Amazing Race" reality TV show. And liberal, former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis (whose wife, Kitty, was once married to Chaffetz's father) has been helping the young Chaffetz to pass legislation.
So gay groups are questioning in widespread Internet posts why Chaffetz, with such ties, could do such a thing. They wish aloud that he would listen to his more liberal relations, and stop his pledges to try to overturn a D.C. ordinance signed by its mayor last week to allow gay marriage.
Chaffetz told the Deseret News on Monday that such groups should not hold their breath for that.
"I see my position more as a support of traditional marriage than it is an attack on gay marriage. I think I have a core moral belief in traditional marriage, and I'm willing to stand up and stand tall for traditional marriage," he said.
Although Chaffetz is a freshman, he is the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees District of Columbia operations. So he said it is part of that job to announce GOP opposition to the new ordinance, and vow to fight it since federal law gives Congress 30 days to overturn any ordinance passed by the D.C. Council.
"It has led to a whole series of very aggressive personal attacks, but go ahead, I don't care. It doesn't phase me much," Chaffetz said. Many of the attacks draw attention to how his father wrote the book "Gay Reality" about the gay couple of Bill Bartek and Joe Baldassare who gained attention as reality show contestants. And attacks point out Chaffetz's ties to Dukakis.
But Chaffetz explains, "I am the only member of my family who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a convert." He joined the church two months after he graduated from Brigham Young University, where he had been recruited as a football placekicker.
Because of that church background, Chaffetz said he is more conservative than many in his extended family, although he said it does include both Republicans and Democrats.
"My younger brother Alex is about as conservative as it gets, other than maybe Attila the Hun," he joked. "My older half-brother (John Dukakis — who changed his last name from Chaffetz to match that of his famous stepfather, Michael Dukakis) is about as liberal as it gets."
That doesn't mean that Chaffetz hasn't sought out the opinion of his half-brother, a former actor who had roles in such films as "Jaws 2" and in such TV series as "Family Ties" and "Taxi."
"I showed my brother John a draft of a campaign piece we prepared. And he said, 'I disagree with everything you say here.' And I thought, 'We have success. We must be on to something,'" Chaffetz said.
In contrast, Chaffetz said his father is a "very conservative person," his book about the gay couple notwithstanding. "I've talked to him about some things, but not about this (gay marriage)."
While Chaffetz is not biologically related to Michael Dukakis, Chaffetz said they became well acquainted and spent time together because John Dukakis would spend the school year with Dukakis and John's mother, Kitty, and the summers with his father and his half-brothers, Jason and Alex, and their mother.
Rep. Chaffetz even headed the Dukakis campaign at BYU in 1988, before his conversions to be a Republican and a Mormon. He said he and Dukakis still keep in close contact, and the former Massachusetts governor has helped him make some Democratic contacts needed to do such things as pass House legislation to ban use of "whole-body imaging" machines at airports.
"One of the interesting phenomena is that Michael Dukakis has been very helpful in opening a lot of doors that wouldn't have been opened otherwise. Some very liberal Democrats have given me the time of day that wouldn't normally have done so, particularly some of the people from Massachusetts," Chaffetz said.
"He (Dukakis) is a passionate believer in good public service, and considers party secondary. He wants to do some things that I could never support, but I respect him," Chaffetz said. "I talked to him the day before yesterday. We keep in contact."
But, again, Chaffetz said he believes strongly in defending traditional marriage, and no one should expect differently even if he has some liberal friends and family. "I'm my own guy on this one," he said.
Still, the Utah Log Cabin Republicans on Monday called for him to change, issuing a statement that it wants him to "get back to tending the issues we sent him to Washington to represent, and stop trying to force others to adhere to his misguided interpretation of what makes a real marriage."
HELP US FIGHT BACK.
www.FiveforFred.com 
Monday, December 21, 2009
This from JMG
A Gay First For Martha Stewart
Popular Good As You blogger/activist Jeremy Hooper and his husband Andrew have become the first gay couple to be featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Jeremy and Andrew were married in Connecticut in June. Congrats, guys!Labels: Bloggers, Good As You, Jeremy Hooper, Martha Stewart, publishing
posted by JMGSunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
From Father Geoff: Will America become a Fundamentalist "Republic?"
Why is religion so anti-gay? I was asked this question recently on the heals of Uganda passing legislation which makes homosexuality a capital offense. The short answer is that a superficial reading of both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures clearly gives the impression that homosexuality is forbidden by God. This has affected the stance towards homosexual persons by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Within each of those traditions there exist literalists (who see the written word as THE law) and progressives (who look beyond the written text and seek understanding of the Divine intent.)
Jump here to read the full article
Jump here to read the full article
From JMG: Newsweek Predicts For 2010: "Obama Does Nada On Gay Rights"
Newsweek takes a grim outlook on what the president may do for us in 2010: Patience became the 2009 mantra of the gay rights movement, which generally supports Democrats. Many activists believe that in his heart Obama supports their flagship issues: the ability to serve openly in the armed forces, to be protected from employment in the workplace, and the right to marry (even though he’s on record as favoring civil unions over marriage). But they’ve received almost nothing for their troubles. What the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community has learned this year is that the president is ultimately a pragmatist.
Although his very presence in the White House is the stuff of culture wars, Obama himself is reluctant to wade into one. Moreover, if socially divisive policies have the potential to compromise his legislative agenda, Obama has proven that he simply won’t pursue them. Expect this tension to become more acute as the 2010 elections loom—and for gay rights to be shunted aside again. The last thing this pragmatist president will do is hand election-year ammunition to an already energized conservative base that’s venomously opposed to gay marriage.
Labels: 2010, Barack Obama, LGBT rights, Obama administration
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