Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Quote of the Day: Stuart Gaffney
"We are putting discrimination against gays and lesbians on trial. We are showing what the human costs of that discrimination are," said David Boies, one of the lawyers representing the pro-gay-marriage side. "Every citizen has the right to decide for themselves what is moral, but no group of citizens has the right to ...discriminate against a minority."
From the dailykos: Kudos To Cindy McCain
by BarbinMD
Thu Jan 21, 2010 at 11:18:03 AM PST
Cindy McCain, the wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, has posed for an ad endorsing pro-gay marriage forces in California.
Her husband responded by having his staff issue a statement.
Senator McCain respects the views of members of his family. The Senator chaired the effort to successfully pass Arizona Proposition 102, the Marriage Protection Amendment, and his opposition to gay marriage remains the same. Senator McCain believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman.
The first Mrs. McCain was unavailable for comment.
From JMG: Prop 8 Trial "Explosion": Mormon Church Tried To Cover Up Its Involvement
Calling it an "explosive afternoon" the Courage Campaign's Prop 8 live blog reported late today that according to documents revealed to the court, the Mormon Church labored hard behind the scenes to cover-up their involvement in the campaign. That's not surprise to any of us, but it's the first time physical evidence has been produced to substantiate this.
For example, one letter indicated that the LDS church had identified a volunteer for the campaign in every single zip code. This was a church document that was in the hands of a Prop 8 campaign official, and thus was discoverable. Andy Pugno, the general council for ProtectMarriage.com tried his darnedest to get Judge Walker to exclude it, but failed. From Rick’s liveblog:
Pugno: Objects because document will be revealing. Judge: Not to make light of this, but the reason people want to produce documents is that they are revealing. Boutrous: It’s from an outsider to the core group. We are attempting to show the level of coordination with groups that Protect Marriage says were not even affiliated with the campaign.
This is perhaps the most explosive bit of all, from a document between the LDS Church and the campaign:
With respect to Prop. 8 campaign, key talking points will come from campaign, but cautious, strategic, not to take the lead so as to provide plausible deniability or respectable distance so as not to show that church is directly involved.
For example, one letter indicated that the LDS church had identified a volunteer for the campaign in every single zip code. This was a church document that was in the hands of a Prop 8 campaign official, and thus was discoverable. Andy Pugno, the general council for ProtectMarriage.com tried his darnedest to get Judge Walker to exclude it, but failed. From Rick’s liveblog:
Pugno: Objects because document will be revealing. Judge: Not to make light of this, but the reason people want to produce documents is that they are revealing. Boutrous: It’s from an outsider to the core group. We are attempting to show the level of coordination with groups that Protect Marriage says were not even affiliated with the campaign.
This is perhaps the most explosive bit of all, from a document between the LDS Church and the campaign:
With respect to Prop. 8 campaign, key talking points will come from campaign, but cautious, strategic, not to take the lead so as to provide plausible deniability or respectable distance so as not to show that church is directly involved.
Get that? The LDS Church intentionally worked to hide behind the scenes to disguise their involvement in the public realm. The LDS Church is well aware that the general public does not have the most favorable opinion of them. Attention on their involvement could have hurt their cause, namely passing Prop 8.
Freshly lifted from JMG
FROM JMG: SF Gay Men's Chorus To Make Concert Tour Of Proposition 8 Strongholds
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will conduct a tour of concerts through the heartland of Proposition 8 country in central California as part of an outreach program. Via press release:
The three-part tour will kick off at the end of January with concerts in Redding and Chico, continue in May with concerts in Fresno and Bakersfield, and end in July with a concert in Tracy. For chorus member Bud Dillon, the tour means coming home. Born and raised in Redding, Bud has a special understanding of the importance of the concerts. "So many people only hear about gay men within the context of heated controversy. The Freedom Tour will help to change that in an incredibly entertaining way. Nobody leaves our concerts without a huge smile on their face!" “It's simple." Witherington added. “We believe to accept us, you have to know us. So we tell our story through our music. Our message is one of coming together and recognizing those things we have in common.”
The chorus will perform a new original number called We Are Coming Out, which was written by JMG reader Sean Chapin.
deftly lifted from JMG
The three-part tour will kick off at the end of January with concerts in Redding and Chico, continue in May with concerts in Fresno and Bakersfield, and end in July with a concert in Tracy. For chorus member Bud Dillon, the tour means coming home. Born and raised in Redding, Bud has a special understanding of the importance of the concerts. "So many people only hear about gay men within the context of heated controversy. The Freedom Tour will help to change that in an incredibly entertaining way. Nobody leaves our concerts without a huge smile on their face!" “It's simple." Witherington added. “We believe to accept us, you have to know us. So we tell our story through our music. Our message is one of coming together and recognizing those things we have in common.”
The chorus will perform a new original number called We Are Coming Out, which was written by JMG reader Sean Chapin.
deftly lifted from JMG
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
From JMG: Uganda MP David Bahati Disinvited From National Prayer Breakfast
Box Turtle Bulletin reports that Uganda MP David "Kill Gays" Behati has been disinvited from next month's National Prayer Breakfast, where President Obama is scheduled to speak. Via Advocate:Ambassador Richard Swett, a spokesman for the breakfast, confirmed that Bahati was no longer allowed to come to the event, scheduled for February 4. He added, "The National Prayer Breakfast is an organization that builds bridges of understanding between all peoples, religions and beliefs and has never advocated the sentiments expressed in Mr. Bahati’s legislation.” Early reports from the Monitor newspaper in Uganda said that Bahati had planned to go to the even, and make a speech. The organization that puts on the National Prayer Breakfast is the Fellowship Foundation, also known as the Family, an evangelical Christian group linked to the development of the "kill the gays" bill.
Labels: David Bahati, religion, The Family, Uganda
Lifted from JMGFrom JMG: Gavin Newsom On Obama & Marriage
Today SF Mayor Gavin Newsom talks to Maureen O'Dowd about leaving politics and his disappointment with President Obama on gay marriage. “Oh, I can’t get in trouble here,” Newsom said with a playful wince. “I want him to succeed. But I am very upset by what he’s not done in terms of rights of gays and lesbians. I understand it tactically in a campaign, but at this point I don’t know. There is some belief that he actually doesn’t believe in same-sex marriage. But it’s fundamentally inexcusable for a member of the Democratic Party to stand on the principle that separate is now equal, but only on the basis of sexual orientation. We’ve always fought for the rights of minorities and against the whims of majorities.” He said the promise of Obama sparking an “organic movement” has faded and “there’s a growing discontent and lack of enthusiasm that I worry about. He should just stand on principle, put this behind him and move on.”Newsom abruptly gave up his bid for California governor last fall.
From JMG: Here's What The Prop 8 Supporters Were Too "Scared" To Say In Open Court
The American Foundation For Equal Rights sends us these video depositions made by two Perry vs. Schwarzenegger defendants who later dropped off the witness list rather than face the "violent wrath of vicious homofascists" were the trial to be televised.
The Olson/Boies legal team today introduced into evidence videos of the depositions of Paul Nathanson, Ph.D. and Katherine Young, Ph.D., who are among the experts dropped by the defendants from their witness list. In the videos, Nathanson and Young make several statements that are harmful to the defendants’ case and that support the plaintiffs’ position. Both are professors at McGill University. They were questioned by David Boies.
Listening to both witnesses without knowing who they are, one would presume they were witnesses FOR the gay side, especially Paul Nathansan, who seems ready to explode into a glitter rainbow of unicorns and Hello Kitty at any moment. Please watch every minute of these clips, it's unbelievable.
Courtesy of JMG
The Olson/Boies legal team today introduced into evidence videos of the depositions of Paul Nathanson, Ph.D. and Katherine Young, Ph.D., who are among the experts dropped by the defendants from their witness list. In the videos, Nathanson and Young make several statements that are harmful to the defendants’ case and that support the plaintiffs’ position. Both are professors at McGill University. They were questioned by David Boies.
Listening to both witnesses without knowing who they are, one would presume they were witnesses FOR the gay side, especially Paul Nathansan, who seems ready to explode into a glitter rainbow of unicorns and Hello Kitty at any moment. Please watch every minute of these clips, it's unbelievable.
Courtesy of JMG
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