Tom Campbell’s Stealth Conservatism

by Paul Hogarth‚ Apr. 21‚ 2010

While Democrats have freaked out about Jerry Brown’s chances against Meg Whitman, there hasn’t been such concern about Senator Barbara Boxer’s re-election. And while she should prevail in November, who wins the GOP primary in June could make a difference. Perception in politics can become reality – and if Tom Campbell wins the nomination, there will be “news analysis” in papers across the state that Republicans “learned their lesson” by picking a “moderate.” Some will remind readers that what “saved” Boxer in 1992 was Campbell losing the GOP primary, so she faced a right-wing conservative in November. Campbell’s “maverick” stance on gay marriage, Israel and marijuana (the latter will be on the November ballot) may confuse voters into thinking he is to the left of Boxer. But on the vast majority of issues, Campbell is as conservative as the Party of No in Washington – progressives cannot let the media define the race in terms favorable to him. [more]->

Betty White Lines

A Postive LGBT Message from the UK PM and his wife

A Presidential Order for Compassion

Connie Schultz, Truthout: "Only four days after Peter Taylor moved in with the man he loved, he was racing him to the closest emergency room. The following morning, his partner lay in a hospital bed and delivered the jarring news."

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Via Belirico: Joseph Milhous Ratzinger

http://www.afterellen.com/blog/trishbendix/send-fish-out-of-water-to-the-homophobe-in-your-life

Via JMG: And WE'RE The Perverts?

The Supreme Court has overturned a 13-year ban on "crush videos" saying the ban violated freedom of speech. Never heard of crush videos? Me neither. It turns out some heterosexual men are thrilled by the sight of women crushing small animals to death with their stiletto heels or bare feet. And they'll pay to see it.

Chief Justice John J. Roberts Jr., writing for an eight-member majority, said the law was overly broad and not allowed by the First Amendment. He rejected the government's argument that whether certain categories of speech deserve constitutional protection depends on balancing the value of the speech against its societal costs. "The First Amendment's guarantee of free speech does not extend only to categories of speech that survive an ad hoc balancing of relative social costs and benefits," Roberts wrote. "The First Amendment itself reflects a judgment by the American people that the benefits of its restrictions on the Government outweigh the costs. Our Constitution forecloses any attempt to revise that judgment simply on the basis that some speech is not worth it." [snip] Animal rights groups and 26 states had joined the Obama administration in support of the 1999 law. They argued that videos showing animal cruelty should be treated like child pornography rather than granted constitutional protection. But Roberts said the federal law was so broadly written that it could include all depictions of killing animals, even hunting videos. He said the court was not passing judgment about whether "a statute limited to crush videos or other depictions of extreme animal cruelty would be constitutional."

I've seen a few things in porn that I totally wish I could scrub from my brain. But this? I'd have to self-lobotomize.a repost from JMG

Via JMG: More News About The Abuse Case Of Gay Seniors Harold & Clay

Dan Savage excerpts the complaint against the repulsive Sonoma County hospital administrators who committed that horrible injustice to gay seniors Harold Scull and Clay Greene. Catch the last line. Above is a screencap I've done of the litany of charges.

On or about June 28 and continuing through August 2008, Defendants ACV, DILLINGHAM, COUNTY, LIEDHOLM, STAGG-HOURIGAN, BREWSTER, and others and each of them, did not allow Plaintiff GREENE access to [Harold Scull], his partner of 25 years, who was terminally ill. On or about June 28 and continuing through August 2008, Defendants ACV, DILLINGHAM, COUNTY, LIEDHOLM, STAGG-HOURIGAN, BREWSTER, and others and each of them, falsely imprisoned Plaintiff GREENE, keeping him behind a locked gate at Defendant ACV's premises and restricting and limiting his movements and communications with his friends, family, and the general public.... Plaintiff was put in fear of physical harm, was and felt intimidated and attacked, and remains fearful that he will be chased down and locked up again. On or about August, 2008, Defendants MICHAEL BREWSTER and KAREN STAGG-HOURIGAN, as employees of the COUNTY acting in their official capacities... did disparage and demean Plaintiff GREENE in his presence and in the presence of others, making and/or ratifying derogatory references to Plaintiff GREENE's sexual orientation and age, stating "you know how those 'gay boys' are"... After [Harold Scull's] death, Defendants BREWSTER and STAGG-HOURIGAN further expressed displeasure at dealing with expressions of grief by a gay man who had lost his long-time partner.

The full complaint is here. (PDF) Meanwhile JMG reader Rick, suspecting that this abuse was the work of evangelicals, uncovered this little biography of the wife of defendant Michael Brewster.

Leilani Brewster grew up in San Jose, CA and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Business Administration. She is happily married to Michael Brewster, a Deputy Conservator for Sonoma County. Leilani has held a variety of jobs, one of which was volunteering at San Jose Juvenile Hall as Assistant Chaplain. Her aim was to enhance the lives of the young people she counseled. She did this for 10 years. Leilani’s motto for her life: “As a Christian, I take seriously the commandment to love God and to love my neighbor as myself.” This belief motivates her to help and encourage people. When she lived in San Jose, she distributed the neighborhood newsletter. This allowed her to get to know her neighbors and as the years went by, watched all of the neighborhood children grow up. Her interests now include membership in an ecumenical Bible Study group numbering 300 women. She enjoys meeting women of different faiths and viewpoints.

Not surprising in the least.

a repost from JMG

Via LezGetReal: Immigration Equality Fails Bi-Nationals

Tagged with: bi-national binational binationals Chuck Schumer Comprehensive Immigration Reform Feinstein Gay community Gutierrez Immigration Equality immigration reform LGBT Melanie Nathan Schumer Senator Speier Stewart J. Lawrence UAFA Uniting American Families Act

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4-18-2010 – Melanie Nathan

An article by Stewart J. Lawrence of the UK’s the Guardian, reveals nothing new nor any surprises about the future of the Uniting American families Act and its relationship to US Immigration reform. Yet it takes a foreign outlet to show us that UAFA and Immigration Reform do not go well together.

“Just when you thought immigration reform’s prospects couldn’t get any worse, a new “hitch” in the policy debate has emerged. It’s threatening to widen into a public chasm, pitting elements of the pro-reform coalition against one another while giving anti-reform forces a potent new weapon.” Says Stewart J. Lawrence in an Article for the UK Guardian today. Not many mainstream or Blogs or articles have been written that pronounces upon the path to UAFA in this fashion. However, for me and tens of thousands of same-sex couples, l the hitch has been here for quite a while. Except we look at it the other way around.

The author illustrates the hindrance to our bi-national dream of equality, from the perspective of the negative impact of Uniting American families Act (UAFA) on the broader immigration reform, from that vantage point. I, however, have been writing about UAFA strategy since June 2009, in the belief, that immigration reform is the hitch to us – well to be clear -not on its own – but if we were to rely on it for our LGBT rights. Why would we want to attach our right to equality treatment under the existing Immigration Laws of this Country ( that is the right of the American Spouse to equal treatment under the current law) to Immigration reform? This has been my question and for many articles past I have emphasized the danger of such a strategy. Even if we need overall immigration reform on the myriad of other issues pertaining to immigration and the family, that is a separate issue and one where we would have advantage as well. However I am speaking about UAFA and Binational spouses and permanent partners.

make the jump here to read the full article

Via 365gay: Our story: A gay couple, torn apart by DOMA

Niles and Thiago da Silva met on a Sunday morning in 2002 at the Quincy Center T stop just outside of Boston.

They struck up a conversation, had a lot to talk about, and agreed to get coffee together in Boston. Coffee turned into lunch, lunch turned into a hike, a hike turned into more coffee, which turned into dinner. They were engaged six months later and legally married in Massachusetts in 2004.

“We knew from the beginning that we were soulmates,” says Thiago. “We both found something in the other person that was special and different from any other person we had dated in the past.”

Now, struggling to find a way to stay together before Thiago’s visa expires next year, it is one of the only things in their lives that is still certain.

jump here to read the full story