Sassy Gay Friend: Eve

Via JMG: Bryan Safi: That's Gay (Pride)

reposted from Joe

Via CNN: Anti-gays hide their bias behind the Bible

Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) -- My partner and I recently took our mothers to Las Vegas for a week for Mother's Day. It's not our favorite city, but for a pair of 60-somethings who can sit at the penny slot machines for hours, it was heaven.

When they were not being robbed by one-armed bandits, we saw a couple of shows and had some amazing dinners. We also enjoyed trying to figure out which women were hookers and which were just dressed like one. And of course saying "public drunkenness" is pretty redundant after 11 a.m.

make the jump here to read the full article by LZ Granderson

WTF is Wrong with Texas and the Republican Party?

Dear Daniel, Sign the petition to RNC Chairman Michael Steele: "Mr. Steele, I urge you to publicly reject the anti-LGBT language in the Texas GOP Platform." Sign now. What you are about to read is shocking but true. The 2010 Texas Republican Party Platform says gay people shouldn't have custody of children.1 It says issuing a marriage license or performing a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple should be punishable by jail time.2 It wants to restore 19th-century Texas statutes outlawing sex between men.3 It's one thing for extremist groups to spout this type of bigotry. But one of the nation's two main political parties? That's taking it WAY too far. The Republican National Committee is trying to avoid the issue, but a huge public outcry can force them to take sides. Is this really what they want voters to think the GOP stands for as the 2010 elections approach? Sign our petition to RNC Chairman Michael Steele: "Chairman Steele, I urge you to publicly reject the anti-LGBT language in the Texas GOP Platform." At a time when Americans are looking for real solutions to the challenges we face, the Texas GOP decided to focus on propaganda, not policy: "Homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases." "Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable 'alternative' lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should 'family' be redefined to include homosexual 'couples.'" "We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married." They're not just against marriage equality; they're against basic equal rights. They think it should be 100% legal to fire someone for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Even their word choice shows a possible anti-transgender bias, using the phrases "natural man" and "natural woman." The list goes on – far beyond the usual Republican talking points on "traditional family values" and even the GOP platforms in other conservative states. And they don't stop with attacking LGBT citizens. They also call for evicting the United Nations from the U.S., requiring drivers' licenses to indicate citizenship, opposing legislation to allow stem cell research, rescinding no-fault divorce laws, reversing Roe v. Wade, and shutting down the U.S. Department of Education. I want to be clear: HRC is a bipartisan organization. We've endorsed Republican candidates for election. So this isn't about party politics – it's about deep intolerance that deserves to be rejected. Sign our petition to RNC Chairman Michael Steele – tell him to repudiate this outrageous platform. After you've signed, please spread the word to your friends – LGBT and straight, Republican and Democrat – and help us get the word out. Let's not allow the national Republican Party to hem and haw their way out of this one. Sincerely, Joe Solmonese President P.S. The full platform is available here (PDF). 1. "We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, refuse to recognize, or grant special privileges including, but not limited to...custody of children by homosexuals..." [sic] 2. "We support legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony for such." 3. "We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy. " This link is specific to you, so please take action on this campaign before you forward to your friends. Having trouble clicking on the links above? Simply copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar to fill out and share the survey: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=885

Via JMG: Maddow On Crazy Sharron Angle

GOP Senate nominee Sharron Angle won't talk to the mainstream press about her calls to withdraw from the UN, abolish Social Security, and shut down the EPA. She's also warned of "Second Amendment remedies" if the teabaggers don't come to power in 2010.

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: BREAKING: Supreme Court Rules Names On Referendum 71 Must Be Made Public

The U.S. Supreme Court has just ruled that anti-gay activists in Washington state MUST make public the names on Referendum 71. Protect Marriage wanted to keep the names secret, claiming they feared retribution from "violent homofascists." The ruling (PDF) was 8-1, with Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting.

Justices ruled in a case called Doe V. Reed. They heard oral arguments in Washington, D.C., April 28. The conservative group that tried to block release of the signatures wanted the nation's high court to uphold a lower court ruling that said signing petitions and referendum is constitutionally protected political speech - which by law is OK to engage in anonymously. The group, Protect Marriage Washington, asked justices to shield the names of the 138,000 people who signed Referendum 71 petitions in hopes of overturning the "everything but marriage" same-sex domestic partner law. In November Washington voters upheld the new statute. Gay rights groups have said they'll post the petition signers' names online, and some fear harassment or threats if their names are revealed.

The Court's decision, of course, has far-reaching implications for the transparency of the referendum process and campaign finance laws nationwide. SO SUCK IT, NOM! This is a GREAT day for LGBT Americans and the democratic process. reposted from Joe

Is Homosexuality a Choice?

LGBT Pride Reception - I love my President

Via 365gay: Clinton says State should gay rights in Africa, at home

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience of LGBT State Department workers that she is working to end discrimination against gays and lesbians at home and abroad.

Clinton said, “We reaffirm our commitment to protect and advance the rights of all human beings, of members of the LGBT community around the world.”

“Men and women are harassed, beaten, subjected to sexual violence, even killed, because of who they are and whom they love,” she added. “Some are driven from their homes or countries, and many who become refugees confront new threats in their countries of asylum. In some places, violence against the LGBT community is permitted by law and inflamed by public calls to violence; in others, it persists insidiously behind closed doors.

“These dangers are not “gay” issues. This is a human rights issue.”

make the jump here to read the full article

Via 365gay: Obama inches toward gay agenda

(Washington) President Barack Obama is chipping away at his long list of promises to gay voters but has yet to earn the enthusiastic backing of the reliably Democratic voting bloc.

The Obama White House has accomplished more than any other on gay rights, yet has drawn sharp criticism from an unexpected constituency: the same gay activists who backed the president’s election campaign. Instead of the sweeping change gays and lesbians had sought, a piece-by-piece approach has been the administration’s favored strategy, drawing neither serious fire from conservatives nor lavish praise from activists.

make the jump here to read the full article