Via Moveon.org: The Scariest Gay Marriage Chart Ever

Via AmericaBlogGay:

I wonder if King & Spalding would defend anti-miscegenation laws for $900/hour

I wonder what King & Spalding, the law firm that was willing to debase itself by working with John Boehner to defend DOMA, wouldn't do for a fast buck?

Even more disgusting, the firm has the temerity to brag about its diversity policy on its Web site.  Yes, quite the diverse firm.  They offer domestic partner benefits to their employees, then expect those same employees to work to deny similar rights to millions of gay and lesbian Americans nationwide.  The firm is listed near the top of HRC's list of pro-LGBT firms.  I think that listing needs to be tweaked, because any law firm that's willing to do the bidding of the modern day Bull Connor's of the world should have an automatic "fail" in front of their names on any civil rights index.

If you work for King & Spalding, you are no better than someone who worked for firms that helped enforce discrimination against blacks and other minorities during the 50s and 60s and beyond.  I hope all of you $900/hour lawyers can live with yourselves, because your firm shouldn't be permitted on any law school campus in this country.

Perhaps now that DADT is supposedly coming to an end, some enterprising young law students can prepare King & Spalding a queen's welcome next fall when they try to recruit at the nation's top law schools.  Imagine interviewing for a job with a long line of students standing outside the door holding signs that read "HATE," "BIGOT," and "I am a man."  I suspect it might prove embarrassing.  (Though there's no reason King & Spalding's offices can't be greeted by protests now.)

Then again, is anything embarrassing to a law firm that would work to deny millions of Americans their civil rights?  And again, before anyone trots out the old "everyone and every case deserves representation, how would you feel if your law firm was working for, oh, Fred Phelps?  Or David Duke?  Or the Ku Klux Klan?  Still feel that everyone deserves their day?

Shame.

PS About King & Spalding being so diverse, I decided to take a look at their stats. According to stats available online, King & Spalding reportedly has 0.65% gay attorneys. Yeah, pretty diverse.

Via AMERICAblogGay:

Poll: More than half of all Americans now support marriage equality

A lot of polls are showing this recently. And it matters.  First, because it does in fact show that there's a trend in our favor.  Second, the courts aren't immune from news, and trends, like this.  Maggie Gallagher can spew her bigotry all she wants, and she'll even win in the short-term because her bigots are well-motivated and well-financed by the Catholics and the Mormons.  But in the long-run, Maggie, the Catholic Church and the Mormons will be listed in the history books alongside the people who turned fire hoses on African-American civil rights marchers.

The Gospel According to Betty (Part I)

Via JMG: US Sodomy Map

Despite Lawrence Vs. Texas, laws specifically against gay sex remain on the books in four states. Ten other states continue to outlaw all acts of sodomy. Last month the GOP blocked an attempt to delete such a law in Montana.

(Via - Matt Yglesias)

Labels: Lawrence V. Texas, LGBT rights, Supreme Court

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: $500,000 To Defend DOMA

According to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign, the GOP's contract with the law firm hired to defend DOMA stipulates a maximum payment of $500,000. Oh, but it could be more.

In order to defend discrimination by any means necessary, House Republican leaders have contracted with the law firm King & Spalding at the rate of $520 an hour to argue that they’re right to deny recognition to legally married couples, according to the contract made public today. The document caps the cost at $500,000 but can easily be increased upon further negotiations with the firm. “DOMA inflicts a great cost on same-sex couples but now its defense is burdening taxpayers to the tune of $520 per hour,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The firm of King & Spalding and their attorney Paul Clement should be ashamed at every penny earned in trying to justify discrimination against American families.” There are currently at least nine cases challenging the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA which bars federal recognition of marriages between same-sex couples. If the House were to intervene in all nine that would mean less than 100 billable hours would be spent per case in order to hit the $500,000 cap.

Where are the jobs?

Labels: bigotry, DOMA, GOP, U.S. House

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Frothy Mix To Glenn Beck: States Should Be Allowed To Criminalize Gay Sex

Former Sen. Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum went on Glenn Beck's radio show yesterday to renew his call to criminalize gay sex. Santorum was responding to former Sen. Alan Simpson's epic denouncement of homophobic Republicans.

There were no “cruel, cruel” remarks. All I can ponder is that Alan Simpson is talking about a comment that I made, which I paraphrased, almost word for word, but paraphrased a Supreme Court justice in a case called Lawrence v. Texas, before that case came out, which had to do with, as you know, a Supreme Court case on the issue of sodomy, and I said that if you have -- if the Supreme Court changes the legal standard to say that sexual -- consensual sexual activity is now a constitutional right, then we open up the gates for all sorts of consensual activity. It’s not homophobic. It’s a legal argument, and it’s a correct legal argument. In fact, that’s exactly what’s happening. We went from Lawrence v. Texas to now a constitutional right to same-sex marriage and they’re going into a constitutional right to polyamorous relationships. This is the slippery slope that we’re heading down, and I stand by it.

Click over to Equality Matters for an audio file.

Labels: 2012 elections, Christianists, douchenozzles, Glenn Beck, GOP, religion, Rick Santorum

reposted from Joe

Via Asterisk: Presbyterian Church (USA) Turns Gays Away from Active Ministry | Asterisk

April 27, 2009

Six weeks ago, I brought your attention to Presbyterian Amendment 08-B, which would open ordination to all called Presbyterians, including lesbian and gay members of the church. There had been an early indication of record numbers of Presbyteries voting to in favor of the amendment, but More Light Presbyterians, the denomination’s LGBT advocacy group, announced Saturday that the “no” votes have won the day.

make the jump here to read the full story

Martha Wash - I've Got You (Official music video)

Via JMG: Military Chaplains Forum Revealed, Takes on Religious Bigotry

Tom Carpenter, LGBT POV: "It is about time there is a strong voice for people of faith who can no longer stand by and see religion used as a weapon against patriotic Americans who want to serve their country. In the brief, the Forum argues that DADT represents no threat to the religious liberty of anti-gay clergy, who will continue to be able to preach their beliefs within their congregations."
Read the Article