President Barack Obama is throwing his support behind a bill that would repeal the federal government's ban on same-sex marriage.
The president has "long called for a legislative appeal for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which continues to have a real impact on families," White House spokesman Jay Carney announced Tuesday.
The president is “proud to support” the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Carney said.
The Obama administration announced in February that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in court.
make the jump here to read the full story
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Via JMG: Malawi To Review Anti-Gay Laws
While Hillary Clinton's speech may have angered anti-factions in Nigeria, it appears that it may have the desired effect in Malawi. Malawi will review a series of controversial laws, including a ban on homosexual acts, Justice Minister Ephraim Chiume has said. Mr Chiume said the review was in response to "public opinion". Western governments criticised Malawi last year for jailing a gay couple on sodomy charges. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US would use foreign aid to encourage countries to decriminalise homosexuality. UK Prime Minister David Cameron expressed a similar view in October, saying that gay rights were a human right.
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Ricky Martin
"I'm very sad about the turn the discussion on Criminal Law is taking in Puerto Rico that proposes the elimination of aggravating factors in cases where crimes are committed out of prejudice toward the victim. They ought to do their homework and review a little the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says that everyone - the citizens - are equal before the law and have, without distinction, the right to equal protection under the law." - Ricky Martin, on Puerto Rico's move to exclude LGBT people from hate crimes protections.RELATED: Change.org has launched a petition to Puerto Rico's legislators.
Via JMG: TENNESSEE: High School Student Commits Suicide After Anti-Gay Bullying [UPDATED]
Yesterday Tennessee high school student Jacob Rogers killed himself after complaining about anti-gay bullying from his classmates that had forced him to drop out of school. Rogers left suicide notes that included the passwords for his phone and his email so that authorities could view what he had endured.Friends say that kids bullied Jacob Rogers at Cheatham County Central High School for the past four years, but in the past few months it had become so bad he dropped out of school. And Wednesday, he ended his life. "He started coming home his senior year saying 'I don't want to go back. Everyone is so mean. They call me a faggot, they call me gay, a queer,'" friend Kaelynn Mooningham said. Kaelynn said her friend Jacob felt ignored. "Jacob told me no one was helping him. He constantly was going to guidance," she said. But Cheatham County Schools Director Dr. Tim Webb said the school was only aware of one incident of bullying. "She actually intervened and called the students in accused of bullying or picking. She called them in, talked to them and gave them warnings. Subsequently after that, she ran into the student and asked him if things were better and he indicated that things were better," Webb said.The above-linked article does not disclose if Rogers was actually gay.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: As noted in the above-linked story, the family of Jacob Rogers does not have the money for a funeral. Today JMG, Towleroad, and Dan Savage at Seattle's Stranger are posting the below Paypal donation link. Savage is capping the donations at $5000. Anything over that amount will go to the Trevor Project, GLSEN, and the It Gets Better Project. I'm kicking in with $20 to get things rolling here. If your situation allows, please consider making a small donation too.
UPDATE II: In less than three hours, the fundraising goal has been met. I don't say it enough, but I love my people. Big bear hugs to all of you.
Via JMG: This Is The Rick Perry Strategist GOProud's Jimmy LaSalvia Is Complaining About
His name is Tony Fabrizio. Politico reported on him in October. Tony Fabrizio, a veteran strategist and pollster, is joining the Rick Perry campaign, sources tell me. Fabrizio was the chief strategist and pollster for Bob Dole's 1996 presidential run. His other recent clients have included Tim Pawlenty and Rick Scott. Fabrizio joins another Dole alum, Nelson Warfield, and media strategist Curt Anderson, whose hires by Team Perry went public last night. A national pollster had been a major missing piece for Perry, who is trying to adjust his message and fix his campaign's woes for the coming truncated primary fight.The Miami Herald reports that in addition to working for FL Gov. Rick Scott, Fabrizio has worked for gay rights groups.
Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who has worked for gay-rights advocates in the past, has become the target of criticism among gay activists who opposed the Texas governor's latest Iowa ad that takes a swipe at the end of the Don't Ask Don't Tell military policy. '"This is the dilemma for working in the Republican Party: the candidates need to appeal to the far right and that sometimes means bashing the gay community," said Stephen Gaskill, a former spokesman for the Florida Red and Blue committee that unsuccessfully tried to block a 2008 Florida constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.UPDATE: How's this for some cognitive dissonance?
Fabrizio was the Republican pollster hired by Florida Red and Blue, which paid his firm more than $264,000. Fabrizio also lives in one of the friendliest of gay towns, Miami Beach, where he has a South Beach condominium. Fabrizio, who said by email that he couldn't chat this morning, was just quoted in the Huffington Post as having opposed the Perry ad, which he described as "nuts" in an email to Perry ad man Nelson Warfield, a longtime friend of Fabrizio's. Both men were top advisors to Rick Scott in his gubernatorial campaign last year.
"It is the height of hypocrisy for Tony Fabrizio to have been a part of that," said Jimmy LaSalvia, co-founder and executive director of GOProud. "He has lined his pockets for years with money from the gay community to conduct polls to ostensibly help gay people in this country, and for him to be a part of this is the height of Washington hypocrisy. It is absolutely what is wrong with Washington. It is all about the payday for these people."For his part, Fabrizio tells the Huffington Post while he was "uncomfortable" with the ad, he won't comment otherwise. "If you start answering personal attacks, you are just rewarding the attacker."
Via JMG: London Gay Chorus: Coming Out At Xmas
JMG reader Ray tips us to this hilarious 2006 bit from the London Gay Men's Chorus, which I've somehow missed all these years.
Reposted from Joe
Reposted from Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)