FROM JMG

Archdiocese of Portland employee and Stand For Marriage spokesdouche Marc Mutty says the vote in Maine "had nothing to do with hate."

"It definitely had everything to do with hate. The Yes On One campaign trafficked in vicious anti-gay stereotypes throughout the entire campaign. Their whole campaign was premised upon the... notion that allowing same-sex couples to legally marry meant teaching gay sex to children in schools at some sort of mandatory anal sex assemblies for third graders." He adds that Obama was "AWOL" in the battle and that the president "is a fierce advocate on gay rights the same way I'm a ladies man." - Dan Savage

Washington: Referendum 71 APPROVED

Washington state's battle to preserve their new domestic partnerships law has been won.

The tally Thursday afternoon saw the vote to approve R-71 widening its lead 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent. That lead now appears insurmountable. The Secretary of State's Office estimates another 500,000 to 600,000 ballots statewide are still outstanding, with about half expected from King County, where the measure is being approved by slightly more than 2 to 1. "Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of lesbian and gay families and the challenges they faced and sent a strong message that we want to see all families treated equally under the law in our state," said Anne Levinson, chairwoman of Washington Families Standing Together, which worked for the measure's approval.

Protect Marriage Washington is refusing to concede, saying it's still possible that enough votes will come in to make up their deficit. However news outlets and the Associated Press are all calling the race over.

Congratulations to Washington Families Standing Together for a well-run, truthful campaign. this great news courtesy of JMG

Quote of the day

“If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters.”

- Anita Bryant

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Dear Daniel,

The results of Tuesday's elections in Maine, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Washington were a mixed bag but there are some clear lessons we can learn.

• Voters rejected right-wing radicalism.
• Democrats who fail to stand up for Democratic and progressive principles fail in elections.
• The Right's lies still work.
• Despite the stinging loss for marriage equality in Maine, evidence elsewhere shows voters moving towards support of equality for all Americans.
• The Far Right strengthened its grip on the Republican Party.
• We have a lot of work to do to educate people, expose right-wing lies and counter the resurgent Right.
• The scattered results of yesterday's elections were not a referendum on President Obama and his policies.

Keep reading for a recap of Tuesday's results and more on these important lessons.

The Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia did everything he could to ensure that progressives stay home on Election Day (like saying that as governor, he would opt Virginia out of the health care "public option"). So it comes as no shock that he lost to an ultraconservative Republican who, despite being a product of Pat Robertson's Regent University and having a history of radical views, effectively portrayed himself as mainstream, barely even a Republican never mind a right-wing ideologue.

In New Jersey, embattled Governor Jon Corzine was unsuccessful in defending his incumbency against many of the problems and challenges that his state has faced.

In Maine, the still-painful wound from last year's passage of Proposition 8 in California was reopened when a majority voted to repeal legislature-passed marriage equality, relegating members of same-sex couples to second-class citizens. But in Washington, voters reaffirmed the State's domestic partnership law, protecting the rights of same-sex couples. And some smaller, but nonetheless important, victories for equality were won. In Kalamazoo, MI, an anti-discrimination ordinance was passed and openly gay candidates won local races in several good-sized cities around the country.

And in the much-watched special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District, which has had constant Republican representation going back to the 19th century, Democrat Bill Owens beat Conservative Party candidate and unabashed right-wing extremist, Doug Hoffman. The Republican candidate had to drop out of the race because her views were too moderate for national Republican leaders like Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty, and opinion leaders like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (not to mention right-wing groups like the Club for Growth which dumped $1 million into the race to help Hoffman).

The takeaways:

• Voters rejected right-wing radicalism when it was on full display by the "tea bagger" candidate -- supported by the likes of Beck, Limbaugh and Palin -- in the NY-23 special election. Republican statewide candidates in Virginia were certainly representative of the Religious Right, but they successfully masked that fact, running very non-partisan, non-ideological campaigns in what seemed more like a personality contest than a critical election based on the issues. However, the Republican victory can also be attributed to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's conservatism and unwillingness to stand up for progressive values. The campaign was not effective on many levels, but the progressive base was alienated to say the least... which brings us to the next lesson....
  
• Democrats need to stand up for Democratic and progressive principles. Values on the ballot drive voters to the polls, and this is particularly important in off-year and mid-term elections where base turnout is the name of the game.

With regard to the fight for LGBT equality, we can see some very specific trends.

• The Right's lies still work. In Maine, the same ridiculous scare tactics and outright lies the Right used in the California to pass Proposition 8 last year worked again.
  
• Voters want to support equality for all Americans, although the Right is still effective and misleading people about the marriage issue. We saw this in Washington State, as well as in: Chapel Hill, NC, which elected a gay mayor; Houston, TX (America's fourth largest city), where the leading candidate for mayor in the runoff election is openly gay; Kalamazoo, MI, which voted to protect LGBT people from discrimination; and more localities around the country.
  
• Much work is needed to expose the Right's fear-mongering lies AND to educate the public about why civil marriage is the only true measure of equality for same-sex couples.

And, finally, it's worth mentioning that the scattered results of yesterday's elections were not a referendum on President Obama. In fact, Obama enjoys very high approval ratings in both Virginia and New Jersey, well above the national average and well above the percentages he achieved in his election last year.

You can read a somewhat more detailed analysis of this week's election results here.

Thank you for your continued support for People For the American Way's work to expose and counter the Right.

-- Michael B. Keegan, President

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President Obama and Gay Rights: Forgetting the Lessons of the Campaign

How does Obama the President compare to Obama the candidate on gay rights? It's no secret that GLBT advocates have expressed disappointment and frustration with decisions by the White House to avoid pressing for gay rights during the first year of the administration. No executive order to halt the discharges of gay troops; no bold leadership on passing non-discrimination legislation; no mention of a ballot initiative in Maine to reverse marriage equality that might have made a real difference in the loss there Tuesday. We helped elect him with our votes, money, and time because we were promised change. But in our lives as GLBT people, that's not what's being delivered.

jump here to read the rest on HP

"Do You Hate The White Man Now, Grandfather?"

The Christian Right is in its glory today, gloating, self-congratulatory and self righteous. They are delighted to tell us all that they succeeded in their fight against marriage equality; they point out that they have a 100% win record on marriage in the states where gay rights have come to a vote, that the "people have spoken" and that Democracy demands that the voice of the people be heard. The Same Christian Right demanded the same kinds of votes on immigrant rights in the 1840's and racial equality issues from 1865 through thye 1960's. Fortunately, the courts ultimatelytook those issues out of the hands "of the people" and human decency triumphed over populist racism. I am tired today. I am tired of the Right's lies, manipulations and emotional extortion of support obtained by playing to fear. I am tired of my rights, my validity, being handed to the whim of a popular vote. I am tired of the unending efforts fo the Christian Right to undermine and weaken our claims of citizenship with the ulitmate aim of their agenda being the re-criminalisation of same sex love. Forgive me for being on a downer, for being angry and frustrated. They pay no cost for their lies and bigotry; we pay with the lives of our brothers and sisters, their blood in the street, every time that the Christian Right amps up their rhetoric. I want them held accountable. I want them to pay a price. I want so much disruption at their events, their fundraisers, their gathering that the price of oppressing us becomes too high for them to sustain. I want them broken. We have the power to do this. We started to do this after Prop 8 but in the end we decided to follow the LGBT leadership who told us to be patient, to follow their lead, not to continue street protests. Well, sooner or later, we have to become disruptive and protest if we are going to win. For the Right will only cease to oppose us when it becomes too costly for them to continue their advocy of discrimination. "Do you hate the white man now, Grandfather?' Do you recall the line from Little Big Man? Are we angry enough now for a sustained, radical civilly disobedient movement? Or will we roll over til the next defeat at a popular vote?

MauraHennessey :: "Do You Hate The White Man Now, Grandfather?" Courtesy of Pam's Houseblend

Carrie Prejean Sex Tape!!!

This will totally make your day and almost make up for Maine. TMZ is reporting that Carrie Prejean has suddenly withdrawn her million-dollar lawsuit against Miss California USA after the pageant's lawyers showed her a clip from her own XXX sex tape.

The video the lawyer showed Carrie is extremely graphic and has never been released publicly. We know that, because TMZ obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it because it was so racy. Let's just say, Carrie has a promising solo career. We're told it took about 15 seconds for Carrie to jettison her demand and essentially walk away with nothing. As we first reported, the Pageant is paying around $100,000 to her lawyers and publicist -- a fraction of her bills. She pockets nothing in the settlement.

Hey Maggie Gallagher! Did I just hear your tires squealing? Since, as you say, God was speaking directly to Carrie during her anti-gay pageant answer, what was he saying during her double-penetration scene? I kid, I kid. I only HOPE there's a double-penetration scene!

WARNING: Do NOT click on ANY outgoing links left in the comments of this post. Spammers are pouring in with malware and virus-laden links to their porn sites.

Courtesy of JMG

With a Narrow Loss in Maine, Marriage Equality USA Redoubles our Efforts to Win the Freedom to Marry

“Our hearts go out to same-sex couples in Maine who have had their fundamental right to marry stripped away by a slim majority,” said Molly McKay, Marriage Equality USA. “It’s absolutely inhumane to put same-sex couples and their children through these grueling campaigns that only serve to promote hatred, ignorance and bigotry. LGBT Americans deserve the same security and respect that marriage provides to all other families and we will continue on our journey that has brought us this far and continue to share our truth and the impact of discrimination – it is truly only a matter of time. We, of the generation that has been tasked with the obligation to end legal discrimination against LGBT Americans must learn that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain…and dance and march and sing and pray is what we will do…and as our most beloved Dr. Martin Luther King has said, we will do so, ‘[u]ntil justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”

“We must continue to heed the advice of Harvey Milk and ‘come out’ to everyone we meet as supporters of marriage equality, as LGBT people, as sisters, brothers, parents and friends of gay people,” said Pamela Brown, Marriage Equality USA Policy Director. “Last night, we achieved victories in Washington State and Kalamazoo, seven openly gay candidates won in elections spanning the nation from St. Petersburg, Florida to Salt Lake City, Utah and two are in run-off elections in Houston, Texas and the 58th District in Georgia. And as people witness same-sex couples happily married in six states, living their lives, mowing their lawn, paying their taxes and as our families become woven into the seamless web of community and citizenship, the injustice of separate of unequal treatment will grow more and more apparent. To help highlight our common humanity, Marriage Equality USA is launching a stories project, particularly in states where marriage equality is a reality. We want to encourage same-sex couples, their families, straight allies, and other community members to share their experiences on the impact and importance of extending the freedom to marry to all loving, committed couples. The stories we collect will be presented through a digital stories project that we will release during February’s Freedom to Marry month.”

To have your story including in this project, please complete the on-line survey at:
http://www.facebook.com/l/424a0;www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=kGFndFxQS4gCHuCU_2bKgBUg_3d_3d

“The diversity of our experiences is important to share because there are so many people to reach and we must reflect the reality that we are truly everywhere, in every community and demographic. No one will do this for us, we must be the change we want to see in the world and it begins with sharing our truth. Your story may be the one that will make a difference for some conflicted but potential marriage equality supporter,” said Brown. “So spread the word and send in your story today.”
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Photo Of The Day - "God Did This For Us"

ABOVE: Yes On 1 supporters explode in joy and thank Jeebus for protecting them from the blood-thirsty homosexuals. They should also thank NOM for its illegal refusal to comply with Maine's financial disclosure laws. And they should thank Stand For Marriage for consistently lying about "teaching gay marriage." And they should thank the Archbishop of Maine for passing the collection plate during Ma$$. Yes, thank the bloody Jeebus for enabling lying, law breaking, deception, and hatred. Praise His Name! courtesy of JMG

Quote Of The Day - Jesse Ventura

"You can't put a civil rights issue on the ballot and let the people decide. You have to have elected officials to who have courage to make the right decision. If you left it up to the people, we'd have slavery, depending on how you worded it." - Former Minnesota governor and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura, responding to Maine's vote on CNN last night.

Courtesy of JMG

Sad news from Maine...

Attachments:

Dear Daniel, A deep and bitter disappointment from Maine yesterday: Maine voters have passed a devastating Proposition 8-style measure overturning the state’s marriage equality law. Our hearts are with everyone in Maine who fought so hard to win recognition for their families. The legislature passed marriage equality earlier this year, but a divisive anti-LGBT campaign to scare voters seems to have worked. It is infuriating to see that the same fear-mongering ads that were used to pass Prop. 8 a year ago have triumphed again at the expense of so many. This is a terrible loss. Although we lost our battle in Maine, we will not allow the lies and hate – the foundation on which our opponents built their campaign – to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history and we will continue this fight with even more vigor. Our friends at No on 1/Protect Maine Equality waged a strong and smart campaign. Thousands of volunteers exposed hundreds of thousands of Mainers to the real lives of same-sex couples and their families – many for the first time. I am angry. But more importantly, I am determined that with the anger I feel today from this outcome in Maine, we'll rise ever stronger to demand equal treatment under the law and equal respect for our relationships in Maine, California, New Jersey, and every state in the Union. And in other state elections yesterday... In Washington state, voters appear to have cast their ballots to approve Referendum 71, a measure that would expand domestic partnerships to have every state-level right and benefit afforded to married couples. I feel confident that when all of the votes are counted, it will be clear that the voters of Washington chose to provide equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples and their families. In New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine – endorsed by HRC – has lost his re-election bid. He has been a strong ally for LGBT people in New Jersey, and he had pledged repeatedly to sign a marriage equality bill that could still be passed by legislators later this year. In Virginia, HRC endorsed Creigh Deeds for governor and placed 20 staffers at work in key delegate races. Deeds unfortunately lost his bid for governor, but there will be new pro-equality voices in the House of Delegates next year. In Kalamazoo, Michigan, right-wing groups wanted to make sure it stayed legal to fire or refuse housing to someone just because they’re LGBT. 65% of Kalamazoo voters disagreed and voted to approve Ordinance 1856, expanding the city's existing anti-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Check HRC's Backstory blog for updates on these and other races throughout the day. Daniel, I know that the results of today’s elections are frustrating. But having seen the passion and dedication of volunteers in this election, I know that tomorrow is a new day – and that our movement has the strength and power it needs to keep moving forward. Joe Solmonese President

HomoQuotable - David Mixner

You have to be totally operating on blind faith if you believe that President Obama and his team cannot make a difference. Tragically if we lose closely, that defeat almost can be laid at the steps of the White House for their refusal to stand by our side in the battle for freedom. The Holder remark basically gave those Obama supporters and non-white voters permission to vote against our freedom. The Attorney General let them know that Obama didn't care one way or another so why should those voters change their votes? He gave their votes respectability which was devastating for our side.

"The failure of our national organizations to obtain a clear cut endorsement for the LGBT community is something that needs to be discussed. This one isn't rocket science. What happened?

"We certainly know by the president's repeated visits to Virginia, New York and New Jersey that he at least had time to issue a tough statement against this form of ballot box bigotry. What they did and failed to do these past weeks, whether we win or lose tonight, is just tragic, sad and unconscionable." - Activist and National Equality March co-founder David Mixner, saying that President Obama will be partially to blame for any losses in today's anti-gay ballot measures.

Courtesy of JMG

Age, Income, Kids: New Study Says Gay Families Similar To Straight Families

According to new study of U.S. Census Bureau data performed by researchers at UCLA, there's not much difference between straight families and gay couples who report themselves as married.

Same-sex couples who identify as married are similar to straight spouses in terms of age and income, and nearly one-third of them are raising children, according to Census data released Monday that provides a demographic snapshot of gay families in America. The study released by a think tank based at UCLA also found that Utah and Wyoming were among the states with the highest percentages of gay spouses in 2008, despite being heavily conservative states with no laws providing legal recognition of gay relationships. The data from the annual American Community Survey showed that nearly 150,000 same-sex couples in the U.S., or more than one in four, referred to one another as "husband" or "wife," although UCLA researchers estimate that no more than 32,000 of the couples were legally married. The couples had an average age of 52 and household incomes of $91,558, while 31 percent were raising children. That compares with an average age of 50, household income of $95,075 and 43 percent raising children for married heterosexual couples.

The Census Bureau has promised to perform its own study of married gays after the 2010 count, but says they were not able to alter the questionnaire to separate out legally married gays from those claiming a non-legal marital-type relationship.

Courtesy of JMG

A Short History of Gay Men on TV

HomoQuotable - Dan Savage

"This boy has been out to his family since age 12 and when he wanted to go out in drag on Halloween and his mother made his costume and his dad took him to West Hollywood. There's just one comment on the post at YouTube right now and it's from Elliott: 'Dad let me upload this :D' His dad let him post this video to YouTube.

"You know, whatever happens in Maine and here in Washington state tomorrow, where marriage equality and domestic partnerships are on the line respectively, we can all take comfort in something as seemingly trivial as a 14-year-old boy's night out in West Hollywood with his folks. I've said it before and I'll say it again: We are winning—despite the setbacks—because our families are on side now. It's almost impossible to imagine an openly gay 14-year-old twenty years ago, much less an openly gay 14-year-old with parents like Miss Poppy and her husband. Moms and dads like Elliott's—parents who aren't ashamed of their gay children, parents who love and support their gay children for who they are, parents who want their gay children to be safe and happy and treated equally—used to be the exception. Not anymore. We are winning." - Dan Savage, with a sweet Halloween story.

Another gem from JMG

Ken Pierce sent a message to the members of One Year Ago – A Day of Smiles - A Day of Tears – A Day of Action.

Subject: Meet me at the CA State Capitol Building

ACTION ALERT UPDATE

One Year Ago – A Day of Smiles - A Day of Tears – A Day of Action

Remember what happened a year ago on November 4, 2008? Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition passed in the November general election. The measure added a new section (7.5) to Article I of the California Constitution. The proposition overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling saying that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, by restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. California’s State Constitution put the measure into immediate effect the day after the election.

On November 4, 2009, Sacramento’s LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transsexual, Questioning, Intersex) Community will host a rally and march at the California State Capitol Building to highlight the fact that the fight for civil rights for all citizens is not over. The theme of the rally centers on the next generation of activists and how they stand ready today to have the baton passed to them and even lead the way to overturning Prop 8.

The November 4th rally will serve as a reminder to the public at-large that the LGBTQI community, along with their many straight, political, and religious allies will not give up the fight for full equality until their rights are fully restored. While the decision of when to place this issue back on the ballot (2010 or 2012) is being decided by others, organizations such as Equality Action Now are continuing to “mobilize, motivate, activate like-minded individuals and educate opponents who may have heard only one side of the issue”.


WHAT: Rally at the State Capitol Building calling attention to the fact that the issue of same-sex-marriage here in California is not dead. The theme of the rally is how our community’s youth is stepping up and leading the way in the fight to repeal Prop 8 and to win back their civil rights.

You can create a sign on the spot or bring your own signs. Participants are encouraged to bring a flashlight or electric candles (flame candles are not allowed on the capitol grounds). Please invite family members, co-workers, schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors. It is important to have as many people participate as possible to show the world that our issues are still relevant and supported in numbers.

WHO: Organizers are the many volunteers from Equality Action NOW. Helping to sponsor the event are the following: Camp Courage Sacramento, EQCA (Equality California), Congregation Kol Ami, California Faith for Equality, Sacramento LGBTQI Leadership Consortium, Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, Stonewall Democrats.

For more information: http://www.facebook.com/l/c8eb9;www.EqualityActionNow.org or email info@EqualityActionNow.org


WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
5:00 p.m. – Gather and Sign-making
6:00 p.m. – Speakers
6:30 p.m. – March around State Capitol Building
7:00 p.m. – End


WHERE: California State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 10th and L Street, West Steps
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Quote of the Day

"As a black man and a father I 100% support gay equality, gay marriage etc. I don't have to be gay to understand it Why? because I can marry any woman I want. even outside the US and make them a US citizen. it wasn't always this way for African Americans. Now if a gay person can't do what I can do it's not equal. a lot of people fought against slavery, segregation. which gave me equal rights. This is our fight now this is our cause, freedom and equality for all, I will accept nothing less" - sx200ser

a on youtube post

CNN Reports On Blacks & Gay Equality

Adam & Andy

See the entire collection / story here