Quote of the Day

In the final analysis,
for the believer there are no questions,
and for the non-believer there are no answers.

— Haffetz Hayyim

This message from the Courage Campaign

Dear Daniel --

I want to tell you about a heartfelt conversation I recently had with a family member who opposed marriage equality. I hope it will motivate you to have one of your own with someone you care about this holiday season.

I'm a straight ally, a community organizer, and a volunteer photographer for Camp Courage. Those experiences showed me that the best way to build momentum for marriage equality is by having a conversation with those you know best about why you personally support marriage equality. And there is no better time to do that than during the holidays, when we gather with our friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

I know that is true because I helped my mother-in-law open her mind to marriage equality by having my own "Courageous Conversation" with her earlier this year.

Elinor, my mother-in-law, voted for Proposition 8. And it was really hard for me to talk with her about her decision. I felt like we were going in circles -- she thought gay marriage was "wrong" and a threat to "traditional" marriage -- and there was nothing I could say to her to change her mind. But one day I had an idea. I opened up my photo album.

See, I've taken thousands of photographs at Camp Courage workshops, Meet In The Middle in Fresno, and the National Equality March in DC, to document the marriage equality movement since Proposition 8 was passed last year.

So I asked her to look at the people in these photos. I told her how I recognized the love in their eyes, their souls, and their hearts because I saw it in myself and in my husband. I told her that I look at the man I married 13 years ago -- her son -- and think about all we've shared and done, suffered and celebrated. I told her I can't imagine a world where society and the law says our love isn't as equal as any other couple in a committed relationship.

The conversation that followed was the most open one we'd ever had about gay marriage. I don't think I've changed her mind -- yet. But I do know we aren't talking in circles any more, and that the door is open to many more conversations to come.

It took courage to have that conversation. But that is how we will win marriage equality -- by being courageous.

That's why the Courage Campaign is asking you to have a "Courageous Conversation" this holiday season. Make your pledge here and share with us the name and location of the person with whom you'll be having a "Courageous Conversation." Help us build momentum and inspire thousands of Courage Campaign members to join you. Bring equality and joy one conversation at a time:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CourageousConversations

Sometimes the most courageous act is a simple conversation with someone you know and love. I know these conversations are not easy. But that is why they are so important. Our research shows that the most effective way to change someone's opinion about marriage equality is to have someone they know and trust explain to them why it matters.

We'll help you make these conversations a success. We will offer support and advice about where and when to start the conversation. We'll also help you tell your "story-of-self" with a guide on our website.

And we'll let you turn your "Courageous Conversation" into a gift -- we'll send an online card to an LGBT friend or family member of your choice, letting them know that for this holiday season, you will pledge to help win equality for them by having a "Courageous Conversation." Click here to get started:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CourageousConversations

One "Courageous Conversation" at a time we can change the hearts and minds of those in our lives about marriage equality. Thank you for giving the gift of equality.

Marta Evry
Community Organizer and Camp Courage volunteer photographer

The Courage Campaign is an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country.

To support our innovative campaigns for full equality, please chip in what you can today:

Mrs. Betty Bowers: Less is Mormon!

"Its a good thing"

Quote Of The Day from JMG - Billy Arnone

"If they were put in front of me I’d probably watch it." - Billy Arnone, the brother of Miss Ladyfingers USA, telling Radar Online that he'd watch her sex tape. What IS it with that family? (And note Billy's "Loose Lips" t-shirt.) He goes on to slam same-sex unions, saying, "I’m all the way against gay marriage. I don’t feel that it’s right that a man and a man should raise a kid. That’s just how I was raised and how Carrie was raised. We’ll stick by that ‘til the day we die." So hate IS a family value.

Courtesy of JMG

Bush Lied. Soldiers keep Dying.

4,365 U.S. Military Fatalities in Iraq
927 U.S. Military Fatalities in Afghanistan
31,557 U.S. Military Maimed in Iraq (source: DoD Update as of October 31, 2009)
102,844 Iraqis Reported Killed (source: Iraq Body Count)
1,339,771 Iraqis Reported Killed (source: justforeignpolicy.org)

Here are the original content stories featured on the BuzzFlash for Today

Faced With Video of Fear-Mongering Anti-Government Groups, a Majority Think Armed Militias Should Be Illegal -- BuzzFlash News Analysis

Greatest Healthcare? Has Anyone Tried Calling for a Nurse When Hospitalized? -- BuzzFlash Editor's Blog

Third World Women Suffer the Most from Climate Change While Bloggers Use Sex to Save the Earth -- Green Is Good

A Few Thoughts On FOX's Latest 'Apology' -- Verse-Case Scenario by Tony Peyser

Jacqueline Marcus: Cheney & Rumsfeld Are Still Running the War, The Wall Street Boys Get Rich -- BuzzFlash Guest Commentary

Bill Corcoran: Do Republicans Know What It's Like in the ER? -- BuzzFlash Guest Commentary

Barbara's Daily BuzzFlash Minute for November 23, 2009

BuzzFlash Mailbag for November 23, 2009

Rainbow Panthers

Wolf Mc Intosh sent a message to the members of I Support The Dallas Principles.

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Subject: Please Take A Moment To Join Our New Facebook Group

Hello,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to support the Dallas Principles.

There is exciting news tonight of the creation of a new facebook group called the "Rainbow Panthers." This group will advocate the support of our LGBTQI youth who are painfully harassed, abused, and murdered all for being SELF.

This past week, as you may have heard in the news, 2 gay teenagers were brutally murdered.

A third gay teenager in Texas was assaulted after his pleas for help to his school principal, and school bus driver, were ignored.

The goal of the Rainbow Panthers is to offer assistance and support to LGBTQI youth who are often marginalized and targets for violence.

I would like to invite you to join our group, and as it is still in the beginning stages of creation, we welcome any and all input from you.

http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=187453406851&ref=mf

Cheers,
Wolf
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http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox%2Freadmessage.php&t=1177551682425&mid=1730611G2c4faed8G331452cG0

LGBT Lessons for Right Wing Christians: How Hate Crime Laws Silenced the Church

The hardcore religious (they are anything but) right has become so paranoid that their twisted logic has led them to believe that they are the victims. Their solution? The Manhattan Declaration, a statement of Christian convictions on the matters of life, family, and religious liberty. Let’s go through parts of it.

The preamble to the declaration reads, “While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

jump to read the rest here

Keith Olbermann: Sarah Palin's Fans Turn On Her At Book Signing

Gay Marriage Gets Boost From 9th Circuit

Dan Levine

The Recorder

November 23, 2009

Not one to be left out of a constitutional thicket, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski granted health benefits Thursday to the same-sex partners of court employees.

Kozinski's order comes a day after his colleague, Judge Stephen Reinhardt, issued his own published directive that a federal public defender be awarded back pay because his same-sex partner's benefits had been denied.

Jump to the full article here

Weekly Reader: Hugs, Honduras, & Grandma's Dress

Bil Browning sent a message to the members of The Bilerico Project.

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Subject: Weekly Reader: Hugs, Honduras, & Grandma's Dress

While this week brought news that ENDA has been delayed for a few weeks, we didn't let that stop us from bringing you a ton of popular posts about almost every aspect of our community. Here are the best from this week.

Sunday
The sexual politics of a hug
Filed by: Cassandra Keenan
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/the_sexual_politics_of_a_hug.php

The DC Catholic Church's red herring
Filed by: Nancy Polikoff
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/the_dc_catholic_churchs_red_herring.php

Monday
LGBT Resistance to the Coup in Honduras
Filed by: Jessica Hoffmann
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/lgbt_resistance_to_the_coup_in_honduras.php

Toward a better understanding of age in the gay community
Filed by: Alex Blaze
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/can_gays_talk_about_age_without_sounding_like_idio.php

Tuesday
Don't Ask, Don't Tell: "Jess, Bend, Oregon, 2009"
Filed by: Jeff Sheng
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/dont_ask_dont_tell_jess_bend_oregon_2009.php

Needed: A Better Definition of Bigotry
Filed by: Patricia Nell Warren
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/needed_a_better_definition_of_bigotry.php

Wednesday
Jorge and Will: Tragedy and Hope
Filed by: Kate Kendell
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/jorge_and_will_tragedy_and_hope.php

Simon LeVay and the Biology of Sexual Orientation
Filed by: Betty Greene Salwak
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/simon_levay_and_the_biology_of_sexual_orientation.php

Thursday
In My Grandmother's Dress
Filed by: Father Tony
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/in_my_grandmothers_dress.php

What will President Obama do about that pesky federal Prop 8 suit?
Filed by: Phil Reese
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/what_will_president_obama_do_about_that_pesky_fede.php

Friday
Irene Vilar's Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict
Filed by: Paige Schilt
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/irene_vilars_impossible_motherhood_testimony_of_an.php

Historic Declaration of Christian Conscience?
Filed by: Donna Pandori
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/historic_declaration_of_christian_conscience.php

BONUS:

BREAKING: ENDA Postponed
Filed by: Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
http://www.facebook.com/l/b4ac1;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/enda_postponed.php

Don't forget:

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Statement from Judy Shepard on the Murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado

Statement from Judy Shepard on the Murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado

Dennis and I, and the entire board and staff of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, stand with all who are grieving the loss of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in one of the most shockingly brutal hate crimes in Puerto Rico’s history.

While we are grateful to the local law enforcement officials for their swift work to apprehend the suspect in this terrible crime, we remain deeply saddened that yet another family should have to suffer the pain of such a tragedy, and that such breathtaking violence continues to be directed at gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people who are simply trying to live their lives honestly and openly.

For another young person to lose their life and be taken from their family and community due to fear, prejudice and hatred is simply unacceptable. Each of us who believe in freedom and equality must remain vocal, active, and unrelenting in calling for justice.

Our thoughts are with Mr. Lopez, all who knew and loved him, the members of his community and the millions worldwide who have been touched by his senseless death. Our family and the Foundation will continue to work to prevent similar tragedies in any way we can.

Bilerico News

Good news or bad ideas? KY, MI, OH, TX re-examine marriage amendments

Filed by: Bil Browning

November 19, 2009 7:30 PM

The marriage equality drumbeat has rumbled on with news that several states will be attempting to re-examine their state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage and/or civil unions. Surprisingly, this hasn't received as much attention as I assumed it would in the LGBT blogosphere.

read the rest here

Decorating hints... via JMG

Gay-Friendly GOP San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders To Testify For Olson/Boies

Thank you JMG for sharing this...


Republican San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who in 2007 changed his mind on same-sex marriage in a tear-filled press conference with his lesbian daughter, will testify in the federal suit to repeal Prop 8 being brought by superstar lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will be a witness in the upcoming federal court trial over the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, according to San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera. Herrera announced Sanders’ participation today at a San Diego fundraiser for Herrera’s reelection. Herrera said he traveled to San Diego last week to meet with Sanders and that Sanders readily agreed to testify in the case, which seeks to overturn the constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage narrowly approved by California voters last year.

The City of San Francisco has been allowed to join the lawsuit, hence Herrera's involvement. In August a judge ruled in favor of Olson and Boies' request to block the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights from joining the suit after the groups' earlier denouncement of the attempt.

FLASHBACK: Here is Sanders' beautiful 2007 speech. If you haven't seen it, get out a hankie first.

Courtesy of JMG

That's Gotta Hurt...

Equal Benefits for Equal Work:

Support the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

Dear Friend of NCLR,
Yesterday the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a committee vote on the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (DPBO), legislation that would provide equal benefits to the domestic partners of federal employees. The committee passed DPBO at 23-12, an important step in securing federal protections for the LGBT community. We must secure this victory and work to pass other crucial pieces of legislation pending in Congress.

DPBO moves to the House floor for consideration, and it’s up to us to make sure that it passes and protects the thousands of devoted, hard-working LGBT government employees.

Equal work demands equal compensation. We must speak up and remind Congress about this basic principle of fairness, to ensure that the domestic partners of government employees are able to receive their partners’ benefits, including health insurance and access to pensions.

Please take a minute and call your representative at (202) 224-3121. We must make sure that a House vote on DPBO will happen soon and that our representatives support DPBO. We need to stand together as a community and urge our representatives to fight for the rights of the domestic partners of federal employees.

President Obama is ready to sign DPBO into law but we need to make sure that it passes in Congress. Call your representative today and ask them to vote for equality and fairness. Ask them to pass the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act.

In Solidarity,


Kate Kendell, Esq.
Executive Director

Quote of the Day

“I would say respectfully to my fellow Christians that people who deny others the blessings they claim for themselves should not assume they speak for the Almighty."

-- Rev. John Bryson Chane, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, quoted in today's Washington Post announcing his support for legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia.