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

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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

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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

Via JMG: NBA To Partner With GLAAD

GLAAD and the NBA today announced a joint effort to quell homophobia in professional basketball. This new partnership arises out of an incident in which Los Angeles Laker star Kobe Bryant was captured by network television as he called a referee a "fucking faggot." Bryant is appealing the $100K fine imposed by the NBA for his outburst. Via press release:

“In light of this slur, there is a real opportunity to build support for our community and educate fans of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the NBA about the use of such words,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a positive step and we look forward to working with them to create messages from players and coaches that combat bullying. We also suggested and will continue to advocate for zero tolerance policies for anti-gay slurs at home games, similar to what the New York Yankees adopted last year.” In addition to the LA Lakers, NBA executives have agreed to meet with GLAAD to discuss ways to send a message about the power of such words to the league’s audience, many of whom are young people, parents or educators.

Lakers spokesman John Black: "We appreciate the input we've received from GLAAD the past two days and will look forward to working with them on ways to help educate ourselves and our fans, and to help keep language like this out of our game."

Labels: faggot, GLAAD, language, NBA, sports

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Via JMG: Photo Of The Day - Pink Thundersticks

Thousands of Brazilian volleyball fans showed up with pink "thundersticks" emblazoned with the name of an openly gay player after he'd been taunted with chants of "Faggot, faggot!" by fans of an opposing team. Visit Matt Algren's Asterisk for video and more amazing photos.

Labels: Brazil, homophobia, sports

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Fred Karger challenges Romney to stand up to the Mormon's homophobia

Joe posted the video earlier of gay GOP presidential candidate Fred Karger's appearance on MSNBC. Well, the boys over at AMERICAblog Elections: The Right's Field got more from Karger's campaign:

I followed up with Karger's campaign about this appearance to get a better understanding of how he thinks he can pressure Romney and the Mormon Church. I was provided with this statement from Fred Karger:

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church) is extremely sensitive about it's image. Polls showed it plummeted because of all their activities - some found to have been illegal - to pass Prop 8. As the leading candidate for President, Mitt Romney could easily use his vast influence with Mormon Church leadership to get them to back away from their continuing campaign to stop gay marriage throughout this country."

Via JMG: DELAWARE: Civil Unions Pass House!

Tonight the Delaware House passed its civil unions bill by a vote of 26-15. The bill passed last week in the state Senate and is now expected to be signed by Gov. Jack Markell, after which it will go into effect on January 1st, 2012.

The Human rights Campaign notes via press release:

SB 30 will allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions giving them all of the rights, benefits, and obligations of marriage under state law, but would not allow same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses. Religious institutions may choose not to solemnize civil unions. Delaware will be the 8th state to offer civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships. After the bill is signed into law, it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012. Currently, five states have laws providing an expansive form of state-level relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples, without offering marriage. California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington provide same-sex couples with access to almost of all the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships. Earlier this year, the governors of Hawaii and Illinois signed into law civil unions bills. Couples in Illinois can begin applying for civil union licenses on June 1, 2011 and in Hawaii couples can begin applying on Jan. 1, 2012. Same-sex couples do not receive federal rights and benefits in any state.

Labels: civil unions, Delaware, LGBT rights

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Lawrence O'Donnell - NOM Defector Louis Marinelli Turns Gay Marriage Advocate

Via JMG: ia JMG: Kobe Bryant To Appeal "Faggot" Fine

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced today that he intends to appeal the $100K fine imposed by the NBA yesterday for his calling a referee a "fucking faggot" during Tuesday night's game.

Bryant, talking from Sacramento on the Mason & Ireland show on ESPN 710 Radio in Los Angeles, said the appeal is "standard protocol," but also took responsibility for his choice of words said "out of frustration during the heat of the game." "The comment that I made, even though it wasn't meant in the way it was perceived to be, is nonetheless wrong, so it's important to own that," Bryant said. He added, "The concern that I have is for those that follow what I say and are inspired by how I play or look to me as a role model or whatever it is, for them not to take what is said as a message of hate or a license to degrade or embarrass or tease. That's something I don't want to see happen. It's important for me to talk about that issue because it"s OK to be who you are, and I do'n't want this issue to be a part of something or to magnify something that shouldn't be."

Labels: faggot, language, NBA, sports

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Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Ben Cohen

 

"It is disappointing to see this. As a professional athlete and rugby World Cup champion, I understand the heat and passion of competition at the highest levels. But we must all remember that strong bodies must be balanced with strong characters, and works toward that end. Our positions as role models demand it." - Straight ally Ben Cohen, saying he's disappointed with Kobe Bryant.

Labels: Ben Cohen, Quote Of The Day, rugby, sports

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Via JMG: The Verizon Guy Comes Out

Now that the long run of Verizon's "Can You Hear Me Now?" campaign is over, actor Paul Marcarelli has come out and is talking about the anti-gay abuse he endured while playing the character known as Test Man.

Marcarelli has a home in Guilford, Connecticut, and five summers ago, kids in an SUV began driving past at night, yelling, “Can you hear me now?” Later, says Marcarelli, “they started screaming ‘faggot’ up at my house. It got progressively more profane as the years went by.” One night, it happened while some friends were over, and he decided to call the police. “As soon as I hung up the phone,” he says, “I realized that in order for them to do anything about it, it would have to become a report that would go into a police log.” Worried about the publicity—and the questions that might ensue if it came out that the actor playing Test Man was gay—he declined to file a report.

Marcarelli has produced and written a film titled The Green, which "centers on how a small town slowly turns against a gay couple when one of the men, a schoolteacher, gets ensnared in scandal." His movie is currently being pitched to film festivals.

Labels: acting, advertising, coming out, Verizon

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Dan Savage says to religious bigots: "You've got to get over it"

Via JMG: People For The American Way Issues Report On Christianist Campaign To Keep Anti-Gay Bullying Legal And Frequent

People For The American Way today issued an extensive expose of the tactics used by the Christianist right to keep anti-gay bullying legal and frequent. An excerpt:

Rather than recognize and address the problem of bullying against students who are gay or perceived to be gay, Religious Right groups want schools to embrace a policy of inaction. Many resort to repeating discredited lies about sexual orientation and vilifying the LGBT community and its allies to back up their opposition to anti-bullying programs that mention anti-gay bullying. Concerned students, families, teachers, education professionals, and public officials should not be fooled by the far-right’s attempt to smear anti-bullying programs, and should instead ensure that schools address bullying with a direct, honest and comprehensive approach.

Read the full report.

Labels: bigotry, bullying, education, LGBT youth, People For The American Way, religion

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Via JMG: Hetero Woman Murders Three Children

Once again, we see the brutal fallout of a God-ordained one man/one woman marriage.

The woman apparently had just had a fight with her husband, Jean Pierre, and loaded into her four children into the vehicle, driving a short distance into the river, police said Wednesday. Lashandra Armstrong, 25, and three children, ages 5, 2 and 11 months, died, submerged in about 10 feet of water. Armstrong's 10-year-old son, Lashaun, squeezed through a minivan window and swam to shore

Obviously, the purpose of this post is to underscore how, if this had been a gay parent, our enemies would right this moment be rushing to the state legislatures with renewed calls to outlaw our families.

Labels: murder, New York state

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Via JMG: NBA Fines Kobe Bryant $100,000

In a move the Human Rights Campaign calls "unprecedented," the NBA has fined superstar Kobe Bryant $100,000 for calling a referee a "fucking faggot" during last night's game. Via press release:

While Bryant acknowledged the outburst earlier today and said in a statement it did “not reflect my feelings toward the gay and lesbian communities,” he failed to apologize or to take full responsibility for the homophobic slur. This afternoon, the NBA and Commissioner Stern issued a strong condemnation of Bryant’s action and in an unprecedented move, fined the Lakers’ superstar $100,000. “We applaud Commissioner Stern and the NBA for not only fining Bryant but for recognizing that slurs and derogatory comments have no place on the basketball court or in society at large, “ said Joe Solmonese, HRC President. “We hope such swift and decisive action will send a strong and universal message that this kind of hateful outburst is simply inexcusable no matter what the context.”

Labels: basketball, faggot, language, NBA, sports

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Via Freedom to Marry

On March 8, Ron Wallen lost his husband and partner of 58 years, Tom Carrollo, to leukemia.

Even as he grieves, Ron also faces the loss of the home he and Tom shared. Unfairly denied the Social Security coverage his husband earned -- payments he would receive were it not for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act's "gay exception" -- Ron cannot afford to keep his home.

The sad truth is that Ron's story of discrimination isn't unique. Doug Gentry, married to a Venezuelan citizen named Alex Benshimol, faces the possibility of being torn apart from his husband because DOMA treats their marriage with contempt. If Doug and Alex weren't gay, Doug could sponsor Alex for American citizenship but, because of DOMA, they are treated as strangers under federal law. "It's gut-wrenching," Doug says.

Couples send us stories like these -- each heartbreaking, each infuriatingly unjust -- and the remedy is clear: We must overturn DOMA now.

http://freedomtomarry.org/OverturnDOMA

Freedom to Marry has worked closely with members of Congress on a bill to repeal this discriminatory law, which denies married same-sex couples federal protections that touch every area of life -- from birth to death, with taxes in between.

We stood with congressional leaders a few weeks ago when they introduced the repeal bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, in the Senate and House. But now we need to grow the support, make the case, build momentum, and add co-sponsors to the bill.

Will you take action now? Ask your senators and representative to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. Send a letter today:

http://freedomtomarry.org/OverturnDOMA

On behalf of couples like Ron and Tom and Doug and Alex, and because discrimination has no place in America, Freedom to Marry will not stop until we've wiped this discriminatory law from the books. But we can only do it with your help.

Thanks for all you do,

Evan Wolfson
President, Freedom to Marry

Via JMG: Crazy Eyes On Gay Marriage

"In 5,000 years of recorded human history... neither in the east or in the west... has any society ever defined marriage as anything other than between men and women. Not one in 5000 years of recorded human history. That's an astounding fact and it isn't until the last 12 years or so that we have seen for the first time in recorded human history marriage defined as anything other than between men and between women." - Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann, speaking yesterday before the Iowa hate group, Family Leader.

Bachmann went on to describe her 2003 reaction to Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage: "I heard the news on my local Christian radio station in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and I was devastated. And I went across the street and I took a walk and I went to prayer, and I said: 'Lord, what you have me do in the Minnesota State Senate?' And through prayer I knew that I was to introduce the marriage amendment in Minnesota."

Minnesota presently does not have a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, but that may change soon now that the GOP dominates both chambers of the state legislature.

Labels: bigotry, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, crazy people, hate groups, Iowa, Michele Bachmann, Minnesota, religion

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