Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Via AmericaBlogGay: In California, homophobes want ballot measure to repeal FAIR Education Act
It's always something with the haters.
From Rex Wockner: Californians may be voting on gay matters again.
This time the target is the law Gov. Jerry Brown signed July 14 that requires public schools to teach about LGBT people's contributions to the state and nation.
Anti-gay activists have submitted the paperwork to launch a voter repeal referendum and have hit the Web with StopSB48.com. Its slogan: "Stop SB 48. It costs too much. It goes too far."
Their next task will be to collect signatures from 504,760 registered California voters before mid-October.
What would these people do if they didn't have the gays to obsess over?
Karen Ocamb has more on the haters behind this latest effort:
The Capitol Resource Institute launched an online campaign to repeal the California FAIR Education Act using a slick new email message and a new campaign website called StopSB48. The campaign also updated the CRI main website, which had not posted anything new since 2010. Their “Action Alert” page is still blank with only the date March 12, 2009.
But their new campaign website has the look of money – such as bought stock photos of generic happy white and black families – and there’s someone keeping an eye on the media. In a Capitol Alert story last Friday, July 22 about CRI filing papers to launch a referendum, the end of the story says: “Updated at 2:30 p.m. to add comments by Karen England and Brad Dacus, and to indicate that the referendum drive is being conducted by a coalition of groups.” That’s Karen England of CRI and Brad Dacus of the right-wing Pacific Justice Institute. But unfortunately, Capitol Alert didn’t ask for the names of the other coalition members, which the website identifies as a “coalition of pro-family organizations, parents, students, teachers and more.”
Via AmericaBlogGay: ABA bestows highest honor on Olson and Boies
ia press release from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), we learn that David Boies and Ted Olson will be receiving a prestigious award from American Bar Association:
Awarded for distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence, the ABA Medal is given only in years when the ABA Board of Governors determines a nominee has provided exceptional and distinguished service to the law and the legal profession.
Among previous recipients of the ABA Medal are legendary justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Felix Frankfurter, Thurgood Marshall, William J. Brennan Jr., Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy.
The award will be bestowed upon Boies and Olson during the meeting of the ABA House of Delegates at the Association’s annual meeting on August 8th, 2011.
Well deserved. Hopefully, this sends a powerful message about the ongoing fight for equality in our legal system.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Via JMG: From Disney's Wedding Blog
On Disney's wedding blog today, a lovely recounting of a same-sex romance. Aaand here come calls for a boycott!(Tipped by JMG reader Eric)
Via JMG: Just Married
Buzzfeed has a fantastic collection of gay couples photographed moments after being married yesterday.Sunday, July 24, 2011
Via JMG: Volunteer Flower Girls
Joe writes:This Village Voice photo by Steven Thrasher made my grinchy heart grow two sizes: "That's Steve Landis and Julie Irwin, who brought their 4-year-old twins Emily and Sophie to Brooklyn Borough Hall this morning to be flower girls for whoever might need them. They don't even know anyone getting married today! Aw."
reposted from Joe
Via JMG: First Couple Married In Niagara Falls
With the magnificent Niagara Falls as a backdrop, early this morning two lesbian activists became the first same-sex couple to legally marry in New York. Against a cascade of rainbow-colored falls, and with cicadas humming in the background, Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd married at the first possible moment in Niagara Falls. After a bell tolled 12 times to ring in the new day, Ms. Lambert, 54, and Ms. Rudd, 53, held hands and kissed in front of more than 100 friends and family members.
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reposted from Joe
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Via Credo: Stop Workplace Discrimination
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Via JMG: NORWAY: "Christian Fundamentalist" Held For Terrorist Attack, 91 Deaths
Norwegian authorities are holding a man described as a "Christian fundamentalist" in connection with yesterday's terrorist attack on a youth camp. At least 91 people were killed. The police said they did not know if the man, identified by the Norwegian media as Anders Behring Breivik, was part of a larger conspiracy. He is being questioned under the country’s terrorism laws, police said, and is cooperating with the investigation of the attacks, the deadliest on Norwegian soil since World War II. “We are not sure whether he was alone or had help,” a police official, Roger Andresen, said at a televised news conference, adding: “What we know is that he is right-wing and a Christian fundamentalist.” So far Mr. Breivik has not been linked to any anti-jihadist groups, he said.
Via JMG: Perry: Marriage Is A States Rights Issue
Yesterday Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that he considered same-sex marriage to be a states' right issue and that he has no problem with New York's move to legalize it. Perry, who has been weighing a presidential run, said he opposes gay marriage — but that he's also a firm believer of the 10th Amendment. "Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me," he said to applause from several hundred GOP donors in Aspen, Colo. "That is their call. If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business."Perry is expected to formally announce his presidential run by summer's end.
Via Box Turtle Bulletin: Still having fun, Maggie?
Happiness is when reality exceeds your expectations. Apparently the National Organization “for” Marriage has officially lowered its expectations.
Over on their blog, NOM is happily touting a new poll in a post called, New Quinnipiac Poll: Majority Does NOT Support SSM:
That’s almost sad.
Heh, heh, heh.
You have to wonder, though: How happy should they be? I hate spoiling their fun…but if you insist:
This is not the headline they want.
They wrote the headline, Majority Does Not Support SSM, but they’d much rather have written, Majority Opposes SSM. That’s one of their favorite talking points. Guess, they’ll have to retire it — even the polls they promote don’t let them say it.
So sorry, NOM.
The trend is against them.
They left a bunch of stuff out of their report. For instance, Quinnipiac’s comparison of these results to the ones they got two years ago:
Does that look like cause for a big NOM victory party?
So sorry.
They can’t even claim with confidence that they’re ahead.
Quinnipiac’s margin of error is ± 2%. That means the true results are somewhere in the range of 50-46 for NOM or 48-46 against NOM. Let me adjust the graphic to account for this margin of error. The wider lines indicate the 4% range for each result.
See how the lines now overlap? Didn’t used to happen.
So sorry.
They’re losing support in their base.
NOM gave us the Republican numbers for 2011, but not for 2009. Let me rectify that.
NOM, you can’t even hold onto your own base.
So sorry.
A solid majority thinks the federal government should recognize same-sex marriage.
Oops — NOM, looks like you lost that one a couple years back. And you’re losing even worse now.
So sorry.
Did I say happiness is when reality exceeds your expectations? Then I’m happy, because I never expected NOM to view these numbers as good news. NOM has lowered its expectation and revealed it to the world. Maggie Gallagher recently said people should fight same-sex marriage because “Winning is fun.” I’m wondering Maggie, was New York fun? Were these numbers fun? Because writing this sure was fun for me.
Oh, I shouldn’t gloat.
So sorry.
Over on their blog, NOM is happily touting a new poll in a post called, New Quinnipiac Poll: Majority Does NOT Support SSM:
The latest Quinnipiac poll:Not so long ago, they’d have despaired at a slim margin like that. But with poll over poll over poll showing majority support for marriage equality, these numbers are the happiest news they can find.
Would you support or oppose a law in your state that would allow same-sex couples to get married?
Oppose: 48%
Support: 46%
Don’t Know/NA: 6%
Among Republicans:
Oppose: 72%
Support: 24%
Don’t Know/NA: 4%
That’s almost sad.
Heh, heh, heh.
You have to wonder, though: How happy should they be? I hate spoiling their fun…but if you insist:
This is not the headline they want.
They wrote the headline, Majority Does Not Support SSM, but they’d much rather have written, Majority Opposes SSM. That’s one of their favorite talking points. Guess, they’ll have to retire it — even the polls they promote don’t let them say it.
So sorry, NOM.
The trend is against them.
They left a bunch of stuff out of their report. For instance, Quinnipiac’s comparison of these results to the ones they got two years ago:
 |
Does that look like cause for a big NOM victory party?
So sorry.
They can’t even claim with confidence that they’re ahead.
Quinnipiac’s margin of error is ± 2%. That means the true results are somewhere in the range of 50-46 for NOM or 48-46 against NOM. Let me adjust the graphic to account for this margin of error. The wider lines indicate the 4% range for each result.
 |
See how the lines now overlap? Didn’t used to happen.
So sorry.
They’re losing support in their base.
NOM gave us the Republican numbers for 2011, but not for 2009. Let me rectify that.
| Republicans/SSM | April 2009 | July 2011 |
| Oppose | 80% | 72% |
| Support | 17% | 24% |
| Don’t Know/NA | 2% | 4% |
NOM, you can’t even hold onto your own base.
So sorry.
A solid majority thinks the federal government should recognize same-sex marriage.
| Federal SSM Recognition? | April 2009 | July 2011 |
| Oppose | 39% | 34% |
| Support | 54% | 59% |
| Don’t Know/NA | 6% | 7% |
Oops — NOM, looks like you lost that one a couple years back. And you’re losing even worse now.
So sorry.
Did I say happiness is when reality exceeds your expectations? Then I’m happy, because I never expected NOM to view these numbers as good news. NOM has lowered its expectation and revealed it to the world. Maggie Gallagher recently said people should fight same-sex marriage because “Winning is fun.” I’m wondering Maggie, was New York fun? Were these numbers fun? Because writing this sure was fun for me.
Oh, I shouldn’t gloat.
So sorry.
Via Al Franken:
Dear Daniel,
There’s no good argument against marriage equality. There’s no good argument for the Defense of Marriage Act, one of the most unfair laws passed in my lifetime. And there’s no good argument for leaving it on the books.
What are we waiting for? The country has evolved -- Americans support the repeal of DOMA. So does President Obama. So does President Clinton, who signed it into law in 1996. So does Bob Barr, the Republican who wrote the darn thing.
I say it’s time. It’s time for gay and lesbian Americans to enjoy the same rights as the rest of us. It’s time to toss the bigotry and the fear into the dumpster of embarrassing history where they belong. And you know what? It’s time for progressives like you and me to stop waiting around for someone else to make this country what it ought to be.
It’s time to repeal DOMA. Let’s start right now, you and me. I’ve written a petition to get the ball rolling -- click here to add your name now!
Marrying Franni was the best thing that ever happened to me. And it’s always pained me to know that our country denies that right to millions of gays and lesbians.
Over the years, those of us who support marriage equality have had to put up with a series of nonsensical arguments from those who support marriage discrimination. And, one by one, their ridiculous objections have been proven wrong.
Same-sex marriage doesn’t hurt straight couples. It doesn’t hurt kids who grow up in loving same-sex families. It doesn’t hurt anyone. DOMA, on the other hand, is an ugly stain on our country. And every day we don’t repeal it is another day we’re making millions of Americans second-class citizens.
I think we can do this, and I think we can do it now. But we can only do it if we convince decision-makers in the Obama administration and Congress that we won’t shut up until this gets done.
So let’s show them how many of us are prepared to fight for this -- right now. Sign my petition and tell Washington it’s time to repeal DOMA.
This is going to be a tough fight. But it’s a matter of simple fairness. We’re right. And we can win. Are you ready to fight alongside me?
Thanks,
Al Franken
P.S.: The first step is signing our petition. But if you’re ready to do more right now, how about forwarding this email to ten people or sharing it with your friends on Facebook? Or Tweet about it -- and make sure to use the hashtag #itstime.
Via Obama for America:
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| Daniel -- Today, President Obama and our military service chiefs certified the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In 60 days, it will be done. This is huge and welcome news for every one of us who opposes discrimination of any kind. But now, the fight for equal rights moves on. Here's the next front: This week the President endorsed a bill to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, a discriminatory law that forces the federal government to ignore the rights of those in same-sex marriages, even those performed in states where gay marriage is legal. The New York Times has said it "ranks with the most overtly discriminatory laws in the nation's history." President Obama sees repeal as a moral and legal necessity, while the Republican candidates oppose it. But millions of people -- gay and straight -- are watching what they're doing, want this law gone, and will make their voices heard. Can you be one of them? We're putting together the group of people who want to be at the forefront of our efforts on this issue as the campaign develops over the next 16 months -- the first to know when news breaks, and the first to help spread the word to your friends and in your community. Join us for what's next: http://my.barackobama.com/ Under DOMA, rights afforded to straight married couples -- such as receiving Social Security benefits for spouses or filing joint federal income-tax returns -- do not apply to same-sex married couples. It's no secret that the President has long opposed this law. In February, he directed the Justice Department to stop defending a key portion of it in court. And this week, he endorsed the first Senate bill that would repeal the law in its entirety. We can already see the direction the other side is headed in response. They called a witness at the Senate hearings this week to testify that repealing DOMA would "pave the way for polygamous and other polyamorous unions." That's the type of rhetoric we should be prepared to hear in the run-up to the next election. But the broad American consensus is on our side. We've all seen that change in Washington doesn't come overnight, and fighting for it can carry significant political risks. When opportunities to make real progress come up, it's critical to show Washington that millions of voters have President Obama's back. This is a defining issue for many of us in this movement, and for this President. Join this fight today: http://my.barackobama.com/ Thanks for your help, Messina Jim Messina Campaign Manager Obama for America |
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