Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Via JMG: Riots Close British Gayborhood
Birmingham's gay village was shut down yesterday due to widespread looting and fires. ZONE Magazine reports: The London riots have spread beyond the capital to Birmingham, including the Gay Village. Popular gay bars Missing, The Loft Lounge, Equator, Purple Bar and The Angel Bar were all closed on the advice of police at around 9pm last night. The police have confirmed that at least 35 arrests have already been made. The Birmingham Hippodrome theatre, which is located on the edge of the gay village in the Southside area of Birmingham, was on a 'lockdown' with up to 2,000 theatre-goers locked inside watching We Will Rock You. Following the performance, police escorted patrons to the safety of their cars in the Arcadian Centre.Hit the above link for live updates on the situation.
There was widespread looting in the city centre, including the Armani shop in The Mailbox. Kevin Breese, General Manager of Birmingham's Harvey Nichols shop, confirmed that the ajacent Armani shop has been completely looted. 'They were very well organised youths, with wirecutters and concrete blocks,' he said. West Midlands Police continued to tackle the disorder occurring in Birmingham last night. Several premises were attacked, with some shop windows smashed and property stolen in various locations in the centre, as well as some surrounding areas.
reposted from Joe
Via AmericablogGay: To be very clear, Obama administration can stop the deportation of Anthony John Makk
John wrote a post about the impending deportation of Anthony John Makk earlier today. It's really a stunning story. Makk is an Australian who is legally married to a U.S. citizen Bradford Wells. They've been married for seven years. But, the Obama administration intends to deport Makk by August 25th. Teddy Partridge at FireDogLake is furious -- and rightly so:
The Obama Administration has denied the request of a married couple in San Francisco, ordering the expulsion of one spouse who is the primary caregiver of his legally married husband with AIDS.
Team Obama is incapable of valuing our actual relationships, while making pretty speeches about DOMA’s unconstitutionality.
So, the Obama administration is using DOMA as an excuse when the Obama administration claims DOMA is unconstitutional. That's bad enough. The Obama administration has the executive power to prevent this deportation. It does not have to happen.
I asked Steve Ralls from Immigration Equality to give us an explanation of the Obama administration's options. Here's what he wrote:
The Obama Administration can intervene – today – and keep Bradford and Anthony together. On May 17, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security wrote, in a letter to Congress, that they retain authority “to exercise discretion in individual cases based on the unique factors presented by that particular case.” In June, ICE reiterated that position in a memorandum to field offices informing their agents that individuals who have U.S. citizen spouses or relatives, or are the primary caretakers for American citizens, should not be considered a priority for removal, and can, again, qualify for discretion. Despite both the letter and the memo, however, the Administration has not yet intervened in a single case for a lesbian or gay couple. Now would be a good time for them to do so, as American citizens are being torn apart from their spouses and partners. There is no question about the Administration’s ability to do so; the only question is whether they will exercise that ability on behalf of LGBT families.
Got that? There is no question about the Obama administration's ability. Makk's deportation does not have to happen.
On Sunday, Drew Westen wrote a powerful op-ed in the New York Times titled, "What Happened to Obama?," which included this passage:
Like most Americans, at this point, I have no idea what Barack Obama — and by extension the party he leads — believes on virtually any issue. The president tells us he prefers a “balanced” approach to deficit reduction, one that weds “revenue enhancements” (a weak way of describing popular taxes on the rich and big corporations that are evading them) with “entitlement cuts” (an equally poor choice of words that implies that people who’ve worked their whole lives are looking for handouts). But the law he just signed includes only the cuts. This pattern of presenting inconsistent positions with no apparent recognition of their incoherence is another hallmark of this president’s storytelling. He announces in a speech on energy and climate change that we need to expand offshore oil drilling and coal production — two methods of obtaining fuels that contribute to the extreme weather Americans are now seeing.
He supports a health care law that will use Medicaid to insure about 15 million more Americans and then endorses a budget plan that, through cuts to state budgets, will most likely decimate Medicaid and other essential programs for children, senior citizens and people who are vulnerable by virtue of disabilities or an economy that is getting weaker by the day. He gives a major speech on immigration reform after deporting a million immigrants in two years, breaking up families at a pace George W. Bush could never rival in all his years as president.
One of the families Obama is intent to break up is that of Anthony Makk and Bradford Wells. The President or someone who works for him needs to fix this. And, fast.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Should Bert and Ernie get married?
A debate-sparking petition urges the Sesame Street buddies to tie the knot — even though they've never come out as gay
posted on August 9, 2011, at 11:53 AM
Sesame Street roommates Bert and Ernie should finally take the next step in their relationship and get hitched, argue gay-rights activists. Photo: Facebook/Sesame Street SEE ALL 4 PHOTOS
Is it time for Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie to get married? Best Opinion: Montreal Gazette, Lonely Conservative, ThinkProgress
Via UOL: "Já escrevi meu nome na história", diz ex-BBB Jean Wyllys
Deputado federal há seis meses, o ex-BBB Jean Wyllys posou cheio de estilo para a edição de agosto da revista Rolling Stone e afirmou que não quer ter mais seu nome ligado ao reality show. “Quando saí candidato, eu não pus no meu material de campanha referências ao programa”, destacou.
A vontade do homossexual assumido é ser reconhecido como o deputado dos direitos humanos. “Sei que já escrevi meu nome na História, mesmo que este seja meu único mandato”, disse ele, que tem entre suas principais plataformas os direitos civis LGBTs e a defesa das religiões de origem africana.
Apesar disso, sua luta principal é pelo direitos civis dos gays. "Antes de mim, teve o Clodovil [Hernandes]. Mas ele não encampava a luta do movimento, pelo contrário. Em entrevistas, era radicalmente contra as paradas gays", diz o político refletindo sobre o papel do estilista no Congresso. "O deputado Clodovil não oferecia perigo, compreendeu? O problema é chegar aqui e reclamar por direitos".
Recentemente, em entrevista à apresentadora Marília Gabriela, ele contou que sofreu discriminação no seio familiar, entre outros assuntos.
Via JMG: Some States Still Criminalize Sodomy
Equality Matters notes: In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Texas’ sodomy statute was unconstitutional, marking a major legal victory on the path towards LGBT equality. With the remainder of state sodomy laws technically invalidated by Lawrence, the LGBT community began to shift its focus. [snip] Eight years later, however, eighteen states still refuse to rewrite their laws and take these anti-gay relics off their books, with countless LGBT Americans continuing to feel their devastating effects as a result. Several state legislatures and courts have exploited loopholes in the Lawrence decision, while others have simply refused to acknowledge the decision altogether.In some states, gay men are still being arrested for "crimes against nature." Hit the link for much more.
Via JMG: ZIMBABWE: Police Arrest Five Men On Charges Of "Sexual Immorality"
More bad news out of Africa. Five men have been arrested in Domboshava near Harare on allegations of being gay and committing acts of sexual immorality, state controlled ZBC News reported on Tuesday. The five men include a 55-year-old white and 4 black men whose ages have not yet been released, they are currently detained at Domboshava Police Station awaiting trial. The incident happened when a bottle store owner suspected that something was wrong after seeing the young black men spending money in an unusual manner leading him to alert the police.Note how the story obeys Scott Lively's mythology about wealthy white men corrupting local blacks.
Via JMG: Frothy Mix: Gay Marriage Is A Napkin
"I can call this napkin a paper towel. But it is a napkin. And why? Because it is what it is. Right? You can call it whatever you want, but it doesn't change the character of what it is. So when people come out and say that marriage is something else — marriage is the marriage of five people, five, 10, 20. Marriage can be between fathers and daughters. Marriage can be between any two people, any four people, any 10 people, it can be any kind of relationship and we can call it marriage. But it doesn't make it marriage. Why? Because there are certain qualities and certain things that attach to the definition of what marriage is." - Rick Santorum, speaking to a tiny crowd of supporters in an Iowa cafeteria.Via JMG: Linda Harvey: Ban Gays As Teachers
"Kids should not be put in the confusing position of having a teacher they like and respect in many ways who’s also known to be practicing homosexual behavior. Of course that’s where many of our children in public schools today find themselves because the National Education Association not only allows but applauds and defends openly homosexuality and even transvestite teachers. The fact is that no homosexuality should be in our schools, period. When people leave that behavior behind, then they might be qualified for a job involving children. Out and proud homosexuals should not have jobs that involve children. I know that’s not the current policy in many schools but it should be." - Linda Harvey of the SPLC-certified hate group Mission America. Via AmericablogGay: 18 states refusing to take sodomy laws off the books
Even though they were struck down by the Supreme Court several years ago. From Media Matters:
In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Texas’ sodomy statute was unconstitutional, marking a major legal victory on the path towards LGBT equality.
Eight years later, however, eighteen states still refuse to rewrite their laws and take these anti-gay relics off their books, with countless LGBT Americans continuing to feel their devastating effects as a result. Several state legislatures and courts have exploited loopholes in the Lawrence decision, while others have simply refused to acknowledge the decision altogether.
In some states, keeping sodomy laws on the books can result in abuse even in cases where sexual intercourse hasn’t occurred. In 2009, two gay men were kicked out of an El Paso restaurant for kissing in public. When the men called the police, officers informed them that "it was illegal for two men to kiss in public and said they could be cited for ‘homosexual conduct,’” even though the state statute only prohibits “deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.”
The local police department eventually claimed that the officers involved were “relatively inexperienced,” but the incident demonstrates the ease with which seemingly dormant anti-sodomy laws can quickly turn into weapons to be used against LGBT citizens.
The local police department eventually claimed that the officers involved were “relatively inexperienced,” but the incident demonstrates the ease with which seemingly dormant anti-sodomy laws can quickly turn into weapons to be used against LGBT citizens.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Via JMG: IOWA: Crazy Eyes Attends Anti-Gay Church Service Supporting "Ex-Gay" Movement
Last June while doing a YouTube search on the term "ex-gay", I came across a video so outrageously ridiculous that it quickly went viral after its posting here on JMG. Here's what I wrote that day.
Adam Hood says gays must be quarantined or else "they'll bring their gangrene into heaven." Supposedly Hood became "ex-gay" after "finding God in the Castro" in the midst of a heroin binge. (Ever notice how we don't really hear from any successful, sober, otherwise happy people who suddenly become "ex-gay"?) This clip is so out there, I kept expecting the satire to become suddenly apparent. Sadly, no.Today MSNBC reports that this weekend Rep. Michele Bachmann attended a church service that played this very insane video as part of a presentation denouncing homosexuality.
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann yesterday attended a church here in Iowa, where the pastor called homosexuality "immoral" and "unnatural," and later showed a testimonial video from a man who claimed to have been gay before having a conversation with God. Before the sermon at Point of Grace Church -- a non-denominational congregation near Des Moines -- Bachmann stood with her husband, Marcus Bachmann, before a crowd of about 100 people, clutching her personal copy of the Bible. When Bachmann and her husband returned to their seats, Mullen began a half-hour presentation on his church's beliefs. Reading verses from the Bible to support his case, Mullen said, "We inherently know that homosexual behavior is immoral and unnatural." “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” Mullen said, reading from the book of Romans.Here's the legendary clip one more time.
RELATED: Since the above clip is now more than a year old, it would be interesting to hear what Adam Hood is doing today. Email me if you know.
Labels: "ex-gay", brainwashing, cults, hate groups, Iowa, Michele Bachmann, religion, still totally gay, torture
reposted from Joe
Via JMG: NEW ORLEANS: Anti-Gay Hate Groups Infest Annual Astroturfing Convention
This week in New Orleans, hundreds of conservative lawmakers from around the country gathered for the annual American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) convention, where lobbyists from the nation's largest corporations issue their marching orders on which big business-friendly bills they expect to see passed. Think Progress reports that this year's event featured the distribution of vicious and lie-filled anti-gay propaganda from Christianist hate groups.
Among the materials handed out to every attendee were anti-LGBT pamphlets from the Family Research Council, including the “Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality” and the “Top Ten Harms Of Same-Sex ‘Marriage’”. The supposed myths included “people are born gay,” “sexual orientation can never change,” “homosexual conduct is not harmful to one’s physical health,” and “homosexuals are no more likely to molest children than heterosexuals.” In its second pamphlet, the FRC told conference-goers that expanding marriage to include same-sex couples will somehow mean “fewer people would marry,” “fewer people would remain monogamous,” and polygamy will soon result.Think Progress notes that convention rent-a-cops assaulted two of their reporters and illegally confiscated their cameras.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Todays's "WTF?!?!" moment is brought to you via AmericaBlogGay: NYT gives credence to Holocaust revisionism
It takes a particularly bad reporter, and an even worse editor, to let a piece of garbage like this slip through at any newspaper, let alone the New York Times.
The American Family Association is a group considered a tad fringe and a tad nutty even by a lot of people I know on the right, yet the Times claims the group is "widely revered" in conservative circles, then cites the "Values Voters Summit" as proof of this. The Values Voters Summit is religious right circles, not conservatives circles. There's a difference. And not that I'm one to normally defend Republicans, but how bad is it that a NYT reporter, and apparently an editor, don't know the difference between conservatives and the religious right. Do we need to revisit what we learned in eighth grade math about subsets (an apple is a fruit, but all fruit are not apples).
But what's particularly galling about the Times' love letter to an officially designated hate group that's listed alongside the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists on the Southern Poverty Law Center's Web site, is that the Times' reporter, Erik Eckholm, actually tried to dismiss the fact that the organization has been officially designated a "hate group" by the organization primarily responsible for officially designating "hate groups." According to Eckholm it's simply "liberal critics" who call AFA a hate group, and even then Eckholm makes clear from the way he constructs the sentence that it's a throw-away charge.
Also note that Eckholm and his editor claim that only liberal critics call AFA hateful and even shrill, but then Eckholm doesn't bother quoting what the AFA has actually said about gays. Oh, he's quotes some tame stuff, making it seem as though that's the worst AFA has said. What Eckholm doesn't quote is the really good stuff (I collected all those quotes via the link, they're real), the hateful stuff, the shrill stuff. And Eckholm doesn't quote it, and his editor didn't bother catching it, because the actual facts about the things AFA actually says would ruin the Times' effort to do a he-said-she-said on none of the most hateful, nuttiest groups of the religious.
Why doesn't Eckholm report on the fact that the AFA is promoting the anti-gay work of Paul Cameron, a man who's "'science' echoes Nazi Germany," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center? Cameron once famously suggested that gays might need to be exterminated, en masse, in order to stop the spread of AIDS. How does the NYT feel about that? You wouldn't know, because the Times just doesn't mention that AFA is promoting this guy's anti-gay "science." Why? Because according to the Times, only "liberal critics" find this kind of talk hateful and shrill.
Speaking of mass extermination, Eckholm then delves into his own Holocaust revisionism. Eckholm calls the bs claim from AFA's Bryan Fischer, that Hitler was gay, simply a "disputed theory." That means,some agree, some disagree, who can tell what's true? This is Holocaust revisionism, and was labeled as such by Hatewatch a good dozen years ago. And the Times is calling it a "disputed theory"? Yes, the NYT just gave credence to Holocaust revisionism.
Eckholm then links in his article to the AFA's diatribe about how Hitler was gay, yet Eckholm doesn't link to anything, doesn't quote anyone, showing that this is utterly insane and the worst of Holocaust revisionism. He actually linked to "proof" of this bs theory. And left it undisputed. Incredible.
Are they insane? A disputed theory? Do Eckholm and his editors also consider it a "disputed theory" that only a few Jews were killed in the Holocaust? After all, the other hate groups that the NYT implicitly exonerates by marginalizing the Southern Poverty Law Center, believe, outrageously, that not that many Jews were killed by the Nazis. So is that a "disputed theory" now too according to Erik Eckholm and the New York Times?
It's also therefore interesting that Eckholm doesn't bother mentioning the AFA's brush with anti-Semitism either. Let's share a few of the AFA's views on Jews, shall we?
Do Jews control Hollywood?
The AFA Journal has long served as a platform for anti-Semitic theories and innuendo. For instance, Wildmon warned of Jewish control over popular culture, an old anti-Semitic canard, in a January 1989 article, "What Hollywood Believes and Wants." "The television elite are highly secular," Wildmon wrote. "The majority (59 percent) in the Jewish faith." In a separate article in the same issue, titled "Anti-Semitism Called a Serious Problem," Wildmon, a longtime opponent of gay rights, pointedly remarked that "Jews favor homosexual rights more than other Americans."
Does a "Jewish upbringing" lead to a life of crime?
In the March issue of American Family Association Journal, a publication of Donald E. Wildmon's right-wing evangelical activist group, the American Family Association (AFA), author Randall Murphree suggested that a Jewish upbringing leads to hatred of Christians, and by extension, a criminal lifestyle.
Is that just the wacky criticism of a few liberal critics too?
Do your job, Erik. No one is asking you to do a hatchet job on the AFA. No one is asking you to be a liberal. We're asking you and your editor, to do your freaking jobs. If you're going to write about an officially designated hate group, don't try to whitewash who they are in the interest of fairness. Tell your readers who they are and let your readers decide. But they can't decide when your prose tries to minimize the facts, and when your prose doesn't even mention the most salient facts.
I could almost forgive a reporter who didn't have a clue who the AFA was - though really, you're writing for the New York Times, have you ever heard of the Google? But who is the editor who approved this garbage? No one at the New York Times is familiar with the AFA? No one knew of their anti-semitism? There wasn't a single editor at the Times who winced when Eckholm wrote that it's a "disputed theory" that Hitler was gay?
And I repeat: No one at the Times did a double take when one of their reporters attempted to claim that it was simply a "disputed theory" that Hitler was gay?
And you guys wonder why we criticize you.
Do your job.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Uma Conspiração Espiritual // A Spiritual Conspiracy
English Version after the Portuguese
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Apesar das inundações negativas das ondas e as nossas vidas, o bem de todos nós deve sair e formar uma cobertura para proteger-nos e aqueles que nos rodeiam.
Os positivos vai ganhar:
Uma Conspiração Espiritual
Na superfície do nosso mundo agora há guerra, violência e loucura e as coisas podem parecer escuras.
Mas com calma e em silêncio, o mesmo tempo algo está acontecendo no subsolo.
Uma revolução interior está acontecendo e certos indivíduos estão sendo chamados para uma luz mais elevada. É uma revolução silenciosa de dentro para fora de baixo para cima.
Esta é uma cooperação global isso tem células adormecidas em cada nação. É uma Conspiração Espiritual.
Você provavelmente não vai nos ver T.V. Você não vai ler sobre nós no jornal. Você não vai ouvir de nós no rádio. Nós não buscamos glória. Nós não usamos qualquer uniforme. Chegamos a todas as formas e tamanhos, cores e estilos. Estamos em cada país e cultura do mundo, em cidades grandes e pequenas montanhas e vales, em fazendas e povoados, tribos e ilhas remotas. A maioria de nós trabalha anonimamente procurando não reconhecimento do nome. Mas a transformação profunda da vida. Trabalhando em silêncio nos bastidores.
Você poderia passar por um de nós na rua e nem mesmo ter aviso prévio. Nós andamos disfarçados Não é questão de quem toma o crédito final Mas simplesmente que o trabalho é feito.
Muitos de nós podemos parecer que têm empregos normais. Mas por trás da fachada externa É onde o trabalho mais profundo tem seu lugar. Com o poder individual e coletivo de nossas mentes e corações distribuímos paixão, conhecimento e alegria a todos.
Alguns chamam-nos os Conscientes do Exército porque juntos nós co-criamos um mundo novo.
Nossas ordens vêm da Agência de Inteligência Espiritual Instruindo-nos a queda suave, bombas de amor secreto quando ninguém está olhando.
Poemas ~Abraços ~ Musica Palavras ~Fotografia ~ Sorrisos - Palavras Gentis Filmes ~ Meditação e Oração ~ Dança ~ Websites o ativismo social ~ Blogs ~ Esparsos Atos de Bondade ...
Cada um de nós se expressa no nosso modo próprio e único com os nossos próprios dons e talentos. Seja a mudança que você quer ver no mundo esse é o lema que preenche nossos corações. Nós sabemos que este é o caminho para a transformação profunda. Sabemos que em silêncio e com humildade individualmente e coletivamente nós temos o poder de todos os oceanos juntos.
À primeira vista, nosso trabalho não é ainda visível. É um processo lento e meticuloso como a formação de montanhas. E ainda com nossos esforços combinados placas tectônicas inteiros estão sendo formados e se mudou ao longo dos séculos vindouros.
O amor é a religião que vêm para compartilhar e você não precisa ser muito educado ou ter conhecimento excepcional para compreendê-lo.
O amor nasce da inteligência do coração encaixado no pulso intemporal evolutiva de todos os seres vivos.
Seja a mudança que você quer ver no mundo.
Ninguém mais pode fazer isso por você. No entanto, não se esqueça, todos nós estamos aqui a apoiar-te.
Estamos recrutando agora. Talvez você se junte a nós ou já tenha. Pois, esta é a conspiração espiritual
Todos são bem vindos, e todos são queridos. A porta está sempre aberta.
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Estamos recrutando agora. Talvez você se junte a nós ou já tenha. Pois, esta é a conspiração espiritual
Todos são bem vindos, e todos são queridos. A porta está sempre aberta.
---
Despite the negatives flooding the airwaves and our lives, the good in all of us shall come out and form a cover to protect us and those around us.
Positives will win.
A Spiritual Conspiracy
On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light. It is a silent revolution. From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation... A spiritual conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet. You won't see us on the T.V. You won't read about us in the newspaper. You won't hear about us on the radio. We don't seek any glory. We don't wear any uniform. We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles.
Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world. Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands. You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice. We go undercover. We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit. But simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street. We give a quiet nod and continue on our way. During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs. But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place. Some call us the 'Conscious Army'. We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts. We follow, with passion and joy. Our orders are from the Central Spiritual Intelligence. We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking.
Poems - Hugs - Music - Photography - Movies - Kind words - Smiles - Meditation and prayer - Dance - Social activism - Websites - Blogs - Random acts of kindness.
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents. 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' That is the motto that fills our hearts. We know it is the only way real transformation takes place. We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous. Like the formation of mountains. It is not even visible at first glance. And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century. You don't have to be a highly educated person. Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart. Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings.
Be the change you want to see in the world. Nobody else can do it for you.
We are now recruiting. Perhaps you will join us. Or already have.... All are welcome... The door is open.
Brian Piergrossi
www.thebigglow.com
Via Gay Marriage USA: The Flag of Equal Marriage
makeitequal.org
A protest flag in support of gay marriage rights in the United States, called 'the Flag of Equal Marriage.' It only has stars for the states with fully legal same-sex marriage.
Via Gay Marriage USA: Obama bars U.S. entry for violators of LGBT human rights abroad
Order could apply to supporters of Uganda 'Kill the Gays' bill
Via JMG: Tony Perkins On Rick Perry's Prayer Rally
Barry Lynn of the Americans for Separation of Church & State takes on FRC's Tony Perkins. The rally takes place today in Houston. Halfway through the clip, Matthews runs a montage of the outrageous comments made by the event's sponsors.
Labels: Americans United, Family Reseach Council, hate groups, Rick Perry, separation of church and state, Tony Perkins
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