Via JMG: Anti-Bullying Law Passes CA Senate

California's state Senate has approved a comprehensive anti-bullying law requiring schools to investigate the harassment of students. The bill passed in the state Assembly three months ago and Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign it. "Seth's Law" is named for Seth Walsh, the 13 year-old California boy who hung himself in his backyard after being bullied for being gay.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," said Wendy Walsh, Seth's mother. "I am truly honored. Seth would be very honored. I really hope the governor signs it." State Sen. Michael Rubio, D-Shafter, voted yes while state Sen. Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, voted no. Fuller said Friday she believes schools are burdened already with too many "one-size-fits-all" state laws, and local districts should be making the calls. "That's why we have school boards and superintendents," said Fuller, former Bakersfield City School District superintendent. A year ago this month, Seth Walsh hanged himself in his backyard. He left a suicide note expressing anger at his school "for bringing you this sorrow." And just more than two months ago, federal officials announced Tehachapi Unified School District failed to investigate or respond appropriately to the bullying of Seth.

Expect the "Repeal Seth's Law" campaign.

Labels: bullying, LGBT youth, suicide, Tom Ammiano

reposted from Joe

Quote of the Day Via Equality America:

 How many homophobes does it take to change a light bulb? None. They fear change, even if it can make the world a brighter place.

Zazen Bruno Mitih

I Support SB 48 - Exposing News Bias

Via JMG: Uganda Health Minister: Pray AIDS Away

Uganda's new minister of health claims that prayer cures AIDS. And surprise surprise, she's also a backer of the "Kill Gays Bill" and is supported by American evangelicals. All are complicit in the deaths of any Ugandan who rejects medical treatment for AIDS.

In May 2011 Dr. Christine Ondoa was chosen as the new head of Uganda's Ministry of Health. The position will give Ondoa authority over a significant portion of Uganda's foreign HIV/AIDS mitigation funding, which in the year 2010 included over $270 million dollars from the United States. Along with her role as a medical professional, Christine Ondoa also serves as pastor in the Life Line Ministries of apostle Julius Peter Oyet, one of the most powerful clerics leading Uganda's ongoing crusade against gay rights. Since her appointment as Health Ministry head, Ondoa has promoted the claim, an established tenet of Peter Wagner's apostolic movement, also advanced by Oyet's Life Line Ministries, that HIV/AIDS can be cured through prayer.

RELATED: Warren Throckmorton reports today: "In a sign that debate is heating up in Uganda over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the Family Life Network of Stephen Langa convened a press conference yesterday and initiated the 'Pass the Bill Now' campaign."

Labels: gay death penalty, murder, religion, Uganda

U.S. Department of the Interior: It Gets Better

Michele Bachmann - Pray Away The Gay ft. Rick Santorum, Marcus Bachmann

Matt Zarley - WTF (Official Music Video)

Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Newly Seated Pro-Gay Justice Likely To Hear Prop 8 Arguments

Newly seated California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, who has expressed support for same-sex marriage, is expected to hear Prop 8 arguments next week when the issue of standing is represented to the Court. Anti-gay groups have loudly called for Goodwin to recuse himself from the case based on his past statements. That, apparently, will not be happening. And as you'd expect, the Family Research Council is ever so pissed. Fantastic.

Labels: CA Supreme Court, California, Proposition 8

reposted from Joe

Rick Santorum Argues With Student Over Gay Marriage

JMG Asshat Of The Day - Rep. Duncan Hunter

Rep. Duncan Hunter has failed several times in legislative attempts to thwart the repeal of DADT. Now he wants to pass a bill making it legal for straight troops to harass gay ones. SRSLY.

The draft bill prepared by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who served as a Marine Corps officer before being elected to Congress, does not prevent repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy by the end of September, but it would require the services to “ensure that a member of the Armed Forces under their jurisdiction is not pressured to approve of another person’s sexual conduct if that sexual conduct is contrary to the personal principles of the member.” Essentially, this would mean that military people have to accept the presence of gays in the military but they would not have to like it, said an aide familiar with the legislation.

And by "not have to like it," he means "totally free to abuse gay soldiers without fear of reprimand from superiors."

Labels: assholery, DADT, fuckweasels, military

reposted from Joe

Kathy Griffin Hints Michele Bachmann's Husband, Marcus Bachmann, Is Gay

Via JMG: LONDON: Openly Gay Former Police Chief Brian Paddick Nominated For Mayor

Britain's Liberal Democrats have nominated former cop Brian Paddick as their choice for mayor of London. Until he left the force, Paddick was the highest-ranked openly gay police officer in Britain.

Tonight, Mr Paddick said: “I hope to visit every local party in London, to meet the activists whose support we rely on year after year and to raise as much money as possible for the campaign ahead. I know from personal experience how tough the GLA [Greater London Assembly] Elections are for us as a party and next year will be no exception. I promise to devote myself full-time between now and May to securing the best possible result for the Liberal Democrats and with your help, we can deliver the best result we have ever had in the history of the GLA elections.”

Paddick finished a distant third in the 2008 mayoral election. Paris, Berlin, and Houston are the biggest cities in the world with openly gay mayors currently in office.

Labels: Brian Paddick, Britain, gay politicians, London

reposted from Joe

Via AmericablogGay: Marriage, it’s not gay

Posted by John Aravosis (DC) at 9/01/2011 05:10:00 PM

I find myself on the blog struggling for what word to use. Joe often prods me to change "gay" marriage to "same-sex" marriage. I'm not convinced it's much better. I've at times used "marriage equality," but I sometimes fear that it's code that non-gay people won't get. The thing is, it's quite clumsy when you try to write around the phrase "gay marriage." I'm open to suggestions, but you really need to look at a sentence the phrase is already in and then try to rewrite it.

From The New Civil Rights Movement:

There are lots of reasons I want to get married, and none of them are because I am gay. I don’t want a gay marriage. I don’t want a different kind of marriage; I want the same kind of marriage as my married neighbors have. I want a marriage with all the rights and privileges and responsibilities that everyone else who is married has. I am told there are 1,138 benefits that federally recognized marriage would bring us, and I would like those, too.

But most of all, I want to marry the man I have loved for almost 34 years – a real marriage legally recognized everywhere we go.

Related posts on AMERICAblog Gay:

SkyWest accused of bigotry against married gay couples

GetEqual disrupts House committee mtg over ENDA

TAKE ACTION: Gay teenager found decapitated, dismembered, ...

Via JMG: Chicago burbs making big bucks from hosting gay softball tournament

Lesson to the wise for other towns.  Invite gay conferences and tournaments, and make money. 

Elmhurst, along with St. Charles and Schaumburg, is hosting the 2011 Gay Softball World Series, organized by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAA), and benefiting from the influx of visitors. 

As the largest gay sporting event in the world, 150 teams — made up mostly of players who are gay, as well as some who are bisexual and straight — qualified for the games from gay softball leagues in 41 cities across the United States and Canada.

In total, the tournament is expected to bring about $5 million to the area, according to Ted Cappas, president of the local tournament planning board.

Twitter, faster than earthquakes

JMG Quote Of The Day - Gary DeMar

Evangelist Gary DeMar explains how the gay death penalty will work once Christians achieve dominion over the United States and install a theocratic government:

"Obviously, certain sins often may escape detection. Homosexuals who practice behind closed doors are out-of-bounds for the courts, of course, unless others witness their criminal behavior. Such behavior may not be dealt with by courts in history, but will be dealt with by God, either in history (e.g., AIDS) or eternity. The law that requires the death penalty for homosexual acts effectually drives the perversion of homosexuality underground, back to the closet, to the dark realm of shameful activity."

RELATED: Check out Warren Throckmorton's just-posted list of quotes from other dominionists on the subject of the gay death penalty. He concludes: "No wonder many social conservatives are out in force trying to deny that these movements have any consequence or have any influence on Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann."

Labels: bigotry, Christian Love, dominionists, gay death penalty, religion, scary, theocracy

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: The Rise Of American Nazism

Florida's Pastor Mike Stahl wants to create a "national registry of known atheists." That way, good Christians can scan the list for neighbors, boycott their Satanic businesses, and otherwise harass them. Hmm, where have we heard this idea before?

Now , many (especially the atheists ) , may ask “Why do this , what’s the purpose ?” Duhhh , Mr. Atheist , for the same purpose many States put the names and photos of convicted sex offenders and other ex-felons on the I-Net – to INFORM the public ! I mean , in the City of Miramar , Florida , where I live , the population is approx. 109,000 . My family and I would sure like to know how many of those 109,000 are ADMITTED atheists ! Perhaps we may actually know some . In which case we could begin to witness to them and warn them of the dangers of atheism . Or perhaps they are radical atheists , whose hearts are as hard as Pharaoh’s , in that case , if they are business owners , we would encourage all our Christian friends , as well as the various churches and their congregations NOT to patronize them as we would only be “feeding” Satan .

Blogger PZ Myers notes that a campaign urging atheists to be more public about their identity already exists. Myers concludes:

I’m out. Pastor Mike can get to work compiling his own damn list, and he can put me right at the top of it. Would he also like me to get a tattoo, or maybe wear an armband with a big red A on it? We’re not ashamed, but many of us are rightly afraid of the cretinous thugs who follow Pastor Mike’s Jesus.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brett)

Labels: atheism, Christian Love, crazy people, Nazis, religion

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Scott Lively: Gays Will Use Prop 8 Tapes To Intimidate Christian Witnesses

Scott Lively, the infamous gay death penalty advocate and spokesman for God's Gentle Love, says homo-terrorists will wreak revenge upon Christian witnesses should the Prop 8 trial tapes be released.

"We have seen all across the country that the gay activist movement attempts to intimidate anyone who stands up for family values, and this just seems to be another example," decides Dr. Scott Lively of DefendtheFamily.com. "There's really no good reason for this [video footage] to be released, and I would hope that the decision would go against the release." Judge Ware has not made a ruling on the issue, but he is expected to provide a written decision at a later date. So far, he has said that "the integrity of the judicial process is affected" when one judge promises a videotape will be used only for limited purposes and a second judge decides to make the video public. "We have seen, unfortunately, a lot of intimidation of the judiciary by gay activists as well, so it will be interesting to see whether this judge stands up to the pressure or stands true to his original decision," Dr. Lively concludes.

Lively's ministry is one of the few listed as a certified hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Labels: California, hate groups, Proposition 8, Scott Lively

reposted from Joe