Dan Savage on What the Institution of Marriage Means

Hmmm...

A Message from Geoff Kors

It has been a tumultuous week since last Tuesday’s elections. Maine voters stripped their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender friends and neighbors of the right to marry. Meanwhile, Kalamazoo residents voted to preserve anti-discrimination protections, and Washingtonians said “yes” to domestic partnerships. Now that the votes are in, it’s time to reflect on what is next in the push for full equality.

So now what? What does the path forward look like?

1. Federal courts are considering a challenge to Prop. 8 on the grounds that it violates the United States Constitution. EQCA strongly supports this case and has filed a powerful brief urging the court to overturn Prop. 8. The Obama Administration needs to join the fight and stop the abhorrent abuse of the initiative process to eliminate the rights of any targeted minority. I strongly encourage you to sign our petition asking the Administration to file a brief in support of this case, and ask your friends and family to sign it, too.
   
   
2. We must continue to come out and tell our stories to the people that matter. We need to gain support for marriage and that means talking to people who are not yet supportive. EQCA is going door to door with our coalition partners in neighborhoods across the state. Join our next canvass or volunteer at one of our local field offices.
   
   
3. We must stop endorsing and giving money to candidates for office who do not support full and complete equality. Until the politicians who take our community for granted realize that they can no longer count on our votes unless we can count on theirs, they will not change. EQCA’s Political Action Committee has always endorsed only those candidates who support our equality 100 percent. We must emphasize that there is no middle ground. Either you support equality or you don’t.
   
   
4. We must also make clear that there is nothing wrong with children learning that there are LGBT people. Our children should grow up in a world where they know they are safe and can fall in love and get married regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That is why we worked so hard to pass a bill in California establishing Harvey Milk Day, and we will continue to work for an inclusive curriculum. Those who oppose marriage equality are simply relying on blatant scare tactics. By working to ensure an inclusive curriculum we can take this argument away from them.

While I remain sad and angry about what happened in Maine, the results in Washington and Kalamazoo and the election of LGBT candidates throughout our nation demonstrate the progress we have made. Add these victories to the passage of federal hate crimes legislation, the signing of the Harvey Milk Day bill, marriage victories in Vermont and Iowa and the many other gains our community has made this year alone, and there is much reason for hope.

We are making tremendous progress, and while there will continue to be setbacks along the way, we will prevail.

With hope,

Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

From Bilerico

Everyone has to do the Wal-Mart cheer now

Filed by: Alex Blaze

November 9, 2009 1:00 PM

Do you still shop at Wal-Mart? If you do, you might want to read this story about two gay dads getting kicked out.

Thomas Hitchcock and Joe Paolucci were there buying groceries, and Hitchcock used the self-scan lane. As he was leaving, a security officer approached him and accused him of stealing about $15 worth of lighters. People started shouting, the kids started freaking out, and the police were called. They promptly put the gays in squad cars and the kids were taken to a detention room.

The police reviewed the security tape and found that they hadn't stolen anything. The Wal-Mart manager then presented the two dads with a letter saying they were banned for life for "being uncooperative." Wal-Mart is also asking them for $150-some dollars, not for stealing, of course, but for creating a scene.

Continue reading "Everyone has to do the Wal-Mart cheer now" »

Thanks Mad Professah!

The boycott has been endorsed by such progressive luminaries as Daily Kos, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Andy Towle and Michael Goff of Towle Road, Paul Sousa (Founder of Equal Rep in Boston), Pam Spaulding, Robin Tyler (ED of the Equality Campaign, Inc.), Bil Browning for the Bilerico Project, among others.

Here is a list of their "beefs" with the Democrats in general and President Obama in particular:

Can you give examples of how the President and Democrats have not been fierce advocates for the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans?

1. Asking a religious right activist who claims to have been “cured” of his homosexuality to headline campaign events in South Carolina. Then letting the anti-gay bigot spend half an hour, on stage, haranguing gays at the Obama event.
2. Refusing for months to interview with LGBT newspapers during the campaign, while his opponent did repeatedly.
3. Flubbing question on whether gays are immoral.
4. Inviting anti-gay activist Rick Warren, who helped pass Prop 8 in California, to give the invocation at the inaugural.
5. Inviting a gay bishop to the inaugural festivities, then not beginning the TV broadcast until the gay bishop has finished and left.
6. Refusing to appoint an openly gay Cabinet member.
7. Abolishing the LGBT outreach position at the DNC and never reinstating it.
8. Refusing to re-establish the White House Office of LGBT Outreach and the White House LGBT Liaison (which was a Special Assistant to the President at one point).
9. Continuing to discharge two gay servicemembers a day, even though he could stop it immediately by issuing a stop-loss order immediately.
10. Asking for a study on “whether” repealing DADT would hurt national security, rather than a study on how to repeal it, as promised.
11. Deleting his gay civil rights promise from the White House Web site.
12. Changing his commitment to “repeal” Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, to “changing DADT it in a sensible manner.”
13. Repeatedly defending DOMA in court, including just a few weeks ago, even though he didn’t have to.
14. Making jokes about marriage equality, which President Obama claims he doesn't support, even though he once did.
15. Comparing gay relationships to incest and pedophilia in a Justice Department brief.
16. Joking about gay protesters upset about the DOMA brief.
17. Refusing to provide health care benefits to the partners of gay employees, and then claiming that DOMA precludes it, when it does not.
18. Refusing to meet with gay legal groups to discuss how to provide such health benefits within the confines of DOMA.
19. Claiming that health benefits for partners of federal employees were new, then being caught in a lie.
20. Showing visible discomfort when asked about gay civil rights.
21. Suggesting he won’t get to DADT, DOMA or ENDA until his second term, if ever.
22. Refusing to suspend implementation of anti-gay laws, like DADT and DOMA, while suspending laws that hurt others.
23. White House staffers worked against amendment proposed by Rep. Alcee Hasting (D-FL) to defund Don't Ask, Don't Tell investigations
24. Saying won’t repeal DADT until wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have finished.
25. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid had to beg President Obama to help on DADT repeal.
26. A White House official referring to gay civil rights advocates, marching on Washington, as part of “the Internet left fringe” whose opinions don’t matter.
27. Saying he won’t touch DOMA in his first term.
28. Refusing to release list of gay attendees at hate crimes reception.
29. Refusing to mention Maine or Washington state, or anything of substance, in his speech to the Human Rights Campaign dinner.
30. Saying gays are “naïve” for wanting the president to keep his promise.
31. Refusing to issue a statement specifically opposing anti-gay ballot measures in Maine and Washington state.
32. Attorney General Eric Holders flubs question on Maine, twice -- once while in Maine.
33. DNC/OFA emailed supporters in Maine and Washington state, but didn't ask them to vote against anti-gay ballot measures, then lied about it.
34. Senator Durbin (D-IL), a very close ally of Obama, says Senate probably won’t repeal DADT in 2010, as promised.
35. Senior DNC official accuses gays and lesbians of “helping Republicans” by simply asking Democrats to keep their gay civil rights promise.
36. Refusing to publicly endorse marriage equality for gays.
37. Continuing to dawdle over DADT.
38. Refusing to this day to interview with the gay press.
39. Refusing to apologize for any of these slights.

Public Opinion and Policy in the States: Gay and Lesbian Rights

From JMG

HomoQuotable - Dan Savage

"Twenty-five years ago, at the height of the AIDS crisis, there were hundreds—thousands—of gay men walking around with two or three T cells and six-months-or-less to live. The religious right was doing what it always does: it's worst, demonizing gay people, kicking us when we were down, attacking us on the airwaves and in Congress, and neglecting us to death at the White House. Those were dark days. And yet no gay man—none of those gay men with just a few months to live and nothing left to lose—picked up a gun and took at shot at Jesse Helms or Jerry Falwell. The only political assassination attempt during the Reagan years was on Reagan, of course, and it was made by a deranged straight boy who wanted to impress a girl.

"If gay people didn't shoot our political enemies during the AIDS crisis, Peter, it seems highly unlikely that a gay assassin is coming to kill you, despite the loose talk of one anonymous commenter. No need to make a federal case out of it.

"And we all know it's not a cap you want popped in your ass, Peter." - Dan Savage, reacting to Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber calling the FBI about JMG commenters.courtesy of JMG

Sign this Petition

Don't Ask, Don't Give

Posted by John Aravosis (DC) at 11:30 AM

Joe and I are launching today a donor boycott of the DNC. The boycott is cosponsored by Daily Kos, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, Paul Sousa (Founder of Equal Rep in Boston), Pam Spaulding, Robin Tyler (ED of the Equality Campaign, Inc.), Bil Browning for the Bilerico Project, Jane Hamsher and soon others.

It's really more of a "pause," than a boycott. Boycotts sounds so final, and angry. Whereas this campaign is temporary, and is only meant to help some friends - President Obama and the Democratic party - who have lost their way. We are hopeful that via this campaign, our friends will keep their promises.

So please sign the Petition and take a Pledge to no longer donate to the DNC, Organizing for America, or the Obama campaign until the President and the Democratic party keep their promises to the gay community, our families, and our friends.

jump to the full post here

Portugal To Approve Marriage Equality

Sources in the administration of Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates say that one of the first plans for his new government will be to approve marriage equality. Via Bay Windows:

"The measure is part of the official program of the party and according to government sources, the move will be done as soon as [formation of] the government is complete," writes correspondent João Paulo from PortugalGay.pt. Sócrates’ Socialist Party captured 97 of Parliament’s 230 seats. With 31 additional votes from members of the Left Bloc and the Communist Party, both of which support gay marriage, Sócrates should be able to pass the bill easily.

Since 2001 Portugal has had a civil unions law for gay and straight couples that have lived together for at least two years.

great news lifted from JMG

Important post from JMG: Please read Joe's advice when posting

Peter LaBarbera: The Liberty Counsel Has Called The FBI Over JMG Commenters

According to arch homophobe Peter LaBarbera, the Christianist legal firm Liberty Counsel has called the FBI to report "terrorist threats" made by JMG commenters.

Dear Readers,

Homosexual activist blogger Joe Jervis of “Joe.My.God” website contains a post attacking AFTAH founder Peter LaBarbera followed by a reader comment suggesting that “domestic terrorism” against pro-family leaders who oppose the homosexual agenda is justifiable.

In the post, titled “Haters vs. Haters: Peter LaBarbera Attacks Maine’s Stand for Marriage” — which has been live online since last Wed., Nov. 4 — a reader named “Fritz” writes:

“What I fear is that once gay and lesbian people give up hope of achieving equality through nonviolent means, there will be radicals who will begin to hunt down haters like LaBarbera and [National Organization for Marriage founder Maggie] Gallagher.

“All [it] will take is a small group of radical zealots who are willing to kill for their cause….”

Responding to Fritz’s suggestive “warning,” “Tex” writes:

“Fritz … you say this like it’s a bad thing?

“Maybe a bit of well-organized terrorism is just what we need, er, I mean ‘civil disobedience.’”

More coming …. We will reproduce all the offensive comments on our website. The pro-family Christian defense organization Liberty Counsel has contacted the FBI regarding the threatening post.

The two comments excerpted by LaBarbera don't pass the laugh test as a "terrorist threat." The first, by Fritz, expressed concern that any violence against anti-gay activists would HURT our cause. Which it would. The second, by Tex, is clearly a joke. Nevertheless, I've taken that post down for the time being.

But please let this obvious attempt to intimidate me and my readers serve as a warning to you all. The Christianist right monitors this blog and what we all say very closely. They read every post and every comment, clearly. Please don't post anything, even in jest, that you wouldn't mind saying in a signed letter to your local newspaper. Nothing is truly anonymous on the internet, ever.

Courts have held that bloggers, newspapers, and other online forums are not responsible (PDF) for libelous or threatening comments made on their sites. But cases have been brought, although rarely successfully, against commenters whose identities can be determined. Especially, you must never post the home addresses or personal phone numbers of any public or private persons. Calls to action that include links, addresses, and phone numbers for government agencies, advocacy groups, and businesses are perfectly legal.

According to figures provided by JS-Kit, the commenting service provider for this blog, the volume of commenting here is in the hundreds of thousands per year. Obviously, I cannot monitor them all, so I ask that if you see a comment posted here on JMG that you feel incites to violence, violates someone's personal privacy, or otherwise puts its author in legal jeopardy, please email me at JoeMyGod@gmail.com and I'll investigate.

UPDATE: Raw Story has posted an email from Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber, in which he compares the Fort Hood massacre to "terrorist threats" from JMG commenters.

A prominent social-conservative activist group is using comments made by readers on a gay-rights Web site as "evidence" that the LGBT movement is mulling using "organized terrorism" against Christians. The Liberty Counsel released a statement on Monday linking Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter in last week's Fort Hood massacre, to the gay-rights movement.

"In the wake of the horrific act of Islamic domestic terrorism at Fort Hood Texas, it has been learned that militant homosexual activists recently made similar online postings to those of Nidal Malik Hasan, threatening additional acts of terrorism against Christians," stated an email from Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel's director of cultural affairs, as well as an associate dean at Liberty University Law School. Barber's email continued:

In response to Maine’s natural marriage victory last Tuesday, “gay” activists have directly threatened to retaliate with “terrorism” and the “killing” of Christians on the popular homosexual activist JoeMyGod weblog. Liberty Counsel notified the FBI which is investigating the matter. As of this morning, the offending blog entry had been removed. Matt Barber commented: “All potential threats of terrorism and murder are very serious business. As we learned just last week, there are ideologically driven terrorists who walk among us. After passage of Proposition 8 in California we saw that many homosexual activists are capable of threats, vandalism and even violence. Those who either threaten or attempt to incite terrorism must be immediately brought to justice. Churches and Christian leaders around the country need to be on high alert. These threats of homosexual activist terrorism must be taken very seriously."

I guess Barber is really upset about his book reviews. So like any dissed author, he called the FBI.

a heads up from JMG

Proud! Play it Loud!

Interactive Map

Go the Wall Street Journal article for an interactive map displaying the status of legally recognized same-sex relationships in each state.

Sir Ian McKellen's Grudge with Leviticus

Sir Ian McKellen's Grudge with Leviticus

by Michael A. Jones

How's this for the premise of X-Men 4: Magneto decides that instead of seeking world domination, he's just going to wage battle against radical right-wing religious folks who use the Bible as a means of beating up on LGBT people.

Jump here to the article

Sugar-Coated Homophobia

Sugar-Coated Homophobia

Pastor Joel Osteen is one of the most popular preachers in the country, and the author of several best-selling books that help people achieve "their best life now." Gay Rights blogger Michael Jones writes that while Pastor Osteen has made a name for himself selling a friendlier version of religion, there's still a sour dose of homophobia that lies at the core of his sugar-coated message. It reared its ugly head this week, when Pastor Osteen boldly claimed that "homosexuality is not God's best." On the contrary, we humbly suggest to Pastor Osteen that homophobic preachers are not likely to be a loving God's best. (Read more)

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

Weekly Reader: Gay Geeks, Election Night, & Equality March Controversy

Thanks to this week's election night open thread and our liveblog of the Senate ENDA hearing, this was the highest traffic week ever on Bilerico Project. While those two posts were two of our highlights this week, out of the many posts published this week, here are some of the best:

Sunday
Guess Who Just Played the Gay Card?
Filed by: Adam Bink
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/guess_who_just_played_the_gay_card.php

Apples and Androids [Gay Geeks]
Filed by: Nathan Strang
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/apples_and_androids_gay_geeks.php

Monday
Why gay marriage IS the End of the World (or the queer world, at least)
Filed by: Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/why_gay_marriage_is_the_end_of_the_world_or_the_qu.php

Lessons for the marginalized
Filed by: Amy Hunter
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/lessons_for_the_marginalized.php

Tuesday
Equality March Co-Directors Resign; Group Reorganizes Amid Controversy
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/equality_march_co-directors_resign_group_reorganiz.php

How Do You Just Watch a Rape?
Filed by: Terrance Heath
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/how_do_you_just_watch_a_rape.php

Wednesday
The Day After a Hard Night
Filed by: Kate Kendell
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/the_day_after_a_hard_night.php

Update: Statement on Gender Identity Disorder and Transvestic Fetishism in the DSM-V
Filed by: Kelley Winters
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/update_statement_on_gender_identity_disorder_and_t.php

Thursday
Speaker Pelosi (and all your Democratic friends): I'm not waiting anymore.
Filed by: Kip Williams
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/speaker_pelosi_and_all_your_democratic_friends_im.php

Marriage after Maine
Filed by: Nan Hunter
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/marriage-maine-gay-lgbt-election-results.php

Friday
The Top 10 Best Ballot Questions Ever
Filed by: Alex Blaze
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/top-ten-10-politics-list-poll-survey.php

WWJD? Incite Hate Crimes Against LGBT People, according to this "Pastor"
Filed by: Waymon Hudson
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/wwjd_incite_hate_crimes_against_lgbt_people_accord.php

BONUS:
Election Night Results Open Thread: Maine, WA State, Kalamazoo & Beyond
Filed by: Waymon Hudson
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/election_night_open_thread_maine_wa_state_kalamazo.php

Liveblogging the Senate ENDA Hearing
Filed by: Dr. Jillian Weiss
http://www.facebook.com/l/ee4ec;www.bilerico.com/2009/11/liveblogging_the_senate_enda_hearing.php

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HLN's Joy Behar & Panel Talk Carrie Prejean's Sex Tape & Gay Rights

Dear Friends –

A year ago, Marriage Equality USA asked you to share your personal stories about the Prop 8 campaign, its harm, and our hopes for the future. We received over 3,000 responses and produced a series of reports using your feedback that you can find on our website (http://www.marriageequality.org/index.php?page=polls-and-studies). These reports have influenced organizations as they reflect on how they run their campaign operations and have been used in many forums to illustrate the harm that come from these anti-gay campaigns.

Last Tuesday evening, it was déjà vu again as we witnessed same-sex couples in Maine having their fundamental right to marry stripped from them by a mere majority of voters. But Marriage Equality USA and dedicated volunteers will not stop, we will continue to reach out to more and more Americans to share our stories on why marriage matters and why these campaigns are so destructive. We know that marriage equality will be a reality, it is just a matter of time and we ask you to continue to stay engaged on this journey.

As follow up to last year’s survey, Marriage Equality USA is launching a stories project. We want to encourage same-sex couples, their families, straight allies, and other community members to share their experiences on the impact and importance of extending the freedom to marry to all loving, committed couples. The stories we collect will be presented through a digital stories project that we will release during February's Freedom to Marry month.

If you could take 15 minutes to sit down and share your story we would appreciate it and we will use it. To facilitate this effort, we have created an on-line survey at: http://www.marriageequality.org/marriagestories/

The diversity of our experiences is important to share because there are so many people to reach. We must reflect the reality that we are truly everywhere, in every community and demographic. No one will do this for us, we must be the change we want to see in the world and it begins with sharing our truth. Your story may be the one that will make a difference for some conflicted but potential marriage equality supporter. So send in your story today and please spread the word.

Thank you and take care,

Pamela Brown and all our dedicated volunteers at Marriage Equality USA

Pastors will test Matthew Shepard Act by "inciting hate crimes"

31112 Religious conservatives still outraged over the passing of hate crimes legislation have decided to test the limits of the new law with a publicity stunt involving incendiary hate speech directed at gays and lesbians. In order to "prove" that their God-given right to harass LGBT folk is being threatened, a group of pastors plan to travel to the nation's capital and ratchet up the rhetoric in hopes of getting themselves arrested. (Can you believe this shit? And these zealots have the audacity to refer to hate crimes legislation as the "Hate Christians Law.")

You can't miss the irony here. Christianity is supposed to be all about "Love Thy Neighbor" and "Do Unto Others," right? So in order to challenge the new law, a posse of homobigots led by Pastor Gary Cass (president of the so-called Christian Anti-Defamation Commission) is heading to Washington DC on November 16th where they will assemble outdoors and shout hatred and even foment violence against gays - y'know, to see how far they can go before being arrested under the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Jump to the rest of the distressing story here