Via AmericaBlog: Coretta Scott King on the ties between racism and homophobia

With the current discussion about the role of black churches in the loss of marriage in Maryland, I think it's more important than ever to remind people of the words of Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King's widow (see her extensive quotes, below). For reasons I can't fathom, you don't hear anyone quoting Coretta, ever, when dealing with the issue of homophobia in the black community, and the larger claim that somehow homophobia is less repugnant, less worthy of fixing, than racism.

I have my own thoughts - namely, that it's exactly the same thing. Racism is the same thing as homophobia, and they're the same thing as anti-Semitism, as bigotry against the Irish during the 1800s and beyond, as America's appalling treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, of America's appalling treatment of Muslim-Americans following September 11, and the Republicans appalling treatment of Latinos to this day.

It's absurd for one group to make the claim that they suffered more than others, thus other claims for equal rights are somehow less valid.

[Maryland] Del. Emmett C. Burns saying "Those who want to ride on our coattails are historically incorrect; gay people had not endured the struggles of blacks, had not had crosses burned on their lawns or been thrown in a police wagon."

Actually, gay people have been thrown in police wagons - some during Stonewall, and others fighting alongside Martin Luther King (Coretta mentions this fact below) - and had the bigot from Maryland bothered studying his civil rights history, he'd have known that. Not to mention... show of hands if your people were rounded up and thrown into camps by the Nazis during the Holocaust? I see gay hands up, and rightly so, but oops, not so fast, Delegate Burns. We each have our unique cross to bear. It doesn't make any of us better than, or less human than, the other.

But there's a larger logical fallacy to the bigot Burns' ramblings. No one owns a patent on bigotry: Prejudice didn't start in the 1960s, and slavery didn't even start in the 1400s in Africa. In fact, slavery goes back at least to 1700BC. But you don't find anyone claiming that Del. Burns is riding on the coattails of all the slave populations that came before his own, and rightly so. Because to do so would make you look like a bit of a bigoted ass.

Prejudice and bigotry is a bad thing. And it's motivated by the same hatred, regardless of the skin color or sexual orientation of the perpetrator or the victim. So the next time you're confronted by an anti-gay bigot like Delegate Burns, or anyone who claims that somehow racism is more evil than homophobia, quote the words of Coretta Scott King, when talking about racism and homophobia. And then tell them to STFU, unless they want to now claim that they know more about civil rights than Martin Luther King's widow.

Here's my earlier post about Coretta's statements, reprinted below. Read it, save it, and use it.

This is an important post that every civil rights advocate should copy and keep handy.

I was at CNN yesterday, taping a segment for Howie Kurtz's Sunday show (should be on around 10:15am-ish Eastern time Sunday morning). The segment was about all the recent gay marriage victories, and whether the media was giving them enough coverage. I was debating conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager.

Prager made several rather telling points, while complaining about the fact that the American people are rising up with pitchforks against the recent onslaught of civil rights. He complained that if you oppose gay civil rights you're accused of being a bigot (I told him "that's because you are"), he then said that gay civil rights advocates would even compare your opposition to gay civil rights to those who opposed the civil rights of blacks. Well, yes Dennis, they do. That's because it's the same thing. Don't listen to me. Listen to Coretta Scott King, who I will quote extensively below. (And I researched all of these quotes myself - they're real, you can do a Lexis search if you need to find the originals.)

The religious right is terrified that Americans might notice the obvious similarities between the African-American civil rights battle and the fight for equal rights by gay and lesbian Americans. Spokespeople for fundamentalist extremist groups often denounce anyone who might equate the two struggles, as the following recent press release from the bigoted men at the Concerned Women for America (CWA) illustrates:

"To compare rich, privileged homosexual lobby groups allied with transsexuals and sadomasochists to brave civil rights crusaders — who risked their lives to advance freedom — insults every black American who overcame real injustice and poverty,” said CWA President Sandy Rios... "It’s time for the homosexual lobby to stop co-opting the black civil rights struggle. The [National Gay and Lesbian] Task Force’s agenda of promoting perversion — including public homosexual sex, sadomasochism and bisexuality — would offend the vast majority of African-Americans who understand the difference between God-designed racial distinctions and changeable, immoral behavior.” - CWA press release, 9/9/02

Ah yes, those terrible rich and privileged Jews gays.

Of course, there's a reason the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force links the issues of African-American civil rights and gay civil rights: Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King's widow, told them to. In a remarkable address before the Task Force's annual meeting, on November 9, 2000, Mrs. King gave a forceful statement on the importance of gay rights to the overall civil rights struggle (read Mrs. King's entire speech here.)

And this was not the first time Martin Luther King's widow made clear that groups like the Concerned Women for America have no idea what they're talking about when they try to speak on behalf of African-Americans about civil rights. Excerpts of Mrs. King's numerous public statements in favor of gay civil rights are posted below. Please feel free to cite any of the following quotations the next time a far-right extremist dares to speak on behalf of Martin Luther King and America's African-American community. We need to continually jam these quotes down their throats:

Make Room At The Table for Lesbian and Gay People

Coretta Scott King, speaking four days before the 30th anniversary of her husband's assassination, said Tuesday the civil rights leader's memory demanded a strong stand for gay and lesbian rights. "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice," she said. "But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'" "I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people," she said. - Reuters, March 31, 1998.

Homophobia is Like Racism and Anti-Semitism

Speaking before nearly 600 people at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Coretta Scott King, the wife of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tuesday called on the civil rights community to join in the struggle against homophobia and anti-gay bias. "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood," King stated. "This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group." - Chicago Defender, April 1, 1998, front page.

MLK's Struggle Parallels The Gay Rights Movement

Quoting a passage from her late husband's writing, Coretta Scott King reaffirmed her stance on gay and lesbian rights Tuesday at a luncheon celebrating the 25 anniversary of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national gay rights organization. "We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny . . . I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be," she said, quoting her husband. "I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy," King told 600 people at the Palmer House Hilton, days before the 30th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968. She said the civil rights movement "thrives on unity and inclusion, not division and exclusion." Her husband's struggle parallels that of the gay rights movement, she said. - Chicago Sun Times, April 1, 1998, p.18.

Mrs. King is Outspoken Supporter of Gay and Lesbian People

"For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people," King said at the 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.... "Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement," she said. "Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions." - Chicago Tribune, April 1, 1998, sec.2, p.4.

Sexual Orientation is a Fundamental Human Rights

We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say “common struggle” because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination. - Coretta Scott King, remarks, Opening Plenary Session, 13th annual Creating Change conference of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Atlanta, Georgia, November 9, 2000.

We Need a National Campaign Against Homophobia

"We have to launch a national campaign against homophobia in the black community," said Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the slain civil rights leader. - Reuters, June 8, 2001.

Justice is Indivisible

For too long, our nation has tolerated the insidious form of discrimination against this group of Americans, who have worked as hard as any other group, paid their taxes like everyone else, and yet have been denied equal protection under the law.... I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. My husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” On another occasion he said, “I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible.” Like Martin, I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others. So I see this bill as a step forward for freedom and human rights in our country and a logical extension of the Bill of Rights and the civil rights reforms of the 1950’s and ‘60’s. The great promise of American democracy is that no group of people will be forced to suffer discrimination and injustice. - Coretta Scott King, remarks, press conference on the introduction of ENDA, Washington, DC, June 23, 1994

GLEE - "When I Get You Alone" Performance from 2/8!

Via JMG: Celebs Pressure Obama On Marriage

A coalition of openly gay celebrities and their allies have issued a public letter to the president, asking that he complete his "evolution" and come out publicly in support of same-sex marriage. The letter reads, in part:

Like so many Americans, you have spoken of your personal journey toward support for the freedom to marry. You have talked about the gay and lesbian people in your life, their commitment to each other and care for their kids, and their families that aren’t so different from any other family.

We ask you now for your leadership on ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, an exclusion that harms millions of Americans each day. Whether to end discrimination in marriage is a question America has faced before, and faces again today. With so many Americans talking it through in heartfelt conversations, it is a question that calls for clarity from the President.

Among those signing the letter: Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Hathaway, David Geffen, Martin Sheen, Eric McCormack, Lily Tomlin, Scott Fujita, and Julian Bond.

Labels: activism, Anne Hathaway, Barack Obama, Ellen Degeneres, Evan Wolfson, Freedom Tower, Hollywood, Julian Bond, marriage equality

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Via JMG: Press Release Of The Day

"I am equally committed to the full and meaningful implementation of Equal Employment Opportunity policies for all HHS employees and applicants. My goal is to create an environment within HHS, free of discrimination, where all employees may work without fear of reprisal or discriminatory harassment; where qualified employees and applicants with disabilities receive reasonable accommodations; and where all employees are recognized for their individual performance and contributions to HHS, without regard to race, national origin, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, disability (physical or mental), status as a parent, genetic information, or other non-merit factor. I fully expect all employees and supervisors to adopt these goals. With your support and participation, we can ensure workforce diversity and equal opportunity are two of our greatest strengths." - Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, via press release.

(Tipped by JMG reader Nicholas)

Labels: employment, Kathleen Sebelius, LGBT rights, Obama administration

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Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Teacher Accused Of Writing "S" For Sinner On Gay Student's Hand

Gay students at a southern California public high school have gone to the ACLU with complaints about a pattern of harassment from their teachers.

In one instance, a Paloma Valley High School student alleged a teacher wrote an "S" on her hand and called her "a sinner." In another, a student group says it was barred from doing an activity for gay and lesbian history month, though an ethnic student group could. An openly gay senior says he was unfairly disciplined after a dispute with a classmate who he says harassed him. Teachers and students took their concerns to Paloma Valley administrators, the school board and the ACLU. District officials say they are addressing the complaints. "We take them very, very seriously," said Leslie Ventuleth, spokeswoman for the Perris Union High School District and its chief human resources officer.

The school has held recent anti-bullying assemblies and says it has disciplined the "sinner" teacher, whose name is being withheld due to employee confidentiality rules.

Labels: bullying, California, education, LGBT youth

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Via Belirico: Invisible at Death

Death Certificates in Washington State do not count gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people, and Washington is not alone. There is not a single state in this country recording this data. This is problematic for several reasons.
For example: Local, state, and national governments get a huge amount of data from death certificates. Trends become clear by gender, age, location, etc from causes of death when the data is available. Is cancer higher in women in Washington State than men? Are older people more likely to die from the flu? Do seat belt laws prevent automobile accident deaths? The list goes on and on.

For LGBT people, it is incredibly difficult to make those conclusion because they are invisible at death. Death certificates do not include any information about sexual orientation or gender identity.
This is a public health issue. Are gay people more likely to commit suicide? Do lesbians have the same heart disease rates as heterosexual women? Are committed gay couples more likely to live longer? Do states with more inclusive laws have healthier LGBTs than states that discriminate? What are the murder rates of Trans people?

These questions need answers, but if we do not have the data how can we even begin to tackle the solutions?

In Washington State, LGBT folks are a protected class. We are supposed to be included equally throughout our legal framework. We can begin to gather the data by adding two markers on the death certificate, "sexual orientation" and "gender identity". It is a simple fix that should be completed as soon as possible.

At a national level, the CDC needs to issue a requirement to states to collect data on LGBT deaths, so localities that do not recognize LGBTs under law will find it far more convenient to change their death certificates than to continue to ignore us.

It is bad enough that some of us remain invisible during parts of our lives, we should not be re-closeted for our eternal rest.

Lisa Ling Screws Up Big-Time On 'Ex-Gay' Segment

President Obama & the First Lady: Conference on Bullying Prevention

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

"All children should always feel safe and secure in our schools. While at school to learn, some students are forced to endure harassment, violence, bullying, and intimidation because of their sexual orientation. This is completely unacceptable. Our laws ensure that all students have access to public education in a safe environment free from discrimination, and these laws must guarantee these same protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students." - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, announcing today's reintroduction of the federal anti-bullying Student Non-Discrimination Act, which died in committee in 2010.

Gillbrand is one of 21 Senate cosponsors of the bill.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) would establish a comprehensive federal prohibition against discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. It would forbid schools from discriminating against LGBT students or ignoring harassing behavior. SNDA would also provide meaningful and effective remedies (loss of federal funding and a legal cause of action for victims) for discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, modeled after Title IX.

Labels: bullying, Kirsten Gillibrand, LGBT youth, New York state, Quote Of The Day, Senate

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Pelosi Statement on Speaker Boehner’s Decision to Intervene in DOMA Cases

Pelosi's statement on GOP leader Boehner's decision to have the House prosecute the DOMA cases at considerable expense to the US taxpayer

Pelosi Statement on Speaker Boehner’s Decision to Intervene in DOMA Cases

March 04, 2011
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after Speaker John Boehner announced he would convene the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group for the purpose of initiating action by the House to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court:

“President Obama took a bold step forward for civil rights and equality when he announced that the federal government would no longer argue to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

“This legislation has long raised constitutional questions and has long been viewed as a violation of the equal protection clause. That’s why I voted against it on the floor, and that’s why I oppose Speaker Boehner’s effort to put the House in the position of defending this indefensible statute.

“Aside from standing up for a discriminatory law and failing to focus on jobs and the economy, this action places Republicans squarely on the wrong side of history and progress. In addition, this decision will burden the staff and monetary resources of the Office of the General Counsel, and given the complexity of these cases and the number of courts involved, it is likely this will cost the House hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

“This is nothing more than a distraction from our most pressing challenges, and Speaker Boehner should follow his own advice and work with Democrats to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and responsibly reduce the deficit.”

Via JMG: The Obamas Speak Out Against Bullying

In advance of an anti-bullying conference to be held at the White House tomorrow, the president and First Lady have posted the below message to the federal government's official Stop Bullying page on Facebook.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjI7hVzlBTk&feature=player_embedded

Via Equality America:

A study published by the APA says, “Homophobia is one type of latent homosexuality where persons either are unaware of or deny their homosexual urges.”

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Henry Rollins

"Of course same sex marriage is constitutional! The right to be yourself, to pursue life, liberty, and property, is protected several ways over several amendments. John Boehner should know this. If only he read the Constitution as often as some of us do, he wouldn’t have bothered to lower himself to this time-wasting, pathetic attempt to invigorate his base of supporters.

"Damn, congressman, we’re trying to get up the road here. Either lay out a plan for job creation for all of us to see or get out of the way. You are the Speaker of the House. Scratching around in the ancient dirt of repellent prejudice instead of tackling the real issues is amateur hour. You have a plan? Now’s the time." - Henry Rollins, writing for Vanity Fair.

Labels: DOMA, Henry Rollins, marriage equality, straight allies

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Via the Onion: Gay hordes attack after defense of DOMA ends

A great piece from The Onion about a week ago:

WASHINGTON—Reports continue to pour in from around the nation today of helpless Americans being forcibly taken from their marital unions after President Obama dropped the Defense of Marriage Act earlier this week, leaving the institution completely vulnerable to roving bands of homosexuals. "It was just awful—they smashed through our living room window, one of them said 'I've had my eye on you, Roger,' and then they dragged my husband off kicking and screaming," said Cleveland-area homemaker Rita Ellington, one of the latest victims whose defenseless marriage was overrun by the hordes of battle-ready gays that had been clambering at the gates of matrimony since the DOMA went into effect in 1996. "Oh dear God, why did they remove the protection provided by this vital piece of legislation? My children! What will I tell my children?" A video communique was sent to the media late yesterday from what appears to be the as-yet unidentified leader of the gay marauders, who, adorned in terrifying warpaint, announced "Richard Dickson of Ames, Iowa. We're coming for you next. Put on something nice."

We'd go after Maggie Gallagher's "husband," but no one has ever seen him.

Via JMG: Michael Stipe: I'm 80% Gay

"On a sliding scale of sexuality I’d place myself around 80-20, but I definitely prefer men to women. I had sex with, and enjoyed sex with, women until I met someone that I fell in love with, and who is now my boyfriend. I wasn’t troubled or confused, but I just felt there wasn’t a place for me. I hate and refuse to apply the term bisexual to myself. It doesn’t seem appropriate. It feels like just another label." - REM lead singer Michael Stipe, speaking to the Observer.

Labels: Michael Stipe, pop music, sexuality

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Via JMG: NEW YORK: Donald Trump's Anti-Gay Comments Spawn Calls For Boycott

Days after Donald Trump announced that gay people deserve no civil rights at all, some activists are calling for a boycott of his businesses.

In New York, home to one of the largest gay and lesbian communities in the U.S., Trump's comments may end up biting him in the ass-ets. "He's an extreme bigot," says Allen Roskoff, who was the first openly gay appointed official in New York City and has served under Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor David Dinkins, among others." Roskoff adds: "Not only should gays be furious, we should be boycotting the products of the advertisers on his TV show" - "Celebrity Apprentice," which premiered Sunday night on NBC-TV "and certainly boycotting his casinos and hotels and apartment buildings." Noting that Trump recently switched his stance on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life, Roskoff says: "His game plan is to appeal to the extreme right." But he continues: "How he does business in New York, how he's tolerated is beyond me. I think things are going to change for him."

The above-linked article notes that Trump's daughter Ivanka has attended marriage equality fundraisers.

Labels: Allen Roskoff, assholery, boycotts, Donald Trump, LGBT rights, New York state

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Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Jonathan Lovitz

"Just had an intense day at jury duty. During voir dire we were asked who would not be impartial. I raised my hand and said, 'Since I can't get married or adopt a child in the state of New York, I can't possibly be an impartial judge of a citizen when I am considered a second class one in the eyes of this justice system.' You wouldn't believe how people in the room reacted." - NYC-based actor Jonathan Lovitz, who was then excused by the judge.

New York state does allow both single and coupled gays to adopt, but Lovitz' jury duty tactic is an interesting one.

Labels: HomoQuotable, justice, LGBT rights, New York state

Via JMG: HRC Denounces Boehner's DOMA Plan

The Human Rights Campaign has issued a denouncement of House Speaker John Boehner's vow to force the defense of DOMA. Via press release:

“The decision to mount an all-out defense of DOMA is particularly hypocritical given the Speaker’s contention that the President was distracted from focusing on the economy by DOMA,” said Solmonese. In order to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of DOMA in court, Congress would likely have to make arguments that could include:

· That gays and lesbians have not faced a history of discrimination
· That one’s sexual orientation is in fact relevant to a person’s ability to contribute to society
· That, contrary to the opinion of experts, sexual orientation is something that can be changed
· That, despite widespread laws such as marriage amendments disadvantaging gays and lesbians, they are politically powerful.
· That the federal government is justified in violating the federalist tradition of leaving marriage and family law to the states

“A far right fringe may be calling for a defense of DOMA, but doing so is sure to turn off independent voters,” said Solmonese. “John Boehner should realize that the world has changed since 1996 and fair-minded Americans won’t like what House Republican leaders have to say when trying to justify federal discrimination against some of a state’s lawful marriages.”

Joe Solmonese adds: "House Republican leadership has now shown they’re more interested in scoring cheap political points on the backs of same-sex couples than tackling real problems."

Labels: DOMA, GOP, HRC, Joe Solmonese, LGBT rights, marriage equality, U.S. House

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Defense of Marriage Act: That's Gay

Via JMG: America's Bedrock

Labels: First Amendment, Supreme Court, Westboro

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Via JMG: Alzheimer's Patient Wants To Marry While He Still Recognizes His Partner

Californians Ed Watson and Derence Kernik have been together for 40 years, but Ed has been been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and the couple is desperately hoping to marry while he can still recognize Derence. In a totally fucking related development, today the American Family Association denounced attempts to have the stay on Prop 8 lifted, using the headline, "Patience Is Not A Homosexual Virtue."

Labels: AFA, Alzheimer's, CA Supreme Court, California, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Proposition 8

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Via JMG: Trump: Gays Deserve No Rights At All

We already knew Donald Trump opposes same-sex marriage, but now we learn just how far his animus towards gay people extends.

After indicating to the Des Moines Register that he will compete in next year's Iowa caucus should he decide to seek office, Trump was questioned on his stance concerning same sex marriages. "They should not be able to marry," the Celebrity Apprentice star asserted. Trump also admitted that he hasn't developed a "fully formed" opinion on extending medical and civil benefits to gay couples, but he added: "As of this moment, I would say no and no." The TV personality has suggested that he will announce his final decision on whether to launch a presidential bid in the coming months.

GOProud will be so pleased.

Labels: 2012 elections, assholery, bad hair, bigotry, Donald Trump, douchenozzles, GOP, GOProud

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Via JMG: Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About 80s Pop Stars Getting Married

Or so it would seem from their bizarre image accompanying this message:

So, just like any other despot, Obama decided unilaterally to make the decision for all of us ignorant Americans who support DOMA, and we should be grateful. Shame on him. And shame on us if we just stand by silently and take it. We should not! We must speak out. Truthfully, we have been too silent for far too long. President Obama and Mr. Holder have been actively working against DOMA and, therefore, against all Americans ever since they took office. Even on the cases where they decided to “defend” DOMA, they were actually undermining its reasoning by abandoning the most effective arguments.

DOJ’s mission statement says it is “...to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.” But President Obama and the attorney general have made a mockery of impartiality. They have chosen to side with an extreme, liberal minority and chose to suppress the rights of the majority of Americans. Simply put, if you support DOMA, this president and his administration view you as the enemy who does not deserve the same protections other Americans enjoy. We are on our own.

Labels: bigotry, Concerned Women Of America, DOJ, DOMA, Eric Holder, LGBT rights, religion

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Via HRC:

Dear Daniel,

Don't let Republican leaders in Congress waste time and resources protecting the hateful Defense of Marriage Act. Make an urgent gift to fund our all-out effort to fight DOMA. Join HRC today.

In the wake of President Obama's courageous decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), radical lawmakers have sunk to a new low.

Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor have spent this past week working to placate anti-LGBT members of Congress and their right wing base by indicating they will defend DOMA – no matter what it takes.

So much for their pledges to focus on jobs and the economy. These so-called fiscal conservatives are wasting Congress's time and resources to defend discrimination.

We've never taken these attacks sitting down – and we can't start now. Time and again, our opponents lash out when we make progress. And time and again we band together to stop them. We've got to do it again this week, with a rapid-response effort in Congress and beyond. Can you help now?

Join HRC with an urgent gift to sustain the fight against DOMA.

In the past several weeks, HRC has helped drive major victories: civil unions in Hawaii and Illinois; unprecedented progress on marriage equality in Maryland, Rhode Island, and New York; and President Obama's decision on DOMA. All of those phone calls, rallies, letters to Congress, meetings with lawmakers – they're working.

But these victories have pushed our opponents to redouble their efforts to undermine equality.

So we're at a crossroads. We can catapult off of these recent victories and others in Illinois and Hawaii, grab this momentum with both hands and lay a foundation now for a future of full marriage equality – or we can let the extreme right wing dictate America's political agenda.

Right-wing radicals know the tide is turning against them. It's just making them more desperate. Only your generous grassroots support will help us stand strong. We must seize this moment. Are you with us, Daniel?

Join HRC now, and help drive the fight in Congress.

Thank you for helping us win – and for keeping this movement strong.

Best,

Joe Solmonese
President

Via JMG: Thrice-Married Serial Adulterer Arranged $200K To Protect Sanctity Of Marriage

According to the Los Angeles Times, Newt Gingrich served as middleman for an anonymous donor who gave $200,000 in "seed money" to fund the successful campaign to oust three Iowa state Supreme Court justices.

This year, several potential presidential candidates are vying for attention among religious conservatives. But only Gingrich was instrumental in the most heralded event of recent Christian political activism: The effort last fall to remove the Iowa judges. "It wouldn't have happened without Newt," said David Lane, executive director of Iowa for Freedom, the organization that led the campaign. "Newt provided strategic advice and arranged the initial seed money, about $200,000, which is what got everything started." The money came from an anonymous donor whose contribution was arranged by Gingrich, Lane said. Robert L. Vander Plaats, chief spokesman for the judicial campaign, said the former speaker provided key strategic advice. He said Gingrich had won over pastors in the state with his "open and transparent" approach.

Newt Gingrich would like to remind everybody that that marriage is between one man and one woman whom you abandon riddled with cancer on her hospital bed while you fuck the shit out of your mistress whom you later marry and cheat on with a third woman while screaming with Godly moral outrage about the infidelities of the president.

Labels: adultery, assholery, bigotry, douchenozzles, hypocrisy, Iowa, Newt Gingrich, religion

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Via JMG: New Book: Germans Invented Gay Rights

According to a coming book by historian Robert Beachy, the genesis of the modern gay rights movement came in 19th century Germany.

Modern conceptions of homosexuality began, ironically, with an anti-sodomy law. When the German empire was unified in 1871, the Imperial Criminal Code included a law prohibiting sexual penetration of one man by another. Questions about what types of activity should fall under the law spurred a sustained public inquiry into the nature of same-sex eroticism and sexuality in general. [snip] This new view of same-sex love was pioneered by German doctors who published early case studies of homosexuals in the 1850s. German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing released the first edition of his hugely influential Psychopathia Sexualis in 1886, which included multiple case studies of homosexuals that supported this new position. Through his work, Krafft-Ebing became a vocal opponent of the German anti-sodomy law, stating that homosexuality "should not be viewed as a psychic depravity or even sickness."

Beachy claims the world's first gay rights group, the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Committee) came into being at that time to gather petition signatures to repeal the anti-sodomy law. His book, The German Invention Of Homosexuality, is due out next year.

Labels: books, Germany, homosexuality, LGBT History

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Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Jim Burroway

"This [Westboro] ruling is important for many reasons. First and foremost, it preserves the primacy of free speech in America, which benefits us all. But from a parochial pro-LGBT narrative, it’s equally important to note that it proves the lie to the multiple instances when anti-gay activists falsely claimed that advances in LGBT equality and protections — whether they come in the form of marriage equality or hate crimes protections — will result in the infringement of religious and speech rights. They never have and, if this ruling is any indication, it reaffirms the fact that they never will. So the next time someone claims that marriage equality will result in pastors being prosecuted for hate speech, make a note of it: Snyder v Phelps." - Jim Burroway, writing for Box Turtle Bulletin.

Labels: Box Turtle Bulletin, First Amendment, HomoQuotable, Jim Burroway, LGBT rights, religion, Supreme Court, Westboro

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Via JMG: Gillibrand Launches RepealDOMA.com

Just launched by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Via Huffington Post:

We must repeal this discriminatory law. There is no reason same-sex couples should be denied the same rights that my husband and I and so many other straight Americans enjoy. For me it comes down to the very simple principles that every American should be able to marry the person they love, and that discrimination against LGBT Americans is unconstitutional and wrong. The law as it currently stands denies federal benefits to thousands of legally married couples -- more than 1,100 federal rights and privileges enjoyed by straight couples, including hospital visitation, inheritance and some health care benefits. It discourages states from recognizing these legal marriages and it denies millions more Americans the right to marry the person they love. This is wrong.

Gillibrand has also pledged to cosponsor Feinstein's coming repeal bill.

Labels: DOMA, Kirsten Gillibrand, LGBT rights, Senate

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SASSY GAY FRIEND: Great Expectations

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

"Dear Mr. Speaker, In a letter to you last week, the Attorney General advised that the Administration has concluded that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and therefore will cease to defend the statute in pending litigation. It is in the best interests of taxpayers and the constitution for you to refrain from appointing special counsel to defend this law. A decision to appoint special counsel would be an unnecessary cost to taxpayers, and would detract from our shared goal of cutting wasteful spending and creating jobs.

"The executive branch’s responsibility to defend federal laws is not absolute, particularly in instances such as the present case, where the federal law is in direct conflict with the confines of the Constitution. At this critical economic juncture in our nation’s history, it is imperative that we as legislators do not devote resources to defending an antiquated and unconstitutional law."- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, in a letter sent today to House Speaker John Boehner.

Labels: DOMA, Kirsten Gillibrand, Quote Of The Day, Senate

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Via JMG: GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Vows DOMA Defense Move By Friday

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said last night that a GOP plan to defend DOMA will be in place by the end of the week. Cantor's announcement came as the GOP completely ended unemployment and the nation's budget crisis, as promised.

“I stand by [Boehner’s] commitment to make that happen,” Cantor (R-Va.) said Monday afternoon at a press conference, promising to outline their plans in detail Friday. Cantor said the Justice Department’s refusal to defend the law is a problem separate from the substance of the law itself, which allows states to decide whether to recognize same-sex unions in other states. The Justice Department has called another provision, that bars same-sex couples from receiving federal-worker benefits, unconstitutional. “Again I do believe that this is a case that is distinguishable on its merits and to have the administration take the position, the president take the position, that he’s not defending the law of the land, is something very troubling I think to most members of the House,” Cantor said. When pressed on what House Republicans planned to do, he demurred. “I think you’ll see that on Friday,” Cantor said.

Yesterday House Speaker John Boehner told the Christian Broadcast Network that he may appoint a special House counsel to defend DOMA, a move suggested to him by former GOP Sen. Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum.

Labels: DOMA, Eric Cantor, marriage equality, U.S. House

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Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Attorney General Kamala Harris Demands Lift In Prop 8 Stay

California Attorney General Kamala Harris today filed a request with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, demanding that they lift their stay on the overturn of Proposition 8 and immediately allow the resumption of same-sex marriages.

Attorney General Harris said it is unlikely that an appeal will succeed in overturning Judge Walker's ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The appeal's likelihood of success has been substantially diminished, Attorney General Harris said, "both by the United States Attorney General's conclusion that classifications based on sexual orientation cannot survive constitutional scrutiny and by this Court's certification order to the California Supreme Court, which seriously questions the Court's jurisdiction to decide the merits of the case."

In addition, Attorney General Harris said, "there is no injury that the proponents of Proposition 8 will suffer if same-sex couples are permitted to enter into civil marriages in California." But as long as the stay on same-sex marriages remains in effect, Attorney General Harris said, the due process and equal protection rights of same-sex couples will continue to be violated, perpetuating unconstitutional discrimination and making a stay of Judge Walker's ruling legally inappropriate.

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also filed a brief today with the same request.

Labels: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, marriage equality, Ninth Circuit Court., Proposition 8

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Via jMG: Sarah Palins Slams Obama On DOMA

"I have always believed that marriage is between one man and one woman. Like the majority of Americans, I support the Defense of Marriage Act and find it appalling that the Obama administration decided not to defend this federal law which was enacted with broad bipartisan support and signed into law by a Democrat president. It’s appalling, but not surprising that the President has flip-flopped on yet another issue from his stated position as a candidate to a seemingly opposite position once he was elected." - Sarah Palin, as triumphantly quoted today by Maggie Gallagher.

Labels: Barack Obama, bimbos, DOMA, LGBT rights, Maggie Gallagher, marriage equality, Sarah Palin

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SACBEE.COM BREAKING NEWS ALERT

California AG asks court to lift gay marriage stay

California's attorney general has asked a federal appeals court to allow gay marriages to resume while the court considers the constitutionality of the state's ban on same-sex unions.

Via American Foundation for Equal Rights:

Dear Daniel, Today, California’s largest newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, published a powerful editorial which argued that gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry, starting immediately. Last week, AFER’s attorneys filed a brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, urging it to lift the stay of the district court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional, which would enable marriages to resume. Today’s editorial underscores the growing consensus that gay and lesbian couples should not have to wait to get married while the Prop. 8 case works its way through the legal system. “Enough already,” the Los Angeles Times editorial board wrote. “…Every day that the case drags on, gay and lesbian couples who would like to marry are being deprived of their civil rights. That's not our wording; the federal trial judge decided that issue, at least for now. The denial of constitutional rights, even temporarily, is a deplorable situation that must meet high legal standards to be allowed to continue. In our view, those conditions have not been met.” I encourage you to read the full editorial on the L.A. Times website, and to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Help raise visibility for all the people who cannot wait to get married. Sincerely, Chad GriffinBoard President American Foundation for Equal Rights

Via Courage Campaign:

Dear Daniel, This week, we’re filing an amicus curiae letter to the Supreme Court of the State of California asking them to speed it up. We’re taking this step because couples are literally getting sick and dying while the Court is dragging its feet, and we’ve had it. When the Court announced that it would look into the question sent to them by the Ninth Circuit regarding whether Prop 8 proponents had standing, they announced a schedule that would have the oral argument in “late September 2011.”  That isn’t good enough. Help us show the California Supreme Court what happens when they drag their feet. Can you co-sign our amicus curiae letter to the California Supreme Court? In the letter, we describe some of the heartbreaking stories of over 400 Courage Campaign members who wrote in to tell us how they are impacted by these delays.  Stories like those of Derence Kernek, who wants to marry his partner of over forty years before Alzheimer’s robs his partner, Ed, of the ability to even recognize Derence. Four months really could mean the difference between getting a chance to marry and a lifetime of regrets. Throughout the trial process, the federal courts have moved along with breakneck speed, but now the California Supreme Court is slamming on the brakes.  For so many Californians, this could have devastating consequences. Tell the California Supreme Court: Marriage can't wait! Please co-sign to our letter to the California Supreme Court and forward it on to five of your friends. www.couragecampaign.org/NoMoreWaiting We need the Court to see how painful any additional delay could be for so many Californians. Thank you for your continued commitment to equality. Sincerely, Rick Jacobs Founder and Chair, Courage Campaign P.S. To see additional stories, and to provide your own, check out our newest project we’re launching this coming month, Testimony: Take a Stand.

JMG Quote Of The Day - Albert Mohler

"When we talk about same-sex marriage, we talk about something that is already legal in one form or another in basically twelve states. So whether they call it marriage, as they do in a few states, or marriage-lite as they have now in twelve states, the reality is that a good number of Americans are living where they're already facing not just the inevitably, but the reality of same-sex marriage. I think it's clear that something like same-sex marriage - indeed, almost exactly what we would envision by that - is going to become normalized, legalized, and recognized in the culture. It's time for Christians to start thinking about how we're going to deal with that." - Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaking on a Focus On The Family radio show.

Stand by for the wingnut denouncements.

Labels: Albert Mohler, Focus On The Family, marriage equality, Quote Of The Day, religion

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Via UOL: Jean Wyllys reage à ofensiva evangélica contra gay

Edson Sardinha e Eduardo Militão
Do Congresso em Foco

• Jean Wyllys reage à ofensiva evangélica contra gay
  

Para frear contestação de benefício no Imposto de Renda para casais homossexuais, deputado ameaça questionar falta de prestação de contas por parte das igrejas. Ele diz que crítica a portaria da Fazenda “mascara” homofobia

Primeiro gay a se eleger deputado federal defendendo a bandeira dos homossexuais, Jean Wyllys (Psol-RJ) anuncia uma contra-ofensiva à iniciativa de parlamentares evangélicos de tentar derrubar a principal novidade da declaração do Imposto de Renda deste ano: a inclusão de parceiros homossexuais como dependentes para fins de dedução fiscal. O deputado disse que vai discutir esta semana com outras lideranças da Frente Parlamentar Mista pela Cidadania GLBT (Gays, Lésbicas, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Transgênero), ainda em reestruturação, uma maneira de barrar o movimento articulado pelo deputado Ronaldo Fonseca (PR-DF), que considera o benefício ilegal.

Jean Wyllys afirmou ao Congresso em Foco que pretende utilizar o mesmo argumento “legalista” do colega, que é pastor da Assembléia de Deus, para cobrar que as igrejas, que têm imunidade fiscal, passem a prestar contas à sociedade. “Posso recorrer também à legalidade para exigir do ministro da Fazenda que ele explique por que as igrejas não prestam contas à sociedade. Se os partidos políticos prestam, por que igrejas não?”, questionou.

Pastor da Assembléia de Deus, Ronaldo Fonseca tem em mãos desde a quinta-feira passada um parecer técnico elaborado na Câmara (leia a íntegra) que contesta a concessão dos benefícios aos homossexuais, conforme revelou o Congresso em Foco. O deputado do DF estuda recorrer à Justiça e apresentar um projeto de decreto legislativo para sustar os efeitos da portaria da Fazenda que garantiu o benefício aos homossexuais. Ele também cogita chamar à Câmara o ministro Guido Mantega para dar explicações sobre sua portaria.

Apoiado no parecer, o deputado alega que a medida é inconstitucional, viola o artigo 226 da Constituição e precisaria do aval do Congresso para entrar em vigor. Ronaldo busca apoio da Frente Parlamentar Evangélica, que deve se decidir sobre o assunto nos próximos dias. “Na canetada, eu não vou [aceitar], não. Tem de ter o debate”, disse Ronaldo Fonseca na quinta-feira.

“Motivação homofóbica”

“Ele disse que na canetada, não. Eu digo que no grito da falsa legalidade, nós também não vamos aceitar”, respondeu Jean Wyllys. Para o parlamentar, a ofensiva evangélica sobre o assunto tem motivação homofóbica.  “A máscara do discurso deles é da legalidade, mas isso tem uma motivação homofóbica disfarçada”, acusou.

O deputado fluminense ressalta que a portaria que beneficia os homossexuais está amparada em parecer da Procuradoria-Geral da Fazenda, que está ancorado, por sua vez, no artigo 87 da Constituição, que define os poderes de Estado, e também no artigo 5, que diz que “todos são iguais perante a lei” no Brasil. Para ele, a portaria da Fazenda é legal. “O direito é extensivo aos homossexuais. Em nenhum momento, a lei diz que companheiro ou companheira tem de ser heterossexual. Pode ser tanto homossexual ou heterossexual”, afirmou o deputado.

Jean Wyllys diz que vai tratar do assunto na terça-feira em reunião com a deputada Manuela D’Ávila (PCdoB-RS) e na quarta, com a senadora Marta Suplicy (PT-SP), responsáveis pela reativação da frente parlamentar que defende os direitos dos homossexuais. O deputado também rebate o argumento utilizado por Ronaldo Fonseca, sustentado no parecer da Câmara, de que o governo está abrindo precedente a outras categorias ao atender às reivindicações dos homossexuais.

Impacto

Ele conta ainda que pediu um estudo à sua assessoria técnica para levantar de quanto será a renúncia fiscal com a dedução do Imposto de Renda por parceiros do mesmo sexo. “O impacto será muito pequeno. A Receita só vai aceitar a inclusão como dependente de casais reconhecidos pela Justiça, que ainda são muito poucos no Brasil”, afirmou.

O deputado diz que não pretende tratar a bancada evangélica como “inimiga”, mas cobra respeito dos parlamentares religiosos à causa dos direitos humanos e civis e à tolerância de credo. “A liberdade religiosa deles, em geral, só vale para um lado, não pensam em termos de pluralidade. Eles vêm sempre agindo nisso. Com minha presença e por estar trabalhando na frente parlamentar, isso acirra mais os ânimos. Não sou inimigo, nosso espaço é do diálogo. Se eles tiverem projeto de interesse coletivo, vou defender. Mas eles têm de se abrir ao diálogo, e não ficarem presos a dogmas”, declarou.

A nota da Consultoria da Câmara ressalta que o artigo 226 diz que apenas “é reconhecida a união estável entre o homem e a mulher”. Afirma ainda que a Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal obriga toda concessão de benefícios fiscais, como a dedução de imposto para os gays, lésbicas e transexuais vir acompanhada de impacto orçamentário e fonte de compensação da receita a ser perdida. De acordo com o estudo, isso não aconteceu.

Nota técnica

A nota alega ainda que a concessão desse benefício aos homossexuais abrirá brecha para outros segmentos da sociedade exigirem novas isenções de imposto. O texto cita como exemplo os irmãos solteiros que moram juntos; os filhos  solteiros que permanecem morando com os pais, às vezes adotando filhos; e as pessoas celibatárias que vivem juntas fraternalmente.

A consultoria da Câmara entende que o governo federal foi descuidado ao tentar encaixar os gays nas hipóteses de dedução de imposto. Em nota enviada ao site, a Procuradoria da Fazenda diz ter “plena convicção da constitucionalidade e legalidade de seu parecer”, que embasou a decisão do ministro Guido Mantega.