GLBT News Clips: Monday, June 15, 2009

 

Monday (June 15, 2009) News Clips
Headline		Date	Outlet	Links
HRC In the News (5)
	Bruno causing outrage before it even hits the big screen	06/15/2009	3 News NZ	Text	View Clip
	'Bruno': Baron Cohen at it again	06/15/2009	New York Times - Los Angeles Bureau, The	Text	View Clip
	Hate Crimes Bill Attached to Tourism Bill; Vote Expected This Week	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	L.A. gay pride parade darkened by U.S. stance on marriage	06/15/2009	Los Angeles Times	Text	View Clip
	Senate hate crimes vote expected this week Supporters plan to amend tourism bill	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
Culture (2)
	Gay pride event in Des Moines draws 15,000	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Iowa Pride event draws 15,000	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
Entertainment/TV/Movies (2)
	Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black apologises for leaked unprotected gay sex photos	06/15/2009	PinkNews.co.uk	Text	View Clip
	Now It's SIR Alan Cumming: Queen Knights Gay Actor	06/15/2009	EdgeNewEngland.com	Text	View Clip
Hate Crimes/Criminal (5)
	Janet Porter on hate crimes bill: 'pedophile protection act'	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Man pleads not guilty to murder and stabbing of gay couple	06/15/2009	PinkNews.co.uk	Text	View Clip
	Senate Hate Crimes Bill vote this week -- it's attached to tourism bill	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Senate hate crimes vote expected this week	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Two men jailed for attack on gay man in Reading squat	06/15/2009	PinkNews.co.uk	Text	View Clip
International (6)
	Doncaster mayor backs down over Pride funding cut	06/15/2009	PinkNews.co.uk	Text	View Clip
	Europeans Ask For Gay Marriage At Pride	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
	Gay Festival in China Pushes Official Boundaries	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Gay pride activists march in Rome, Warsaw, Zagreb	06/15/2009	365gay.com	Text	View Clip
	Homophobic bullying 'widespread' in Ireland	06/15/2009	PinkNews.co.uk	Text	View Clip
	Millions parade Sao Paulo's streets for gay pride	06/15/2009	EdgeNewEngland.com	Text	View Clip
Legislation (1)
	Immigration law divides gay couples	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
Marriage (11)
	D.C. Gay Marriage Decision Expected This Week	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
	Every Fundamentalist Should Be Forced to Read Quote from Joe Bruno	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Former N.Y. Senate leader backs gay marriage	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Former NY Gubernatorial Candidate Suozzi for Marriage Equality	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Former NY Republican Lawmaker Flips On Gay Marriage	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
	Gays decry Obama's stand on gay marriage case	06/15/2009	365gay.com	Text	View Clip
	In R.I., some wary as tide of gay marriage rises at border	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	L.A. gay pride parade darkened by U.S. stance on marriage	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Male couple snookers NYC into officially marrying them	06/15/2009	365gay.com	Text	View Clip
	New York City Clerk Inadvertently Marries Same-Sex Couple	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	NY: officials duped into granting marriage license to same-sex couple	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
National Politics (3)
	Former Clinton aide Socarides: Obama's Department of Justice had a choice	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Former LGBT Clinton Advisor on Obama: 'From Silence to Hostility'	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Obama Responds To Criticism Of DOMA Defense	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
Politicians/Leaders (9)
	Berry to Advocate: hate crimes 'may pass' next week; gives WH response to DOMA	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Gay Iraq Vet Congressional Candidate Anthony Woods Talks to CNN	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Jerry Brown: Extension of Liberty to Same-Sex Couples is the Future	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	John Berry Offers Disappointing Forecast of Obama's LGBT Agenda	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Mayors criticize Justice Department support for Defense of Marriage Act	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Newsom: Obama's DOMA Defense 'Big Mistake'	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
	Prop 8 Leader Eyes Assembly Seat	06/15/2009	Advocate, The	Text	View Clip
	S.F., L.A. Mayors Criticize DOMA Brief	06/15/2009	Advocate, The	Text	View Clip
	SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Calls DOMA Brief 'A Big Mistake'	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
State/Local Politics (8)
	Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Leader Seeks Assembly Seat	06/15/2009	On Top Magazine	Text	View Clip
	Cicilline: R.I. Marriage Equality by 2012	06/15/2009	Advocate, The	Text	View Clip
	Gary Randall, Fundraising Failure	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Mich. lawmaker seeks to recognize gay marriage	06/15/2009	Washington Blade	Text	View Clip
	Michigan Lawmaker Launches Effort to Repeal State's Gay Marriage Ban	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Nebraska Wrestlers Dismissed for Gay Porn Profiled on ESPN	06/15/2009	Towleroad	Text	View Clip
	Palin snubs PrideFest, Wasilla fundies protest Gays	06/15/2009	Pam's House Blend	Text	View Clip
	Wis. Democrats elect gay advocate as nation's youngest chair	06/15/2009	365gay.com	Text	View Clip
Bruno causing outrage before it even hits the big screen | View Clip 06/15/2009 3 News NZ Bruno causing outrage before it even hits the big screen Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:18p.m. Gay communities beware - Sacha Baron Cohen is back and as offensive as ever. His latest feature film Bruno has not hit cinemas yet but it is already causing outrage amongst gay communities. Gay rights lobbyists in the US thought the homosexual Austrian fashion journalist Bruno was intended to expose homophobia. Now some feel the joke is on them and they are accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of reinforcing gay stereotypes. “"Some people in our community may like this movie, but many are not going to be OK with it,” says Rashad Robinson of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "Sacha Baron Cohen's well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in places and downright offensive in others." "We strongly feel that Sacha Baron Cohen and Universal Pictures have a responsibility to remind the viewing public right there in the theater that this is intended to expose homophobia," says Brad Luna of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Crashing the Milan Prada Fashion Show last September was all part of the publicity for Bruno - as was the Eminem stunt at this year's MTV Movie Awards. The number of people who have attempted to Sue Baron Cohen is thought to be in the thousands. His comedy has constantly been hit with lawsuits - from his gangster rap character Ali G, to the Kazakh Borat, where he portrayed Kazakhstan as a Jewish-hating nation, who treated their horses better than women. The outrageousness of his latest installment, Bruno, will undoubtedly mean Cohen is to be sued again. Bruno is out in New Zealand on July 9. Return to Top
'Bruno': Baron Cohen at it again | View Clip 06/15/2009 New York Times - Los Angeles Bureau, The By BROOKS BARNES NEW YORK TIMES Published: Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. Last Modified: Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. LOS ANGELES -- Sacha Baron Cohen recently approached Elton John through a representative. Could he use "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," John's hit song from "The Lion King," for a pivotal scene in his forthcoming movie? "Bruno," an R-rated comedy set for wide release by Universal Pictures on July 10, stars Baron Cohen as a flamboyantly gay fashion journalist from Austria. The filmmakers wanted to play the song during a scene in which the title character, participating in a cage-fighting match, pulls down his opponent's pants and kisses him on the mouth, prompting a horrified crowd to throw garbage at him. The answer was no. John, along with the Walt Disney Co., which owns the copyright to the song but seeks his approval in such matters, learned of the scene's particulars and blanched, according to one of John's advisers. But then John reversed himself -- kind of. He didn't want to be associated with the provocative scene, but he ultimately agreed to perform part of another song that functions as a coda to the film. So it goes for "Bruno," a movie that, in mercilessly exploiting the discomfort created when straight men are ambushed by aggressive gayness, happens to (surprise!) expose homophobia. Gay groups are reacting with deeply mixed emotions, heightened by the recent triumphs (Iowa) and losses (California) in efforts to legalize gay marriage. Is the film then vulgar, inappropriate and harmful? Or bold, timely and necessary? All of the above? Ultimately the tension surrounding "Bruno" boils down to the worry that certain viewers won't understand that the joke is on them and will leave the multiplex with their homophobia validated. "Some people in our community may like this movie, but many are not going to be OK with it," said Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "Sacha Baron Cohen's well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others." Holding the opposite view are people like Aaron Hickland, the editor of Out magazine, who said he plans to put Baron Cohen on the August cover. "The movie does something hugely important, which is showing that people's attitudes can turn on a dime when they realize you're gay," Hickland said. "The multiplex crowd wouldn't normally sit down for a two-hour lecture on homophobia, but that's exactly what's going to happen. I'm excited about that." "Bruno" is not a lecture, at least not overtly. Like "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," the 2006 smash that starred Baron Cohen as an anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist, "Bruno" is first and foremost a raunchy comedy featuring a not-so-bright guy who embraces sexism, racism and stereotypes as he happily goes about his business. Borat and Bruno are both familiar to fans of "Da Ali G Show," Baron Cohen's satirical talk show, which first ran in Britain in 2000 and began appearing on HBO in 2003. Hate is real Yet "Bruno" is also intended as a statement about what it is like to be a member of a minority in America in 2009. Baron Cohen's malaprop-loaded antics are fictional, but the hate they can elicit from the people he encounters is ostensibly real. (The same was true of "Borat," which some human rights groups also greeted with hostility; Abraham H. Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League said at the time that audiences "may not always be sophisticated enough to get the joke.") Bloggers have given "Bruno" an unofficial subtitle: "Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt." Universal won't discuss the filmmaking process, but the studio insists that the vast majority of the people who appear with Baron Cohen had no idea they were being filmed. Ads for "Bruno" trumpet, "real people, real situations." That was at least true of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the former Republican presidential candidate. In a scene filmed in early 2008, Paul sits for an interview with the Baron Cohen character. (Paul has said he was told the topic would be Austrian economics.) When lighting trouble delays the interview, Baron Cohen strips to his underwear. Paul storms out. muttering, "This guy is a queer." In a subsequent radio interview Paul said: "I don't like the idea that he lies his way into an interview. To me it's a real shame that people are going to reward him with millions and millions of dollars for being so crass." Judging from the way certain subjects in "Borat" reacted after that film was released, Universal's lawyers will be busy. At least six lawsuits were filed against the comic and 20th Century Fox, the "Borat" distributor. So far no plaintiffs have won, but some cases are on appeal. (Universal, which won a bidding war with 20th Century Fox for the distribution rights to "Bruno," paying $42.5 million, seems happy to take the risk. "Borat" cost $18 million and brought in $262 million worldwide.) "Bruno" was served with its first lawsuit on May 22. According to a complaint filed by a California woman, Baron Cohen -- as Bruno -- infiltrated a charity bingo tournament and offended the elderly audience with vulgarities while calling a game. The plaintiff, Richelle Olson, contends that she was severely injured when she tried to grab the microphone away from him. In a statement Universal called the lawsuit "completely baseless," noting that full footage of the encounter shows that Olson was never touched. No ambiguity As roles go, there is no ambiguity about Bruno: he is a limp-wristed, sex-crazed queen. Universal's promotional materials show him dressed in hot pants, leopard bikini underwear and riding nude on a unicorn. The character has evolved in appearance since the television show. This Bruno has plucked eyebrows and longish hair with blonde highlights. He wears mauve lipstick. Baron Cohen also appears to have shed several pounds of arm, leg and torso hair through waxing or electrolysis. In one scene Bruno appears on a talk show holding a baby who is wearing a T-shirt reading "Gayby." The sequence flashes back to Bruno having sex in a hot tub while the baby sits nearby. He then boasts to the outraged talk-show audience that the baby is a man magnet (only he uses unprintable language). In another scene Bruno, intent on becoming straight, goes to a martial arts instructor to learn how to protect himself from gay people. "If they get close to you, hit them," the teacher says. How can you spot a gay man? "Obvious is a person being extremely nice" is the answer. Gays can be tricky, the instructor warns: "Some of them don't even dress no different than myself or you." The movie also touches on the reckless pursuit of fame. For instance, under the pretext of conducting a "glamorous baby" photo shoot, Bruno interviews real moms and dads, many holding their babies on their laps. He asks one mother "is your baby comfortable with bees, wasps and hornets?" She answers, "George is comfortable with everything." Dead or dying animals? "Yes." "Can Olivia lose 10 pounds in the next week?" Bruno asks another mother, who doesn't bat an eyelash: "Yeah, I'd have to do whatever I could," she says. Baron Cohen declined to be interviewed for this article, as did Larry Charles, who directed the film (as well as "Borat"). Universal also declined to make a production executive available for an interview, providing the following statement instead: "'Bruno' uses provocative comedy to powerfully shed light on the absurdity of many kinds of intolerance and ignorance, including homophobia. By placing himself in radical and risky situations, Sacha Baron Cohen forces both the people Bruno meets and the audience itself to challenge their own stereotypes, preconceptions and discomforts. "While any work that dares to address relevant cultural sensitivities might be misinterpreted by some or offend others, we believe the overwhelming majority of the audience will understand and appreciate the film's inarguably positive intentions." Upbeat coverage The studio has twice shown unfinished versions of "Bruno" to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and said that test audiences have come away with a clear understanding of the film's positive social message. Universal also said that it screened 20 minutes of unedited footage at a Texas film festival this year, and that blog coverage was overwhelmingly upbeat. Marketing "Bruno" poses unusual challenges for Universal, as some multiplex chains will only run trailers to R-rated films before other R-rated movies. And a stunt at the MTV Movie Awards on June 1 may have damaged the movie's credibility, film marketers say. During the show Baron Cohen, dressed as Bruno, dangled above the audience from wires wearing a jock strap and giant white wings. He landed face down in the lap of the rapper Eminem, who stormed out of the theater. The problem: Eminem admitted to being in on the stunt -- and thus faking his reaction -- which may lead audiences to doubt the studio's assertion that actors were not used in the film. Meanwhile, the debate among gay rights advocates goes on. "We strongly feel that Sacha Baron Cohen and Universal Pictures have a responsibility to remind the viewing public right there in the theater that this is intended to expose homophobia," said Brad Luna, a spokesman for Human Rights Campaign. Cathy Renna, who left the Gay and Lesbian Alliance after 14 years to start her own similarly focused consulting firm, said she thinks gay audiences will greet the film warmly. "Of all minority groups I think gay people are the most likely to be able to laugh at themselves," she said. "If nothing else, let's hope this prompts a lot of conversation." Will the stereotypes Baron Cohen explores offer support to opponents of gay marriage? "I don't think that any conservative group is going to use 'Bruno' to make a point about how awful gay people are," said Frank Vocci, the founder of White Knot, a nonprofit group focused on gay rights. "If they try to go there, we can easily turn around and point out how horribly these people reacted to him being gay." Asked for his thoughts on "Bruno," Black responded by e-mail, "Sadly, I haven't seen the film yet!" Return to Top
Hate Crimes Bill Attached to Tourism Bill; Vote Expected This Week | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad A U.S. Senate vote on the federal hate crimes bill, which passed the House in late April 249-175, is expected to happen this week, after it's amended to an unrelated travel bill, the Washington Blade reports: Capitol "Lawmakers are expected to pass the measure by amending S. 1023, or the Travel Promotion Act, said the source. The bill is geared toward establishing a national travel promotion program to communicate U.S. travel policies and to promote travel to the United States. 'The idea is that that will be an amendment to the tourism bill that's going to be on the floor this week in the Senate, and we're thinking that the vote will happen probably [Tuesday] or Wednesday,' said [their] source...More details on the passage of hate crimes legislation are expected later Monday at press conference on Capitol Hill. Speakers scheduled to attend include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign; Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; and Michael Lieberman, Washington counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, a group that works to stop the defamation of Jewish people." Return to Top
L.A. gay pride parade darkened by U.S. stance on marriage | View Clip 06/15/2009 Los Angeles Times L.A. gay pride parade darkened by U.S. stance on marriage As they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the gay rights movement, gays feel let down by Obama. Mayors Villaraigosa and Newsom take their side against Defense of Marriage Act. By Michael Finnegan June 15, 2009 The mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco joined gay rights groups Sunday in raising concerns about the Obama administration's defense of a federal law restricting same-sex marriage. "I think it's a big mistake," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said shortly before he and his Los Angeles counterpart, Antonio Villaraigosa, kicked off the annual L.A. Pride parade in West Hollywood. * Full coverage of same-sex marriage, Proposition 8 Full coverage of same-sex marriage,... * Interactive: Gay marriage chronology Interactive: Gay marriage chronology The mayors, potential rivals in next year's Democratic primary for governor, were each careful to avoid direct criticism of President Obama. But their mutual disapproval of a Justice Department brief filed Thursday in support of the Defense of Marriage Act comes amid growing discontent with Obama among gay rights groups. The battle over same-sex marriage added a serious note to the West Hollywood celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village that launched the modern gay rights movement. "I'm concerned about some of the arguments being made by the Justice Department," Villaraigosa told a cluster of news crews on Santa Monica Boulevard as motorcyclists in the "Dykes on Bikes" group revved their engines for the parade's start. In his campaign for the White House, Obama pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which President Clinton signed into law during his 1996 reelection campaign. The law bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and enables states to refuse to recognize such marriages performed in other states. The Justice Department brief, filed in opposition to a federal lawsuit arguing that the law is unconstitutional, says the act "reflects a cautiously limited response to society's still-evolving understanding of the institution of marriage." It was filed by Assistant Atty. Gen. Tony West, who was a San Francisco fundraiser for Obama, and two other Justice Department lawyers. Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, called the administration's defense of the law unacceptable. The Defense of Marriage Act "is and has always been an immoral attack on same-sex couples, our families and our fundamental humanity," Carey said. Other groups denouncing the brief included the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union. White House spokesman Shin Inouye said the Justice Department, in submitting the brief, was following its normal practice of defending a law on the books in court. "The president has said he wants to see a legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act because it prevents [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] couples from being granted equal rights and benefits," Inouye said. "However, until Congress passes legislation repealing the law, the administration will continue to defend the statute when it is challenged in the justice system." Obama, he said, "remains fully committed" to his proposals on gay rights. Gay rights groups have called on Obama to act more quickly on the major ones, including abandonment of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays in the armed forces from disclosing their sexual orientation. Rodney Scott, president of Christopher Street West, the parade's chief sponsor, said he was "deeply saddened" that Obama's administration was defending the marriage law. "That's not the president I voted for," he said as thousands of people lining Santa Monica Boulevard cheered the procession of marchers and floats. Bill Rosendahl, a gay member of the Los Angeles City Council and early Obama supporter, was equally blunt. "I'm very upset with him on everything he's done regarding us so far," he said. Among those vowing to fight for the repeal of Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that barred same-sex marriage in California, were Villaraigosa and Newsom. "We're going to do everything we can," Villaraigosa said, "to put this issue back on the ballot." michael.finnegan@ Return to Top
Senate hate crimes vote expected this week Supporters plan to amend tourism bill | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Senate hate crimes vote expected this week Supporters plan to amend tourism bill By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade | Jun 15 2009, 10:41 AM The U.S. Senate is expected to approve hate crimes legislation by Wednesday, according to a Democratic source. Lawmakers are expected to pass the measure by amending S. 1023, or the Travel Promotion Act, said the source. The bill is geared toward establishing a national travel promotion program to communicate U.S. travel policies and to promote travel to the United States. "The idea is that that will be an amendment to the tourism bill that's going to be on the floor this week in the Senate, and we're thinking that the vote will happen probably [Tuesday] or Wednesday," said the source. The hate crimes bill passed the House on April 29, 249-175, as a standalone measure. The legislation would allow the U.S. Justice Department to assist in the prosecution of hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in death or serious injury. John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest-ranking openly gay presidential appointee in history, announced during a speech at D.C.'s Capital Pride on Sunday that the Senate would address hate crimes as early as this week. He also said the Obama administration would soon announce changes regarding inequities faced by LGBT employees in the federal workforce. More details on the passage of hate crimes legislation are expected later Monday at press conference on Capitol Hill. Speakers scheduled to attend include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign; Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; and Michael Lieberman, Washington counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, a group that works to stop the defamation of Jewish people. Sexual orientation-inclusive hate crimes bills have languished in Congress since they were first introduced in 1997. The drive to pass legislation picked up steam after Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was murdered in 1998 near Laramie, Wyo. In memory of Shepard, versions of federal hate crimes legislation have been sometimes known as the Matthew Shepard Act. Return to Top
Gay pride event in Des Moines draws 15,000 | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Chicago Tribune | Jun. 15 at 4:27 PM Organizers say this year's Capital City Pride event in Des Moines drew a record crowd of of some 15,000 participants from throughout the Midwest. ... Return to Top
Iowa Pride event draws 15,000 | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Organizers say this year's Capital City Pride event in Des Moines drew a record crowd of of some 15,000 participants from throughout the Midwest. Many participants in Sunday's event in the East Village neighborhood were celebrating the Iowa Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal in the state. The ruling in April makes Iowa one of six states that allows gays and lesbians to marry. The parade was the first since 2007. Last year's event was canceled because of the flooding that hit Iowa. ... Return to Top
Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black apologises for leaked unprotected gay sex photos | View Clip 06/15/2009 PinkNews.co.uk Dustin Lance Black, who wrote the screenplay for Milk, the biopic of gay rights campaigner Harvey Milk, has apologised after leaked photographs showed him having unprotected sex with another man. Return to Top
Now It's SIR Alan Cumming: Queen Knights Gay Actor | View Clip 06/15/2009 EdgeNewEngland.com The protean Scots actor Alan Cumming, who won a Tony for 'Cabaret,' is being knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Return to Top
Janet Porter on hate crimes bill: 'pedophile protection act' | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend You see, this is the kind of bullsh*t we have to put up with on hate crimes legislation. Lies flow so freely from the pious keyboard of people like Janet Porter in the WingNutDaily column that she should be struck down by lightning. Filled with quotes from the Bible, she penned this hysteria:Right now the Senate has a bill that would jail pastors and protect pedophiles. This thing not only criminalizes speech against the homosexual agenda, S. 909, was dubbed the "Pedophile Protection Act" because the House rejected an amendment that would have excluded child molesters from receiving elevated protection along with others on a list of 547 sexual perversions. (Pam - The above reminds me of the McCarthy-esque Johnny Iselin character played by James Gregory in The Manchurian Candidate, who kept making up numbers of "confirmed Communists in the State Department" until the Angela Lansbury character told him to settle on a number he could remember - looking at a Heinz 57 bottle of ketchup.) It's an issue we can win. They are so extreme on this one that even their own base won't support them. How would you like to run as the candidate that supported the "Pedophile Protection Act"? That's not going to play well at home. And they know it. So what if we're surrounded? So what if they have control? So what if they have a president who is chomping at the bit to sign this thing? I say we strike and strike now. Nearly half a million Fed Ex's have already been sent to the Senate asking for a filibuster. Send them another. If there was ever a time for Republicans to lead it is now. If they stand up against this, it will make every other battle we face easier. This is their weakest point. This is where we must strike and convince them to have the courage to filibuster before a corrupted election sends a comedian to Congress. What if angry moms who don't want pedophiles protected called the Senate (202-225-3121) with the message: "Hey, buster, you better filibuster!" Don't mess with moms. What if pastors around the country stood up in the pulpits like Paul Blair and Rick Scarborough and defended their right to read from Romans? I don't care that Obama says that New Testament book of the Bible is "obscure" - we will not let his tyrannical power grab reach into the pulpits and touch the word of God. We must use our freedoms now while we still have them. Put down the white flag and stand up against evil now. Stop the Pedophile Protection Act with the last tool in our arsenal - the filibuster. Stand and fight - for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few. Blair and Scarborough can read and preach whatever bigotry they want -- they won't be thrown in the clink and Porter knows it. She also knows if she continues to repeat the ridiculous scary number of "sexual orientations" enough that her readers won't question the nonsense. Did I mention that those 500K FedExs were sent at $10.95/pop? Also worth noting is that FedEx is apparently giving them a discount:Of course, you are welcome to send your own FedEx letter, but it will cost you substantially more - a minimum of $13 per senator. We will send your letter overnight to all 100 members of the U.S. Senate for a total of $10.95. Return to Top
Man pleads not guilty to murder and stabbing of gay couple | View Clip 06/15/2009 PinkNews.co.uk A Bromley man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a gay man and the attempted murder of his partner. David Kilcullen, 46, pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing of Gerry Edwards, 59, and the attack on his partner, 56-year-old Chris Bevan at the Old Bailey Return to Top
Senate Hate Crimes Bill vote this week -- it's attached to tourism bill | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend Last week I reported on the Blend that there was zero chance of a federal hate crimes bill passing in the Senate as standalone legislation. The bill, considered the least controversial of all of the pro-LGBT legislation (otherwise it wouldn't be in the queue first) would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing hate crimes laws. Today it was announced that the bill has been tacked onto a tourism bill, according to "an unnamed source" (why can't people own the most basic information?). (WashBlade):Lawmakers are expected to pass the measure by amending S. 1023, or the Travel Promotion Act, said the source. The bill is geared toward establishing a national travel promotion program to communicate U.S. travel policies and to promote travel to the United States. "The idea is that that will be an amendment to the tourism bill that's going to be on the floor this week in the Senate, and we're thinking that the vote will happen probably [Tuesday] or Wednesday," said the source. The hate crimes bill passed the House on April 29, 249-175, as a standalone measure. The legislation would allow the U.S. Justice Department to assist in the prosecution of hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in death or serious injury.Remember, folks, when this passes, and it likely will do so in both chambers, you are going to see a whole lot of backslapping, high-fives and ego-strokes on the Hill and by advocacy groups, hoping that you folks out there will be so happy to see the first major piece of pro-LGBT legislation pass that you'll forget you were shut taken a dump on by this administration's DOJ with that ENDA brief. Sorry, folks, we'll be happy to see the federal hate crimes bill succeed (and for the fundies to take a temporary bath), but there's no way to mitigate the hate brief's damage to LGBT rights. As I've mentioned before, if there aren't the votes to pass a standalone hate crimes bill, do you think Pelosi, Reid, and the administration have the spine to take on ENDA? Related: * U.S. Senate plans to pass hate crimes bill as amendment Return to Top
Senate hate crimes vote expected this week | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade The U.S. Senate is expected to approve hate crimes legislation by Wednesday, according to a Democratic source. Lawmakers are expected to pass the measure by amending S. 1023, or the Travel Promotion Act, said the source. The bill is geared toward establishing a national travel promotion program to communicate U.S. travel policies and to promote travel to the United States. "The idea is that that will be an amendment to the tourism bill that's going to be on the floor this week in the Senate, and we're thinking that the vote will happen probably [Tuesday] or Wednesday," said the source. The hate crimes bill passed the Hous ... Return to Top
Two men jailed for attack on gay man in Reading squat | View Clip 06/15/2009 PinkNews.co.uk Two men have been jailed for an attack on a gay squatter in Reading. Jonathan Wicks and Neil Warner, both 21, were sentenced last week for the attack on squatter Kieran Dulai on April 24th 2008. Return to Top
Doncaster mayor backs down over Pride funding cut | View Clip 06/15/2009 PinkNews.co.uk The new mayor of Doncaster has backed down on his promise to cut funding for the town's annual Pride festival. Peter Davies, an English Democrat, had vowed to cut spending on the event, saying: "I don't think councils should be spending money on them [gays and lesbians] parading through town advertising their sexuality." Return to Top
Europeans Ask For Gay Marriage At Pride | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine At Gay Pride parades Saturday throughout Europe demonstrations called for the right to have their unions recognized Return to Top
Gay Festival in China Pushes Official Boundaries | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade New York Times | Jun. 15 at 12:47 PM It was shortly after the ?hot body? contest and just before a painted procession of Chinese opera singers took the stage that the police threatened to shut down China?s first gay pride festival. The authorities had already forced the cancellation of a play, a film screening and a social mixer, so when an irritated plainclothes officer arrived at the Saturday afternoon gala and flashed his badge, organizers feared the worst. ... Return to Top
Gay pride activists march in Rome, Warsaw, Zagreb | View Clip 06/15/2009 365gay.com (Rome) Tens of thousands of gay rights activists demanding rights for same-sex couples marched through the streets of Rome on Saturday in a gay pride parade. Smaller marches wound through the capitals of heavily Catholic Poland and in Croatia, where counterdemonstrators shouted anti-gay and nationalist slogans. In Rome, costumed demonstrators carrying rainbow ... Return to Top
Homophobic bullying 'widespread' in Ireland | View Clip 06/15/2009 PinkNews.co.uk Irish Minister for Children, Barry Andrews, has spoken out against the widespread nature of homophobic bullying in the country. Return to Top
Millions parade Sao Paulo's streets for gay pride | View Clip 06/15/2009 EdgeNewEngland.com Dancing and waving rainbow flags, people are jamming one of Sao Paulo's main boulevards for the 13th annual gay pride parade in South America's biggest cities to condemn homophobia and demand equal rights. Return to Top
Immigration law divides gay couples | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Houston Chronicle | Jun. 15 at 1:30 PM Joseph Racicot and his partner, Roland, will celebrate their eighth anniversary as a couple on Tuesday. ... Return to Top
D.C. Gay Marriage Decision Expected This Week | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine A D.C. board is expected to rule this week on whether to allow a gay marriage question to go before voters Return to Top
Every Fundamentalist Should Be Forced to Read Quote from Joe Bruno | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend Cross-posted at: http://www.tips-q.com/1026115-ny-joe-bruno-now-supports-same-sex-marriage NY: Joe Bruno now supports same-sex marriage. Former New York Senate Majority Leader, Republican Joe Bruno now says that he is a supporter of same-sex marriage. Although Bruno retired from the Senate last year, he continues to be an extremely influential party elder. Therefore, this represents a positive development for marriage equality in the Empire State. As a relatively conservative Roman Catholic, I instinctively view marriage as the foundation of the family. However, that view really does conflict with the rights that are afforded all of us, This is America and we have inalienable rights … life is short and we should all be afforded the same opportunities and rights to enjoy it. Return to Top
Former N.Y. Senate leader backs gay marriage | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Former New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said he now supports legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, a change of heart that could influence the measure's chances in the state Senate. The 80-year-old Republican, who retired last year as the state's most powerful Republican, tells The Associated Press he now sees the issue as a civil right. "As a Republican, I believe in personal freedom," Bruno said in a written statement. He said support of the measure by Democratic Gov. David Paterson, a friend and longtime collegial adversary in the Senate, helped him change his mind about same-sex marriage. Bruno blocked an ear ... Return to Top
Former NY Gubernatorial Candidate Suozzi for Marriage Equality | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, a practicing Catholic who came out against same-sex marriage in favor of civil unions in his primary for governor against Eliot Spitzer in 2006, came out swinging for marriage equality in the New York Times:... Return to Top
Former NY Republican Lawmaker Flips On Gay Marriage | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has flipped his stance on gay marriage Return to Top
Gays decry Obama's stand on gay marriage case | View Clip 06/15/2009 365gay.com (Los Angeles) Gay rights groups expressed dismay with the Obama administration Friday over its championing of the Defense of Marriage Act, a law the president pledged to try to repeal while on the campaign trail. The government filed a motion late Thursday to dismiss the case of Arthur Smelt and Christopher ... Return to Top
In R.I., some wary as tide of gay marriage rises at border | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Boston Globe | Jun. 15 at 5:49 PM From a cramped office in the middle of the smallest state in the nation, Christopher Plante is determined to prove that Rhode Island has not been cornered by the advance of same-sex marriage across the rest of New England. ... Return to Top
L.A. gay pride parade darkened by U.S. stance on marriage | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Los Angeles Times | Jun. 15 at 11:55 AM As they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the gay rights movement, gays feel let down by Obama. Mayors Villaraigosa and Newsom take their side against Defense of Marriage Act. ... Return to Top
Male couple snookers NYC into officially marrying them | View Clip 06/15/2009 365gay.com Hakim Nelson and Jason Stenson, both biologically male, married in late May in New York City, thanks to a food stamp card. It is illegal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in New York, though the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. But Nelson used his food stamp card for ... Return to Top
New York City Clerk Inadvertently Marries Same-Sex Couple | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad Hakim Nelson and Jason Stenson were married on May 26 by the City of New York via a series of misunderstandings: Nelson -- who goes by the name 'Kimah' and hopes to one day have surgery to become a 'full... Return to Top
NY: officials duped into granting marriage license to same-sex couple | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend Ah, New York bureacracy. Paper pushing like this guarantees something we'd see a marriage fly under the radar. (PageOneQ):New York City's marriage-licensing officials were either asleep at the switch or chose to make a profound political statement when they granted a marriage licence late last month to two men. In a New York Post exclusive, Hakim Nelson and Jason Stenson married on May 26 with nary a raised eyebrow among the oblivious city bureaucrats who not only OK'd the marriage license, but conducted the ceremony, despite gay marriage being illegal in the state. The Post notes that one half of the blissfully married duo arrived for their wedding ceremony in a dress, which was perhaps enough to fool city officials.From the NY Post:Nelson -- who goes by the name "Kimah" and hopes to one day have surgery to become a "full female" -- wore an orange dress and white leggings, his straight, brown hair falling to his shoulders. The gullible clerk didn't seem to notice that both Nelson, 18, and Stenson, 21, have male first names. By a fluke, Nelson's ID card has an "F" for female on it, because the official who issued it in April assumed from his appearance that he was a woman. ..."I was scared. I thought they would ask for more paperwork from me because I have a male name," Nelson said. The clerk didn't. Instead she asked questions about the couple's jobs and addresses -- which they listed as Sylvia's Place, a city shelter for gay, lesbian and transgender youth -- but nothing about their gender. And it's nice to see that this newsmaking couple is black -- this kind of visibility is important. The marriage, of course, is invalid. Return to Top
Former Clinton aide Socarides: Obama's Department of Justice had a choice | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend OK, DOMA defenders, eat this. Former top aide to President Clinton, Richard Socarides (who is openly gay), worked alongside the former President in the Oval Office and as a Hill staffer. He recently penned an op-ed in the WaPo, Where's our "Fierce Advocate? (I blogged that here). He has an essay up at Americablog today about whether the Obama administration had to file that DOMA brief. On the brief he says: It had such a buckshot approach to it, a veritable kitchen sink of anti-gay legal theories, that it seemed expressly designed to inflict maximal damage to our rights. Instead of making nuanced arguments which took into account the president's oft-stated support for repealing DOMA - a law he has called "abhorrent" - the brief seemed to embrace DOMA and all its horrific consequences. I was equally troubled by the administration's explanation that they had no choice but to defend the law. As an attorney and as someone who was directly involved in giving advice on such matters to another president (as a Special Assistant for civil rights to President Bill Clinton), I know that this is untrue. ...[T]he general rule that the DOJ must defend laws against attack is relative - like everything in Washington. And even when the DOJ does defend a law against constitutional attack, it does not have to advance every conceivable argument in doing so (such as the brief's invocation, in a footnote, of incest and the marriage of children). In fact, many legal experts believe that in this particular case none of the issues going to the merits of whether or not DOMA is constitutional needed to be addressed to get the case thrown out. The administration's lawyers could have simply argued, for example, that the plaintiff's had no standing. There was no need to invoke legal theories that were not only offensive on their face, but which could put at risk future legal efforts on behalf of our civil rights.The question I have for the Obama administration is why the bleep are you so timid across the board about LGBT rights? Politically, all you have to do is pick up the paper for justification to strike while the iron is hot. The other party is in disarray and in decline. Today's WaPo: For Republicans, the Forces Aren't With Them.The American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution convened a stellar cast on Friday to review what has been learned since November. The panel included Robert Lang of Virginia Tech; Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress; William Frey of the Brookings Institution; Bill Bishop, a Texas writer and author of "The Big Sort"; Scott Keeter of the Pew Research Center; and Ronald Brownstein of Atlantic Media. They presented a wealth of data about what happened in 2008 and offered conclusions that would alarm any Republican hopeful of a quick turnaround in the party's fortunes. ...Democratic strength in the counties around Philadelphia, around Detroit and in Northern Virginia have squeezed Republicans dramatically. Increasingly, Republican strength outside the urban areas counts for less. "There's just not enough rural folks and small-city people left in America in the key states that determine the electoral college to offset that difference," Lang said. "You're out of people." That's one geographical reality. The other, which became acute in 2008, is that outside the South, Republicans are in trouble. McCain won the South in November, but Obama swept the rest of the country by an even bigger margin. The same pattern holds now for House and Senate seats. Republicans may continue to win governorships in Democratic-leaning states, but in congressional and presidential elections the geographic divides are sizable. Brownstein reeled off a list of statistics that all arrived at the same place: The South now accounts for a greater share of Republican strength than at virtually any time since the party's founding. That base is too narrow, as even Republicans know. Demographically, the forces at work have chipped away at what was once a GOP-leaning majority in the country. The most important is minorities' rising share of the vote. Whites accounted for 76 percent of the overall electorate last November, down from 85 percent in 1988. ...Republicans can't reverse the demographic trends; their only solution is to increase their share of the minority vote. You have to read the whole thing. As long as the GOP is led by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and state mouthpieces like bigot of the day Rusty DePass, and catering to the McCain/Palin mobs we saw during 2008, that party is going to be bringing up the rear. There is no earthly reason for the Obama administration's silence (and now with the DOMA brief contempt) on our issues, to have its tail between its legs. It only cements the belief, after the Donnie McClurkin and Rick Warren debacles, that all you wanted out of the LGBT community were votes, dollars and bodies to volunteer to usher him into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; a lame proclamation about gay rights doesn't erase the embarrassing behavior of Press Secretary Robert Gibbs at the daily pressers, dodging, evading and delivering nonsensical contradictory answers to serious questions posed by reporters about LGBT issues such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Who's holding this administration hostage to PTSD fears of Clinton and DADT in 1993? It's 2009, toadies. This administration, sitting atop high approval ratings with a minority party choking on its own bile and an American public that is more supportive of LGBT issues in the polls that at any time in history is crapping on the community in broad daylight and wondering what all the fuss is about. Someone in the White House needs a reality check. Fast. Related: * GroupNewsBlog: Who Obama Picks To Keep Doing Bush's Work For Him * Arthur Leonard at Gay City News: Obama Administration Versus Candidate Obama Return to Top
Former LGBT Clinton Advisor on Obama: 'From Silence to Hostility' | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad An attorney and former White House advisor to Bill Clinton, Richard Socarides, writes on the DOJ-DOMA issue in an excellent piece in Americablog: "...the general rule that the DOJ must defend laws against attack is relative – like everything in... Return to Top
Obama Responds To Criticism Of DOMA Defense | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine The Obama administration responded Sunday to criticism of a Justice Department brief defending the federal DOMA Return to Top
Berry to Advocate: hate crimes 'may pass' next week; gives WH response to DOMA | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend The house is on fire and out comes the thimble of H20 to try to put it out. You were waiting for the official White House response to the flaming pile of crap that is the DOMA brief, well here it is. The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld spoke with the director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, who is the highest ranking LGBT official in the Obama administration. He told Kerry that he cleared his comments with the WH; these include: * There was no backroom deal with the LGBT advocacy orgs. "We are working in partnership with all LGBT groups, and all groups are doing what they should be doing, which is passionately representing their unique interests." * They are going to try to eliminate discrimination for federal workers (to add transfolk, since gay workers are covered). Exactly how is this going to happen? * There will be a "significant announcement" soon regarding equal benefits provided to other federal employees for LGBTs. [W]e want to make sure that we get the benefits for the LGBT community that are equal to all other benefits provided to other federal employees, and where we have the authority to move forward, the president is going to be announcing something in the very near future that is going to be a very significant announcement in that regard. Where it requires legislation, we will seek and support it. Well, since there's a snowball's chance in hell anything will pass due to "leadership" by Pelosi and Reid, it's rose-colored-glasses material. * OK, here's "the plan" from Berry: We have four broad legislative goals that we want to accomplish and legislation is one of these things where you've got to move when the opportunity strikes, so I'm going to list them in an order but it's not necessarily going to go one, two, three, four. Obviously, I think the first opportunity is hate crimes and we're hopeful that we can get that passed this week. We're going to try, but if not, we're going to keep at it until we get it passed. The second one ENDA, we want to secure that passage of ENDA, and third is we want to repeal legislatively "don't ask don't tell," and fourth, we want to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, I'm not going to pledge -- and nor is the president -- that this is going to be done by some certain date.Doesn't it seem interesting that suddenly hate crimes is being pushed up the food chain pronto? I wonder why. I'm still agog that they think ENDA is an easier sell that DADT. Can anyone tell me why they think that Congress is ready to battle, for instance, Lou Sheldon and his bathroom hysteria propaganda as opposed to the discredited Elaine Donnelly? And as far as a date is concerned, no one asked for a date to pass anything, but a plan, and how the WH plans to work with Pelosi and Reid to find some votes, because they certainly haven't acted like anyone should be lobbying their Congresspeeps. Now here you go folks -- Berry's word from the WH re: DOMA. We report, you decide. Finally, I want to talk to you about the DOMA brief. Our strongest argument against "don't ask, don't tell" is that we stand with the truth. And that we, more than anyone, know the cost of lying and the terrible pain it invokes. This president took a solemn oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and he does not get to decide and choose which laws he enforces. He has to enforce the laws that have been enacted appropriately and that he has inherited. It would be wrong for me or any of our community to advise him to lie or to shirk his responsibility. He's doing his job. He has made clear that he stands for the repeal of DOMA. It will be part of this administration's agenda to accomplish that act. We ought not waste energy and angst attacking him when we should be focusing the energy and effort on getting 218 votes in the house and 60 votes in the Senate, and that's where we ought to target the energy and the strength of this community and this president is with us, this is our agenda and it's his agenda. This is sad, people. The administration trots out John Berry, who clearly means well, to deliver the same lie that Richard Socarides debunked earlier today -- the administration had a choice. This is a mess, a bit fat FAIL in response to some serious heat being generated over this. Honestly, White House folks, didn't you all learn that the cover up is as bad or worse than the crime? Go read the rest of Kerry's interview and come back and comment. Related: * Top gay in the administration says ENDA, DADT, and DOMA have no chance at this point (and then he lies, to boot) Return to Top
Gay Iraq Vet Congressional Candidate Anthony Woods Talks to CNN | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad Anthony Woods, who earned the Bronze star serving in Iraq and was discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", is running in a special election to replace outgoing Representative Ellen Tauscher. He was recently interviewed by CNN. Watch it, AFTER THE... Return to Top
Jerry Brown: Extension of Liberty to Same-Sex Couples is the Future | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad California Attorney General Jerry Brown is once again speaking out against Proposition 8, this time in the context of the federal challenge to it by Ted Olson and David Boies, and the President's recent defense of DOMA. Brown talked with... Return to Top
John Berry Offers Disappointing Forecast of Obama's LGBT Agenda | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad John Berry, the White House director of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest ranking gay official in the Obama administration, offered The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld a relatively bleak look at the action that has thus far been taken... Return to Top
Mayors criticize Justice Department support for Defense of Marriage Act | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade Los Angeles Times | Jun. 15 at 3:43 PM With the Obama administration facing growing discontent among gay supporters, the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco joined in voicing concern today about a new U.S. Justice Department brief supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act. ... Return to Top
Newsom: Obama's DOMA Defense 'Big Mistake' | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has called a Justice Department brief defending DOMA a 'big mistake' Return to Top
Prop 8 Leader Eyes Assembly Seat | View Clip 06/15/2009 Advocate, The Andrew Pugno, a California attorney and self-identified “Proposition 8 architect,” has filed paperwork with the secretary of state expressing his intention to run for a Sacramento-area assembly seat, according to the Sacramento Bee. Return to Top
S.F., L.A. Mayors Criticize DOMA Brief | View Clip 06/15/2009 Advocate, The The mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco on Sunday joined the chorus of voices rising against the new U.S. Department of Justice brief that defends the Defense of Marriage Act, reports the Los Angeles Times. Return to Top
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Calls DOMA Brief 'A Big Mistake' | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad Prior to the start of the Los Angeles Pride parade which happened this weekend, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa both expressed concern over the disturbing Department of Justice brief filed last week in defense of... Return to Top
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Leader Seeks Assembly Seat | View Clip 06/15/2009 On Top Magazine A leader of last year's campaign to ban gay marriage in California says he's running for Assemblyman Return to Top
Cicilline: R.I. Marriage Equality by 2012 | View Clip 06/15/2009 Advocate, The Providence mayor David Cicilline is among the marriage equality advocates who believe that Rhode Island is likely to allow same-sex couples to marry by 2012, reports the Boston Globe. Return to Top
Gary Randall, Fundraising Failure | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend Is this what they call a Hail Mary pass? Just over 5 weeks before the deadline to submit signatures for the smarmy Referendum 71 to repeal the incremental domestic partnership law, and Gary Randall begs for twice the bucks than he's been able to gather to date. So far, his Faith & Freedom PAC has reported raising just over $5,000. Yet now he's asking for $10,000 more. If they wouldn't give it to you when there was time to use it, Gary, why would they give it to you now? Gary and his welfare patron in the state house, Senator Dan Swecker, say that they want this money to print and mail petitions to the 50,000 people Swecker just knows will sign and return before the deadline. Yuh. Sounds like desperate measures to me. But judge for yourself: We need a minimum of $10,000 to begin this project. Obviously it is time-sensitive. Some of you may be in a position to help with a substantial donation toward this effort or may know someone who could underwrite or substantially underwrite the effort. Please contact Senator Dan Swecker at [removed]@faithandfreedom.us.Begin the project. If Gary and his Washington operative (Gary is a carpetbagging Oregonian) Larry Stickney were competently organized and had the backing of any meaningful number of people, there would be no weak talk of wanting to start something now. Rather, they'd have been crowing to the papers weeks ago that they'd already done it. My favorite is the "Some of you" part of the quote. Some of you may know of someone who might know someone else dumb enough to give me more money to waste, pleeease! How pathetic. Join Washington Families Standing Together in their fight against Referendum 71 by clicking on the graphics below. Cross-posted at Washblog. Return to Top
Mich. lawmaker seeks to recognize gay marriage | View Clip 06/15/2009 Washington Blade LANSING, Mich. (AP) A Michigan lawmaker said Saturday she wants to change state law to recognize gay marriages. The proposal announced by State Rep. Pam Byrnes faces an uphill climb. Michigan voters in 2004 passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, effectively banning the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. But Byrnes launched an effort to repeal that provision at the annual gay rights Michigan Pride event at the state's Capitol. The joint resolution by the Democrat from Washtenaw County's Lyndon Township would have to be approved by two-thirds of the Michigan Legislature before it woul ... Return to Top
Michigan Lawmaker Launches Effort to Repeal State's Gay Marriage Ban | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad Michigan State Rep. Pam Byrnes announced a joint resolution on Saturday that would have to be approved by 2/3 of the state legislature before going to voters on the 2010 ballot. The measure would repeal the state's amendment declaring marriage... Return to Top
Nebraska Wrestlers Dismissed for Gay Porn Profiled on ESPN | View Clip 06/15/2009 Towleroad ESPN's Outside the Lines" ran its segment on Nebraska wrestlers Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan, who were dismissed for participating in porn videos on the Fratmen.TV website. Donahoe left Nebraska to go to Edinboro University and is again ranked #1... Return to Top
Palin snubs PrideFest, Wasilla fundies protest Gays | View Clip 06/15/2009 Pam's House Blend Gov. Sarah Palin ignored a Gay Pride Month proclamation submitted by Anchorage PrideFest, but a proposal to add "sexual orientation" to the city's non-discrimination policies caught the attention of Wasilla fundamentalists, who arrived in busloads to testify at the Anchorage meeting while their children protested outside. Children opposing the equal rights ordinance lined the entrances to the parking lot and building, wearing red shirts and carrying mass produced signs from the Alaska Family Council. Palin's hometown of Wasilla is not part of the Anchorage Municipality, and has a larger percentage of fundamentalists. Perhaps opponents could not find enough anti-gay Anchorage residents willing to testify against their neighbors and coworkers. Before the hearing, Anchorage PrideFest sent a Pride Month proclamation to Gov. Palin, inviting her to attend the annual Parade & Festival on June 20. Palin has not responded, although she has proclaimed Flag Day, Fishing Week and Auburn Founders Day in honor of Auburn, New York, so far for June. The proclamation asks Palin to declare June as Gay Pride Month and to "urge all citizens of Alaska to join me in celebrating diversity by attending, supporting, recognizing, and respecting Anchorage PrideFest 2009 activities and events." On June 1, President Obama declared June as LGBT Pride Month, stating support for measures like "outlawing discrimination in the workplace," a subject covered by the proposed Anchorage equal rights ordinance. The ordinance, AO 2009-64(S), adds "sexual orientation," defined to include gender identity, to the list of groups protected against discrimination in employment, housing, financing, education, public accommodations and municipal business. The original proposal was revised by the mayor to address the concerns of opponents, but the opponents still object, saying "the term "sexual orientation" is not acceptable in any discrimination ordinance." Wasilla residents do not pay property taxes to Anchorage, nor do they vote for our Assembly members. However, a suggestion to limit testimony to Anchorage residents was rejected by the Assembly Chair. Please join us at the next hearing on the equal rights ordinance, on Tuesday, June 16 at Loussac Library. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting and the picnic on the lawn. Anchorage residents are encouraged to write to our Assembly members and ask them to vote YES on the Equal Rights Ordinance. Visit Bent Alaska for the Pride Month Proclamation, information on the ordinance and email addresses of Assembly members. Return to Top
Wis. Democrats elect gay advocate as nation's youngest chair | View Clip 06/15/2009 365gay.com (Green Bay, Wisc.) Wisconsin's Democratic Party says it now has the nation's youngest state chairman in either party. Wisconsin Democrats elected Mike Tate as their new chairman Saturday at their convention in Green Bay. He just turned 30 in March. Tate has been involved in state Democratic politics for more than a ... Return to Top