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July 30, 2006
ANOTHER FINE MESS
At this point I think the LGBT community feels like those cartoon “POW! BAM! OOF!” flashes off of the old Batman series. In a series of 1-2-3 punches, courts in several states, in varying degrees of keep the balance righteousness, have set back the gay marriage cause by at least a couple of years to possibly a good decade.
As someone who never really cared much about needing to get married and whose friends never cared much either, in one respect I’m shaking my head in disappointment that a small percentage of LGBT members have made this cause, of all causes, the #1 cause for LGBT’s nationwide. How about we work on getting our own equal rights legislation passed first since the majority of the public are truly okay with that. Why not build our overall war strategy by succeeding at winnable battles first?
Instead, these few couples are all dead-set on wanting to raise their families under the religious setting of marriage just to spite even though fighting any religion is the most time-consuming, energy-sapping and overly-political battle one could possibly fight. Considering we can’t even get most LGBT under 30 to even vote, one would think that picking the hardest battle to fight would not be the smartest choice.
On the other hand, I feel nothing but respect for those courageous couples who have bucked all odds and criticisms and taken on the legislators, courts and anti-gay organizations and churches and pushed this topic into being one of the nation’s water-cooler topics of discussion. They will, no doubt, go into our gay history books.
Unfortunately, we’re still about a decade off from getting the majority of Americans onto our side with marriage.
Yet, fortunately, the majority of Americans are okay with us getting equal rights and, even, civil union rights.
Look, I respect the battle warriors of the gay marriage fight. I really do.
But, in every war, there’s a time to step back and reassess if you’re losing battles left and right (and we are on both sides, hell, we can’t even get our already-nominated presidential candidate of 2008, Hilary Clinton, to sign on board with the gay marriage idea.) We lost a number of these cases and it looks like there’s no end in sight.
The strategy the few powerful LGBT leaders have for our entire community isn’t working.
Don’t pull a Bush and ignore your failures in strategy.
The rest of us gay folk out here just want our equal rights. Get us that FIRST before you do anything more with the marriage stuff, okay? (That includes blowing $250,000 on pro-gay marriage ads.)
Your stubbornness is blowing it for all of us. Wake up.
Posted by Mike at 04:10 PM | Permalink |
July 29, 2006
Mel Gibson's Passion for the Christal
Celebrity drunk-driving arrests in Malibu are about as shocking as Lance Bass being gay. They seem to happen with regularity. Therefore, Mel Gibson's DUI arrest yesterday morning might have gone without notice if he hadn't piously plied himself as the champion of all things moral.
When Gibson's Passion of the Christ premiered to a healthy box-office open, moral crusaders (especially anti-gay activists) hailed it as a victory over what they saw as society's moral permissiveness. Gibson's arrest - and subsequent sexist and anti-semitic comments - demonstrate the fragile construct moralists which to establish for themselves. They are quick to condemn others, but slow to correct their own behavior.
Click below to read the salty response of the morality activist (warning: STRONG language)
Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade -- Alleged Cover Up
Full story can be read by clicking here.
Excerpt
Once inside the car, a source directly connected with the case says Gibson began banging himself against the seat. The report says Gibson told the deputy, "You mother f****r. I'm going to f*** you." The report also says "Gibson almost continually [sic] threatened me saying he 'owns Malibu' and will spend all of his money to 'get even' with me."
The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"
The deputy became alarmed as Gibson's tirade escalated, and called ahead for a sergeant to meet them when they arrived at the station. When they arrived, a sergeant began videotaping Gibson, who noticed the camera and then said, "What the f*** do you think you're doing?"
A law enforcement source says Gibson then noticed another female sergeant and yelled, "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?"
We're told Gibson took two blood alcohol tests, which were videotaped, and continued saying how "f****d" he was and how he was going to "f***" Deputy Mee.
(end)
Posted by John at 04:52 PM | Permalink |
July 26, 2006
Ain't No Lie, Baby
On the same day that the Washington Supreme Court handed down its illogical ruling on same-sex marriage, Lance Bass told People magazine that he is gay and in a happy relationship with actor/model/reality-star Reichen Lehmkuhl.
While the marriage ruling is disappointing, perhaps we should take it as a postive step that the Lance Bass news was greeted with a "ho-hum" from the entertainment industry. The bigger shocker was that he was able to land Lehmkuhl (who appeared at a Stonewall event shortly after he won the Amazing Race with equally-cute Chip Ardnt, president of our Miami chapter). As Americans become more comfortable with gay people who surround them, they are becoming more accepting of marriage equality for same-sex couples. Eventually, we will look back with disbelief that any court could challenge the right of same-sex couples to marry, just as we will look back in disbelief in that Lance Bass took so long to come out.
Posted by John at 02:03 PM | Permalink |
July 20, 2006
GOP Congressman Appeases Terrorists
Gingrey Willing to trade Katherine Harris for Hostages
Georgia Republican Phil Gingrey was selected on Tuesday to lead the Republican floor push in the House of Representatives for a constitutional ban on marriage recognition for same-sex couples. The feygela feigning Gingrey took the debate personally, insisting on rebutting each Democratic argument against the amendment with his interpretations on scripture.
The low-point of the Gingrey debate came with the congressman urged House Members to appease terrorists by demonstrating that the United States hates gay marriage as much as Al-Queda and Hezbollah.
"[This debate is] about values and how this great country represents them to the world. This is probably the best message we can give to the Middle East in regards to the trouble we are having over there right now." - Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA)
The best message? I would rather tell terrorists that we will destroy them, not coddle them by nodding in agreement with their positions.
Posted by John at 11:20 AM | Permalink |
July 18, 2006
I'm (not) Leaving on a Jet Plane
No matter your opinion on the current situation in the Middle East, most agree that now is not a good time for foreigners to be trapped in Lebanon. News stories this week have repeatedly told of the actions of governments to quickly evacuate their citizens. The Japanese and Swedish embassies have rented taxis and buses to drive their citizens out of the country, while the Canadians and British have used aircraft and the French even sent their Prime Minister to meet their nationals on the ferry that would take them home.
The one exception to this vast mobilization: The United States.
ABC News reported last night on hotels, universities and hostels that are emptied of most foreigners...except for Americans who have been told to wait. The U.S. still hasn't initiated a full-scale evacuation like other countries, only sending a limited number of helicopters to evacuate Americans. Those fortunate to have been evacuated by the U.S. goverment have been told that they will be charged for the evacuation. It seems that evacuating American citizens from an unsuspected conflict area would be a basic service that our government should provide. This administration has found a way to mess that up.
Posted by John at 09:50 AM | Permalink |
July 14, 2006
Trouble in Shangri-La
Ironic sign on a tourist trolley owned by an anti-gay activist.
(credit: Boston Glode Staff Photo/Wendy Maeda)
There is a town hall meeting tonight in Provincetown, Massachusetts to address concerns about a rise in discrimination. Of course, in Provincetown (this is the same, small town hall that in a few weeks will feature several concerts by Cindy Lauper) it is the rise in discrimination against straight people that has residents concerned.
This largely-gay fishing village of 3,000 at the tip of Cape Cod (which swells to a largely-gay population of 30,000 in the summer) has long been a haven to LGBT people, including such luminaries as John Waters. Straight tourists have always made day trips to the town to take in a gay cabernet show and to take their pictures on the street alongside drag queens and confirmed homosexuals. However, in recent years, more of these straight tourists have decided to take up residence in Ptown and the rise in the straight population has led to increased tensions.
The gay and straight populations in Ptown have always mutually adored each other. The biggest cause of tension in recent years has been the conflict between the needs of growing gay families with children as contrasted to the old days when only single gay folks flocked to the town's shore. However, some residents have felt that a small portion of new tourists are not exactly gay friendly - and 43 town residents were found to have signed an ant-marriage petition circulated by anti-gay groups this past year. Reports of anti-straight harassment have been on the rise.
Although 43 people only constitutes 1% of the year round population, you still have to wonder what kind of jerk would choose to live in a largely-gay community and sign such a thing. Perhaps tonight's town meeting will help address that question, along with other concerns.
Posted by John at 10:07 AM | Permalink |
July 11, 2006
Home on the Range
Democratic candidate John Tester
From politicalwire.com
In the first Rasmussen Reports poll since Jon Tester (D) won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate from Montana, Tester leads Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), 50% to 43%.
"It is stunning for any long-term incumbent to be trailing in a re-election bid. It is even worse for a Republican to be trailing this badly in a state that President Bush carried by twenty points in Election 2004. But, even though most Americans think the Abramoff lobbying scandal was little more than business as usual, Burns close ties to the convicted lobbyists has clearly hurt Burns in Montana."
Posted by TrailMix at 03:58 PM | Permalink |
July 06, 2006
Keeping the Straights in Line
The decision by the New York State Court of Appeals really is a head shaker. The 4-2 ruling twists itself into knots to try and justify barring marriage equality for same-sex couples. It could have been written by James Dobson himself.
The key finding of the court is that straight people hardly constitute anything more than raving nymphos who can't hold a job or manage money without the benefit of marriage. I guess the flip side of that would be that gay couples are so stable that they have no need for marriage.
It would have been nice if these judicial activists stuck to interpreting the law, rather than substituting the New York Constitution for moral arguments written by Ralph Reed.
Update: It appears that Andrew Sullivan has a similar take on the ruling.
Posted by John at 02:04 PM | Permalink |
July 05, 2006
Waiting at the Alter
The New York State Court of Appeals is expected to rule this week whether or not same-sex couples currently have the right to legally wed under state law. The Court of Appeals is the highest court in the state, with the state Supreme Court actually below it (hence all those cases before the Supreme Court in Law & Order). Since one judge recused himelf, only six justices will be ruling on the case.
The ruling could come as soon as today.
The majority of New Yorkers support the right of same-sex couples to marry, as does the New York State Democratic Party and their nominee for governor, Elliot Spitzer (whose office, ironically, is challenging the right of same-sex couples to marry as Attorney Generals are often required to do on behalf of the Governor).
UPDATE: No ruling today, however one is expected as early as Thursday morning.
Posted by TrailMix at 09:38 AM | Permalink |
July 04, 2006
Independence
Independence
As we celebrate the independence of our nation, we keep in mind the sacrifice made by our patriots on behalf of our nation. Although our independence was declared on July 4th, 1776, it would take our founding generation years of struggle before our nation finally secured our liberty. Likewise, as LGBT Americans, we deeply understand and affirm the totality of those goals set forth in that first declaration - that all Americans are created equal and are afforded by our Creator certain rights. These rights, while often burried by bigotry, are already granted to us by a jurisdiction greater than human government. They simply wait to be declared inherent and secured through the work of our struggle.
Posted by TrailMix at 11:40 AM | Permalink |
