More Monday Male Beauty

Conservative Group Demands Answers from Palin on Gay Rights

As anyone who has read this blog for a while realizes, I cannot stand Sarah Palin. I view the woman as a mental midget and shameless self-promoter who is no more qualified to be president of the United States than the man in the moon. But on occasion she inadvertently provides some fun - such as now where her statements on CPAC and GOProud has the wingnuts hyperventilating and demanding that she make a statement on gays. Obviously, the Christianist extremists who are boycotting CPAC because of GOProud's participation in the wingnut coven want a thorough condemnation of gays and every aspect of our lives by Palin. It will be interesting to see how the Nincompoop of the North tries to talk her way out of her self-inflicted wound. The Hill looks at the wingnut tempest in a tea pot over Palin's prior remarks which some have construed to support GOProud's participation at CPAC. Here are some highlights:
*
The conservative American Principles Project, which is already boycotting this week's Conservative Political Action Conference over the inclusion of a gay GOP group, is now demanding "clarity" from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
*
The organization wants to know exactly where Palin stands on the inclusion of GOProud as one of CPACs sponsors and wants clarity on her stance on gay marriage after Palin suggested over the weekend that she supports the group.
*
Asked about the controversy over GOProud's presence at CPAC, which has led to a boycott of the event by several leading conservative groups and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Palin told the Christian Broadcasting Network that she desires a "healthy debate."
*
Palin's comments to CBN were highlighted by Andrew Breitbart, who is a member of GOProud's board and will take part in one of the group's events during CPAC later this week.
*
Palin's views on gay rights aren't entirely clear. She drew attention earlier this year after she re-tweeted a message from conservative talk host Tammy Bruce that was seen by many as expressing support for the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Palin later said she didn't support the repeal.
*
The controversy over the group's CPAC involvement also hasn't stopped the vast majority of rumored presidential contenders from attending this week's event. A total of eleven potential GOP candidates have speaking slots at the event, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Sen. John Thune (S.D.), Rep. Michele Bachman (Minn.), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and Govs. Mitch Daniels (Ind.) and Haley Barbour (Miss.).

Catholic Know Nothings Freak Out Over Anne Rice Interview

Over the weekend I wrote about and posted video clips of Christopher Rice's interview with his mother, author Anne Rice. Personally, I thought the interview was well done and directly on point in terms of citing the deficiencies - and in my view, down right evil aspects of - of the Roman Catholic Church. True to form, the predictable elements in the Church who prefer to act as mindless sheep and grovel to the morally bankrupt hierarchy have their noses out of joint over Anne Rice's all too true indictments of the Church. God forbid that one engage in independent thought or question the writings of uneducated nomadic tribesman and/or a self-hating Jewish Pharisee (i.e., St. Paul) that some suspect was sexually attracted to other males himself. Symptomatic of this phenomenon is a post on the Ignatius Inside Scoop where Rice gets roundly attacked. Here's a sampling of the hissy fit whining of the Catholic Church apologists:
*
Since announcing to great fanfare last summer that she was ditching the Church, Rice has revealed that she possesses a wealth of emotional baggage and a poverty of knowledge about Church history, practice, and theology.
*
Note that Rice never, as far as I've seen over the past five years, provided any reasoning or arguments for her stances on issues such as "same sex marriage," contraception, and women's ordination. She simply assumes her position is correct and she apparently believes that clichés and emotive sound bites are all that are needed to demonstrate the validity of her position.
*
It is increasingly obvious that Rice's hatred (and it does appear to be hatred) of the Catholic Church flows from her conviction that her son's homosexuality is not only perfectly fine, it should be celebrated and proclaimed good by the Church. Like so many others, she makes it personal, as if the Church has pinpointed her son; yet the Church has consistently, from the start (Romans 1, anyone?), understood homosexual acts to be sinful.
*
Given the Catholic Church's nearly endless record of being wrong on everything - e.g., the Church insisted that the earth was flat, maintained that the Sun revolved around the earth, denied the laws of gravity, supported slavery, and has of course long subordinated women - if anyone needs an education, it's this snarky writer. Meanwhile, Rice is among brilliant company. Here is a brief passage on Thomas Jefferson's views on religion which are not far different than those of Rice (Jefferson believed that St. Paul, author of Romans I had ruined the message of Christ):
*
He considered Jesus the teacher of a sublime and flawless ethic. Writing in 1803 to the Universalist physician Benjamin Rush, Jefferson wrote, "To the corruptions of Christianity, I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence, and believing he never claimed any other."

Monday Male Beauty

Ronald Reagan's Other Legacy

A number of news outlets are gushing over the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth - especially those that act as a branch of the increasingly insane Republican Party. As noted before, they rewrite history with abandon and leave out inconvenient chapters that are not to their liking. A case in point is Reagan's huge failure to address the HIV/AIDS crisis early on. We will never know how many lives were needlessly lost as a result of the failure to grapple with the crisis early on. Karen Ocamb has a piece on LGBT Pov that reminds us that Reagan failed LGBT citizens in a huge manner and also helped empower some in the Christian Right that helped turn the GOP into a quasi-sectarian political party and made gay bashing a party platform. Here are some highlights from Karen' s piece:
*
America is gushing Sunday over former President Ronald Reagan in recognition of what would have been his 100th birthday. Produced by Reagan groupies, the long-weekend celebrations at the newly primped Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley are glitzy and reverent evocations of an imagined man.
*
For LGBT people, Ronald Reagan’s presidency was the far different “mourning in America.” And unlike Nixon who was forced to resign for covering up the political Watergate scandal, Reagan didn’t even bother covering up his cold disdain, his deliberate neglect, his abject refusal to help gay men stricken in 1981 by a strange new communicable disease that turned out to be AIDS. But there was no “AIDSgate” for Reagan; the White House agreed with the Religious Right that gays deserved what they got – they deserved to die.
*
Rev. Jerry Falwell, head of the Moral Majority, said, “AIDS is the wrath of God upon homosexuals.” Patrick Buchanan, Reagan’s Press Secretary, said AIDS was “nature’s revenge on gay men.” Antigay Gary Bauer, Reagan’s domestic policy advisor, kept Surgeon General C. Everett Koop (selected because he was an anti-abortion Christian fundamentalist) away from Reagan
*
Reagan finally mentioned the word “AIDS” in October 1986 and was virtually forced to deliver his first major speech on AIDS on May 31, 1987 on the eve of the Third International Conference on AIDS in Washington. He was the invited by Elizabeth Taylor to speak at a fundraiser for the American Foundation for AIDS Research, which Hudson helped start with a $250,000 grant given to Taylor.
*
The terrible irony for LGBT people is that in the very beginning of the epidemic there was hope that Ronald Reagan would DO something. . . . But once in office, Reagan turned his back on the gay friends and staff he and his wife Nancy had known for years.
*
We need to remember ALL aspects of history if we are to learn from it. Sadly, the GOP frenzy over Reagan is most selective in what is recalled while dark chapters are made to disappear.

Think Twice When Shopping - Who's for Equality and Who's Not

Human Rights Campaign has released its 2011 "Buying for Workplace Equality Report" and it's eye opening if one takes the time to review various categories of goods and services. Many companies that are household names are NOT as supportive of equality as one might think and in states like Virginia, the only employment non-discrimination protections are those adopted by employers. Hence why I encourage folks to patronize gay friendly employers with their business and to avoid those that do not. The LGBT community has a great deal of purchasing power and we need not give our money to companies who are hostile towards employment protections. Take the time to educate yourself on who is an ally and who is not. Here are some companies one might want to avoid:
*
Berkshire Hathaway - Dairy Queen; 15
*
Bob Evans 15
*
Jack in the Box , Qdoba Mexican Grill; 15
*
Krispy Kreme 0
*
OSI Restaurant Partners - Bonefish Grill; Carrabba's Italian Grill; Cheeseburger in Paradise; Fleming's Prime Steakhouse; Outback Steakhouse; 0
*
You may be surprised by some of the results.

More Sunday Male Beauty

Iowa ‘Family’ Group Compares Homosexuality To "Second Hand" Cigarette Smoke

Few groups and individuals are bigger liars than the so-called "pro-family" and "Christian" organizations and their adherents who oppose civil legal equality for LGBT Americans. No lie is too big or too vile when it comes to their agenda of slander and denigration. As noted often on this blog, the unfortunate thing is that few in the mainstream media ever challenge their lies and smears against LGBT citizens. Instead, deference and special rights are afforded to down right nasty individuals who subscribe to the Nazi anti-Jew propaganda model of trying to depict gays as a menace to society and public health. The foul haters now working to amend Iowa's constitution to obliterate all recognition of same sex couples is clearly cut out of this cloth and would have the ignorant and simple minded that homosexuality is dangerous in the same manner of second hand cigarette smoke. Oh, and we are highly diseased as well. These folks surely make Anne Rice's disavowing of Christianity look like the path to righteousness in comparison. Think Progress, relying in part on Jeremy Hooper's work looks at the poison being peddled in Iowa. Here are some highlights of the "facts" about homosexuality that the Iowa Family Policy Center is disseminating:
*
– Reduces life expectancy by about 20-35 years.
*
– Homosexuals are 20x more likely to be abused by partner than heterosexual.

– CDC reports cancer rate is 90x higher in homosexual men – while smokers is only 10-30x.
*
– Yes, they CAN change! (Sept. 1, 2009 NARTH report).
*
[Bob Vander] Plaats and the Iowa Family Policy Center, which is a subsidiary of the Family Leader, have a long history of anti-gay bigotry. In June 2010, the Iowa Independent reported that Iowa Family Policy Center president Chuck Hurey called a group of pastors who supported same-sex marriage “confused at best and blatantly evil at worst.” Earlier this year, Family Leader official Danny Carroll predicted same-sex marriage in Iowa will lead to polygamy and Plaats himself compared gay unions to incest.
*
Of course, none of these "facts" are true. But when does the truth ever get in the way of such "godly Christians?" Given this face of Christianity, it's no wonder that the younger generations increasingly identify themselves as having "no religion."

David Stockman Blast the GOP and Tea Party Tax Cut Flim Flam

One thing that the nuttier elements of the GOP can be safely relied upon to do is to re-write history to fit their particular agendas and biases. Be it bogus arguments that the Bible defines marriage between one man and one woman - in a previous post, we saw that the true biblical model is polygamy - or rewriting history as recent as three decades ago concerning Ronald Reagan. Reagan had many faults - not the least of which was his refusal to address HIV/AIDS early on in the crisis - and would have likely admitted to many of them. Under the faux version of history now being flung about by Tea Party nutcases and disingenuous Republicans, one would think that Reagan was a demi-god and that his economic policy justify the current smoke and mirrors approach to the federal deficit. On of the architects of Reaganomics was David Stockman and he doesn't have many kind words for those who are peddling the GOP's latest fiscal snake oil. Here are highlights from a column at Mother Jones:
*
David Stockman, Reagan's first budget director in the 1980s and the godfather of the Gipper's supply-side tax cuts, was watching the proceedings [of new GOP members of Congress being sworn in] from his home in Colorado and shaking his head. Republicans like Price were, in Stockman's view, misreading history—even perverting the Reagan message. As he saw it, they were guiding the nation toward financial ruin by pushing for tax cuts without having the guts to seriously slash spending—and dishonestly justifying their "flimflam" by citing his work.
*
Beyond goosing caviar sales, Stockman says, the Republicans are not sincere about boosting the economy. (He also chastises Democrats, but his most trenchant criticism slams the GOP.) He contends that the party of Reagan has spent the last three decades compounding the errors that he had a hand in engineering in the early 1980s—and a reckoning looms.
*
"The honest-to-goodness fact," Stockman says, "is that in February 1981, there wasn't close to a Republican majority for tax cuts without any accompanying or coupled spending cuts. The idea of supply-side in its purest form"—that tax cuts fuel economic growth that yields increased tax revenues—"was only embraced by a handful of junior Republicans, plus Jack Kemp."
*
The Reagan administration hardly minded proposing massive cuts to both taxes and spending. But then things went haywire, Stockman notes. The tax cut ballooned from $500 billion over five years to $1 trillion after lobbyists added special-interest tax breaks for various industries. And on the spending side, the Reagan administration went hog-wild throwing money at the Pentagon. The inevitable happened: The deficit ballooned.
*
"I was horrified," Stockman recalls. In 1982, 1983, and 1984, Reagan signed a series of tax hikes (PDF) that, according to Stockman, recovered 40 percent of the original 1981 tax cut.
*
For GOPers to argue, as they do nowadays, that only permanent tax cuts spark economic activity is "totally inconsistent with what we used to argue in the 1980s," Stockman notes.
*
[H]e [Stickman] has a simple three-part prescription: First, cut military spending by $100 to $150 billion a year.
*
His second point is classic deficit-hawkery: Apply a means test to Medicare and Social Security.
*
His third: "Massively raise taxes." His favorite device: a Tobin tax, named after Nobel Prize-winning economist James Tobin, which would be levied on financial transactions.
*
Stockman counters that Republicans' taxes bad/tax cuts good mantra is disingenuous. "I don't think those kinds of propositions are appropriate, and you could call them a lie if you really wanted to use rhetoric," he says. "They can't say government is too big if they're saying hands off defense. It's not responsible to say government is the problem when you've embraced 95 percent of the dollars.
*
"It's very dismaying," he adds, "to see that 30-year descent into the kind of nihilism, know-nothingism that is represented by the Republican Party today." It's not the Gipper's GOP anymore.

Sunday Male Beauty

Religion Rears Its Ugly Head in Maryland Marriage Debate

For a long time I have felt that in addition to making equal protection arguments in support of our right to civil equality, the LGBT community also needs to frame the debate in terms of religious freedom. Put simply, the Christianists and professional Christians are engaging in prohibited religious discrimination when they push for anti-gay laws and oppose CIVIL law marriage for same sex couples. They can try to dress up their anti-gay marriage arguments as much as they want, but it ultimately comes down to a case of trying to put lipstick on a pig and the pig is religious discrimination. A corollary of this arguments is that legislation depriving LGBT citizens of marriage equality, employment protections, etc., need to be struck down BOTH as a denial of equal protection rights AND as illegal religious discrimination. Rotund blow hard Antonin Scalia can argue that the founders did not contemplate equal protection for gays and/or women in writing the constitution, but they damn well understood the issue of religious freedom and the concept that citizens should not be penalized for not adhering to a particular set of faith beliefs. A recent set to between a Baltimore Sun columnist and Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller highlights the issue. Here are highlights from the Baltimore Sun op-ed column:
*
Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, . . . . opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions. Why? He was quoted in this newspaper Tuesday, saying he believes the traditional definition of marriage — man and woman — "is blessed by God" and meant to further procreation. Blessed by God? That sounds distinctly like a religious belief expressed by some fundamentalist thumper; it's not exactly what you might expect from the Democratic leader of the Senate of perhaps the bluest state in the nation.
*
[Miller] apparently thinks it's OK to openly state religious belief to support a position on state law — and so much for the principle of separation. One assumes Mr. Miller, who entered the bar in 1967, took a constitutional law course when he was a student at the University of Maryland School of Law, and he can probably recall Jefferson's references to "a wall of separation between church and state," and even a few Supreme Court decisions upholding the principle.
*
That principle is central to the question of whether Maryland, or any state, should make legal all marriages between any two adults. The only argument against same-sex marriage is a religious one — and, therefore, no argument at all in a constitutional democracy where separation is cherished.
*
[I]f we want government to stay out of religion, we need to keep religion out of government. That's a profoundly fundamental concept, deserving the protection of each branch of government and its leadership, in particular. So I don't know what Mr. Miller is doing invoking God here, except that it's so like him. He's had a long political career, and he continues to enjoy great power and betray the hubris of certainty about almost everything.

Honduras: An Ugly Story of the Murder of Gay and Transgender Citizens

My late mother was born in Honduras but left as a teenager to move with her parents to the United States who needed to care for ailing relatives. She and no one else in my immediate family ever went back and, based on current news coverage, the country sounds like a place LGBT individuals ought to avoid at all costs. Repeated murder of LGBT people occur with little or no criminal prosecutions or consequence. Indeed, one gets the impression that the government - and general populace which is still in the thrall of the anti-gay Roman Catholic Church - acts as if the murders are not objectionable. Lives of LGBT individuals under this atmosphere are "not worth a penny" as Human Rights Watch describes it. This is a mind set that I suspect is spurred at least in part by the Church's constant depiction of gays as "inherently disordered" and "motivate toward moral evil." Whatever the motivations, as Human Rights Watch has reported the situation is horrifying (a detailed report can be found here). Here are some highlights:
*
(Tegucigalpa) - The Honduran government should ensure a prompt and thorough investigation of the recent murders of transgender women and bring those responsible to justice, Human Rights Watch and Red Lésbica Cattrachas, a Honduran lesbian rights organization, said today. Six transgender women have been murdered in Honduras since November 29, 2010, with the latest killing on January 17, 2011.
*
The women were murdered on the streets or in their homes in the capital, Tegucigalpa, and in the cities of Comayagüela and San Pedro Sula. The attacks ranged from gunshots to setting the victims on fire.
*
"The impunity with which these murders have taken place has shaken the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Honduras," said Indyra Mendoza, director of Red Lésbica Cattrachas. "We need legislative change and prevention programs to end discrimination in Honduras, because at the moment we are living our lives in hiding."
*
In its May 2009 report, "Not Worth a Penny: Human Rights Abuses against Transgender People in Honduras," Human Rights Watch detailed the abuse and harassment of the Honduran transgender community and the government's failure to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated attacks on transgender people.
*
Since the release of the report, 34 members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community have been murdered in Honduras. But there has only been one successful prosecution and conviction for an attack on a transgender woman.
*
"The government needs to act urgently to fulfill its obligations under international treaties and swiftly arrest and bring to trial those responsible for these murders," said Dipika Nath, researcher in the LGBT program at Human Rights Watch. "It is up to the government to fulfill its commitment to protect the rights of all Hondurans regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation."

More Saturday Male Beauty

Christopher Interviews Anne Rice on Her Decision to Leave Christianity

The last couple of days at work have been insanely busy and somehow I managed to miss this interview on The Advocate. I want to thank the reader that directed me to it. It is excellent and in it Anne Rice lays out many views that match my own including why the Christianists are so viciously anti-gay because normal, loving gays in committed relationships threaten the Christianist house of cards faith tradition. She also correctly describes Catholicism under its current leadership as immoral and sums up the lunacy of William Donohue and his more or less one many operation Catholic League. She likewise notes that some denominations such as the Episcopal Church, the ELCA and United Church of Christ are gay accepting even if they contain continue to retain reactionary elements and fail to challenge the message of hatred that is the predominant message of far too many denominations. The interview is in four separate video clips, but well worth the roughly 20 minutes it takes to watch the full interview.

An Indictment of Those Who Oppose "Government Regulation"

I often note on this blog the glaring disconnect between the self-congratulatory religion worn on the sleeves of the falsely pious Republican Party base and their political actions which would strip away assistance to the poor and unemployed, repeal and expansion of health cares services to citizens, and decrease governmental regulation of industry to protect workers and the public. Even in the wake of the financial market meltdown that was caused by the lack of financial market regulation during the eight years of Chimperator Bush's regime of misrule. Nowhere is this disconnect more shocking than among many Republican elected officials who would appear to want to go back to the worse abuses of the robber baron era. One Republican member of Congress has even questioned the constitutionality of child labor laws (here). The hypocrisy is indeed breath taking and makes a strong argument for not wanting to call one's self Christian if these folks represent what Christians are about. David Mixner has a post on his blog that reminds us of what things were like in the days before labor unions and government regulation. It was not a pretty era and inflicted horrors on many individuals including children. Exemplifying this era that the GOP would seem to want return to is the Triangle Shirt Waist fire that occurred 100 years ago next month. The video below recalls the horror that took place before unions and government regulation. First these comments from David's blog:
*
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the horror called the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City. The fire, which killed 146 garment workers, is one of the largest workplace disasters in the history of America. Most of the workers were women and some were as young as thirteen years old. Italian and Jewish immigrants dominated the workforce. The workers had horrendous conditions and were forced to work 12 hours a day for seven days a week.
*
The inferno engulfed the top three floors of a ten story building with the workers concentrated on the 9th floor. The bosses had locked many of the exit doors to keep workers from leaving early. The choice facing the workers was to jump to their deaths or die in the flames.

Bullying is Not Okay, Even if You Call it "Spiritual Care"

Back shortly after Halloween I wrote about a mother who allowed her young son to dress as Daphne from Scooby Doo (see photo at left) - a decision that created a great deal of flack and mockery at the boy's church affiliated pre-school. This outstanding, supportive mother wrote about her experience on her blog here under the caption "My Son is Gay." Well, even though no one was referred to by name in her blog post and the name of the school was not given, the godly modern day Pharisees at the church have been none too happy that the hypocrisy and nastiness was exposed and this wonderful mother has been paying the price. All under the guise of "spiritual care," of course. The amount of evil done under the guise of spiritual care would fill countless volumes of ledgers. Fortunately, this plucky mom has not backed down and, albeit disillusioned by with her church, she once again gets the message that the church ladies and pastor do not. Here are some highlights from her follow up blog post:
*
Let me be very clear, this is not a manifesto against organized religion, church, Christianity, its various denominations, etc. This is about a singular event, the repercussions it has had on me and my family, and the fact that bullying can come from just about anywhere
*
My blog post was calling out the actions of a few people that said some unkind things in front of my son. I asked for love and tolerance. Was I angry? Yes. I feel I had a right to be. Did I bear false witness? No. I spoke out against bullying. Now I am getting bullied from church.
*
The first time Pastor contacted me was a few days after the Halloween post. He wanted to discuss my “spiritual care.” It was immediately clear that I was being viewed as having done something very wrong. Our initial conversation was me being called “defensive,” “vindictive,” “disrespectful,” “prideful,” and told that I “crossed a line.” I was told I needed to do penance. I was not asked about how Boo [my son] was doing.
*
I was told that some members [of the church] were worried that I was “promoting gayness.” I don’t even know what that means. The words I had written were not promoting anything other than unconditional love and tolerance. My post was about bullying and how my son was treated. My post was about a 5-year-old child. Pastor said he “tried to be mad at me, but couldn’t.” I didn’t and don’t understand why he would want to be mad at me. Again, Boo’s well-being was not mentioned.
*

I was offered 4 steps to restore my relationships with Moms ABC: 1.Write Moms ABC an apology with an example of how to word it. 2.Take down the Halloween post. 3.No longer write or speak of these women regarding my “accusations.” 4.Consider taking the entire blog down.
*
When I asked what happens if I couldn’t do those things I was handed a final page that had already been prepared regarding my unwillingness to repent and what the ramifications of that would be. My punishment was to be disallowed from receiving Communion, and if I were to continue to not seek forgiveness, I may be removed from the congregation and not be able to transfer to another church in our denomination in good standing
*
I cannot tell you the betrayal I feel. The church, or at the very least Pastor is trying to bully me into shutting up, and I find that so disheartening. I am floored by the fact that they’ve gone to so much trouble regarding a post that discusses love and tolerance that was posted 3 months ago. I am shocked that they do not see the hypocrisy of what they are saying to me. I am in complete disbelief that this has been handled in the way it has. I have never felt less welcome in a church. This is not the church that I grew up in. This is not the God that I know. And again I say to you that bullying is not okay, even if you wrap it in a bow and call it ‘spiritual care.’
*
I welcome this outstanding mother to the club comprised of those of us who believe in the Gospel message of love and tolerance yet find ourselves outcasts in many churches where hate, division, and hypocrisy are the true gods that are worshiped.

NOM and Maggie Gallagher Want Leviticus to Control Civil Laws

For a nation - and each American state as well - that claim to guarantee freedom of religion to all citizens, the increasing brazenness of the Christianists in seeking to basically subvert state and the U. S. Constitution is breath taking. Their agenda has always been to make their religious views binding on all and now NOM isn't even hiding it any more in its latest anti-gay and anti-liberty initiative in Rhode Island. It's all about their rights, their beliefs, and every one else can go f*ck themselves in the view of these anything but godly Christians. Oh, and lest we forget, some like Ms. Maggie (pictured at right) are getting rich off of the non-stop dissemination of hate and bigotry. She truly makes a tawdry whore look virtuous in comparison. Jeremy Hooper at Good As You has exposed some of the religious extremism that is being circulated among the falsely pious. Here are highlights:
*
WHEREAS, The Bible and Jesus Christ in particular define marriage as a heterosexual union between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6); and
*
WHEREAS, The Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament clearly and specifically forbids homosexual conduct – as well as all other forms of sexual misconduct outside the bounds of heterosexual marriage (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11); and
*
WHEREAS, The passage of laws legalizing homosexual marriage will force the teaching of the validity of this lifestyle in the public schools of our state; and
*
WHEREAS, The passage of laws legalizing homosexual marriage will place persons of conscience who oppose such unions for moral reasons in jeopardy before the law in their business and legal relationships;
*
Now therefore, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge our General Assembly to defeat H-5012 and S-0029, which broadens the definition of persons eligible to marry to include persons of the same gender.
*
NOM goes on and makes some disingenuous statements about not supporting hatred - even though everything it does fuels anti-gay hatred and an atmosphere where many gays - young and old - are bullied and discriminated against to the point of taking their own lives. As I've said before, I suspect Ms. Maggie has a reserved seat in Hell.

Saturday Male Beauty

Clarence Thomas' Wife Adds Reasons for His Removal From Supreme Court

Rather than being chastened by recent coverage of her inappropriate activities and her husband's failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars of income, fundie wing nut Virginia Thomas is adding more ammunition for the argument that Thomas needs to resign from - or if need be, removed from - the United States Supreme Court. Her overtly political conduct - not to mention financial gravy train from far right groups is likely a first for the spouse of a justice on the Court - a justice who, in my opinion, in addition to being on the borderline of active corruption is a mental midget to boot. At the rate things are going, Thomas needs to have his photo next to the term "conflict of interest." The situation is truly outrageous and something needs to be done since Thomas apparently sees himself as above the law and ethical considerations that held sway for many decades. Here are highlights from the New York Times on Virginia Thomas' latest improper conduct:
*
The wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has raised her political profile in the last year through her outspoken conservative activism, is rebranding herself as a lobbyist and self-appointed “ambassador to the Tea Party movement.”
*
Virginia Thomas, the justice’s wife, said on libertyinc.co, a Web site for her new political consulting business, that she saw herself as an advocate for “liberty-loving citizens” who favored limited government, free enterprise and other core conservative issues. She promised to use her “experience and connections” to help clients raise money and increase their political impact.
*
Ms. Thomas’s effort to take a more operational role on conservative issues could intensify questions about her husband’s ability to remain independent on issues like campaign finance and health care, legal ethicists said.
*
Arn Pearson, a vice president at Common Cause, a liberal group that has been critical of potential conflicts at the Supreme Court caused by Ms. Thomas’s work, said her new position, combined with Justice Antonin Scalia’s recent address before a closed-door seminar of the Tea Party Caucus, provided further evidence of “the politicization of the court.” “The level of bias we’re seeing is really troubling,” Mr. Pearson said.

Catholic Church: Mass Attendance Down, $77 Million Settlement, German Teologians in Revolt

I often lament that far too many Catholics refuse to pull their heads out of the sand and admit to themselves that (1) they belong to a Church where the top leadership is nothing less than a total moral cesspool and (2) by continuing church attendance and financial support they are accessories to the crimes of the hierarchy. Underscoring this rot and stench in the Church hierarchy is a new $77 million sex abuse settlement involving the Delaware Catholic Diocese of Wilmington that involved 150 victims of sexual abuse by priests. The good news, however, is that some Catholics seem to be finally waking up. In Boston, mass attendance has plummeted (less than 20% of Catholics attend weekly mass) prompting parishes closing and in German one third of the theologians at Catholic universities have demanded broad Church reforms including an end to celibacy, women priests and gay couples. Such reforms would be the truly Christian thing to do, which means the Vatican will oppose them tooth and claw. First, here are highlights from the Washington Post on the settlement in Wilmington:
*
Lawyers involved with the Delaware Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's $77 million settlement with nearly 150 alleged victims of sexual abuse said the church's agreement to release unredacted documents is a historic step toward making sure it doesn't happen again. And lawyers for the alleged victims said they will post the documents on the Internet. "When people see the documents, they will be able to judge for themselves" how the church dealt with pedophile priests, attorney John Manly said.
*
The diocese agreed Wednesday to settle the lawsuits, which claimed child sexual abuse by dozens of diocesan and religious order priests dating to the early 1960s. Attorney Thomas Neuberger, who represented 99 of the 146 alleged victims, said they would each receive $530,000 on average.
*
Meanwhile, the Boston Archdiocese is seeing mass attendance fall drastically and is looking at parishes to close due to lack of operating funds - even though the Church ironically has millions of dollars to invest in anti-gay political activities. It's strange to me that the priorities of the Vatican are such that they will throw parishioners out of their churches, yet has money to burn when it comes to fueling homophobia and interfering with the civil laws. Here are highlights from the Catholic News Agency on the plight of many parishes in the Boston area:
*
[A]rchdiocesan spokesman Terry Donilon told CNA. “Today less than 20% attend weekly Mass in the Archdiocese.” These numbers call for what Donilon described as a “total rebuild of the archdiocese,” likely to include mergers between several parish communities
*
Statistics from the archdiocese indicate that 40 percent of its parishes are barely meeting their financial needs or operating at a loss, while the number of active diocesan priests is expected to diminish by nearly half – from around 400, to only 180 – by 2021. Mass attendance in Boston dropped by 23 percent between 2000 and 2009.
*
Obviously, covering up the rape of children has not been good for business in the Boston Archdioceses. Neither is the Vatican's refusal to move away from a 13th century view of the world and human sexuality. Some 140 plus Catholic theologians in German are demanding that things change. While their valiant effort is probably a case of spitting into the wind currently, unless the Catholic Church wants to ultimately become an African based church where uneducated populations remain plentiful, change will have to come at some point. Here are highlights from the Canadian Press:
*
University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for priests, open up the clergy for women and accept gays couples. The 143 professors said the church must implement bold reforms because of "a crisis without precedent" following the discovery of widespread sexual and physical abuses by clergymen a year ago.
*
More Christians than ever have turned their backs on the Catholic Church in the past year, they said. "The Church has to understand these signs and move beyond its ossified structures to regain new vitality and credibility." The appeal, published in newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung's Friday edition, called on the church's leadership to stop excluding gay couples and remarried Christians. "The Church also needs married priests and women holding positions in the clergy," the appeal said — in clear defiance of the Vatican's dogmas.
*
[T]he wealthy Catholic Church in the homeland of Pope Benedict XVI sees the number of its followers dwindling, leading to lower proceeds every year, and ever fewer young men choosing to become priests.
*
The professors also called for a more democratic and less centralized church, including giving the faithful a say in appointing their priests and bishops. "What can be decided locally, should be decided there," the appeal said.

Obama Continues to Pander to Christian Hate Organizations

This blog and many others - as well as numerous media outlets - have focused in the past on the insidious Christianist organization known as "The Family," elements of which have had heavy involvement in spreading anti-gay hatred in Africa. Nonetheless, Barack Obama attended the annual gathering of these Christo-fascists at the so-called "National Prayer Breakfast" which by its very design gives special prominence to the virulent form of Christianity backed by "The Family." Personally, I find Obama obsequiousness to such a foul organization disgusting but sadly it is par for the course with Obama who just doesn't seem to grasp that no matter what he does, this element will always hate him and do all in its power to destroy him. Along with destroying freedom of religion for other Americans. What's next for Obama - attending a KKK rally? It's no secret that I see religion as predominantly an evil influence the moment it cease to be a private, personal matter and "The Family" takes this form of evil to a very high level. Here are highlights from CNN on the displeasure of many in the LGBT community over Obama's decision to kiss the ring if you will of this evil organization:
*
As President Barack Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, demonstrators outside reignited a simmering debate over the role the breakfast's organizers in an attempt to pass anti-gay legislation in Uganda. Gay rights activists urged President Obama not to attend this year’s National Prayer Breakfast accusing the Fellowship Foundation - which hosts the annual event - of promoting anti-gay legislation in Uganda.
*
“We would love for the President to come out and join us at the “Breakfast without Bigotry,” said Michael Dixon, an organizer with GetEqualDC who organized Thursday's prayer breakfast demonstrations.
*
Demonstrators in Washington said that the Fellowship Foundation, the Christian organizers behind the National Prayer Breakfast, have supported that legislation. David Bahati, the Ugandan parliamentary member who introduced the anti-gay bill, is associated with the Christian group.
*
The Fellowship Foundation is also known as the Family, after a book by that name that was published about the group several years ago. “The values the Family is actually espousing could not be further from what Jesus would actually support,” Dixon told CNN. “We feel that persecuting people because of the way that they were born, trying to have them imprisoned for life, trying to execute them, is not Christian and it’s not a family value in any sense of the word.”
*
Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the Episcopal church's first openly gay bishop, is critical of the Fellowshiop. “What I and others are calling for is for The Family organization to do far more than it’s done recently. There’s been a… mediocre and fairly listless attempt to distance itself from this law,” he said. "If you start a wildfire and it gets out of control and burns a bunch of homes, you know, it does no good to say, ‘Oh gosh, I never really meant to have it end up this way.”

Friday Male Beauty

The Foul Fruits of Religion

In the USA and many parts of the world Christianity is given special deference and privileges - most of which are undeserved given the fact that too many denominations continue to market division, hatred and bigorty. A video clip that underscores the often evil nature of religion is this one for Sarah Brightman's version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu, a piece that was played at my mother's recent memorial service. By way of back ground, Pie Jesu is from Webber's 1997 Requiem that was written in the wake of Catholic/Protestant violence in Northern Ireland. Take a good look at the video and ask yourself, why a belief system that produces such carnage is given special rights? The Catholic Church, conservative Protestan sects and professional Christians continue to this very day to sow the seeds of hatred and discord - throwing Christ's Gospel message of love of neighbor on the trash heap.

DADT Discharges May End, But Discrimination Might Not

The demise of DADT is a huge issue in this area of Virginia with its huge number of military service members in all branches of the U.S. military, but especially the Navy. While things seem to be on track - albeit far to slowly in my view - there are still numerous concerns as to (1) a lack of enforceable anti-discrimination protections and (2) questions as to how the partners (and in some cases, legally married spouses) of service members will be treated. Unfortunately, with DOMA in place and still being defended by or faux "fierce advocate" in the White House,LGBT service members may still remain second class citizens even if allowed to openly serve in the military. Of course, behind all of the continued bigotry is the - in my view - unconstitutional special rights given to conservative Christian religious beliefs in this nation. Equality Matters has a piece that looks at the likely continued problems that will face LGBT service members. Here are some highlights:
*
President Barack Obama and Defense Department officials are preparing to provide lesbian and gay service members the space to serve openly without risking expulsion while simultaneously affording them absolutely no legally enforceable anti-discrimination protections once they are visible.
*
Sure, they may not be at risk for being discharged after implementation, but they will have no means of sustainable legal recourse if they are discriminated against in any other way (or if the political environment shifts) on the basis of their sexual orientation
*
President Obama could make all this go away with an executive order that categorically prohibits discrimination against gay service members. When I asked a White House spokesperson why the president would not issue that mandate, he said on DOD had developed "clear policy guidance"the matter.

*

Somehow Obama's assurances that DOD has adopted "policy Guidance" gives me little comfort that LGBT service members will receive full equality. Yes, DADT repeal is a good step, but there's still much to be done.

Virginia Census Data - Backwardness Results in Slowed Growth and Lost Legislative Clout

I have argued numerous times that areas that are intolerant and hostile to modernity are slowly killing themselves socially and economically. The newly released census data for Virginia bears this out with most of the Commonwealth's significant population growth in relatively liberal Northern Virginia and around Charlottesville while the bulk of losses in population focuses in the reactionary areas of southwest Virginia (e.g., Patrick County, Henry County and Martisville all lost population). A map found here allows one to see the pattern county by county. This divergent growth also means that areas of slow growth or no growth will lose influence in the Virginia General Assembly and in Congress when redistricting is completed. Frankly, I view this as a good thing since for far too long the backward rural areas of Virginia have held far too much sway and have retarded progress across the rest of the state. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot on the political ramifications:
*
Hampton Roads will take a hit when legislative district lines are redrawn this year to reflect population changes over the past decade. The region's population has grown about 6 percent since 2000, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. That's less than half of Virginia's statewide growth rate of 13 percent, which means the region can expect to lose representation when the required remapping is done.
*
The big winner is Northern Virginia, which grew at a robust 24 percent. That means a decades-long trend of shifting political power from downstate to the booming Washington suburbs will continue. The shift will leave local lawmakers of both parties scrambling to save their own skins in a zero-sum game of political musical chairs.
*
One potential casualty of any reshuffling done in the Senate is the current level of Virginia Beach representation.

*

The clear message to Hampton Roads localities - and even more so southwestern Virginia - ought to be that business as usual is a recipe for future political and economic disaster. The City of Hampton lost population but, based on what I've seen so far with its diversity effort that includes LGBT perspectives, it seems among the few Hampton Roads cities that gets the message that tolerance, cultural diversity and progressive views can mean economic improvement. How it plays out is yet to be seen.

More Thursday Male Beauty

York County, Virginia Schools Won't Stopping Bullying Despite Student Suicide

I have written about the ongoing bullying problem in the nearby York County, Virginia, school division in the aftermath of the Memorial Day weekend suicide of 16 year Christian Taylor last year here and here. One of the problems is the apparent total indifference to well being of all students in the ranks of the school administration. The second and even larger problem is that Virginia's laws more or less absolve both the bullies persecuting other students and the indifferent and negligent school administrators. Only actual physical assault or utterly gross negligence will open the threshold for accountability of the bully and school administrators, respectively.

*

But back to Christian's family eight months after his death. Given Christian's suicide, one would think that the York County schools would go out of their way to protect his surviving siblings from harassment and bullying. But sadly, such is not the case as is evidenced by this story on WVEC-TV 13 by a reporter friend, David Ham ( a print version of the story can be found here):

As a parent, the school division's obscene disregard for Christian's siblings - and I suspect many other students as well - makes me furious. EVERY child deserves to be able to go to school without harassment be they gay, lesbian, black white, Hispanic, Christian, Muslim or Hindu, etc. Is this simple right too much to ask for? I hope readers will widely disseminate this story and force York County to clean up its act if not for the right reason only so as to stop the negative publicity.

Thursday Male Beauty

Expect New Tea Party Hysteria Over New Census Data

Government survey data for the 2010 census is beginning to be released and it is likely to ignite more hysteria among the racist, Christianist dominated Tea Party crowd. The figures show that some 85% of the nation's population growth has been through increases in minority populations, especially Hispanics. The figures also demonstrate why in the longer term the Republican Party is committing suicide by its decision to cling to the bigots, racists and religious extremists of the GOP base while doing its best to alienate everyone else. The Washington Post has coverage which doesn't mention the number of LGBT households, but I suspect that number has increased significantly as well. The world and society are changing, yet the GOP for the most part clings to the past. The message to younger voters and minorities is that they need to turn out at the polls and help vote the GOP into a well deserved oblivion. Here are story highlights:
*
WASHINGTON -- U.S. racial minorities accounted for roughly 85 percent of the nation's population growth over the last decade - one of the largest shares ever - with Hispanics accounting for much of the gain in many of the states picking up new House seats. Preliminary census estimates also suggest the number of multiracial Americans jumped roughly 20 percent since 2000, to over 5 million.
*
"There are going to be a lot of additional Hispanic officials elected when redistricting is done," said E. Mark Braden, a former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee who now advises state governments on redistricting. "But folks in power don't give up control that easily - there will be tension between the ins and outs."
*
Four of the eight states gaining House seats owe roughly half or more of their population gains over the last decade to Hispanics. They include Texas, which picks up four seats; Florida, which will add two seats; and Arizona and Nevada, picking up one seat apiece.
*
The minority growth share in 2010 is the largest in recent memory, with only the influx of European minority immigrants such as Italians, Poles and Jews in the late 1800s possibly rivaling it in scope, said William H. Frey, a demographer at Brookings Institution who analyzed the census data.
*
"The new engines of growth in America's population are Hispanics, Asians and other minorities," Frey said. "But it's just the tip of the iceberg. For the under-18 population - potential voters in the not-too-distant future - minorities accounted for virtually all the growth in most U.S. states." "Political strategists and advocates, especially in growing states, cannot afford to ignore this surging political wave," he said.
*
Clearly, the GOP's anti-immigrant mantra and often less than subtle racism is a recipe for disaster. The question is whether anyone in the GOP has the spine to call it like it is or will the leadership continue to prostitute itself to the worse elements of the party's current base? Here in Virginia, my vote is for the latter option to prevail until the GOP is voted out of all state wide offices for several election cycles.

Canadian Study: Bullying Boosts Gay Suicide Rates

A new study at Concordia University has confirmed the obvious: anti-gay bullying increase the rate at which gays, lesbians and transgender individuals take their own lives. And yet most school divisions do little - or in case of the York County, Virginia schools - absolutely nothing to stop it. And it's not just those who have come out as gay who are targeted. Often those who are different or not conforming to backward and ignorant gender stereotypes get attacked as gay as well. In addition to the obvious emotional and psychological damage done to the victims of bullying, the new study goes further and suggest physiological results occur as well that can exacerbate the rate of suicides. Yet self-professed and self-congratulatory Christians - using the latter term very loosely, of course - continue their message of hate and ignorance hate to block effective anti-bullying policies. Meanwhile, school administrators abandon bullied students as the cower and give special privileges to Christianist bigotry - as if only anti-gay Christians have any rights. It sickens me. Here are highlights from Montreal Gazette on the study findings:
*
Being bullied for being gay or lesbian can lead to a hormonal disruption that can boost suicide rates, memory loss, cardiovascular problems and bone density depletion, a study by a Concordia University graduate shows.
*
“This shows that homophobia is bad for your health,” said the study’s author, Michael Benibgui. The newly released study is the first to prove a biological link between homophobic bullying and long-lasting physical and psychological conditions, he said.
*
The results showed that victims of homophobia had disruptions in their output of cortisol, a hormone released in the brain as a response to stress. Normally, cortisol levels are highest in the morning and lowest in the evening, but those facing homophobic bullying consistently produced higher levels throughout the day, Benibgui said.
*
While the study did not directly gauge participants’ physical side effects, it is well-known that cortisol disruptions can lead to physical ailments. Besides measuring cortisol, the study’s main focus was on whether participants were more depressed or had more thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.
*
“By seeking support, they might become more exposed and become more vulnerable” to verbal and physical attacks, Benibgui noted. “It’s a double-edged sword.”
*
And yet parental, family and peer support for a person who is lesbian, gay or bisexual was the greatest countermeasure to cortisol disruption. Such support also strongly affected the person’s resiliency.
*
Ongoing, relentless bullying needs to carry criminal charges for the bully and with minors, their ought to be liability attaching to parents and schools who refuse to rein in their children or students. Only when criminal charges and financial liability attach will we see a change in the currently indifferent attitudes.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Maryland GOP Senator Announces Support for Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Maryland lies just across the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay from Virginia. Yet politically and socially it is a very different world where ALL citizens of the state have far more legal protections than citizens of Virginia. Indeed, now, a prominent GOP senator in Maryland (Allan Kittleman, pictured at right) has announced his support for a gay marriage bill now moving into the state legislature. I know of no GOP senator in Virginia (or GOP member of the House of Delegates) who would dare take such an action and thereby face the wrath of the Christo-fascists at The Family Foundation who daily make a mockery of religious freedom in this state. Obviously, I hope the Maryland measure passes and gives LGBT citizens in Northern Virginia the option of moving to Maryland where they will be treated as full citizens. Would such an exodus be a wake up call to Northern Virginia legislators subject to pressure from the real estate industry? Its hard to say, but it likely would not hurt the currently lost cause of marriage equality in Virginia. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on this development:
*
Sen. Allan H. Kittleman (R-Howard) formally announced his support Wednesday morning for legislation that would allow same-sex marriages in Maryland, saying he would vote for the bill "because of my firm belief in equal rights." With the announcement, Kittleman became the first -- and will probably be the only -- Senate Republican to back one of the most high-profile bills of the 90-day session. When the full chamber considers the bill in coming weeks, the vote is expected to be very close. Kittleman said he plans to testify next week at a scheduled hearing on the bill.
*
[M]y primary goal has always been to ensure that same sex couples have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples currently have in Maryland. I see this issue as a civil rights issue. I was raised by a gentleman who joined with others in fighting racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s. Watching him fight for civil rights instilled in me the belief that everyone, regardless of race, sex, national origin or sexual orientation, is entitled to equal rights.
*
I know that some may contend that since the Bible teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman, Maryland should continue to prohibit same sex marriage. First, let me state that I am a strong follower of Jesus Christ. I worked in youth ministries for many years. However, while my faith may teach that marriage is between a man and a woman, our government is not a theocracy. As the state senator from District 9, I represent everyone in my district, regardless of their faith. Therefore, while my spiritual life is extremely important to me, it cannot be the sole basis for my decisions as a state senator.
*
Ultimately, it was my strong feelings about civil rights that led me to decide to support SB 116.

While Iowa House Votes for Discrimination, a Young Man Speaks About Family

Yesterday in Iowa, the Republican controlled House passed a resolution to start the process to amend that state's constitution to completely wipe out all legal recognition of same sex relationships, not just marriage. The backers of this religious based bigotry argue that only a heterosexual couple can properly raise children (they apparently think single parents should be kicked to the curb too based on this argument). One young Iowan, Zach Wahls, eloquently took exception to this lie as shown in the video above. The irony is that with so many abusive and dysfunctional heterosexual headed families, the enemies of gay marriage are seemly afraid that gays might be better able to make marriage work. My youngest daughter recently remarked that the boyfriend and I have a better relationship that straight couples she knows.
*
The Advocate has details on yesterday's vote which can be found here.

Is an Administrative Partial ENDA Possible?

Here in Virginia, LGBT citizens can be fired at will from their jobs simply for being a sexual minority - it happened to me personally in the private sector in a law firm setting and as my client, Michael Ware Moore, can attest it happens in the the realm of state employees as well despite the lies spun by The Family Foundation and its whores in the Republican Party of Virginia. Even today, a bill passed by the Virginia Senate that would protect state employees faces likely death in the House of Delegates.

*

At the federal level, with the shift of control of U.S. House of Representatives to the GOP, hoped for relief from the federal level is unlikely. As a result, some advocates are now lobbying for an Executive Order that would limit federal contracts to companies that have LGBT non-discrimination policies in place. If such an Executive Order were to be secured, it would be subject to revocation by a future president and would leave the vast majority of employees in gay hostile states with zero protection. Being a pragmatist, I'd accept an Executive Order as a partial stop gap ENDA, but in the long term, we must demand passage of state and federal employment non-discrimination laws. As for the question of whether Obama has the spine to issue such an order, I won't be holding my breath - as readers of this blog know, I often refer to him as the "Liar-in-Chief" when it comes to pro-LGBT legislative initiatives. Here are highlights from the Washington Blade on the Executive Order effort:
*
LGBT rights supporters are pressing President Obama to issue a directive requiring the federal government to contract only with companies that have non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation and gender identity protecting their employees.
*
Richard Socarides, president of Equality Matters, said an executive order for LGBT workplace protections “ought to be something the president seriously considers doing.” “It’s definitely an administrative device the president can use to help advance the cause of full equality, especially if the Congress is unwilling to take action,” Socarides said.
*
Even though some companies don’t contract with the federal government, Socarides said the directive would set an example for all U.S. businesses to comply with the new rules.
*
An executive order on LGBT workplace discrimination could be a workable alternative now that Republicans have taken control of the House and cut into the Democratic majority in the Senate after the 2010 midterm elections, making passage of ENDA in Congress significantly more challenging, if not impossible.

Whether Obama would be willing to issue such an executive order remains to be seen. The president has called for passage of ENDA, but hasn’t voiced an opinion about an administrative action instituting workplace protections for LGBT people.
*
Nan Hunter, a lesbian law professor at Georgetown University, said a directive protecting LGBT people would be a “terrific idea” because history has shown executive orders for non-discrimination often precede changes in law. “I think the pertinent piece in terms of the civil rights history is that the federal contractor requirements were put in place prior to the enactment of the statutes,” Hunter said.
*
In 1964, President Johnson issued an executive order prohibiting most federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin — prior to the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
*
Hunter acknowledged that Obama may face political challenges in issuing such an order — much like the difficulties Congress had in passing ENDA — if the directive includes protections for transgender people.
*
According to the Williams Institute, the federal government contracts with 91,367 companies. The percent of the U.S. workforce that these companies employ is unknown. However, the executive order that Johnson issued in 1964, which covered most federal contractors, protected only an estimated 22 percent of the civilian workforce.

Is a Possible John Boehner Adultry Scandal Brewing?

I generally do not take much notice of what the National Inquirer reports given the rag's tendency to fabricate truly bat shit crazy stories. On the other hand, the Inquirer was 100% on target with the John Edwards sex scandal, so the publication cannot be safely ignored either. Now the Inquirer is reportedly about to release a story exposing the teary eyed, Uber-Catholic current Speaker of the House John Boehner as having had an adulterous affair with a lobbyist. If indeed the story pans out, Boehner would be yet another Republican hypocrite who preaches "family values" and denigrates LGBT Americans while blatantly not practicing what he preaches. I wish no one ill, but if the Inquirer is on the mark, it will be sweet watching the Christianists and self-congratulatory members of the GOP eating crow. I guess we will have to see what proof the Inquirer offers tomorrow. Here are highlights from the Stark Report:

*

The New York Times passed on the story (if there ever was one; Page 6 of the New York Post isn’t known as the beginning and end of truth), but evidently Boehner hasn’t been successful in making the story go away. I was recently contacted by a reporter from the National Enquirer, and now I have confirmation that their story will hit the newsstands on Thursday.

*
Wonder how well Boehner’s zero-tolerance pledge regarding corruption will hold up when it comes out that several hundred paper-making jobs were lost in his district and he refused to do anything about it at the same time he was sleeping with a lobbyist for the printing industry that was very happy to get their cheap paper from China.