Why Is Anyone Listening to the GOP?

As the terrible economic results of the failed policies of the GOP continue to escalate and make themselves increasingly widely felt, one has to wonder why anyone - including the political pundits - are even bothering to listen to the hyperventilating of Congressional Republicans. These folks are the ones who constantly wanted to cut regulations and chanted a mantra of let the free market system decide. Now, with unfettered capitalism and rank greed having trashed the financial system and the economy these people want to do nothing or invoke a spending freeze - as if they worried when the Chimperator's regime destroyed the surplus left by the Clinton administration or dragged the country into the budget black hole called Iraq. Just how bad is the aftermath of 8 years of GOP misrule? Very bad based on a New York Times story that looks at the continued downward spiral on the employment front. Here are some highlights:

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The unemployment rate surged to 8.1 percent, from 7.6 percent in January, its highest level in a quarter-century. In key industries — manufacturing, financial services and retail — layoffs have accelerated so quickly in recent months as to suggest that many companies are abandoning whole areas of business.

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The grim scorecard of contraction in the American workplace released by the Labor Department on Friday largely destroyed what hopes remained for an economic recovery in the first half of this year, and it added to a growing sense that 2009 is probably a lost cause.

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Since the recession began, the economy has eliminated a net total of roughly 4.4 million jobs, with more than half of those positions — some 2.6 million — disappearing in the last four months alone. This rapid deterioration has prompted talk that some industries are being partly dismantled. Layoffs are multiplying because of dysfunction in the financial system, which is prompting even healthy companies to shed workers and shut down operations out of concern they may soon lose access to credit.

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American car sales have dropped to an annual pace of nine million, from some 17 million in 2007. Even if sales increase considerably, that is likely to leave a lot of unneeded auto factories.

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The stimulus spending bill signed last month includes $4.5 billion for job training. That only begins to address an area long neglected, said Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project in New York. In current dollars, the nation devoted the equivalent of $20 billion a year to job training in 1979, compared with only $6 billion last year, Mr. Stettner said. “We have to seriously look at fundamentally rebuilding the economy,” he said. “You’ve got to use this moment to retrain for jobs.”

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Another New York Times story looks at the bleak outlook for the spring home sale market. Again, the Republican Party bears primary responsibility for the current economic melt-down which began with the out of control and unregulated sub-prime mortgage industry. Why do we care what the GOP has to say now? Here's a glimpse of the story on home sales:

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For would-be sellers, the bad news keeps coming. This week, one new report showed that one in nine mortgages was delinquent or in foreclosure, while another showed that January contract signings for sales of previously owned homes fell at their fastest pace in two years.

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In recent months, many banks and mortgage companies have suspended foreclosures voluntarily or because of state moratoriums meant to encourage negotiations between delinquent borrowers and lenders. Experience, however, shows that these suspensions merely delay foreclosures, and that foreclosed homes soon flood the market. Another big concern is that homeowners with solid credit records will fall behind on their mortgages in greater numbers as unemployment rises.

More Saturday Male Beauty

Yet More Catholic Church Hypocrisy and Insanity

The Roman Catholic Church seems to never stop providing endless examples of its hypocrisy and/or the insanity of its leadership. On the hypocrisy side, while the Church claims to be sorry for the rampant sexual abuse of minors that we all now know went on for decades, it still is doing all in its power to block the full story from being disclosed and to avoid having victims of abuse have their day in court against their abusers and/or the institution that turned a blind eye to their abuse. The latest effort to prevent the Church from being held fully accountable comes from New York State where the Church is frantically opposing legislation which might allow additional victims to sue the Church. After all, the Church's real God is money and if more victims are successful, precious money will be lost. Here are some highlights from the National Law Journal:

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The New York State Catholic Conference has resumed its fierce lobbying against a bill that would open a one-year window to revive suits for clergy sexual abuse where the statute of limitations has expired. Catholic leaders say the proposal would create a flood of financially ruinous lawsuits, many of which would be decades old. As an alternative, they are promoting a more "fair and balanced" approach that would extend the statute of limitations by two years but not revive older claims.

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The broader sex abuse litigation bill has passed the Assembly with bipartisan support each year since 2006, but was held in the Senate's Codes Committee each year. Dennis Poust, a spokesman for the conference, said there is heightened concern this year among the state's Roman Catholic leaders about the improved prospects of the bill's passage in the Senate since that chamber changed to Democratic control after November's election.

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The Catholic Church believes it would be impossible for the church to defend against allegations that could be as old as 50 or 60 years.

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It is a shame that the Church leaders in the past did not think - or care - about the consequences of the actions of predator priests and those in the hierarchy that enabled them or covered up their misdeeds. In my view, it is only fair that the Church now reap the fruits of its past misdeeds. Imagine the number of lives that could have been spared trauma, emotional problems and in some cases suicide.

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On the insanity side, a story out of Brazil reveals just how little regard many in the Church leadership have for women - or in this case a 9 year old girl. It mazes me how fixated the Church is on unborn children when it cares so little fro those already living. The Irish Times has the story of a Brazilian Archbishop who would rather a 9 year old girl who was raped die than that she have an abortion to likely save her life. Here are some highlights:

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A CATHOLIC archbishop has sparked controversy in Brazil by saying the mother of a nine-year-old girl who had an abortion on Wednesday following a rape is automatically excommunicated for allowing the procedure to go ahead.

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Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife also declared that according to canon law the doctor who performed the abortion is considered excommunicated, along with anyone else involved. The child was raped by her stepfather, who has since admitted abusing her over the last three years. Abortion is generally illegal in Brazil but allowed in cases of rape or when the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life.

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Before the abortion was carried out the archdiocese’s lawyers threatened to charge the mother with homicide, citing the Brazilian constitution’s guarantee to the right to life. The doctor who carried out the procedure has defended his actions. “If the pregnancy had continued, the damage would have been worse, being a high risk pregnancy. The risk would have been of death or at the very least that she would never have been able to become pregnant again,” Dr Olímpio Moraes told O Globo newspaper.

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But Archbishop Cardoso Sobrinho has dismissed the fact that the abortion was legal under Brazilian law as irrelevant to the question of excommunication. “God’s law is above whatever human law. So when a human law is contrary to God’s law, this human law has no value,” he said.

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I suspect if the good archbishop were married and had children of his own, he would have put more value on the life of the 9 year old girl. An utter lack on the part of the Catholic clergy to "get it" in terms of parenting, family issues and the horror of the sexual abuse of children is one of the results of the celibacy requirement in my opinion.

The Corrupting Influence of Organized Religion

I consider myself and the boyfriend to be fairly spiritual even if not in the "churchy" way of organized religion that puts man made rules and regulations and satisfying the egos and hunger for power and wealth of church leaders (and evangelical professions Christians) over what should be the main message of the religions they profess. One need only look at the Roman Catholic Church, the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention or organizations like Focus on the Family to see how institutionalizing religion seems to always corrupts and turns what might otherwise be a force for good into something more akin to a metastasizing cancer. One spiritual writer that the boyfriend likes is Sylvia Browne and in one of her books, If you Could See What I See, she has a letter that he brought to my attention from one of her followers that, in my mind, does a wonderful summation of the evil that comes from organized religion. Here are some highlights:

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Religion is both the savior and bane of mankind. How many millions have been comforted by organized religion over the ages, and how many have been killed, tortured, raped and plundered over these same ages?

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We must start with organized religion in the world today, for it's both part of the problem and the key to the salvation of the world. The major religions of the world have got to band together and not only preach but practice religious tolerance.

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Islam, the fastest growing religion on the world, has got to go back to its roots of religious tolerance and oust the extremists who practice terrorism in the name of a holy Jihad (holy war) on the "infidels" of other religions or countries. Most of the message from Mohammad was Christlike, teaching love and tolerance of others . . his teachings have been warped by extremists and conservative clerics who lust for power and greed at any cost of human life.

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Christianity also has some major problems that it must face. The Catholic Church has many internal problems that hurt others, . . . It has lost respect for its many internal scandals and failure to acknowledge its mistakes both in the past and in the present. . . It must make wholesale changes or it will go down, as so many inflexible dynasties have, and not have the powerful voice it once had.
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The Protestant movement is also becoming more inflexible and conservative with its right wing politics creating myriad problems in the form of bigotry, intolerance, and its propensity to try to gain power in the political arena. . . . Christianity is one of the least tolerant toward other religions, which makes the task of bonding with other worldwide religions, in order to accomplish an overall good for the world, seem near to impossible.

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Christianity today has become warped in many areas, namely that of preaching and practicing the worship of an all-loving and merciful God. . . . Some of these so-called Christian churches use the Bible so much that they ought to be named "Bible worshipers" instead of "worshipers of Christ." If Christ came down to the world today, I doubt he'd proclaim himself a Christian. Christianity needs to practice more religious tolerance, get out of the political arena, and really put forth the concept of an all-loving and merciful God - rather than a wrathful, vengeful God who has all of the imperfect emotions of mankind.

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The Christian motto seems to be: If you're threatened in your faith, for God's sake don't tolerate the right of others to believe otherwise. Instead, just destroy them, whether it be from the pulpit, in the political arena, with propaganda, or the sword.

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It's such a tragedy that the major religions of the world have messed up the simple act of worshiping God. God who created us all in our many different colors and ethnic backgrounds, and he even sent messengers to help us find our way to His all-loving and merciful self. We turn around and disregard or warp all that and make war and commit atrocities on each other.

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Unfortunately, I do not see any of the current leadership of the world's major religions putting the good of the world first. Rather, their own agendas for power, control, wealth, and just plain meanness are all they truly care about regardless of whatever platitudes they may state. Meanwhile, the potentially positive teachings of religion fall to the wayside as hate, intolerance and unrestrained hubris fuels unspeakable actions towards other fellow humans. All of this is one of the reasons I find myself remaining spiritual but less and less tied to organized religion. More often then not organized religion is a bane to world peace. Organized religion for the most part is also no friend to gay rights and equality. Indeed, it's usually the enemy.

Saturday Male Beauty

20 OUTstanding Virginians Named by Equality Virginia

As part of the events recognizing Equality Virginia's 20th anniversary this year, at the Commonwealth Dinner in Richmond on April 4, 2009, Equality Virginia will be honoring twenty gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Virginians who have made a mark. The event should be a great affair - the boyfriend has already bought us tickets to attend - and the headliner for the evenings entertainment is Leslie Jordan (at left). What has struck me about the honorees is that I know one of them who is still living and knew two others during my law school days.

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Rita Mae Brown, Crozet-based screenwriter and author, most notably of "Rubyfruit Jungle."

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Clarence Cain, U.Va. Law School graduate whose life and death from HIV/AIDS inspired the 1993 film “Philadelphia”.

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Meg Christian, women’s music icon and founder of Olivia Records.
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Marge Connelly, Richmond financial industry executive.

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Adam Ebbin, the first openly gay member of Virginia’s General Assembly and founder of Virginia Partisans Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club.

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Jay Fisette, the first openly gay elected official in Virginia and Arlington County Board member.

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Claus Ihlemann, Norfolk activist and owner of Decorum Furniture.
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Jon Klein, founder of Diversity Thrift and Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth (ROSMY).
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Beth Marschak, Richmond activist, author, and historian.
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Lucy Randolph Mason, labor organizer who helped pass 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act.
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Diane Schroer, winner of landmark transgender workplace discrimination case.
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Tony Segura and Marsh Harris: Segura was a founder of the Mattachine Society and Harris was a prolific author of gay pulp fiction.

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L.A. “Shep” Shepard and Norma Hofheimer, mid-century lesbian activist couple from Richmond.
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Wanda Sykes, Emmy-award winning writer and comedian/actress.
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Tracy Thorne-Begland, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell activist and deputy commonwealth's attorney of Richmond.
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Lawrence Webb, the first openly gay black elected official in Virginia and Falls Church City Council member.
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Charles Whitebread, former UVA law professor and GLBT philanthropist.
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Mel White and Gary Nixon, founders of Lynchburg-based Soulforce.
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Bob Witeck, Northern Virginia business owner and GLBT media consultant.

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The living honoree who I know is Claus Ihlemann, a fellow Norfolk business owner, and the 2008 Legends Gala honoree. Over the years Claus has been a great benefactor not only for LGBT causes but also for the local arts. He and his partner are wonderful guys and Claus truly deserves the honor.

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The other honorees that I knew personally are Clarence Cain, who was a classmate, and Charles Whitebread who was a law professor at the University of Virginia (his younger brother was in my class as well). When I first heard of Clarence's death via the UVA alumni magazine, nothing was said of how he died. Likewise, even when the movie Philadelphia came out, the local media did nothing to link the movie's story line to the life of a local native. Homophobia dies hard here in Virginia. A 1990 New York Times story gives the real life details of Clarence's struggles and can be found here.

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As for Charlie Whitebread, he was an amazing professor and a great guy. He was also a willing mentor to his students and a lot of fun. Invitations to his Halloween masquerade parties were highly sought after and he always put on an amazing and imaginative event. I was truly saddened when I saw a memorial to him in a recent alumni publication.

More Anti-Gay Insanity in Africa

Other than South Africa which allows gay marriage, much of the rest of Africa seems obsessed with persecuting gays and/or trying to pretend that we don't exist. Uganada appears headed towards new levels of insanity with talk of forced conversion therapy for gay Ugandans. All too typically, religious nutcases are leading the charge hand in hand with government officials who apparently believe that persecuting gays is a good way to distract the populace from the horrendous state of things in their countries.

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The new proposals are so extreme that even Warren Throckmorton, the sometimes bete noire darling of reparative therapy crowd - with whom I've had severe disagreements in the past and who has lambaste me in columns at Townhall.com - is appalled. The proposal also helps show the true agenda of Exodus International which is participating in the lunacy. Throckmorton made the following comments on his blog about Exodus:

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Exodus International and the International Healing Foundation must now come out clearly and make a statement condemning this proposal. This is a chilling development and one which must be addressed. The presence of these ex-gay organizations in this environment most likely sends a message to the Ugandan people and government that such forced “therapy” is plausible and humane. Cell phones and other modern forms of communication exist. If I were Alan Chambers and Richard Cohen, I would be on the phone yesterday to insist that their representatives make public statements distancing themselves from Mr. Lively’s views. And they should come home early.

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Also at the conference is the certifiably unbalanced Scott Lively whose organization Abiding Truth Ministries has been labeled as a hate group. Here are some highlights on the gathering from Ex-Gay Watch:

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[Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba] Buturo says the he will present the bill against pornography first before presenting that against homosexuality though he declines to mention exactly when these bills will be presented to Parliament. He says pornography is partly a cause of homosexuality since it negatively affects the morals of the victims of pornography and makes them easily susceptible to the vice of homosexuality.

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He says the provision in the penal code on homosexuality is too small to cover all concerns in homosexuality. Buturo says the government will not only end at making laws against homosexuality but will also engage in sensitizing schools and churches in the fight against this vice.

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The President of Defend the Family International, Scott Lively says it is good for the government of Uganda to criminalize homosexuality but the government should subject the criminals of homosexuality to a therapy rather than imprisoning them.

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XGW warned Exodus privately and publicly of the dangers associated with this meeting, and why one of their board members had no business being there. These warnings were met with weak responses, if any, and nothing for the record. Our own contact on the ground there has heard nothing from Don Schmierer (Exodus) to indicate his disagreement with anything so far.

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In my view, Exodus is just as extreme as the company it keeps and one can only hope that in the USA and other countries with educated populations regulations and/or legislation will be enacted barring reparative therapy or revoking the licenses of therapists who engage in its witch doctor like programs.

Friday Male Beauty

Proposition 8 Oral Arguments - Is Freedom Dying?

I am on record as to the terrifying precedent that Proposition 8 will establish if it is allowed to stand. Literally, it will establish the precedent that a slim majority of voters can take away whatever rights they want of a minority group. Frankly, it's like something out of Nazi Germany, but then, I have said many times that the Christianists and their Mormon and far right Catholic allies are fascists at heart once the window dressing of platitudes is stripped away. Kenneth Starr clearly enunciated this reality in an interchange yesterday during the oral arguments as reported by the Los Angeles Times:

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An interaction between Chief Justice Ronald George and Kenneth Starr, who is defending Proposition 8, gets to the heart of the argument. Starr argues that voters have an inalienable right to am end the state constitution as they see fit through simple majority vote, inlcuding "things that tug at the equality principle." But George leans in on the question and asks whether, if Proposition 8 had specifically said that homosexuals had no right to form a family relationship or raise children, that still could be done by amendment? Starr replies yes. George pursues it further, asking if California voters could remove the right to free speech? Starr says yes.

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This mentality should strike terror in the hearts of ALL minorities. Today gays are the targets of Christianist hate yet if one follows their "family values" organizations, the list of those hated is long and includes blacks, non-Christians, immigrants - basically anyone and every one not just like themselves. If Proposition 8 is upheld, the day of such a the ruling by the Court may likely be remembered in the future as the day that liberty and freedom for all died in this country. No minority group will be safe from an oppressive majority that can be whipped into a hate based frenzy by demagogues. I pray that the California Supreme Court justices realize what they will be doing if they uphold this hate based constitutional amendment.

More Thursday Male Beauty

86.7 Million Americans Uninsured Over Last Two Years

I have done a number of posts concerning the national embarrassment that the USA's health care system is compared to other modern, industrialized nations. Yes, the system is great for those with vast fortunes, but what about those who do not? A new study discloses that the number of Americans lacking health care insurance is even higher than previously thought. These numbers translate into huge numbers of individuals not getting need preventive care not to mention requisite care when medical conditions have become life threatening.

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Rush Limbaugh and his zombie followers and Congressional Republicans may want to convince themselves that the USA is tops in everything, but they are deluding themselves when it comes to the delivery of health care. I also find it of particular note that the political party that claims to represent god fearing Americans and "family values" is the party that consistently leaves children and families uninsured. The callousness is shocking. Moreover, nothing would help small businesses - something the GOP harps about - more than to reduce the burden of health insurance costs for their employees. My firm plan renews April 1st and my plan broker has already warned me that the cost of coverage will be going up close to 10% over the year just ending even though we've had no major claims. Here are some highlights from CNN:

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One out of three Americans under 65 were without health insurance at some point during 2007 and 2008, according to a report released Wednesday. The study, commissioned by the consumer health advocacy group Families USA, found 86.7 million Americans were uninsured at one point during the past two years. Among the report's key findings:

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• Nearly three out of four uninsured Americans were without health insurance for at least six months.
• Almost two-thirds were uninsured for nine months or more.
• Four out of five of the uninsured were in working families.
• People without health insurance are less likely to have a usual doctor and often go without screenings or preventative care.

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"The huge number of people without health coverage is worse than an epidemic," Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said in a press release. "Inaction on health care reform in 2009 cannot be an option for the tens of millions of people who lack or lose health coverage each year ... the cost of doing nothing is too high."

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The study came out the day before President Obama plans to hold a health care summit at the White House. The President says reforming health care is one of his top priorities. Critics say the number of uninsured Americans cited in the Families USA report is misleading. "No one disagrees we have a problem with the uninsured," says Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who advised Sen. John McCain on domestic and economic policy during the 2008 election.

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As if John McCain who has the deluxe benefit plan for members of Congress and a wife worth many, many millions has a clue about what it's like to worry about health care cost and health insurance.

Republican Party of Virginia Civil War?

Apparently the national Republican Party is not the only area of the party where power struggles have been unleashed. The Virginian Pilot is reporting that Many ranking Virginia Republicans are seeking to oust embattled Del. Jeff Frederick, R-Prince William (at left), as chairman of the state GOP. A petition containing a list of grievances was delivered to the state party headquarters in Richmond on Wednesday said several Republican state party officials, who did not want to be identified. Here are some highlights:

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Frederick, who publicly pledged not to seek reelection to the legislature during the just concluded General Assembly session, indicated in a written state this afternoon that he doesn't wish to step down as party chairman. I have every intention of continuing as Chairman and completing my term in May 2012," Frederick said in the statement. " I have the commitments necessary to win the vote on April 4th, and will fulfill my term and the commitment to the people who entrusted me to lead our Party back to victory.

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Former attorney general Bob McDonnell, the state Republican Party standard-bearer as the presumptive gubernatorial nominee, endorsed the effort to remove Frederick in a statement Thursday.

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Admittedly, Frederick is a real piece of work and recently attacked Charles Darwin on the anniversary of Darwin's birthday, saying Darwin's theories were "used by atheists to explain away the belief in God." Such ravings certainly do not help Bob McDonnell in his efforts to market himself as a moderate (which he is not). Here is a clip of Federick's denunciation of Darwin:

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While such views are representative of the true GOP party base today in Virginia, particularly among the Kool-Aid drinkers at The Family Foundation, such views are precisely what scared away moderates and independents in the November 2008 elections and set the stage for Virginia to go Democrat in the presidential race for the first time since 1964. Moreover, the GOP lost three seats in the House of Representatives as well thereby setting off a round of recriminations as noted by the Washington Post as follows:

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But while the Virginia Democratic Party emerges from the elections stronger than it has been in decades, Virginia GOP leaders are dogged by finger-pointing and disorganization as they prepare for the 2009 races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the state House of Delegates.

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On the day after the election, Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick blamed the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for the party's poor showing in the state on Election Day. . . . McCain campaign officials, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak for the senator, said they were left with no choice but to marginalize Frederick and the state party.

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"It was just constant drama that surrounded Frederick, and it is quite frankly something the GOP candidates will have to deal with next year," the McCain adviser said.

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Inasmuch as no GOP candidates in Virginia can be categorized as gay friendly by any stretch of the imagination, one can only hope that the party civil war will continue and undermine McDonnell's efforts to win the governorship.

Thursday Male Beauty

Rush Limbaugh: GOP Court Jester

The Washington Post has a great op-ed that looks at the sorry state of the GOP led now for all practical purposes by its court jester, Rush Limbaugh. True, El Rushbo as he calls himself at times, still has a loyal, bigoted, anti-gay, anti-black, anti-woman, anti-immigrant following and continues to rake in the money. But that is something very different from leading a collapsing political party back from the wilderness. In politics, the goal should be to assembly a working majority of voters not drinking a lace Kool-Aid potion to appeal to a delusional minority. Yet that seems to be where the GOP is headed and at an ever increasing pace as moderates and those able to engage in critical thinking skills flee the GOP ship as if it were the Titanic or Lusitania. As I have comment before, historically, most of my family were Republicans - before the party became the party of religious extremists and the intolerant and the brain dead. Here are some column highlights:

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As someone who spends a lot of time on the road, I used to find Limbaugh to be an obnoxious but entertaining companion, his eruptions more reliable than Old Faithful. But now that Limbaugh has become something else — the face of the Republican Party, by a White House that has played him brilliantly — he has been transformed into car-wreck-quality spectacle, at once scary and sad.

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Behold: The sweaty, swollen man in the black, half-buttoned shirt who ranted for nearly 90 minutes Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He reiterated his desire to see the president of his country fail. He misstated the Constitution’s intent while accusing President Obama of “bastardizing” the document. He made fun of one man’s service in Vietnam, to laughter.

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Smarter Republicans know he is not good for them. As the conservative writer David Frum said recently, “If you’re a talk radio host and you have five million who listen and there are 50 million who hate you, you make a nice living. If you’re a Republican party, you’re marginalized.”

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Race is an obsession with Limbaugh, one of the threads I noticed on those long drives on country roads. When Colin Powell endorsed Obama during the campaign, Limbaugh said it was entirely because of race. After the election, Powell said the way for the party, which has been his home, to regain its footing was to say the Republican Party must stop “shouting at the world.”

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It’s little wonder that the thrice-married Limbaugh, who uses “femi-Nazi,” “info-babe” and “PMSNBC” (Get it? The network is full of women suffering pre-menstrual cramps, ha-ha), among his monikers for women, can’t get a date with that demographic. For Democrats, this is all going to plan.

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Limbaugh played his role, ever the fool. A brave Republican could have challenged him, could have had a “have you no shame” moment with him, giving the party some other identity, some spine. Instead, they caved — from Steele, to the leaders in the House, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence, to Gov. Bobby Jindal, who would be ridiculed by Limbaugh for his real first name, Piyush, were he a Democrat.

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But Limbaugh has a fear of his own. If people see him purely as an “entertainer,” as Steele suggested, he will be exposed for what he is: a clown with a very large audience.

Lisa Miller and Liberty Counsel Flip State Courts the Finger

In one of the few Virginia cases where a LGBT party to litigation received genuine justice against her former partner, the now "former lesbian" Lisa Miller and her counsel, the Christo-fascist Matt Staver, dean of Liberty University's so-called law school founded by Jerry Falwell, continue to refuse to recognize and comply with rulings from both the Vermont and Virginia Supreme Courts. Both courts upheld Janet Jenkins' visitation rights to the daughter that was born during their civil union formalized under Vermont law. It would seem that the courts need to (1) start sanctioning Staver and Liberty Counsel for continuing to file frivolous suits that fly in the face of the two Supreme Courts' rulings, and (2) put the "former lesbian" in jail for contempt. The case in my view illustrates the mindset of Staver and other virulent anti-gay Christianists who truly believe that they are above the law. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Winchester, Virginia) A woman attempting to keep her former partner from having visitation rights to her daughter is refusing to accept court rulings in two states and the refusal of the US Supreme Court to become involved.

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Lisa Miller has filed another appeal in the case. This time her attorneys argue that the state of Virginia cannot enforce the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, which says custody orders of one state must be enforced in other states. Miller, who says she is no longer a lesbian, is represented by the Liberty Counsel which frequently takes up anti-gay cases.

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Her brief to the Virginia Court of Appeals states that her former partner, Janet Jenkins, has no rights because of the Virginia constitutional amendment that bars same-sex marriage and civil unions. Jenkins is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia which has asked for the appeal to be tossed out, arguing that Miller is offering nothing new.

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In 2007, the Vermont Supreme Court unanimously concluded that “under well-established laws designed to protect children and families” the Vermont Family Court properly ordered visitation between Janet and her daughter. Liberty Counsel appealed to the US Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. But the battle did not end there.

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The case then returned to the Virginia Supreme Court which ruled in June that the Vermont high court’s ruling should stand. The court cited the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, which says custody orders of one state must be enforced in other states. But Miller returned to a lower court in Virginia requesting a halt in the visitation order.

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Frederick County Circuit Judge John Prosser dismissed the application saying the courts had already ruled in Miller presented no new evidence to reopen the case. Liberty Counsel appealed again to the Virginia Supreme Court which refused to hear the case.

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In January, a Vermont Family Court judge ruled that Jenkins must be given five weeks of custody in the summer and warned Miller that if she did not comply she risks losing custody of the girl.

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In my view, one of the lessons of this saga is the danger posed by "law schools" where the rule of law means nothing and religious dogma and extremism trump all else. Liberty University's "law school" is an embarrassment to Virginia. In my opinion, it's the Christianist equivalent of a theocratic Islamic school based on Sharia.

Spanish Jury Acquits Brutal Killer of Gay Couple

This is a very sad case from Spain that confirms that the USA is not the only allegedly progressive country where gays all too frequently cannot receive justice in the courts. The facts of this case are so egregious that it is hard to believe that any rational juror could have believed the killer's bizarre, unbelievable story. According to forensics, Jacobo Piñeiro Rial (pictured at left) murdered 27 year old Isaac Ali Dani Peréz Triviño and 32 year old Julio Anderson Luciano in their apartment in the early morning of January 13th, 2006. The bodies showed a total of 57 stab wounds. Piñiero's defense? That the couple with whom he went home after meeting in a gay bar had allegedly propositioned him during the night. Incredibly, the jury believed the bullshit story and acquitted Piñiero. What better evidence that in the minds of some the lives of gays have no value. Blabbeando has all the sick details - here are some highlights:

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27 year old Isaac Ali Dani Peréz Triviño (left) was born in Spain. 32 year old Julio Anderson Luciano (right) was born in Brazil. They lived together in the Spanish province of Vigo and were planning to get married.Both were stabbed to death by Jacobo Piñeiro Rial in their apartment in the early morning of January 13th, 2006. The bodies showed a total of 57 stab wounds, according to forensics.

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After killing them, Piñeiro took a shower and cleaned himself up. He filled a suitcase with some of their belongings to make it look like a robbery and then spilled clothing all over the place. He poured alcohol over everything, including his victims' bodies, turned on the gas spigot on the stove, and set everything on fire. The local fire department said that little evidence would have survived if it wasn't for their prompt response to the 5-alarm fire.

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Piñeiro hardly knew the men. Testimony revealed that Piñiero had spent the previous afternoon consuming cocaine and drinking at a gay bar called Strong at which Pérez Triviñio happened to work as a bartender. When his shift ended at 4:30pm, the bartender invited Piñeiro home. They spent the afternoon together until Anderson Luciano arrived around 10:30pm with two friends. . . . Anderson Luciano's friends left after the late dinner but Piñeiro stayed overnight.

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There are no independent witnesses, but police and forensic experts say that the murder rampage began around 4:00am. Apparently, Pérez Triviñio was stabbed first but did not die. Piñeiro then stabbed Anderson Luciano twice while in the couples' room, and 22 more times as he followed his victim out of the room, into a corridor and out to the living room - where he died. Pérez Triviñio, in the meantime, had locked himself in the room and records show that he was able to call local authorities. The call was cut short when Piñeiro was able to break back into the room and finish him off by stabbing him 35 more times.

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His defense? . . . . His lawyer argued that Piñeiro was overcome by an "insurmountable fear of being raped and being murdered" and that his judgment was clouded by the alcohol and cocaine he had consumed in the previous two days (forensic experts had stated earlier said the effect of the cocaine would have rubbed off long before the killings and that, once he was arrested, there were no traces of alcohol in his body which did not match up with the huge amount of alcohol that Piñeiro said he had ingested). In other words, his lawyer used the well-known 'gay panic' defense.

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The jury bought it! La Voz de Galicia says that Piñeiro almost walked out of the courtroom free. He was acquitted of murder charges, . . . Marta Pérez Triviñio, Isaac's mother, is heartbroken. She says that the jury's verdict is "homophobic, racist and brainless" and spoke of Jacobo as being almost like a second son. She broke down after the verdict, but has steadfastly demanded justice to whoever will listen.

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This is a despicable crime with an unfortunate court ruling. It might yet become Spain's very own Matthew Sheppard moment.

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Up to now, I've always wanted to visit Spain.

Obama Consults Advisers on Military Ban on Gays

I continue to be dismayed with Barack Obama's weak kneed approach to repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell ("DADT"), a policy that daily destroys the careers of honorably serving LGBT Americans for no purpose other than to salve the sensibilities of bigots and a backward thinking military brass. Now, the Associated Press is reporting that Obama is involved in worthless - can we say bullshit- consultations with Neanderthals within the military as he throws LGBT Americans under the bus. Here are some highlights from the AP:

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama has begun consulting his top defense advisers on how to lift a ban on gays serving openly in the military.

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But the administration won't say how soon that might happen or whether a group of experts will be commissioned to study the issue in-depth, as some Democrats have suggested.

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The move enables Obama to say he's making good on his campaign promise to reverse the law, but doesn't lock him into doing so anytime soon. The carefully calculated statement, released this week by White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, leaves enough wiggle room to prevent the hot-button issue from consuming Obama's foreign policy agenda, which is dominated by ending the Iraq war and salvaging operations in Afghanistan.

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I am dismayed by this development for several reasons, one of which is that Obama plans to meet with the same group that helped engineer DADT in the first place. As a new book, Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, reveals evidence has repeatedly been concealed or suppressed by the military when it concluded there was no rationale for the gay ban. A synopsis of the book reads as follows:

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Frank is one of the nation’s leading experts on gays in the military, and in his evenhanded and always scrupulously documented chronicle, he reveals how the ban on open gays and lesbians in the U.S. military has greatly increased discharges, hampered recruitment, and—contrary to the rationale offered by proponents of the ban—led to lower morale and cohesion within military ranks.

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Frank does not shy away from tackling controversial issues, and he presents indisputable evidence showing that gays already serve openly without causing problems, and that the policy itself is weakening the military it was supposed to protect. In addition to the moral pitfalls of the gay ban, Frank shows the practical damage it has wrought. Most recently, the discharge of valuable Arabic translators (who happen to be gay) under the current policy has left U.S. forces ill-equipped in the fight against terrorism.

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I live in an area dominated by the influence of the military and know first hand that much of the top brass is chauvinistic, bigoted, and has a dinosaur mentality. If one waits for them for innovation and an admission that change is needed, you will be waiting a long time indeed. Moreover, to progress up the ranks one needs to be an ass kisser and cow tow to the prejudices of senior officers who would be happy if nothing changed for a century or more (having an attractive wife who is good at entertaining is also an important requirement). Again, the deck is stacked against anyone speaking honestly and candidly. Yet this is the group that Obama intends to consult. Give me a break!!

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Click on image to enlarge

Minority Leader Rush Limbaugh

The Washington Post has a great editorial that looks at the ridiculousness of the GOP and its bombastic blow hard spokesman, Rush Limbaugh. How the thrice divorced and Oxycontin popping Limbaugh is accepted as the standard bearer of the self-styled party of "family values" defies belief. Oh, and I would also add that - as noted by the Huffington Post - Rush doesn't apparently know the difference between portions of the Constitution from the Declaration of Independence yet he lectures others on their "bastardization" of the Constitution:

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From Limbaugh's speech:

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We want every American to be the best he or she chooses to be. We recognize that we are all individuals. We love and revere our founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. [Applause] We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life. [Applause] Liberty, Freedom. [Applause] And the pursuit of happiness. [Applause] Those of you watching at home may wonder why this is being applauded. We conservatives think all three are under assault. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you.

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Limbaugh, it seems, meant to say "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," which, of course, is in the Declaration of Independence. Just to be sure, however, the Constitutional Accountability Center compared his remarks to the Constitution's preamble, and didn't find a match.

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Here is the Constitution's Preamble: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

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Yep, the words Rush attributed to the Constitution are not there whatsoever. As for the Washington Post op-ed piece, here are some highlights of an analysis of how low the Republican Party has sunk (and continues to sink further):

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The 2008 election sent many messages. At the top: Americans wanted to turn the page on the politics of division and partisan pettiness, and they wanted a government -- and country -- that would put the middle class first. Watching the Republicans operate this past month, it would appear that they missed that unmistakable signal. Instead, Rush Limbaugh has become their leader.

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Limbaugh, of course, told his radio listeners that he's rooting for President Obama to fail -- and hoping the president's ideas for bolstering our economy fail with him. For many Americans, hungry for leadership and cooperation, this sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. When Limbaugh reiterated the sentiment this weekend, hundreds of Republican conservatives cheered him on. But instead of rebuking the radio personality or charting their own course, Republican leaders in Washington are paralyzed with fear of crossing their leader.

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Thus far, Republican leaders have let their strategy be guided by their most conservative base, capturing perhaps a third of the nation's voters. . . . But any party that hopes to actually govern must appeal to moderates. Today, "moderate" is not an adjective that many would associate with the GOP minority in Congress. And a strategy designed chiefly to satisfy the 33 percent of voters who approved of George Bush's performance last fall -- while turning off first-time and swing voters -- hardly seems like the best way out of the political wilderness.

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[I]f the GOP sticks with its strategy of failure as the only option, further eroding its brand with the people who decide elections, we may find out what it means for a political party to hit rock bottom.

Mormon Church Working to Kill Civil Unions in Illinois

As numerous bloggers and media outlets are reporting, the Mormon Church - the same Mormon Church which claimed it that it intervened in Proposition 8 sole to "protect marriage" and which lifted not a finger to see that LGBT citizens in Utah have basic non-discrimination protections - is now mobilizing its zombie like members to kill a civil unions bill in the Illinois legislature. The move proves beyond a doubt that (1) the Mormon Church leadership is a bunch of liars, (2) that the Mormon Church IS anti-gay, and (3) the Mormon Church seeks to inflict its religious views on all citizens. Personally, I almost wish someone would start a ballot initiative in California that would amend the California Constitution to void Mormon marriages unless performed in a "non-cult" religious denomination (in recognition of the view of some Christianists that the Mormon Church is a cult) such as say the Episcopal Church. Such a move would give the LDS a taste of their own medicine and be entirely consistent with the LDS mindset against gays. The Mormon Church has shown its hand in the form of an e-mail disseminated via the LDS Church website) to all the members of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward, as approved by Kristy Combs, ward website administrator, and by Bishop Chris Church of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward. Here is the text of the e-mail and I encourage all Illinois readers to get on the phone and call the named representatives with a counter view to that of the LDS:

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From: Kristy Combs <kristyc@mchsi.com>

Date: March 3, 2009

Subject: Civil Union bill scheduled for a hearing Thursday - calls needed
This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.

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The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives.

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This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another's bathrooms and locker rooms. What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

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To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.

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Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).

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Members of the Youth and Family Committee:
Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill) Chairperson 217-782-3835
Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) Vice-Chairperson 217-782-5962
Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) Republican Spokesperson 217-782-1653
Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago) 217-782-2023
Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago) 217-782-8182
Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson) 217-558-1007
Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford) 217-782-0455
Directions for identifying your legislators:

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You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 (and enter your 9 digit zip code). If this link doesn't work, you can use the general link www.ilga.gov and then click on "legislator lookup" near the bottom of the page, then click on "by zip+4". Type in your zip code, and you'll see a list of your legislators. You want your state senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on the bill.

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Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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Sister Combs

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If the Mormon Church is going to continue to consistently seek to influence legislation, it needs to have its 501(c)(3) status terminated by the IRS.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Why Utah Leads in Online Porn Consumption

Over the weekend I looked at the phenomenon of the conservative "red states" by and large being the highest consumers of online pornography. Utah, home of the anti-gay Mormon Church, led the way with the highest online porn consumption of any state. Now the Salt Lake Tribune has a story looking at the findings and looking to explain Utah's top ranking. Personally, I suspect the underlying reason is all the Mormon hang ups on sexuality and the lure of the "forbidden fruit." Sexuality is a normal part of the human condition and when it is suppressed and treated as something dirty by institutions like the Mormon Church and the Roman Catholic Church, members will seek ways to satisfy their yearnings. Here are some story highlights:

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A study by a Harvard Business School professor shows that Utah outpaces the more conservative states -- which all tend to purchase more Internet porn than other states. Online porn subscription rates are higher in states that enacted conservative legislation banning same-sex marriage or civil unions and where surveys show support for conservative positions on religion, gender roles and sexuality, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.

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"Even when I control for income, age, education, and marital status, Utah residents still consume disproportionately more than people from other states," said Edelman.

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Another possibility for Utah's top porn billing may be the scarcity of adult entertainment outside the home. "If it is distinctively difficult to get this material in retail locations in Utah, Utah residents who seek such material may have to get it online," said Edelman, in an e-mail.

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Pamela Atkinson, head of the Utah Coalition Against Pornography, said other indications, such has Utah ranking second in Google searches for "hot sex" and "naughty," back up what Edelman has found. "What I do know is that from all accounts the problem is really growing in Utah," she said. "People spending more time on the Internet are realizing this is something they can do in the privacy of their own rooms and their own homes."

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Daniel Weis, spokesman for the Colorado-based Christian group, Focus on The Family, said the study "is credible only for what it is studying, which is very little." "My caution is that people do not extrapolate that this is a report for the entire nation," he said. "The fact that conservative-minded people are fighting porn doesn't mean that they go home and look at it."

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Yeah, sure Mr. Weis - just like conservative pastors at New Life Church don't dabble in gay sex with escorts and young parish members.