Saturday Male Beauty

Amazing Iowa - Again in the Vanguard

Like many I am still somewhat stunned but elated at the unanimous ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court yesterday which struck down the statutory ban on same sex marriage. As I wrote yesterday I was also impressed that the Court took on the issue of one set of religious beliefs shaping civil legal rights head on and firmly stated that the religious beliefs of some does not make restricting the civil rights of others acceptable. The other information that has come to light - which was unknown to me and I suspect many others all across the country is how Iowa has a proud history of being ahead of the curve in advancing the civil rights of citizens. Something that is in stark contrast to Virginia which after its explosion of brilliance under the founding fathers has been behind the curve on almost all issues involving civil rights be it segregation, interracial marriage (Loving v. Virginia), and now gay rights (the Marshall-Newman Amendment). A joint statement from Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy underscores just how impressive Iowa's track record has been over the years. Here are highlights from that statement (in reformated form):

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Thanks to today's decision, Iowa continues to be a leader in guaranteeing all of our citizens' equal rights. The court has ruled today that when two Iowans promise to share their lives together, state law will respect that commitment, regardless of whether the couple is gay or straight. When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today's events will be why it took us so long. It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency. Today, the Iowa Supreme Court has reaffirmed those Iowa values by ruling that gay and lesbian Iowans have all the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship as any other Iowan. Iowa has always been a leader in the area of civil rights.

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Slavery: In 1839, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War decided the issue.

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School Segregation: In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated 'separate but equal' schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

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Segregation of Public Accomodations: In 1873, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled against racial discrimination in public accommodations, 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

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Women Attorneys: In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law.

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In the case of recognizing loving relationships between two adults, the Iowa Supreme Court is once again taking a leadership position on civil rights. Today, we congratulate the thousands of Iowans who now can express their love for each other and have it recognized by our laws.

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I for one will hence forth look at Iowa in an entirely new light and I suspect thinking, fair minded residents of Iowa will again be proud that their state - which has been right early on on so many issues - has again stepped to the forefront in upholding civil liberties for all. Would that Virginia would return to the enlightened thinking of Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and others who put reason and liberty ahead of reactionary religious dogma.

Iowa: Unanimous Opinion Upholds Gay Marriage

In a perhaps surprising - but totally correct - ruling the Iowa Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that limiting civil marriage to one man and one woman to the exclusion of same sex couples violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. No doubt the fundamentalists and professional Christian set will be foaming at the mouth and convulsing on the floor while shrieking that the world is coming to an end. A full copy of the Court's 69 page opinion can be viewed here. The Court's ruling can be summarized as a finding that equal protection means what it says: equal rights under the law. The Court also looks at the real reason for opposition to gay marriage: religious belief. It states as follows:

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While unexpressed, religious sentiment most likely motivates many, if not most, opponents of same-sex civil marriage and perhaps even shapes the views of those people who may accept gay and lesbian unions but find the notion of same-sex marriage unsettling. . . . Consequently, we address the religious undercurrent propelling the same-sex marriage debate as a means to fully explain our rationale for rejecting the dual-gender requirement of the marriage statute.

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State government can have no religious views, either directly or indirectly, expressed through its legislation. . . . This proposition is the essence of the separation of church and state. As a result, civil marriage must be judged under our constitutional standards of equal protection and not under religious doctrines or the religious views of individuals. This approach does not disrespect or denigrate the religious views of many Iowans who may strongly believe in marriage as a dual-gender union, but considers, as we must, only the constitutional rights of all people, as expressed by the promise of equal protection for all.
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In the final analysis, we give respect to the views of all Iowans on the issue of same-sex marriage—religious or otherwise—by giving respect to our constitutional principles. These principles require that the state recognize both opposite-sex and same-sex civil marriage. Religious doctrine and views contrary to this principle of law are unaffected, and people can continue to associate with the religion that best reflects their views. . . . The only difference is civil marriage will now take on a new meaning that reflects a more complete understanding of equal protection of the law. This result is what our constitution requires.

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I am glad that the Court took on the religious basis head on and flatly stated what I wish more judges and legislators had the courage and honesty to do: tell the Christianists that their religious views have no place in determining the civil laws. Here are some highlights from the DesMoines Register:

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The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays’ right to marry. “The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision.The court rules that gay marriage would be legal in three weeks, starting April 24.

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The decision makes Iowa the first Midwestern state, and the fourth nationwide, to allow same-sex marriages. Lawyers for Lambda Legal, a gay rights group that financed the court battle and represented the couples, had hoped to use a court victory to demonstrate acceptance of same-sex marriage in heartland America.

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Richard Socarides, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay civil rights, said today’s decision could set the stage for other states. Socarides was was a senior political assistant for Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin in the early 1990s. “I think it’s significant because Iowa is considered a Midwest sate in the mainstream of American thought,” Socarides said. “Unlike states on the coasts, there’s nothing more American than Iowa. As they say during the presidential caucuses, 'As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.’”

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Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) issued the following statement this morning in response to the Iowa Supreme Court's decision to allow gay marriage in Iowa: "The decision made by the Iowa Supreme Court today to allow gay marriage in Iowa is disappointing on many levels. . . . “I’m off the wall,” said Democratic Sen. Matt McCoy of Des Moines, who is openly gay. “I’m very pleased to be an Iowan.”Then, as he saw a stream of grim-faced activists from the Supreme Court passing through security at the Iowa Capitol, he said: “The God squad’s coming in the door now.”

Will Recession Force Restructuring of Legal Profession?

An interesting column is in today's New York Times that looks at the legal profession as it is buffeted by the recession and corporate clients seeking to drastically control their legal expenses. The current set up of large law firms is like a plantation system where the partners oversee the laborers made up of the associates. In some cases the partners do little - the real work is done by associates - yet bill crazy amounts for their inflated time. Meanwhile, associates are pressured to bill literally every minute of their time to generate required billable hours and collect fees. Associates often feel themselves to be like rats on a wheel with no way of exiting. Meanwhile life among the partners is no cake walk either and in many firms life among the partner ranks is like being in a piranha tank. Ethics and competence frequently means little and an amoral "rainmaker" may be highly successful while good, ethical attorneys fall by the way side. Of course in conservative areas of the country, being gay is a career killer (no large law firm in this area of 1.6 million people has an openly gay attorney to my knowledge despite the fact that all of the top law schools in the state require firms interviewing on campus to have a non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation). Despite the public perception, law is not a career I would recommend to anyone - at least not private practice as it currently exists. Here are some column highlights:

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The economic downturn is hitting the legal world hard. American Lawyer is calling it “the fire this time” and warning that big firms may be hurtling toward “a paradigm-shifting, blood-in-the-suites” future. The Law Shucks blog has a “layoff tracker,” and it is grim reading. Top firms are rapidly thinning their ranks, and several — including Heller Ehrman, a venerable 500-plus-lawyer firm founded in 1890 — have closed.

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The employment pains of the legal elite may not elicit a lot of sympathy in the broader context of the recession, but a lot of hard-working lawyers have been blindsided, including young associates who are suddenly finding themselves with six-figure student-loan debts and no source of income.

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The silver lining, if there is one, is that the legal world may be inspired to draw blueprints for the 21st century. The changes are likely to begin with compensation. . . . Lower pay should mean that associates will not need to work the grueling hours many have been forced to. And it will mean less pressure to go into private practice for law graduates who would rather do something else.

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Clients are also likely to benefit — and consumers, since legal fees are built into the cost of almost everything. Even before the downturn, big-firm clients, led by the Association of Corporate Counsel, were pushing to phase out the billable hour — which can go as high as $1,000. Tight corporate budgets will give clients more leverage to push to pay by the project or for successful outcomes.

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Law schools may also become more serious about curriculum reform. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching released an influential report that, among other things, urged law schools to make better use of the sometimes-aimless second and third years. If law jobs are scarce, there will be more pressure on schools to make the changes Carnegie suggested, including more focus on practical skills.

Friday Male Beauty

The Face of GOP Lunacy

I've written how a few thinking conservatives seem to be realizing that it is time that the party rank and file stop drinking the mind altering Kool-Aid actively dispensed by the lunatic Christianist element within the party. For their honest assessment of where the country and society are evolving, these semi-sane individuals typically are called traitors and subjected to personal attacks. David Frum is one such conservative. Kathleen Parker is another who back during the election faced all kinds of abuse for conceding that Sarah "Bible Spice" Palin was not ready for prime time (in my view, she never will be). Now, Townhall.com has a column by professional Christian and anti-gay extremist Matt Barber who in his wild delusions believe that the GOP has lost its way because it is not reactionary and theocratic enough. Hopefully, the Christianist base will continue to destroy the GOP to a point where either the party collapses or a coup effort succeeds it expelling the hate merchants of the Christian Right. The truth is that the Christianist have no reality except the one they fabricate in their own minds and it differs from that of the majority of Americans. Here are highlights of Barber's rant:

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Today we find an improvident Republican Party lost in the political wilderness. As the GOP seeks to find its own Promised Land – a return to majority leadership – it has, to its own detriment, rebelled against the core conservative principles solemnized within its own party platform. In a “big tent” effort to be all things to all people, the GOP – charmed by a gaggle of “moderate” RINOs (Republicans in name only) – has taken a hard left, hustling along in exactly the wrong direction. As a result, that elusive Promised Land shrinks in the rearview mirror with every “centrist” capitulation.

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Despite the party platform explicitly affirming unborn children's “right to life which cannot be infringed,” current RNC Chairman Michael Steele recently chose to parrot the DNC’s pro-abortion talking points

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But the enigmatic Steele didn’t stop there. While addressing the highly polarizing issue of homosexuality, he flippantly cast aside the GOP’s moral values banner, sounding off like a spokesman for the “gay” activist Human Rights Campaign. Taking a jab at the untold thousands of ex-“gay” Americans who have found freedom from the homosexual lifestyle, he opined, “I don't think I've ever really subscribed to that view that you can turn it on and off like a water tap. You just can't simply say, oh, like, ‘Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being gay.’”

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Then, to a liberal’s delight, he wrapped up his pro-“gay” exposé, by falsely equating changeable homosexual behavior to his own immutable skin color, concluding, “It's like saying ‘Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being black.’”

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If the GOP ever wishes to reverse its spiral into the abyss of irrelevancy, it must, in word and deed, make a bold, unapologetic return to the fiscally conservative and socially conservative policies that fueled the Reagan revolution.

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Yet, as we plunge headlong into the dark age of social and economic Obamunism, the GOP inexplicably continues to treat complete conservatives like that crazy uncle you only have over for Thanksgiving. When election season rolls around, it’s all hugs and kisses. After the returns – not even a phone call. Well, complete conservatives have finally taken their ball and gone home. And, until the GOP finds the moral compass it so long ago tossed in the unforgiving wilderness sand, it’ll just have to keep pitching to Independents, liberal Republicans and moderate Democrats.

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I'm sure the thought has never crossed Barbers mind that maybe,just maybe, he and other Christianist loons likehim ARE REALLY CRAZY and that a majority of Americans have figured that out.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Bogus Claim of War Against Catholics

I'm not sure where he is getting his information from, but Michael Gerson has a whiny column in the Washington Post alleging that Barack Obama has "declared war" on Catholics. It seems that Gerson must be listening too much to nutcase William Donohue of the Catholic League and members of the morally bankrupt Church hierarchy rather than rank and file Catholics who, according to a new Gallup survey do not support the Vatican's take on many issues to the extent some would have you believe. Much of the noise seems to derive from Obama's scheduled visit to Notre Dame to give the commencement address. It would seem to me that the outrage - both real and feigned - would be better directed towards demanding mass resignations of the bishops, cardinals and the Pope who enabled or covered up for sexual predator priests. But that would require independent thinking - something that is abhorrent to traditionalist Catholics. First some highlights from Gerson's column:
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Some friends who are loyal alumni of Notre Dame are distressed that God's alma mater is hosting a pro-choice president at commencement. For decades, they argue, Notre Dame has accommodated, legitimated and enabled pro-choice views, compromising its identity as a Catholic institution. They question the wisdom of the Obama invitation, which they believe adds to that confusion. But some critics go further, calling President Obama's appearance "an outrage and a scandal." And that goes too far.
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A number of Catholic thinkers set out a "pro-life, pro-Obama" position -- disagreeing with Obama's pro-choice views but trusting in his moderate instincts and conciliatory temperament.So far, Obama has done little to justify this faith. His initial actions on life issues -- funding overseas abortion providers, removing restrictions from federally funded medical experimentation on human embryos, revisiting conscience protections for pro-life health-care professionals -- have ranged from conventional to radical.
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Catholics are having second thoughts, but it could get much worse. If the president and Congress are not careful on several issues, these concerns could open a major rift between the Catholic Church and the Democratic Party. First, Obama has raised deep concerns among Catholic leaders by signaling that he will overturn Bush's executive order protecting health workers from firing and discrimination if they refuse to perform actions they consider morally objectionable.
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I think the key words in Gerson's column is "Catholic leaders" which most likely means the hierarchy and the William Donohue style of Catholics who seem to think they are always being persecuted even when they are the ones doing the persecution. I suspect that Gerson needs to stop listening to the same Church officials who claimed they knew nothing about the rampant sex abuse problem within the church. They lied about that and they are lying now. Here are some findings from Gallup:
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PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite the Roman Catholic Church's official opposition to abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, a Gallup analysis finds almost no difference between rank-and-file American Catholics and American non-Catholics in terms of finding the two issues morally acceptable.
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The argument of those who protest the extension of the invitation to Obama [to speak at Notre Dame] is that Catholics have a distinctly conservative position on these moral issues. That is certainly the case as far as official church doctrine is concerned, but not when it comes to average American Catholics. The new Gallup analysis, based on aggregated data from Gallup's 2006-2008 Values and Beliefs surveys, indicates that Catholics in the United States today are actually more liberal than the non-Catholic population on a number of moral issues, and on others, Catholics have generally the same attitudes.
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Catholics are at least slightly more liberal than non-Catholics on the issues of gambling (an issue to which the Catholic church is not totally opposed), sex between an unmarried man and woman, homosexual relations, and having a baby out of wedlock. Catholics are essentially tied with non-Catholics on the moral acceptability of abortion, divorce, and stem-cell research using human embryos.

More Fruits of Christianist "Love"

Sometimes people do not understand my passion for gay rights activism and trying to do my part in exposing the deliberate lies and untruths disseminated by Christianists, Mormons, the Vatican and other anti-gay religious hate merchants. Then a story like this one comes along and it makes it all come into focus: I want there to be an end to stories of LGBT youth - and those perceived to be LGBT - killing themselves because they are harassed, bullied and told that they are worthless by those emboldened to do so by "godly Christians" and others who spew hate and seek to impose their religious belief system on all.

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I'll be blunt, I find those who make a living at tormenting and denigrating gays to be nothing less than a force of evil. The number of lives ruined or lost because of religious based intolerance - which, let's face it, is ultimately what fuels homophobia and makes it acceptable to many. No one should have to endure what Eric Mohat (pictured above) and countless others like him face every day all so that bigots like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Matt Barber, Rick Warren and others can feel sanctimonious and self-righteous and make a quick buck (or lots of bucks) in the process. Here are some highlights from ABC News concerning this victim of Christian justified hate:

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Eric Mohat, 17, was harassed so mercilessly in high school that when one bully said publicly in class, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you," he did. Now his parents, William and Janis Mohat of Mentor, Ohio, have filed a lawsuit in federal court, saying that their son endured name-calling, teasing, constant pushing and shoving and hitting in front of school officials who should have protected him. The lawsuit -- filed March 27, alleges that the quiet but likable boy, who was involved in theater and music, was called "gay," "fag," "queer" and "homo" and often in front of his teachers. Most of the harassment took place in math class and the teacher -- an athletic coach -- was accused of failing to protect the boy.

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"When you lose a child like this it destroys you in ways you can't even describe," Eric Mohat's father told ABCNews.com. The parents aren't seeking any compensation; rather, they are asking that Mentor High School recognize their son's death as a "bullicide" and put in place what they believe is a badly needed anti-bullying program.

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The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, names school administrators Jacqueline A. Hoynes and Joseph Spiccia, as well as math teacher Thomas M. Horvath. None would comment on the allegations.

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The Mohats also claim that bullying was a "significant factor" in the deaths of three other students in Eric Mohat's class in 2007. Mentor high school officials confirmed that a girl and two other boys in Eric's class had killed themselves in 2007. . . .

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Eric Mohat -- whose friends knew him as "Twiggy" for his lean, 6-foot-1-inch, 112-pound physique -- had a dry wit and musical talent, according to his mother, Jan Mohat. He had played piano for 13 years, enjoyed video games, anime, Harry Potter books and "cracking puzzles." "By all indications he was a very nice, typical high school kid, kind of quiet and shy, but outgoing with his little group of friends," said the family's lawyer Ken Myers. "He seemed to have a quirky sense of humor and was also very sensitive."

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Much of the taunting was related to him being considered gay, though Eric Mohat's parents said the teen "didn't identify himself that way," Myers said. "He may have looked effeminate, was in theater and would wear bright clothes," said Myers. "He was a skinny kid, and so the kids found something that bothered him and went for that."

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The Mohats allege that school officials urged students not to cooperate with the police investigation. "Nobody would take this seriously," said Myers. "We saw this horrendous bullying and no one could stop it." The family was "trying to pick up the pieces and move on" when they learned there were other suicides in Eric Mohat's class that year, according to Myers. After the police investigation, the family wanted to "hold school officials accountable." With the second anniversary of Eric Mohat's death and what would have been his 19th birthday this month, Jan Mohat said, "You could accept it if it were an accident, but the way he went is just not right."

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But days before the suicide, Eric Mohat told his mother, "I get picked on every day and I've got a whole nine weeks left. I can't do this anymore." "We never had a chance to help him," she said, choking back tears. "It shouldn't require legal action to get the school system to pay more attention to bullying than they do to their sports programs," said his father. "How many suicides is enough?"

Thursday Male Beauty

Pope: Gays Only "Somewhat" Intrinsically Disordered

My, my! I don't know about anyone else, but doesn't it make you feel ever so much better about yourself knowing that the condom hating, sexual predatory protecting Nazi Pope Benedict XVI now says that gays are only somewhat intrinsically disordered instead of completely disordered? Obviously, I'm joking. Being condemned by someone like Benedict XVI in my view ought to be considered a badge of honor. Given the moral bankruptcy of the Catholic Church hierarchy and its disdain for potentially life saving items like condoms and its cold uncaring attitude towards the sexual abuse of minors (except when the media gets wind of it, of course), it looks to me that the one who is intrinsically disordered is Benedict XVI himself and similar bitter old queens in dresses at the Vatican. With each passing day, I find it more difficult to understand why anyone takes the old windbag seriously. Here are some highlights on the Nazi Pope's latest statement on gays:

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In an unexpected move today, Pope Benedict XVI announced that gays are no longer “intrinsically evil,” but only “somewhat intrinsically evil.” The Pope made what is being heralded in the religious world as a “groundbreaking concession” on April 1st, after a week-long international conference of LGBT Catholics was held in Rome. The Vatican had said that the conference would “tarnish the city’s exemplary history as a center for moral guidance to a decidedly heathen world.” The conference concluded yesterday.

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Vatican police say that there were no problems with the thousands of attendees who came from all around the world, despite the fact that they staged a massive demonstration outside of the Vatican to protest recent comments by the Pope.

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In an address to thousands of Catholics gathered outside the Vatican for a blessing this morning, the pope said that gays are still not welcome into the church unless they’re celibate or ex-gays or lesbians. “It’s time for healing,” the pontiff said to massive cheers from the flock below. “We embrace the homosexual not as intrinsically evil but as somewhat intrinsically evil. I pray, as we all do, that through God’s grace, he can find the path back to redemption.”

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The New York Times, though, is reporting that a source close to the pope says that His Holiness will soon make “a revolutionary statement” on whether the Jews killed Jesus, a question that has plagued Christians since the religion began. Said the unnamed contact: “We won’t be saying that they did, but we won’t be saying that they didn’t, the pope will leave it up to individual Catholics to decide for themselves.”Just as they should do on abortion and homosexuality.

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

A few conservatives - such as David Frum - seem to be grasping the fact that time, society and the country are moving on and that the same message of religious extremism, anti-gay hate, promises of low taxes, and anti-abortion obsessions are no longer a viable message if the GOP ever seeks to regain majority status. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your prospective, the Rush Limbaughs of the GOP and similar Christo-fascists are not getting the message and are attacking those like Frum who realize that the GOP must change. Frum and others are not taking the attacks quietly and are speaking out about the current state of affairs and what is wrong with the party. Here are some highlights from Frum's latest response to his critics:

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These days, the question I hear most from political comrades is: “What the hell happened to you?” . . . . So if it’s not too personal, let me request a few minutes of your time to explain how I ended up being bashed by Rush Limbaugh on the airwaves — and taking a few shots of my own in the pages of Newsweek.

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I moved to Washington, D.C., in 1996. And there I began to notice something disturbing. While the congressional victory of 1994 had ceased to produce much in the way of important conservative legislation, it sure was producing a lot of wealth for individual conservatives. They were moving from the staff offices of Congress to lobbying firms and professional associations. Washington (to quote something I’d write later) began to feel like a giant Tupperware party, where people you had thought of as friends suddenly seemed always to be trying to sell you something. Acquaintances of mine began accepting all-expense-paid trips to the South Pacific from Jack Abramoff.
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Conservative economic policies, which had saved the United States and the other advanced democracies from stagnation in the 1980s, suddenly seemed bereft of answers for the economic challenges of the 21st century. This worried me. What worried me even more was how little it seemed to worry so many of my friends and colleagues from the conservative world and the Bush administration.

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So much of our energy was being absorbed instead by cultural battles left behind from the unfinished business of the 1960s and 1970s. Here, too often, we were on the wrong side of history: Back in the 1960s and 1970s, we’d been fighting to protect the common-sense instincts of ordinary people from elite interference. Now, in the Terri Schiavo euthanasia case, with stem cell research, on gay rights issues, it was we who had become the interfering elite, against a society that was reaching its own new equilibrium.

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Of course, that’s not how conservatives saw it. We saw a country divided in two, red states and blue, NASCAR vs. NPR, real America against the phonies in the cities. A movement that had begun as an intellectual one now scornfully pooh-poohed the need for people in government to know anything much at all. But expertise does matter, and the neglect of expertise leads to mismanagement and failure — as we saw in Iraq, in Katrina and in the disregard of warning signals from the financial market.

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Conservatives stopped taking governance seriously — and so Americans ceased to trust conservatives in government. . . . But on environmental issues, we have to follow the evidence where it leads — and on social issues we have to take our society as it is. If the world changes, we have to change with it. The refusal of so many of my fellow conservatives in the United States to adapt their thinking to facts and realities does not demonstrate their adherence to principle. It demonstrates a frivolous indifference to the responsibilities of political leadership.

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my side will only be successful to the extent it is knowledgeable, to the extent it is public-spirited, to the extent that it is based on evidence and research, to the extent that it advocates the greater good rather than the narrow interests and values of one class or one geographic section.

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Personally, I haope that the GOP continues to ignore those like Frum and continue its veering ever further to the far right with the Christianists until the Party becomes so discredited that its only recourse will be to jettison the Christianists and banish them to the political wilderness for a generation or more.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Sweden Approves Gay Marriage

The march of gay equality continues overseas even as the USA continues to allow impermissible religious belief to impact the civil laws in this country in violation of the separation of church and state allegedly guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The latest nation to embrace gay equality under the law is Sweden which today saw its legislature vote for gender neutral marriage by a large margin. Sweden joins a growing list of nations where gays are entitled to equal marriage rights or rights approximating marriage. No doubt the professional Christian set in the USA will be shrieking yet again as if the world were ending. Here are some highlights from Top News:

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Stockholm - A broad majority in the Swedish parliament Wednesday approved adoption of same-sex marriage legislation after a six-hour debate. Six of the seven parties in parliament had backed the proposal drafted by the Committee on Civil Affairs to introduce a gender- neutral marriage law. . . . The proposal was approved by a 261 to 22 vote, with 16 abstentions.

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The new legislation is to take effect as of May 1, and replaces the legislation approved in 1995 that allows same-sex couples to form a union in Sweden via registered partnership. Couples who have registered partnership can keep that status or amend it by an application to the authorities or marry.

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The changes will not affect church marriage ceremonies for the time being. The Church of Sweden, a Lutheran church, was this autumn due to discuss its stance. It was disestablished in 2000, receiving the same "faith community" designation as other faiths, such as the Pentecostal, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim. A majority of bishops in the Church of Sweden in February said the church should no longer handle legal registrations of marriage.

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For the USA, a solution to the issue of same sex marriage is to get the churches of all denominations out of the civil marriage business. Marriage should be a civil law issue handled by the government and church marriage ceremonies should be left t the churches to decide how they will or will not accept same sex unions.

Former Judge Indicted on Sex Abuse Charges

I could not help but talk about this news out of Mobile, Alabama, where I first practiced law right out of law school commencing in 1977. While Mobile was a gracious city in many ways - the Mardi Gras balls and parades were great fun - Alabama as a whole seems to have become far more reactionary and in comparison Norfolk is a bright center of the gay universe. I have friends who have "come out" since I left Mobile to become in-house counsel for an oil company based in Houston, and from the communications I have had with them being totally out is still not an option if one is in the business community. Thus, the indictment of a Mobile Circuit Court judge for sexual improprieties with inmates is just too wild to pass up. It is a bit distressing that defense council is trying to blame the indictments on racism. Here are some highlights from the Mobile Press-Register on what has to be the talk of the legal community:

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Herman Thomas, while a Mobile County circuit judge, checked male inmates out of Metro Jail to exert control over them and force them into sexual activity, according to indictments released today. About 1½ years after stepping down from the bench, Thomas was arrested today outside the same jail on charges of kidnapping, sodomy, extortion, sex abuse and ethics violations. A special grand jury met for three weeks this month and returned 57 felony charges against Thomas. The indictment lists nine alleged victims, each of them current or former inmates.

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"These are very serious charges," some carrying up to life in prison, said District Attorney John Tyson Jr. Thomas was taken into custody outside the jail as his attorney, Robert "Cowboy Bob" Clark, held an afternoon news conference amid reports of an impending arrest.
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Clark suggested his client's indictment was motivated by racism. "This is racism at its very finest. We ought to be proud we elected those bastards," said Clark in an apparent reference to Tyson and former Thomas colleagues on the bench.

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Each of Thomas' alleged victims at one time faced charges in Mobile County Circuit Court, according to online court records. The allegations against them ranged from criminal mischief to murder. . . According to Friday's grand jury allegations, Thomas "knowingly" subjected the young men "to sexual contact, by forcible compulsion."

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Tyson said Clark's accusations that Thomas' troubles stem from racism at Government Plaza are "absolute nonsense." Nicki Patterson, the chief assistant district attorney, later pointed out that all the alleged victims are black. Thomas is black.

Wednesday Male Beauty

The Same Old Recycled Deliberate Lies

There is an excellent post at Pam's House Blend that while focused on the Illinois Family Institute - which has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center which tracks such groups - that does an excellent job of laying out the false information recycled time and time again by Christianist and professional Christian groups to malign LGBT Americans and more or less depict us as diseased vermin. Much of the "expert" opinion cited tracks back to totally discredited "studies" and articles by Paul Cameron whose own organization has likewise been labeled a hate group. Since Cameron was thrown out of basically every legitimate mental health and medical related professional association more than 20 years ago, the fact that his materials are blatantly false is something that is readily available to anyone how makes even the slightest effort to check out its veracity. The fact that the Illinois Family Institute and other "pro family" organizations continue to disseminate information based on Cameron - a common practice is to merely have someone else make the same claims to remove Cameron's name directly from the mix - is proof positive that these "Christian" organizations care NOTHING for the truth and know that they are lying. Having followed many of them for going on a decade, they are among the most dishonest organizations one can encounter. Yet sadly, the lazy and irresponsible main stream media never call them out on the lies. It is most infuriating. Here are a few highlights:

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The article in question was a rehashing of Cameron’s discredited gay life span study. It also makes the claim that the Centers for Disease Control’s own work proves Cameron’s study to be accurate. This is a lie (which would make the piece defamatory, wouldn’t it?) A member of the CDC went on record saying that the article’s claim was totally inaccurate:

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“[The CDC] does not collect statistics on the life span of gay men. While gay men continue to be severely impacted by HIV and AIDS, AIDS-related death data cannot be used to indicate that homosexual men live shorter lives than heterosexual men overall.” - Ronald Valdiserri, deputy director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention.

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And mostly by the condemnation rained down on him [Cameron] by the medical profession:

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“(Cameron) misrepresents my findings and distorts them to advance his homophobic views. I make a very clear distinction in my writing between pedophilia and homosexuality, noting that adult males who sexually victimize young boys are either pedophilic or heterosexual, and that in my research I have not found homosexual men turning away from adult partners to children . . . I consider this totally unprofessional behavior on the part of Dr. Cameron and I want to bring this to your attention. He disgraces his profession.” - Dr. A. Nicholas Groth in 1984 after discovering that Cameron distorted his work.

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"Paul Cameron (Nebraska) was dropped from membership for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists - American Psychological Association, 1983

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The science and profession of psychology in Nebraska as represented by the Nebraska Psychological Association, formally dissociates itself from the representations and interpretations of scientific literature offered by Dr. Paul Cameron in his writings and public statements on sexuality. Further, the Nebraska Psychological Association would like it known that Dr. Cameron is not a member of the Association. Dr. Cameron was recently dropped from membership in the American Psychological Association for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists - Nebraska Psychological Association, 1984

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Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism" - American Sociological Association, 1985

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The Canadian Psychological Association takes the position that Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism and thus, it formally disassociates itself from the representation and interpretations of scientific literature in his writings and public statements on sexuality. - Canadian Psychological Association, 1996
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Any organization that claims it has no active malice towards gays yet cites discredited Cameron based data is lying and desires the label of being a hate group. Plain and simple. Any politician who readily accepts anything these organizations tell them are lazy and equally disingenuous.

Gay Hater Elaine Donnelly Strikes Again

Highly unhinged professional gay gay hater, Elaine Donnelly - who claims to be an "expert" on the military yet has zero military experience herself - is continuing to do her best to malign gays and oppose the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. The fact that the many allies of the USA that allow gays to openly serve in their military have experienced no difficulties is utterly lost on Donnelly who seems to have some real psychological issues of her own that cause her to be so hysterical on this issues. Her latest stunt is to allegedly put together a letter signed by 1000 retired relics from various branches of the military who predict the end of the military - if not the world - if gays are allowed to openly serve in America's armed forces. I wish Donnelly would go have some hot lesbian sex and get over it all. It is also note worthy that the same arguments were made by many in the military before Harry Truman mandated that black Americans serve along side whites in the military. The segregationists and homophobes never seem to update their arguments. Here are some highlights from the Associated Press:

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A statement issued by the retired officers Tuesday said passage of that bill "would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually break the All-Volunteer Force." . . . The retired officers said they strongly supported the principle that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service" and warned that repeal of current law could jeopardize morale and "unit cohesion."

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The statement was criticized by Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group seeking equal treatment of gays in the military. "The signers of this petition are mired in the fears and politics of the past," Sarvis said. "More than 75 percent of the American public, including most younger service members as well as many active duty flag officers, realize the question is not if 'don't ask, don't tell' is repealed, but when and how."

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"The most important factor in lifting a gay ban is a clear signal from senior leadership," said Dr. Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that studies issues involving gays and the military. "Everyone knows it's just a matter of time before the gay ban falls, so for officers to come out and say 'Gays are a threat to the military' could cause the very problems that they ostensibly fear," Frank said.

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A copy of Ms. Donnelly's handiwork can be viewed here. As some bloggers have noted, it's a bit odd that the letterhead used has no phone number on it. Hopefully someone will check out the physical address to determine whether a real office even exists.

Religious Fundamentalists Taking Over World's Armies?

I have expressed concerns previously about the influence of evangelical Christians in the U. S. Military who seek to impose their beliefs on others in the ranks. The Air Force Academy has been particularly racked with problems of this nature. The phenomenon is not unique to the USA, however, as a Washington Post column notes. The development is worrisome since the combination of military power and religious fanaticism is a very dangerous one indeed. One need only look to Iran to see how dangerous unrestrained religious extremism becomes when combined with military power. It literally can threaten the entire world. Here in the USA, every effort needs to be made to discharge from the military those who put religious fanaticism ahead of the U. S. Constitution and the civil rights it guarantees to all citizens, nut just Christianists. Here are some column highlights:

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Thanks to the peculiar combination of Samuel Huntington's clash of civilizations theory and Al-Qaeda's televisual terrorism, we've grown accustomed to thinking of holy wars as battles fought between shadowy non-state actors representing different 'civilizations'. But a recent string of articles indicates a far more complex and dangerous relationship between religion and state-based security forces.

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Consider a recent New York Times commentary regarding Israel. "The officer corps of the elite Golani Brigade is now heavily populated by religious right-wing graduates of the preparatory academies," noted Moshe Halbertal, a Jewish philosophy professor who co-wrote the military code of ethics and who is himself religiously observant but politically liberal. "The religious right is trying to have an impact on Israeli society through the army."

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And one, published five days later, about Pakistan. "The Taliban's widening campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan's military intelligence agency ... new details reveal that the spy agency is aiding a broader array of militant networks with more diverse types of support than was previously known -- even months after Pakistani officials said that the days of the ISI's playing a "double game" had ended."

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Closer to home, there have been reports of a disturbingly close relationship between some right-wing Christian groups and U.S. Armed Forces: "(In the summer of 2007) the Pentagon abruptly announced that it would not be delivering 'freedom packages' to our soldiers in Iraq, as it had originally intended. What were the packages to contain? Not body armor or home-baked cookies. Rather, they held Bibles, proselytizing material in English and Arabic and the apocalyptic computer game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" (derived from the series of post-Rapture novels), in which "soldiers for Christ" hunt down enemies who look suspiciously like U.N. peacekeepers."

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To make matters worse, religious nationalism in security forces has the potential not only to inflame conflicts between nations, but also within nations and regions. One of the biggest destabilizing influences in Northern Ireland was the presence of a largely Protestant police force patrolling Catholic neighborhoods. A recent New York Times piece confirms that one of the main complaints by Sunni Muslims in Iraq is feeling blocked by the Shia dominated Iraqi government from jobs in the Iraqi security forces.

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There's a lot on the line here, folks. Will battles over land and power get framed as clashes between civilizations? Will the religious right increase their influence over nuclear weapons by rising to the top of the military hierarchy - in Pakistan, Israel, America? Will police forces become instruments of chaos rather than stability in diverse societies?

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Here's what's clear: the forces of religious nationalism are no longer content to dress in rags and move in the shadows. Some are seeking uniforms, and a place in the halls of power.

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It should be noted that in every instance cited, the fundamentalist religious groups involved are all consistently anti-gay and favor the marginalization of LGBT citizens or worse.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Fundy Anti-Gay Push in West Virginia Fails

While I was a bit surprised at the result, I was very happy to see that the Christianist push to get an anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot in West Virginia. I find the result even more interesting because I suspect that the Christianist forces were almost certain that their anti-gay quest would succeed. I give the West Virginia legislators who voted no on the amendment a lot of credit in that they put equality under the law ahead of political expediency. Would that there had been more such legislators in Virginia in 2006 so that the vile "Marriage Amendment" would not have made it to the ballot. Here are some story highlights from the Charleston Daily Mail:

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West Virginia's House of Delegates voted along party lines Monday to end this session's chances for a proposed constitutional amendment on marriage. An evangelical group has pressed lawmakers this session to have marriage defined as between one woman and one man. But the resolution needed to put the issue before voters has stalled in committee. That prompted Monday's move by Republican delegates to force it to the full House. Delegates voted 67-30 to reject the attempt. All 29 House Republicans voted to move the measure out of committee, as did Delegate Tom Louisos, D-Fayette.

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West Virginia does not recognize same-sex marriages granted elsewhere, under a 2000 law that also requires all marriage license applications to say "marriage is designed to be a loving and lifelong union between a woman and a man.'' But amendment advocates argue that doesn't go far enough and could be challenged in court

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The Family Policy Council of West Virginia has pushed for this session's resolution, citing a poll it says shows clear support for an amendment. It recently bombarded the revision committee's chairwoman and the head of the House Judiciary Committee with sometimes abusive phone calls demanding action, and targeted Gov. Joe Manchin with a postcard campaign.

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A Democrat, Manchin has said he supports the current law and questions the need to amend the constitution. Legislative leaders have echoed that stance and also question the group's motives, citing its hiring of Republican consultants to conduct the poll and assist the publicity campaign.

Mom's Plea Deal for Child's Death Includes "Resurrection Clause"

The enemies of LGBT Americans among the Christian Right bloviate endlessly about how gays cannot properly parent children and pose a threat to the natural development of children's identity. I'd say better a gay or lesbian parent than a heterosexual religious nut case. A story out of Maryland makes this argument all too strongly. The mother - who is sad to have belonged to a "cult" rather than a small far right fundamentalist denomination - starved her year old son (shown in the photo) to death believing he was a "demon" and that he would be resurrected free of the affliction. While the story sounds too crazy to be true, all the sad details are available via CNN. Here are some highlights:

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Maryland woman involved with a group described as a religious cult pleaded guilty in the starvation death of her son, but insisted that the charges be dropped when he is resurrected. The condition was made a part of Ria Ramkissoon's plea agreement, officials said. She entered the plea Monday in Baltimore, Maryland, to a first-degree felony count of child abuse resulting in death, her attorney, Steven Silverman, said Tuesday. Ramkissoon, a member of a group called One Mind Ministries, believes Javon Thompson, her year-old son, will rise again

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Under the plea agreement, Ramkissoon, 22, must testify against four other One Mind Ministries members who are also facing charges, including first-degree murder, in Javon's death. At her sentencing, set for August, she will receive a 20-year sentence, which will be suspended except for the time she has already served behind bars, Silverman said. She must also undergo deprogramming and psychiatric counseling.

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Ramkissoon and the others are accused of denying Javon food after the group's leader, a 40-year-old woman who goes by the name Queen Antoinette, decreed the boy was a demon since he refused to say "amen" after meals, Silverman said.

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Javon is believed to have died in December 2006, court documents allege. Following his death, the group members put the boy's body in a back room, and "everyone was directed to come in and pray," according to the documents. "The Queen told everyone that 'God was going to raise Javon from the dead.' Javon remained in the room for an extended period of time (in excess of one week). The resurrection never took place." Authorities believe the boy's body was then placed into a wheeled suitcase along with mothballs and fabric-softener sheets, documents said. Prosecutors allege Antoinette opened the suitcase periodically and sprayed its interior with Lysol to mask the decomposition odor.

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Court documents say Ramkissoon joined One Mind Ministries after Javon's birth in 2005. Silverman described her as a petite, soft-spoken woman who rejected her family's Hindu religion, became a devout Christian and wanted to raise her son in that religion. "She didn't want to have to work or go to school. She just wanted to take care of her son, and they offered her all this," he said.

Pope and Catholic Bishops Knew of Predator Priest Problem

The Dallas Morning News - which did a great story in 2002 showing that 2/3's of the Catholic Bishops in the USA were involved in sexual abuse cover ups - has a new story out that further proves that the bishops were well aware of the magnitude of the problem and the lack of "cures" for priests sexually abusing minors. The most damning part of the story is that the bishops had been put on notice as far back as the 1950's yet lied about their lack of knowledge about the problem. As more and more information like this comes out, the more disgusting it is that no one in the Church hierarchy has been criminally prosecuted. And note, the Vatican knew about the situation too, yet we still see simpering ass kissers within the Catholic laity acting as if the bishops, cardinals and Popes are somehow worthy of respect. Many of them ought to be in jail rather than parading around and lecturing others on morality. Note how a spokeswoman for the Church continues to tell the same lies. The Church hierarchy is simply morally bankrupt - a fact I hope more Catholics will start to grasp and then vote with their feet. Here are some story highlights:

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The leader of a Catholic order that operated one of the biggest U.S. treatment centers for sexually abusive priests told bishops and the Vatican in the 1950s that the predators were "devils" and "vipers" who should be confined to an island and kicked out of the clergy. The leader's views were expressed in letters previously placed under seal by a New Mexico court as part of litigation involving a notorious Dallas priest. They undercut the bishops' longstanding claim that they didn't understand the scope and seriousness of the abuse problem until recent years.

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Fitzgerald's correspondence, first reported Monday by the independent weekly National Catholic Reporter, represents a historic benchmark in the U.S. church's embarrassing scandal, which has led to the removal of hundreds of priests who had been kept in the ministry despite credible evidence, criminal prosecution and billions in legal settlements to victims.

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The Rev. Thomas Doyle, who in 1985 helped write the first detailed abuse report to bishops while working at the Vatican's Washington embassy, said Monday that Fitzgerald's letters were especially powerful because he was a confidante to church administrators. At one point, the records show, Fitzgerald in 1964 recounted meeting personally with Pope Paul VI to discuss the problem.

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A spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sister Mary Ann Walsh, stood by bishops' past statements that they had received bad advice on how to handle the troubled priests and didn't understand until the mid-1980s that pedophilia was incurable.

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Fitzgerald's letters, only now receiving public attention, were unsealed in 2007 as part of a massive court case waged by hundreds of sex-abuse victims against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.The case ended in an out-of-court settlement exceeding $600 million.

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One of the lawyers representing Kos' victims, Sylvia Demarest, said she did not have prior access to the letters by Fitzgerald, who died in 1969. But in reading them now, she believes Fitzgerald provided Catholic leaders with extensive, sophisticated analyses of abusive priests. "The fact that bishops had this insight and had this responsibility and power, and covered it up rather than act, is shocking," Demarest said.

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He [Fitzgerald] also expressed skepticism that the priests could ever change their ways. "Their repentance and amendment is superficial," he wrote to the Manchester bishop, "and, if not formally at least subconsciously is motivated by a desire to be again in a position where they can continue their wonted activity. A new diocese means only green pastures."

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I have always mainntained that a non-celibate hierarchy with children of their own would have acted far differently. What is equally sad as the damage done to youths in the past is that the Church is still disseminating the same posionous message to LGBT youths today that they are sinful, evil, and unworthy of God's love. This knowledge makes me almost physically sick. How many more lives will be ruined?

Tuesday Male Beauty

Scared for Their Lives

Meanwhile, in Iran - the country that seems to reflect the toxic intertwining of religion and civil laws sought by extreme Christianists in this country - things for gays are beyond bad. With the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that overthrew the Shah of Iran (who looks better all the time when contrasted to the theocrats now in power) gays have to literally fear for their lives under the hate driven, intolerant sharia law imposed on the population. When one considers how advanced the Persian Empire was more than 2500 years ago, it is amazing how backwards elements within the Iranian government have become fueled by religion in one of its most toxic forms. Unfortunately, even when they escape from Iran,gays often find themselves still subjected to discrimination and immigration/asylum policies that ignore the reality of what will happen to gays sent back to Iran. Here are some highlights of the situation on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the revolution tomorrow:

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The first of April 2009 marks 30 years since revolution in Iran resulted in the birth of the Islamic Republic and the adoption of sharia law. This strict penal code criminalized homosexuality and the gay community in Iran have subsequently suffered three decades of persecution. The punishment for lesbian sex is one hundred lashes, with the death penalty being imposed on the fourth offence. Sodomy, or lavat, between men is punishable by death on the first offence. The law is enforced by the Basij Secret Police and gay and lesbian Iranians live with the constant threat of being followed and arrested.

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‘It’s because of the Islamic revolution that people like me are here’ explains Ayra, an Iranian currently seeking asylum in Britain. ‘The revolution is a really bad memory for gay and lesbian people. Before, they were free but now they can’t live in Iran and have to escape.’

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Arrival in Britain is often the beginning of another long ordeal. . . . Access to support networks can also make a big difference in the process of applying for asylum in Britain, as illustrated in February this year when Iranian lesbian Pegah Embakash was finally granted refugee status. Pegah fled Iran in 2005 following the arrest, torture and imprisonment of her partner. In Britain she was initially refused asylum, arrested and detained in Yarls Wood Detention Centre. In August 2007 she was hours from being deported to her death but was saved by a last minute reprieve.

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‘Almost everybody from Iran is initially refused asylum by the Home Office on the grounds that they are not believed to be gay or lesbian,’ says Sebastian from The UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). The only group of its kind in Britain, UKLGIG helps people to ‘prove’ their homosexuality by providing witness statements at the court of appeal and referral to specialist solicitors. However, even if they are believed to be gay, a large number of Iranians’ appeals are rejected on the grounds that they can go back to Iran and hide their sexuality. ‘To me, telling people to go back and hide their sexuality is persecution in itself,’ continues Sebastian.

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For gay Iranians like Behrouz and Ayra the anniversary of Iran becoming an Islamic Republic is a reminder of the persecution that forced them to flee their country. Having been refused sanctuary in Britain, it is also a reminder of their uncertain future and the suffering they will face if they are returned. Behrouz found a solicitor who believed he had a strong case and put in a fresh claim for asylum. However, 18 months later he still hasn’t had a response from the Home Office and is living in limbo. ‘I want to live, I don’t want to hide,’ he sighs. ‘I want to live like everybody else’.