More Saturday Male Beauty

Right Wing Lies About Hate Crimes

With the new hate crimes bill having passed out of the House Judiciary Committee last week, the Christianist lies and propaganda machine is ratcheting up into overdrive. Typical of the deliberate misinformation that is being put out is the untruths being bleated by Family Research Council mouth piece Tony Perkins in the ad below. The truth is that there is ABSOLUTELY NO thought crimes element whatsoever in the bill and PHYSICAL violence is need to trigger application of the law's provisions. As Right Wing Watch is reporting, Perkins and his allies KNOW that they are lying but just plain don't care. Sadly, when the lips of the professional Christian set are moving, it's a pretty safe assumption that they are lying. Here is some accurate information on the bill's provisions:

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What’s the truth about hate crimes legislation? It’s pretty simple. The federal hate crimes law doesn’t create something called a “thought” crime or somehow create “special rights” for a particular group of people. It strengthens law enforcement’s ability to fight violent crime – not vigorous debate, not sermons against homosexuality, not hateful speech, not the infamous “God hates fags” protesters, not the spreading of misinformation that thrives on constitutionally protected right-wing television, radio, and blogosphere.

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[H]ere’s exactly what the law says: "Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution."

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Another section of the law makes it clear that federal courts could not rely on evidence of a person’s outlook or statements to convict someone of a hate crime unless those expressions were directly related to the commission of the violent crime in question: “In a prosecution for an offense under this section, evidence of expression or association of the defendant may not be introduced as substantive evidence at trial, unless the evidence specifically relates to that offense. However, nothing in this section affects the rules of evidence governing the impeachment of a witness."

Perkins and those like him continue to make the term Christian a dirty word and are slowly but surely giving Christianity a very negative connotation with many. Unfortunately, making a quick buck now is more important to them that preaching and living the true Gospel message. They truly make me sick to my stomach.

Jon Bowerbank for Virginia Lieutenant Governor

Last week I did a post on Jody Wagner, one of the candidates for the Democrat nomination for Lieutenant Governor. As part of the post I included Jody's responses to four gay rights related questions and now I have received responses to the same questions from Jon Bowerbank, another of the candidates vying for this nomination (I expect responses from Mike Signer shortly as well). Unlike Jody Wagner who I know personally and Mike Signer who I met at the Equality Virginia gala in Richmond on April 4, 2009, I have never met or spoken with Jon Bowerbank. He seems to have an amazing personal story and has built a very successful business and personal fortune from scratch. He hails from the far southwest of Virginia - something that might hurt his appeal to those in Tidewater and Northern Virginia, two areas where one must do well to win. Jon's campaign website cane be found here. Here are Jon's responses to the questions I posed:

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1. NON-DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. Despite broad support, the bill to add sexual orientation to the employment non-discrimination policies applicable to state employees, was tabled in committee.

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I would support legislation that extended the state employee non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation-- following in the tradition of Governors Warner and Kaine.

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2. GROUP LIFE INSURANCE. A bill that would have allowed employers to extend group life insurance policies to any class of persons as agreed to by the employer and its insurer as is now the case with group health insurance (Virginia was the last state to allow this) was likewise killed in a House subcommittee.
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I support this legislation.
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3. HOUSING NON-DISCRIMINATION. Two bills sought to add "sexual orientation" to the would have added "sexual orientation" to the Virginia Fair Housing Law covering all rental and sales transactions. covering non-discrimination in all rental and sales transactions. Once again, the bills were killed in a House of Delegates subcommittee.

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I support legislation that would add “sexual orientation” to the Virginia Fair Housing Law covering all rental and sales transactions. It’s important for all people to be treated equally under the law.

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4. ANTI-BULLYING POLICY. A bill was introduced that would have required the model policy to specifically address bullying directed at a student because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. After numerous amendments, all references to sexual orientation or gender expression were removed.

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It’s critically important that all Virginia children feel safe at school and in our communities. As Lt. Governor I would support policies that protect LGBT students and any other students from bullying. In fact, part of the $2.5 million dollars that I’ve personally committed to public schools in Virginia has gone to fund anti-bullying programs.

Gay Louisiana Couple Sues Over Marriage

I bookmarked this story a few days ago and want to get back to it because it represent a case of taking the marriage equality into the heartland of the Bible belt. What the outcome will be is hard to say since in some ways Louisiana is a world unto itself because its laws are based upon the Napoleonic Code rather than the British common law as is the case with the remainder of the country. Plus, having lived in Mobile, even though New Orleans is considered sin city by many of the Baptists (even Mobile is considered decadent by the fundamentalists in northern Alabama), New Orleans still tends to set the cultural benchmark for the region, especially the swath along the Gulf Coast that shares the French heritage. Thus, if marriage equality were ever to come to New Orleans and Louisiana, it would rattle many of the Bible beaters to no end. I like the fact that the plaintiffs have included a claim that opposite sex marriage only violates their freedom of religion under the U. S. Constitution. Here are some highlights from the Associated Press:

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? A gay couple in New Orleans is suing over being denied a marriage license in Louisiana, claiming their rights are being violated by a state constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.

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Kristoffer Bonilla, 33, and John Thomas Wray, 18, are asking a federal judge to strike down the constitutional amendment, which lawmakers and voters overwhelmingly approved in 2004. The men filed the lawsuit against several state and local officials on April 2, the same day they said they were denied a marriage license. It claims the state's marriage amendment violates the First Amendment "by curtailing the right to marry based upon a religious interpretation of the nature and purpose of marriage itself."

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Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine, who is named as a defendant, said he believes this is the first case of its kind in Louisiana. Advocates on both sides of the issue also said they weren't aware of another case like it in the state. "This has the potential to be a pretty important case," said Levine, who received a copy of the lawsuit on Monday.

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In Louisiana, after 78 percent of voters approved the "Defense of Marriage" amendment, a state district judge struck it down because it violated another provision of the state constitution ? the requirement that an amendment cover only one subject. In January 2005, however, the Louisiana Supreme Court reversed that ruling and reinstated the amendment.

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Randy Evans, an attorney for Forum for Equality, which had challenged the amendment, said the case decided by the state Supreme Court in 2005 didn't delve into any federal constitutional issues. "The earlier case really has no controlling effect on this lawsuit," he said.

Saturday Male Beauty

Male modeling rising star Danny Schwarz. The waif look is supposedly now out.

Faked Evidence of ‘Gay Conversion’?

A few days back I did a post about a new book that is out which accuses the famed sex therapists, Masters and Johnson, of falsifying their evidence that gays could undergo "conversion" and become straight. While all of us in the LGBT community who have let go of religious based brainwashing know that one cannot change their sexual orientation, it is helpful that the mainstream media is picking up this story. All too typically, the MSM is worthless and allows anti-gay charlatans to spout lies without exposing them and documenting that the change myth is a fraud and rejected by all legitimate medical and mental health experts. Here are some highlights from the New York Times:

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Did Masters & Johnson fake their evidence that they’d successfully “converted” more than 70 percent of men and women who were dissatisfied with their homosexuality? That claim was made in the 1979 book, “Homosexuality in Perspective,” by William Masters and Virginia Johnson. But it’s questioned in Thomas Maier’s new biography of the sexologists, “Masters of Sex.”

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Mr. Maier summarizes his doubts in Scientific American, explaining that doubts about validity of the case studies arose among the staff at the Masters and Johnson clinic before the publication of the 1979 book:

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Most staffers never met any of the conversion cases during the study period of 1968 through 1977. . . . Clinic staffer Lynn Strenkofsky, who organized patient schedules during this period, says she never dealt with any conversion cases. Marshall and Peggy Shearer, perhaps the clinic’s most experienced therapy team in the early 1970s, says they never treated homosexuals and heard virtually nothing about conversion therapy.

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When the clinic’s top associate, Robert Kolodny, asked to see the files and to hear the tape-recordings of these “storybook” cases, Masters refused to show them to him. Kolodny—who had never seen any conversion cases himself—began to suspect some, if not all, of the conversion cases were not entirely true. When he pressed Masters, it became ever clearer to him that these were at best composite case studies made into single ideal narratives, and at worst they were fabricated.

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Eventually Kolodny approached Virginia Johnson privately to express his alarm. She, too, held similar suspicions about Masters’ conversion theory, though publicly she supported him. The prospect of public embarrassment, of being exposed as a fraud, greatly upset Johnson, a self-educated therapist who didn’t have a college degree and depended largely on her husband’s medical expertise.

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With Johnson’s approval, Kolodny spoke to their publisher about a delay, but it came too late in the process.” That was a bad book,” Johnson recalled decades later. Johnson said she favored a rewriting and revision of the whole book “to fit within the existing [medical] literature,” and feared that Bill simply didn’t know what he was talking about. At worst, she said, “Bill was being creative in those days” in the compiling of the “gay conversion” case studies.

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I guess "being creative" translates to lying. I am glad that the bogus nature of the Masters and Johnson book is now being exposed. Now if only the MSM would expose the dishonesty of James Dobson, Exodus International and others who make a living peddling "ex-gay" snake oil.

A Time When Torture Was A War Crime

I continue to be dumbfounded as GOP apologists for the lawless Bush/Cheney regime - not to mention their professional Christian allies - continue to try to either deny that illegal torture took place or that somehow it's OK when the USA does it, but not when any enemy does so. The double standard and hypocrisy is appalling and helps to underscore just how morally bankrupt the GOP and its Christian Right allies have become. They whine about abortion and gay marriage, but then close their eyes to incredible evils. There was a time when those who tortured - and this included waterboarding - were tried, convicted and in some cases executed. Unless and until those in the Bush/Cheney regime are held accountable for the horrors that went on at the direction of those at the highest levels, America will never regain its moral integrity around the world. This point needs to be relentlessly hammered home to expose the members of the far right for the foul hypocrites that they are. A reality check of what used to happen to torturers is provided in a piece by Paul Begala at the Huffington Post. Here are some highlights:

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In a CNN debate with Ari Fleischer, I said the United States executed Japanese war criminals for waterboarding. My point was that it is disingenuous for Bush Republicans to argue that waterboarding is not torture and thus illegal. It's kind of awkward to argue that waterboarding is not a crime when you hanged someone for doing it to our troops. My precise words were: "Our country executed Japanese soldiers who waterboarded American POWs. We executed them for the same crime we are now committing ourselves."

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I was referencing the statement of a different member of the Senate: John McCain. On November 29, 2007, Sen. McCain, while campaigning in St. Petersburg, Florida, said, "Following World War II war crime trials were convened. The Japanese were tried and convicted and hung for war crimes committed against American POWs. Among those charges for which they were convicted was waterboarding."

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After World War II, an international coalition convened to prosecute Japanese soldiers charged with torture. At the top of the list of techniques was water-based interrogation, known variously then as 'water cure,' 'water torture' and 'waterboarding,' according to the charging documents. It simulates drowning." Politifact went on to report, "A number of the Japanese soldiers convicted by American judges were hanged, while others received lengthy prison sentences or time in labor camps."

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Regardless of how expedient it might be to walk away from this terrible phase of American government, we need to expose all of the misdeeds to the light of day and try those responsible, and that includes Bush and Cheney if they knew of the torture and allowed it or worse yet ordered it.

Friday Male Beauty

The Boyfriend

To give some of you peace of mind, I'm spending more time at the boyfriend's home rather being alone at my place which is when my depression seems to be at its worse. He is such a sweet soul and for reasons I do not comprehend is very much in love with me - as I am with him. While the commute to work is more challenging - my house is less than 5 minutes from the office - the peace and improved mindset that he brings me is worth the traffic challenge (actually, it's less of a drive mileage wise than when I was married and lived in Virginia Beach) and the dread Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Fortunately, by leaving a little later (but still being at the office by 9:00AM), most of the gridlock has subsided. The trade off is that I return later in the day so that the evening traffic has likewise subsided.

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Ultimately, if we feel that living together works, I will likely move in and lease my house out - since it is just blocks from Old Dominion University, it should rent for enough to cover the mortgage and some maintenance, thus freeing up money that can be used to pay off the ex-wife and get her permanently out of my life. The boyfriend is the first person I've ever had in a relationship that wants to completely take care of me as opposed to me taking care of them. My nickname for him is "Martha Stewart" since he is a fabulous cook, has a beautiful house, and entertains will great style and panache. Tonight we're going to a Red Cross fundraiser at the Mariner's Museum and next Thursday, we will be ambassadors for Dining Out for Life at a restaurant called 99 Main in Newport News.

Closeted Gay Republicans Hung Out to Dry

While some disagree with me, I strongly support outing closeted Republican elected officials who take anti-gay positions through legislation and public pronouncements even as they secretly troll for gay trysts. I have even passed information along to Mike Rogers and others who share my views when I hear of this type of hypocrisy. To me, it's very simple: if one wants to remain in the closet, that's fine unless and until you start taking actions that actively harm members of the LGBT community through anti-gay laws, etc. Former local Congressman Ed Schrock is a prime example of this situation. While I knew Ed Schrock from my days in the GOP, his conduct was reprehensible and he brought his downfall upon himself. He and his compatriots in the Virginia Beach delegation to the Virginia General Assembly could easily have avoided supporting a Christianist generated anti-gay jihad in Virginia, but chose not to do so. Outing anti-gay elected officials is completely proper in such situations. Now a new film, Outrage, is being released that takes an in depth look at the many closeted Republicans and describes itself as follows:

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A searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community, OUTRAGE boldly reveals the hidden lives of some of our nation’s most powerful policymakers, detailing the harm they've inflicted on millions of Americans, and the media’s complicity in keeping their secrets.

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I sincerely hope the spotlights the lies and hypocrisy of these elected officials and helps to bring home to opponents of "outing" just how much harm these individuals inflict upon the LGBT community. Here are some details from Towleroad:
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Last night I had the opportunity to see the first final cut of Outrage shown to the public, before its opening at the Tribeca Film Festival. For those who have not yet heard of Outrage, it's a documentary by Kirby Dick (This Film is Not Yet Rated) about closeted Republican hypocrites and the way their hypocrisy damages lives — not only their personal lives but the millions of gays and lesbians their homophobic policymaking affects.

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It's a well-packaged effort covering the Reagan years and the birth of the religious right to the present, wrapping up the stories of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, Virginia Rep. Ed Schrock, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, Mark Foley, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign manager Ed Mehlman, former GOP National Field Director Dan Gurley, former Arizona congressman Jim Kolbe, former Louisiana congressman Jim McCrery, and current congressman David Dreier, into a tightly wound exposé of closeted D.C. It's the first major piece of media which has painted such a comprehensive, unflinching look at the GOP's closet.

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The early efforts of Michelangelo Signorile in outing politicians, and the crusades of blogger Mike Rogers (blogactive) are also highlighted. . . . Dick's deft layering of audio tapes, interviews, and sexual confessions against the anti-gay votes these politicians have made reveals how journalists and the mainstream media, which the film ultimately damns for its refusal to expose hypocrisy, have been complicit in keeping public figures in the closet. . . . The film opens May 8.

Gay Student Forced to Step Down at Cornell University

In sharp contrast to the Syracuse Post-Standard's editorial supporting gay marriage and in yet another example of how Christianists want the special right to receive public or university funds and then discriminate, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at Cornell University has forced a gay Christian out of the top leadership office. As I have said numerous times, if Christian organizations want to discriminate, then they need to get their snouts out of trough of public or in this case student fee derived money. All too typically, the Christianists with their it's all about me mind set want it both ways. Hopefully, Cornell will make it very clear: either stop the discrimination or lose university derived money. Cornell is a beautiful and wonderful university, unfortunately Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship endorses ugly discrimination. Here are some highlights from the Cornell Daily Sun:

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A campus Christian group that receives funding from the student activity fee is coming under scrutiny after a student was asked by advisors to step down from its leadership team when he told them that he had openly accepted his homosexuality. This incident is also raising questions about the effectiveness of campus mechanisms for addressing instances of discrimination.

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Chris Donohoe ’09, who joined the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship when he was a freshman, said he had been openly struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his faith in Chi Alpha before he was asked to step down from the leadership team by Matt and Tracy Herman, the organization’s pastors. The Hermans, both members of Chi Alpha at Missouri State University before graduating in 2002, became Cornell Chi Alpha’s campus pastors in 2006.

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After Donohoe finished his term as vice president, he was going to be on the leadership team last fall. The Hermans told Donohoe that they were comfortable with his position as long as he did not engage in a relationship. However, after Donohoe met his boyfriend last summer and affirmed his acceptance of his sexuality, the Hermans asked him to step down from the team without consulting the rest of the organization.

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Donohoe was asked to step down because he no longer believed his sexuality was a sin and stopped actively working to overcome it, disregarding the Bible. “The decision to ask Chris to step down was not that he did something wrong in having homosexual tendencies. [It was because] he no longer thought it was wrong. … I support the decision fully,” [Danielle] D’Ambrosio [’10, Chi Alpha’s president] said.

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Because Chi Alpha is an independent student organization registered with Cornell’s Student Activities Office, the situation has provoked a reaction from Cornell administrators. . . . . Independent student organizations at Cornell are prohibited from discriminating membership on the basis of race, religion, gender and sexual orientation, according to the Student Activities Offices Independent Organization Contract. The anti-discrimination policy, however, does not extend to the leadership of independent student organizations.

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Hubbell and Clarke have communicated the University’s position to the Hermans and the next step will be a meeting between all parties involved. In the meantime, the controversy has spread across various campus listservs, and the Student Assembly will discuss on Thursday a resolution about the future of Chi Alpha. . . . A resolution regarding the group’s current funding and funding eligibility in the future will be discussed at [Thursday’s] Student Assembly meeting,” Ryan Lavin ’09, S.A. president, said yesterday.

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I hope the student body will continue to rally against discrimination funded with student fees. I suspect that without university funding Chi Alpha would either shut down or drastically curtail its activities - either of which would be a good thing in my opinion. Here is what WVBR FM 93.5 is reporting about a student vigil:

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Cornell students are buzzing after hearing the news that senior Chris Donohoe was asked to step down from the leadership team of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship for openly accepting his homosexuality. Matt and Tracy Herman, the organization's pastors, are facing intense scrutiny by the Cornell community. In response to the two's alleged homophobia, the Cornell LGBTQ community and its supporters have planned a candlelight protest to be held tomorrow evening. This peaceful demonstration will be held on Cornell's Arts Quad outside McGraw Hall from 7:15 PM to 7:45 PM as members of Chi Alpha gather inside the building for their regular Friday night meeting. Students have been organizing through Facebook.com, and already almost 300 people have committed to the protest.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Syracuse Post- Standard Endorses Gay Marriage

As long time readers may recall, I grew up through high school in Central New York near Syracuse. While Syracuse University always helped to provide a more liberal influence as do most large universities, Syracuse and the surriunding area would never have been described as a hot bed of liberalism. Rather, historically the area was predominately Republican with a high percentage of Catholic residents. The very conservatism of the area is one reason as a young teen I decided I HAD to make myself straight somehow since being gay was something that was utterly unthinkable within that larger community not to mention my small school system at Onondaga Central Schools just south of the city proper. Amazingly, times and outlooks do change and I was shocked and amazed to learn today that Syracuse's principal newspaper had come out with an editorial urging the New York State Legislature to pass legislation authorizing same sex marriage. Here are some high lights from the Post-Standard editorial:

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Opponents of gay marriage insist that extending one of civilization's basic organizing principles to include homosexuals will weaken traditional marriage. The National Organization for Marriage says the best argument against gay marriage is that "gays and lesbians have a right to live as they choose; they don't have the right to redefine marriage for all of us."

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That reasoning has many happily married heterosexuals scratching their heads. How, exactly, would granting gays the right to marry adversely affect heterosexual couples? How would it weaken families?

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Arguments against gay marriage tend to be based on religious beliefs that marriage is a sacred rite intended solely for a man and a woman. But the legislation proposed by Gov. David Paterson would legalize gay and lesbian participation in civil marriages, not religious ceremonies. The bill specifically states that "no member of the clergy may be compelled to perform any marriage ceremony." New York and other states already recognize sexual orientation as a civil rights issue. Gov. George Pataki signed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in 2002, and that same year, the state extended workers' compensation benefits to gay people who lost their partners on 9/11. Why shouldn't equal rights be extended into the realm of civil marriage?

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Legalizing gay marriage -- moreso than the halfway measure of civil unions -- would strengthen and affirm the long-term commitments same-sex couples make to each other. That doesn't weaken families; it bolsters them. The argument put forward by the National Organization for Marriage that gay marriage should remain outlawed because "children need a mother and a father" is also a red herring. Gay couples will continue to raise children whether they are allowed to marry or not. Wouldn't those children be better off if their gay parents solidified their relationship through marriage?

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If anything, legalizing same-sex marriage would provide children with a clearer understanding of -- and a greater tolerance for -- the immutable fact that some people have different sexual orientations than others. Indeed, as gay relationships have become more open and better understood, they have become more accepted, particularly among young people. A Siena College poll released Monday found that 53 percent of New York voters support gay marriage, with 39 percent opposed. Among those between 18 and 34, a whopping 71 percent said they support gay marriage. Among those 55 and above, only 42 percent did.

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Given those demographics, it is inevitable that same-sex marriage rights will eventually spread across the country. New York has no reason to wait. The Legislature should move swiftly to affirm a civil right and legalize same-sex marriage.

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I am proud of the progress my hometown newspaper has made. I'm sure the Post-Standard will receive many nasty letters attacking its editorial position., but sometimes doing what is right is not popular with the majority until many years later. That doesn't make it any less the right thing to do.

I Am Starting the Book

As I had mentioned a day or so ago, the boyfriend and others are encouraging me to write a book about my experiences both living in the closet for 37 years, trying desperately to turn myself straight, and all of the aspects of my coming out and slowly coming to terms with myself as a gay man and the stumbles along the way, including everything from changing religious denominations, to the pitfalls of relationships, to becoming an active member of the local gay community as well as within the LGBT blogging community. As I have said, I started this blog at the suggestion of my therapist back in late 2006 to accumulate material for a possible book. Moreover, in deciding to start the blog I also found great inspiration from Andrew Sullivan's personal story in Virtually Normal and the coming out stories posted by other bloggers such as Matt at Debriefing the Boys, Pink Elephant, and others.

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In any event, tonight I started the effort by beginning to work in reverse chronological order through blog posts beginning in early 2007 to put together a rough framework of my story. Given the many, many posts I have done to date, it will take some time to get a rough draft done, but I believe that it will give me a good workable format for a book and allow me to go through and edit, rewrite and supplement postings. Since I am in a far better place in terms of self-acceptance than when some of original posts were done, I intend to give more details and what I hope will be better analysis and perceptions in the book version. There will be some new "true confessions" aspects that have not been previously disclosed as well as more information on GOP political figures that covered up for former Congressman Ed Schrock such a Bob McDonnell, current candidate for governor of Virginia - I still have old e-mails. :) I hope it will be enlightening and helpful to others trying to make the same journey that I did.

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I will keep readers updated on the progress and hopefully, if I can get the book published, the proceeds can go towards paying off the ex-wife so that I can move on with my new life. Any suggestions for a title for the book will be appreciated.

Thursday Male Beauty

Bob McDonnell - The GOP's New Hope?

The National Journal has an article that looks at Bob McDonnell - the presumptive GOP nominee for Virginia governor - and speculates as to whether McDonnell can help turn around the GOP's fortunes. As I have mentioned before, McDonnell is masquerading as a moderate in the lead up to the November 2009 election, yet in reality he's about as moderate as Attila the Hun. His real policies are guided by Pat Robertson and The Family Foundation, the Virginia affiliate of James Dobson's Christianist organization, Focus on the Family. McDonnell is wrong on social issues and seems utterly incapable of understanding the concept of separation of Church and State. When voters hear McDonnell's pitch, they need to close their eyes and picture James Dobson standing in McDonnell's place to appreciate what McDonnell really stands for. Should he somehow be elected Governor, it will be a HUGE set back for Virginia. For the real story on McDonnell, visit "The Real Bob McDonnell." Meanwhile, here are some highlights from the National Journal story:

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For Republicans eager to reverse their sinking fortunes, Bob McDonnell could hold the key. But you won't find him in any of the traditional positions of power -- and the national media has barely found him at all. He's on the campaign trail in Virginia, where he's the likely GOP nominee for governor. . . . Not only are they counting on him to change their downward trajectory, but they could be relying on him to block the rise of a dread party foe: Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chair and Clinton confidant who has an early edge in fundraising, if not the polls, for the Democratic primary on June 9.

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McDonnell, 54, a former state attorney general, has his work cut out for him -- and not just because of his awkward comparison of himself to former Sen. George Allen (who won the '93 governor's race). Republicans may still be smarting from their national defeat last fall, but the party has been in retreat in Virginia for a decade. Since the last GOP governor was elected in 1997, the party has lost the state Senate majority, a slew of state House seats and both U.S. Senate seats. Last fall, they lost the majority of congressional seats. Barack Obama last fall became the first Democrat to carry the Old Dominion since 1964.

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McDonnell hails from the wing of his party that's under the most relentless attack. A retired Army officer who was groomed for politics at the Rev. Pat Robertson's Regent University law school, McDonnell compiled a staunchly conservative voting record during seven terms in the state House, especially on social issues. "The question becomes, can he transform himself the way the Republican Party has to transform itself?" Sabato said. "He needs to de-emphasize the social issues, break his connection with Robertson and run as a moderate conservative. Virginia will still vote for a moderate conservative, but it's not going to support a hard-right candidate."

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Indeed, McDonnell is making every effort to do so. Taking a page from the playbook of Sen. Mark Warner, a popular Democrat whose strategic lurch to the political middle helped him win the 2001 gubernatorial race, he's steering clear this year of potentially explosive topics like abortion, gay marriage and gun rights.

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"A leopard cannot change their spots even if they run for governor," said Richard Cranwell, the state Democratic Party chairman. Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, financed a round of TV ads attacking McDonnell on gun control.

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It will be crucial that Democrats make sure that voters understand who Bob McDonnell is and that despite the current moderate play acting, he is a member of the extreme Christian Right who MUST be defeated in November.

Gay Lawyers' Access to Promotion Scrutinised

A reader and fellow blogger sent me a link to an article about a new survey being done in the UK about how and to what extent gay lawyers face discrimination in law firms and may suffer career wise based on homophobia within the legal community. While being openly gay is likely a non-issue in some parts of the USA - e.g., last year large Miami law firms were actively seeking to recruit openly gay attorneys in order to better market to the large gay community in South Florida. Such open mindedness - or cynical pragmatism depending on one's perspective -is sadly not found in many areas of the USA. The greater Hampton Roads area of Virginia is a case study: in an area with a population of over 1.6 million people, I know of two (2) professionally out attorneys - myself and one other member of the HRBOR board. Meanwhile, I know a number of professionally closeted attorneys at larger area law firms who live in terror every day that the powers that be may discover that they are gay and force them out. Even though these same law firms interview regularly at Virginia law schools that require that they sign a non-discrimination policy that bars employment discrimination based on sexual orientation (Virginia has ZERO employment protections for LGBT employees). From my own experience at a larger law firm, being openly gay is NOT acceptable in this less than progressive area. Here are some highlights from the story which also looks at the situation in Australia:

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THE first major study into how being gay affects a lawyer’s potential for career advancement is due to be released tomorrow. The UK Law Society is working with gay rights group Stonewall and the InterLaw Diversity Forum to identify the obstacles faced by lesbian, gay and bisexual lawyers. As the UK investigates how sexuality interacts with career advancement, almost no research has been done on the issue by the legal profession and its representative bodies in Australia.

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The Law Council of Australia has done research into gender and how it affects access to court appearances and barristers being briefed by law firms, but nothing has yet been done on sexuality. Likewise, The Law Institute of Victoria told The New Lawyer it’s not an issue that has been raised within its ranks.

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Edward Andrew, managing director of legal recruiter EA International, says it’s a non-issue for law firms in Australia. “If we said to our clients ‘this candidate is gay’, they would say ‘so what?’. It doesn’t feature as a function of their recruitment policy or their internal policies for promotion,” he said. “We don’t see that there is any real discrepancy between sexual orientation and ability to succeed in the firm,” Andrew said.

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The UK survey will be based on 35 questions with a view to improving law firm recruitment and retention and proving information for individual solicitors on how sexuality interacts with career advancement. Clifford Chance tax partner Stephen Shea, told UK magazine The Lawyer that any limitations lesbian and gay lawyers experience in their careers do not come solely from ineffective policies, but from gay and lesbian lawyers as well. “One of the main problems is very often gay individuals who hold themselves back as a result of attitudes implanted by society,” Shea said.

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InterLaw founder and Simmons & Simmons partner Daniel Winterfeldt said the profession as a whole needs to take responsibility for changing attitudes to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual lawyers feel they have the same opportunities as their heterosexual counterparts, The Lawyer reports.

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I suspect that problems DO exist in Australia and that gays are afraid to raise questions and the profession as a whole is more than content to pretend that no problems exist. I'm sure if one asked leaders of large local law firms if homophobia was a problem they would say no, yet it IS an ongoing problem.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

My Readers - I Love Them

UPDATED: I also want to thank Gerald in Melborne, Australia for a wonderfully moving and kind e-mail. He has an amazing story of his own to tell and his words to me were most inspiring.

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I was seriously depressed the other morning and having another round of suicidal thoughts. I was more or less exhausted emotionally and financially and just wanted it all to stop. With support from the boy friend and other friends I survived the Court hearing today and have rallied again at least for now. I have two more dates hanging over me still - one in mid-June and the other in October as the ex-wife works to make me account for every penny of non-existent income that exists only in her mind. In any event, the response I received from many of you was amazing and I cannot tell you how much it means to me. My readers - along with the boy friend (I'm at his place tonight and I truly do not know what I'd do without him in my life) and my children - are often one of my most reliable life lines. You all provide me with good advice and support. The messages came from all over the USA, parts of Canada, and one even came from as far away as Brisbane, Australia. Here is a sampling of a few of the many e-mails I received:

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Michael: You are so important to thousands of us. We count on you and depend on you. Always I remember that, over a year ago, I sent you an email in despair about coming out in middle age as you did. You did not know me--you still don't--yet you replied as though you had known me for years. I think about, and reread your message to me, frequently. it has gotten me through many a day. I hope the knowledge of how much you have come to mean to this community will strengthen you in your current trials. And that, with competent and capable legal advice, you can bring a close to the divorce chapter soon. Courage!

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Hi Michael, You've been -- and continue to be -- an enormous help to me and to others, just by being authentically you. I get the hopelessness that some things seem to never get better, and they may be getting worse. It's exhausting. Recently I started a new counseling relationship, and the right person can be such a help. Just having someone listen and understand is therapeutic. You have more strength now than before, and more support, too. It may be the pits, but it's worth it to keep going.

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Michael, I care about you. I wish I knew what to say, or that there would be anything to say that would help make it better for you. It is tough, I know. And I can tell you that things will get better, but whenever I'm very depressed those words don't help me much. I guess the only thing I can really say is that I care about you. Hang on, Michael. Just hang on.

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Michael, I don't know if I've offered before, but if you ever feel as if there is no one else who will understand. you're at the end of your rope, and you're ready to acquire the tools of your self-destruction, call me. Put my number in your phone now and remember that I do understand. . . . You do have the BF. Take comfort in him.Remember that you have value. You prove it all the time, you just don't give yourself credit for it.

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The suicidal thoughts – well I’m not going to yell at you and tell you not to. Having been there myself, I know that makes no difference to how you feel. What I do, even when I’m at my absolute worst, is challenge myself. Whether it is to make it through the next day, the next hour, the next five minutes. And keep doing this until I know I don’t need to. It may take longer (months) than I like, but it’s one way to keep yourself determined to live. It helps me, anyway. Good luck, thoughts are with you. xx
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Of the numerous writers, only two have met me in person. The others are fellow bloggers or readers. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. I love all of you.

How Racist Extremists Are Hijacking the GOP

I have maintained for some time now that the GOP is be coming a racist party and that the increased racial animosity is being derived from "pro-family" groups which are not only anti-gay, but also anti-black, anti-Hispanic, anti-immigrant. The list goes on and on. The toxic racist attitude of the pro-family crowd and the professional Christians is really nothing new and can be traced back to well before the 2000 election. However, the combination of the election of Barack Obama as president and increases in the recognition of gay rights seems to have pushed some of the haters over the edge. Hence the Department of Homeland Security's release of a report showing that right wing extremists groups are increasing in numbers. There are some interesting points on this whole issue on a blog called The Loop. Here are some highlights:

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In the past several years, the line between the far right and the racist fringe has blurred. These days, it is hard to distinguish between the two. Cultural conservatives are not just welcoming the wing nuts into their camp, they are making obvious overtures to mobilize them. They are intentionally alienating moderate Republicans. And they are shamelessly regurgitating hateful and dangerous propaganda, most of which originated on the fringe.

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Last week, the Department of Homeland Security released a 10-page report warning the nation’s law enforcement community about fringe groups and attempts they have made to recruit returning U.S. veterans. The report indicates that more than 200 veterans are also a member of various racist groups. DHS, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center, a progressive, nonprofit group that has monitored racist, fringe groups since 1981, say the fringe movement is growing. The number of them crept up to 926 in 2008, compared with 888 in 2007.

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“(Cultural conservatives) are injecting poison into the national dialogue, whether they mean it or not is completely besides the point,” Potok said. “This is not a debate we are having. These are just nuts on the far right, and they are being given an incredibly huge platform. And they are doing a lot to buddy up to the radical fringe.” This radical fringe has not been this active since the militia movement of the '80s and '90s. The last time there was a cultural flare-up like this, we ended up with Waco, the Oklahoma City bombing and Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph.

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“There were folks like David Duke around back then. The difference between (people like him) and people like Glenn Beck or Bachmann is that (the latter) don’t normally make explicit appeals on a racist basis,” Potok said. “Are they worse? One can definitely make the argument they are worse. With someone like David Duke, no one takes him seriously. But there are a lot of people out there taking Glenn Beck seriously.”

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A few weeks ago, it became very apparent exactly who is taking Beck seriously. In early April, 23-year-old Richard Poplawski, a huge fan of Beck and someone who had been associated with various white supremacy groups, wore a bulletproof vest as he waited for Pittsburgh police officers to enter his home. When they did, he opened fire, killing three of them.

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The conservative movement has grown so far to the right right, they are now kissing cousins with the racist fringe," [Steve] Rendall [of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting] said. Both Sean Hannity and Beck have routinely had guests who were overtly anti-Semitic and racist. And the fact that the media and the Republican Party are both in shambles right now has exacerbated the affiliation.

Alabama Insanity Alert

I've commented before about my years in Alabama right out of law school and my belief that the state has lurched way further to the Neanderthal far right than when I lived there. To further prove my point, Alabama state representative Jay Love of Montgomery pictured at left - no doubt either a shameless opportunists pandering to far right voters or a self-hating closet case (or both) - has introduced a resolution in the Alabama Legislature which supports Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, who was criticized for say­ing she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman and who now blames her loss of the Miss USA crown on the judges critical of her religious views. With all of the problems facing Alabama which typically ranks near the bottom of almost all categories, this is the type of crap Love wants to waste time over. Alabama is a beautiful state and could be a fabulous place to live and relocate businesses to but for the increasing crazy loons such as Mr. Love (and all of the Republicans in the Legislature) who scare away anyone with a shred of progressive thinking and a belief in the separation of church and state. Hopefully, some day the general population of the state will wake up to just how badly their long term interests have been served by Christianists like Love. Here are some highlights from the Montgomery Observer:

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State Rep. Jay Love, R-Mont­gomery, has drafted a resolution supporting Miss California USA, who was criticized for say­ing she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. Miss California Carrie Prejean was asked during the Miss USA 2009 Pageant on Sunday if she supported legalizing gay marriage. Celebrity gossip blog­ger Perez Hilton, who is gay and was a judge at the competition, asked the question.

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Some people have criticized her for the comments. Love said there are those "tell­ing people what they can believe and what they can say," which he said is wrong. He said she is being punished for saying marriage is between a man and a woman. "I don't believe that's right," Love said.

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The former Republican con­gressional nominee for the 2nd Congressional District said he supports Prejean for standing by her beliefs and not giving the politically correct answer. Every member of the House Republican Caucus and some Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors to the bill, which was introduced Tuesday.

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State Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said the said the resolu­tion would not pass. He said Prejean is associated with right-wing organizations in California and said she sup­ports discrimination. "I am not for the Alabama Legislature honoring her in any kind of way," Holmes said.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Bankruptcies Up Significantly in Hampton Roads

Even though the ex-wife and her attorney do not live in the world of economic reality, objective criteria show that the local economy is reeling and more and more families and businesses are resorting to bankruptcy as a possible method of saving their homes or restructuring their businesses. Filings for personal bankruptcies in the local bankruptcy court (pictured at left) are up 23% from a year ago - a number that was already up markedly from previous years. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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Under pressure from mounting debts and a faltering economy, Hampton Roads residents are seeking relief in bankruptcy court in greater numbers. The volume of personal bankruptcies filed during January, February and March climbed 23 percent from the same months last year, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

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More businesses also are filing for bankruptcy. Filer, along with bankruptcy lawyers in the region, attributed the sharp rise in personal filings to the pressure of unaffordable mortgages adding to the traditional causes of bankruptcy, such as a job loss, medical bills and credit card debt. An increasing number of consumers are using bankruptcy to forestall foreclosure, Filer said.

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However, the rising job losses in Hampton Roads and number of households wrestling with mortgage payments have set off a tidal wave of bankruptcies that "has just started to come in," said Robert Roussos, a Norfolk bankruptcy lawyer. "Many people are one paycheck away from a disaster."

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Despite predictions of a possible upturn in the U.S. economy later in the year, it's likely that the volume of bankruptcies will continue climbing through the remainder of 2009, predicted Filer and local bankruptcy lawyers. That's partly because a recovery in the job market - a major influence on the pace of bankruptcy filings - tends to lag a rebound in the economy. In Hampton Roads, the number of consumers using a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which enables individuals to liquidate most of their debt, jumped 31 percent in the first quarter. . .

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Businesses, too, are resorting to bankruptcy court as the economy loses steam. In Hampton Roads, the number that filed during the January-through-March quarter jumped 47 percent from the year-earlier period . . .

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Before turning to bankruptcy, some retailers have tried to negotiate with their landlords for a break on the rent, Roussos said. Their message to mall owners, he said, is, "If you don't reduce the rent, you'll have a vacant space." It doesn't always work. More cash-strapped businesses are choosing to liquidate in Chapter 7 rather than trying to restructure their debts under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and continue operating. That's partly because the administrative fees are significant and financing for a business in Chapter 11 is scarce, Roussos said.

Knights of Columbus Hypocrisy

As the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal has unfolded and as many hundreds of thousands of dollars better used to assist the poor and families has been diverted to anti-gay marriage initiatives, the Knights of Columbus has become a caricature of what is wrong within the Roman Catholic laity. Intelligent thought and reason are thrown to the wind and obscene levels of ass kissing and brown noising of corrupt bishops, cardinals - and yes Popes - who have been involved in what I believe was/is a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice and cover up the sexual abuse of minors have become the Knight's reason d'etre. Instead of being the defenders of children and families, the Knights have become sycophants of corrupt clerics who ought to be behind bars rather than posturing as pious men of God. I was a Fourth Degree Knight and a charter member of a council in Virginia Beach so I am well versed in the disingenuous propaganda funnelled to the Knights by the Church hierarchy. Today, I'd be embarrassed to say I was a Knight given the Order's utter failure to demand accountability from the hierarchy. With its vast amount of money, the Knights COULD make a difference, but instead the Order is part of the problem. Rather than tackle the problems in the Church the Knights are complicit lap dogs of the morally bankrupt and squander money on anti-gay efforts that in no way further a loving Christian Gospel message. A story a fellow blogger sent me from Connecticut illustrates the fool's errand mentality that is so pervasive within the KofC. Here are some highlights:

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The phone calls have been coming into the state Capitol fast and furious about the bill to codify the state Supreme Court ruling legalizing same sex marriage in Connecticut. . . . priests at Sunday's Catholic masses in the state read messages from local bishops and the Knights of Columbus, pushing for new language in the Same Sex Marriage Bill that is scheduled to come up for debate, Wednesday, in the state Senate.

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"We believe that if the legislature is going to codify Kerrigan, which is the decision which allows gay marriage in Connecticut, they should also provide in that statute the opportunity for the Knights of Columbus and other religious associations and organizations to have their religious views respected as a fundamental right under the constitution," said Attorney John Droney of the Knights of Columbus.

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The co-chairs of the Judiciary Committee say everyone's religious rights are fully protected by the state and federal constitutions and the bill doesn't change that. "It's very disheartening to see so many people dumping so many resources into peddling misinformation in this state," said Sen. Andrew McDonald (D-Judiciary Committee).

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The Knights have lost their moral compass and have become an organization little better than Traditional Values Coalition or Concerned Women for America except with a lot more money.

Final Tuesday Male Beauty

Should I Write a Book?

I have been humbled by the messages I have received from readers in response to my early morning post about my thoughts of suicide. You all are so sweet and supportive. I have talked at length with the boyfriend - who is none too happy with me - and a number of other folks who have encouraged me to channel my energy in a positive manner. The consensus seems to be that I should write a "tell all" book about my years in the closet growing up, my coming out journey, and the injustices regularly encountered by gays and lesbians who come out after years of marriage.

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Since I first began this blog as a way to gather material for a book that my therapist believed I should write, it would make sense and fulfill that initial plan. Moreover, while the early posts give much detail, they never revealed everything - in part because I was technically still married and the divorce case still pending. Since the ex-wife has decided to go on a scorched earth style war against me, it seems only fair that previously unrevealed details about how I came to be married and other issues would now deserve full disclosure. Since truth is an absolute defense to a libel suit as is merely stating one's opinion (e.g., naming homophobic judges by name, GOP candidates who covered up for closeted gays in the Party), some might be most upset with what I might reveal, but they would have no basis for a lawsuit against me. Indeed, a lawsuit would only guarantee more publicity.

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Obviously, the book would also talk about the world of gay blogging and some of the amazing people that I have met (e.g., Mike Rogers, Pam Spaulding, Waymon Hudson, Jeremy Hooper, among others). Let me have your thoughts and I will keep you updated on where I am going with this.

Bush/Cheney and "Verschaerfte Vernehmung"

I continue to be appalled at the number of pundits and GOP operatives who act as if all of the horrors of torture under the Bush/Cheney should just be swept under the rug and ignored as we "move along." It is precisely this attitude that allows illegal conduct and war crimes to happen in the first place. Stated differently, bad things happen when good people do nothing. True, doing nothing may seem easier and be more politically expedient in the short term, but long term the cost is far greater than anticipated. One need only look at Nazi Germany which came into being because too many were content just move along and close their eyes. Hopefully, Barack Obama will come to realize that in order to redeem the soul of America, those who authorized illegal torture and war crimes must be prosecuted. That includes George Bush and Dick Cheney/

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Andrew Sullivan has an excellent post that looks at the parallels between what Bush and Cheney authorized and the torture techniques used by Hitler's torture teams. The similarities are chilling as is the "following orders" excuse being offered up to protect CIA personnel who inflicted the torture. Here are some highlights:

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The Case Of Richard Wilhelm Hermann Bruns, Et Al.Longtime Dish readers will know what I'm referring to. It is a famous war crime prosecution against Nazi officers in occupied Norway, and the trial took place in 1946. The men were accused of using "enhanced interrogation" techniques - or in the original German "verschaerfte Vernehmung" - against captives.

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the Nazis ensured that doctors were present at all times so that they could monitor the captives' response to torture and make sure they didn't die or suffer visible permanent injuries that could embarrass the regime in public (see the Bradbury and Bybee memos for the Bush equivalent). Notice the careful measurement of how many times someone can be beaten (another Cheney innovation). And notice that we are not talking about waterboarding - something even the Nazis excluded from their "enhanced interrogation" methods. In the case of Bruns, et al., this translated to these charges:

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On 19th December, 1942, Bruns was present at the interrogation of a sick Norwegian. Leg screws were fastened to his legs and he was beaten with various implements. Later he was thrown unconscious into a cellar, where he remained for four days before receiving medical attention.

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Between 1942 and 1945, Bruns used the method of "verschärfte Vernehmung" on 11 Norwegian citizens. This method involved the use of various implements of torture, cold baths and blows and kicks in the face and all over the body. Most of the prisoners suffered for a considerable time from the injuries received during those interrogations. *

Between 1942 and 1945, Schubert gave 14 Norwegian prisoners "verschärfte Vernehmung," using various instruments of torture and hitting them in the face and over the body. Many of the prisoners suffered for a considerable time from the effects of injuries they received.

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Now check out the defense against the charge of war crimes: All three defendants appealed to the Supreme Court. Their appeal was based on the following arguments :

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(a) That the acts of torture which the defendants had committed were permitted under International Law as reprisals against the illegal Military Organisation whose activities were at variance with International Law.
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(b) That the acts were carried out on superior orders and that the defendants acted under duress.
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(c) That the acts of torture in no case resulted in death. Most of the injuries inflicted were slight and did not result in permanent disablement.
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Do these defenses sound familiar? They failed in court. And while modern Americans debate whether we can even use the word 'torture' with respect to these techniques, previous generations, closer to the reality of war and torture than we are, had no qualms. The punishment for these crimes was the death penalty.

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As hard as it may be for some to accept, Bush and Cheney and their minions who concocted the "torture memos" need to be tried and, if guilty as It appears, convicted and punished. Nothing less will clear the reputation and name of the USA. Naturally, the GOP and Christianists will scream in outrage, but it must be done.