Friday Male Beauty

"Gay Exocism" Causes Controversy

You know things are really bad when even Faux News reports on it with a negative spin, but that's precisely how Fox 61 TV covered the story of video that features church elders performing what looks like an exorcism, of what they refer to in the video as "homosexual demons." Such behavior is nothing short of child abuse and I hope the church elders are prosecuted for their inhuman treatment of the exorcism victim. I have know individuals who were subjected to such exorcisms and believe me, it screwed them up big time. Here are some highlights:

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A Connecticut church posted a controversial video on YouTube that raised questions about the treatment of children by a leader of a gay and lesbian teen mentoring group among others. The video features church elders performing what looks like an exorcism, of what they refer to in the video as "homosexual demons. "The video shows leaders of the Manifested Glory Ministries in a frenetic scene, screaming, "Right now I command you to leave! "At the same time a teen writhing on the ground as the adults around him implore so called "homosexual demons" to get out.

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For 20 minutes it continues with the boy in a near seizure, even vomiting.By the looks of it, and the repeated references to his sexual orientation, it appears to be a gay exorcism. Prophet Patricia McKinney and her husband, church overseer Kelvin McKinney have a weekly radio show. She wasn't much interested in talking, telling Fox 61's Laurie Perez, "Don't be following, I'm telling you no. "The only hint of a comment was her saying the ritual shown in the video is just one part of their ministry.

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Robin McHaelen runs a mentoring program for gay teens,True Colors, and says she knows of 5 other teens in Connecticut who've been subjected to "demon casting."She said, "What really freaked me out is the people who did that to that child wasn't because they were trying to hurt him. They thought they were trying to help him, but I think it that they murdered his soul."

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The church has recently taken down its YouTube account, but the video is still posted on other sites.The Associated Press reports the boy is 16 years old.

Scott Lively tries to Sanitize Paul Cameron

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters has a great piece on the never ending efforts of the Christianists to recycle the discredited "research" - actually fabricated anti-gay propaganda - of Paul Cameron. This time the effort is being made by the equally anti-gay obsessed nutcase Scott Lively who I have written about before. Time and time again one will see Pat Robertson, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council and other virulently anti-gay organizations cite statistic that depict gays as diseased, child predators and other equally heinous things. Lively is a menace and his efforts to rehabilitate Cameron are despicable, yet all too typical of Lively and his rabid anti-gay allies. Alvin McEwen does a great job exposing the truth in his post. Here are some highlights:

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Author of a discredited book that tries to link the Nazi Party with the lgbt community (The Pink Swastika) Scott Lively has really reached the lines of lunacy.In a One News Now article, Free handbook on preserving traditional family values, Lively talks about a "textboook" he has authored, Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the Gay Agenda: According to Lively, the book is a useful tool for families with children in the junior high to high school range. He adds that the book takes a close look at how the homosexual movement pushes its agenda.

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This book is created by someone who knows that he is telling refuted lies and distortions. A perfect example of this is not only Lively's usage of the discredited work of Paul Cameron but his sad attempts to rationalize the usage.

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First of all, Lively is lying. Much of Cameron's work has been published in pay-for-pay publications.And while it's easy for Lively to dismiss repudiations of Cameron to the "nefarious work" of "gay activists and their allies," he conveniently does not mention a few facts: . . . And let's not forget the condemnations rained down on him by the medical community:

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

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The groups run by Cameron and Lively (The Family Research Institute and Abiding Truth Ministries), by the way, are considered anti-gay hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They have this classification not because they believe that homosexuality is a sin.

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It is important to know the truth about Lively and Cameron because their nefarious and dishonest anti-gay propaganda is repeated time and time again by Christianist organization who KNOW they are lying and simply do not care. Were they truly Christians, they obviously would honor the Commandment against bearing false witness and lying. Their total disregard for the truth exposes them for what they really are: lying snake oil merchants who peddle lies and hatred.

Evangelical Proselytizing in The Military

Lost in the current coverage of the fray between LGBT Americans and the DNC/Obama is a serious story in Newsweek that in some ways may explain some of the opposition to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell ("DADT") within the military: the growing influence of far right evangelical Christians within the armed forces. I have written about this problem before because (a) it threatens the right to freedom of religion for our service members and (ii) it has the potential to seriously alienate citizens of countries with non-Christian populations. Now, Newsweek looks more in depth at this growing problem which is intensifying as evangelical chaplains increasing infiltrate the military. Combined with the far right lunacy of some of the senior officer corps and it is a recipe for trouble. Here are some story highlights:

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The growing controversy over military chaplains using the armed forces to spread the Word. . . Ever since former president George W. Bushreferred to the war on terror as a “crusade” in the days after the September 11 attacks, many have charged that the United States was conducting a holy war, pitting a Christian America against the Muslim world. That perception grew as prominent military leaders such as Lt. Gen. William Boykin described the wars in evangelical terms, casting the U.S. military as the "army of God."

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A May article in Harper’s by Jeff Sharlet illustrated a military engaged in an internal battle over religious practice. Then came news about former Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Scripture-themed briefings to President Bush that paired war scenes with Bible verses. . . . Later in May, Al-Jazeera broadcast clips filmed in 2008 showing stacks of Bibles translated into Pashto and Dari at the U.S. air base in Bagram and featuring the chief of U.S. military chaplains in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Gary Hensley, telling soldiers to “hunt people for Jesus.”

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In the aftermath of that report, the Pentagon responded that it had confiscated and destroyed the Bibles and said there was no effort to convert Afghans. But while the military dismissed the Bagram Bibles as an isolated incident, a civil-rights watchdog group, Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), says this is not the case.

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According to the group's president, Mikey Weinstein, a cadre of 40 U.S. chaplains took part in a 2003 project to distribute 2.4 million Arabic-language Bibles in Iraq. This would be a serious violation of U.S. military Central Command's General Order Number One forbidding active-duty troops from trying to convert people to any religion.

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The effort is an example of what critics call a growing culture of militarized Christianity in the armed forces. It is influenced in part by changes in outlook among the various branches' 2,900 chaplains, who are sworn to serve all soldiers, regardless of religion, with a respectful, religiously pluralistic approach. However, with an estimated two thirds of all current chaplains affiliated with evangelical and Pentecostal denominations, which often prioritize conversion and evangelizing, . . . This imbalance was exacerbated by regulation revisions in the 1980s that helped create hundreds of new "endorsing agencies" that brought a flood of evangelical chaplains into the military

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Among the "endorsing agencies" is CFGC, which represents a conglomeration of independent Pentecostal churches outside established denominations. The group was accepted as a chaplain-endorsing agency by the Department of Defense in 1984, two years after it first applied. Since 1984, MRFF charges, Ammerman's agency has violated numerous codes that govern chaplaincies, including a constant denigration of other religions, particularly Islam, Judaism, mainline Protestantism and Catholicism, but also non-Pentecostal evangelical churches.

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Weinstein, an Air Force veteran who founded MRFF in 2005 after both he and his sons say they encountered anti-Semitic harassment and proselytizing in the service, has waged legal battles against what he sees as an improper mingling of church and state in the military, including a current lawsuit against the Department of Defense alleging service members' compulsory attendance at military functions that include sectarian Christian prayers and a broader "pattern and practice of constitutionally impermissible promotions of religious beliefs within the Department of Defense and the United States Army."

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MRFF is calling, in a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, to strip the CFGC of its endorsing authority and to investigate its chaplains for various code violations. But they fear the Obama administration will not press this issue given the announced replacement of Army Secretary Pete Geren with Rep. John McHugh, a New York Republican with a conservative record on church-state separation issues.

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I believe that this is a very serious issue and I have little faith in the Obama administration's ability to reign in the out of control evangelical and pentecostal chaplains.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Jared Leto

Fixated on Iran and The Protesters

Perhaps it's the history student in me or maybe my interests in politics and foreign relations, but I find I cannot get enough information on the ongoing protest - revolution? - in Iran. Andrew Sullivan has helped lead the way in getting the story out with amazing coverage of events and often glimpses of the savagery of the government and its henchmen as people are shot or beaten to death on video. As sickening as it is, I believe it is important to witness what is happening for several reasons.

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The first reason is to be reminded of what regimes will do to remain in power - particularly those that claim to have God/Allah on their side. The ruling government in Iran has shown itself to be nothing less than utterly evil and I truly hope that all of this nightmare results in its overthrow and prosecution of those ordering the murders of protesters. Given the brutality being visited on unarmed protesters, I cannot believe any higher power/being would condone such viciousness despite what the demagogues are claiming

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The second reason is to be reminded that these Iranian protesters are the people that Bush/Cheney and their largely Christianist base wanted to bomb and annihilate. The protesters are showing that despite their different culture, they want democracy. Moreover they proving themselves much more willing to risk their lives and die for democracy than many of the falsely pious and self-satisfied haters in this country who look down upon everyone who doesn't look just like them and hold the same religious beliefs.

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Yes, watching the brutality and cruelty is heart wrenching, but in truth every American should be required to watch some of it and learn that people are people be they Christian, Jews, Hindu, or Muslim. Hatred and division based on religion are among the greatest evils in the world. And it's telling that those who claim to be the most religious and pios are the ones most filled with hate and judgment of others.

Celebrity Deaths

I was saddened to learn of Farah Fawcett's death early today. As crazy as it may sound given me being a gay man and all, but at the height of her popularity and the run of Charlie's Angels, I had quite the crush on Farah. I particularly like the photo/poster at left. Having lost a sister to cancer, I know just how horrible the disease is and the strength of will and character needed to fight it. I cannot help but respect Fawcett's dignified battle against the vicious disease. However, I will always remember her forever young as she looked in the poster.

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I am also stunned to hear that Michael Jackson died this evening. A friend had sent me a text message, but since he likes to play crazy jokes, I did not believe it a first. Michael Jackson was an amazing talent and one cannot help but wonder if he might not have lived longer but for all the things he did to his body trying to make himself into someone else. I wish he had found more self-acceptance in his life time.

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I hope that both Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson have found lasting peace. I don't know if I believe in Heaven per se at times, but I do believe that our spirits/souls exist beyond our mortal bodies. May they rest in peace

Thursday Male Beauty

Sally Kern's Latest Anti-Gay Screed

Even as more GOP politicos are trashing the sanctity of marriage, Oklahoma nutcase Sally Kern is off making yet another anti-gay screed and blaming LGBT Americans for the decline of morality - as if we made John Stanford and John Ensign somehow cheat on their wives. The woman is seriously disturbed to say the least given her never ending obsession with gays. Kern's latest eruption of batshittery took place at the disingenuous Americans for Truth conference in Chicago on June 17 where she spouted off claiming to highlighting President Obama’s radical homosexualist agenda. Here are some highlights from Kern's latest verbal diarrhea:

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The homosexual agenda is only one symptom of the real problem in America. The problem is that we have forsaken the Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded. Noah Webster declared: “The principles of genuine liberty and of wise laws and administrations are to be drawn from the Bible.”

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There are two conflicting worldviews vying for power. The secular humanist worldview versus the Judeo-Christian or Biblical worldview. Humanism sees the world as impersonal matter shaped by chance with man just another animal. There is no basis for values or laws. The Biblical worldview recognizes a Creator who established moral laws and absolute truth as revealed in the Bible. Man, made in God’s image, is priceless.

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For the first time in America’s history, we have a president who has no understanding of the Biblical worldview and who has even less understanding of the truths of the Bible. This is evident when he says that support for homosexual “marriage” [unions] can be found in the Sermon on the Mount or that certain passages in Romans are just obscure passages. Whereas George Washington expelled from his military those who practiced sodomy, President Obama honors sodomites by proclaiming an entire month as Gay Pride Month, but he won’t acknowledge one day for our National Day of Prayer.

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Today we have a national moral crisis and leading the charge against religion and morality is the homosexual agenda with the president carrying their water.

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If Obama is so busy "carrying our water," why is it that he's under non-stop attack by LGBT organizations for having lied to us during his campaign. I think Kern must be living in some parallel universe from the rest of us.

Another GOP Hypocrisy Erruption

What is it about "family values" Republicans who whine about the need to "protect marriage" by forbidding us gays to have it while they go out and cheat on their spouses either in affairs like that of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and Nevada Senator John Ensign, the use of prostitutes like Louisiana Senator David Vitter, or gay sex trysts like former Congressman Ed Schrock? One almost begins to wonder whether there are any GOP politicians who are not seeking sex on the side outside of their marriages. The hypocrisy factor is off the charts. If these blowhards are so worried about the "sanctity of marriage, why don't they begin by honoring their own marriage vows. Here a peak at CNN's coverage on Sanford:

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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, just back from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or his wife, admitted Wednesday he has carried on an extramarital affair with a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford told a news conference in Columbia, South Carolina. "I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina."

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The affair began in the last year and was discovered five months ago, Sanford said without elaborating. He added that he and his wife were trying to work through it. In a statement issued later Wednesday, Sanford's wife, Jenny, said she asked him to move out two weeks earlier but was still open to a reconciliation for the benefit of their children.

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As for the larger implications for the GOP - which is fast becoming the party of non-stop sex scandals - here are some highlights from the Washington Post:

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Mark Sanford's summer adventure to Argentina -- no, he was not hiking the Appalachian Trail, as his aides incorrectly told reporters -- is now a full-fledged personal and family embarrassment, a story of infidelity followed by a public confession of the kind that has become all too familiar from political leaders.

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But Sanford's story is more than personal. For a Republican Party down on its luck, the governor's disappearance and subsequent rambling apology to his wife, his family, his close friends and all the people of South Carolina draw more unwelcome publicity to a party that needs but cannot seem to get any good news.

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Coming a week after Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) admitted to an extramarital affair, the scandal will impact the Republicans in several ways. First, it further damages the GOP brand, potentially driving away more voters or at least making it more difficult to win back some of those who abandoned the party in the past two elections. Second, it could disillusion social and religious conservatives -- a critically important part of the Republican coalition -- who may now wonder whether those who share the Republican label truly share their values. Third, the Sanford saga removes one more new-generation GOP leader from the field of prospective 2012 candidates, adding to doubts about the strength of the party's bench.

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One has to wonder when the so-called "values voters" are going to wake up to the fact that the GOP plays them for suckers since its elected officials seem unable to keep their zippers zipped up when outside of their own homes?

Virginia Court Rules Executive Order 1 (2006) Gives Gays No Cause of Action

The Circuit Court for the City of Martinsville has ruled in Michael Ware Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History that Executive Order 1 (2006) signed by Virginia Governor (and DNC Chair) Tim Kaine provides no cause of action to gay Virginians fired for discrimination based on sexual orientation nor does it waive the Commonwealth of Virginia’s defense of sovereign immunity against fired gay employees seeking redress. Executive Order 1 (2006) provides in relevant part as follows:

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This policy specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.

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Other than Executive Order 1 (2006) gay and lesbian Virginians have no state law protections against employment discrimination.

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Michael W. Moore, who sought protection under Executive Order No. 1 (2006) was an employee of the Virginia Museum of Natural History until the late afternoon of November 14, 2006, when he maintains he was forced to involuntarily resign by former Museum Executive Director, Timothy Gette because Moore is gay. Prior to November 14, 2006, Moore had received an employee performance evaluation on October 20, 2006, in which he was evaluated as a “Contributor” based on the Employee Work Profile – Performance Evaluation form signed by both Gette and Nancy Bell, a/k/a Nancy Bell Dethlesfan, Moore’s supervisor. This evaluation qualified Moore for a pay increase.

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In summarily dismissing Moore’s appeal from a determination by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management, the Circuit Court for the City of Martinsville, Virginia, ignored numerous U.S. Constitutional issues raised in the case and suggests that Virginia state employees leave their federal constitutional rights at the door.

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As I have said before, LGBT citizens considering a move to Virginia from progressive states need to truly think twice before moving to a state where LGBT citizens are in essence 3rd class citizens.

Wednesday Male Beauty

"Former Lesbian" Loses in Custody Fight Again

At some point I would think the Virginia courts would begin sanctioning "former lesbian" Lisa Miller and/or her attorneys from the wingnut Liberty Counsel. Time and time again suits are being filed that cover the same arguments that have already been rejected only to have the cases thrown out over and over. Miller has become a cause - and fundraising tool - for the anti-gay elements in Virginia and elsewhere because like other snake oil peddlers of the far right Miller claims to have "found Jesus" and been "cured" of her homosexuality. Yeah, and if she's really "cured" then I'm the lost heir to the Russian crown too. This case has truly gotten to the point of the ridiculous. Here are highlights from the Daily Press:

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A Virginia woman who has been fighting for years to deny child-visitation rights to her former lesbian partner lost another round in the Virginia Court of Appeals on Tuesday. In a case closely watched by national gay rights and conservative Christian groups, the court unanimously upheld Winchester Circuit Judge John R. Prosser's dismissal of Lisa Miller's latest attempt to block Virginia from registering and enforcing a Vermont court order granting visitation rights to Janet Jenkins.

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Courts in both states have repeatedly ruled against Miller, who became pregnant by artificial insemination after she and Jenkins entered into a civil union in Vermont in 2000. Miller later renounced homosexuality and moved with daughter Isabella to the Winchester area, and the civil union was dissolved. The appeals court has now ruled against Miller three times. The Virginia Supreme Court also has ruled that Vermont has sole jurisdiction over the dispute, and the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear Miller's appeal.

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[T]he issue is simple: "It is well established that people can't just move from one state to another to avoid a court ruling they don't like." The Vermont Supreme Court also ruled in Jenkins' favor in 2006, and last January a Vermont family court judge rejected another attempt by Miller to deny visitation and warned that she risked losing custody of her now 7-year-old daughter if she continues to violate court orders.

Bond Revoked for Former Regent Law Dean's Son

The brazenness of those who go about proclaiming their Christian faith while meanwhile swindling people never ceases to amaze me. A case in point, Troy Titus, son of the founding dean of Pat Robertson's Regent Law School, who surrendered his law license in 2005 to avoid disbarment. Past news coverage has indicated that Titus read the Bible or attended church with some of his victims in order to gain their confidence and ultimately their money. Facing 49 indictments he has now had bail revoked for defying the terms of his release on bond. I may be a "godless faggot" in the eyes of Christianists, but my rule is that when someone starts talking about religion in a business setting, you'd better cover your wallet and run. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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While sitting in jail, facing a federal investment fraud indictment, disbarred attorney Troy A. Titus reached out to several individuals, including one-time Olympic superstar Tim Montgomery, with proposed investment deals, prosecutors say. After getting out of jail on bond last fall, Titus went to work for an investment firm earning $7,000 to $10,000 a month, a job that a judge had forbidden him from working, according to court records in the case.

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After hearing this evidence on Tuesday, a federal magistrate judge revoked Titus' bond and ordered him jailed pending trial, which is scheduled for Oct. 6. Titus faces a 49-count indictment alleging a series of mail, bank and wire frauds involving real estate deals. Federal prosecutors say Titus defrauded around $2 million from a number of clients, including R&B star Teddy Riley and his one-time Blackstreet partner Chauncey Hannibal.

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Bradberry said that he had heard evidence of Titus' violations at a hearing two weeks ago concerning Titus' finances. After learning that Titus was earning $7,000 to $10,000 a month at an investment firm, the government had moved to force Titus to pay for his public defenders. However, that issue turned moot once Titus went to jail Tuesday. Bradberry, who had set the conditions for Titus' release on bond last fall, said he "did not want him involved in the business world in any way."

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Titus said nothing through Tuesday's hearing and was not called to testify. When it was over, federal marshals led him away in handcuffs.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Click image to enlarge

Iran Bans Election Protest Soccer Players

In a demonstration of just how petty and childishly vindictive the current Iranian Islamic government can be, the Telegraph is reporting that four members of Iran's World Cup players – Ali Karimi, 31 (pictured above), Mehdi Mahdavikia, 32, Hosein Ka'abi, 24 and Vahid Hashemian, 32 – have been "retired" from the sport after their gesture against the rigged election in last Wednesday's match against South Korea in Seoul. I sincerely hope that these men remain safe in to Iran, although personally, I might have thought twice about returning at least at the present time. Here are some highlights:

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Their gesture attracted worldwide comment and drew the attention of football fans to Iran's political turmoil. Now the country's authorities have taken revenge by imposing life bans on players who sported green wristbands in a recent World Cup match in protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election.

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According to the pro-government newspaper Iran, four players – Ali Karimi, 31, Mehdi Mahdavikia, 32, Hosein Ka'abi, 24 and Vahid Hashemian, 32 – have been "retired" from the sport after their gesture in last Wednesday's match against South Korea in Seoul.

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Most of the players obeyed instructions to remove the armwear at half-time, but Mahdavikia wore his green captain's armband for the entire match. The four are also said to have been banned from giving media interviews.

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The fate of the other two players who wore the wristbands is unknown. None of the team members were given back their passports upon returning to Tehran after the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw – a result that ended Iran's hopes of qualifying for next year's tournament.

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Iran's hardline media have since linked the protest to the arrest on Saturday of Mohsen Safayi Farahani, who headed the country's football governing body under the former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami. He is one of several dozen opposition politicians, intellectuals and journalists to have been detained.

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My thoughts and prayers will be with these brave men who dared to tell the world their views.

Obama and the DNC Disingenuousness

Following various blogs and e-mails, the grass roots LGBT fury at the Congressional Democrats and President Obama seems to be continuing to escalate and rightly so. Obama courted the LGBT vote in his campaign for the presidency but only now – after he took our money, our grassroots work and our votes – do we get the rest of the story to quote the late Paul Harvey. It seems that Obama wants to leave the delivery of equal rights for LGBT Americans - whether it be repealing DADT and DOMA or enacting ENDA and hate crimes legislation - solely up to Congress and he has no apparent intention of using his bully pulpit of the presidency to exert some leadership on the issue. Meanwhile, the mealy mouthed leadership of the House and Senate majorities – particularly Harry Reid - sit on their asses and whine that they are waiting for leadership from Obama. The result? Absolutely nothing of true substance is happening - other than Obama inviting “leaders” a/k/a sycophants from of LGBT community to White House for photo op functions that will then be cynically used to provide cover for Obama and the Congressional Democrats even as they are throwing LGBT citizens under the bus.
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By way of example of Obama’s cynical disregard for our lives and our rights as citizens, in response to a letter sent by 77 House Democrats Obama threw the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell (DADT”) back on Congress. Here are some highlights from the Advocate:
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Seventy-seven Congressional members led by Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida sent a letter to President Barack Obama Monday urging him to take immediate action to stop the investigations of "don't ask, don't tell" violations. The letter does not call for an executive order halting discharges but rather a change in how the policy is implemented within the Department of Defense.
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And what was the White House response? A statement that read as follows:
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"President Obama remains committed to a legislative repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which he believes will provide a durable and lasting solution to this issue. He welcomes the commitment of these members to seeing Congress take action," read the statement.
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It is enough to make one want to vomit. Fortunately, the boycott of the DNC fundraiser seems to be gathering steam – Hillary Rosen ids the latest to bail – and now SDLN is planning not only a demonstration outside the DNC fundraiser, but also a march on the White House on Saturday in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Here are some highlights from the SDLN’s press release:
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The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and its allies will commemorate the 40thanniversary of the Stonewall riots by leading a march of 265 veterans, service members and supporters to the White House 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, to urge President Obama to break his continued silence on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." The 265 marchers represent the number of service members discharged this week since the President and the new Congress were sworn in.
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“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ underscores that discrimination against gays and lesbians continues 40 years after the Stonewall riots, and reminds us that many challenges remain in the fight for full equality,” said Aubrey Sarvis, SLDN Executive Director. “Like those who stood up for freedom at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, we will stand up for the freedom to serve. We need to tell President Obama that 265 is enough.”
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SLDN has been urging the President to speak up and send a bill (the Military Readiness Enhancement Act) to the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader that overturns DADT and replaces it with a policy of nondiscrimination.
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As long as the President remains silent on DADT repeal, men and women in the military will continue to be fired at a clip of two per day on average. The sense of urgency is palpable.
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In this atmosphere what can regular LGBT citizens do to register their displeasure? Actually, there are a number of things. First, tell every solicitor for contributions for the DNC or Congressional Democrat groups that unless and until Congress and Obama take substantive action, not one penny will be donated. Second, contact your members of Congress and give them Hell. Third, send your hard earned monetary contributions to other worthy recipients. Here in Virginia, for example, consider supporting Creigh Deeds so that Bob “Taliban Bob” McDonnell does not win the governorship come November. Or send your money to Jody agner, the Democrat nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Fourth, donate funds to state LGBT equality organizations rather than HRC and other national groups that care more about access to power than seeing than anything substantive is done. Fifth, with the down economy, many HIV/AIDS charities are seriously hurting for money – send you hard earned dollars to them rather than the disingenuous DNC.
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The bottom line is that if the DNC, Congressional Democrats and Obama will not support us, turn off the LGBT ATM that they love so much. They need to get the message that we will not be played for suckers again.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Are Gay Rights Organizations Selling Us Out?

I have often felt that some of the leadership of national LGBT organizations - HRC in particular - set more store on attending exclusive dinners and seeking out opportunities to hob nob with senior politicians than forcefully working to advance full LGBT equality. After all, the day that full equality arrives, they will be out of a job. Now some blogs like Pam's House Blend and an Article in Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper, are suggesting that the repeal of DADT may be delayed due to a deal made by some of our "leaders" in the LGBT movement. Seeing far too many casualties of this sick policy in this area on a regular basis, this betrayal both sickens me and makes my blood boil. The arrogance of some of the national organizations is truly maddening. Here are highlights from Stars and Stripes:

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The House of Representatives has had a bill to overturn the law pending since March, but no hearings have been scheduled on the measure. Bill sponsor Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., collected 147 co-sponsors for the legislation but publicly said she wouldn’t push for passage without support from the president.

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An official with the House Democratic leadership said the House is committed to repealing “don’t ask” but has agreed with civil rights groups to put new hate crime legislation and a workplace nondiscrimination bill on the legislative calendar before taking up the military issue.

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The hot-potato game between the White House and Capitol Hill is fueling frustration among gay-rights advocates, who strongly supported both Obama and the Democratic slate of congressional candidates during last year’s election. Both the president and lawmakers promised during the campaign to overturn the “don’t ask” law.

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“I don’t begrudge people for seeking political cover,” said Nathaniel Frank, a researcher at the liberal Palm Center and author of a book about the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers. “But Congress is looking to Obama as the head of the Democratic Party. Obama is saying that Congress needs to act and the military needs to get ready. This is a passing of the buck.”

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But planned changes don’t contain any privacy or anonymity guarantees. Edmund Burns, spokesman for the Office of Personnel Management, said everyone applying for benefits is essentially “outing” themselves and their partners. That means a Defense Department employee with a same-sex partner in the military could run afoul of the “don’t ask” rules. Pentagon officials said they are not aware of any plans to adopt special guidelines shielding benefits information from “don’t ask” investigations.

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If you ask me, besides boycotting the DNC fundraisers, LGBT donors might want to shut off the money ATM to some of our "leaders" who leave our rights by the side of the road as they dash off to invites from the White House and other soirees.

Former Bishop's Clergy Credentials Revoked

In another example of ignorance and unrestrained homophobia - and a rejection of modern medical and mental health knowledge - David C. Bane Jr. (pictured at left), Southern Virginia's Episcopal bishop from 1998 to 2006, has joined the gay hating Anglican Church in North America organized under African Anglican bishops who take homophobia to new heights. Presiding Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori stripped Bane of his clerical authority in the Episcopal Church after he informed her of his affiliation with the Anglican Church. My personal thought as one who briefly joined the Episcopal Church is good riddance. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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Bane said Monday that he became part of the Anglican Church in North America when Episcopal clergy ostracized him following his retirement from the Diocese of Southern Virginia, which includes Hampton Roads. "I feel much more at home and at comfort," Bane, 66, said of his decision. "I wouldn't have done it if they'd let me express myself in the Episcopal Church."

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Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori stripped Bane of his clerical authority in the Episcopal Church after he informed her of his affiliation with the Anglican Church this spring. The Anglican Church formed after the Episcopal Church endorsed the ordination as bishop of a non-celibate gay New Hampshire priest, the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, in 2003. The group represents clergy and congregants who contend the Episcopal Church is straying from orthodox interpretation of the Bible and church traditions on extra marital sex.

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Bane said he was more conservative than many members of the Southern Virginia diocese. In 2003, he voted against Robinson's ordination; other clergy and parishioners representing the diocese voted unanimously for ordination.

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Bane said he is an assistant bishop, serving Bishop Robert Duncan, an Anglican in Pittsburgh. He hopes to help new Anglican Church congregations on the East Coast. He will continue to live in Elizabeth City, N.C., where he moved after leaving the Southern Virginia diocese.

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To me, it is very sad when one's faith is ultimately determined by one's dislike and dehumanizing of other human beings, but that sums up the Anglican Church in America denomination.

Swastikas Terrorize Florida PFLAG Activist

While the vandals have not yet been identified, it's likely that the swastikas painted on the garage of PFLAG activist Ruth Dorfman were the work of "Godly Christians" or white supremacists who took offense at Dorfman's recent newspaper columns that urged acceptance and inclusion of families and their LGBT children. It never ceases to amaze me how those who claim to be followers of Christ seem to demonstrate non-stop hate and intolerance rather than love of God and love of neighbor as preached by Christ. Here are some highlights from the Edge on Dorfman's experience:

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Following the publication of a newspaper article on faith, acceptance, and the need to strengthen families and social bonds by rejecting homophobia and persecution, a Jewish PFLAG chairperson found her garage vandalized--with swastikas.Ruth Dorfman, 64, is the Chair of the PFLAG Interfaith Convocation in Naples, Florida. In a May 8 op-ed for the Naples Daily News titled "Does God Hate?," Dorfman wrote, "As a person of faith, I am disappointed when some people try to use God and a handful of isolated words from the Bible as a weapon to separate gay and lesbian children from their faith and even from their families."

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Dorfman referenced a documentary titled, "For the Bible Tells Me So," which takes faith-based persecution of gays and lesbians as its theme. The documentary, noted Dorfman, "utilizes the experience of five normal religious American families to show their faith and beliefs, encourage and require their love for their homosexual children.

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[V]andals responded to the invitation by paying a visit to Dorfman’s home--and vandalizing her garage door.On June 16, Dorfman, who uses a wheelchair and oxygen, went out to collect her morning paper and found that two swastikas had been painted on her garage. Just to make sure Dorfman knew the reason why, the vandals also affixed clippings of her newspaper op-ed to the garage.

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Florida Commission on Human Relations member Mario Valle wrote the newspaper to observe, "I know firsthand that this incident is neither isolated nor unique. Around the nation, individuals are being terrorized because of their sex, religion, race, disabilities, beliefs and a myriad of other things."In our own state, there are over 56 documented hate groups, which ranks Florida third in the nation.

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Once again I am left feeling that religion is more a force for evil in the world than a force for good. WWJD?

More Monday Male Beauty

Shah's Son Calls Crisis a Mmoment of Truth'

I have written previously about the parallels between the Russian revolution of 1917 and the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and how an allegedly tyrannical monarch was over thrown only to be replaced by an utterly vile and brutal regime that made its predecessor look like the height of compassion and moderation. Interestingly, the Shah of Iran's son (pictured above) shared some of his thoughts with what is taking place in Iran - a country that his father did much to modernize and poise for engagement with the west in a positive sense. Of course, these efforts were hated by the mullahs and fundamentalist extremists who now rule the country. (I had an uncle who was an engineer working in Iran in 1979 - he had nothing good to say about the fundamentalists and literally had to walk across the border to safety in order to escape the revolution). Here are some highlights from CNN:
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The son of the former shah of Iran called Monday for solidarity against Iran's Islamic regime, warning that the democratic movement born out of the election crisis might not succeed without international support.

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"The moment of truth has arrived," Reza Shah Pahlavi said at Washington's National Press Club. "The people of Iran need to know who stands with them." Pahlavi has lived in exile since 1979, when his father, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution. Under the shah's regime, Iran saw nationalization of its oil and a strong movement toward modernization. Still, his secular programs and recognition of Israel cost him the support of the country's Shiite clergy, sparking clashes with the religious right and others who resented his pro-West views.

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Citing anecdotes from people inside the Iranian establishment, Pahlavi said he had heard that security forces have begun to distance themselves from the regime. "It has already started," he said, citing reports that members of the security forces have gone home after their shifts ended and changed into plain clothes to join the protesters. "Many, many elements within the security forces, within the Revolutionary Guard, are showing discontent," Pahlavi said. "There is an amazing reflection that is happening. ... This is a movement that has blown out of proportion."

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Pahlavi praised the statements and tone of President Obama, saying that any outside attempt to interfere in Iran's internal affairs "will give the tyrants the excuse they need to paper over their own differences and target every man struggling for freedom as a foreign agent." But he said there was a difference between interfering in a country's sovereign affairs and standing for principles of human rights and democracy.

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In my view, one of the USA's big policy mistakes was doing nothing and allowing the Shah's government to fall only to be replaced by a far worse regime.

White House Continues to Snub LGBT Americans

Earlier today the White House held a conference call with DNC's gay caucus in an apparently very lame effort at damage control. Interestingly, as John Aravosis reports at America Blog, one of the questions was:

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"What are we going to do about the blogs?"

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Truth be told, other than taking concrete action to deliver on campaign promises, there is nothing that can be done to shut down the LGBT bloggers who are holding Obama and the DNC's feet to the fire for real, substantive action as opposed to scattering a few crumbs that benefit only a small percentage of LGBT citizens and families. Like it or not, Obama cannot control the LGBT blogosphere and the spotlight that is being focused on Obama's disingenuous double speak on LGBT equality issues.

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Meanwhile, the DC fundraiser being put on by the DNC is spiraling downward as attendees bail and the Service Members Legal Defense Network ("SLDN") announces its plans for fielding a demonstration on the 25th outside the Mandirin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Here is the SLDN's statement:

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SLDN will be outside boycotting the National Democratic Committee (DNC) LGBT event in Washington this Thursday. We will be wearing and handing out buttons with number 256 We will be wearing and handing out buttons with the number 265, representing the number of service members who will have been discharged this week since President Obama was sworn in. We do not, nor would we want to, dictate how members of our board or our Military Advisory Council make their political views known. However, I understand that two board members are attending the DNC event. I also understand they will be making their own spirited and creative statements once inside the room.

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Adding to the circus nature of the event, reporters and photographers from the Washington Blade will be inside the DNC event documenting who is attending and arguably throwing the rest of the LGBT community under the bus.

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As a post this afternoon by a guest blogger on Bilerico-DC noted, a growing effort is being made to divert LGBT dollars from the DNC to make it clear that LGBT votes and money cannot be taken for granted. Here are a few highlights:

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I created a Facebook page entitled "DNC Boycott" - and it states "until 'our' leadership decides to lead on the issues important to US - on health care, education, a cleaner environment, job creation, getting us out and keeping us out of wars, equality for all to include marriage for all - then we will not give our time, nor our money."

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Be mindful of where you spend your money. Is it going to fund a politician or an organization that is not speaking for you, or going to those who have less than a minute with the Prez while being served a cocktail? Even if they keep saying that more time is needed...needed for what??? As we have learned, there is never a good or convenient time for civil rights to be asserted and obtained.

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Think about the options. For those who say that the Dems are at least better than the Repubs...are they really?? Who has and continues to receive money from the very same organizations that they now want to regulate - the banks, the healthcare companies, etc. As a friend recently reminded me, there are other parties - like the Green Party who has a great LGBTQ platform that a friend drafted. Competition is and always will be a good thing. Or, declare yourself an independent - and make them come looking for you and how you are thinking about voting.

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In an upcoming post on this blog and on Bilerico-DC I will be suggesting some alternate places to donate money until such time as the Congressional Democrats and President Obama deem us worthy of real efforts to make us full and equal citizens.

Lesbian & Gay Foundation Best 100

One of the things that I have enjoyed about blogging is that I have had the privilege of "meeting" readers from all over the world, often receiving e-mails from as far away as Australia or South Africa. The strange part is that one never knows who is reading your writings or what the perception of it might be. Thus I was amazed to get an e-mail from Andres at Blabbeando telling me to check out this article on The Lesbian & Gay Foundation based in the UK. Here are some highlights:

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LGF online have scoured the internet to bring you the most informative, entertaining and inspiring blogs from around the world.

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The blogs we've chosen cover diverse issues from all sides of the LGBT equation. There's blogs from gay parents, gay conservatives, gay activists, young people coming out, older people coming out, and gay asylum seekers to name but a few.

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These blogs take in opinion and experience from all over the world, we visit Iraq, America, the UK...and many other places via these blogs. We see how gay rights are fought from capital cities to rural watering holes.

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. . . . in the main, the blogs in this list have a call to arms, they want to inform you about your LGBT rights, and they want you to use them. So here they are, the 100 best LGBT blogs in our words and their own, in no particular order.

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The list that follows contains many blogs I read daily. To my utter shock and amazement, as I scrolled down the list I found the following:

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michael-in-norfolk.blogspot.com - Thoughts on Coming Out in Mid-Life, Life, Love, Religion, Politics, Current Events.

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I'm not sure who made the selections, but I am honored and flattered. All I can say is THANK YOU!!!! I will try to live up to the honor of the designation.

Monday Male Beauty

Brooklyn Pastor Busted for Underage Sex

Each week on Monday Joe By God has a "This week in Holy Crimes" that looks at the sexual and financial misdeeds of self-anointed "men of God" that does wonders to expose the hypocrisy of "Christians," the majority of which come from anti-gay denominations. It's not a pretty picture, but is one that needs far more showcasing to cripple the power of these modern day Pharisees who demonize LGBT citizens while being nothing less than foul criminals themselves. This weeks "winner" is a pastor from Brooklyn, New York (pictured at left) as reported by the Daily News. Here are some shocking highlights:

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A Brooklyn pastor was busted in his native Jamaica for having sex with a 15-year-old girl while a 14-year-old watched, authorities said yesterday. The Rev. Paul Lewis, founder of the Messengers for Christ Ministries World Healing Center, was held without bail on charges of carnal abuse and indecent assault, Jamaican police said.

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The Bedford-Stuyvesant evangelist was arrested Wednesday after witnesses saw him hanging out with the girls and then taking them to a hotel, police said. Lewis, 45, who was on the island for a crusade at a local church, is accused of offering the girls between $30 and $60 for the romp.

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Lewis' Web site claims he can perform healing miracles. "Only once in a lifetime does someone come along with such a gifting yet humble and caring spirit," his bio boasts. Lewis' lawyer could not be reached for comment.

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More on Paul Lewis bombastic self-promotion can be found here.

The Big Lie: Marriage and "Tradition"

The Kansas City Star has an lengthy op-ed piece in the form of an open letter to Obama that does an amazing job of exposing the lies fabricated by anti-gay Christianists concerning "traditional" marriage which in point of fact is a relatively recent development in the time line of history. Few are more dishonest and prone to re-write history to support their agenda than the anti-gay forces who rely on the ignorance of the masses when it comes to knowing history. The column is lengthy but should be read in full because it fully exposes President Obama's spinelessness and also the disingenuousness of our foes. The fact that the "family values" organizations lie incessantly in and of itself evidences that they are the ones who are the false Christians. Here are selected highlights:

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Dear Barack (I can still call you “Barack,” right?) If you have any plans for the rights of gay and lesbian Americans that don’t involve high speed and a very large bus, it’s time to say what those are. Because in the battle for the equal rights of gays, lesbians and their families you’ve been MIA. Especially on two recent and very visible fronts: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and securing same-sex marriage.
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Not only does DOMA clearly discriminate against same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples, but your Justice Department is helping it move forward on a lie: that two-partner, heterosexual marriage is the “traditional and universally recognized form of marriage.”
That lie is based on a bigger lie that one often hears touted by religious opponents of same-sex marriage: that marriage itself has been an unchanging and unchangeable institution for two thousand years.

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Leaving aside the history of legalized same-sex marriage in pre-modern Europe and Asia (You may be interested to see the works of university professors John Boswell, Gary Leupp and William Eskridge) and the failure of current nations which have recently legalized same-sex marriage to fall to ruin and make their dying flops onto that “dustbin of history” Pat Robertson warns about, over historical time and geographical space “traditional” marriage has looked many different ways.

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Depending on the time, society, economy and “tradition” under question, traditional marriage has taken polygamous (one man, multiple wives) and even polyandrous (one woman, multiple husbands) forms as well as the opposite-sex couple formation currently fetishized. Even this is a laughably broad and simplistic characterization of the history of human marriage.

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Not only has marriage changed greatly over the course of thousands of years, but it’s changed substantially in our own nation’s short history. Most often as a result of the demands of democracy itself. American democracy has demanded the inclusion of formerly excluded groups and forged change in the rights of individuals within marriage as the rights of less empowered partners (women) had to be increasingly considered under the law.

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One hundred forty years ago enslaved blacks had neither rights of legal marriage nor rights in the ownership of their children. Marriage rights for enslaved blacks would have undermined the property ownership rights of white slaveholders who supplied plenty of biblical and legal support for slavery. Consequently, marriage, as recognized under the state, wasn’t between “one man and one woman.” It was between “one white man and one white woman.”

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One hundred twenty years ago, white women were still legally “covered” in their marriages. Under “laws of coverture” women didn’t have the right of ownership of property or children. Nor did they have the right to enter contracts (though this varied somewhat by state with progressive states offering more rights and conservative states restricting them.) A woman’s property given by her father became her husband’s to control. Nor did most women have the right of divorce despite physical or sexual abuse, or economic mismanagement or deprivation.

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And, a little over fifty years ago, interracial marriage was against the law in over half the states of the union. Moreover, it was denied federal recognition until the Supreme Court decided Loving vs. Virginia in 1967. In the year that you were born, Mr. Obama your own parents would have been denied the right to marry in over 19 states.

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If you can understand that being gay is a natural, healthy state of being which can’t be changed through “reparative therapies” (as does the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) how can you not fight fully and forcefully to affect equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans?

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Now, in the clarity of hindsight, we can see that the deep and sincere religious conviction of southern segregationists was as wrong as those of Christian men (and women) fearful of giving women the vote and equality in marriage, and as misguided as those of religious whites who believed allowing interracial couples to marry violated God’s law.

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Finally if you are a believer in our Constitutional creed that “All men are created equal” and have the historical understanding that group after group in our great nation (African Americans, white women, Native Americans, Asians, Mexican-Americans, the disabled) have had to fight against the “tyranny of the majority” to become part of that “All men,” why won’t you put the full force of your power behind ensuring the entrance of this group of Americans?