More Saturday Male Beauty

Alan Chambers Admits Sexual Orientation Cannot Be Changed

Alan Chambers is President of Exodus International and a leading "ex-gay" for pay. In a new book, he more or less admits that the claim that one's sexual orientation can be changed is a lie. Chambers has an interview up on Daddy Dobson's CitizenLink wherein he states that " there is a way out for those who want it. But it doesn’t say that they’re going into heterosexuality, because that’s not the point. The point is that people can leave whatever it is that God calls less . . . " Frankly, I am rather amazed that the interview was published by an FOF affiliate since Focus on the Family's bogus "Love Won Out" program continually claims that sexual orientation is changeable. Here are some more highlights from the interview:

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1. The title of the book is telling. It’s called Leaving Homosexuality, not Entering Heterosexuality. Why is that? What’s the difference?

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The key thought here is the opposite of homosexuality isn’t heterosexuality. It’s holiness. There are people who are conflicted with their sexuality, involved with homosexuality, and there is a way out for those who want it. But it doesn’t say that they’re going into heterosexuality, because that’s not the point. The point is that people can leave whatever it is that God calls less than His best and move into something that is His best, becoming more like He is.

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2. Now, I’ve heard it, and you’ve heard it: Gay activists are going to read that and say, again, “Alan Chambers is living a lie. He’s suppressing who he really is.” You make a great point in the book that is very applicable to anyone who struggles with any temptation -- and that is, self-denial isn’t a bad thing. How do you respond to those who say you’re just living a lie?

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For so long I’ve heard gay activists say to me, “You’re just in denial. You’re not grasping the reality of the situation. You’re just denying who you really are.” The truth is, I am in denial, but it is self-denial. I’m not in denial of who I used to be. I’m not in denial of the temptations that I could still experience. I am denying the power that sin has over me.

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5. There are some remarkably honest passages in this book -- from the details of your childhood to the details of your sexual addictions to the details of your wedding night and your honeymoon. This book is not going to go under the radar when it comes to the attention of gay activists. A lot of them read CitizenLink. They’re going to see this story. What would you say to them as they learn about some of the details of your story they may not have known before?

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This is me being honest. I have nothing to hide. There is absolutely no reason for me to be anything other than candid about the truth of my life, because I think it really speaks to the bigger issue. And that is, who do I trust? Who is my hope in? Who is my security found in? Who do I look to for every answer? And that is Jesus Christ.

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Actually, I think Chambers has a lot to hide: all of the lives of gays that he and his fellow "ex-gays" for pay have harmed and those who have been driven to suicide due their inability to "change." Jeremy at Good As You has a good summation of Chambers and those like him who continue to cling to flawed interpretations of a few Bible passages as a reason to lead miserable lives and encourage others to join them in their misery:

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We really have nothing to add. In fact, it seems that we basically have the same assessment of Alan as he has of himself. He's "self-denying" what is naturally within him, making a choice to live as who he thinks he should be rather than what he naturally was/is/could be. And he's doing so because he, unlike medical science, refuses to see homosexuality as an orientation that is fittingly compared to heterosexuality, instead choosing to position it as an aberration from the one and only accepted norm. but we get it and fully support his right to live, what seems like (but may not be), a conflicted life.

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Our issue is now and forever has been Alan and his community's role in passing off this information as factual information rather than personal belief/choice. Let's not forget that this is the same Gary Schneeberger who, just this month, tried to spin what was essentially an internal NARTH press release as a credible, peer-reviewed journal purporting to find benefit in "ex-gay" therapy. And let's not forget that this is the same Alan Chambers whose sole paycheck (as far as we can tell) is derived from using his own personal choice to convince countless many parents and impressionable (often hurting) teens that this, their own constrictive version of the gospel, is, well -- the gospel.

Why Defeating Paul Cameron Originated Lies Matters

Even before I inadvertently become an activist of sorts back in 2003 when I collaborated with a client and Wayne Besen to expose high profile "ex-gay" Michael Johnston as a fraud, I followed a number of Christianist and "ex-gay" organizations' websites so as to "know what the enemy was up to." It soon became evident that many of the falsehoods and lies disseminated literally daily by these groups trace their roots back to Paul Cameron's bogus "research." Cameron (pictured at left) has a lengthy history of deliberately falsifying research, and misusing peer reviewed articles and misquoting legitimate research.

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Even though Cameron has been thoroughly exposed as a fraud and liar by legitimate medical and mental health associations, people like Tony Perkins, Robert Knight, James Dobson and many other Christianists continue to knowingly repeat the same old lies but without citing Cameron as the source of the "research." Some are even more dishonest. Peter LaBarbera claimed in an e-mail to me back in August, 2003, that he had no knowledge of (i)Cameron being thrown out of the APA and other legitimate state and national organizations nearly 25 years ago, (ii) Cameron having stated in at least one newspaper interview what he was going to report and how he would use it against gays BEFORE he did his supposed research, or (iii) Cameron's use of convicted sex offenders as his study sample, which he then reporting as a scientific sampling of the general gay population.

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Among the false information that Cameron has put out over the years is the following (a full expose on Cameron can be found here. I have corroborated the facts myself previously):

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**Out of all the mass-murders in the US over the past seventeen years, homosexuals killed at least 68% of the victims.
**Homosexuals perpetrate between a third and a half of all recorded child molestations.
**37% of homosexuals engage in sado-masochism.
**29% of homosexuals urinate on their partners.
**17% ingest human feces.
**The average life span of a homosexual is 39 years; fewer than 2% survive to the age of 65.
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Cameron has also argued that the extermination of homosexuals should also be considered a "viable option." At the 1985 Conservative Political Action Conference, Cameron announced to the attendees, "Unless we get medically lucky, in three or four years, one of the options discussed will be the extermination of homosexuals. "According to an interview with former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop, Cameron was recommending the extermination option as early as 1983.

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The fact that the Christian Right and some Catholic groups will knowingly cite such vile and untrue information speaks volumes about them. It proves that they are false Christians and that they must be continually challenged and exposed. Unfortunately, the main stream media doesn't have the courage or balls to do it. Therefore, it is important that LGBT Americans do their homework and be able to refute the lies. Recently, America Blog, Pam's House Blend and Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters have reiterated this fact. Cameron and those who use him as a credible "expert" are liars plain and simple.

Saturday Male Beauty

Pastor Tony Alamo Convicted on Sex Charges

Why is it that it seems the main people one sees either cheating on their wives or getting busted on sex charges are Republican "family values" politicians and professional Christians who make comfortable livings fleecing the sheeple? The latest Professional Christian to receive a "go to jail" card is Tony Alamo who it seems has a taste for under age girls - in one case as young as nine. That's beyond sick. True, I know that infidelity goes on among liberals and secular folk, but they don't engage in the rank hypocrisy of the closed zipper challenge GOP politicos and professional Christians. As one who cannot stand hypocrisy, it's good to see hypocrites like Alamo go down. Personally, the sooner more Christianist frauds like Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Lou Engle, et al, are exposed the better off society will be. Here are highlights on Alamo's conviction from The Times-Picayune:

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Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher who built a multimillion-dollar ministry and became an outfitter of the stars, was convicted Friday of taking girls as young as 9 across state lines for sex.

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Alamo stood silently as the verdict was read, a contrast to his occasional mutterings during testimony. His five victims sat looking forward in the gallery. One, a woman he "married" at age 8, wiped away a tear. "I'm just another one of the prophets that went to jail for the Gospel," Alamo called to reporters afterward as he was escorted.

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The jury of nine men and three women took about 11 hours to consider the charges against Alamo. The 10-count federal indictment accused him of taking his underage "wives" across state lines as early as 1994.

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Jury foreman Frank Oller of Texarkana, Ark., said jurors deliberated more than a day only to ensure they considered everything. The testimony convinced them the 74-year-old evangelist kept the girls as sexual partners, not office workers as his defense team claimed. "That was the evidence. That was proven," Oller said. "We came up with a full decision that we are quite satisfied with."

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U.S. Assistant Attorney Kyra Jenner said Alamo's conviction would end his cycle of abuse, as he told his followers God instructed him to marry younger and younger girls. . . . Defense lawyers said the government targeted Alamo because it doesn't like his apocalyptic brand of Christianity.

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Alamo, who founded the ministry with his wife Susan in the 1960s, remained defiant during the trial. He blurted out a reference to the Branch Davidian raid at Waco, Texas, muttered expletives during testimony and fell asleep even while alleged victims were testifying.

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It continues to baffle me how people can be brainwashed into believing that the mouth pieces for the Christianists organizations speak for God when in reality they what they really thirst for power, control and most importantly money.

Former Gov. Wilder In No Hurry to Endorse Deeds

There are several stories that ought to be raising concerns among Democrats in terms of the outcome of the race for Virginia Governor this fall. While Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell continues to falsely market himself, Creigh Deeds is largely invisible. Worse yet, he seems to being doing no outreach whatsoever to black or LGBT Virginians without whom he will not be elected governor. Should that happen, Virginia will have policy made via McDonnell by Pat Robertson, James Dobson and the Family Foundation all of whom are de facto racists, anti-gay and any Hispanic under the guise of immigration issues. In terms of gays, I don't believe that this election cycle Deeds has even conceded that we exist. Politico has a story that was reprinted in the Virginian Pilot that looks at Doug Wilder's reticence in endorsing Deeds and the Daily Press also has a story today on Deeds' weakness with key constituencies. First some highlights from Politico:

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The Obama administration dispatched a senior aide to Richmond Wednesday to urge former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder to get behind state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.
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But Wilder, in disclosing the meeting in an interview with POLITICO, made it clear that he remained far from endorsing Deeds and was in no hurry to weigh in on the closely watched race — all the while outlining with his typical brutal candor what he thought some of the party’s challenges were and what was at stake. On what the former governor called “bread-and-butter issues,” he said of Deeds: “Tell me what the man has done? I haven’t heard it.” Asked if he thought Deeds may have a problem this fall with African-American voters, Wilder said flatly: “I do.”

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He said black voters have no reason at the moment to vote for the nominee and referred to the decision this week of BET co-founder and Democratic donor Sheila Johnson to support GOP nominee Bob McDonnell. “Many people feel taken for granted and I think that was built into the decision Mrs. Johnson made,” Wilder said.

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And Wilder took a similar swipe at the state Democratic Party, saying he had not heard from its high command. “I’m right here in Richmond,” he said with a chuckle. “I thought the party headquarters was in Richmond.” But Wilder also said that Obama officials had aggressively sought his endorsement for Deeds. They argued that keeping the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands was important for the president’s political standing.

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In last month's three-way primary, Deeds fared poorest in the Richmond-to-Tidewater region where Wilder still commands the most influence. Democrats are concerned that the state senator, who hails from an overwhelmingly white Allegheny Mountain town, may not have the same appeal to black voters as their past two governors, Alexandria's Mark Warner and Richmond's Tim Kaine.

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While he won the Democrat primary, I have personally viewed Deeds as the weakest candidate against McDonnell - Deeds is from the most backward part of the state and it is politicians from those areas of rural Virginia that have largely kept Virginia in the 19th century on social issues and the lack of transportation funding. The Daily Press likewise looks at Deeds' potential uphill battle. Here are some highlights:

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"No question, there's a lot of softness in support among some core constituencies and he's got a lot of work to do," said Democratic blogger Ben Tribbett. Perhaps Obama's first visit for Deeds on Aug. 6, a rally and fundraiser in the Virginia suburbs a short drive from the White House, will change some of that.

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But each day, White House allies such as the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America barrage millions of volunteers and activists with e-mails, tweets, and postings on social networking sites. They exhort them to reprise last year's door-knocking, phone banking and neighborhood canvassing to pressure Congress to enact Obama's priorities, particularly health care and climate change legislation. Virginia's election? Check back later.

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But how much courtship is needed for liberal activists to fall for a moderate, sometimes even conservative, country lawyer. The candidate is a state senator from Bath County, far from the cities and suburbs where Democrats thrive.

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Deeds has supported gun rights legislation, notably opposing a state law limiting people to one handgun purchase per month. He supported Virginia's constitutional ban on gay marriage. He has not rejected a coal-fired power plant proposed for Surry County and he backs clean coal research, calling that energy source too important to be dismissed. That helps explain the midsummer chill between Deeds and some liberal groups.

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Virginia Beach environmentalist Eileen Levandoski, who runs blog VBDemocrats.org, said young, Internet-savvy Democratic volunteers are multitaskers who can push simultaneously for Deeds and the president's agenda. They just haven't. Levandoski likes Deeds for his unpretentious manner and sides with him on many issues. But she echoes those Democrats who complain he hasn't spoken forcefully enough on issues dear to their hearts.

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"We want him to win, but we want him to win engaged on what is front-and-center on our minds," Levandoski said. Black voters are another major Democratic constituency where Deeds has work ahead.

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In some ways by nominating Deeds the Democrats have set the stage where the election will be perceived more as a contest between two Republicans rather than candidates from different parties. Admittedly, I did not support Deeds in the primary for the very simple reason that I had concerns whether he can motivate liberal voters and voters in Northern Virginia and Tidewater who may see him as just a watered down version of Bob McDonnell. If Deeds cannot carry Tidewater, he cannot win in November.

Losing One's Father

I received a call late yesterday from my ex-partner (pictured at left with a cat we used to have) letting me know that his father had died. Since I lost my father nearly three years ago now, I know how losing a parent hurts one to the core. Those who have not lost a parent - or a sibling as I did in 2001 - cannot understand the feeling not matter how they might try to empathize. My sincerest condolences go out to my ex-partner and his entire family.

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My former partner's dad was a character as well as a talented musician. Years ago he wrote some country western songs that went on to be quite famous. Unfortunately, as a young writer he had sold them cheap without reserving any rights and as a result he never realized the fame he might otherwise have achieved. I still recall one family reunion I attended where my former partner's dad, some of his sisters and some other family members pulled out their guitars and sang a number of songs - they truly sounded almost professional.

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Max, may you rest in peace.

Sailor Charged in Murder of Seaman August Provost

I have posted previously about the violent murder of Seaman August Provost (pictured at left) at Camp Pendleton, California and the rumors and speculation that his death might have involved a hate crime. Finally, an arrest has been made although the Navy is claiming that there was no evidence that the killing was a hate crime - not that the Navy would be likely to admit it even if a hate crime had occurred. As time goes by perhaps we will learn more as to the real circumstances. Here are some highlights on the arrest from the San Diego Union-Tribune:

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SAN DIEGO – A sailor has been charged with fatally shooting and burning a gay serviceman last month at Camp Pendleton, but Navy officials said Thursday it was part of a crime spree not related to the victim's sexual orientation. Prosecutors accuse Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Campos of killing Seaman August Provost during an arson attack against the compound of Assault Craft Unit 5 on June 30, said Capt. Matt Brown, a spokesman for Navy Region Southwest. Brown again stressed that there's no evidence of a hate crime or gang-related activity.

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Campos, 32, of Lancaster, faces 16 charges, including murder, arson, unlawful entry, theft of military property and wrongful possession of a firearm. He also is charged with soliciting a civilian in San Diego to murder another sailor the day after Provost's killing. Brown said Campos and Provost served in the 500-member assault craft unit, whose members are trained to pilot jet-powered hovercraft onto beaches for amphibious operations. They likely had met before, he said, but there's no evidence to suggest they knew each other well.

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Sometime before 3:30 a.m., Navy officials allege, Campos approached the guard shack, shot Provost several times and stole his 9mm Beretta service pistol. Campos then allegedly set fire to the shack – with Provost's body still inside – using gasoline and a lighter. “He apparently did it to destroy evidence,” Brown said.

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Campos also is accused of planning to set fire to one of the unit's landing craft, but he never made it into the compound. Brown didn't specify why Campos became a suspect, but he did say that Campos failed to show up for work before being arrested July 1. The defendant is being held at the Miramar Naval Consolidated Brig.

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Provost's death has prompted concerns from gay-rights leaders and some of his family and friends who believe he might have been killed because of his sexual orientation. Gay activists held a candlelight vigil July 10 near Camp Pendleton's main gate. On Thursday, Provost's aunt said she's still not sure what to think about the killer's motive. “We just want justice to be done, and we hope to one day understand why the killer would target someone as good and responsible as my nephew,” said Rose Roy of Beaumont, Texas.

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The whole matter seems very strange and like Provost's aunt, I'm not sure what to think of the information released so far.

Friday Male Beauty

Pat Robertson Prays for the End of Pro-LGBT Churches

Local embarrassment and always reliable gay-hater Pat Robertson has had another case of diarrhea of the mouth and shown himself to be the hate filled ass that he truly is through yet another mean spirited and nasty attack on churches that don't treat gays like human garbage. His target is the Episcopal Church because of its recent policy changes that will make the church even more gay affirming. Amazing who following the gospel message of loving others sets a modern day Pharisee like Robertson into foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. In my opinion, if there is a God, he/she/it has a special place in Hell for people like Robertson. Here are some highlights via Change.org:

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Last week the U.S. Episcopal Church voted to end its moratorium on ordaining gay and lesbian bishops, affirming the dignity and self-worth of millions of gay and lesbian religious folk around the country. Pat Robertson, of course, couldn't let this moment slide by without offering a bit of tactless whining. For Robertson, the fact that the Episcopal Church moved closer toward fully embracing LGBT people into their ranks means that he's now praying for the Church's demise. Here's what Robertson himself said on an episode of the 700 Club this week:

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They have lost their way. They were taken over by this controversy having to do with same-sex marriage and the ordination of homosexual bishops. Once they got into that morass and lost their way from scriptural teaching, they didn't have much denomination left... And there will be no tears in my life if the Episcopal Church of America just quietly goes out of business

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Robertson's popularity has tanked in recent years, and really, one has to ask if it's any wonder. This type of mean, vile commentary doesn't send a message of hope, and certainly doesn't do Robertson any favors in selling his religion. Who wants to be a member of a church that spends so much of it's time preaching hate, and builds its foundation on praying for the demise of other religions?

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Personally, I suspect that history will view the Episcopal Church's pro-gay stance far more favorably than hate merchants like Pat Robertson who some day will likely be viewed in the same light as grand wizards of the Klu Klux Klan. The man is a truly nasty piece of work.

Values Voters Summit 2009 - The Face of Hate

The annual coven of gay haters and untethered from reality wingnuts entitled "Values Voter Summit" is scheduled for September 18-20 in Washington, D.C. Among the attendees are a rogue's gallery of politicians who get elected and stay in office buy pandering to racists, homophobes, anti-immigrant bigots and religious fanatics who would abolish freedom of religion for other citizens. Likewise there are many of Faux New's "reporters" and commentators. Naturally, there will also be a who's who of professional Christians who make their livelihood marketing and disseminating hatred. Some of these folks are pictured above, with more shown below. Readers in the USA should take a good look because these are the faces of our sworn enemies. For those in the media, we need to boycott their advertisers and make sure they know why we avoid their products and services.

Thursday Male Beauty

Yet Another Adulterous "Family Values" Republican

It seems not a week goes by that some Republican elected official who proclaims that "family values" and marriage must be "protected" turns out to be "dipping his pen" in some inappropriate ink well so to speak. This time the offender is Tennessee State Sen. Paul Stanley (pictured at left) who has been having an adulterous affair with a woman who is not his wife. Meanwhile, Mr. Stanley has hypocritically been introducing legislation that would ban unmarried couples - apparently gay or straight - from adopting children and campaigning on a family values platform. As seems to be the increasingly norm for GOP homophobes, Stanley was not practicing what he was preaching. Here are some highlights from the Nashville Post:

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So it looks as though, once again, Mary Mancini’s law of politics has been proved correct. Those who moralize most strenuously about their moral code are the ones most often found violating it. State Sen. Paul Stanley was the sponsor of one of the more ambitious pieces of socially conservative legislation this session. Senate Bill 78’s stated aim was to keep cohabiting, unmarried couples from adopting children. Of course, the true aim was to write into law a ban on homosexual adoption.

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Sen. Paul Stanley was the face of the fight against gay adoption. His reasons for being against gay adoption were cliche. The nuclear two parent family was the ideal. “Our responsibility is to put these children in the best homes in the ideal environment. It’s not always the perfect environment. The ideal environment is a married couple that are able to bring them up in a great home life. And, if they’re not married, a lot of times there’s just not the commitment to one another.

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Now, instead of using cliches in his arguments, now he is one. Today, we learned that Stanley was the victim of an extortion attempt by the boyfriend of a women, a legislative intern, who is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with the Senator. The relationship has not been proven, of course, and the Senator has not confessed — but he hasn’t denied a relationship either.

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Instead of proclaiming his innocence and his martial fidelity on camera to get in front of the story, he hid behind a written statement. While the words in his statement say innocent, his actions say guilty. If Stanley did transgress in any way with this woman, if he put himself in the position to be blackmailed, he should not be sending out statements calling himself a victim. He should not be simply resigning his committee chairmanship. He should be resigning from his seat in the state Senate.

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The GOP has definitely become the party of hypocrites, religious fanatics and Neanderthals.

The Boyfriend - The Wonders of a Committed Relationship

Yesterday was the boyfriend's birthday and today is our anniversary of our first date after knowing each other socially for about five years. Since we have been a couple he has brought me so much happiness and given me so much love. I hope I have given him the same sense of wonder and well being in return. After a long marriage and prior same sex relationships, I feel that I have finally found "the one" who loves me for me and who I am - he asks for nothing in return except my love and faitfulness. He is truly a kind, loving and sweet man and he means more to me than he will ever know. Our relationship should be celebrated and supported by society.

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The irony, of course, is that the "family values" crowd and professional Christian set say that relationships like ours do not exist and/or that if we are allowed to marry - which we will likely do at some point even though it will not be recognized in antediluvian Virginia - somehow heterosexual marriages will be destroyed. Meanwhile, having lived in a straight marriage in a supposedly model neighborhood I know full well that we have a far better and more loving relationship that the majority of straight couples had in that picture perfect neighborhood where all kinds of dysfunctionalities went on behind the facades of the beautifully tended houses.

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I am so lucky to have the boyfriend in my life and I than God for bringing us together. He is a sweetheart and I want to thank him for loving me and being my safe harbor.

Wedesday Male Beauty

Homophobia is Killing Our Kids

The Fort Wayne Frost Illustrated, a weekly paper aimed at the black community, is carrying a timely opinion piece that looks at homophobia in the black community and the dire consequences it has on black LGBT youth. The problem, of course, is not unique to the Fort Wayne area. In the Hampton Roads area, some of the most vocally homophobic churches are black churches which are frequently cynically manipulated by the former segregationists within lily white "family values" organizations to attack any effort for gay-supportive legislation. Even though these family values groups in the final analysis are not only anti-gay but also anti-black and anti-immigrant as well. Meanwhile, there is a HIV/AIDS epidemic in the local black community which these same black churches often pretend does not exist. Here are some highlights from the opinion piece entitled "Homophobia is Killing Our Kids":

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Last week I watched in horror as ministers, church officials, and parishioners of a black Connecticut church, Manifested Glory Ministries, invoked the name of Jesus to release the "gay demons" supposedly possessing the soul of a 16-year-old boy. What I was watching was not a horror movie but a YouTube video clip that had been sent to me by a friend. The clip opens with the young man lying on the floor as a woman stands over him shouting, "Get on up out of here you homosexual demon! I command you by the blood of Jesus! You are a spirit that is not of God!"

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While those outside of fundamentalist religious traditions are shocked when they see or hear about such things, scenes like this are not uncommon to those of us who were raised inside of that tradition. We grew up seeing well meaning men and women of God performing rituals like this on people who church officials and parishioners believed were possessed by demons and evil spirits. So I am not surprised to know that this practice still goes on. I am, however, deeply saddened and outraged to know that the bigotry and ignorance that acts like this expose still hold such powerful sway over those who should know better. Perhaps most frightening is that these are good people who thought they were doing the right thing and were utterly sincere in their belief that this bizarre ceremony could actually turn a young gay man into a straight one.

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The incident at Manifested Glory Ministries is only one of hundreds of similarly destructive incidents that happen every single day in churches, homes, and schools all across the country. GLBT youth are in crisis; not because they are homosexual but because far too many people foster a mindset of homophobia and fear. Even the perception of being gay is enough to cause young people to be terrorized and harassed. . . . In February of this year, three middle school students in Illinois all killed themselves in response to prolonged anti-gay harassment and bullying. Just this past April, only days before his 12th birthday, a young black boy, Carl Joseph Walker- Hoover, hanged himself because he could no longer endure the taunts, bullying, and anti-gay slurs hurled at him on a daily basis by his peers. And just 10 days after Walker- Hoover's death, another young boy of color, Jaheem Herrera, also hanged himself because of an unrelenting barrage of threats, bullying, and anti-gay slurs.

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We in the black community have a long tradition of treating others with generosity, kindness, love, and compassion. Surely we can find better ways to deal with issues of sexuality than attempting to "exorcise" someone of his or her identity. Homophobia is killing our youth, and the high level of religious conservatism, ignorance, and misunderstanding surrounding gender and sexual identity issues in communities of color puts our youth at even greater risk for death. In many cases, the deaths of GLBT teens have been literal, but more often than not GLBT youth suffer an emotional, psychological, and spiritual death.

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As an African-American I cannot help but wonder: how many more young black men and women have to be called out of their names, bullied, harassed, and exorcised of their "gay demons" before we open our eyes and see the damage we are doing? Can we learn to love and accept them just as they are and teach them how to love and accept themselves in return? I say yes, we can.

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The author of this timely and very relevant piece is E.N Jackson, a freelance writer and Fort Wayne resident. I commend her for speaking out as she has. Comments can be sent to her at treeofwysdm@gmail.com. Visit her blog at thebeehive09.blogspot.com.

Investigator Rules Against Palin in Ethics Probe

Just days before she is to leave office as Governor of Alaska, Bible Spice Palin has been found to have violated ethics laws by trading on her position as she sought money for lawyer fees. Like many members of the far right and Christianist set, laws and rules are for others while they deem themselves exempt from any restrictions - including the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness. Personally, I'm not the least surprised with the development - after all Bible Spice billed the state of Alaska for per diem reimbursement when she stayed in her own home rather than the Governor's mansion in Juneau. Yet she remains a superstar to the GOP base which seems increasingly untethered from objective reality. Here are some highlights via the Associated Press on Palin's latest misadventure and case of money grubbing:

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A report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press says Palin is securing unwarranted benefits and receiving improper gifts through the Alaska Fund Trust, set up by supporters. An investigator for the state personnel board says in the July 14 report that there is probable cause to believe Palin used or attempted to use her official position for personal gain because she authorized the creation of the Alaska Fund Trust as the "official" legal defense fund.

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The practical effect of the ruling on Palin will be more financial than anything else, although the fate of the tens of thousands of dollars in the fund is unclear, said Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein. The report recommends that the complaint be resolved without a formal hearing before the board. That allows her to resolve the issue without a formal ethics reprimand.

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The investigator, Thomas Daniel, suggested that Alaska lawmakers may need to create a law that reimburses public officials for legal expenses to defend complaints that end up being unfounded. Palin's friends and supporters created the Alaska Fund Trust in April, limiting donations to $150 per person. Organizers declined to say how much it has raised, and had hoped to raise about $500,000. A Web-a-thon last month brought in about $130,000 in pledges.

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At least 19 ethics complaints have been filed against Palin, most of them after she was named the running mate for GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Most of those have been dismissed, although one was resolved when Palin agreed to reimburse the state more than $8,000 for the costs associated with nine trips taken with her children.

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What ever happened to the concept of avoiding the appearance of impropriety? It seems an unknown concept to Bible Spice.

Southern Virginia Episcopal Diocese to Remain Less Than Fully Gay Accepting

For more than 150 years Virginia has remained in the rear guard among those states rejecting modernity and equality be it based on race or sexual orientation. As is all too typical in this state, even though national trends and policies change and move forward towards equality for all, the Southern Virginia Diocese has decided to act in the usual Virginia manner and ignore the recent changes voted on by the national church that allow gay bishops and marriage like ceremonies for same sex couples. But for the boyfriend's successful salon, I swear that nothing would make me happier than to leave this benighted and backward state. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot on the Southern Virginia Diocese's to reject change and full equality:

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The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia will continue not to marry or bless same-sex couples despite tentative movement in that direction by the national denomination last week. "Nothing in our policies about either has changed," Bishop Herman Hollerith said in his blog this week. He leads the diocese, which encompasses Hampton Roads.

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Hollerith said meetings in the diocese will allow congregants to discuss the convention's decisions.
Debate over gay ordination and same-sex unions has shaken the denomination since it approved in 2003 the ordination of a non-celibate gay man as New Hampshire's bishop.

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I had hoped to perhaps join the Episcopal Church if the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America fails to adopt pro-gay resolutions at the Churchwide Assembly next month, but apparently to make the change worthwhile I'd need to move rather than change denominations.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Not All Christians Are Anti-Gay Bigots

In the never ending of anti-gay hatred disseminated by Christianists and professional Christian organizations, it is easy to forget that not all Christians are the enemies of LGBT Americans. Besides the Episcopal Church there are numerous other churches and denominations that are gay supportive and fully gay accepting. I take the Christianists to task constantly, but from time to time our Christian allies need to be remembered.

Christianist Paranoia

I often read some of the wingnut news sites and web pages for the purpose of knowing what out enemies are up to. Unlike Jeremy Hooper at Good As You, I do not typically write to them or attempt to leave comment - largely because they respond only in their standard BS or never publish dissenting comment. Last week I was checking out OneNewsNow - a Christianist news site - and came across a story where the author discusses how the ever delusional Matt Staver at Liberty Counsel (who is also dean of the wingnut law school at the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University) is convinced that President Obama is behind the lawsuits challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act ("Doma"). Yes, that's the same President Obama that I and many LGBT bloggers and activists have taken to task for his failure to deliver to date on any of his campaign promises to LGBT Americans. In the alternate universe of the wingnut Christianists objective reality never matters, only their delusions and paranoia. Here are some highlights from the foaming at the mouth found at OneNewsNow:

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Attorney Mat Staver is convinced the Obama administration is behind a federal lawsuit filed yesterday in Boston challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
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"The first state to legalize homosexual "marriage" has filed suit against the federal government to overturn DOMA -- the Defense of Marriage Act -- which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. On Wednesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston. The suit claims DOMA interferes with the right of Massachusetts to define marriage as it sees fit.

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"That's [Obama's] political preference [that DOMA be overturned]," Staver says. "There's no doubt in my mind, absolutely no question at all, that he and some of those in the Department of Justice are coordinating with individuals -- and perhaps even the attorney general in Massachusetts -- to literally bring these lawsuits and have a very weak defense so that the courts will ultimately overturn it without having the politicians and the president go on record showing that they are in favor of same-sex marriage."

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Staver goes on to say that Liberty Counsel is not going to allow the Obama administration to tear down the nation's moral values, which he argues it seems intent on doing. He vows that Liberty Counsel will vigorously fight this latest challenge to marriage, just as it has a lawsuit in California targeting DOMA.

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In my opinion, Staver is another extreme self-hating closet case who desperately yearns for gay sex but who is too conflicted by his religious brainwashing to ever accept gays or being gay. No one is so hysterically anti-gay and anti-gay rights unless some other issues are involved in the mix. Like Robert Knight, I wish Staver would get himself a rent boy and just get over it.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Losing My Religion for Equality

"Losing My Religion for Equality" is the title of a new piece by former President Jimmy Carter who has decided to sever his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention ("SBC") because of its anti-equality mind set. The SBC has become increasingly anti-knowledge, anti-public schools, anti-gay and seeks to keep women as inferiors - the old barefoot and pregnant role more or less. Indeed, as the SBC's mentality has come to increasingly mirror the theocratic model of the Taliban except for violence against those who non-conform, more Baptists that I know are leaving the SBC. That the SBC is big on discrimination should be no surprise since historically the denomination came into being when it split from the northern Baptist church denomination which supported the abolition of slavery. Here are some highlights from Carter's essay:

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I HAVE been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.

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This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries. At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime.

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The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

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The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.

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While Carter does not address the issue of sexual orientation, the same analysis holds true in terms of selectively parsing Bible passages in order to justify non-equitable - indeed down right hateful - treatment of others.

Abstinance Only Sex Education Proves Ineffective Yet Again

A new Centers for Disease Control reports indicates that during the Chimperator's delusional reign when evangelicals drove sex education policy unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STD's increased - in some case markedly. Sticking one's head in the sand and rejecting positive programs that have proven effective elsewhere is one of the signature idiocies of the Christianists. Science and objective reality are thrown in the trash bin as religious zealotry dictates all policy. Nor surprisingly, the Bible Belt region had the highest incidences of pregnancies and new HIV cases on a per capita basis. I hope Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and the other professional Christians are proud of their handiwork. The larger public needs to roundly condemn the education policies of these flat earth types and let their elected officials know that they support a fact based comprehensive sex education policy in the schools. Here are some highlights from the Guardian:
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Teenage pregnancies and syphilis have risen sharply among a generation of American school girls who were urged to avoid sex before marriage under George Bush's evangelically-driven education policy, according to a new report by the US's major public health body. In a report that will surprise few of Bush's critics on the issue, the Centres for Disease Control says years of falling rates of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease infections under previous administrations were reversed or stalled in the Bush years. . . . The number of Aids cases in adolescent boys has nearly doubled.
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The CDC says that southern states, where there is often the greatest emphasis on abstinence and religion, tend to have the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and STDs.

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Although the CDC does not attribute a cause, groups that support comprehensive sex education have seized on the report as evidence of the failure of religiously-driven policies that shy away from teaching about contraception in favour of emphasising avoiding sexual contact. Planned Parenthood said the CDC report is "alarming" and confirms that teenagers need "medically accurate, age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education".

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The Christian Taliban has no place in setting sex education policy in the public schools. Ignorance is not the way to reduce unwanted pregnancies and STD's.

More Monday Male Beauty

Vatican Launches Investigation Into Legionaries of Christ

In an interesting development, the Vatican is commencing an investigation into the misdeeds of the Legionaries of Christ and its late founder, Maciel Degollado. For years a number of Popes - including the less than saintly John Paul II - protected the Degollado and the Legionaries of Christ despite many allegations of Degolladro's corruption and sexual abuse of seminarians, not to mention fathering of an illegitimate daughter. One cannot help but wonder how thoroughly the Vatican wants to investigate and how open it will be about the likely dirty linen that is likely to be found. While the Legionaries are a religious order as opposed to a diocese, the corruption and cover up of sexual abuse is a stroy all too common within the Catholic Church world wide. Personally, I am not holding my breath and expecting a sincere investigation by the Vatican - especially because John Paul II was conspicuous in his support of Degollado and willingly closed his eyes to wickedness. On the other hand, the Vatican may fear that a failure to investigate will leave it open to even more charges of hypocrisy. Here are some story highlights via RawStory:

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The Vatican has launched an investigation into the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order whose secretive founder stands accused of sexually abusing numerous children over decades.

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And the investigation may have to grapple with an uncomfortable question: If the entire religious order was based on lies and deception, should it be disbanded? In an article at GlobalPost, reporter Jason Berry states: The issue facing Benedict has no precedent in modern church history: whether to dismantle a movement with a $650 million budget yet only about 700 priests and 2,500 seminarians, or to keep the brand name and try to reform an organization still run as a cult of personality to its founder. Excessive materialism and psychological coercion tactics continue Maciel’s legacy.

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In the 1990s, as sex abuse scandals linked to the Catholic church came to light, victims of Degollado's sexual abuse began to come forward. Though the Vatican first recognized the claims in 1998, it wasn't until 2004 that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then Pope John Paul II's right-hand man, launched the first inquiry into Degollado's actions. Starting in 2004, at least 30 witnesses testified to Msgr. Charles Scicluna, the C.D.F. investigator, that Maciel abused them as youths. But the 2006 Vatican order punishing Maciel failed to specify what exactly he had done, nor did it acknowledge the victims.

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In Maciel's case, it took 30 years – until 2006, after John Paul's death – for the new pope, Benedict XVI, finally to issue a public rebuke, and then it was simply an order that he should see out his days in private prayer rather than face a court. The long delay is evidence, some have suggested, that the Vatican still does not take the issue of paedophile priests sufficiently seriously.
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Numerous conservative Catholics are hell bent to have John Paul II name a saint, but his continued refusal to act against or lift a finger to protect against sexual abuse is hardly the conduct of a saint. I can only assume that John Paul II did not want to turn off the money spigot that the Legionaries came to represent. Having been a Knight of Columbus - a Catholic fraternal organization with billions of dollars of assets - nothing talks like money within the Church hierarchy.

Gay Marriage and the U. S. Constitution

I have long thought that under the Equal Protection clause and the freedom of religion protections of the U. S. Constitution bans on gay marriage - which in the final analysis are based on religious discrimination - are unconstitutional. It's one thing when individual bigots discriminate based on religious belief. It is something entirely different when the federal and state governments enact that discrimination into anti-gay laws. Now, David Boies, one part of the legal team challenging Proposition 8 in federal court, has an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal that lays out precisely why Proposition 8 and other anti-gay laws need to be struck down as unconstitutional. Here are some highlights from Boies' editorial piece:

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Recently, Ted Olson and I brought a lawsuit asking the courts to now declare unconstitutional California's Proposition 8 limitation of marriage to people of the opposite sex. We acted together because of our mutual commitment to the importance of this cause, and to emphasize that this is not a Republican or Democratic issue, not a liberal or conservative issue, but an issue of enforcing our Constitution's guarantee of equal protection and due process to all citizens.

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The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the right to marry the person you love is so fundamental that states cannot abridge it. . . . there is no legitimate state policy underlying Proposition 8. The occasional suggestion that marriages between people of different sexes may somehow be threatened by marriages of people of the same sex does not withstand discussion.

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Moreover, there is no longer any credible contention that depriving gays and lesbians of basic rights will cause them to change their sexual orientation. Even if there was, the attempt would be constitutionally defective. But, in fact, the sexual orientation of gays and lesbians is as much a God-given characteristic as the color of their skin or the sexual orientation of their straight brothers and sisters. It is also a condition that, like race, has historically been subject to abusive and often violent discrimination. It is precisely where a minority's basic human rights are abridged that our Constitution's promise of due process and equal protection is most vital.

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[B]asic constitutional rights cannot depend on the willingness of the electorate in any given state to end discrimination. If we were prepared to consign minority rights to a majority vote, there would be no need for a constitution. The ban on same-sex marriages written into the California Constitution by a 52% vote in favor of Proposition 8 is the residue of centuries of figurative and literal gay-bashing.

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There are those who sincerely believe that homosexuality is inconsistent with their religion -- and the First Amendment guarantees their freedom of belief. However, the same First Amendment, as well as the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses, preclude the enshrinement of their religious-based disapproval in state law.

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It is time, indeed past time, that our Constitution fulfill its promise of equal protection and due process for all citizens by now eliminating the last remnant of centuries of misguided state discrimination against gays and lesbians.

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Again, religious based discrimination does not justify writing the CIVIL laws in a way that deprives other citizens of equal civil rights.