Saturday Male Beauty

Model Victor Gaspar

More Anonymous Cowards

I continue to receive nasty comments - which I will not publish - and e-mails from gutless, anonymous writers who are having conniption fits over my strong condemnation of homophobes within the ELCA and other denominations. To be candid, I worry less about the continued "unity" of the ELCA or the Episcopal Church than many in both churches. I believe it is more important to do what's right rather than what keeps everyone outwardly happy. Yes, I have called anti-gay elements "Neanderthal Homophobes" because in my opinion, that IS what they are. They selectively apply what are interpreted as anti-gay passages of the Bible - while utterly ignoring other inconvenient passages - to appease their delicate sensibilities. Meanwhile the homophobia they support still takes lives, both through anti-gay violence and needless suicides, and causes life to be a living hell for many LGBT youth and adults.

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Yes, this is personal for me. A friend's brother - who was Lutheran by the way - killed himself because he could not accept his sexual orientation. Likewise, another friend from a conservative denomination killed himself by sitting in his running car in his garage. Both were talented, smart and wonderful young men. It was people like the "conservatives" within the ELCA who basically helped cause their deaths. I know others who because of toxic anti-gay religious backgrounds have become alcoholics, dependant on drugs, or engaged in self-destructive behavior again all because of homophobia that stems directly from the efforts of professional Christians and reactionary religious elements.

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I believe that history will condemn the anti-gay conservatives of all denominations. In the case of the ELCA, I personally would rather see the anti-gay congregations leave and eventually wither and die. With societal changes, the gay accepting mindset of the younger generations, and further increases in medical and mental health knowledge about sexual orientation, these homophobes are swimming against a tide that in time will make them look as hateful as white supremacists and neo-Nazi elements.

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My last question is one I have asked before? Why are these anti-gays reading a gay blog in the first place? As for the nasty commenters, take a good look in the mirror and think about those who you have basically helped kill.

Live Nation Cancels Four Buju Banton Concerts

It has been many years since I visited Jamaica or listened to reggae music and since that time the country and the much of the music I once enjoyed have become toxic in terms of homophobia. Indeed, killing gays has become a staple of the lyrics of some of the dance hall performers. With all the possible things to sing about, one has to wonder about the psychological issues these performers harbor - are the closet cases trying to hide their true sexuality via an outward strong offensive against gays or what. It all seems beyond bizarre to me. That concert promoters would bring this filth to the USA is troubling and demonstrates that some will apparently do anything to make a buck. Among the nasty performers is Buju Banton (pictured above) who has some lyrics that in my view have NO redeeming value. His song 'Boom Boom Bye' talks of shooting gay people and even burning gay men to death. - Here's a sampling(NOTE: batty boy is a term for gays):

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World is in trouble

Anytime Buju Banton come

Batty bwoy get up an run

At gunshot me head back

Hear I tell him now crew

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Boom bye bye

Inna batty bwoy head

Rude bwoy no promote the nasty man

Dem haffi deadBoom bye bye

Inna batty bwoy head

Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man

Dem haffi dead

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Can you imagine a concert promoter getting away with booking concerts for performers who sang with glee about murdering blacks or Jews? I do not think they'd stay in business long. Yet promoting anti-gay murder songs is a okay with some. To me, it's all part of the agenda of some to make LGBT individuals sub-human. It is disgusting.

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Four upcoming shows from anti-gay singer Buju Banton have been canceled by Live Nation - the promoter - in four cities after outrage from gay groups. The concerts were to take place at the House of Blues in Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Houston. Unfortunately, there are others who worship the almighty dollar more than decency. Here are highlights:

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Banton is still set to play at Los Angeles' Nokia Club on October 14, San Francisco (really??) on October 10, and in Philadelphia on September 12. Concert promoter AEG Live refuses to cancel any upcoming shows.

Friday Male Beauty

Coming Out in Mid-Life: More Painful Than Many Know

For long time readers you will know that I began this blog at the suggestion of my therapist at the time for two reasons: to gather thoughts and materials or a book and also as a way to vent and as a therapeutic outlet. After a while, it sort of took on a life of its own and I progressed from having cyberspace friends to becoming involved with other LGBT activist bloggers. Along the way I have heard many stories both from older gays still in the closet to others who have undergone a nightmare experience coming out later in life. Coming out is likely never an easy process regardless of one's age. Nonetheless, coming out in mid-life has a whole additional realm of difficulties, especially when one "did what was expected" and married, had children, etc.

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Compounding the problem - as I have talked about at length - is a homophobic judicial system that seems to 9 times out of 10 severely punish the gay spouse for being gay - regardless of the failings of the straight spouse - as if being gay is an elective choice made lightly. The legal system truely needs to change as do attorneys who wll viciously gay bash to gain advantage for their straight spouse client, acting at times as if the gay spouse is not even human. In the meanwhile, I continue to hope that this blog will be of help to others going through the coming out process or contemplating doing so. It is not/will not be an easy process, but the alternative is to live your entire life partly as a lie. That's not an easy process either. I have tried to recount my coming out, divorce and relationship experiences accurately - the good, the bad and the ugly rather than sugar coat what one may well experience. I hope this will help others if only in order that they know that they are not alone in their travails. One reader recently sent me an e-mail that I found noteworthy and made me feel that I was doing something right:

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I have followed you blog for at least two years now and I really do think it's pertinent. Of my other blogger friends (3 maybe) they are not in the same position that we are in and they honestly don't quite "get" the horrible pain that we've been through. They don't have a clue about, at least to my mind, how emotionally and psychologically wrenching coming out at our age really is. That's why when you post something on your blog that is from your anger, your frustration, your despair - your heart -- I really do identify with what your are saying. I've been there and I know from where you speak.

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It's possible that my recounted experiences may scare some to remain in the closet. But anyone about to begin this journey needs to know that it is not for the faint of heart. Would I do it again? Most certainly - despite the days of despair and darkness at times - because just being able to be who you are is so empowering. No more pretense and no more play acting. It may be ugly at times, but at least life is finally authentic and genuine. Better yet, once you find that special someone, your life will be lived on an emotional level that's beyond compare.

School Protects Gay Student After Lawsuit Filed

Having grown up in Central New York through high school, I had been watching a story out of Herkimer County - a fairly rural county to the east of Utica not quite half way to Albany - with interest. The gist of the story is that a public school repeatedly failed to protect a gay student (pictured at left) from constant harassment. That is until the New York Civil Liberties Union got involved and filed a lawsuit against the school division. What is disturbing is that this situation occurred in New York State which legally is light years ahead of back waters like Virginia in terms of legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Not that the laws stopped the bigots in Herkimer County. Having taken my share of abuse for being a "pansy" or "fag" in junior and senior high school, I believe NO ONE should suffer such abuse EVER (fortunately, I was able to "recreate" myself at college). Here are some highlights via The Advocate:
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A school district in Herkimer County, N.Y. has agreed to take immediate action to protect a gay student before the academic year begins in September. The agreement is only a step in resolving a lawsuit that was filed on behalf of a 14-year-old student who was constantly harassed by students at his high school for his sexual orientation. A federal judge approved of the New York Civil Liberties Union's suggestions for the school district, the specifics of which cannot be disclosed.

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Jacob, a student at the Gregory B. Jarvis Junior/Senior High School in central New York, had been subjected to constant verbal abuse, and was regularly pushed or the target of thrown objects. Some of his personal property had also been vandalized, according to the statement by the legal organization. Jacob had sprained his ankle earlier this year after a student pushed him down a flight of stairs. Another student brought a knife to school, threatening to kill Jacob.
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The NYCLU filed the case in August. "It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to motivate school district officials to protect a student from vicious harassment," said NYCLU staff attorney Corey Stoughton, lead counsel on the case. "Our case will proceed until the district addresses the systemic failures that allowed it to ignore Jacob’s plight for two years." NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman added that the district must take steps to "ensure that all students are safe at school and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."

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I hope other school districts in New York have paid attention and will decide to do the right thing for students without the need of a lawsuit being filed.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Lutheran CORE and Anti-Gay Lutherans

As my immediately prior post illustrates, those who selective pick to enforce passages of the Bible to discriminate against LGBT Christians are, in my opinion, hypocrites and I would argue false Christians. Sadly, this label applies to some within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who are convulsing on the floor over the Churchwide Assembly's decision to allow partnered clergy in same sex relationships to be full Lutheran clergy. All those other Bible passages and prohibitions against divorce do not matter a bit to these folks - just the purported anti-gay passages. Crosswalk.com has a story on the doings amongst the anti-gay elements of the ELCA. Here are some highlights:

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America had debated lifting its ban on non-celibate gay clergy for years, with tensions flaring at each biennial Churchwide Assembly. Still, when the ban was finally lifted late Friday (Aug. 21), it came as a surprise -- and an unwelcome one at that -- to some conservatives in the nation's largest Lutheran denomination. "The first reaction is that they are stunned," said the Rev. Jonathan Jenkins, who addressed the new clergy policy at his Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lebanon, Pa. "We've been talking about this as a possibility for some time, but I think most of our people did not expect this to happen."

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Even before last week's convention in Minneapolis, conservatives in Lutheran CORE, which counts about 300,000 members, planned to hold their own gathering next month in Indianapolis. CORE leaders said the group will consider a range of options, from creating a separate church within the ELCA to directing donations away from the ELCA's Chicago headquarters.

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Delegates at the ELCA's convention said opening the pulpit to gay clergy in committed, monogamous relationships accords with the Bible's overall message of tolerance and inclusion. But conservatives say the Bible clearly denounces homosexual activity, and that any church that condones homosexuality has turned its back on Scripture.

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"We are being inundated with calls from former ELCA congregations," Sullivan said. "I expect that at the very least, we will double in the next year and a half." The LCMC has about 175 member congregations in the U.S.; the ELCA has approximately 10,000 congregations. Sullivan said he had talked to 25 congregations on Monday alone.

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Robert Benne, director of the Center for Religion and Society at the ELCA-affiliated Roanoke College in Virginia, said conservatives will likely head in many different directions, and predicts that at least 200 congregations will soon distance themselves from the ELCA. "It's going to be very diffuse," said Benne, who serves on the advisory board for Lutheran CORE. "Some lay people will want their congregation to leave, some will want to be assured that their congregation" will not hire a gay pastor. Still others will withhold sending money to ELCA headquarters and some will "reluctantly go along with what happened," Benne said.

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It must be wonderful to believe that you have a direct link to God and can get dispensation from a multitude of Bible passages yet selectively invoke a handful against other human beings in an effort to keep them marginalized and subject to discrimination. Doesn't seem like something Christ would condone.

Why Christian Hypocrites Must Be Exposed

From time to time I have people ask me why I talk so much about religious issues and the dirty laundry and lies of professional Christians and anti-gay denominations - e.g., the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. Actually, as one who is constantly pushing for full civil law equality for LGBT equality, I find the answer very simple. If one looks at the history of homophobia and often horrific treatment of LGBT individuals, the entire story line traces back to religious based discrimination, particularly in Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three religions trace their anti-gay vitriol back to a few Old Testament passages that are said to condemn same sex relations. But for those passages, the lives of gays throughout history might have been wholly different.

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As to why I call these religion based homophobes hypocrites, the answer again is simple. Out of all the Bible passages that these self-anointed Christians claim to honor and worship, ONLY those pertaining to gays continue to be argued as requiring literal application. Prohibitions on divorce are ignored - indeed, Evangelical Christians have among the highest divorce rate while gay friendly Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate. I'm am not seeking to be mean. I simply want consistency on the part of these homophobes. As brief look at portions of Leviticus Chapters 18 -20 illustrate my point:

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CHAPTER 18:

19 " 'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.
21 " 'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed [a] to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

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CHAPTER 19

12 " 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13 " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. " 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14 " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15 " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. 19 " 'Keep my decrees. " 'Do not mate different kinds of animals. " 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. " 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
20 " 'If a man sleeps with a woman who is a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.

26 " 'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. " 'Do not practice divination or sorcery.
27 " 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
28 " 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

33 " 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.

34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.

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CHAPTER 20

9 " 'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.
10 " 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
11 " 'If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
12 " 'If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 " 'If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.
15 " 'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

25 " 'You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those which I have set apart as unclean for you.

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I suspect you get my point. Moreover, if the Bible is inerrant as is claimed when it is used to denigrate and fan anti-gay hatred, then Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh and John McCain are all divorced adulterers that should have been put to death. Instead, Reagan and Limbaughare worshipped by the anti-gay far right. Bottom line - the professional Christians and similar hypocrites do NOT get to have it both ways. Inerrancy is an all or nothing proposition. Since so many Bible passages are so conveniently ignored, so too should those applied against gays by religious extremists. or are our enemies merely being shallow hypocrites?

Thursday Male Beauty

Downturn Dims Prospects Even at Top Law Schools

Personally, if I had it to do over again, I'd never go to law school - like so much in my previous life, I did it because it was "expected." Based on some surveys of attorneys I am not the only one to regret the choice: as high as 70% of the profession weals the same way. In fact, speaking with a therapist from a Virginia State Bar sponsored program, he said that attorneys have high depression and substance abuse rates and among the highest suicide rates. The profession is high pressure and nowadays extremely cut throat where only receipts and the bottom line matter. Integrity and competence mean less than being a bullshitting "rainmaker." Now, with the economy in a downward spiral, lay offs in the legal profession have been massive - over 5,000 attorneys have been laid off by large firms and countless staff and paralegals have been likewise let go. Thus, getting a job is no longer a sure thing - especially if one is gay and out in cities other than major cities. The job market crash is now trickling down to graduating law students even from top schools. It is not a pretty picture as the New York Times is reporting:

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This fall, law students are competing for half as many openings at big firms as they were last year in what is shaping up to be the most wrenching job search season in over 50 years.

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For students now, the promise of the big law firm career — and its paychecks — is slipping through their fingers, forcing them to look at lesser firms in smaller markets as well as opportunities in government or with public interest groups, law school faculty and students say.

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The frenzy has even pushed the nation’s top firms, a tradition-bound coterie, into discussing how to reform the recruitment process with an earnestness that would have been unthinkable just years ago. Even if the economy is beginning to pick up, the legal profession has been pummeled over the last year, with some firms closing and survivors often asking associates to take leaves of absence.

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How bad is it? Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the juggernaut of New York, has slashed its hiring by more than half. For the first time in 136 years, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, a respected Philadelphia firm, has canceled its recruiting entirely. Global firms like DLA Piper and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have postponed recruiting for several months to see if the market improves. At Yale, students accustomed to being wooed by Big Law’s glittering names — like Baker & McKenzie; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, & McCloy; and White & Case — were stunned when those firms canceled interviews in New Haven this month.

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New York University, Georgetown, Northwestern and other top universities confirm that interviews are down by a third to a half compared with a year ago, while lower-ranked schools are suffering more.

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The timing is worst for the class of 2011, the second-years now looking to get into firms, because of a unique logjam created last year. After the September financial crisis, firms chose to defer their new hires at the price of steeply cutting recruiting this year. . . . When Julia Figurelli, a second-year student at the University of Pennsylvania, decided to enter law school a year ago, she expected to find a lucrative law firm job in three years . . .“Had I seen where the market was going, I would’ve gone to a lower-ranked but less expensive public school,” she said. “I’m questioning whether law school was the right choice at all.”

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I feel sorry for students burdened with debt and unable to find jobs. On the other hand, with luck they may find careers in other areas and industries and thereby avoid joining those of us who wish we had never gone into law in the first place.

Hate Speech Has Consequences - Especially When Combined with Guns

A few days ago I wrote about nutcase Arizona Pastor Steve Anderson - yep the same guy who advocates the execution of gays and wants Obama dead - and now it turns out that one of the gun carrying fruit loops that appeared at a townhall meeting on health care reform attends Pastor Anderson's Kool-Aid cafe parish. People and the MSM in particular try to laugh off these loons, but I see them as a clear and present danger. Do we really need those who hold lunatic beliefs and have a persecution complex walking around with assault weapons? I think not and it is only a question of time before some religiously motivated far right individual goes over the edge and things get violent. Personally, I do not believe anyone needs to own an assault weapon and this guy is a case in point. Here are some highlights from Crooks & Liars:

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So it turns out that Contessa Brewer had good reason to see a connection between the rabidly hateful rhetoric spewed by the likes of Pastor Steven Anderson and the angry, gun-toting protesters turning out for presidential events: One of the most prominent of these, an African-American man named "Chris", is in fact a member of Pastor Anderson's congregation. "Chris" was on Alex Jones' "Prison Planet" radio show late last week and discussed how "my pastor was beaten up" at a Border Patrol checkpoint.

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Yes, that pastor is indeed Steven Anderson, who was arrested in April by the Border Patrol for being uncooperative at a patrol checkpoint. Anderson attempted to make himself something of a national martyr to the conspiracists out there by posting a video to YouTube about it that quickly went viral.

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The funny thing about these gun-toting protesters is that they like to portray themselves as being simple, honest defenders of their gun rights when they show up for public events, especially those featuring the president, packing heat publicly. They adamantly deny that they're bringing their guns to intimidate their fellow citizens from speaking out with a contrary view. But this is beyond disingenuous; it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the vast majority of the people who attend a public debate will perceive someone with a gun as someone they should fear -- particularly if they have an opposing view.

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Moreover, these gun-toters want to assure us they pose no threat whatsoever to either the president or his supporters by bringing these guns. They're just ordinary citizens standing up for their rights, right? The Secret Service need have no fear about their motives. But then we find out that at least one of them ardently admires a pastor who preaches how much he hates Obama and wishes him dead, in order "to save this country." And we're supposed to tell these "innocent" gun nuts from the people who might actually aim their weapons at the president how?

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Yes, America has always had a lunatic fringe, but these folks honestly frighten me. I believe some of them are ticking time bombs waiting to go off. I believe we need some serious gun control legislation that takes assault weapons out of the hands of potential crazies. Here's a reminder of Pastor Anderson's and his flock's message of "love:"

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More Wednesday Male Beauty

Misplaced Priorities and Hubris of the Catholic Church

There are times I truly wonder what alternate universe was the place of origin for members of the Roman Catholic Church. For an institution plagued by a world wide sex abuse scandal, falling membership and revenues in areas of the developed world, and a increasingly elderly and doddering priesthood, one would think that the Church fathers would have better things to focus on rather than fighting in opposition to recognition of committed, monogamous same sex unions. First, there is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, who instead of focusing on the horrific abuses that occurred in Catholic children's homes and other Church run institutions in Ireland as revealed in a government report earlier in the year, has his panties all in a wad over CIVIL law recognition of same sex civil unions. Someone truly needs to smack this blow hard up on the side of the head and tell him to shut his mouth until such time as the Church has cleaned up its own mess and done a thorough house cleaning of its own ranks. I can only surmise that the good cardinal is trying desperately to change the topic from that of the Church's failures and guilt. Here are a few highlights from the Catholic News Agency (an oxymoron in and of itself):

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The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, spoke out last Sunday against recognizing civil unions for homosexuals during a homily at the Cathedral of St. John in Limerick. He said that natural law cannot be violated by legislative norms, and that natural law forms the basis for integral human development. The cardinal recalled that nature must be used wisely, as Pope Benedict XVI explains in his encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.” . . . Cardinal Brady urged the faithful to oppose a measure being debated in the Irish Parliament that would grant legal recognition to same-sex unions.
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I would suggest that if the alleged "natural law" is so important, then it must certainly dictate against celibacy which refutes the role of procreation just as much as same sex relationships. The Church's hypocrisy, however, ids not limited to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. In Maine where Catholic parishes are being closed and consolidated due to declining membership and/or revenues, the bitter queens in the Church hierarchy are nonetheless contributing moneys to over turn same sex marriage legislation passed earlier this year. The Portland Press Herald reports in part as follows on parish closings:

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Monsignor Rene Mathieu announced Sunday that Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Biddeford will close at the end of this year, as part of a statewide consolidation that started in 2004, shortly after Bishop Richard Malone was installed. St. Andre Church in Biddeford will close at the end of 2010. Also Sunday, Monsignor Marc Caron announced in Lewiston that he plans to ask Malone's permission to close St. Joseph and St. Patrick churches, and he will discontinue their use in October.

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Collections in the parish's churches have been dropping about 10 percent a year, and the sour economy hasn't helped. Weekly collections this year have been about $5,000 less than they were last year. The church's ministries and operations cost about $2 million a year, not including support for the parish school. Meanwhile, operating costs such as employee health insurance and building maintenance have been rising. Good Shepherd Parish had a $48,000 deficit in the past fiscal year and projected a $170,000 deficit this year if no changes were made, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

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But money is available when it comes to interfering with legal CIVIL rights of same sex couple in Maine. Yes sir, the Church has money to bash those sodomites. As America Blog reports, the Diocese of Maine could find $100,000 to donate to the effort to repeal Maine's same sex marriage law:

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Earlier this week, the forces trying to repeal Maine's new same-sex marriage report filed their first campaign reports. Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage were major donors. There was also $100,000 contribution from the Diocese of Maine, which seemed like a lot of money coming from an entity that's been closing down parishes. The spokesman for the anti-marriage campaign, Marc Mutty, who is also the spokesman for the Diocese of Maine, couldn't or wouldn't give a definitive explanation of the donation.

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[T]he leaders of the Catholic church in Maine think it's more important to be anti-gay than to keep open churches? Maybe that's one reason parishes are closing.

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The main stock in trade of the Catholic Church nowadays seems to be hypocrisy as opposed to preaching the Gospel of Christ..

More Anonymous Cowards

My earlier post on the Death of Edward Kennedy has prompted some nasty comments maligning the man, bring up the scandals of his younger days and so forth. As is the norm, these comments are by anonymous posters who lack the balls to publicly identify themselves. In short, they are the typical gutless cowards of the right who can take cheap shots at others as long as their identity remains anonymous. I never said that Ted Kennedy was a saint or that he never did anything reprehensible. I will also posit that I have no idea as to whether Kennedy was truly contrite for some of his past actions - only God knows what was in his heart in his final days.

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Simply put, I believe that no one should judge another lest they be judged, other than perhaps in cases where individuals knowingly and deliberately lie with the intentional goal of harming others - anti-gay bigots and racists are but two examples of this latter category. They are basically in the same category in my opinion as the false Christians I recently wrote about praying for Barack Obama's death or seeking the execution of LGBT Americans.

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As I have said before, if you are too gutless and cowardly to reveal your true identity, then do NOT expect me to provide a platform for your noxious commentary.

End of Summer Pier Party to Benefit Equality Virginia

Through the combined efforts of some friends, there will be one last 2009 Pier Party at the Ocean View Pier at 4th View Street and West Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk. The last two pier parties had over 700 attendees and I encourage all local readers to make an effort to attend both to network, reunite with friends, and support the raffle to support Equality Virginia. I was at the last pier party - and actually ran into a reader of this blog who I had never previously met - and the boyfriend and I had a wonderful time. As for politicians running for office, the event would be a perfect time for the candidate or represents from their campaign to do some outreach to the LGBT community. So far none of the statewide candidates have made any outreach efforts to our community.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Diocese of Bridgeport Loses U.S. Supreme Court Effort to Keep Documents Sealed

For a group that claims remorse over the sexual abuse scandal - largely with disingenuous crocodile tears - the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy goes to incredible lengths to keep the Church's dirty linen from public view. As has always been the case in the sex abuse scandal, the main concern has been protecting the Church's reputation rather than truth and justice. Truth be told, the Church leaders from the Pope on down are a bunch of dissembling frauds many of whom knew exactly what was going on and chose to cover up abuse and leave children and youths at risk. Only full exposure of all of the misdeeds will help guaranty that such evil doesn't happen again and perhaps convince more Catholics to vote with their feet and their wallets to demand real change and a thorough house cleaning of the hierarchy. Money and membership numbers are the only things that truly count with the Church leadership. Here are some story highlights on Diocese of Bridgeport's failed effort to hide the truth:

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday against a Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut, saying that thousands of documents generated by lawsuits against six priests for alleged sexual abuse cannot remain sealed. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Tuesday denied the Bridgeport diocese's request to continue a stay on the release of the papers until the full court decides whether to review the case.

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A Waterbury Superior Court said in 2006 that the documents were subject to a presumption of public access. And the Connecticut Supreme Court upheld the lower court decision, ruling that more than 12,000 pages from 23 lawsuits against the six priests should be unsealed. The Connecticut high court also rejected the claim by church officials that the documents were subject to constitutional privileges, including religious privileges under the First Amendment.

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The records have been under seal since the diocese settled the cases in 2001. They could provide details on how retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan handled the allegations when he was bishop in Bridgeport from 1988 to 2000. The documents include depositions, affidavits and motions.

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Personally, I hope the documents when finally made public will show that Egan - who previously had been one of Cardinal Law's henchmen in the Boston Archdiocese scandal - acted like so many bishops and cardinals and sacrificed children in favor of the Church's reputation.

Senator Edward Kennedy - Dead at 77

I only met Ted Kennedy once years ago while a student at the University of Virginia in the days when Chuck Robb was the president of the law school's Student Legal Forum, but I recall how impressed I was by him. Back then, Kennedy was in his early 40's and a very handsome guy in person not to mention a moving speaker. Lunatics of the far right will probably rejoice at Kennedy's passing, but for those who value civil rights and equality for all citizens, Kennedy never let up the quest and he was certainly a friend to LGBT Americans. Like all of us, he made mistakes in his life time, but tried to make a meaningful difference for others - for that I commend him. It will be difficult to replace his stature in the Senate and it will be interesting to see who is picked to replace him. Here are highlights from the Washington Post:
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Edward M. Kennedy, one of the most powerful and influential senators in American history and one of three brothers whose political triumphs and personal tragedies captivated the nation for decades, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77. He had been battling brain cancer.

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His family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday. "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all."

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President Obama released a statement Wednesday morning, pointing out that "virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. . . .

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Long before he fell ill, Kennedy made health care a major focus of his career, terming it "the cause of my life." His legislation resulted in access to health care for millions of people and funded cures for diseases that afflicted people around the world. He was a longtime advocate for universal health care and was instrumental in promoting biomedical research, as well as AIDS research and treatment. He was a leader in the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and the 1996 Kennedy-Kassebaum Bill -- with Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) -- which allowed employees to keep health insurance after leaving their job.

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On most other issues, most notably the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Kennedy was bitterly opposed to the Bush administration. He once said that his proudest Senate vote was his 2002 vote against authorizing Bush to use military force against Iraq. "There was no imminent threat," he said in a 2004 speech at the Brookings Institution. "This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud."

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Unnamed participants in the Stonewall Fire Island fundraiser swim.

Former Southern Baptist Convention Officer Praying Fpr Obama's Death

Sometimes it is impossible to make up stories about the Christo-fascist elements of the far right and GOP base that are stranger than the truth. Their real life bat shittery is beyond imagination and invention. One has to wonder why some of them have not been taken into police custody, in fact, when they are actively promoting the death of President of the United States. A case in point is Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, California, and a former Southern Baptist Convention officers (pictured at left) - which I guess should not be a surprise given how utterly whacked out the SBC has become since the conservative takeover some years back. The leadership of the SBC - e'g. Richard Land - is obsessed with gays and abortion and has basically turned its back on the bulk of the Christian Gospel message and seems to endeavor daily instead to make the term Christian into something foul, although even the SBC seems to be running away from association with Drake. Here are some highlights from the Associated Baptist Press:

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NEW YORK (ABP) -- A former Southern Baptist Convention officer who on June 2 called the death of abortion provider George Tiller an answer to prayer said later in the day he is also praying "imprecatory prayer" against President Obama.

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"Imprecatory prayer is agreeing with God, and if people don't like that, they need to talk to God," Drake told syndicated talk-show host Alan Colmes. "God said it, I didn't. I was just agreeing with God." Asked if there are others for whom Drake is praying "imprecatory prayer," Drake hesitated before answering that there are several. "The usurper that is in the White House is one, B. Hussein Obama," he said.

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Later in the interview, Colmes returned to Drake's answer to make sure he heard him right. "Are you praying for his death?" Colmes asked. "Yes," Drake replied. "So you're praying for the death of the president of the United States?" "Yes."

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You would like for the president of the United States to die?" Colmes asked once more. "If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death, that's correct."

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Sing Oldham, vice president for convention relations with the SBC Executive Committee, was unavailable for comment until late on May 4. He said that while Drake served one year as second vice president of the SBC, he is not now nor has ever been a spokesman for the convention. "Mr. Drake does not represent Southern Baptist actions, resolutions, or positions in his interpretation and application of 'imprecatory prayers,'" Oldham said. "Any comments made by Wiley Drake on this subject represent his personal views, not those of the Convention."

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I cannot help but wonder how someone becomes as mentally and emotionally screwed up as is obviously the case with Mr. Drake. Here's a video of some of Drake's lunacy:*

Virginia's ELCA Bishop Urges Calm

In the wake of last week's vote by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ("ELCA") to allow rostered clergy in committed same sex relationships, some of the Neanderthal elements within the ELCA have been talking of breaking with the the denomination - all the while ignoring, of course, the fact that they generally do not apply a literal reading of other passages in the Bible. Indeed, they demand a literal application only when it comes to anti-gay passages. I can only assume that it's easy to demand a literal application when it's not you or your loved ones being harmed by such selective interpretations.

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The irony to me in all of this is the fact that unlike the feudal structure of the Roman Catholic Church where bishops assign pastors and priests with no input from parishes, in the ELCA each parish gets to choose who it wants as senior pastor, with the senior pastor thereafter making selections of the more junior clergy. Therefore, no parish will have partnered gay clergy forced upon them if they suffer from homophobia and selective inerrancy of passages from the Bible. Fortunately, Virginia's bishop, James F. Mauney (pictured above), is trying to calm hysteria and is asking that Virginia Lutherans proceed calmly and with patience for one another as the new policy is implemented. Bishop Mauney is the son of the pastor emeritus of my parish and my subtenant - his staff for his eastern office interact with me and my staff daily. I hope he is successful in calming needless knee jerk reactions and can counsel synod members to act logically. Here are highlights from a Virginian Pilot story:

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The bishop of Virginia's Evangelical Lutheran Church in America synod counseled patience and respectful listening Monday in response to the denomination's approval of ordination for non celibate gays and lesbians. "The span of reaction will be from rejoicing to grieving, from actively speaking to being unable to speak," Bishop James F. Mauney said Monday in a posting on the synod's Web site, www.vasynod.org.

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Congregations already have a say in who they hire and will not be forced into receiving a gay or lesbian minister, said Mauney's assistant, the Rev. Jean Bozeman, who represents him in eastern Virginia. "A congregation makes the ultimate decision; this is not a threat to any congregation that they've got to change," Bozeman said Monday in an interview from Minnesota, where the assembly was held.

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He said procedures for gay ordination "will still be months in considering and developing." Bozeman said that reactions include gloom and happiness, but "there is a large, large group in the middle who still say, 'This is my church and we're going to go right on with the ministry of Jesus Christ.' "

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Jean Bozeman is a sweetheart and I hope that other Virginia members of the ELCA will take a deep breath and then move forward focusing on being true to Christ's Gospel message rather than a few passages of varied interpretations.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Self-Marginalization GOP Style

What with the Hispanic population being the fastest growing segment of the population, one would think that the GOP would be trying to quiet its lunatic base in terms of anti-immigrant rhetoric and outright racist statements, but not so. Instead, it seems the Party wants to become a regional party concentrated in the South and made up of former segregationists, white supremacists and the most ignorant of the Bible beaters. What's amazing - and beyond disappointing to me - is that the hapless Democrats can't get anything accomplished even as the GOP strives to self destruct. Businesses - including mine - are actively courting the Hispanic market segment, yet the GOP is doing the opposite. In a state like Florida and southwestern states, the GOP's alienation of Hispanics will hopefully take a woeful toll. Here are some highlights from a Huffington Post column that looks at the phenomenon:

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Florida Sen. Mel Martinez's resignation closes the latest chapter in the Republican Party's tumultuous, decade-long effort to woo the nation's Hispanic voters. The Cuban-American's impending departure could leave no Hispanic Republicans in the Senate and three in the House – compared to 21 Democrats in Congress – and a sense that the national GOP is at a major crossroads with the nation's fastest-growing demographic group.

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[T]he heated rhetoric over illegal immigration in 2006, followed by the loss of many Republican moderates, and most recently the GOP's failed opposition to Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination have helped drive away many Hispanic voters. Martinez, as senator and briefly as head of the party, tried to temper the anti-immigrant language, and he bucked his party by voting for Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican descent. Yet, in the end, few in Washington followed his lead.

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[E]xperts say the GOP has good reason to be worried. "One election and one resignation is not the end of an era, but it does signify tremendous problems in appealing to Hispanics in Florida, and nationwide," said Florida International University political science Professor Dario Moreno. Diaz-Balart said the immigration debate hurt his party's relations with Hispanics because it "cluttered the communication waves." "What they see on television is a local or a state official speaking very negatively about immigrants and then what they see is that that person is Republican," said Diaz-Balart, who like Martinez supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

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[B]y 2006, following bitter immigration debates – the party would later sponsor ads comparing Mexican immigrants to Islamic terrorists – the support plummeted. Martinez was tapped to head the RNC and turn things around. He lasted less than a year, fighting with his party over its harsh immigration rhetoric and watching helplessly in 2008 as Republicans hemorrhaged even more Hispanic voters in states like Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and even Florida.

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Meanwhile, Rodriguez, the evangelical church leader, said that despite its promises of change, the party is simply banking that it can survive by winning back independent, non-ethnic, fiscal conservatives. He is still waiting for a public apology for the vitriolic language of the immigration debates. "I can tell you firsthand the Latino outreach on behalf of the Republican party is nil," he said. "The Republican Party has one incredible hill to climb.

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Obama and the Democrats ought to be all over this issue and forging ahead alone, if need be, with needed reforms. Instead, they sit on there hands and mumble platitudes. It drives me crazy.

Gay Air Force Pilot 'Outed' by False Accusation

The Idaho Statesman is reporting that Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach who is now being drummed out of the Air Force under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was outed through a false accusation against him. Sadly, this is something that happens REGULARLY and I have two clients who were the victims of the same type of bogus accusation that they had come onto another service member. In fact, nothing of the kind ever happened yet bot were forced from the Navy where they had been competent and honorable service members. Truth be told, when the military is not actively running witch hunts of its own - something that DOES happen - it is jumping onto wildly untrue allegations made by disgruntled service members or out right homophobic bigots. The unfairness of the policy and the nastiness it encourage is an affront to what America is supposed to be about. And again, the only thing that truly gives rise to DADT is religious discrimination - something supposedly barred by the Constitution. Here are some story highlights:

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On April 3, 2003, Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach flew his F-15E toward an Iraqi ambush site about a mile from U.S. Army troops advancing on Baghdad airport. Fehrenbach faced anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles and a mechanical problem on his wingman's plane. Still, he destroyed the enemy position and helped clear the way for the Army to take the airport that night. For his heroism, the Notre Dame grad won an Air Medal with a valor device, one of his nine Air Medals.

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Five years later, Fehrenbach confronted a crisis in a very different setting. A Boise police detective sat across a conference table questioning him about an alleged crime. Fehrenbach, stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, was in a Catch-22. To clear himself of the claim he'd raped a man, Fehrenbach could tell police his side of the story. But admitting he'd had consensual sex could get him kicked out of the Air Force he loved after 18 years.

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Fehrenbach was soon cleared by police and the Ada County prosecutor's office. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations subsequently found no violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. AFOSI concluded that Fehrenbach and Shaner had consensual sex, and that Shaner was an "unreliable source of information." But the Air Force wasn't done: Fehrenbach's admission he'd had gay sex was a violation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. . . . Had his accuser been a woman, he'd have gone back to work with no further issue."

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But the prospect of President Barack Obama fulfilling a campaign promise to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," prompted Fehrenbach to fight. In April, a board of five officers recommended an honorable discharge. Fehrenbach's goal was to continue to serve. With two more years, he'd reach 20 years and qualify for full retirement.

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He also seeks to raise hope among those who want gays to be free to serve openly, as they do in 26 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Israel. "You coming out has galvanized a lot of people, and it brought a lot of people out of the woodwork," Maddow told Fehrenbach on June 23. "Absolutely " he replied. "I have literally gotten thousands and thousands of e-mails, letters, phone calls from people I have served with ... I can't even count the number who have said, literally, 'Dude, I'll go to war with you tomorrow.'"

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DADT is a travesty - it is unfortunate that we have a spineless - and untruthful - president who lacks the balls to issue a stop loss order while the nightmare of DADT is repealed.

More Monday Male Beauty

National Equality March - October 10-11, 2009

I've joined a new blogger group - National Equality March Bloggers, a/k/a NEM Bloggers - that has as a goal disseminating timely and accurate information concerning the October 10-11, 2009, event scheduled in Washington, D.C. Among the group are some of my compatriots from last December's LGBT Blogger Summit as well as media people fro NEM and the organizer of last weekends National Kiss In. After a rocky start and whining by self-anointed leaders of LGBT rights organizations, support for Cleve Jones' call for a march is growing. Organizations United Together (OUT), a federation of LGBT and allied organizations dedicated to achieving equality and justice for LGBT Floridians has just announced that it endorses the March.

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And Pam's House Blend reports on other groups signing on to the event (which the boyfriend and I will be attending):

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Major national LGBT organizations including the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) have endorsed the march as have local and state grassroots organizations like Join the Impact Chicago, One Struggle One Fight and Freedom Democrats of Miami-Dade.

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October 11 has been observed as “National Coming Out Day” since 1988. As well, this year commemorates the 30th anniversary of the first March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. “We’re marching this October to demand action from the Federal government to protect our rights in all fifty states,” said Kip Williams, one of the organizers. “Real equality can only come from the President, the Congress and the Supreme Court.”

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“We’re tired of compromises and delays.”...Lt. Dan Choi, also a member of the march steering committee, is working to ensure a strong presence by LGBT and straight veterans at the march. “The majority of Americans reject discrimination in the armed forces, it’s time for Congress and the Administration to move on this and all issues of equality for LGBT Americans.”

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Some have asked what will the March accomplish or debated if it would undermine local efforts. Personally, I believe a national march could well help activist in every state to feel empowered and make them realize that this is a national struggle, not one just limited to certain states or localities. Lisa Neff at 365gay.com has these reflections:

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On Oct. 11, our community again will march on Washington to demand equal rights. Participants in National Equality March will celebrate the strides over three decades, the leaps in 30 years. We certainly are not marching from the same place we were in 1979.

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But marchers also will make known that their governments treat them as second-class citizens and that they are challenging unconstitutional laws and questioning unacceptable policies for our military, our workplaces, our schools and our families. You might hear arguments that the march being planned will divert resources from the fights in the states.

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The argument of limited resources is deeply flawed. We, as a movement and community, have not begun to tap our full potential. How can anyone seriously claim that if a person goes to Washington for a weekend in October that he or she is spent out and has nothing left to give a state gay rights organization or a local GLBT center? I would argue the opposite. Marches energize some, radicalize others and connect many to people and organizations and campaigns and causes.

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And, on Oct. 12, marchers will return to their hometowns, their home states, the districts and territories, powered to campaign for the demand made on Oct. 11. The march will be the forum for issuing the demand for equal rights. The demand will not be won that day, but in the days that follow, with our community nourished for the fight.

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The other thing the March will hopefully do is put faces on the unnamed "gays" that our opponents denigrate daily with a broad brush. Viewers of television coverage or print stories will hopefully be pushed along the way to realizing that we are people too and not some nameless "other." Will the Christo-fascists hysterically bloviate about the March? Most assuredly, but there will be others who watch and learn. I still remember as an eleven year old watching Martin Luther King's march on Washington in 1963 and his now immortal "I Have a Dream" speech. It will make a difference.