Massive Earthquake Strikes Chile

As many news outlets and blogs are reporting, Chile was hit by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake early today. My heart goes out to all those impacted by the earthquake and I send my best wishes and prayers to my readers in Chile and all those suffering from the devastation in Chile and facing the tsunami threat around the Pacific, including all my readers in eastern Australia. I have never experienced an earthquake - only numerous hurricanes - and cannot imagine how terrifying it must be when suddenly the ground begins to shake and buildings begin to sway and collapse. In addition to the extensive damage in Chile, a tsunami alert has been posted for the entire Pacific region, including the Hawaiian Islands. Here are some highlights from the BBC:

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The 8.8 quake caused widespread damage, destroying buildings, bridges and roads in many areas, including the capital where a chemical plant caught fire. Electricity, water and phone lines have been cut. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to be affected. Several Pacific countries were hit by waves higher than usual after a tsunami was set off by the quake. In French Polynesia waves 6ft (1.8m) high swept ashore, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
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Television pictures showed a major bridge at Concepcion had collapsed into the Biobio river. Rescue teams are finding it difficult to reach Concepcion because of damage to infrastructure, national television reported.
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Damage to Santiago international airport's terminal will keep it closed for at least 72 hours, officials said. Flights are being diverted to Mendoza in Argentina. President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in affected areas and appealed for calm. She said: "We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have." Ms Bachelet said a "wave of large proportion" had affected the Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Local media say that five people died there and several others are missing.
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Chile is highly vulnerable to earthquakes as it is situated on the Pacific "Rim of Fire", on the edge of the Pacific and South American plates. Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.

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As CNN is reporting, Hawaii is bracing for possible tsunami impact. Here are some highlights on events in Hawaii:
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The first waves of a tsunami from a massive earthquake in Chile have hit the Big Island of Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The increasing wave heights began shortly around 11:15 a.m. local time (4:15 p.m. EST), more than five hours after alarms sounded to warn of a tsunami caused by the Chile earthquake early Saturday, which killed at least 214 people. Residents scrambled to stock up on water and food Saturday as sirens blared across the islands ahead of a predicted tsunami, hours after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile.
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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning, the highest level of a tsunami alert, for the entire Pacific region, including countries as far away as Russia, Japan and Australia. California and Alaska are under a tsunami advisory. Speaking Saturday afternoon in Washington, President Obama urged people in Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa, also under a tsunami warning, to prepare for the potential tsunami.

Dutch Catholic Church Faces Child Sex Abuse Scandal

For some time the smug, childless, bitter old men at the Vatican endeavored to depict the Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal as something unique to English speaking countries as if somehow western English speaking societies somehow were a cause of sexual abuse by priests. As if the growing sex abuse furor in Germany had not made a lie of that posturing, now a major sex abuse scandal is beginning to explode in the Netherlands. Obviously, the problem is systemic to the Church and its bizarre obsession with all things sexual and culture of secrecy and putting protection of members of the priesthood ahead of morality and decency - not to mention compliance with secular criminal laws. Indeed, as the Church teams up with anti-gay Mormons and others in its persecution of LGBT citizens, it's as if a Divine justice is being applied to the morally bankrupt Church leadership (yes, that includes Papa Ratzi too). Radio Netherlands has details on the latest exposure of the Church's dirty linen. Here are some highlights:

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Amid the high-profile child sexual abuse scandals in the United States and other European countries, the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands has remained unsullied. But a joint investigation by Radio Netherlands Worldwide and NRC Handelsblad reveals that this is unjustified.
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Sexual abuse of children by priests has been brought to light in a number of countries, but the recent apologies from the Vatican are “too little too late”. At least, that is the opinion of Yvo van Kuijck, former chairman of the independent Assessment and Advisory Committee (Beoordelings- en Adviescommissie, BAC) which cooperates with Hulp & Recht, the Netherlands’ hotline for reporting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
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Since it was set up in 1995, the hotline has received almost 300 reports of sexual abuse. “It has taken too long for the Church to apologise and take action. (…) The Dutch bishops adopted the same ‘wait and see’ approach. I didn’t get the impression that dealing with sexual abuse was a priority for them."
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Two years ago, dissatisfied with the attitude taken by the Dutch bishops, Yvo van Kuijck, now vice-president of the District Court in Arnhem, resigned along with the entire Assessment and Advisory Committee. Priests guilty of abuse in one parish were simply transferred to another parish where they were free to find new victims. "Not only is that unprofessional, it’s inconceivable."
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In the period that Janne Geraets was abused at the Don Rua boarding school, the current Bishop of Rotterdam, Ad van Luyn, was working there as a teacher. In the 1970s, Bishop Van Luyn was provincial head of the Salesians. Since 2008 he has chaired the Netherlands Synod of Bishops. Ad van Luyn declines to discuss "past issues". Through a spokesman, he explains that "matters relating to the congregation are the responsibility of the current father superior, even if they relate to previous governors."
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It is beyond shocking that in the minds of priests and senior members of the hierarchy children and youths were a disposable commodity. Just as has been shown to be the case in other countries where abuse scandals have exploded, predatory priests were merely reassigned to different parishes and institutions where they could continue to prey on the innocent. Why does anyone listen to these morally bankrupt Church leaders?

Saturday Male Beauty

Anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church Plans Virginia Protests

As the Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting, the professional haters at Westboro Baptish Church are bringing their foul stench to Virginia and plan on protests in both Richmond and the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Portsmouth area. Counter protests are being organized by several groups with Facebook pages here and here. I hope locals will get out and demonstrate that haters such as these folks are not welcome in Virginia notwithstanding the Christianist that currently hold the offices of Governor and Attorney General. A list of locations where the hate group plans to protest and the proposed counter demonstrations is as follows:
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3/1/10- Norfolk
2:00-2:30pm Granby High School
2:45-3:15pm Bina High School (requests no counter-presence)
3:20-3:50pm Ohef Shalom Temple (requests no counter-presence)
4:10-4:40pm Norfolk Naval Station
5:00-5:30pm Temple Israel (requests no engagement with or acknowledgement of WBC)
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3/2/10- Virginia Beach
6:55-7:25am Landstown High School (administration requests no counter-presence)
8:00-8:30am Simon Family Jewish Community Center (the JCC has requested that there be no counter-presence)
9:00-9:30am Virginia Beach Convention Center
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3/2/10- Richmond
11:00-12:15pm Virginia Holocaust Museum (silent interfaith counter-presence organized by VA Holocaust Museum and members of the local faith community)
12:40-1:10pm The Jerusalem Connection
1:30-2:00pm UofR Hillel at the Jewish Community Center (the JCC does not want counter-protesters)
3:40-4:10pm Hermitage High School
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3/3/10- Portsmouth
6:50-7:20am Churchland High School
8:45-9:15am Torah Day School (requests no counter-presence)
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3/3/10- Virginia Beach
11:30-12:30pm Virginia Beach Convention Center
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3/3/10- Norfolk
2:00-2:30pm Norview High School

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Besides the anti-gay agenda of this despicable group, it is noteworthy that these bigots are also targeting Jewish institutions. These people are truly sick and demonstrate the nastiness of Christianism taken to extremes. Westboro puts out in the open what all too many of the Christianist believe but try to hide from the public. Here are highlights from the Times Dispatch:

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An anti-gay church says it will demonstrate in Richmond on Tuesday, and local community groups say they plan counterdemonstrations. Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, Kan., has announced on its Web site a number of sites throughout Virginia that it plans to picket, including four in the Richmond region. Among other things, the church makes anti-Semitic comments about Jewish students and pickets funerals of American soldiers, claiming God has killed them for defending a nation of "sodomite hypocrites."
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Westboro "has a national reputation for promoting hate under the guise of being a functioning Christian church," said Simon Sibelman, assistant executive director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. He said that representatives of the museum and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and others, will stand outside the museum at 2000 E. Cary St. on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m., when the Westboro Baptist Church says it will picket. About 300 people are expected so far, he said; a Westboro spokeswoman said fewer than 10 of their members will be in Richmond.
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Sibelman said, "There are people of conscience, of faith, saying, 'We will not tolerate this,' even to a handful of them." Jonathan C. Zur, president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, said several student groups at Virginia Commonwealth University are coordinating a 1:30 p.m. rally at the VCU University Student Commons outdoor plaza. "We want to give Richmonders a forum where they can affirm values of respect rather than focus on negativity," said Zur, one of the administrators of the Facebook page created for the rally.
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Mychael Dickerson, spokesman for Henrico County Public Schools, said county police will have extra presence Tuesday at Hermitage High.

How to Get Married in Washington, D.C.

Many gay and lesbian Virginians are eagerly awaiting the ability to get married in the District of Columbia. While the marriages will not be recognized in Virginia, for many being legally married somewhere is important from a emotional perspective. Moreover, once legally married in the District, if one moves to Maryland or New York, the marriages will be recognized in those states even though they do not allow for same sex marriages to be performed in those states themselves. Lane Hudson passed along a link with some information on the District government web site that is useful for those who may be considering a visit to Washington, D.C., to get married. As has been the case in other jurisdictions that have same sex marriage, Washington, D.C., will likely see an increase in tourism spend from couples traveling there to secure marriages that their home states deny them. Here are the details via the DC website:

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The following is information about marriage and domestic partner registration and the most current information about the implementation of the "Jury and Marriage Amendment Act of 2009".
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*Marriage: *
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As of March 3, 2010* (*date subject to change pending completion of 30-day congressional review), it will be possible for same sex couples to get legally married in the District of Columbia. Here is some basic information on marriage in the District.
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To apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia you must visit the D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau located in H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue N.W., Room #4485. The office hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
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By law, three full days must pass between the day of application to the day that the license can be issued. (e.g. if one files an application on Monday the license cannot be issued until Friday).
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Each party to the marriage must bring proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, government issued non-driver’s identification, birth certificate, passport, or a similar official document. The application requires the parties to identify the name of the officiant who will perform the marriage ceremony. The officiant is any District of Columbia Judge or anyone who is authorized by a religious organization to officiate marriages, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, imam, so long as he or she is registered with the Marriage Bureau to officiate marriages. In addition, the couple should bring the $35 license application and an additional $10 if you would like a certified copy of the marriage certificate. The fee must be paid in cash or by a money order made out to “Clerk of the Court, D.C. Superior Court”.
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The $35 marriage license application fee is waived if you are already registered as Domestic Partners in the District of Columbia. If you are part of a District of Columbia Domestic Partnership, upon marrying, your Domestic Partnership automatically dissolves and you are simply married. If you are part of a Domestic Partnership or Civil Union from another state, the other state’s law may require you to dissolve it prior to marrying in the District of Columbia. Check the other state’s law about your responsibilities and obligations relating to dissolving that legal relationship prior to marrying.
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You Must Have Your Receipt To Pick-Up the License. Marriage Licenses are not issued by mail.
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For more information visit D.C. Superior Court Web Page or call 202/879-4840.

Northrop Grumman Pressured to Reject Virginia Location Due to Anti-Gay Laws

While the total number of jobs is not huge, the symbolism could be massive if defense contracting giant Northrup Grumman decides to reject a Virginia location for its headquarters because of Virginia's anti-gay stance. I truly hope that a Maryland or Washington, D.C., location is selected instead since Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli along with their Christo-fascsist supporters need a first hand demonstration that hate and bigotry are making Virginia non-competitive. Other than the U. S. Military, Northrup Grumman is one of the largest employers in Virginia (nearby Newport News Shipbuilding employs over 20 thousand people) and for the company to reject Virginia as the location for its headquarters would be a huge embarrassment for Bob "jobs governor" McDonnell. Any readers who own stock or have other connections with Northrup Grumman need to make known your opposition to moving the corporate headquarters to Virginia and specifically cite Virginia's legalized homophobia as an objection. One can only hope that HRC and NGLTF will likewise chime in and urge the rejection of a Virginia location. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post:

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RICHMOND -- A Maryland state senator and gay rights advocates are urging defense giant Northrop Grumman to reject Virginia as a location for its new corporate headquarters because of the Commonwealth's position on state protections for gay employees.
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In a letter sent Thursday to the company's CEO, Maryland State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) argued his state's stand on gay rights better mirrors the company's own longstanding commitment to gay and lesbian employees.
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"Here in Maryland, we value our gay and lesbian citizens as part of a diverse population that makes the state strong," Madaleno wrote. "Virginia is doing the opposite and letting its LGBT citizens -- and those considering whether to move and work there -- know that they and their families are unwelcome second-class citizens. And they are counting on corporations like yours not to care."
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The Los Angeles-based company is currently deciding between Virginia, Maryland and the District as a new home for its 300 top executives, running an unusually public contest among the three.
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Madaleno, who is gay, wrote that new Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) are "turning back the clock" on gay rights, as Maryland's attorney general has announced the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Virginia voters in 2006 amended the state constitution to prohibit gay marriage.
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On Friday, the chief executive office of Equality Virginia, a gay rights group, sent Northrop Grumman CEO Wesley Bush a similar letter. The group has scheduled a news conference on the topic for Monday.
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Dan McClain, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman, said Bush has not yet read the letters and declined to comment on specific factors going into the company's relocation decision. But, he added, the company believes "a workplace that values diversity and fosters inclusion is pivotal to promoting innovation and increasing productivity." For several years, Northrop Grumman has received a perfect rating from the Human Rights Campaign for its protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenderemployees.
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Gay rights groups in Virginia have been sounding the alarm about changes in state policy instituted since McDonnell took office in January. Persuading a massive company like Northrop Grumman not to move to the state would be a massive symbolic victory for the movement.
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In his letter, Madaleno noted that an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce issued by McDonnell shortly after taking office did not include protections for gay employees, a departure from his Democratic predecessors. And he pointed out that McDonnell, citing advice from Cuccinelli, also declined to extend health benefits to the other adults living in the homes of state employees, including gay partners, as had been proposed in the waning days of Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's term.
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Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's secretary of business and economic development, Christian S. Johansson, said through a spokeswoman that while state officials have been focused on presenting Northrop a package of economic benefits, they also recognize there may be cultural or social issues that could make one Washington-area jurisdiction more attractive than another.

Friday Male Beauty

Bob McDonnell is More Honest Than Tim Kaine

Like many, I am unhappy with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's decision to exclude sexual orientation non-discrimination protections from his new executive order that replaces predecessor orders signed by former governors Mark Warner (now in the U. S. Senate) and Tim Kaine (now DNC chair). I believe that the Virginia General Assembly needs to trump McDonnell and pass legislation that would give gay state employees true employment non-discrimination protections. Until that day occurs, an Executive Order signed by the Governor may give the appearance of protection, but I had the experience to see first hand just how ineffectual Kaine's Executive Order 1 (2006) was in practice and how former Governor Kaine made no serious effort to back the Executive Order's enforcement. The following is a press release authorized by my client, Michael Moore:

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PRESS RELEASE
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There has been much discussion in the media concerning Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s exclusion of sexual orientation from his new Executive Order which supersedes Executive Order 1 (2006) signed by former Governor Tim Kaine at the beginning of Kaine’s administration. Unfortunately, what is missing from the discourse is the ineffectiveness of Executive Order 1 (2006) and former Governor Kaine’s apparent utter failure to stand behind his own executive order. In the case of Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History now pending before the Supreme Court of Virginia, Michael Moore, who was fired by the Virginia Museum of Natural History located in Martinsville, Virginia, because he is gay sought protection under Executive Order 1 (2006). Throughout the administrative complaint process under Executive Order 1 (2006), Governor Kaine’s office was kept regularly up to date. Yet, despite the “Three Stooges” like nature of process as handled by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (“DRHM”), Governor Kaine did nothing to seek adherence to his executive order - even though the head of the Department of Natural Resources which oversees the Museum was Kaine’s own appointee.
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On appeal from the determination of DHRM which found improper discrimination against Moore based on his sexual orientation, but up held Moore’s dismissal on the basis of other false and fabricated allegations by Museum staff (which were inconsistent on their face), the Circuit Court of the City of Martinsville found that Executive Order 1 (2006) gave Moore no cause of action and the Court, which ignored constitutional issues, dismissed Moore’s appeal. The Virginia Court of Appeals side stepped the case and now the matter sits before the Supreme Court of Virginia waiting for oral argument. Had Kaine actually stood behind Executive Order 1 (2006) and demanded accountability from his appointees, the case could have been easily resolved. In reality, Executive Order 1 (2006) was an empty political gesture. While Governor McDonnell’s attitude towards LGBT Virginians is deplorable, McDonnell is at least honest about his agenda. Governor Kaine merely gave LGBT Virginian’s a false hope that their civil rights might actually be protected.

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For further information contact Michael B. Hamar- (757) 622-2008; mike@hamarlaw.com
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Now Tim Kaine is DNC Chair and in that position he is showing a similar reluctance to take any real stand for LGBT Democrats. Is it any surprise that Congressional Democrats are waffling on the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell even though a majority of Americans believe the anti-gay ban needs to go? Talk and actions merely for show are cheap. With Kaine at the helm of the DNC it's no wonder that Obama feels he can continue to throw LGBT Americans under the bus.

The Danger of Christianist Literalism

There has been much discussion in the media and across the Internet about the religiously based bigotry of Miss Beverly Hills, Lauren Ashley, and not all too surprisingly self-anointed homophobe in chief, Maggie Gallagher, has now come to Ashley's defense and in typical Christianist form seeks to depict Ashely as a victim of discrimination as opposed to the perpetrator of discrimination. Fortunately, more and more Americans are coming to understand that religious freedom is a two way street and that one does get to impose their religious beliefs on other citizen - something that Gallagher refuses or is unable to grasp. The however, goes even further in the context of Christians like Ms. Ashley who endorse a literal (although too often conveniently selective) interpretation of the Bible. Andrew Sullivan rightly sums it up as to why those like Ashley do not desire a break from condemnation. If one claims to endorse a literal application of say Leviticus to gays, then you are by default endorsing Leviticus taken to its ultimate result: killing gays. Here are highlights from Andrew's point on comments:

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In Leviticus, which Ashley says is "black and white," it is not God who is doing the killing. It is the law. "They shall be put to death." That means they shall be executed. For someone to insist that the Bible is "black and white" and to cite this full passage, while gay people are being hanged in this world by theocrats in other countries and hounded and murdered in Africa by religious fundamentalists, Christianist and Islamist, is simply despicable.

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(AFP photo of young gay men hanged for their sexual orientation in Iran.)

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As I have said many times before, Christianists need to be called out on what they are lending their endorsement to - as well as for their hypocrisy in ignoring a literal application of the Bible when it doesn't fit their discriminatory purposes.

Friday Male Beauty

Health Care Around The World - What's Wrong with This Picture?

Click image to enlarge

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As the health care reform continues, it is informative to see how the USA's supposedly wonderful health care system stacks up in terms of accessibility with other nations around the world. Somehow, I do not feel comforted being in the same league as Africa and well behind most of South America. Blue is single payer and Green is "universal by other means."

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Since under my own coverage it's a new calendar year, I have a new deductible to meet before coverage kicks in and, as a result, I am leaving therapy and my meds because I cannot afford to make the payments for this care. Me and many others, I suspect. And we have the best system in the world? I think not.

Maryland to Recognize Out of State Gay Marriages

As Virginia veers backward in the march toward equality under Christianist Governor, Bob McDonnell, same sex couples in Northern Virginia suddenly have a viable alternative to living in a state where their relationships are not only not recognized but condemned. Within the month the District of Columbia should have same sex marriage and now Maryland's attorney general, Douglas Gansler (at right) has ruled that - like New York State- Maryland will recognize marriages that are legally performed in other states and territories. Thus, LGBT Virginians will have the option of marrying in the District and then either moving there or to a nearby Maryland suburb without the need to move from the region. Indeed, Maryland has just gained a competitive edge in recruiting progressive businesses that want to be in the greater Washington, D.C., area but do not want to lose existing or potential LGBT employees who may rightly see a move to Virginia to be something unacceptable. As I have stated before, I regularly receive calls from out of state gays asking about Virginia's attitude towards gay citizens and have to tell them that if the move to Virginia they will have NO LEGAL PROTECTIONS whatsoever. My advice? Do not take the job unless you are willing to accept the anti-gay legal environment. Not surprisingly, many who inquire do not opt to come to Virginia. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post:
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UPDATE 2:50 P.M.: Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) says effective immediately the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and state agencies should begin giving gay couples the rights they were awarded elsewhere.
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A long-awaited opinion by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) out Wednesday morning concludes that the state's highest court is likely to rule at some point that same-sex marriages performed in other states are valid in Maryland.
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The policy implications of the opinion are not immediately clear, and Gansler says in a one-page summary that his conclusion "is not free from doubt."
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Gansler's opinion concludes "that the Court of Appeals, when it ultimately rules on this question in a particular case, will likely apply the principle that a marriage that is valid in the place of celebration is valid in Maryland. The opinion reaches this conclusion in light of the evolving state policy, reflected in anti-discrimination laws, domestic partner laws and other legislation, that respects and supports committed intimate same-sex relationships."
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Taliban Bob McDonnell wants to be a "jobs governor" but insists on putting religious based discrimination ahead of sound economics and equality under the law. Combined with projected cuts in teachers. etc., under his budget, he will be a jobs governor alright - employment will decrease under his watch.

Incremental Health Care Reform

Perhaps we need to strip members of Congress of their Rolls Royce health care plan and make them seek coverage like the rest of us - then perhaps the GOP might open its eyes.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Pennsylvania Court Rethinks View on Gays in Custody Disputes

In a long over due move, a Pennsylvania appellate court moved the state into the 21st century and overruled a 25 year precedent that allowed one's sexual orientation be used against a gay parent in child custody cases. Sadly, in most Virginia Courts homophobia is alive and well and it seems only the minority of judges do not crucify LGBT parents whenever and however possible. Legitimate studies have shown no difference in children raised by gay parents, yet bald faced religious prejudice remains all too often in the courtroom. Here are story highlights from the Times Leader on this important step towards basic fairness:
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A Pennsylvania appellate court has rejected a 25-year-old legal precedent and ruled that a parent's homosexual relationship cannot be used against the parent in determining child custody.
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The eight-judge Superior Court panel issued its decision last month in a custody battle between a mother and father who were identified only by their initials.
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It also reversed the lower court ruling that awarded the father primary custody of their daughter, and granted the appeal of the mother to continue shared custody.
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In doing so, the judges said a 1985 Superior Court decision that said a parent must prove that their gay relationship is not detrimental to the child.
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That presumption "is based upon unsupported preconceptions and prejudices _ including that the sexual orientation of a parent will have an adverse effect on the child, and that the traditional heterosexual household is superior to that of the household of a parent involved in a same sex relationship," Judge Christine Donohue wrote in the Jan. 21 opinion.
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The state Supreme Court also advises against relying on presumptions in deciding child custody cases between the parents, Donohue wrote.
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A three-member panel, voting 2-1, dismissed the notion that a "homosexual relationship could ever be the equal of the traditional family as a suitable family arrangement, and indicated that it was 'inconceivable' that a child could be exposed to a homosexual relationship 'and not suffer some emotional disturbance, perhaps severe,'" Donohue wrote.

Catholic Diocese and Its Attorneys Held in Contempt of Court

In the wake of the ever spreading sexual abuse scandal involving the Roman Catholic Church one hears constant blather and crocodile tears from the Church hierarchy feigning sorrow and contrition for the abuse done to children and youths molested by clergy. Likewise, one hears claims by high church clerics who pretend that the Church wants to do right by victims of abuse. The truth, of course, is that talk is cheap and crocodile tears of false contrition even cheaper. Evidencing the Church's true agenda is the tooth and claw efforts to avoid liability and often the intimidation of victims and their advocates. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams rightfully called out the Church and found the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, its law firm Paine Hamblen, and one of the firm’s attorneys, Gregory Arpin, in contempt of court. Why? Because they were using intimidation tactics against a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee in the Diocese's bankruptcy case aimed at avoiding pay outs to abuse victims. Here are some highlights from the Spokesman Review:

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A federal judge ruled that the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, its law firm Paine Hamblen, and one of the firm’s attorneys, Gregory Arpin, are in contempt of court for using intimidation tactics against a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee.
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U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams stopped short Tuesday of issuing costly sanctions, but ordered the diocese and its attorneys to pay what will be expensive legal costs of the trustee and others.
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She delivered a curt order designed to blunt future threats from the diocese while clearing the way for the trustee, Gloria Nagler, to pay people who have shown they were sexually abused by Catholic clergy.
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A $48 million settlement for victims of clergy sex abuse reached in 2007 left open what the diocese assumed would be the slight possibility of new claims, called future claims.
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There have now been at least 21 of these new claims, brought by people who say they were sexually abused by clergy decades ago – a number that has surprised the diocese and its legal team. There have been no accusations of recent abuse. Some of the claims already have been allowed by a special case reviewer, although the diocese is pursuing an appeal.
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Despite the appeal, the Bankruptcy Court judge ordered Nagler, the trustee, to proceed with payments on the future claims. Arpin sent an e-mail to Nagler threatening to sue the trustee personally if the diocese won its appeal after she had paid the claims, according to court records. Williams ruled that the e-mail constituted a threat.
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A total of 184 victims came forward to file claims. Churchgoers paid $10 million of the $48 million settlement. The diocese worries that these new claims are bogus and could drain a special $1 million fund within the settlement that must be replenished. Parish property has been pledged as collateral to ensure the settlement funds are adequate.
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The sad truth is that the only contrition that the Church and most of its hierarchy have is over the fact that they have been caught and exposed. As for the victims, in reality the Church sees them just as disposable now as when it allowed their abuse and covered up for their abusers.

Iris Robinson’s "Gay Cure" Adviser Under Investigation

In a development that I would like to see more prevalent in the USA - particularly in the wake of the American Psychological Association's labeling of reparative therapy as "unethical" last year - a psychiatrist in the UK is under investigation by the General Medical Council for reportedly claiming he can ‘cure’ gays of their homosexuality. If authorities in the USA would investigate and revoke the licenses of medical quacks who perpetuate the change myth, ex-gay ministries would quickly wither and die and/or expose the ministries to potential liability that could likewise put them out of business. Fanatical religious dogma has no place in medical and legitimate mental health treatment. As one who tired for 37 years to "change," I know how destructive the change myth is in reality on one's life. These "cure" programs are outright fraudulent and serve no purpose other than to assist Christianists in their anti-gay jihad. Here are some highlights from the Belfast Telegraph:
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A psychiatrist and former adviser to disgraced MP Iris Robinson, who reportedly claimed he could ‘cure’ gays of their homosexuality, has been reported to the General Medical Council.
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An undercover journalist made the complaint after receiving therapy from Dr Paul Miller, who worked for Mrs Robinson when she chaired the Stormont Health Committee and made her controversial comments claiming homosexuality was an “abomination”.
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Dr Miller, who also worked for the Mater and Craigavon hospitals, rulies and ns a practice in the Newforge area of Belfast.
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London-based reporter Patrick Strudwick, who is openly gay, said he had posed as a patient and reported his findings. He claimed Dr Miller had told him he was gay because he had been wounded as a child.

Thursday Male Beauty

Silver medalist Charlie White

JohnnyWeir Resonds to Homophobes

While he is definitely quirky and not afraid to cause controversy and gossip, Johnny Weir has some good advice for all of us in the LGBT community as he responds to bigots who have made homophobic remarks about his Olympic performances. It boils down to having the courage to be yourself and ignore the slings and arrows that may be thrown at you. To be gay in this country - at least in backwards areas like Virginia and other "fly over country" - you need to develop an attitude of "if you don't like me, that's your loss - I don't give a damn." Obviously, achieving that point takes time and isn't without some hurts, but to live out and proud, that is the mindset one must achieve. Here are some of Johnny's comments via Towleroad:
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Said Weir: "I'm not somebody to cry over something or to be weak about something. I felt very defiant when I saw these comments. It wasn't these two men criticizing my skating, it was them criticizing me as a person, and that was something that really, frankly, pissed me off...I hope more kids can grow up the same way I did and more kids can feel the freedom that I feel to be themselves and to express themselves and that's the most important thing."
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The skater added: "I'm always thought of the sparkly flamboyant character that wore a crown of roses...nobody knows me. I think masculinity is what you believe it to be. To me, masculinity is all my perception. I think masculinity and femininity is something that's very old fashioned. There's a whole new generation of people that aren't defined by their sex or their race or who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in and I that''s the most important thing."
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You've got it right Johnny - your critics are clueless and their homophobia speaks more about them than you.

Same Sex Love - It's More than Just Physical Sex

Faux expert, Linda Harvey at Mission America - her background is in advertising, not medicine or mental health as she admitted to me in an e-mail some years back - has a full bore rant at her organization (that lets her live well while denigrating others) that as is the norm for her. She ultimately distills gay relationships down to anal sex. Nothing more (I'm not sure where that leaves lesbians). Does intercourse alone define heterosexual love and marriage? I think not. Love, affection, a bonding of souls is utterly absent from Harvey's view of same sex love. It's only about a physical act in her selective Bible quoting opinion. Under Harvey's standards heterosexual love must be a barren experience. Along the way in her hyperventilating over homosexuality Ms. Harvey slights and insults others that she slams as being "false conservatives." One might better as what type of mental health intervention Harvey needs given her bizarre obsession with anal sex. Her screed is worth reading solely so one can understand the warped mindset of self appointed morals police like Harvey. Truth be told, Harvey is a religious fanatic who is just as crazy as Islamic extremists - she just doesn't advocate violence. At least not yet. Here are a few highlights from her rant:

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Anxious to appear socially just and sexually hip, panderers like “conservatives” Cindy McCain and her silly daughter just came out as backers of same sex unions. The lost GOP leadership surely has no objection.
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We have “conservative” Mitt Romney to thank for setting this example on same sex nuptials. As Massachusetts governor, he didn’t wait for legislative action-- which never happened, by the way-- but in 2004, ordered reluctant clerks to issue marriage licenses to Party A and Party B. A genuine conservative might have held off until forced. The opportunity of a lifetime was sold for a bowl of pottage. What about Scott Brown? A better choice than Martha Coakley, but a “conservative”? Hmmm... we’ll see.
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The Prop 8 trial defense attorneys slobber all over the “GLBT” community, trying to earn its lesser hate, yet still barring the door to same sex “marriage.” Why bother, if invented sexual identities are worthy of genuflection? The few genuinely conservative legal defenders of marriage were not consulted. And when the plaintiff’s attorney is “conservative” Ted Olson, we know we are in trouble.
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Teach kids to “respect” this behavior? No! Respect for others, yes, but people are born with the anatomy for heterosexuality, not homosexuality. Genuine respect involves telling the truth, and citing the risks, limitations and sinfulness of this perversion. Yet some counselors at Christian colleges, like Dr. Warren Throckmorton, now embrace “identity” politics and advise students to leave homosexuality behind only if it’s “unwanted.” Was that one of our options in Scripture? Then, if we really don’t want to help the poor, or we really do like worshipping the sun god, are those multiple choice options, too?*
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If anal sex between males is noble enough to sell to our children, I have truly missed something as a conservative. If intentionally childless and lifeless unions really signify “progress,” then perhaps the sky is actually green and Elvis is still alive in Kalamazoo. . . . this deviance is not intrinsic, no matter how many business-suited “gay conservatives” manipulate organizations that used to stand on principle.
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Oh, and did I mention that Harvey is obsessed with witchcraft too? The woman is a nutcase and more people need to know just how crazy she is. With individuals like Ms. Harvey, religious belief is used all too often as a smoke screen for mental illness that is projected onto others.

Bishops Shouldn't Block Civil Equality

As other posts on this blog have indicated, much of Europe has progressed far ahead of the USA in granting all citizens equality under the civil laws. This is particularly true in the area of gay rights. Now, a political battle is brewing in the United Kingdom where religious factions - particularly certain Anglican and Catholic bishops - are resisting legislation that would further provisions banning discrimination against LGBT citizens. Of course, not all religious denominations are anti-gay and some are now alleging that they are being subjected to religious discrimination because they are not allowed to grant same sex couples full marriage and civil union recognition in their churches and synagogues. Here are some highlights from a column in The Guardian:

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Arriving in England in 2006 as an immigrant from the US, I recall clearly being awestruck and envious at Britain's forward thinking and tolerant stance toward same-sex couples. As the US continues to fight state-by-state for increased equality, Britain had moved decades ahead in a piece of exemplary legislation.
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And yet, the 2004 act included one pernicious restriction: registration of civil partnerships was prohibited from taking place on "religious premises". This prohibition was a necessary requirement to garner the support of the Church of England, who certainly worried about pressure on their local parishes and greater division within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
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Since 2004, pressure has grown to remove the ban on mixing religion and civil partnership. Three religious groups – the Unitarians, Quakers, and Liberal Jews – have come to their own decision that they must treat all couples equally and have pressed for changes to give permit them this element of religious freedom.
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A letter to The Times today from a group of senior Anglicans strongly supports the repeal of this ban. The letter labels that prohibition, and the continued opposition to its removal, as blatantly unfair to those religious movements who have concluded that their faith calls upon them to treat all couples equally. It further recognises it as discriminatory "to deny people of faith the opportunity of registering the most important promise of their lives in their willing church or synagogue."
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According to The Times, senior bishops in the Lords have now agreed to support removal of this prohibition and support Lord Alli's amendment when it is re-presented in the next few days.
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I know of several couples for whom this change will bring tears of joy, as they gain the right – taken for granted by straight couples -– to have their union recognised by law and religion in the heart of their beloved spiritual communities. This will be a day for rejoicing indeed, as we take one more step along the road to a world of justice and understanding for all.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

CNN Poll: Americans Place Blame for Gridlock on GOP Partisanship?

In what may be belated just deserts for the national Republican Party, a new CNN poll reveals that a majority blame Congress' inability to address the nation's urgent needs on excessive partisanship. And we all know which Party has been the "Party of No." Whether or not the GOP will wake up to the fact that folks are catching on to their obstructionism and the disservice that is being done to the country. Perhaps today's lopsided vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the health insurance industry exemption from anti-trust laws is a sign that members of the GOP are waking up to the wrath they may face come November if much needed legislation and programs continue to be blocked. Here are some highlights from CNN:
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Two-thirds of Americans think that the Republicans in Congress are not doing enough to cooperate with President Barack Obama, according to a new national poll. . . . Sixty-seven percent of people questioned in the poll say that the GOP is not doing enough to cooperate with the White House, up 6 points from last April. Americans appear split on whether the president is doing enough to reach out to the Republicans, with 52 percent saying Obama's not doing enough to cooperate with the GOP and 47 percent saying he is doing enough to reach across the political aisle.
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According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the government in this country is broken, but the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what's broken can be fixed.
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Clearly, the question is now one of whether or not Republicans are going to put the country first or contribute to block progress and pander to the lunatic fringe within the tea party set.

Christianists: Gay Non-Discrimination Bill Will Stifle Free Speech

Colorado Rep. Jared Polis, with 60 co-sponsors, has introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA), or H.R. 4530, which would put lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on "equal footing" with their peers, much as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did for minorities and Title IX did for women. Not surprisingly, the Christianist wingnuts are overwhelmed in hysteria and near convulsions at the thought that their ability to brutalize LGBT youth might be subjected to limits. As I have noted numerous times before, the Christianists believe free speech and freedom of religion are a one way street: they protect the Christianists right to do whatever they want and abuse whoever they want, but God forbid that other citizens have comparable rights. It's ALWAYS all about the Christianists and their desire to disparage and marginalize others. Here are highlights from Fox News' coverage of the far right rant:
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"That's a violation of those kids who want to express opposition to LGBT opinions or behavior. People have a legitimate reason to be concerned about this -- not because they're 'haters' but because you're now trying to balance different rights."
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Other critics, meanwhile, say the bill will be used to push what they say is a homosexual agenda in public schools. "It seems pretty consistent with Kevin Jennings being appointed in the Obama administration," said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm, referring to the controversial founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network who now serves as the assistant deputy secretary for the Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
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"When [Jennings] founded GLSEN, his idea of a safe school was one that pushed a radical homosexual agenda by even encouraging first and second-graders to engage in homosexual activity," Staver said. "So I think that's the impetus behind this bill. We have an administration that wants to push a radical social agenda."
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H.R. 4530 is closely modeled after Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bans discrimination on the basis of sex. It contains the threat of loss of federal funding for non-compliant schools and says that no state may be immune under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution from suit in federal court for violating the Act.
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Staver, of the Liberty Council, said the legislation is intolerant of any "opposing or traditional" views and called on Congress to be more focused on the country's economic woes, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the threat of terrorism.
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Staver and Liberty University/Liberty Counsel are an embarrassment to Virginia. I truly wish that more members of the judiciary would grow some balls and call anti-gay discrimination for what it is: religious based discrimination which is ALREADY illegal if the Courts would simply call a spade a spade.

Conservative Frauds and Snake Oil Scam Artists

As if lying anti-gay Christianist are not disturbing enough, an elder senior citizen shared with me some mail received from far right organizations posing as quasi-government entities seeking to con money from the elderly who - despite tiny print disclaimers - are likely to believe that the materials are legitimate and be duped into sending money to these parasitic organizations. One group - revealed in tiny print to be "a project of the National Center for Public Policy Research" which has a former board member Jack Abramoff - calls itself the American Criminal Justice Center and is disseminating highly inflammable materials alleging that Barack Obama is a criminal and seeking funds for Obama's prosecution. Fortunately, this elderly citizen had the sense to ask me to look at the bogus documents.

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The other batch of materials is made to look like it is from an affiliate of the Social Security Administration and seeks to scare senior citizens into believing that their benefits are on the verge of being cut off. Naturally, the materials indicate that it is crucial to protecting benefits that recipients mail funds to the organization immediately. The entity behind this fraudulent mailing? The Federation of Responsible Citizens, another far right organization.

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The materials from both organizations are, in my opinion, intentionally misleading and, but for tiny print disclaimers that most senior citizens will likely not notice, nothing short of fraudulent. All of this is yet another example of the moral bankruptcy that seems to be entirely taking over the conservative movement in the USA. One must be a liar, crazy and/or religious fanatic to be a part of today's conservatism.

Wednesday Male Beauty

The GOP's Hunt for Heretics

One of the main reasons I left the GOP quite a few years ago now was because I did not subscribe to the fusing of fundamentalist Christianity with the party platform. Indeed, with the Christian Right take over of the GOP, one needed to either become a Kool-Aid drinker or leave. I found the whole situation an affront to the separation of church and state. Obviously, I chose to leave. The mindset I saw, however, continues and the hunt for "heretics" and "RINOS" continues unabated. One cannot deviate from the far right agenda or else the next thing you know, the mob that constitutes the party base is out to burn you at the stake. Kathleen Parker - a conservative with a brain and a conscience - has been doing a terrific job exposing the growing lunacy that grips the GOP today. She has a column today in the Washington Post that looks at how newly elected Senator Scott Brown has already made himself a heretic within the party. One cannot disagree or desire serious discussion of issues. Here are some highlights:
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The RINO hunt is back on, and the coveted trophy is Scott Brown. Inevitably and predictably, the new senator from Massachusetts -- Mr. 41, Mr. I-Drive-A-Truck, tea party poster dude -- has disappointed his base by, alas, representing his constituents. It's the purity test all over again; only this time, the stakes are high and the weird are turning seriously pro.
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Not that the tea partiers are weird, not most of them, anyway. But some are at risk of flying off into the blood-red zone of wing-nuttery. One of the sessions at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) questioned whether Abraham Lincoln was "friend or foe."
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Brown came under fire from social conservatives barely a week into his new job, even though his pro-choice position was well-known, at least to readers of this column.
Now he's caught the attention of fiscal conservatives and tea partiers who, though they favored Brown for his anti-health-reform and anti-stimulus positions, now call him a traitor for supporting a cloture motion on the Democrats' $15 billion jobs bill.
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These true conservatives and RINO-hunters are, to put it mildly, a problem for any candidate or incumbent who tries to speak bipartisan, which translates into "treason." The hunt for RINOs isn't new. Ask John McCain. Or John Avlon, author of the new book "Wingnuts," who traces the mainstreaming of the hyperpartisan hunt for heretics to the George W. Bush administration. He cites, for example, Monica Goodling, the Justice Department White House liaison who imposed social conservative litmus tests on prospective employees.
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Writes Avlon: "Hunting for heretics pretends to be a principled fight for ideological purity, but behind that mask is an uglier impulse, an attempt to intimidate and insist on conformity . . . a reminder of what the Czech dissident-turned-president Václav Havel once wrote: 'Ideology offers human beings the illusion of dignity and morals while making it easier to part with them.' "
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It continues to be disturbing how a political party that once prided itself on rational thought, unobtrusive government and religious tolerance has become such a theocratic coven without any true morals or compassion.

Lawless Blackwater Contractors

Hearings before the U. S. Senate Armed Services Committee have painted a very disturbing picture of how Blackwater USA was allowed to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan. Apparently since Blackwater boss, Erik Prince (at left), professes to be a godly Uber-Christian, the Chimperator and Emperor Palpatine Cheney and their minions turned a blind eye to rampant misdeeds and lawlessness. Some have even conjectured previously that killing Iraqis was a sport among some of the Blackwater personnel. Yes, that's beyond sick, but that's what happens when religious and cultural based discrimination is allowed to make others less than human. So far, Blackwater - or Xe as it has renamed itself - has escaped criminal prosecution, but nonetheless, it would appear that senior military personnel need to be held accountable for allowing the misdeeds as well. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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A Senate investigation accuses the Army of turning a blind eye when a Blackwater subsidiary hired violent drug users to help train the Afghan army and declared "sidearms for everyone" even though employees weren't authorized to carry weapons.
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The findings by Democratic staff on the Senate Armed Services Committee paint a disturbing picture of lawlessness that contributed to the May 2009 shooting deaths of two Afghan civilians and fed anti-Western sentiment in the region.
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"Blackwater operated in Afghanistan without sufficient oversight or supervision and with almost no consideration of the rules it was legally obligated to follow," said Sen. Carl Levin, the committee's chairman.
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Former employees of the company's subsidiary Paravant — Justin Cannon and Christopher Drotleff — have been charged with killing two Afghans and injuring a third. Cannon and Drotleff were not supposed to be armed and had been drinking.
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They also probably shouldn't have been hired by Blackwater at all. Drotleff's lengthy criminal record included assault and battery, while his three-year career in the Marines ended after seven unauthorized absences, assault and other charges.
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Blackwater has been involved in several security incidents, including the 2007 shooting at Nisoor Square in Baghdad that killed 17 people, including women and children. Since the shooting, the Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater has renamed itself Xe Services and overhauled its management. Iraq has pulled the company's license to operate in the country.
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Levin said he wants to determine who should be held accountable for the gaps in oversight that led to the 2009 shooting and what should happen to prevent future incidents. But he stopped short of suggesting that Xe be barred from working with the military overseas.
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The senator said that among the startling discoveries in his investigation was that contracting personnel acquired several hundred weapons, including more than 500 AK-47s, from a U.S. facility in Kabul that stores the weapons for use by the Afghan police.
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With Prince's family a force to be reckoned with in GOP and Christianist circles, I would not be surprised if Blackwater had not been given a free reign from on high.

Final Tuesday Male Beauty

Massachusetts Says DOMA is Unconstitutional

I suspect that I have mentioned this litigation previously, but it is still worth noting that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has sued to have the Federal Defense of Marriage Act struck down as unconstitutional and abridging Massachusetts' right to regulate marriage as has been the state custom since the beginning of the USA. Leading the charge is Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley who now maintains that no trial is needed to strike down DOMA and the court hearing the case can decide the matter purely as a matter of law. Personally, I believe that Cloakley is correct on this issue. What's even more interesting is that now it is a sovereign state challenging the federal law as opposed to individual LGBT citizens. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:
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Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley says a federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman interferes with her state’s right to regulate the institution.
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Coakley’s office filed a lawsuit in July challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In papers filed late Thursday, Coakley asks a judge to deem the law unconstitutional without holding a trial on the lawsuit.
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Coakley argues that regulating marital status has traditionally been left to the states. She also says the federal law treats married heterosexual couples and married same-sex couples differently on Medicaid benefits and burial in veterans’ cemeteries.

Gay "Cure" Mandate Targeted for Repeal in California

As an attorney I am at times shocked by the reactionary laws that remain "on the books" in various state codes of statutes even when the laws have not been actively enforced for years. Virginia has many such statutes - including the so called sodomy statute invalidated by the U.S, Supreme Court in 2003. With the American Psychological Association having outright condemned reparative therapy and homosexuality having ceased to be viewed as a mental illness for nearly 27 years, it is disturbing to say the least that a state like California continues to have a statute that mandates that that mandates a search for a “cure” for homosexuality. While the statute is beyond a doubt popular with the professional Christian set, modern medical and mental health knowledge reveals it to be a bigotedrelic. Now, at last a member of the California legislature is taking steps to have the statute relegated to the thrash heap of history. Here are highlights from the Sacramento Bee:

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Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal figures 43 years is long enough to try to "cure" homosexuality. So the Long Beach Democrat has introduced a bill that would strip a section from California's Welfare and Institutions Code mandating a search for such a cure.
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Assembly Bill 2199, is just one of hundreds of bills given birth this week by lawmakers scurrying to meet a Friday deadline for introducing legislation this session.
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Lowenthal thinks the edict's mere existence on the books is odious enough to warrant its demise. The fact this language has survived this long is pretty amazing," she said in a news release. "We need to blot it out and make it clear we're moving forward as a society, not backward."
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One can almost hear the anguished gasps from James Dobson and similar homophobes who have made a career out of depicting gays as diseased and/or mentally ill.

More Tuesday Male Beauty