More Saturday Male Beauty

2nd District GOP Contenders Target Ken Cuccinelli Want to Be Scott Ridgell

I've previously written about Scott Rigell - who I suspect is a Ken Cuccinelli clone trying to campaign as a "moderate" - as he attempts to buy the GOP nomination for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District with his own personal wealth. Rigell is in a six way contest with only one gay friendly candidate, Jessica Sandlin (pictured at left and who I will vote for), in the fray. Also in the contest are a tea party candidate and far right extremists of the type one would expect to find in Mississippi or Alabama. With the primary on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, the rhetoric is heating up and the ultra far right contenders are in a feeding frenzy going after Rigell. Actually, it's something that's fun to watch and I personally hope that Rigell doesn't win. If he does prevail, many will by default support incumbent Glenn Nye rather than see a Cuccinelli clone go to Washington. The fact that Rigell is supported by Bob McDonnell and Eric Cantor ought to frighten voters. It is critical that all registered voters vote on Tuesday and stop Rigell - anyone can vote in the GOP primary since voters do NOT register by party in Virginia. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot on the free for all:

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With the Republican primary in the 2nd District days away, several of the six candidates are stepping up efforts to weaken the contender who has the biggest bank account and the backing of state party leaders.
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In mailings, radio spots, Internet videos and speeches, their focus is Scott Rigell, founder of Freedom Automotive, whose $1 million-plus campaign - funded in part by more than $600,000 of his own money - far exceeds the combined expenditures of the other candidates.
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Rigell has the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, the House whip.
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"We're really trying to take a bunch of dings at Scott Rigell because his hope is to float above the five of us like we're all fighting against him," candidate Ed Maulbeck said during a debate Thursday on 1650 WHFT-AM. "We need to basically destroy him as a group."
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All voters in the district, which includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Hampton, can participate in the primary Tuesday. The winner will take on U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, a first-term Virginia Beach Democrat, and independent Kenny Golden in the November general election.
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Rigell, who has been critical of the federal economic stimulus plan, said he participated in the Cash for Clunkers program because if he hadn't, customers would have bought cars from his competitors and his employees would have suffered. His business sold 107 cars under the program, he said.

LGBT Community Needs New Rules for Democrats

This past Thursday I was asked to consider joining the local Democratic City Committee as a voice of the LGBT community. In addition, I was asked to attend an event on this coming Tuesday evening where the state party leadership will be in attendance. I accepted the invitation with a warning that I am none too happy with the Democrats and, in fact, am an advocate for the "Don't Ask, Don't Give" campaign. I asked are you sure you want to hear what I've got to say, because the Democratic leadership probably isn't going to like what I have to say. On issues ranging from DADT repeal to employment non-discrimination protections, Democrats give plenty of lip service in terms of supporting full legal equality for LGBT citizens, but fall miles short on delivering real action. The sell-out DADT repeal compromise that might not even pass the U.S. Senate is a perfect example of nice talk but only less than half measure action. Ironically, Act on Principles has a new post on what the LGBT community needs to tell the Democrats are the new operating rules. They mirror my own thoughts and I will certainly deliver this message come Tuesday. Here are some highlights:
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RULE ONE(Democratic Treasurer rule):
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Old Rule: It is more important to win a Democratic House and Senate Majority than lose that majority or potential majority fighting for LGBT equality. And both are mutually exclusive of one another. This rule can also apply to the Presidential race.
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New Rule: It is AS important to fight for LGBT equality, as winning or keeping a House and Senate Democratic Majority. And neither are mutually exclusive. This rule also applies to the Presidential Race.
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RULE TWO:
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Old Rule: Money and support will be given by the LGBT community to Democratic candidates, in turn for the expectation that they will be supportive of LGBT issues.
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New Rule: Money and support will “earned” by Democratic candidates who demonstrate CONTINUED SUPPORT of LGBT issues.
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RULE THREE:
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Old Rule: LGBT donors will give to Democratic candidates and Committees first (DNC, DSCC, DCCC) and expect leadership on LGBT equality later.
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New Rule: LGBT donors will FIRST expect Democratic candidates and Committees (DNC, DSCC, DCCC) SUPPORT for equality, and will DONATE LATER.
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RULE FOUR (Harold Ford Rule):
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Old Rule: African American and/or Southern Democrats get a pass on advocating for LGBT equality.
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New Rule: African American and Southern Democrats are expected to be MORE VOCAL for LGBT equality as those communities are disproportionately impacted by homophobia and inequity.
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RULE FIVE:
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Old Rule: It is ok and understandable if a Democrat refers to his or her culture, religion, or upbringing as reasons not support full LGBT equality.
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New Rule: It is offensive and no longer acceptable if candidates embrace the bigotry of their culture, religion and/or upbringing as reasons not to support full LGBT equality.
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RULE SIX:
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Old Rule: If LGBT community supports Democratic candidates and the candidate is successful in their race, the LGBT community can then ask the newly or re-elected Democrats to support equality. If key votes or legislation are not delivered, the candidate should continue to receive the same support during re-election.
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New rule: If LGBT community supports Democratic candidates and the candidate is successful in their race, the LGBT community will demand the newly or re-elected Democrats to support LGBT equality. If key votes or legislation are not delivered, the candidate WILL NOT and SHOULD NOT receive similar support during re-election.
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Will the Dems like the new rules? I doubt it, but it is time for LGBT Americans to stop being used by Democrats who claim to be gay supportive and then never follow through. Barack Obama's broken campaign promises illustrate the cycle that must be broken. How many times do we have to be played for suckers before we say NO MORE?

Saturday Male Beauty

Oil from Gulf Spill Hits Alabama Beaches

Having lived on the Alabama Gulf Coast years ago, I know how beautiful the beaches are and how important the seafood industry and tourism are to the area. Thus, the photo above on the beach at Gulf Shores makes me sick. At the same time, I cannot help but recognize the irony that Alabama - a consistently far right Republican, anti-regulation minded state is now reaping the fruits of its own misguided behavior. Will anyone learn a lesson from this disaster? I can only hope so. The Mobile Press Register has more details here.

Changing Attitudes Towards Gays - And Views of Homophobes as Closet Cases

I have mentioned in passing a recent Gallup poll that must be making the fundies truly convulse on the floor with spittle flying: For the first time, the percentage of Americans who perceive “gay and lesbian relations” as morally acceptable has crossed the fifty percent (50%) mark. The Gallup survey also shows that gay acceptance among men has increased, particularly among younger men who do not even remember the days when being gays was considered a form of clinical mental illness. All of this is tangible proof that the Christianists are losing the culture wars even if they continue to win some battles. In a New York Times op-ed column that looks at this development, the other encouraging trend is that increasingly the most focal homophobes are being perceived as closet cases reacting against their own homosexual urges. Maybe Tony Perkins, Robert Knight Peter Sprigg, et al, need to wake up to the fact that their loud protestions against gays say more about them than your avaeage gay American. Here are some column highlights:

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Last week, while many of us were distracted by the oil belching forth from the gulf floor and the president’s ham-handed attempts to demonstrate that he was sufficiently engaged and enraged, Gallup released a stunning, and little noticed, report on Americans’ evolving views of homosexuality. Allow me to enlighten:
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1. For the first time, the percentage of Americans who perceive “gay and lesbian relations” as morally acceptable has crossed the 50 percent mark. (You have to love the fact that they still use the word “relations.” So quaint.)
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2. Also for the first time, the percentage of men who hold that view is greater than the percentage of women who do.
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3. This new alignment is being led by a dramatic change in attitudes among younger men . . . the percentage of men ages 18 to 49 who perceived these “relations” as morally acceptable rose by 48 percent, and among men over 50, it rose by 26 percent.
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W]hat’s driving such a radical change in men’s views on this issue . . . Here are three theories:
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1. The contact hypothesis. As more men openly acknowledge that they are gay, it becomes harder for men who are not gay to discriminate against them. And as that group of openly gay men becomes more varied — including athletes, celebrities and soldiers — many of the old, derisive stereotypes lose their purchase.
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2. Men may be becoming more egalitarian in general. As Dr. Kimmel put it: “Men have gotten increasingly comfortable with the presence of, and relative equality of, ‘the other,’ and we’re becoming more accustomed to it. And most men are finding that it has not been a disaster.”
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3. Virulent homophobes are increasingly being exposed for engaging in homosexuality. Think Ted Haggard, the once fervent antigay preacher and former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, and his male prostitute. . . . Or George Rekers, the founding member of the Family Research Council, and his rent boy/luggage handler. Last week, the council claimed that repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would lead to an explosion of “homosexual assaults” in which sleeping soldiers would be the victims of fondling and fellatio by gay predators. In fact, there is a growing body of research that supports the notion that homophobia in some men could be a reaction to their own homosexual impulses. Many heterosexual men see this, and they don’t want to be associated with it.
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As for the aversion among men, it may be softening a bit. Professor Savin-Williams says that his current research reveals that the fastest-growing group along the sexuality continuum are men who self-identify as “mostly straight” as opposed to labels like “straight,” “gay” or “bisexual.” They acknowledge some level of attraction to other men even as they say that they probably wouldn’t act on it, but ... the right guy, the right day, a few beers and who knows. As the professor points out, you would never have heard that in years past.
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All together now: stunning.

Mexico City Hopes to Attract Gay Tourism

While Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli continue to do all in their power to drive LGBT Virginians from the state - not to mention make the state toxic from the perspective of potential LGBT tourists - Mexico City, the capital of Catholic Mexico, is working to make itself a gay travel destination. Sadly, it is yet another instance of what used to be considered part of the "third world" now outstripping most of the states in the USA in terms of tolerance and progressiveness. One has to wonder when the USA is going to wake up. Hate merchants like Tony Perkins are given platforms for their poison by the mainstream media again and again and NEVER challenged on the illegitimacy of their anti-gay positions (CNN just did this yet again here). Here are some highlights from EnTerra.com on Mexico City's new LGBT tourism push:
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Mexico has traditionally been a conservative Catholic country but Mexico City has developed a popular and vibrant gay scene in recent years. Gay tourism is seen as a valuable asset to cities. In the US, it is estimated that the yearly economic impact of gay and lesbian visitors is $70 billion.
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Mexico City tourism minister Alejandro Rojas is planning for the increase in gay tourism that he says will result from the city's recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
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Tourism officials in Mexico say they hope to attract gay couples who want to marry in the capital city. According to Press Association, Alejandro Rojas, the city's tourism secretary, said: "Mexico City will become a centre, where (gay) people from all over the world will be able to come and have their wedding, and then spend their honeymoon here.
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"We are already in talks with some travel agencies that are planning to offer package tours that include flights, hotels, guides, and everything they need for the wedding, like banquets. We are going to become a city on a par with Venice or San Francisco."
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Rojas says that the city will be investing 100 million pesos into a new gay-friendly hotel in the Zona Rosa and will support the development of other businesses that cater to the GLBT market.
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Mexico City will become a truly 'gay friendly' city, one in which all GLBT people can live and visit with safety, dignity, and joy.
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I can't help but ask myself WTF is wrong with so much of the USA?

More Friday Male Beauty

The Trial of Pope Benedict XVI

As a former Catholic who left the Church because of the leadership's homophobia and hypocrisy and - worse yet - utter indifference to the sexual molestation of children and youths, I am glad that Time Magazine has run a cover story on Benedict XVI that looks at the Church's unlimited amounts of dirty laundry, cover ups and lies. There are some gays like Andrew Sullivan - who I respect immensely - who refuse to leave the Catholic Church because they do not want be "driven from their faith." I chose to leave instead and found a denomination much like the Roman Catholic Church which while not perfect allowed me to feel I was not remaining a part of something that was vile and, in fact, a force for evil under the present (and past) Pope and hierarchy. Anyone who gives funds to their local parish ultimately provides funding to the diocese and then the Vatican. Other than by ceasing to contribute entirely can one say they are not financially underwriting what I view as criminal and certainly non-Christian conduct. The entire world needs to know of the Church's sins and demand change. The Church must be recognized as the victimizer rather than the victim which its supporters would have people believe. Otherwise the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy will continue. Here are highlight's from Time:
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[A] well-placed Cardinal has publicly speculated that Benedict will deliver a mea culpa in early June [about the sex abuse scandal] . . . It is unlikely to satisfy the many members of Benedict's flock who want a very modern kind of accountability, not just mealymouthed declarations buttressed by arcane religious philosophy. "Someone once told me that if the church survived the Inquisition, it can survive this," says Olan Horne, 50, an American victim of priestly abuse. "But these are different times. And right now, the modern world is wrapping its head around the Catholic Church in a major way."
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The crisis facing the church is deeply complicated by the fact that in 1980, as Archbishop of Munich, the future Benedict XVI appears to have mismanaged the assignment of an accused pedophile priest under his charge. That revelation — and questions about Ratzinger's subsequent oversight of cases as a top Vatican official — has been the trigger in turning a rolling series of national scandals into an epic and existential test . . .
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Benedict now seems to understand the stakes. But Alberto Melloni, a church historian at the University of Modena, says other power brokers in the Vatican think the church can just ride out the storm. "They don't realize the deep bitterness among the faithful, the isolation of the clergy. We can't predict where this is going to wind up." Speaking to TIME, a senior Vatican official foresees immense consequences for the entire church. "History comes down to certain key episodes," he says. "We're facing one of those moments now."
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The Gospel of St. Mark prescribes a fate for those who harm children: "And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." But the outrage embodied in those words has been absent in much of the church's response to crimes committed by its priests.
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A truly successful mea culpa and penance for the abuse scandal must preserve the magisterium while dealing with these facts: Ratzinger, both in his role as the local bishop in Munich from 1977 to 1981 and as the overseer of universal doctrine in Rome, was very much part of a system that had badly underestimated and in some cases enabled the rot of clergy abuse that spread through the church in the past half-century.
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[N]owhere was there a more systemic tendency to cover up the shame and scandal than in Catholic parishes and orphanages entrusted with the care of the young — which showed no compunction about avoiding the civil authorities altogether.
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In 1995 he [Ratzinger] managed to force the removal of Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër as the Archbishop of Vienna, but, according to the New York Times, he did not fight to set up a fact-finding commission to investigate Groër's alleged molestation of young boys after it was blocked by John Paul II's personal secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz (now Archbishop of Krakow) and the powerful Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano (now dean of the College of Cardinals).
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But in March 2010, German journalists revealed a record that complicates the Pope's reputation. In Munich in 1980, then Archbishop Ratzinger had personally authorized the transfer of an abusive priest, Peter Hullermann, from another part of Germany to his own archdiocese, ostensibly for therapy. But just days after his arrival, the priest was allowed to serve among the flock. Hullermann would be convicted of subsequent sexual assaults in 1986. . . . But defending the Pope by pointing out that he was following the standard operating procedures of the day or that he was not focused on his oversight duties no longer cuts it for most Catholics. "The impression it leaves is that these things simply weren't very important to the bishops and Cardinals," says Melloni. "To say he didn't know is not a defense; it's the problem."
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Even if Benedict forces the Curia to be more forthcoming, he will not have caught up with many believers. Though their church is still run top-down, Catholics now carry the expectations of a kind of faithful citizenry rather than an obedient flock. Plans are afoot for thousands of abuse victims and their loved ones to travel to Rome in October for a "Reformation Day" to pressure the Vatican to act.
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Father Thomas Whelan, a professor of theology at Dublin's Milltown Institute, points out that . . . If the church doesn't clean house, the consequences will be dire. The scandals in deeply Catholic Ireland have led to a massive emptying of churches. Controversies in Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe have had a similar effect. "This memory [of sexual abuse] will now be forever encased in history," says Whelan. "In Ireland, at least, theology can't ever be the same without mentioning it — not just the abuse but how it was handled by the church."

When Will Family Research Council be Classified as a Hate Group?

I've been following the lies and and anti-gay viciousness peddled by Tony Perkins (at right) and Family Research Council ("FRC") - one of whose co-founders was George "Rentboy Lover" Rekers - for roughly a decade. Honestly, I thought it was possible to stoop lower than FRC does on a virtually daily basis. Or so I had thought. Now it turns out that FRC spent $25,000 lobby Congress in an effort block a resolution condemning the proposed Ugandan "Kill the Gays Bill." That's right - $25,000 in an attempt to secure passage of legislation that would subject gays to prison and, in some cases, the death penalty. Personally, I do not see how anyone who advocates death for others because they don't conform to a particular religious beliefs can call themselves Christian. Joe Jervis at Joe By God has the details and here are highlights:
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It's time for the Southern Poverty Law Center to reclassify the Family Research Council as an official hate group, not merely anti-gay as they are now listed. According to the FRC's official lobbying report for the first quarter of 2010, they paid two of their henchmen $25,000 to lobby Congress against approving a resolution denouncing Uganda's plan to execute homosexuals. The resolution passed in the Senate on April 13th, but remains languishing in the House almost four months after being referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Did the FRC's lobbying kill it? As we learned last week with Malawi, international pressure CAN sway even the most virulently anti-gay government.
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Below are three screencaps of the 20-page Family Research Council lobbying report supplied to me by Duncan Osbourne at Gay City News. Among the other items they lobbied against are the overturn of DADT and DOMA, which is to be expected. But it's almost astounding, almost, that they would lobby the members of Congress against denouncing the death penalty for LGBT people. THIS needs to fucking THROWN in Tony Perkins' and Peter Sprigg's smirking faces the next time they appear on cable television to speak in soothing voices about the FRC's godly gentle love for homosexuals. The proof is right below on official United States government stationery.

Friday Male Beauty

Religious Based Discrimination and the Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History Case

The Washington Blade has a story on the Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History case wherein the Supreme Court of Virginia refused to hear Moore's appeal. For those not familiar with the case, Moore was fired by the Museum after its executive director discovered that Moore was gay and even the investigation by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management found that Moore's sexual orientation was a factor in his firing. The case is important because it shows that currently LGBT Virginians have no employment non-discrimination protections - even when they are state employees. It is likewise important because the Supreme Court of Virginia lacked the courage to even write an opinion laying out its reasoning - I believe because once it began to do so, it would have been impossible to avoid getting into the real underlying bigotry against LGBT citizens: religion.

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While it is true as Greg Nevins of Lambda Legal points out that some courts in other jurisdictions have found for gay plaintiffs under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution - an argument that was made extensively in Moore's briefs - the Supreme Court of Virginia lacked the courage even on this issue to take the step of recognizing the rights of gay Virginians much as it lacked courage in Loving v. Commonwealth when it upheld Virginia's ban on interracial marriage in 1966, only to be reversed a year later by the United States Supreme Court.

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From my research, only two recent appellate court decision have touched on the source of anti-gay discrimination. One such case is Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). In that case, in striking down the Texas sodomy statute – and indirectly Virginia’s own statute as well – the Court stated in relevant part as follows:
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The condemnation [of homosexuals] has been shaped by religious beliefs, conceptions of right and acceptable behavior, and respect for the traditional family. For many persons these are not trivial concerns but profound and deep convictions accepted as ethical and moral principles to which they aspire and which thus determine the course of their lives. These considerations do not answer the question before us, however. The issue is whether the majority may use the power of the State to enforce these views on the whole society through operation of the criminal law. “Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code.”
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The other case is Varnum v. Brien, 763 N.W.2d 862 (Iowa 2009), where the Iowa Supreme Court recognized that the underlying animus against homosexuals is religious based. Specifically, the Iowa Supreme Court stated in relevant part as follows:
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State government can have no religious views, either directly or indirectly, expressed through its legislation. . . . This proposition is the essence of the separation of church and state. As a result, civil marriage must be judged under our constitutional standards of equal protection and not under religious doctrines or the religious views of individuals. This approach does not disrespect or denigrate the religious views of many Iowans who may strongly believe in marriage as a dual-gender union, but considers, as we must, only the constitutional rights of all people, as expressed by the promise of equal protection for all.
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Protection against discrimination based on religious belief - or non belief - are already on the books in every state. Sadly, until courts across the board are willing to tackle this reality of religious based discrimination against LGBT citizens head on, we can expect more cop outs like that of the Supreme Court of Virginia in the Moore case. Here are highlights from the Blade story:

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The Virginia Supreme Court has denied a gay man’s effort to obtain restitution after he allegedly was forced to resign from his job at a state museum because of his sexual orientation.
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In a two-paragraph notice issued May 17, the state’s high court said it wouldn’t hear the case of Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History because there’s nothing in the situation the justice system could rectify.
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Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, general counsel for Equality Virginia, said the failure of the Virginia Supreme Court to take up the case shows the need for the passage of state legislation that would help protect LGBT Virginians against workplace discrimination.
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“The bottom line is this decision just demonstrates what we’ve held for years — that LGBT employees don’t have any meaningful law to seek redress for discrimination, and frankly, they don’t have any cause of action under the old executive order, either,” she said.
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When he took office this year, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell didn’t renew the executive order for workplace protection against gays and instead replaced it with a less forceful executive directive.
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Gastanaga said if there weren’t any meaningful protections under Kaine’s order, “there really, really isn’t any protection now” under McDonnell’s directive.

"Ex-Lesbian" Has Fled USA With Daughter

I've been following the Lisa Miller/Janet Jenkins story for several reasons: (1) because the case has involved the few rare occasions where the Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled in favor of LGBT litigants, (2) it highlights the lies and deceptions that go hand in hand with the ex-gay myth disseminated by Christianists, and (3) it demonstrates the fact that Christianists feel that they can ignore the law whenever it suits them. Now, the Houston Chronicle is reporting that Lisa Miller - who has a warrant out for her arrest - has kidnapped Isabella and fled to El Salvador. I doubt that Miller pulled this off on her own. Instead, I suspect she was aided by far right religious groups that ought to face criminal charges if such turns out to be the case. The whole sad saga underscores the fact that ALL "ex-gay" ministries need to be shut down by state licensing agencies and that therapists who engage in this snake oil conduct ought to lose their licenses. Here are highlights from the Chronicle:

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The girl, Isabella Miller-Jenkins, and her birth mother, Lisa Miller, failed to appear for a court-ordered custody swap in January and are believed to have flown to El Salvador last September, said attorney Sarah Star, who represents ex-partner Janet Jenkins.
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Star said a Virginia police officer told her that Miller and the girl flew to El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, from Juarez, Mexico, which is across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.
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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has turned its attention to Central America, distributing photos and information about Isabella to news outlets throughout the region, apparently believing she and her birth mother moved there, Star said Thursday.
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Isabella and Miller, of Forest, Va., were supposed to appear Jan. 1 for Jenkins, of Fair Haven, Vt., to take custody of the girl. When they didn't appear, a contempt citation and arrest warrant were issued for Miller in Vermont, and a Virginia court has issued a show cause order against her.
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Personally, I believe that Miller is focused solely on herself and obviously cares nothing about the turmoil and instability to which her daughter is exposed. She's more concerned about screwing over her ex-partner than the welfare of her child. Sadly, it's too typical of the self-proclaimed "born again" Christians who act in the most un-Christian of ways.

Reckoning in the Gulf of Mexico

My post yesterday on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe focused on the local concerns of residents here in Key West and my own misgivings in terms of trusting BP with control of anything going forward. The lead editorial in the Key West Citizen underscores local distrust of BP. From what has been made public to date, it sounds as if BP broke rules and engaged in actions that the head of the Transocean drill team objected to - and 11 individuals likely paid with their lives when the objected procedure caused the well and platform to explode. The environmental loses since then have been staggering. The New York Times has a spot on editorial that lays out the federal government's much belated response to the disaster. The sad reality, however, is that no amount of money will replace the lost wildlife or the damage to delicate ecological systems. The second sad reality - one that locals here are very much afraid of - is the fact that even if they prevail in lawsuits against BP and other responsible parties, it could be decades before any money is received by those whose livelihoods have been destroyed in the interim. Those who want to see the cap on BP's liability removed should sign the petit1on to Congress here. Now, here are Highlights from the Times:

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The spill, the worst in United States history and growing more damaging by the day, cries out for accountability and appropriate punishment. Attorney General Eric Holder did not name specific targets, but BP, Transocean — the rig operator — and other important subcontractors like Halliburton are obvious candidates.
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Justice’s investigation will run parallel to an inquiry by a special commission appointed by President Obama to discover the causes of the disaster, assess the performance of federal oversight agencies and recommend ways to prevent similar calamities. The White House must take special care that both are allowed to do a complete job.
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Unlike the Justice Department, the commission does not have subpoena powers. Congress should grant that power if only to make sure that witnesses from an industry that is accustomed to going its own way actually show up.
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As Mr. Holder knows, the legal journey will be long and arduous. Exxon did not finally settle up for damages related to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill — in addition to the billions it paid in cleanup costs — until a Supreme Court decision in 2008. BP is responsible for containing the gulf spill and cleaning it up, but the fines it must ultimately pay, as well as compensatory damages to injured parties, will depend in part on the whether the company can be shown to have broken the law.
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One relevant law is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, enacted after the Exxon Valdez spill, which imposes monetary penalties for every barrel of spilled oil — even if negligence is not found, but more if it is. Another is the Clean Water Act, which carries both civil and criminal penalties for polluting waterways. BP could also be found negligent under the Marine Mammal Protection Act because it failed to obtain necessary federal permits to drill in areas inhabited by endangered whales.
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Senator Barbara Boxer, who was pressing Mr. Holder to act, raised one more ominous possibility: that BP may have made false and misleading statements to federal authorities in the 2009 exploratory drilling plan it submitted to the Minerals Management Service. The plan asserted that the company had “proven equipment and technology” to respond to a blowout. Given the ad hoc nature of BP’s response, Ms. Boxer has suggested, that assertion now seems misleading or even false.
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There are extraordinarily tough times ahead for the gulf and the region’s residents. That BP will also suffer does not trouble us in the least.

Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli Sides with Westboro Baptist Church

Being that he's a religious nutcase himself, it should be no surprise that Virginia Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli has refused to join in an amicus brief to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case brought by the father of a service member whose funeral was protested and disrupted by Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church of "God Hates Fags" infamy. Kookinelli is one of only two state AG's to not join in the brief and claims he is doing so in support of Phelps' right of freedom of speech. Apparently, Kookinelli supports free speech unless it falls in the realm of academic freedom or otherwise counters Kookinelli's extremist religious beliefs. It's a case of transparent hypocrisy for certain, yet all to typical of folks like Kookinelli who have ZERO regard for the right to freedom of religion for others. Indeed, Kookinelli believes that Virginia gays should be punished for nonconformity to Christianist religious views and deserve no employment protections. The full brief that Cuccinelli declined to support can be found here. Channel 12 news has coverage on Kookinelli's latest idiocy. Here are some highlights:
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Never one to follow the crowd, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has decided against filing an amicus brief in a case before the Supreme Court involving the controversial Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). Cuccinelli is one of only two State Attorneys General in the entire country who have declined the opportunity to support Albert Snyder. Snyder sued WBC after the hate group protested at his son’s funeral. Snyder’s son was killed serving in Iraq.
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Snyder won his first case, but the decision was turned back by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, based on the 1st amendment. In addition to the overturned decision, he was ordered to pay the court costs of the Phelps family, the leaders of WBC.
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Snyder has gained the support of many politicians, including 42 U.S. Senators and every State Attorney General (including the District of Columbia) except for Maine and Virginia.

Thursday Male Beauty

BP Cannot Be Trusted to Stop Spill or Process Claims

Here in Key West the fear of the approaching environmental disaster is becoming palpable as is the fear that the region's tourism industry will be destroyed. Also palpable is the total distrust of leaving anything up to BP which seems to be being aided and abetted by the U.S. government which is allowing BP to keep the media away from areas in an effort to avoid damaging photos from hitting the air waves and thus sparking total fury and outrage. Some have criticized my post that suggested that BP North American assets be placed into temporary receivership, but to be honest I do not see BP doing all that should and could be done. After yesterday's incredible snorkeling and kayaking cruise, it literally sickens me to think of all the beauty we saw about to be potentially destroyed. The photo of the dead dolphin above reminds me of the possible fate of the happy and playful dolphins we saw just yesterday. Does BP give a damn about it? I doubt it - or not beyond worries of what money may be lost. The following are highlights from the New York Daily News :
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Here's what President Obama didn't see when he visited the Gulf Coast: a dead dolphin rotting in the shore weeds.
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"When we found this dolphin it was filled with oil. Oil was just pouring out of it. It was the saddest darn thing to look at," said a BP contract worker who took the Daily News on a surreptitious tour of the wildlife disaster unfolding in Louisiana.
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His motive: simple outrage. "There is a lot of coverup for BP. They specifically informed us that they don't want these pictures of the dead animals. They know the ocean will wipe away most of the evidence. It's important to me that people know the truth about what's going on here," the contractor said.
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"The things I've seen: They just aren't right. All the life out here is just full of oil. I'm going to show you what BP never showed the President."
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After checking that he was unobserved, he motored out to Queen Bess barrier island, known to the locals as Bird Island. The grasses by the shore were littered with tarred marine life, some dead and others struggling under a thick coating of crude.
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"When you see some of the things I've seen, it would make you sick," the contractor said. "No living creature should endure that kind of suffering."
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The uninhabited barrier islands are surrounded by yellow floating booms, also stained black, that are supposed to keep the oil out. It's not working.
"That grass was green a few weeks ago," the contractor said. "Now look. ... This whole island is destroyed. How do you write a check for something like this?"
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He said he recently found five turtles drowning in oil. "Three turtles were dead. Two were dying and not dead yet. They will be," he said. As the boat headed back amid the choppy waves, a pod of dolphins showed up to swim with the vessel and guide it to land. "They know they are in trouble. We are all in trouble," the contractor said.
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BP's central role in the disaster cleanup has apparently given the company a lot of latitude in keeping the press away from beaches where the oil is thickest. On Monday, a Daily News team was escorted away from a public beach on Elmer's Island bycops who said they were taking orders from BP.
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38% of the Gulf of Mexico is now closed to fishing and the area involved will only increase. It is beyond pathetic that the President of the United States is shown what a private company wants him to see. You talk about an ass backwards scenario. Meanwhile, BP diddles rather than simply totally destroying the leaking well - likely because it wants to savage the well and save money. And the U.S. government likewise dawdles away time as the disaster grows. The Washington Post looks at the potential economic disaster which will be piggy backing the environmental nightmare. Here are highlights:
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[T]he economic impact of the nation's worst ever oil spill may be just beginning. With the vast majority of the oil floating offshore, where it will land and whom it will affect have become a guessing game fraught with worry. Wherever the oil goes, it threatens to obliterate billions of dollars for the region's tourism and fishing industries.
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At stake are industries that employ tens of thousands of people and generate billions of dollars in economic activity for coastal areas stretching hundreds of miles. . . . For gulf regions from Texas to Key West, commercial fishing contributes $1 billion to GDP, tourism and recreation contribute $13 billion, . . .

Surf's Out - DNA Looks at GaySurfers.net

Not too long ago I posted about a new website/group for gay surfers - a site that I've joined myself as an out gay surfer. I hope the site in time dispels the macho image of uber-heterosexual surfers. As members of gaysurfers.net are finding out, there are far more of us than anyone knew. Now DNA Magazine - a major Australian gay magazine (subscription required) has picked up on the website and has put together a great article that includes interviews with some of the new group's members. Like many sports, surfing is a sport where homophobia needs to cease being acceptable and a sport where one is judged on your ability, not who you love or sleep with. The article is lengthy, so I encourage you to read the full article. Here are some highlights via the gaysurfers.net site:
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Gay men have long been absent from surfing thanks, in large part, to homophobia that permeates the sport. However, a new website proves there are far more gay surfers than anybody suspected, opening exciting new possibilities for the blossoming gay surf sub-culture.
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Gays have always been so conspicuously absent from surf culture that Matt Warshaw, author of the San Francisco-based Encyclopaedia Of Surfing, has wondered aloud if there are any. “If there was going to be a place where there are openly gay surfers, this is it, but you just don’t see it,” he says. “I’m baffled whether it’s a sport that has happily or unhappily closeted surfers or if it’s so staunchly hetero that it’s like a force-field to keep gays out.”
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That question has been resoundingly answered by a new website, gaysurfers.net, which has proven that gay surfers definitely exist and in far greater numbers than anybody suspected. The website is a social network that’s allowing gay surfers to connect with each other in a way that’s never been possible before and they’re flocking to the site. It came online in February this year and within weeks had more than 250 members, a figure which climbed above 600 in the fortnight we were watching it. Members create profiles – often anonymously – and then get in touch with each other as they check out the gay surfing articles and lists of gay-friendly surf spots. It’s obvious from the almost overwhelmingly superlative praise it’s received from grateful members that the site has met a very real need.
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Robbins Thompson, who spent four years rated in the top five on the American professional circuit, . . . is the site’s creator. He says he built it because he found it impossible to meet other gay surfers anywhere else. “In the past I have met about two or three and they were not out. They were all very scared of being outed and rejected by the surfers from their community,” he says. “I believe there is a surf culture beyond the macho young man and there are things we want to share with other gay surfers beyond dating. I was hoping someone out there would build this community, but it never happened. So I decided to do it myself.”
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Changing the homophobic attitude among straight surfers is one of the website’s key goals. “We have two main objectives,” Thomas says. “To bring gay surfers together, because meeting other gay surfers with similar issues across the world will help those in need, and to help change public awareness. Letting the world know about such a community will help fight against homophobia and discrimination. It will hopefully help to reach the more closeted surfers who need this website the most.”
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It seems the experience of gay surfers depends largely on where they are in the world. While most of those we spoke to from Australia and America reported some degree of anti-gay sentiment, those in Europe said they had suffered virtually no homophobia. “I never have felt hostility to me on behalf of other surfers, except when I prick them waves [cut in line while surfing],” says Guillaume, who surfs in southern France. “I don’t know gay surfers. I am the kind of solitary surfer. I focus on my sport. In reality, the fact of surfing with straight or gay surfers worries me little.”
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Now that gay surfers have a way to find each other, to realise they’re not alone and that their sport isn’t as hostile as they might have thought, that’s hopefully what will happen.

Key West Sailing Adventure

Today we had a wonderful experience taking the Blu Q "Island Adventure Cruise." When the boyfriend and I travel, we make a point whenever possible to patronize gay owned/gay operated businesses. In the case of the Blu Q, the owner/operators are gracious, knowledgeable and informative and a lot of fun. Our six (6) hour cruise included snorkeling, sea kayaking and relaxing on a sand/bar beach in an incredibly gorgeous spot away from all of the other tourist boats and destinations. Anyone planning to come to Key West needs to check out the Blu Q and take one of the assorted cruises offered. The website describes the cruise we took as follows:
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Away from the crowds, enjoy the exotic backcountry islands of the lower Keys like locals have done for generations. We take you to one of the great snorkel destinations of the Marine Sanctuary, remote and pristine. Afterwards, we sail to a remote island of the backcountry, where you get to enjoy the shallow, clear, warm, tropical waters, bask in the tropical sun or explore the sugar like sandbars and natural beaches of the wildlife refuge.
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Wednesday Male Beauty

Is Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk Another Ed Schrock?

It seems that outwardly closeted, self-loathing Republicans just do not grasp the fact that if they keep voting anti-gay that sooner or later someone in gay community is going to reach such a level of anger and disgust that they will turn to the media and/or activists and "out" the politician equivalent of George Rekers. I know this for a fact - I'm the one that call Mike Rogers about former Congressman Ed Schrock who consistently voted against the interests of LGBT Americans even as he was cruising for gsy sex trysts. It seems that Illinois Congressman Make Kirk learned NOTHING from the Schrock debacle. Kirk is now the newest target of Mike Rogers - all set in motion by those who were simply fed up with Kirk's hypocrisy and disingenuousness.

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While some in the gay community argue that no one should out someone else, in cases like Schrock and Kirk I beg to differ. They have deliberately made the decision to vote in ways that harm others in the LGBT community and, therefore, deserve to be exposed for liars and hypocrites. Also, from working with Mike Rogers on the Ed Schrock story, I can personally vouch that he does NOT go off half cocked. If he says he has the goods on someone, believe me, he does. Check out the posts at BlogActive.com where Mike Rogers goes after Kirk. Even better, here are highlights from Huffington Post which will hopefully take the story national:
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Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk has had a dramatic few days, and now a popular gay blogger known for outing politicians claims to have sources confirming that Kirk is a closeted gay man.
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Before the February Illinois primary, Kirk, a Republican vying for President Obama's former senate seat, faced attacks from birther Andy Martin claiming that Kirk was gay. Kirk denied the claims, but now faces an attempted outing from the other side--the gay community.
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Activist blogger Mike Rogers tends to target politicians with antigay voting records, and "outed" Sen. Larry Craig and Rep. Mark Foley. He was also featured in the film "Outrage" where he discussed closeted politicians who work against the gay community. In a Tuesday post on Rogers' BlogActive, he explained why he decided to bring up Kirk's sexuality now:
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Until now, Mark Kirk elected not to play the typical Washington game. Instead of supporting his party's dismal record on gay rights, Kirk received Human Rights Campaign ratings of 67% in 2002, 88% in 2004, 76% in 2006 and 85% in 2008. That's more impressive than a lot of Democrats. I even let Kirk slide by when he didn't co-sponsor earlier legislation relating to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. My thoughts then were that he wasn't THAT bad on gay stuff and that the bill was going nowhere anyway.
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Though the HRC has supported Kirk in the past, the group pledged their support to Democrat Alexi Giannoulias last week after Kirk voted against the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal.
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Rogers cited several sources who contacted him following Kirk's DADT vote. Two men, whose names were not given, claimed to have had sexual relations with Kirk while he was in college.
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Frank Sennett, editor-in-chief of Time Out Chicago, interviewed Rogers about his Larry Craig outing in 2007, where the blogger explained who he chooses to out and when:

"Rogers acknowledged gay legislators don't have to support gay marriage. However, he added, 'You have to be honest with the American people that you're voting against a group you're a part of. If politicians want to say they're straight and then have sex in bathrooms [referring to Larry Craig] after voting against gay rights, that doesn't work.'
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The Kirk campaign has yet to respond to Rogers' claims.

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Kudos, Mike. Let's hope the closeted members of the GOP will get the message and stop voting against normal, out gays.

Christo-Facsist Loon Warns of "Gay Take Over" of Military

I have written about Scott Lively before and his involvement in both "ex-gay" programs and his book, "The Pink Swastika" which has been discredited by legitimate historians. In my opinion, to say that Lively belongs in a mental institution is being kind. From e-mail exchanges and other run ins with the man I had some years back, Lively is beyond unhinged and I would wager that he is another George Rekers. Simply put, no one is that hysterically anti-gay unless they are a self-loathing closet case (and there are such rumors about Lively and alleged same sex activities).

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Now, Lively - who helped set the stage for anti-gay legal persecution in Uganda - is foaming at the mouth and claiming that a repeal of DADT will result in a gay take over of the U.S. military. How individuals like Lively are not institutionalized, not to mention actually listened to by the ignorant and the bigoted is mind numbing. Lively's ability to continue disseminating utter lies and defamatory fiction against gays underscores yet again the failure of the mainstream media to call out the nutcases and flat out discredit them on a national stage. Out of apparent desire to appear solicitous to religion, utter frauds, lunatics and con-artists continue to fleece the unwary. Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin has good coverage on Lively's latest lunacy Here are some highlights:
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Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively has a new post up at his web site, in which he promises to personally go all-out to oppose the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by distributing copies of his book, The Pink Swastika to every member of the Senate — assuming he can get the donations he needs. Yes, there’s a fundraising angle, but that shouldn’t distract anyone from understanding that Lively is a true believer in his Holocaust revisionism whether it pays him a red cent or not.
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In the Pink Swastika, Lively posits that the German Nazi movement was, at it’s very core, a homosexual movement, and that militant and violent fascism is the core feature and goal of the LGBT equality movement. He uses that same twisted view of history to argue against DADT’s repeal.
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Lively certainly can’t be faulted for having an overly-active imagination. Consider his prediction of what will happen if DADT is repealed. First, if gays are allowed in the military, then straight people will refuse to serve. Those straights who remain will turn to violence in response to the unrelenting sexual harassment. That violence will lead to “politically correct” sensitivity training, which will prompt a further exodus. This then leads to a draft, which would be supported by the “anti-war Lefties.” But that sensitivity training? It won’t work, so they will have to segregate the services into gay and straight units. And that’s when the homosexuals take over all the branches of the military — just like, he says, what happened in Nazi Germany.
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But in all seriousness, the truly disturbing part of this whole thing is this: Lively’s lunacy is easy to laugh at when he lets his paranoia run wild here in the U.S. But when he exports it to Russia, Eastern Europe or Uganda, it causes real and lasting damage. He’s a buffoon, but that doesn’t mean he’s not mortally dangerous.
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As Jim notes, Lively's craziness would be comical but for the fact that there are those who gladly accept his deranged message. And with homophobic members of the senior brass at the Pentagon looking for ways and reasons to torpedo the repeal of DADT, Lively's poisonous lies need to be exposed and fully discredited.

Florida Trip Photos: Pompano Beach-Ft. Lauderdale

I am back online with my own computer and wanted to share a few photos from the Pompano Beach-Ft. Lauderdale portion of the trip. The photos below show some of the sights as well as our wonderful host and hostess. I am truly blessed to have the boyfriend in my life and that he is willing to take me with him on his travels. More photos from Key West will follow.

When Will Obama Start Acting Like a Leader?

At dinner tonight here in Key West the topic came around to the issue of the BP oil spill and the frustration that more and more are feeling over President Obama's continued failure to be a LEADER rather than a follower waiting for Congress to act or allowing matters to spill out of control as he fails to act in any meaningful manner. The topic got started by a sign hanging on a balcony on a building on Duval Street that called for a boycott of BP and action to address the continuing environmental catastrophe unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. BP continues to dither while Obama acts like Nero fiddling as Rome burns. Add to that Obama's inability to control members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of the Army who are actively working to undermine the DADT repeal compromise and it's enough to make one want to start screaming. Sitting not even a mile from Truman's Little White House and the lack of leadership by the current president could not be more stark. Now Robert Reich is arguing that Obama needs to place BP under temporary receivership in order to deal with the fiasco. Personally, I believe Reich is right on target. Here are some highlights:
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It’s time for the federal government to put BP under temporary receivership, which gives the government authority to take over BP’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico until the gusher is stopped. This is the only way the public know what’s going on, be confident enough resources are being put to stopping the gusher, ensure BP’s strategy is correct, know the government has enough clout to force BP to use a different one if necessary, and be sure the President is ultimately in charge.
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If the government can take over giant global insurer AIG and the auto giant General Motors and replace their CEOs, in order to keep them financially solvent, it should be able to put BP’s north American operations into temporary receivership in order to stop one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
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The Obama administration keeps saying BP is in charge because BP has the equipment and expertise necessary to do what’s necessary. But under temporary receivership, BP would continue to have the equipment and expertise. The only difference: the firm would unambiguously be working in the public’s interest. As it is now, BP continues to be responsible primarily to its shareholders, not to the American public.
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Five reasons for taking such action:
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1. We are not getting the truth from BP. BP has continuously and dramatically understated size of gusher.
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2. We have no way to be sure BP is devoting enough resources to stopping the gusher. BP is now saying it has no immediate way to stop up the well until August, when a new “relief” well will reach the gushing well bore, enabling its engineers to install cement plugs. August? If government were in direct control of BP’s north American assets, it would be able to devote whatever of those assets are necessary to stopping up the well right away.
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3. BP’s new strategy for stopping the gusher is highly risky. It wants to sever the leaking pipe cleanly from atop the failed blowout preventer, and then install a new cap so the escaping oil can be pumped up to a ship on the surface. But scientists say that could result in an even bigger volume of oil . . . .
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4. Right now, the U.S. government has no authority to force BP to adopt a different strategy. Saturday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and his team of scientists essentially halted BP’s attempt to cap the spewing well with a process known as “top kill,” which injected drilling mud and other materials to try to counter the upward pressure of the oil. Apparently the Administration team was worried that the technique would worsen the leak. But under what authority did the Administration act? It has none.
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5. The President is not legally in charge. As long as BP is not under the direct control of the government he has no direct line of authority, and responsibility is totally confused.
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The President should temporarily take over BP’s Gulf operations. We have a national emergency on our hands. No president would allow a nuclear reactor owned by a private for-profit company to melt down in the United States while remaining under the direct control of that company. The meltdown in the Gulf is the environmental equivalent.
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Americans voted for what they thought would be a strong leader. It's increasingly clear that we got the exact opposite. All the GOP needs to do in 2012 is not nominate a nutcase and Obama could well be a one term president and deservedly so.