Saturday Male Beauty

Obama's Hate Group Bedfellows in the DOMA Appeals

Barack Obama - our faux "fierce advocate in the White House - has disingenuously argued that he has no option but to appeal lower court decisions striking down portions of DOMA (and DADT) as unconstitutional because of their discriminatory impact of LGBT citizens. Now GLAAD has assembled a list of organizations that have filed amicus briefs - so-called "friends of the court" briefs - in support of Obama's DOJ defense of DOMA. By the very nature of the groups filing such briefs it is nothing less than an indictment of Obama and his false claims of supporting LGBT equality. Why do I make this statement? Because the groups filing amicus briefs include a who's who of anti-gay groups, some of which are registered hate groups as well. As the saying goes, you are known by the company you keep and Obama's company in supporting DOMA is utterly disgusting. Here's a list of the groups filing briefs along side the Obama DOJ:
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Agudath Israel of America
American College of Pediatricians [FAKE]
Attorneys General of SC, UT, IN, MI, CO
Concerned Women for America
Congressman Lamar Smith
Eagle Forum
Family Research Council
Foundation for Moral Law
Robert George
George Goverman
Liberty Counsel
Massachusetts Family Institute
NARTH
National Legal Foundation
National Organization for Marriage
Pacific Justice Institute
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
National Association of Evangelicals

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The NARTH brief has the audacity to cite its own fraudulent "research" as rebuttal to the trial court's findings based on legitimate medical and mental health experts. Never mind that the APA has thoroughly rejected NARTH's bullshit reparative therapy claims and labeled the use of reparative therapy as unethical. One can only hope that the APA will take the next logical step and push for the revocation of licenses of those who continued to push the false "change change" and "choice myths." In the meantime, I hope that individuals harmed by the "ex-gay" ministries (using the term "ministries" very loosely, of course) will seek out legal counsel and bring lawsuits against these snake oil merchant ministries and the so-called therapists and help put them out of business once and for all. As I have stated before, the most tawdry whore has more integrity than the frauds at NARTH and the other groups that preach false science while seeking to undermine religious freedom for all Americans, not just the Christianists. That these folks are Obama's bedfellows on DOMA speaks volumes and none of it is good.

Del. Bob Marshall's Anti-Gay National Guard Bill Undermined by Kookinelli

The virulently anti-gay Del Bob Marshall (R-Loundoun County) never misses any opportunity to denigrate LGBT Virginians and consistently does all in his power to keep the LGBT community in a 3rd or 4th class citizens status. The most recent effort of "Side Show Bob" (as in a carnival freak show) was to introduce a bill that would retain the application of DADT to the Virginia National Guard. Now, Marshall has had his anti-gay jihad undermined by the most unlikely source - Virginia's lunatic Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli. Kookinelli has burst Marshall's balloon via an attorney general's opinion which concludes that for Virginia to follow Marshall's proposal it would have to 100% self-fund the state's National Guard. Given that virtually all of the current funding for the Guard comes from the federal government, the price tag of Marshall's anti-gay bigotry would be very high and would likely enrage voters if taxes had to be increased to further the anti-gay agenda of Marshall and his puppeteers at The Family Foundation. One can only hope that members of the Virginia GOP who typically love to bash gays will now run from Marshall's bill because the huge financial ramifications it would ignite if enacted. Here are some highlights from the Richmond Times Dispatch:
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The Virginia National Guard could exclude gays from service once federal regulations repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy are issued, but the federal government would have the ability to condition its funding of the state guards on compliance with the new rules, according to an opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
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The opinion released today came in response to a request by Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, and on the heels of legislation submitted by Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William that would keep in force the current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," policy in the Virginia National Guard.
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[T]he attorney general said that while the states have the power to appoint officers to the state militias, including the modern national Guard, the power to determine which Guard officers are eligible for service in the overlapping National guard of the United States rests with the U.S. Congress.
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Further, Cuccinelli said that Congress, through its spending power, "can condition the use of federal funds on a State's acceptance of DADT. "Should the General Assembly wish to avoid the conditions attached to these funds, it can raise, equip, and fund an independent Virginia militia entirely from state revenues," the opinion concludes.
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That prospect is unlikely, say officials, given the fact that the overwhelming majority of funding for state Guards is provided by the federal government.

Memorial Service Reflections -1-29-11

UPDATED: A friend sent me a few photos from today's service. set out below are a shot of the church interior before any one had arrived and a photo of Senior Pastor Goeres who was wonderful both during the service and the panning sessions I had with him.

The memorial service today for my late mother seems to have gone of well and, despite some teary moments I got through the eulogy I had prepared. The boyfriend also spoke and became teary towards the end of his beautiful "thank you letter" to my mother. My children attended (the photo below was taken at the reception) and it was wonderful having them with me for support. The boyfriend's parents attended, as did several of his clients with whom I have become close friends. HRBOR was well represented and some members of the Ghent business community attended too, as did the Lutheran bishop's staff. An added surprise was the presence of friends of over 25 years from my old neighborhood in Virginia Beach.

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The church setting was beautiful (an exterior shot is above) and Pastor Goeres was wonderful. As I have noted before, if there are members of the LGBT community in the Ghent area who would like a spiritual home, I cannot recommended First Lutheran enough. For what at first glance gives the impression of being a very formal and traditional parish because of the church structure itself, the pastor and staff and parishioners "get it" and realize that all of us, gay and straight, are part of God's family

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The reception after the service likewise went well and the boyfriend - a/k/a Martha Stewart - had the food and beverages well organized and under control. A special thanks goes out to my friend Kenny who helped set everything up.

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I want to say a sincere "Thank You" to all who attended and helped me make it through this difficult time, especially my children who I love so much.

ODU Gay Cultural Studies Endowment Campaign

As I have mentioned previously, I am on the advisory committee for the Old Dominion University Gay Cultural Studies Endowment Campaign which is raising funds for an endowed post doctoral position in Gay Cultural Studies. The position will be administratively housed in the Humanities Institute, but rotated across departments in the College of Arts & Letters according to the scholar’s area of expertise.
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The position would be filled annually, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, and would be subject to a competitive national application process. The selected candidate would be responsible for teaching a 1/1-course load (one class in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester). One of the courses would be a recurring graduate seminar in sexuality/gender studies while the other course would be an undergraduate offering in the scholar’s area of expertise.
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I hope local readers will endeavor to attend a fundraiser tomorrow afternoon at Waterside in Norfolk. The details are assetout on the flyer above.

Limited Posting Throught Tomorrow Evening

The boyfriend and I have been preparing for the memorial service for my mother tomorrow at 11:00 AM and the reception to follow. As a result it will be tomorrow evening before I will be posting at the normal rate. Hopefully, I have put together a service that does my mother justice. It will be nice to have all my children and the boyfriend with me on what will be a difficult day.

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I want to thank readers who have been so supportive in their e-mail messages and in some cases sympathy cards mailed to the law office. It means a great deal to me - more than you can know.

Friday Male Beauty

Ted Haggard Admits He's [Gay] Bisexual

Remember how a number of the leading lights in the "ex-gay" and reparative therapy world were claiming that former mega church pastor Ted Haggard was "cured" of his homosexual attractions? Well, in a new GQ Magazine interview, Haggard reveals the lie to that myth when he admits that he's "bisexual." He also employs a tortured definition of sex that is worthy of Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Mutual masturbation in Haggard's world isn't really sex. Yes, I sound snarky and I do acknowledge that there are true bisexuals in the world, but the cynic in me would argue that Haggard is merely doing what so many have done before they can admit that the "G-word" really applies to them. Since they cannot own up to the word gay, they are conveniently "bisexual" instead. Haggard also shoots down his own prior claims that he did actually use drugs during. It's sad to see that Haggard is likely still lying to himself, his family and the congregants of his small church he has opened. Here are some highlights:
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What bothers [Mike] Jones most is that Ted is again serving as a pastor and an influencer, putting the people who trust him—especially young men—in danger. Two years ago, a New Life volunteer named Grant Haas revealed that Ted had masturbated in front of him and offered him drugs on a church trip in 2006, when he was 22, and that New Life subsequently paid him $179,000 to keep quiet. New Life later confirmed having paid Haas but insisted that it wasn't meant as hush money. (Ted denies the drug offer but admits that he masturbated in the room they shared. "I thought he was asleep," he says.)
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Ted may be telling the truth, but his peculiar brand of self-victimization and protestation—in which every "I messed up" is followed by a "but... "—makes it hard for people in Colorado Springs to believe that he's actually sorry for what he did. One former New Life member expressed what seems to be the general sentiment surrounding his resurgence: "I think Ted genuinely loves God, and I think he has a sincere interest in helping people, but I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth."
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For the first time since we've met, Ted isn't looking directly at me. "Here's where I really am on this issue," he half whispers. "I think that probably, if I were 21 in this society, I would identify myself as a bisexual." After a weekend of Ted trying to convince me of his unambiguous devotion to his wife and kids, I'm at first too surprised to say anything.
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"So why not now?" I ask finally. "Because, Kevin, I'm 54, with children, with a belief system, and I can have enforced boundaries in my life. Just like you're a heterosexual but you don't have sex with every woman that you're attracted to, so I can be who I am and exclusively have sex with my wife and be perfectly satisfied."
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I would suggest that until Haggard is truly honest with himself and everyone else, he's still living a lie and harming others - whether he wants to accept that truth or not.

More Dire Housing News - Especially for Hampton Roads

For the last three and one half years or more, I have argued that until the residential housing market stabilizes, there will be no improvement in the overall economy and the middle class will continue to become increasingly financially strapped. Government efforts to help home owners to date have been largely ineffectual and the ongoing wave of foreclosures is driving home values lower and lower. As Westlaw News is reporting U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley seems to get the message and he is pushing for reforms to stem the foreclosure tidal wave and the attendant decimation of home values in some cities and regions. Part of his solution would be to add "cram down" relief in bankruptcy cases which would force lenders to accept lesser payoffs and/or to rusticate loans. The reality is that other than investors with money who are reaping incredible deals, everyone loses in a foreclosure, but most particularly homeowners losing their homes and their surrounding neighbors who find themselves with ruinous "comparables" when they go to sell or refinance in the form of nearby foreclosed homes. Here are highlights on Merkley's proposal:
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U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley is urging President Obama to pay greater attention to the nation's foreclosure crisis and is pushing a revived proposal that would allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of first mortgages on primary homes.
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Key Democrats have sought unsuccessfully for more than three years to give bankruptcy judges the power to reduce the principal balances on such loans, a process known as “cramdown,” as a way to stem the tide of mortgage foreclosures.
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In a letter to the president, Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, said that despite the administration’s efforts, the country’s housing market continues to struggle.
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“[F]oreclosure filings continue at a pace of over 300,000 per month, devastating families across our nation,” Merkley wrote. He focused on the shortcomings of the Obama administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program, which was designed to help mortgage borrowers who meet certain eligibility criteria avoid foreclosure by obtaining loan modifications from participating servicers.
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“The goal of HAMP was to prevent 3 to 4 million foreclosures, but to date fewer than 600,000 homeowners have been approved for permanent loan modification,” Merkley wrote.
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In his letter, the senator outlines a six-point proposal to alleviate the foreclosure crisis. He fleshed out the plan in a document available on his website.
A key component of the plan is a “lifeline bankruptcy option,” which is essentially the same as “cramdown,” a process under which bankruptcy judges would be allowed to modify the terms of mortgages on primary residences.
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Another component of the plan is the establishment of a “national short refinance program” that would enable homeowners facing foreclosure to refinance their mortgages based on current interest rates and home values. This is designed to help homeowners who have steady income but who owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth.
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Meanwhile predictions for property value drops in Hampton Roads, if accurate, will leave large numbers of homeowners "underwater" on their loans and often with no incentive to not simply walk away. Obviously, without relief, the downward spiral will then continue anew. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
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The slide in local home prices doesn't appear to be over. A local economist suggested that home prices in Hampton Roads will fall 3 to 5 percent this year. A local real estate executive suggested that home prices will fall 10 to 15 percent.
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Now, a new national forecast has suggested that the region's home prices will fall about 13 percent this year - more than in any other major metro area in the country.
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Clear Capital's conclusions are similar to those drawn by Van Rose, president of the new homes division of Rose & Womble Realty Co. In a column in the Tidewater Builders Association's magazine, Rose said he expects a 10 to 15 percent decline in prices for existing homes this year. "There is nothing to help stop the 7 million foreclosures in the pipeline, which means values will continue to be hard to hold," Rose said of the national foreclosure problem.
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"Prices have been steadily declining since mid-2007, with prices now 24 percent below the market peak," Villacorta said.

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President Obama, are you paying any attention to this ongoing disaster?

More Thursday Male Beauty

A Sad Anniversary - 65 Years After Liberation of Auschwitz, Christianists Have Learned Nothing

The photo at right is disturbing and graphic in its horror. As noted by Bob Felton at Civil Commotion, January 27, 2011, is the 65th anniversary of the day that Allied forces liberated Auschwitz and discovered the full extent of the horrors of the "Final Solution" as the photo attests. Hatred and the malicious denigration of others can lead to shocking horrors. Yet, conservative Christians in the USA and their minions and hangers on overseas such as in Uganda have apparently learned nothing from the nightmare of the Nazi regime and its deadly propaganda campaign against Jews. Indeed, as the now defunct HateCrimes.org website once set out in detail (some of the details are still available here), the Christian Right continues to use an anti-gay propaganda campaign eerily similar to that used by the Nazi's against the Jews more than seven decades ago. Here are a few comparisons:
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THEY CONTROL EVERYTHING:
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NAZIS AND JEWS: Jews 1% of population: control politics, world opinion, NYC, & have lots of money "At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Jews sit at the junction of the world financial markets. They are an international power. Although only one per cent of the world's population, with the help of their capital, they terrorize the world stock exchanges, world opinion, and world politics. New York is today the center of Jewish power." - Nazi propaganda film, "The Eternal Jew"
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CHRISTIAN RIGHT AND GAYS: Gays 1% of population: control politics, have lots of money
"Homosexuals display political control far beyond their numbers. A tiny fraction of the population (about 1 percent), homosexuals have one of the largest and fastest growing Political Action Committees in the country (The Human Rights Campaign) and give millions of dollars to candidates". - Robert Knight, Family Research Council, testifying before the US Senate Labor Committee hearings on S.2238, July 29, 1994.
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THEY THREATEN CHRISTIANS:
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NAZIS AND JEWS: Jews consider Christians 'heathens', want destroy them "What does the ancient Talmud law teach? Let us hear some quotes....[now supposedly quoting the Talmud] Praise to the Lord who has set apart the holy Israelites from other people. The heathen, who do not keep the law, will be destroyed." - Nazi propaganda film, "The Eternal Jew"
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CHRISTIAN RIGHT AND GAYS: Gays don't love God, hate religion. "[Homosexuality] is the opposite of love for God. It is a rebellion against God and God's natural order, and embodies a deep-seated hatred against true religion." - THE ASSAULT ON CHRISTIANS BY THE MILITANT HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT, by Steven A. Schwalm, Family Research Council.
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Gays want to silence Christians, blame them "the real motivation behind such hate crime laws is to silence Christians. Gays will now feel free to blame any crime against a homosexual on Christians" - America Family Association ACTION ALERT via email, 10/16/98
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Yes, it is shocking that the same tactics used by the Nazi regime continue to this day. Worse yet, they are used by those who claim to be followers of Christ. Adding to the deadly mix is the willingness of far too many Republicans to jump on the scapegoat the gays band wagon for political advantage. These members of the GOP are little better than opportunistic Germans who happily joined the Nazi's anti-Jew campaign for their own self-advancement. And there is no end in sight. As John Aravosis lays out at AmericaBlog, the GOP - much like the Nazis of decades ago - are going to ride the anti-gay hatred train as far as they can and up through the 2012 presidential campaign. Here are a few highlights from John's post:
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Opponents of same-sex marriage have created a three-pronged effort that insures the issue will be a key topic in the Presidential election. There are efforts underway by Republicans legislators in Iowa, the first caucus state, and New Hampshire, the first primary state, to end their existing marriage laws. In Iowa, the GOP-controlled House has begun the process of passing a bill to put a ban on the ballot. In New Hampshire, both the House and Senate are now GOP-led and they could try to repeal the law later this year or in 2012. In Congress, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) indicated that he's going to push legislation to block DC's marriage law.
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It's like an anti-marriage perfect storm. These efforts guarantee that the GOP presidential candidates who are traipsing through Iowa and New Hampshire will try to burnish their right-wing cred by engaging in the usual gay-bashing. And, the effort by GOPers in Congress adds fuel to the fire. We've already seen potential Republican candidates, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum, groveling before the haters. We can expect a lot more of that. And, just wait til the debates start. The GOP candidates will be doing contortions to show their base just how much they hate the gays.
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It is a sad - and frightening - state of affairs. How many LGBT deaths and suicides will it take before the haters are satisfied?

Evidence Of Scott Lively's Complicity In The Murder Of David Kato

I wrote earlier in the day about the brutal murder of Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato who was bludgeoned to death in his home. Not surprisingly, some of the Christian extremists who have agitated and inflamed anti-gay hysteria in Uganda and other parts of East Africa are trying to deny any responsibility for the fruits of their carefully sown and cultivated homophobia. The denials have about as much legitimacy to them as the denial of someone who yells fire in a crowded theater and then disclaims any responsibility for those who are trampled to death in the ensuing stampede for exits. Joe My God has a excellent take down of Scott Lively who has made a career out of spreading lies and falsehoods against gays with deadly results. Lively and those like him indeed are turning Christianity into something foul and evil. The truth is that denunciations by LGBT allies like Hillary Clinton are nice, but until there are severe consequences for inciting hatred and exporting it oversees, we can expect to see more deaths like that of David Kato. Here are highlights from Joe Jervis' post:
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The inspiration for Uganda's gay death penalty bill, and surely, Kato's murder, arises from the work of American evangelists, chief among them the repulsive anti-gay activist Scott Lively, whose infamous book The Pink Swastika blames the rise of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust on gay men. One year ago, the New York Times profiled Lively's hand in Uganda's burgeoning pogrom against homosexuals, which began after Lively hosted a three-day meeting attended by thousands of Ugandan police, teachers, and politicians.
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Yesterday Scott Lively's "nuclear bomb" against Ugandan gays went off in the form of the iron bar which crushed the skull of David Kato. In some countries, it's possible that Lively would be under arrest today. Also complicit in this murder is Peter LaBarbera, who for years has worked to publicize and praise Scott Lively's evil agenda. Then there's Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, who last year paid lobbyists $25,000 to convince members of Congress to block a planned resolution denouncing Uganda's gay death penalty bill. And let's not forget Pastor Rick Warren, who supported, funded, appeared with, and publicized the work of Uganda's leading anti-gay activist, Pastor Martin Ssempa.
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Today we mourn David Kato, a brave LGBT activist who paid the ultimate price in defense of his brothers and sisters. But we've also got start looking at some serious legal remedies to the actions of American anti-gay activists in other countries. Outside of the United States, many legals systems are not so constrained by the American concept of freedom of speech. What can we do to leverage that difference to end this madness? Lawsuits? The Hague?
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To the list of those responsible, I would add Pope Benedict XVI, Maggie Gallagher and every Republican elected official who give haters such as Lively, Perkins, et al, legitimacy by their constant pandering to such nasty individuals.

Thursday Male Beauty

Ugandan LGBT Advocate Murdered

The American Christianists who have inspired and supported the anti-gay jihad in Uganda have more blood on their hands as reports confirm that Ugandan LGBT advocate David Kato Kisulle was murdered in his home in Kampala. Kato had been one of the Ugandan gays targeted in a September issue of the Ugandan rag Rolling Stone (no affiliation with the USA Rolling Stone) which sought to incite violence against LGBT individuals in Uganda. Kato's photo was prominently featured on the front page of the publication. Scott Lively, Barack Obama's BFF Rick Warren, and other American Christo-fascists have donated time and large amounts of money to help fuel the growing anti-gay up swell in East Africa and these individuals, in my view, are nothing more than the equivalent of terrorists who are advocating genocide. The U. S. government needs to stop this export of hatred and bigotry to less developed nations where ignorance and lack of education makes the populace an easy target for these typically self-promoting hate merchants. Here are highlights from Box Turtle Bulletin's coverage on the murder:
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We have learned that Ugandan LGBT advocate David Kato Kisulle was murdered today at his home in Kampala. Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) has confirmed *that the David’s body was identified at a hospital.
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Witnesses told police that a man entered Kato’s home in Mukono at around 1 p.m. on January 26, 2011, hit him twice in the head and departed in a vehicle. Kato died on his way to Kawolo hospital. Police told Kato’s lawyer that they had the registration number of the vehicle and were looking for it.
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David Kato was a spokesperson for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and one of the plaintiffs (or applicants) in the successful lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone (no relation to the U.S. publication of the same name). Kato was one of three applicants who had been named by the tabloid under a headline tagged “Hang Them!” His photo appeared on the tabloid’s front cover.
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This horrendous murder adds to the fears that LGBT Ugandans regularly face over their safety. Brenda Namigadde, a lesbian asylum seeker in the U.K. has been threatened with deportation back to Uganda. Just yesterday, she received an ominous message from M.P. David Bahati, the author of the infamous Anti-Homosexuality Bill, in which he said that Brenda must “repent or reform” when she returns home: Brenda is welcome in Uganda if she will abandon or repent her behaviour. Here in Uganda, homosexuality is not a human right. It is behaviour that is learned and it can be unlearned. We wouldn’t want Brenda to be painting a wrong picture of Uganda, that we are harassing homosexuals. M.P. Bahati may be technically correct. They are simply killing homosexuals, not harassing them.
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Mourners are posting message on David’s facebook wall.

Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Approves Same-Sex Unions

I have often advised LGBT readers who have been brought up in anti-gay religious traditions to leave and find a more accepting and - in my view in respect to Christian denomination - more truly Christian - faith home. My leaving the Roman Catholic Church is a case in point (I joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which I find liturgically nearly identical to the Catholic Church but without the corrupt, child rapist enabling/protecting Church hierarchy). Why remain involved in a religious tradition that treats one like dirt, generally disseminates lies and false mental health claims about LGBT individuals and works to keep one as a inferior class of citizen. LGBT Virginians raised in the Catholic Church have even more reason now to consider joining the Episcopal Church with the recent approval of same sex unions now coming even to the often conservative Diocese of Virginia. I can just imagine the spittle that must be flying in Congressman Scott Rigell's break away Anglican parish (Rigell was endorsed last year by the leader of the anti-gay hate group Traditional Values Coalition.) Here are details from the Washington Post:
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One religion story that escaped almost everyone's notice this past weekend is that the nation's largest Episcopal diocese voted to allow church-sanctioned same-sex unions.
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Time was when the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia was way too conservative or even middle of the road to consider such an action. The northern tier of the diocese used to be populated with several large conservative congregations that would have never agreed to same-sex blessings. But these congregations pulled out of the diocese several years ago in response to the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. The leave-takers, the majority of whom voted to leave during a dramatic series of votes in nine churches on Dec. 17, 2006, were also less than thrilled that a majority of the Virginia diocese's bishops and delegates to the 2003 Episcopal General Convention in Minneapolis voted to ratify Robinson's election.
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Things since have changed in the Old Dominion State. The resolution passed last weekend read: "Resolved, that the 216th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia thanks Bishop Shannon Johnston and the diocesan team for the very fruitful 'Listen ... And Be Heard' sessions in 2010, and urges our bishop to 'provide a generous pastoral response' by moving forward with guidelines with regard to public blessings of same gender unions."
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This past weekend during the diocese's annual convention in Reston, Johnston, who took over the diocese more than a year ago from retired Bishop Peter J. Lee, set the stage with a speech that clearly laid out how he hoped the vote would go. "I have always affirmed that committed, monogamous same-gender relationships can indeed be faithful in the Christian life," he said.
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Virginia Theological Seminary, the nation's largest Episcopal seminary located in Alexandria and a major incubator for the Virginia diocese's new clergy, just got an award last April from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) "for its twenty-year commitment to the inclusion of homosexual students, faculty, and staff."

More Wednesday Male Beauty

DADT Repeal Implementation Plan To Be Released Friday

The Army Times is reporting that the Pentagon will release a plan Friday that is expected to give the U. S. military services about three months to train troops before DADT will be fully implemented. I can just hear the shrieks emanating from the delusional Elaine Donnelly and similar professional gay haters. With DADT gone, one has to wonder what Ms. Donnelly will do with herself. Imagine, she might even have to get a real job - the horror!! Frankly, given that thousands of gays are already serving in the military - the local troop ranks are full of them - the only training that would seem to be needed is making it plain to bigots and Christofascists that gays can serve in the military whether the haters like it or not and that either they get on board with repeal or they, not the gays, need to get out of the military. Here are some story highlights:
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The plan, they said, will outline the personnel, recruiting and other regulations that must be changed. It will describe three levels of training for the troops, their commanders and the key administrators, recruiters and other leaders who will have to help implement the changes.
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Under that training schedule, full implementation of the law could begin later this summer. Once the training is complete, the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won’t hurt troops’ ability to fight. Sixty days after certification, the law would take effect.
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The changes affect how troops are recruited, trained and discharged, as well as how same sex partners will be treated in terms of various health and other benefits. Some will be easy to implement. For example, recruits will no longer be turned down because they are gay.
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But others involving benefits, housing and the execution of the training program will be more complex. According to officials, the training will be broken into three categories. One will be for administrators and other leaders who will have to be able to answer detailed questions about the new policy. The second will be for senior commanders who will have to enforce the policies and also be on the lookout for signs of unease or problems among service members.
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The third group will be the general training for the troops. That is the one that is expected to be the most difficult to complete because service members are scattered around the world, and many are in various phases of deployment to war or heading home.
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Advocates for gays have called for quick action. “For years, experts have said that a swift repeal process, accompanied by strong leadership, is the best way to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” Aaron Belkin of the Palm Center, a California think tank, said Wednesday. “In promising ... to implement the repeal of the ban this year, President Obama has demonstrated leadership and committed to the path that has been proven to be best not only for gay service members, but for all of those who currently serve.”

U.S. Can't Link Bradley Manning to Wilileaks

As this blog and many others, Bradley Manning has been held - one could argue illegally - in solitary confinement at Quantico, Virginia, because of his supposed role in leaking classified information to Wilileaks. His treatment, in fact, seems akin to something that would have been done under the regime of Chimperator Bush and Emperor Palpatine Cheney (something Barack Obama claimed would cease by the way). There's only one huge problem - according to NBC News, the U. S. military cannot find any evidence to link Manning yo Wikileaks. If such is indeed the case, Manning needs to be released and one would hope he'd bring a lawsuit based on his improper treatment. The whole affair increasingly looks like precipitous action by military leaders who were none to pleased to have the American public find out that our troops are committing atrocities as claimed by surviving victims. It would seem the better action would have been to punish those involved in the atrocities rather than punishing those seeking to see them cease. Here are highlights from NBC News:
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U.S. military officials tell NBC News that investigators have been unable to make any direct connection between a jailed army private suspected with leaking secret documents and Julian Assange, founder of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
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The officials say that while investigators have determined that Manning had allegedly unlawfully downloaded tens of thousands of documents onto his own computer and passed them to an unauthorized person, there is apparently no evidence he passed the files directly to Assange, or had any direct contact with the controversial WikiLeaks figure.
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WikiLeaks' release of secret diplomatic cables last year caused a diplomatic stir and laid bare some of the most sensitive U.S. dealings with governments around the world. It also prompted an American effort to stifle WikiLeaks by pressuring financial institutions to cut off the flow of money to the organization.
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Assange told msnbc TV last month that WikiLeaks was unsure Army PFC Bradley Manning is the source for the classified documents appearing on his site. "That's not how our technology works, that's not how our organization works," Assange said. "I never heard of the name of Bradley Manning before it appeared in the media." He called allegations that WikiLeaks had conspired with Manning "absolute nonsense."
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On Monday, U.S. military officials also strongly denied allegations that Manning, being held in connection with the WikiLeaks' release of classified documents, has been "tortured" and held in "solitary confinement" without due process.
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Anti-war groups, a psychologist group as well as filmmaker Michael Moore and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg have called for Bradley to be released from detention.

Joel Osteen Joins the Ranks of Those Fostering Gay Teen Suicide

I have not minced my words in the past when it comes to condemning the members of the professional Christian set and wrongly monikered "family values" groups that continue to strive to keep homophobia alive and well and who in general do all they can to maintain an atmosphere where gay teens (and older gays too) will view suicide as their best option. I've had two friends resort to suicide because they could not come to terms with their sexual orientation in light of their anti-gay religious upbringings. And as we have seen over recent months the death toll continues. The death toll needs to stop.

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Now prosperity gospel advocate Joel Osteen has come out with statements that work to place him in the near ranks of Peter LaBarbera, Maggie Gallagher, Tony Perkins and similar merchants of anti-LGBT hate. Osteen - like so many self-enriching professional Christians - clings to a few antiquaited arguably anti-gay Bible passages while conveniently ignoring Christ's direct directives to (1) love thy neighbor as thyself and (2) sell all that you have, give the money to the poor, and follow Him. Hmm, I can't imagine why the word "hypocrite" quickly springs to my mind. Might it be because Bible inerrancy doesn't allow an honest - though misguided and ignorant - believer to selectively pick and choose which passages to follow? The Washington Post looks at Osteen's recent verbal diarrhea. Here are highlights:
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Texas megapastor Joel Osteen has found himself in the headlines this week for telling CNN's Piers Morgan that homosexuality is a sin. Osteen and his wife Victoria are among America's most influential religious figures. Acording to his Web site at Lakewood Church, the 16,000-seat Houston church he pastors, Osteen's "weekly sermon is broadcast into every U.S. television market where it is viewed by seven million Americans each week and more than 20 million each month. His weekly broadcast is also seen in nearly 100 nations around the world
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Asked point blank about homosexuality by the eponymous host of Piers Morgan Tonight, Osteen was forced to address an issue that he'd just as soon avoid. "Yes, I've always believed Pierce the scriptures show that homosexuality is a sin. . . . . I don't believe that homosexuality is God's best for a person's life --sin means to miss the mark."
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While Osteen denies that his message is focused on financial gain alone, he does teach that financial success can be a sign of God's favor. . . . . So while Osteen has ruffled Christian feathers by his unorthodox message, the headlines he's making this week on homosexuality are sure to agitate a whole new group: those who blame ministers for homophobia.

Richmond Times Dispatch Column: End Anti-Gay Discrimination and Virginia's Gay Marriage Ban

The Richmond Times Dispatch is hardly one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's more liberal newspapers. Indeed, all too often its editorial board endorses some of the ugliest elements of the far right of the GOP at election time. Thus, it is a pleasant surprise to see an op-ed piece/video by Tomes Dispatch columnist Mike Williams taking the position that it is time for the Virginia General Assembly to outlaw discrimination anti-gay in public employment and in the Virginia National Guard and, even more significantly, to end Virginia's ban same-sex marriages. The video is set out below. I can just imagine the outrage among the Christofascists at The Family Foundation ("TFF") and the black pastors that TFF cynically orchestrates to do the bidding of bigots and racists at TFF.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Hawaii Civil Unions Bill Moves Forward

Last year Hawaii almost saw passage of a civil unions bill but for the veto of its then twice divorced - and complete hypocrite - governor, Linda Lingle. This year, with a new governor who has said he will sign the civil unions bill if it reaches his desk, the legislative process has started once again and the civil unions bill has cleared a Senate committee. Unlike Virginia, Hawaii already has employment protections for its LGBT citizens and civil unions will be a big step towards full equality under the law for LGBT Hawaiians. With Illinois about to grant legal recognition to same sex couples, the progress in Hawaii will make anti-gay states even less competitive in the quest for progressive businesses and economic growth. No doubt Hawaiian Christianists who would prefer to keep gays second or third class citizens are not happy campers. KITV has coverage on the legislative process and here are some highlights:
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The state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed a bill to provide civil unions, offering benefits and responsibilities identical to marriage, for unmarried couples. More than 70 people turned out to testify.
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The proposal has the support of a majority of lawmakers and new Gov. Neil Abercrombie. So, the goal of supporters is to pass the controversial legislation early in the season so it does not become a distraction or get delayed as other issues take lawmakers' attention.
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The civil unions bill is nearly identical to a measure that passed the Hawaii Legislature last year before it was vetoed by then-Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican. . . . The bill must go to the full Senate before moving to the House for further consideration.

City of Hampton Seeks to Lose "Old, Slow and Not Too Bright" Status

Back in May, 2010 I wrote about a Brookings Institute report that might be summarized as describing Hampton Roads region as "old, slow, and not too bright" given its aging population and net brain drain of college educated residents. While a few groups are disturbed by the Brookings Institute classification, far too many residents and city leaders seem to be just fine with the status quo where ignorance and bigotry - typically championed by local religious leaders who one can only assume want their congregations dumb and gullible. Surprisingly, to my knowledge my adopted home, the City of Hampton, is striving to be an exception. Hampton is revising and updating its comprehensive plan and one of the components is how to increase diversity and create a city where diversity is valued and an attractive destination/home for the so-called "creative class" will exist. How do I know? Because yours truly has been tapped to represent the LGBT community of the diversity committee portion of the larger task force. I look forward to educating city planners and others as to the talent and contributions that our community can bring to the city.

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Hampton has some good things going for it - Hampton University has landed a Proton Therapy Institute which will provide world class and unique medical treatment; NASA Langley continues to bread innovative research; the city is located in the virtual center of the large number of historic sites in the region; and the City Council - particularly the mayor - seems to grasp that more of the same will not move the city to where it needs to be socially, culturally and economically. Based on comments on a story in today's Virginian Pilot that looks at the non-discrimination bills pending in the Virginia General Assembly that I addressed yesterday, there are still plenty of Pat Robertson loving, knuckle dragging Neanderthals in the region.

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Does the City of Hampton have a long way to go in its endeavor? Most definitely, but at least the city leadership understands - unlike the Virginia State Bar, for example - that diversity means much more than simple a mix of black and white residents. I hope to use that recognition to educate other committee members and others as to why smart planners seek to attract LGBT residents and LGBT tourists.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

GOP To Push for D.C. Gay Marriage Ban

I've already noted my belief that independents and moderates who voted for GOP candidates in the recent election believing that the GOP would focus on jobs and the economy were played for complete fools. Other than lip service, the GOP cares nothing about job creation and an improved economy that would benefit average Americans. Instead it's all about playing to the lunatic and Christofascist GOP base. Yet another piece of evidence that a renewed culture war is the true top of the GOP agenda is the announcement that members of the Republican Study Committee will - in the wake of the U. S. Supreme Court's refusal to reverse a lower court decision that held that no marriage referendum was required - introduce legislation to scuttle D.C.'s marriage law. Leading the charge is homophobe (or Ed Schrock style closet case?) Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Here are highlights from The Hill:
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House conservatives say they will pursue legislation that would ban gay marriage in the nation’s capital. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), told The Hill that he will push for a vote on the controversial issue in the 112th Congress. The RSC has 175 members.
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In the last Congress, Jordan was the lead sponsor on the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act. The bill was introduced after the D.C. City Council and then-Mayor Adrian Fenty indicated they would recognize same-sex marriages. Jordan’s measure garnered 53 co-sponsors last year. But it is expected to attract more support in the GOP-led House in 2011.
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Recently, Jordan added his name to a legal brief with other gay-marriage opponents who challenged a decision by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics denying a ballot initiative banning gay marriage. The board concluded that such a ballot initiative would violate D.C.’s Human Rights Act.
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Meanwhile, an op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times looks at Jordan's craven hypocrisy and willingness to vilify other Americans in order to pander to bigots and hate merchants - WWJD? Here are op-ed highlights:
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Jordan cosponsored a bill in 2010 condeming federal Judge Vaughn Walker for his Proposition 8 ruling. Evidently, the principle of respecting the majority's wishes (D.C., if it were a state, would easily be the bluest) applies only to judges.
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The vote would no doubt be a symbolic one, just as the House's action last week on healthcare was. Its only benefit would be to allow Jordan and his colleagues to go home and burnish their conservative bona-fides, having picked on a bunch of gays who live somewhere else and have no voting representation in Congress. Such displays of moral resolve go over better in certain parts of the country, I suppose.
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I agree - Jordan is little better than a tawdry whore in the degree of his pandering. Even the nastiest whore, of course would have more true integrity than Jordan.

Son of Regent University Law Dean Makes CNBC's "American Greed'"

I've said it may times in the past: in the business world, when someone works their Christian religiosity into an unrelated business discussion, you'd best watch your wallet and check book. A case in point is Troy A. Titus, son of Regent University Law School's founding dean, Herbert W. Titus. While most Christian televangelists basically rob and defraud their sheep like viewers who send them donations, Troy Titus was even more direct in his fraud and robbery of the gullible who were all too often lulled by his claims of his Christian beliefs. Having worked as a consultant with the FBI during the build up of the case against Titus, I found it beyond disgusting how he would even stoop to go to church with and/or pray with his victims. The Virginian Pilot has coverage on Titus' television debut on the CNBC roster. Here are some highlights:
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The CNBC television program “American Greed” will premier a one-hour episode Wednesday night on Troy A. Titus, the debarred lawyer from Virginia Beach convicted of a multi-million-dollar real estate scheme.
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A Norfolk federal jury convicted Titus of 33 felonies, finding that he had operated a Ponzi scheme that cost investors around $8 million in losses. The government later said the total fraud amounted to nearly $12 million. Titus is appealing. Titus came from an upper-middle-class, devout Christian family. He studied at Liberty University and the College of William and Mary, and received a law degree from Regent University.
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CNBC has been putting together the show for about a year. Producers have interviewed victims and others related to the case. A preview can be found at the web site www.cnbc.com. (Follow the CNBC TV link to “American Greed.")

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Lest readers feel sympathy for Titus senior, they need to realize that, in my opinion, he's just as disturbed as his son - just in a different manner. Despite promising credentials Herb Titus went to the dark side years ago and has been and remains in bed with some of the most extreme religious nutcases to be found. Wikipedia has these details on Titus senior:
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Along with Roy Moore, Titus was an original drafter of the Constitution Restoration Act which sought to take out of federal court jurisdiction cases that involved public officials that acknowledged God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government, and provided for the impeachment of federal judges who disregarded the act. The act did not pass either time it was introduced.
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Writings:*
Judicial Tyranny: The New Kings of America?
God, Man and Law: The Biblical Principles

Virginia GLBT Bills Face First Test This Week

A number of bills that would afford LGBT Virginians protections against discrimination and bullying have been introduced this legislative session. Traditionally, opponents of LGBT equality - indeed even treating LGBT Virginians as fully human - seek to kill bills in committees so that they can be killed outside of public view and often solely on voice votes that allow the prostitute like Republican legislators to kiss the ring of The Family Foundation and similar hate merchants without ever even going on record in a recorded vote. Equality Virginia has disseminated a schedule of the first round of committees that will determine the fate of these bills. I wish I could say that I am optimistic, but given the past track record of the Virginia GOP, a stray dog or feral cat can expect better treatment than what these GOP delegates and senators have given to LGBT Virginians in the past. Here is a summary of the bills in question:

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Employee Benefits Legislation, SB 1121 - Senate Committee on Local Government; Tuesday, 2pm, Senate Room B
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Nondiscrimination Legislation, SB 747 and SB 797 - Senate General Laws Committee; Wednesday, 2pm, Senate Room B
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Anti-Bullying Legislation, HB 1575 - House Education Committee; Subcommittee #2; Thursday, 7:30am, 5th Floor East Conference Room

Marshall-Newman Amendment Repeal, HJR 625 - Rules Committee; Subcommittee #3; Thursday, 4pm. 6th Floor Speaker's Conference Room
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Blue Virginia has coverage of a press release issued by Virginia Democrats. These bills are not radical - especially when compared with protections and rights afforded to LGBT citizens in more progressive states. Here are some highlights:
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Richmond -- Senator A. Donald McEachin, Senator Mark Herring, Delegate Adam Ebbin, Delegate David Englin, Delegate Joe Morrissey and Minority Leader Ward Armstrong spoke about legislation pending in the General Assembly about non-discrimination. They were joined by Captain Anthony Woods, a graduate of West Point and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government who has served this country valiantly in Iraq, James Parrish, Executive Director of Equality Virginia, and Reverend Robin Gorsline, president of People of Faith for Equality and pastor of Metropolitan Community Church.

Delegate Ebbin, who has been, as Senator McEachin said in introducing him, "a rock for this movement" spoke of his legislation, House Bill 2046. "Our state is behind the voters. It is simply the right thing to do." He stressed that it is important for all public employees, including teacher and college professors to receive protections, especially in light of the Attorney General's actions against colleges last spring.
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Senator Herring, who is carrying Senate Bill 1121 with Senator McEachin, explained that their bill would allow local governments to have non-discrimination policies for their employees. "As a former supervisor," he added, "I know how important it is to be competitive with the private sector and this will make a big difference."
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Delegate Morrissey explained that his legislation, House Bill 2345 is in opposition to the proposed ban on LGBT citizens serving in the Virginia National Guard. He explained that he is confident that LGBT Virginians have "the strength, the character, the courage and the conviction" to serve us well.
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Delegate Englin mentioned his bill to repeal the Marshall-Newman amendment and said that although it is an uphill battle, he is confident that Virginians want their fellow citizens to be able to live "in dignity" and have civil unions available to them. He also advocated for his anti-bullying bill which would strengthen procedures for school districts to combat bullying. "Sexual orientation and perceived sexual orientation continues to be a problem. The responsibility to fight this bullying is all of ours."

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Be assured that Victoria Cobb and her fellow religious extremists and bigots at The Family Foundation will pull out the stops to kill these bills. Anything that might restrict the ability of such false Christians to malign others and force their religious views on others will be decried as restrictions on "religious freedom" and/or the promoting of homosexuality and sexual deviance. The true deviants, of course, are Cobb and those like her who claim to support the U. S. Constitution while in reality trying to destroy it.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Press Secretary Gibbs Dodges Question on Obama’s Past Support for Gay Marriage

Video tapes and past press coverage can be a bitch for politicians who like to play games and waffle on past positions - if not totally back track on them. Barack Obama is a case in point when the issue involves same sex marriage. Back in the mid-1990's Obama went on record in support of gay marriage. Now he's "wrestling with the issue" which is simply another way of saying either he was lying in the past or that he's lying now. Obviously, our faux :fierce advocate" cannot have it both ways and his disingenuousness on the issue shows either a dismaying political cynicism or out right indifference to LGBT Americans except for when votes and the LGBT ATM are involved. Here are highlights from Chris Johnson's piece in the Washington Blade after Obama's mouth piece Robert Gibbs bobbed and weave to avoid answering questions on Obama's inconsistency:
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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today dodged a question about whether President Obama has “backtracked” from his earlier support of same-sex marriage. In 1996, while campaigning for an Illinois Senate seat, Obama indicated his support on a candidate questionnaire for the Windy City Times, writing, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.”
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Asked today about the questionnaire by the Washington Blade, Gibbs declined to address it directly.
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In the 1996 questionnaire response, Obama unequivocally stated his support for same-sex marriage, which is different from his current position on the issue. His position since has been that marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman. Still, the president has suggested his position could “evolve” on the matter and said last month he’s “wrestling” with the idea of marriage rights for gay couples.

“Like a lot of people, I’m wrestling with this,” Obama said in an interview last month with The Advocate. “I’ve wrestled with the fact that marriage traditionally has had a different connotation. But I also have a lot of very close friends who are married gay or lesbian couples.”
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A number of gay rights supporters have called on Obama to declare support for same-sex marriage during the State of the Union address. On Sunday, the New York Times published an editorial from gay political pundit and sex columnist Dan Savage, who urged the president to address marriage rights for gay couples during the speech.

Conservative Christians Divorce More Than Others

One goal of this blog is to point out the lies and hypocrisy among the opponents of LGBT equality under the civil laws and few groups exhibit more hypocrisy (and fear of engaging in rational thought) than so-called conservative Christians who claim the Bible is inerrant and want a handful of carefully selected passages applied to gays and others in society that they dislike but then utterly ignore whatever passages that are inconvenient for themselves. No Bible prohibition is more flouted by these hypocrites than the bans on divorce that per the Bible come from the mouth of Christ himself. Worse yet, many act as if being "saved" gives them a license to lie, cheat, abuse and denigrate others with total abandon. Sadly, too few in the news media have the balls to openly confront these folks and call them out for their hypocrisy. As the Daily Texan reports yet another study has confirmed that notwithstanding the Bible's bans on divorce, conservative Christians divorce more than other segments of society. Here are some highlights:
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Divorce is more common among conservative Christians and young people, according to a recent study. University of Iowa sociology professor Jennifer Glass presented her study on skyrocketing divorce rates in regions highly populated with conservative Christians to an overflowing crowd in Burdine Hall on Friday.
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“Politically and religiously conservative states, especially in the Deep South, exhibit higher divorce rates than politically and religiously liberal states in the Northeast and Midwest,” Glass wrote in her study. The average divorce rate in the United States is 47.9 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
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Factors that lead to high rates of divorce among Christians are the prohibition of sex before marriage leading to marriage at an earlier age and teachings against abortion and birth control, which lead to “shotgun weddings,” she said.
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Another reason divorce rates are higher in conservative Christian regions is because residents of less religious and more liberal areas are more likely to live together for extended periods of time, she said.
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Yep, it's a case of "do as we say, not as we do." Would that more of these folks were challenged to their faces when they launch into anti-gay rants that cite the Bible as justification for their anti-gay tirades. Under their own supposedly "deeply held religious beliefs," they are all adulterers and per Leviticus as they would apply it to gays, they deserve death.