More Saturday Male Beauty

Christopher Interviews Anne Rice on Her Decision to Leave Christianity

The last couple of days at work have been insanely busy and somehow I managed to miss this interview on The Advocate. I want to thank the reader that directed me to it. It is excellent and in it Anne Rice lays out many views that match my own including why the Christianists are so viciously anti-gay because normal, loving gays in committed relationships threaten the Christianist house of cards faith tradition. She also correctly describes Catholicism under its current leadership as immoral and sums up the lunacy of William Donohue and his more or less one many operation Catholic League. She likewise notes that some denominations such as the Episcopal Church, the ELCA and United Church of Christ are gay accepting even if they contain continue to retain reactionary elements and fail to challenge the message of hatred that is the predominant message of far too many denominations. The interview is in four separate video clips, but well worth the roughly 20 minutes it takes to watch the full interview.

An Indictment of Those Who Oppose "Government Regulation"

I often note on this blog the glaring disconnect between the self-congratulatory religion worn on the sleeves of the falsely pious Republican Party base and their political actions which would strip away assistance to the poor and unemployed, repeal and expansion of health cares services to citizens, and decrease governmental regulation of industry to protect workers and the public. Even in the wake of the financial market meltdown that was caused by the lack of financial market regulation during the eight years of Chimperator Bush's regime of misrule. Nowhere is this disconnect more shocking than among many Republican elected officials who would appear to want to go back to the worse abuses of the robber baron era. One Republican member of Congress has even questioned the constitutionality of child labor laws (here). The hypocrisy is indeed breath taking and makes a strong argument for not wanting to call one's self Christian if these folks represent what Christians are about. David Mixner has a post on his blog that reminds us of what things were like in the days before labor unions and government regulation. It was not a pretty era and inflicted horrors on many individuals including children. Exemplifying this era that the GOP would seem to want return to is the Triangle Shirt Waist fire that occurred 100 years ago next month. The video below recalls the horror that took place before unions and government regulation. First these comments from David's blog:
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the horror called the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City. The fire, which killed 146 garment workers, is one of the largest workplace disasters in the history of America. Most of the workers were women and some were as young as thirteen years old. Italian and Jewish immigrants dominated the workforce. The workers had horrendous conditions and were forced to work 12 hours a day for seven days a week.
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The inferno engulfed the top three floors of a ten story building with the workers concentrated on the 9th floor. The bosses had locked many of the exit doors to keep workers from leaving early. The choice facing the workers was to jump to their deaths or die in the flames.

Bullying is Not Okay, Even if You Call it "Spiritual Care"

Back shortly after Halloween I wrote about a mother who allowed her young son to dress as Daphne from Scooby Doo (see photo at left) - a decision that created a great deal of flack and mockery at the boy's church affiliated pre-school. This outstanding, supportive mother wrote about her experience on her blog here under the caption "My Son is Gay." Well, even though no one was referred to by name in her blog post and the name of the school was not given, the godly modern day Pharisees at the church have been none too happy that the hypocrisy and nastiness was exposed and this wonderful mother has been paying the price. All under the guise of "spiritual care," of course. The amount of evil done under the guise of spiritual care would fill countless volumes of ledgers. Fortunately, this plucky mom has not backed down and, albeit disillusioned by with her church, she once again gets the message that the church ladies and pastor do not. Here are some highlights from her follow up blog post:
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Let me be very clear, this is not a manifesto against organized religion, church, Christianity, its various denominations, etc. This is about a singular event, the repercussions it has had on me and my family, and the fact that bullying can come from just about anywhere
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My blog post was calling out the actions of a few people that said some unkind things in front of my son. I asked for love and tolerance. Was I angry? Yes. I feel I had a right to be. Did I bear false witness? No. I spoke out against bullying. Now I am getting bullied from church.
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The first time Pastor contacted me was a few days after the Halloween post. He wanted to discuss my “spiritual care.” It was immediately clear that I was being viewed as having done something very wrong. Our initial conversation was me being called “defensive,” “vindictive,” “disrespectful,” “prideful,” and told that I “crossed a line.” I was told I needed to do penance. I was not asked about how Boo [my son] was doing.
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I was told that some members [of the church] were worried that I was “promoting gayness.” I don’t even know what that means. The words I had written were not promoting anything other than unconditional love and tolerance. My post was about bullying and how my son was treated. My post was about a 5-year-old child. Pastor said he “tried to be mad at me, but couldn’t.” I didn’t and don’t understand why he would want to be mad at me. Again, Boo’s well-being was not mentioned.
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I was offered 4 steps to restore my relationships with Moms ABC: 1.Write Moms ABC an apology with an example of how to word it. 2.Take down the Halloween post. 3.No longer write or speak of these women regarding my “accusations.” 4.Consider taking the entire blog down.
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When I asked what happens if I couldn’t do those things I was handed a final page that had already been prepared regarding my unwillingness to repent and what the ramifications of that would be. My punishment was to be disallowed from receiving Communion, and if I were to continue to not seek forgiveness, I may be removed from the congregation and not be able to transfer to another church in our denomination in good standing
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I cannot tell you the betrayal I feel. The church, or at the very least Pastor is trying to bully me into shutting up, and I find that so disheartening. I am floored by the fact that they’ve gone to so much trouble regarding a post that discusses love and tolerance that was posted 3 months ago. I am shocked that they do not see the hypocrisy of what they are saying to me. I am in complete disbelief that this has been handled in the way it has. I have never felt less welcome in a church. This is not the church that I grew up in. This is not the God that I know. And again I say to you that bullying is not okay, even if you wrap it in a bow and call it ‘spiritual care.’
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I welcome this outstanding mother to the club comprised of those of us who believe in the Gospel message of love and tolerance yet find ourselves outcasts in many churches where hate, division, and hypocrisy are the true gods that are worshiped.

NOM and Maggie Gallagher Want Leviticus to Control Civil Laws

For a nation - and each American state as well - that claim to guarantee freedom of religion to all citizens, the increasing brazenness of the Christianists in seeking to basically subvert state and the U. S. Constitution is breath taking. Their agenda has always been to make their religious views binding on all and now NOM isn't even hiding it any more in its latest anti-gay and anti-liberty initiative in Rhode Island. It's all about their rights, their beliefs, and every one else can go f*ck themselves in the view of these anything but godly Christians. Oh, and lest we forget, some like Ms. Maggie (pictured at right) are getting rich off of the non-stop dissemination of hate and bigotry. She truly makes a tawdry whore look virtuous in comparison. Jeremy Hooper at Good As You has exposed some of the religious extremism that is being circulated among the falsely pious. Here are highlights:
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WHEREAS, The Bible and Jesus Christ in particular define marriage as a heterosexual union between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6); and
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WHEREAS, The Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament clearly and specifically forbids homosexual conduct – as well as all other forms of sexual misconduct outside the bounds of heterosexual marriage (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11); and
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WHEREAS, The passage of laws legalizing homosexual marriage will force the teaching of the validity of this lifestyle in the public schools of our state; and
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WHEREAS, The passage of laws legalizing homosexual marriage will place persons of conscience who oppose such unions for moral reasons in jeopardy before the law in their business and legal relationships;
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Now therefore, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge our General Assembly to defeat H-5012 and S-0029, which broadens the definition of persons eligible to marry to include persons of the same gender.
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NOM goes on and makes some disingenuous statements about not supporting hatred - even though everything it does fuels anti-gay hatred and an atmosphere where many gays - young and old - are bullied and discriminated against to the point of taking their own lives. As I've said before, I suspect Ms. Maggie has a reserved seat in Hell.

Saturday Male Beauty

Clarence Thomas' Wife Adds Reasons for His Removal From Supreme Court

Rather than being chastened by recent coverage of her inappropriate activities and her husband's failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars of income, fundie wing nut Virginia Thomas is adding more ammunition for the argument that Thomas needs to resign from - or if need be, removed from - the United States Supreme Court. Her overtly political conduct - not to mention financial gravy train from far right groups is likely a first for the spouse of a justice on the Court - a justice who, in my opinion, in addition to being on the borderline of active corruption is a mental midget to boot. At the rate things are going, Thomas needs to have his photo next to the term "conflict of interest." The situation is truly outrageous and something needs to be done since Thomas apparently sees himself as above the law and ethical considerations that held sway for many decades. Here are highlights from the New York Times on Virginia Thomas' latest improper conduct:
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The wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has raised her political profile in the last year through her outspoken conservative activism, is rebranding herself as a lobbyist and self-appointed “ambassador to the Tea Party movement.”
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Virginia Thomas, the justice’s wife, said on libertyinc.co, a Web site for her new political consulting business, that she saw herself as an advocate for “liberty-loving citizens” who favored limited government, free enterprise and other core conservative issues. She promised to use her “experience and connections” to help clients raise money and increase their political impact.
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Ms. Thomas’s effort to take a more operational role on conservative issues could intensify questions about her husband’s ability to remain independent on issues like campaign finance and health care, legal ethicists said.
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Arn Pearson, a vice president at Common Cause, a liberal group that has been critical of potential conflicts at the Supreme Court caused by Ms. Thomas’s work, said her new position, combined with Justice Antonin Scalia’s recent address before a closed-door seminar of the Tea Party Caucus, provided further evidence of “the politicization of the court.” “The level of bias we’re seeing is really troubling,” Mr. Pearson said.

Catholic Church: Mass Attendance Down, $77 Million Settlement, German Teologians in Revolt

I often lament that far too many Catholics refuse to pull their heads out of the sand and admit to themselves that (1) they belong to a Church where the top leadership is nothing less than a total moral cesspool and (2) by continuing church attendance and financial support they are accessories to the crimes of the hierarchy. Underscoring this rot and stench in the Church hierarchy is a new $77 million sex abuse settlement involving the Delaware Catholic Diocese of Wilmington that involved 150 victims of sexual abuse by priests. The good news, however, is that some Catholics seem to be finally waking up. In Boston, mass attendance has plummeted (less than 20% of Catholics attend weekly mass) prompting parishes closing and in German one third of the theologians at Catholic universities have demanded broad Church reforms including an end to celibacy, women priests and gay couples. Such reforms would be the truly Christian thing to do, which means the Vatican will oppose them tooth and claw. First, here are highlights from the Washington Post on the settlement in Wilmington:
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Lawyers involved with the Delaware Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's $77 million settlement with nearly 150 alleged victims of sexual abuse said the church's agreement to release unredacted documents is a historic step toward making sure it doesn't happen again. And lawyers for the alleged victims said they will post the documents on the Internet. "When people see the documents, they will be able to judge for themselves" how the church dealt with pedophile priests, attorney John Manly said.
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The diocese agreed Wednesday to settle the lawsuits, which claimed child sexual abuse by dozens of diocesan and religious order priests dating to the early 1960s. Attorney Thomas Neuberger, who represented 99 of the 146 alleged victims, said they would each receive $530,000 on average.
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Meanwhile, the Boston Archdiocese is seeing mass attendance fall drastically and is looking at parishes to close due to lack of operating funds - even though the Church ironically has millions of dollars to invest in anti-gay political activities. It's strange to me that the priorities of the Vatican are such that they will throw parishioners out of their churches, yet has money to burn when it comes to fueling homophobia and interfering with the civil laws. Here are highlights from the Catholic News Agency on the plight of many parishes in the Boston area:
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[A]rchdiocesan spokesman Terry Donilon told CNA. “Today less than 20% attend weekly Mass in the Archdiocese.” These numbers call for what Donilon described as a “total rebuild of the archdiocese,” likely to include mergers between several parish communities
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Statistics from the archdiocese indicate that 40 percent of its parishes are barely meeting their financial needs or operating at a loss, while the number of active diocesan priests is expected to diminish by nearly half – from around 400, to only 180 – by 2021. Mass attendance in Boston dropped by 23 percent between 2000 and 2009.
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Obviously, covering up the rape of children has not been good for business in the Boston Archdioceses. Neither is the Vatican's refusal to move away from a 13th century view of the world and human sexuality. Some 140 plus Catholic theologians in German are demanding that things change. While their valiant effort is probably a case of spitting into the wind currently, unless the Catholic Church wants to ultimately become an African based church where uneducated populations remain plentiful, change will have to come at some point. Here are highlights from the Canadian Press:
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University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for priests, open up the clergy for women and accept gays couples. The 143 professors said the church must implement bold reforms because of "a crisis without precedent" following the discovery of widespread sexual and physical abuses by clergymen a year ago.
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More Christians than ever have turned their backs on the Catholic Church in the past year, they said. "The Church has to understand these signs and move beyond its ossified structures to regain new vitality and credibility." The appeal, published in newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung's Friday edition, called on the church's leadership to stop excluding gay couples and remarried Christians. "The Church also needs married priests and women holding positions in the clergy," the appeal said — in clear defiance of the Vatican's dogmas.
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[T]he wealthy Catholic Church in the homeland of Pope Benedict XVI sees the number of its followers dwindling, leading to lower proceeds every year, and ever fewer young men choosing to become priests.
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The professors also called for a more democratic and less centralized church, including giving the faithful a say in appointing their priests and bishops. "What can be decided locally, should be decided there," the appeal said.

Obama Continues to Pander to Christian Hate Organizations

This blog and many others - as well as numerous media outlets - have focused in the past on the insidious Christianist organization known as "The Family," elements of which have had heavy involvement in spreading anti-gay hatred in Africa. Nonetheless, Barack Obama attended the annual gathering of these Christo-fascists at the so-called "National Prayer Breakfast" which by its very design gives special prominence to the virulent form of Christianity backed by "The Family." Personally, I find Obama obsequiousness to such a foul organization disgusting but sadly it is par for the course with Obama who just doesn't seem to grasp that no matter what he does, this element will always hate him and do all in its power to destroy him. Along with destroying freedom of religion for other Americans. What's next for Obama - attending a KKK rally? It's no secret that I see religion as predominantly an evil influence the moment it cease to be a private, personal matter and "The Family" takes this form of evil to a very high level. Here are highlights from CNN on the displeasure of many in the LGBT community over Obama's decision to kiss the ring if you will of this evil organization:
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As President Barack Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, demonstrators outside reignited a simmering debate over the role the breakfast's organizers in an attempt to pass anti-gay legislation in Uganda. Gay rights activists urged President Obama not to attend this year’s National Prayer Breakfast accusing the Fellowship Foundation - which hosts the annual event - of promoting anti-gay legislation in Uganda.
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“We would love for the President to come out and join us at the “Breakfast without Bigotry,” said Michael Dixon, an organizer with GetEqualDC who organized Thursday's prayer breakfast demonstrations.
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Demonstrators in Washington said that the Fellowship Foundation, the Christian organizers behind the National Prayer Breakfast, have supported that legislation. David Bahati, the Ugandan parliamentary member who introduced the anti-gay bill, is associated with the Christian group.
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The Fellowship Foundation is also known as the Family, after a book by that name that was published about the group several years ago. “The values the Family is actually espousing could not be further from what Jesus would actually support,” Dixon told CNN. “We feel that persecuting people because of the way that they were born, trying to have them imprisoned for life, trying to execute them, is not Christian and it’s not a family value in any sense of the word.”
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Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the Episcopal church's first openly gay bishop, is critical of the Fellowshiop. “What I and others are calling for is for The Family organization to do far more than it’s done recently. There’s been a… mediocre and fairly listless attempt to distance itself from this law,” he said. "If you start a wildfire and it gets out of control and burns a bunch of homes, you know, it does no good to say, ‘Oh gosh, I never really meant to have it end up this way.”

Friday Male Beauty

The Foul Fruits of Religion

In the USA and many parts of the world Christianity is given special deference and privileges - most of which are undeserved given the fact that too many denominations continue to market division, hatred and bigorty. A video clip that underscores the often evil nature of religion is this one for Sarah Brightman's version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu, a piece that was played at my mother's recent memorial service. By way of back ground, Pie Jesu is from Webber's 1997 Requiem that was written in the wake of Catholic/Protestant violence in Northern Ireland. Take a good look at the video and ask yourself, why a belief system that produces such carnage is given special rights? The Catholic Church, conservative Protestan sects and professional Christians continue to this very day to sow the seeds of hatred and discord - throwing Christ's Gospel message of love of neighbor on the trash heap.

DADT Discharges May End, But Discrimination Might Not

The demise of DADT is a huge issue in this area of Virginia with its huge number of military service members in all branches of the U.S. military, but especially the Navy. While things seem to be on track - albeit far to slowly in my view - there are still numerous concerns as to (1) a lack of enforceable anti-discrimination protections and (2) questions as to how the partners (and in some cases, legally married spouses) of service members will be treated. Unfortunately, with DOMA in place and still being defended by or faux "fierce advocate" in the White House,LGBT service members may still remain second class citizens even if allowed to openly serve in the military. Of course, behind all of the continued bigotry is the - in my view - unconstitutional special rights given to conservative Christian religious beliefs in this nation. Equality Matters has a piece that looks at the likely continued problems that will face LGBT service members. Here are some highlights:
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President Barack Obama and Defense Department officials are preparing to provide lesbian and gay service members the space to serve openly without risking expulsion while simultaneously affording them absolutely no legally enforceable anti-discrimination protections once they are visible.
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Sure, they may not be at risk for being discharged after implementation, but they will have no means of sustainable legal recourse if they are discriminated against in any other way (or if the political environment shifts) on the basis of their sexual orientation
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President Obama could make all this go away with an executive order that categorically prohibits discrimination against gay service members. When I asked a White House spokesperson why the president would not issue that mandate, he said on DOD had developed "clear policy guidance"the matter.

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Somehow Obama's assurances that DOD has adopted "policy Guidance" gives me little comfort that LGBT service members will receive full equality. Yes, DADT repeal is a good step, but there's still much to be done.

Virginia Census Data - Backwardness Results in Slowed Growth and Lost Legislative Clout

I have argued numerous times that areas that are intolerant and hostile to modernity are slowly killing themselves socially and economically. The newly released census data for Virginia bears this out with most of the Commonwealth's significant population growth in relatively liberal Northern Virginia and around Charlottesville while the bulk of losses in population focuses in the reactionary areas of southwest Virginia (e.g., Patrick County, Henry County and Martisville all lost population). A map found here allows one to see the pattern county by county. This divergent growth also means that areas of slow growth or no growth will lose influence in the Virginia General Assembly and in Congress when redistricting is completed. Frankly, I view this as a good thing since for far too long the backward rural areas of Virginia have held far too much sway and have retarded progress across the rest of the state. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot on the political ramifications:
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Hampton Roads will take a hit when legislative district lines are redrawn this year to reflect population changes over the past decade. The region's population has grown about 6 percent since 2000, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. That's less than half of Virginia's statewide growth rate of 13 percent, which means the region can expect to lose representation when the required remapping is done.
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The big winner is Northern Virginia, which grew at a robust 24 percent. That means a decades-long trend of shifting political power from downstate to the booming Washington suburbs will continue. The shift will leave local lawmakers of both parties scrambling to save their own skins in a zero-sum game of political musical chairs.
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One potential casualty of any reshuffling done in the Senate is the current level of Virginia Beach representation.

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The clear message to Hampton Roads localities - and even more so southwestern Virginia - ought to be that business as usual is a recipe for future political and economic disaster. The City of Hampton lost population but, based on what I've seen so far with its diversity effort that includes LGBT perspectives, it seems among the few Hampton Roads cities that gets the message that tolerance, cultural diversity and progressive views can mean economic improvement. How it plays out is yet to be seen.

More Thursday Male Beauty

York County, Virginia Schools Won't Stopping Bullying Despite Student Suicide

I have written about the ongoing bullying problem in the nearby York County, Virginia, school division in the aftermath of the Memorial Day weekend suicide of 16 year Christian Taylor last year here and here. One of the problems is the apparent total indifference to well being of all students in the ranks of the school administration. The second and even larger problem is that Virginia's laws more or less absolve both the bullies persecuting other students and the indifferent and negligent school administrators. Only actual physical assault or utterly gross negligence will open the threshold for accountability of the bully and school administrators, respectively.

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But back to Christian's family eight months after his death. Given Christian's suicide, one would think that the York County schools would go out of their way to protect his surviving siblings from harassment and bullying. But sadly, such is not the case as is evidenced by this story on WVEC-TV 13 by a reporter friend, David Ham ( a print version of the story can be found here):

As a parent, the school division's obscene disregard for Christian's siblings - and I suspect many other students as well - makes me furious. EVERY child deserves to be able to go to school without harassment be they gay, lesbian, black white, Hispanic, Christian, Muslim or Hindu, etc. Is this simple right too much to ask for? I hope readers will widely disseminate this story and force York County to clean up its act if not for the right reason only so as to stop the negative publicity.

Thursday Male Beauty

Expect New Tea Party Hysteria Over New Census Data

Government survey data for the 2010 census is beginning to be released and it is likely to ignite more hysteria among the racist, Christianist dominated Tea Party crowd. The figures show that some 85% of the nation's population growth has been through increases in minority populations, especially Hispanics. The figures also demonstrate why in the longer term the Republican Party is committing suicide by its decision to cling to the bigots, racists and religious extremists of the GOP base while doing its best to alienate everyone else. The Washington Post has coverage which doesn't mention the number of LGBT households, but I suspect that number has increased significantly as well. The world and society are changing, yet the GOP for the most part clings to the past. The message to younger voters and minorities is that they need to turn out at the polls and help vote the GOP into a well deserved oblivion. Here are story highlights:
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WASHINGTON -- U.S. racial minorities accounted for roughly 85 percent of the nation's population growth over the last decade - one of the largest shares ever - with Hispanics accounting for much of the gain in many of the states picking up new House seats. Preliminary census estimates also suggest the number of multiracial Americans jumped roughly 20 percent since 2000, to over 5 million.
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"There are going to be a lot of additional Hispanic officials elected when redistricting is done," said E. Mark Braden, a former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee who now advises state governments on redistricting. "But folks in power don't give up control that easily - there will be tension between the ins and outs."
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Four of the eight states gaining House seats owe roughly half or more of their population gains over the last decade to Hispanics. They include Texas, which picks up four seats; Florida, which will add two seats; and Arizona and Nevada, picking up one seat apiece.
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The minority growth share in 2010 is the largest in recent memory, with only the influx of European minority immigrants such as Italians, Poles and Jews in the late 1800s possibly rivaling it in scope, said William H. Frey, a demographer at Brookings Institution who analyzed the census data.
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"The new engines of growth in America's population are Hispanics, Asians and other minorities," Frey said. "But it's just the tip of the iceberg. For the under-18 population - potential voters in the not-too-distant future - minorities accounted for virtually all the growth in most U.S. states." "Political strategists and advocates, especially in growing states, cannot afford to ignore this surging political wave," he said.
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Clearly, the GOP's anti-immigrant mantra and often less than subtle racism is a recipe for disaster. The question is whether anyone in the GOP has the spine to call it like it is or will the leadership continue to prostitute itself to the worse elements of the party's current base? Here in Virginia, my vote is for the latter option to prevail until the GOP is voted out of all state wide offices for several election cycles.

Canadian Study: Bullying Boosts Gay Suicide Rates

A new study at Concordia University has confirmed the obvious: anti-gay bullying increase the rate at which gays, lesbians and transgender individuals take their own lives. And yet most school divisions do little - or in case of the York County, Virginia schools - absolutely nothing to stop it. And it's not just those who have come out as gay who are targeted. Often those who are different or not conforming to backward and ignorant gender stereotypes get attacked as gay as well. In addition to the obvious emotional and psychological damage done to the victims of bullying, the new study goes further and suggest physiological results occur as well that can exacerbate the rate of suicides. Yet self-professed and self-congratulatory Christians - using the latter term very loosely, of course - continue their message of hate and ignorance hate to block effective anti-bullying policies. Meanwhile, school administrators abandon bullied students as the cower and give special privileges to Christianist bigotry - as if only anti-gay Christians have any rights. It sickens me. Here are highlights from Montreal Gazette on the study findings:
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Being bullied for being gay or lesbian can lead to a hormonal disruption that can boost suicide rates, memory loss, cardiovascular problems and bone density depletion, a study by a Concordia University graduate shows.
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“This shows that homophobia is bad for your health,” said the study’s author, Michael Benibgui. The newly released study is the first to prove a biological link between homophobic bullying and long-lasting physical and psychological conditions, he said.
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The results showed that victims of homophobia had disruptions in their output of cortisol, a hormone released in the brain as a response to stress. Normally, cortisol levels are highest in the morning and lowest in the evening, but those facing homophobic bullying consistently produced higher levels throughout the day, Benibgui said.
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While the study did not directly gauge participants’ physical side effects, it is well-known that cortisol disruptions can lead to physical ailments. Besides measuring cortisol, the study’s main focus was on whether participants were more depressed or had more thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.
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“By seeking support, they might become more exposed and become more vulnerable” to verbal and physical attacks, Benibgui noted. “It’s a double-edged sword.”
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And yet parental, family and peer support for a person who is lesbian, gay or bisexual was the greatest countermeasure to cortisol disruption. Such support also strongly affected the person’s resiliency.
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Ongoing, relentless bullying needs to carry criminal charges for the bully and with minors, their ought to be liability attaching to parents and schools who refuse to rein in their children or students. Only when criminal charges and financial liability attach will we see a change in the currently indifferent attitudes.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Maryland GOP Senator Announces Support for Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Maryland lies just across the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay from Virginia. Yet politically and socially it is a very different world where ALL citizens of the state have far more legal protections than citizens of Virginia. Indeed, now, a prominent GOP senator in Maryland (Allan Kittleman, pictured at right) has announced his support for a gay marriage bill now moving into the state legislature. I know of no GOP senator in Virginia (or GOP member of the House of Delegates) who would dare take such an action and thereby face the wrath of the Christo-fascists at The Family Foundation who daily make a mockery of religious freedom in this state. Obviously, I hope the Maryland measure passes and gives LGBT citizens in Northern Virginia the option of moving to Maryland where they will be treated as full citizens. Would such an exodus be a wake up call to Northern Virginia legislators subject to pressure from the real estate industry? Its hard to say, but it likely would not hurt the currently lost cause of marriage equality in Virginia. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on this development:
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Sen. Allan H. Kittleman (R-Howard) formally announced his support Wednesday morning for legislation that would allow same-sex marriages in Maryland, saying he would vote for the bill "because of my firm belief in equal rights." With the announcement, Kittleman became the first -- and will probably be the only -- Senate Republican to back one of the most high-profile bills of the 90-day session. When the full chamber considers the bill in coming weeks, the vote is expected to be very close. Kittleman said he plans to testify next week at a scheduled hearing on the bill.
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[M]y primary goal has always been to ensure that same sex couples have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples currently have in Maryland. I see this issue as a civil rights issue. I was raised by a gentleman who joined with others in fighting racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s. Watching him fight for civil rights instilled in me the belief that everyone, regardless of race, sex, national origin or sexual orientation, is entitled to equal rights.
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I know that some may contend that since the Bible teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman, Maryland should continue to prohibit same sex marriage. First, let me state that I am a strong follower of Jesus Christ. I worked in youth ministries for many years. However, while my faith may teach that marriage is between a man and a woman, our government is not a theocracy. As the state senator from District 9, I represent everyone in my district, regardless of their faith. Therefore, while my spiritual life is extremely important to me, it cannot be the sole basis for my decisions as a state senator.
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Ultimately, it was my strong feelings about civil rights that led me to decide to support SB 116.

While Iowa House Votes for Discrimination, a Young Man Speaks About Family

Yesterday in Iowa, the Republican controlled House passed a resolution to start the process to amend that state's constitution to completely wipe out all legal recognition of same sex relationships, not just marriage. The backers of this religious based bigotry argue that only a heterosexual couple can properly raise children (they apparently think single parents should be kicked to the curb too based on this argument). One young Iowan, Zach Wahls, eloquently took exception to this lie as shown in the video above. The irony is that with so many abusive and dysfunctional heterosexual headed families, the enemies of gay marriage are seemly afraid that gays might be better able to make marriage work. My youngest daughter recently remarked that the boyfriend and I have a better relationship that straight couples she knows.
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The Advocate has details on yesterday's vote which can be found here.

Is an Administrative Partial ENDA Possible?

Here in Virginia, LGBT citizens can be fired at will from their jobs simply for being a sexual minority - it happened to me personally in the private sector in a law firm setting and as my client, Michael Ware Moore, can attest it happens in the the realm of state employees as well despite the lies spun by The Family Foundation and its whores in the Republican Party of Virginia. Even today, a bill passed by the Virginia Senate that would protect state employees faces likely death in the House of Delegates.

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At the federal level, with the shift of control of U.S. House of Representatives to the GOP, hoped for relief from the federal level is unlikely. As a result, some advocates are now lobbying for an Executive Order that would limit federal contracts to companies that have LGBT non-discrimination policies in place. If such an Executive Order were to be secured, it would be subject to revocation by a future president and would leave the vast majority of employees in gay hostile states with zero protection. Being a pragmatist, I'd accept an Executive Order as a partial stop gap ENDA, but in the long term, we must demand passage of state and federal employment non-discrimination laws. As for the question of whether Obama has the spine to issue such an order, I won't be holding my breath - as readers of this blog know, I often refer to him as the "Liar-in-Chief" when it comes to pro-LGBT legislative initiatives. Here are highlights from the Washington Blade on the Executive Order effort:
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LGBT rights supporters are pressing President Obama to issue a directive requiring the federal government to contract only with companies that have non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation and gender identity protecting their employees.
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Richard Socarides, president of Equality Matters, said an executive order for LGBT workplace protections “ought to be something the president seriously considers doing.” “It’s definitely an administrative device the president can use to help advance the cause of full equality, especially if the Congress is unwilling to take action,” Socarides said.
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Even though some companies don’t contract with the federal government, Socarides said the directive would set an example for all U.S. businesses to comply with the new rules.
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An executive order on LGBT workplace discrimination could be a workable alternative now that Republicans have taken control of the House and cut into the Democratic majority in the Senate after the 2010 midterm elections, making passage of ENDA in Congress significantly more challenging, if not impossible.

Whether Obama would be willing to issue such an executive order remains to be seen. The president has called for passage of ENDA, but hasn’t voiced an opinion about an administrative action instituting workplace protections for LGBT people.
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Nan Hunter, a lesbian law professor at Georgetown University, said a directive protecting LGBT people would be a “terrific idea” because history has shown executive orders for non-discrimination often precede changes in law. “I think the pertinent piece in terms of the civil rights history is that the federal contractor requirements were put in place prior to the enactment of the statutes,” Hunter said.
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In 1964, President Johnson issued an executive order prohibiting most federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin — prior to the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
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Hunter acknowledged that Obama may face political challenges in issuing such an order — much like the difficulties Congress had in passing ENDA — if the directive includes protections for transgender people.
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According to the Williams Institute, the federal government contracts with 91,367 companies. The percent of the U.S. workforce that these companies employ is unknown. However, the executive order that Johnson issued in 1964, which covered most federal contractors, protected only an estimated 22 percent of the civilian workforce.

Is a Possible John Boehner Adultry Scandal Brewing?

I generally do not take much notice of what the National Inquirer reports given the rag's tendency to fabricate truly bat shit crazy stories. On the other hand, the Inquirer was 100% on target with the John Edwards sex scandal, so the publication cannot be safely ignored either. Now the Inquirer is reportedly about to release a story exposing the teary eyed, Uber-Catholic current Speaker of the House John Boehner as having had an adulterous affair with a lobbyist. If indeed the story pans out, Boehner would be yet another Republican hypocrite who preaches "family values" and denigrates LGBT Americans while blatantly not practicing what he preaches. I wish no one ill, but if the Inquirer is on the mark, it will be sweet watching the Christianists and self-congratulatory members of the GOP eating crow. I guess we will have to see what proof the Inquirer offers tomorrow. Here are highlights from the Stark Report:

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The New York Times passed on the story (if there ever was one; Page 6 of the New York Post isn’t known as the beginning and end of truth), but evidently Boehner hasn’t been successful in making the story go away. I was recently contacted by a reporter from the National Enquirer, and now I have confirmation that their story will hit the newsstands on Thursday.

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Wonder how well Boehner’s zero-tolerance pledge regarding corruption will hold up when it comes out that several hundred paper-making jobs were lost in his district and he refused to do anything about it at the same time he was sleeping with a lobbyist for the printing industry that was very happy to get their cheap paper from China.

Preservation Group Buys Ocean Liner SS United States

I have always had an interest in ships and the ocean - even as a child living in central New York and well away from the ocean. Since college and law school I have always lived in coastal areas and at my first law firm out of law school I worked on a number maritime law matters. In addition, years ago, I was able to go aboard the liner SS United States while it was tied up in Norfolk. While not as large as newer cruise ships and not as lavish as some of the liners of yesteryear, the SS United States - built in nearby Newport News - has always had the distinction of being the fastest ocean liner ever built with a top speed of in the neighborhood of 38.3 knots (44.1 mph). Given its length of 990 feet and 53,330 gross tons, that speed is amazing. The Virginian Pilot is reporting today that the liner has once again dodged the scrap yard. I hope the restoration plan pans out this time around. Here are some highlights:
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After decades of false starts, shifting owners, dashed hopes and a nomadic existence, it appears the SS United States' distress call is finally being answered. The nonprofit SS United States Conservancy announced Tuesday it has purchased the legendary ocean liner, berthed in Philadelphia since 1996, from Norwegian Cruise Lines and its parent for $3 million. The ship, built in Newport News, was once berthed in Norfolk.

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"While we've already been talking with a number of investors, municipal officials and developers, we can take these conservations to the next level because we now hold title to the vessel," said Susan Gibbs, conservancy board president and the granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, the ship's Philadelphia-born designer.

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The estimated $200 million cost to renovate the ship's of development space will come from for-profit entities. The conservancy is exploring possible partnerships with as yet unnamed entities in Philadelphia, New York and Miami to redevelop the liner as a stationary entertainment complex with a hotel, restaurants, retail, educational and museum components, Gibbs said. In the meantime, the group has launched a $1 million fundraising campaign to pay for title transfer costs, structural assessments, PCB removal and other costs, said Dan McSweeney, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based conservancy.

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"This is the first time in the history of the SS United States that a group concerned primarily with the vessel's historic significance and preservation has owned her," McSweeney said. "We can't truly say she's saved yet — that will happen when we establish a successful partnership to redevelop the ship — but we can say that we're generating the right momentum to be able to achieve that goal," he said.

Wednesday Male Beauty

House of Delagates Kills Marshall's National Guard DADT Bill

Amazingly, a House of Delegates committee killed religious extremist and homophobe extraordinaire Bob Marshall's lunatic bill that would have required the Virginia National Guard to retain a DADT policy. Never mind that Virginia would have had to self-fund the Guard in order to retain a DADT like policy. Only two members of the committee supported Marshall's bill, including southwest Virginia's perennial Neanderthal Del. Lacey E. Putney (I-Bedford). That's right, even the Republicans surprisingly voted against it, I sure to the fury of The Family Foundation. Tellingly, arguing in support of Marshall's religious bigotry was Herbert Titus, founding dean of Pat Robertson's CBN Law School - Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell's Alma mater - and father of convicted Ponzi scheme king pin, Troy Titus who is doing 30 years in prison for his thefts from the elderly and gullible. Obviously, the elder Titus would have been better served worrying less about gays and spending more time instilling some minimal morality in his son. Here are highlights from the Washington Post:
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House committee voted Tuesday evening to effectively kill a highly controversial proposal to retain the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy for gay service members in the Virginia National Guard.
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Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) argued the Virginia National Guard should continue to bar gays and lesbians from serving openly, despite a Congressional vote to repeal the policy that has barred their open service at the national level.
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Among those speaking on Marshall's behalf were a retired Marine brigadier general who commanded a battalion in Vietnam and Herb Titus, a professor who Marshall noted several times taught Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) in law school. (Campaign flashback--Titus served as chairman of a three-member group that supervised the writing of McDonnell's thesis.)
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Only two members of the Republican-led committee supported the measure--Del. Joseph P. Johnson Jr. (D-Washington) and Del. Lacey E. Putney (I-Bedford).
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Del. Bill Janis (R-Goochland) argued that though, as a Navy veteran, he opposes the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, it would create a "management and disciplinary nightmare" for field officers if Virginia National Guard members served under different rules than the rest of the military. He noted guardsmen frequently serve in units overseas alongside members of other state guards and the U.S. military.
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Virginia Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli (R) has also written that the federal government could withhold more than $200 million in funding for Virginia's National Guard if the state bucked federal policy, a concern cited by several committee members. McDonnell has said he believes Virginia should follow federal policy.

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The Deadly Connection Between Christian Evangelicalism and Homophobia

Two posts I came across today connect the dots on an issue that I feel strongly about: the responsibility of Christianists for maintaining a climate of anti-gay hatred that ruins many LGBT lives and is a significant underlying cause for LGBT suicides. One post is from Pam's House Blend that addresses the suicide of a young gay man in Seattle. The other is on Huffington Post and authored by an individual raised as an evangelical Christian. The first post focuses on the corrosive atmosphere that surrounds many gays on an unrelenting daily basis which, with the correct trigger, can cause even seemingly well adjusted gays to take their own lives. Here are a few highlights:
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As I walk though what he [the suicide victim] says, and I’m sure many of you will feel the same way, sometimes we have felt the feelings Ryan felt. Those feelings are within us that come from the wounds of past times. While we are able to overcome those wounds enough to see alternatives, there are others that ultimately made the same tragic decision as Ryan.
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More than a million LGBT teens are suffering debilitating depression because their families and religious institutions see them as deviants. Suicide rates amongst LGBT youth are four times higher than those of heterosexual youth. LGBT people are victims of discrimination and bigotry, which are often justified and promoted by religious teaching that says homosexuality is immoral, sinful or abominable.
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These experiences can result in a chronic sense of unworthiness. We become timid and afraid to assert who we are and protect ourselves, our basic needs, our self-esteem, and our physical and emotional well-being. We honor their [bullies' and religious bigots'] needs at the expense of our own. We aren’t worthy enough to deserve it. We abuse ourselves. Sometimes we abuse ourselves to death.
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As a two time suicide attempt veteran myself, I have felt the exact results of what the writer is describing. Bearing up under a constant negative message about one's very being is exhausting and at times, not much is needed to trigger a desire for a deadly self-injury. It may be a personal confrontation, a horrid divorce hearing, or even hearing news of another triumph by anti-gay bigots (e.g., today's vote by the Iowa House to move forward a constitutional amendment to rescind all recognition of same sex relationships in that state). But this atmosphere doesn't arise in a vacuum. And the Christianist bear a huge responsibility for it.

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The second post connects this demoralized and sometimes suicidal reaction by LGBT individuals to the hate disseminated "godly Christians." The author seeks to shout a wake up call to these merchants of hate and to redirect Christians to the message of love in the Gospels. Sadly, I doubt that the haters will hear the message. Here are some highlights:
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[W]hat is clear is that Christians, and evangelicals in particular, are guilty of demonizing homosexuals. We are told -- despite Jesus' example -- that it is up to us to throw the first stone of judgment at those we deem sinners. In fact, on Thursday, with unfortunate timing, Albert Mohler wrote, responding to Joel Osteen's nearly forced pronouncement that he believes homosexuality is sin, that "those who express confidence in the Bible's teaching" will have to make such a judgment.
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But when we do this, we put an unbearable burden on the shoulders of our gay brothers and sisters. Even the most "love the sinner, hate the sin" believer among us is guilty. We have mistakenly labeled homosexuality as an unforgivable sin, a malfunction, a distortion or a disease. And we are guilty of a million counts of making life miserable for so many people, and of making life unlivable for countless others.
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I'm calling for an end to this life threatening judgmentalism. I'm calling for a moratorium on debates over what qualifies as sin in other peoples' lives. I'm calling for a change in priorities, a shift back to what we should have been doing all along. I'm calling for love, acceptance and a global admission that we have wronged so many people. Ultimately, I'm pleading with my fellow Christians to change.

Pentagon Continues to Dog Discharged LGBT Servicemembers

LGBT service members continue to be discharged under DADT as the Pentagon draws up "education" plans for the implementation of DADT repeal. Adding insult to injury, the Pentagon is harassing and pursuing those already discharged under the patently unconstitutional law for reimbursement of training and other costs which would not have been "wasted" but for the religious based bigotry of DADT. All of this, of course, is why the appeal in Log Cabin Republicans v. United Sates, needs to proceed and drive a final stake through the heart of DADT. Meanwhile, our faux "fierce advocate" has not issued a stop loss order pending the completion of the half-assed repeal legislation nor has he directed the Pentagon to stop the purely discretionary effort to collect reimburse from service members discharged under DADT. This perverse situation is yet another reason I continue to view Obama with skepticism and mistrust. His actions simply do not comport with his claimed pro-equality positions and goals. Towleroad has coverage on this and information provided by Former Petty Officer 2nd Class and Hebrew linguist Jason Knight (pictured at left). Here are some highlights:
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The military has a long tradition of recouping money from service members who are discharged under the law known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. If discharging GI Jane or Joe because they happen to be different, telling them they need to repay the government because of they are different is insult to injury, as well as reinforcing negative stereotypes. From tuition of ROTC students, military sign-on bonuses to unfulfilled contracts, the military is getting their money's worth for employing lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.
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In 2005 I was discharged from the military for the first time because I annulled my marriage after discovering my sexual orientation. Regardless of misplacing the DADT discharge paperwork, recalling me back to service and serving a year in Kuwait and continues communications with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to rectify the situation, I am still forced to repay my $13,000 sign-on bonus I received in 2001. After zeroing my account when I was discharged in 2005, I refused to pay this grievous loop-hole the government circumvents to continue to persecute LGBT veterans. So for the last six years, all of my tax returns have gone toward repay this "debt" including my 2010 tax return of $1959 that included a $1000 tax credit for being a full-time student.
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So Dan Choi, be prepared to receive a letter in the mail that your tax return has been recouped to pay the debt the government has so willingly given you for being a gay man.
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Americablog has posted a petition to Defense Secretary Gates to stop sending bill collectors after former service members discharged under DADT. I have signed the petition and I urge readers to do so as well.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Illinois Civil Unions Bill Becomes Law

In another major set back for the Bible beaters, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Illinois bill that grants civil union rights to same sex couples and state-level spousal rights. Since the word "marriage" does not attach to such rights, the Christianists should not be upset with the legislation. However, as we know all too well, protecting marriage has nothing to do with the anti-gay agenda of NOM, FRC and other anti-gay hate groups. Nope, the real agenda is to keep gays marginalized and inferior under the law. While Illinois moves forward, Virginia remains a Christianist controlled backwater thanks to the Virginia GOP's prostitution of itself to Christofascists such as Victoria Cobb and her fellow Kool-Aid drinkers at The Family Foundation. Here are highlights from the Chicago Sun Times on the new Illinois law:
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Gov. Quinn on Monday signed a bill legalizing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. “Here we are in 2011 on the eve of Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd birthday and I think this is very special,” Quinn said as 20 politicians joined him on stage and hundreds of supporters packed a hall in the Chicago Cultural Center. “We believe in civil rights and we believe in civil unions.”
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With the move, Illinois joins five other states and the District of Columbia in establishing statewide laws to provide the equivalent of state-level spousal rights to same sex couples. The new law provides more than 650 spousal benefits and protections.
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The law will take effect on June 1. Supporters say civil unions are a matter of basic fairness for all Illinois residents. But opponents argue it threatens the sanctity of marriage and moves Illinois closer to legalizing same-sex marriages.

Chimperator Bush's Daughter Endorses Gay Marriage

I have been arguing for some time that the GOP's unholy embrace of the Christianists and their agenda of hate towards gays, Hispanics, non-Christians - basically anyone who isn't a "white bread" American with Neanderthal religious views - will ultimately be the death of the party. Yet another example of how the younger generation of even the children of far right Republicans may one day leave the GOP because of its homophobia has sprung up. Just as Megan McCain has endorsed same sex marriage, now Chimperator Bush's daughter, Barbara, has jumped on the pro-marriage equality band wagon. The GOP - like so many U.S. corporations - looks solely to the short term and not at the longer view where the party's support of discrimination and bigotry will be rejected. The New York Times looks at the younger Bush's pro-marriage equality stance. You got to know that the fundies must be having apoplexy. The spray of spittle flying at NOM and FRC must be like a rainstorm. Here are some highlights:
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The Bush dynasty is no stranger to generational conflict: father and son differed over deposing Saddam Hussein, raising taxes and the role of the United Nations. Now it is father and daughter who find themselves at odds over a weighty issue.
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Barbara Bush, one of the twin daughters of George W. Bush, will endorse same-sex marriage on Tuesday, publicly breaking ranks with a father who, as president, pushed for a constitutional amendment banning such unions. Ms. Bush, 29, has taped a video calling on New York to legalize gay marriage. A bill to do that was defeated in the state in 2009. She describes the issue as a matter of conscience and equality.
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Ms. Bush is the latest child of a prominent Republican leader to embrace same-sex marriage, long considered anathema to the conservative movement. Gay rights advocates have been quick to seize on the generational split as evidence that the acceptance of same-sex marriage is blind to party affiliation and family values.
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In the case of Mr. McCain, Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush, it is not just their children who have supported it. So, to varying degrees, have their wives. Laura Bush, in a television interview in May, said, “When couples are committed to each other and love each other” they should have “the same sort of rights that everyone has.”
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Barbara Bush, who started a nonprofit group focused on global health, rarely speaks out on American political issues, making her foray into the same-sex marriage debate so striking. But for years, those close to her say, she has surrounded herself with gay friends — at Yale, where she was an undergraduate, and in New York City, where she worked in the design world.
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“No matter what party they belong to, young Americans believe in basic fairness and equality,” said Brian Ellner, who is overseeing the Human Rights Campaign’s bid to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

Scottish Cycling Champion Graeme Obree Comes Out

Another major UK sports figure has come out adding the the demolition of the stereotype fanned by the professional Christian set and others that gays are not athletic and/or are feminine in their demeanor. This time, the sports star coming out is former world champion cyclist Graeme Obree (pictured at left). I identify with Obree because he stayed in the closet for many years because he had been brainwashed as I had been to think that "Being homosexual was so unthinkable that you just wouldn't be gay." Like myself, he was in therapy for years and attempted suicide before finding a reconciliation with who he is. I hope that he can now continue to find a peace and self-acceptance as I have been ultimately been able to do. I also hope that as more figures like Obree come out, it will ease the path for following generations. It continues to enrage me that individuals are taught to hold self-hate just so that the psychologically disturbed Christianists and the whore like professional Christian set can feel good about themselves. Here are some highlights from the Advocate on this story:
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Former world champion cyclist Graeme Obree says that after attempts to commit suicide and years of therapy, he is finally comfortable being an out gay man. Obree was raised during a time when it seemed better to be "dead than gay," so he suppressed his feelings, he told The Scottish Sun.
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"I was brought up by a war generation," he said. "They grew up when gay people were put in jail. Being homosexual was so unthinkable that you just wouldn't be gay. I'd no inkling about anything, I just closed down."
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In 2005, Obree began to go to a psychologist who helped him realize he had been suppressing his emotions for years. He eventually came out to his family, including his wife.
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I wish Obree well and hope that he finds the peace that so long eluded him.

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