GOP Senators Claim DOMA Not Motivated by Anti-Gay Animus

In a preposterous display Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and ten other Senate Republicans on Monday argued to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that DOMA isn't motivated by animus.   Never mind that there's no rational basis for DOMA except religious based prejudice or that the evidence in the trial court made it pretty damn clear that the motivation behind Proposition 8 was animus.  And Hatch's excuse that DOMA was motivated to protect the federal government from litigation is obviously 180 degrees from what DOMA has wrought as the government is faced in numerous federal court cases around the nation.  It's another example of the GOP's up is down and black is white approach to reality.  Raw Story has a piece that looks at Hatch, et al, disingenuous bullshit:

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and ten other Senate Republicans on Monday urged the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

In a friend-of-the-court brief (PDF), Hatch and his colleagues asserted that Congress’s enactment of DOMA was not motivated by “animus” towards gay and lesbian individuals. Rather, the law was intended to prevent costly litigation against federal government.

“Congress sought to mitigate this national confusion by clarifying the definition of marriage for purposes of federal law, while preserving the authority of states to make determinations with regard to their own state laws,” they wrote. “Congress sought to preserve the status quo, not disrupt it.”

In February, Judge Jeffery White of the District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that Section 3 of DOMA violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.   .  .   .  In his ruling, White noted that a House report on DOMA described it as reflecting the legislators’ “moral disapproval of homosexuality, and a moral conviction that heterosexuality better comports with traditional (especially Judeo- Christian) morality.” Members of Congress also described homosexuality as “immoral,” “depraved,” “unnatural,” “based on perversion,” and “an attack upon God’s principles.”  But Hatch and his colleagues said it was wrong for the judge to make a ruling based on the motivations of individual legislators.

I'm sorry, but if you believe this crap, then I've got some ocean front property in Arizona that I want to sell to you!

Why Bob McDonnell is No Moderate and an Enemy of Equality

A friend of mine who has been active in the gay rights battle for many, many years - we first met at the Creating Change Conference in Miami in 2003 where I was a workshop panelist on ex-gay programs - has put together a summary of some of Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell's past record that clearly demonstrates that McDonnell is anything but the moderate he now pretends to be. When the Deeds campaign will get off its ass and start making sure the public knows this side of McDonnell remains to be seen. The message needs to get out and soon because I have little faith in the MSM to make the effort needed to fully inform the public that McDonnell's campaign is basically one big lie. Here is the right on point summary which I have enhanced (Don, thanks for connecting the dots):

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1) Bob McDonnell earned his law degree from Pat Robertson’s Regent University Law School where he was taught to “think Christianly about the law.” Regent's goal has always been to train lawyers to move into government office and take over the reins to further the Christianists' goals and Biblical world view.

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2) In 2003, McDonnell opposed the reappointment of Newport News Circuit Court Judge Verbena Askew, the first black female circuit court judge in the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the basis that she was rumored to be a lesbian and therefore may have violated Virginia’s “Crimes against Nature” statute which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court later that same year in the Lawrence v. Texas decision.

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3) In 2004, McDonnell wrote and sponsored the anti-gay HB 187 bill, a rudimentary precursor to the Virginia Marriage Amendment that passed in November 2006.

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4) As a member of the House of Delegates, McDonnell was twice honored by The Family Foundation, Daddy Dobson's Virginia affiliate of Focus on the Family as “Legislator of the Year.” The Family Foundation is against abortion in all circumstances, is fanatically anti-gay and supports the GOP's anti-immigrant jihad.

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5) As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell authored a statement which appeared above the Virginia Marriage Amendment ballot denying that it would negatively affect unmarried couples. This ultimately played a role in the amendment’s passing which negatively impacted ALL unmarried couples, gay and straight.

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6) Bob McDonnell tried to reverse Governor Tim Kaine’s Executive Order 1 (2006) banning employment discrimination against gays serving in State Government jobs. In the recent case involving the gay employee fired by the Virginia Museum of Natural History, McDonnell's subordinates actively argued that the Executive Order gave gay employees no protections.

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7) After Christopher Newport University’s Board of Visitors voted to ban anti-gay discrimination admissions or hiring in 2007, Bob McDonnell wrote a letter informing the school that “It would not be legal for the university (or other public institutions in the state, which have done the same thing) to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

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8) Bob McDonnell even went as far as to intervene in a private lawsuit between the Episcopal Church and break away anti-gay parishes on behalf of the anti-gay plaintiffs who sought to take Church properties utilizing a 1860's statute enacted by the Virginia General Assembly so that break away pro-slavery Baptist Churches - these churches eventually became the Southern Baptist Convention - could take properties belonging to the anti-slavery national Baptist denomination.

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In sum, Right Wing Fundamentalism was the foundation of Bob McDonnell’s legal education and has inspired every decision he’s made in his political career. If elected Governor, not only will he support discrimination in Marriage, but in employment as well. If you care about your partner or your job or equality under the civil laws or freedom of religion, say no to Bob McDonnell in November and vote for Creigh Deeds and the full Democrat statewide slate.

Virginia Gay Groups Wary of GOP's Bob McDonnell

I have known likely GOP candidate for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell for over 14 years. In fact, he helped on my 1994 campaign for Virginia Beach School Board at which time I was labeled "Christian Right" by the Virginia Beach Education Association (the local NEA affiliate). Talk about getting your facts wrong!!

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I continued to know McDonnell while I served on the Republican Party of the City of Virginia Beach and later warned him - and the rest of the Virginia Beach delegation to the Virginia General Assembly - in January 2004 that the GOP had a real problem in the form of former Congressman Ed Schrock who was enraging the LGBT community with his anti-gay voting record in Congress. My warning went unheeded and the GOP controlled Virginia General Assembly enacted the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" later that year. Low and behold, in late summer of 2004 some woman - I have never figured out her identity - gave Mike Rogers recordings on Ed Schrock's Mega Phone ads for gay sex and the rest is history as they say with Schrock being outed.

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Over time Bob McDonnell seems to have become more homophobic with every passing year. Since I am now treated like a leper by most of my former GOP acquaintances, Bob McDonnell and I are not exactly chatting regularly. I truly do not know whether McDonnell's anti-gay beliefs are personal or merely a function of cow towing to the increasingly lunatic base of the Republican Party of Virginia which acts like it drinks Kool-Aid by the barrel full. The end result is that gay rights organizations in Virginia are very wary of what McDonnell might do if elected as Governor. Here are highlights from the Washington Blade:

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Gay rights advocates in Virginia are concerned that a Republican with a distinctly anti-gay record could be the state’s next governor.Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the only Republican candidate to file for the governor’s race before last month’s deadline, is already the party’s presumptive nominee. Tom Osborne, treasurer of the Virginia Partisans, a gay Democratic group, called McDonnell “one of the most outspoken, homophobic elected officials in the state” and said he’s been the gay community’s “enemy at every opportunity.”

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In 2006, McDonnell issued an opinion that concluded Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine’s (D) executive order prohibiting discrimination against gays in the state and public workforce was unconstitutional.McDonnell, whose campaign declined an interview request for this article, also cast anti-gay votes while representing Virginia Beach, Va., in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2005. In 2006, he voted in favor of the Marshall-Newman Amendment when it came to the General Assembly. The measure, approved in 2006, made a prohibition on same-sex marriage and civil unions part of the Virginia Constitution.

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While he opposed Kaine’s non-discrimination order in 2006, McDonnell later that year issued an opinion stating that the Marshall-Newman Amendment would not interfere with contracts, wills, medical directives and other agreements in the state and “will not modify the application and enforcement of Virginia’s domestic violence laws.” McDonnell’s opinion empowered municipalities in Northern Virginia to issue directives requiring officials to treat domestic violence calls for gay couples in the same way that such cases are handled for straight couples.

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McDonnell is not the only Republican candidate with an anti-gay record running for statewide office next year. State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax) announced in March that he intends to succeed McDonnell as attorney general.Cuccinelli voted in favor of the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2005 and 2006. During debate on the measure in 2005, he was quoted as saying that there was nothing wrong with discriminating against gays. In an April interview with the Blade, Cuccinelli called himself “a traditional family guy” and said he doesn’t believe “homosexuality is something that’s right at a fundamental level.”In April, Lampo said Cuccinelli is “no friend of the Log Cabin Republicans,” and Osborne described Cuccinelli as a “shrill enemy of LGBT rights.”

Irish MP: Gays More Vile Than Child Abusers

I am beginning to think that Strangford MP, Iris Robinson (at left), is Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern's Siamese twin who was spirited away at birth. She is just as mean spirited and judgmental as Ms. Kern. Like Kern, Iris Robinson doesn't know when to keep he mouth shut and seems to revel in looking like a homophobic bigot. I truly hope she comes to find herself with numerous LGBT children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc. It could not happen to a better person. OK, I take that back. Daddy Dobson's son coming out of the closet would be way more fun. :) I suppose in her delusions Ms. Robinson believes that her hateful comments have no impact on encouraging homophobes to engage in violence against gays. Here are some highlights from the Belfast Telegraph that expose Iris' latest diarrhea of the mouth (note how after utterly debasing gays, Ms. Robinson disingenuously claims that she bears no hate):

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Iris Robinson has walked into her biggest controversy yet after stating in Parliament that homosexuality is “viler” than child sex abuse, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today. The First Minister’s wife made the controversial comments in the House of Commons in front of Policing and Justice Minister Paul Goggins and a committee of UK MPs during a debate on the assessment and management of sex offenders.

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Speaking about community concerns over sex offenders Mrs Robinson then stated: “There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children.” Her comments have not been omitted from a written transcript of the debate which has been published on the Parliament website. When contacted by the Belfast Telegraph Mrs Robinson said she stood by her views and stated that homosexuality was “comparable” to child sex abuse.

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Mrs Robinson added: “I cannot think of anything more sickening than a child being abused. It is comparable to the act of homosexuality. I think they are all comparable. I feel totally repulsed by both.” . . . . Anything I say is out of love. I am not hate-mongering. I cannot leave my Christian values hanging at the door when I go into politics. “I am speaking out more now because we are getting it more and more rammed down our throats that the minority views are more important than the majority views.

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“She is being very irresponsible making these sort of cruel and frighteningly ignorant comments. “We [the Gay Rights Association] feel that a responsible MLA would be glad to listen to our views and she should meet with the health professionals who work in the gay and lesbian sector instead of making wild and totally unscientific statements.

Gay Republicans Beginning to Wake Up

Chris Johnson - who I have had the pleasure of talking to before - at the Washington Blade has a story that reveals that apparently some gay Republicans are finally waking up to the fact that trying to change the GOP from the inside is like trying to bail the rising water on the Titanic with a teaspoon. It just will not get one anywhere and other than providing an exercise in masochism it is an utter waste of time and effort. I remain convinced that the ONLY thing that will change the GOP is to have the wingnuts turn out in droves and the Party still go down in horrific electoral defeat (something I hope and pray will happen in November). Only then will the few remaining sane and moderate members of the GOP - and they are definitely few in number - have any chance of mounting a movement to seize the Party back from the Christianists. Again, it is nice to see some of these prominent gays finally figuring out what I figured out years ago after Bush was in the White House. Here are highlight's from Chris' story about his interviews with gay Republicans, past and present:

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Former gay Bush supporters unhappy with GOP, some turning to Obama - Members of the “Austin 12,” the group of prominent gay Republicans who famously met with George W. Bush in 2000, are not exactly rallying around John McCain. Several members of the group told the Blade this week that they are considering voting for Barack Obama in November . . . The “Austin 12” gained notoriety after meeting with Bush in Austin in April 2000, when Bush was still governor of Texas and a candidate for president.

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David Greer, who was appointed to Bush’s AIDS advisory board in 2003, left the Republican Party that same year and has been a registered Democrat since then. He said gay Republicans would never be a strong enough voice to influence the GOP and that the party is more interested in exploiting gay Republicans for political gain. “As long as there’s a far right in the party, gay Republicans are way too small in numbers … to have any effect on the party,” he said. “We actually end up doing greater and lasting harm to the whole GLBT community.”Greer resigned his position on Bush’s AIDS council after the president endorsed the marriage amendment. . . . .The former Bush adviser said supporting the Democratic Party is the best way to achieve gay equality,

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Greer argued that McCain “doesn’t care a lot” about gay issues, and since the GOP candidate is having trouble mustering support from its conservative religious base, McCain will probably let the “far right” control his positions on those issues.David Catania, an at-large City Council member for the District of Columbia, was similarly skeptical that McCain would change GOP policy on gay issues. “I wouldn’t give supporting him a second thought,” he said. “The cards are on the table. I think gays are kind of kidding themselves if they think John McCain is going to be any better for the gay community than George Bush.”

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Protectmarriage.com, the organization leading the campaign for the amendment, announced on June 25 that McCain sent an e-mail to the organization expressing support for the measure.By endorsing the initiative, McCain is “alienating himself from the gay and lesbian population that he had a fairly decent reputation with,” Bennett said.“I think he needlessly injected himself into this race to pander to the [James] Dobsons and others on the right,” Bennett said. “Is he going to take a position on the rest of our ballot initiatives? I don’t think so.”

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Daniel Stewart, head of the New York State Commission of Corrections, said the entire Republican Party has turned him off in the last few years.Stewart was elected to the City Council in Plattsburgh, N.Y., as a Democrat, but former New York Gov. George Pataki convinced him to switch to the Republican Party to run against the city’s mayor in 2000. Stewart won the election.But now Stewart is planning on leaving the Republican Party because the party is not moving where he’d like on issues that affect him personally, such as same-sex marriage. He noted his resentment over having to travel to Canada in 2004 to marry his partner.

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McCain has often been criticized for his lack of support for gay issues in Congress, including his “no” votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and a hate crimes measure.McCain also articulated continued support for the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy during GOP presidential primary debates.

A McCain Presidency = LGBT Citizen's Nightmare

Meanwhile, John McCain continues to demonstrate that he should be regarded as every LGBT citizen’s worse nightmare and illustrates why, in my opinion, the Log Cabin Republicans who support him need some serious mental health care. Lately, McCain’s offered so many reasons for gays not to support him that it is almost difficult to know where to start. These positions on multiple issues make it clear that all LGBT Americans should be working diligently to make sure he is NOT elected come November. First, McCain has come out in support of the effort to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage. Here are highlights from PR Newswire on McCain’s support of the anti-gay initiative in California:
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SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United States Senator John McCain today announced his support for the California Protection of Marriage initiative on the state's November ballot, leaders of the ProtectMarriage.com campaign announced. In an email received by the ProtectMarriage.com campaign, Senator McCain issued the following statement: "I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions."
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If that is not reason enough to fear a McCain presidency, then there are his views on what type of individual’s he would nominate to the U. S. Supreme Court. In his statements, McCain has idicated that he would nominate individuals like Roberts, Alito and Scalia. As Judith E. Schaeffer at Huffington Post notes, with more justices like Robert, Alito, Scalia and Thomas, gays would still be criminalized under the sodomy statutes and Lawrence v. Texas would have been decided very differently. Here are highlights from her column:
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Many people probably don't recall much, if anything, about June 26, 2003, but I recall a great deal. That's because it's the day on which the Supreme Court issued one of its most important rulings in the area of individual rights and human dignity. In Lawrence v. Texas, a sharply divided Court struck down a Texas state law that prohibited consensual, private sex between adults of the same gender, a law that essentially made criminals out of gay men and lesbians. Five justices held that the law was an improper intrusion on the right to liberty guaranteed to everyone by the Constitution, effectively invalidating all state laws that invade the home to prohibit so-called sodomy.
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But as significant as the Lawrence ruling was, I am mindful that four justices did not join Justice Kennedy's majority opinion. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was part of the majority in Bowers (truly a low point in her judicial career as well), declined to join the majority in overruling that decision. She agreed, however, that the Texas "sodomy" law was unconstitutional, but only because it treated same-sex and opposite-sex couples differently.
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Three justices dissented outright from the ruling in Lawrence: then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Scalia and Thomas are still on the bench today. The late Chief Justice Rehnquist has been replaced by the equally ultraconservative John Roberts, while Justice O'Connor has been replaced by the extreme right-wing Samuel Alito. Counting the numbers, then, it's very clear that the constitutional protection of the essential human dignity of gay men and lesbians is hanging by a slender thread on the Supreme Court. John McCain has praised Justice Scalia and has also promised to put more justices like Roberts and Alito on the Court, which should be a consideration for any voter who cares about gay rights and the future of the Supreme Court.
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Lastly, and as icing on the cake, there is McCain’s position on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The April, 2007, letter that McBush sent to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (a copy of a portion is set out below) said the1993 law, "unambiguously maintains that open homosexuality within the military services presents an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline.” The bottom line is that McCain is out of step with the direction of the country and/or a willing tool of the Talibangelicals (a great term a commentor used on Pam's House Blend). Here's the letter:

Anti-Gay Leader of New York State Senate to Retire

As the New York Times and 365gay.com are reporting, New York State Senate Majority Leader, Joseph Bruno, has announced that he will not seek re-election. The 79 year old Bruno and the GOP controlled Senate have been a principal obstacle for pro-gay legislation working its way through the New York State General Assembly. Inasmuch as the GOP controls the Senate by only one vote, there is the possibility that the Democrats might win control in November, 2008. Should that happen, pro gay legislation would have a greatly improved chance of passage. Obviously, if New York were to pass gay marriage legislation, the national impact would be enormous, particularly if the anti-gay marriage initiative to amend California's falls in November. Personally, I am pleased to see Bruno go. Here are highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Albany, New York) The top Republican in New York State and its most vocal opponent of LGBT civil rights, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, has confirmed he will not seek re-election. The 79-year-old state Senate Majority Leader has used his power to consistently block pro-gay legislation. Last year the NYS Assembly passed legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry. The measure had the approval of then Gov. Elliott Spitzer and most recently current Gov. David Paterson. Bruno has refused to allow the bill to be considered in the Senate.

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For seven years in a row the Assembly passed the Dignity For All Students Act. Bruno opposed the anti-bullying bill in the Senate over its inclusion of gender identity. Bruno also opposed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, which bans discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment, credit, public accommodations, and other areas of everyday life.

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As for what this could mean in terms of the GOP losing control of the Senate, here are highlights from the Newy York Times:

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Senator Frank Padavan, a Queens Republican, said that Mr. Bruno’s timing was dictated by the broader political situation, including the desire to see a Republican candidate succeed him in his Senate district and the need for a quick succession so Senate Republicans could enter the fall elections unified and energized.

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A key question for Senate Republicans will be whether several other older members will stay on. Mr. Bruno had persuaded them to stand for re-election in recent years and it was not clear if, given his departure, other senior senators in their late 70s and 80s would follow.

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“His resignation, I think, will have an effect on their ability to hold on to their majority,” said Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, a Democrat from the South Bronx. “He was the center. And when the center falls, everything falls apart.” The state Democratic Party appeared gleeful about the news.

Republican Congressman to Reintroduce Federal Anti-Gay Amendment

Well, it hasn't taken the Christo-fascist long too breath new life into the effort to pass an amendment to the U. S. Constitution banning same sex marriage. I can only wonder how long it will be before we find out that the likely sponsor of the proposal, Congressman Paul Broun (R-Ga), has a secret proclivity for gay sex like former Congressman Ed Schrock. It seems that it is always those who are most vocal in opposition to anything giving gays equal rights are the ones secretly longing for hot man2man sex. Either that or we can expect to find out that Broun is having an affair like soon to be former GOP Congressman, Vito J. Fossella, who fathered a love child with another woman who is not his wife. I hope gays in Mr. Broun's district keep their ears open and pass along any dirt they find to Mike Rogers or someone else who can expose his hypocrisy. These hysterical homophobes are sicko's in my view. Here are highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Washington) Republican Congressman Paul Broun (pictured) has announced plans to reintroduce an amendment to the US Constitution to bar same-sex marriage. Broun (R-Ga) said the California Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage has made it an imperative to reign in what he called "activist judges".

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"My amendment will preserve the original intent of the drafters of the Constitution, by ensuring that no state or federal judge can take it upon themselves to suddenly discover a right to homosexual marriage within the text of the document," Broun said in a statement.

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Republicans have been trying to amend the Constitution since 2004, as a result of; the Massachusetts high court ruling that legalized gay marriage there. Despite GOP control of Congress and support from President Bush, a proposed amendment failed to garner enough votes to succeed in either 2004 or 2006. With Democrats now in control of both the House and Senate it is considered unlikely Broun's move to reintroduce the measure will even make it to committee. Still, Broun said he intends to make it a key issue in his re-election campaign. Amending the US Constitution requires approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate and then would have to be passed by three-fourths of state legislatures.

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A good analysis of why Broun's claims about the U. S. Constitution (and other Christianists like him) are bull shit can be found at here at Dispatches from the Culture Wars.

Hillary Clinton's Silence Condones Gay Bashing

I will be most candid - I do not like Hillary Clinton or her sleazy husband and I am liking her less and less with every passing day. Her latest insult to the LGBT community - besides her near inability to utter the words "gay" or "lesbian" without choking - is her silence as North Carolina Governor Easley maked a disparaging remarks using the word "pansy." A number of bloggers have taken Hillary to task on this, but perhaps the most biting comments I have seen so far are from John Aravosis at America Blog who had this to say about Hillary's increasing phony and cynical campaign stunts. Those in the LGBT community who continue to blindly - and in my view foolishly - support Hillary need to get their heads out of the sand and wake up to the fact that LGBT voters mean absolutely nothing to her except a source of much needed funds and possible votes. It's all about her and Bill and their sense of entitlement to whatever they want. Here are highlights from John's comments:

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Pansy? Standing next to Clinton, her top surrogate in North Carolina actually used the word "pansy" this morning.

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After touring a bio-manufacturing training center, Gov. Easley, First Lady of North Carolina Mary Easley and Clinton held a ceremony at NC State University. The Governor formally expressed his support saying that there was "nothing I love more than a strong powerful woman." Easley concluded his remarks saying Clinton -- "makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy".

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In case anyone has been living under a rock, pansy is slang for "fag." Pan·sy:

a. Used as a disparaging term for a man or boy who is considered effeminate.

b. Used as a disparaging term for a homosexual man.

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Now why would Hillary embrace gay-bashing to help her campaign? Well, putting aside the Clintons' history of embracing gay-bashing when it suited them, take a look at what Ben Smith wrote this morning:

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Easley is a meaningful ally in the culture war she's waging against Senator Barack Obama, as she seeks to cast him as a hopelessly unelectable liberal elitist...

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Oh, so Hillary has launched a "culture war" against Obama. And what are the three elements of the culture wars? God, guns, and gays. Hillary already pulled the God and gun card on Obama in Pennsylvania, where she couldn't even say when she last went to church, and then claimed she was a hunter after a lifetime as one of America's top gun control advocates. And now she's gay-bashing. And actually, she started subtly gay-bashing a while back. Remember all of her "San Francisco" references? Then there was her top aides calling Obama supporters "latte sippers who only care about "feelings" (i.e., they're a bit effeminate and effete). (Then again, look who's advising her.)

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It's ironic. Hillary is afraid to use the word "gay," and gets visibly uncomfortable when answering questions about gay issues. But using slurs for "fag"" doesn't bother her in the least. Hillary and her people will say anything to get elected.

Sally Kern's Anti-Gay Rants Are Hurting Business

Hopefully some other cities - e.g., Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake for starters - will learn from Oklahoma City the possible consequences of harboring anti-gay sentiments and/or electing extreme homophobes to office. It seems that while the Kool-Aid drinkers in Oklahoma City are reveling in Kern's message of hate, big bussiness and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce in particular are less than joyous. In fact, they are already learning that Kern's posionous mindset is turning away progressive businesses and has made the city a place consultants advise clients to avoid.

I have stated in the past and say again that the LGBT community needs to use its financial purchasing power to punish states, cities and businesses that are anti-gay and take their gay dollars elsewhere. With a purchasing power greater than that of the Africa American community within the USA, a concerted LGBT boycott of cities and/or products WOULD have an impact. In short, hate should carry a price. According to this story from the Oklahoma City Journal Record, perhaps it is already happening in Oklahoma City. Here are some highlights:

OKLAHOMA CITY – A San Francisco Bay-area financial services company has not yet ruled out Oklahoma City for a major office relocation, a vice president of a real estate search firm confirmed. A decision is expected in three to four weeks. But Tom Maloney, vice president of California-based Staubach Co., would neither confirm nor deny that the 1,000-employee, AAA-rated client company’s top executive is a lesbian who expressed concern over Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern’s recent anti-homosexual statements, as has been the topic circulating among local business leaders.

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Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said the issue is a major concern the chamber is trying to address. He confirmed a Staubach consultant was troubled by Kern’s comments during a recent visit to the city. “He told us straight up … ‘I cannot recommend to any of my clients that they should consider Oklahoma City because of that,’” Williams said. “When you have one of the nation’s premier relocation experts making those statements, you should pay attention to that and not dismiss it.

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The significance of the Staubach visit to Oklahoma has grown with e-mail rumors. A representative of a national gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender (GLBT) organization said notes are being circulated that the unidentified company is actually a motorist group – skewing references to the company’s triple-A credit rating – that 6,000 jobs are involved, and that the executive stormed out of the meeting in anger. When asked about Kern’s recorded statements and their effect on any potential company relocations to Oklahoma City, Maloney said, “I’ve got no comment as to what, if any, impact that they’ve had.”

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As for Kern’s comments, “They no doubt send a message out there that no city wants to send, and that is one of divisiveness instead of unitedness,” he said. For the last five years, the chamber has made a greater effort “to embrace differences and embrace diversity, to build a community that is open and welcoming to anyone.”

Canadian MP Suffers from Sally Kern Syndrome

Homophobe bigot Rep. Sally Kern of Oklahoma doesn't have a monopoly on anti-gay bigotry it seems. Stealing some of Ms. Kern's spotlight is Saskatchewan MP Tom Lukiwski who is attempting to apologize for video taped comments from 1991 in which he described gays as disease carriers, etc. It is interesting that "convervatives" both north and south of the border employ the same tactic - dehumaize and malign those who are different and act towards them in a decidedly un-Christian manner. They obviously have picked the Pharisees from the Gospels as their role models as opposed to Christ. As for Lukiwiski's apology, I suspect that in reality he is only sorry that his bigotry was made public. His crocodile tears are less than convincing. Here are some story highlights (http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=420097):

An amateur video taken 17 years ago came back to haunt Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and a Tory MP on Thursday as the pair had to publicly apologize for making offensive remarks -- including homophobic comments by MP Tom Lukiwski.

The footage, made public by the provincial opposition NDP, shows Wall speaking in an exaggerated eastern European accent and mocking then-NDP leader Roy Romanow.

However, opposition MPs are now calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to throw Mr. Lukiwski, 56, out of the Conservative caucus for his remarks that insulted gays. "I am truly, truly sorry," said Mr. Lukiwski, appearing visibly shaken as he spoke to reporters in Ottawa outside the House of Commons.

New Democrat MLA Pat Atkinson told a news conference Thursday her party found the videotape when it moved into the opposition offices after its loss in last fall's provincial election. Ms. Atkinson called the comments "hateful." "I think I can say that it was disturbing. His comments were rather disturbing. And it made me sick," she said. Ms. Atkinson said Mr. Lukiwski, who served as executive director of the Saskatchewan Party before being elected to the House of Commons, should not run again. "I don't believe Mr. Lukiwski gets any slack on this," she told reporters at a news conference, noting he was over 40 at the time of the comments.

"What's troubling is that all this is not surprising. In this [Conservative/Reform/Alliance] party, there's a sentiment of homophobia [within its structure] . . . Ever since I first became an MP in 1993, the Conservatives voted nine times against the rights of homosexuals."

Cultivating Hate - The Aftermath

Colette Beighley has a great post on her blog (http://www.chanceofgay.org/) that looks at the aftermath of bullying and hate speech such as that of Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern. Specifically, the post looks at the survivors of youths who have chosen to take teir own lives as a result of bullying and other mistreatment by their schoolmates and others. What I find so amazing is how people like Ms. Kern - who claim to be Christian - can be such vicious fountains of hate towards other human beings. Another such individual is Missouri House Rep. Jane Cunningham (R-86) who chairs of the Missour Legislature's Elementary And Secondary Education Committee. While I have been unable to confirm Ms. Cunningham's religious denomination, from her official biography I suspect she is purportedly a Christian, yet as Pam's House Blend has reported (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=99096D01350D0518F9E724032622D1BD?diaryId=4915), she made the following remarks to some students who had piercings:

Cunningham told the youth to leave, as she "couldn't look at [them] anymore," because their appearance "offended" her. Both youth have facial piercings as many students do. The youth thanked Rep. Cunningham for her time and left the office. . . . "I don't see how any human being could look at them for any prolonged period of time without getting physically ill... I thought I would throw-up if I looked at them any longer."

Jesus associated with the social outcasts of his day and healed lepers, yet Ms. Kern and Ms. Cunningham look down on their fellow humans and disparage them and, in the case of Ms. Kern, make statements that actively incite hatred. What kind of perverted form of Christianity these women purport to follow? I just do not get it. How can anyone be so unkind and hate-filled?

Sally Kern - Shoots Herself in the Foot [Head] Again

Having called attention to herself through her ignorant, hate-inspired anti-gay rant that she did not realize was being taped, Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern clearly has not learned to shut her mouth and keep it shut. Her latest effort to show herself to be a totally ignorant ass can be found in her letter to the editor in the Bethany Tribune (http://www.bethanytribune.net/opinion.htm) which serves portions of Oklahoma City.

The "facts" she cites to justify her anti-gay bigotry and hatred are pure Paul Cameron quality and on their face probably came from Cameron’s web site and/or some of his dubious pay to publish articles. By way of background, Cameron was officially expelled from the American Psychological Association in 1983 and officially condemned by both the American Sociological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association, because of his fraudulent research. Sadly, it’s no surprise that Kern relies on a quack like Cameron and those in Christianist circles who continue to cite him as an expert. Also, note that she has to cite a 1952 article as one of her sources, obviously because any more current reputable source would not support her claims. The more Kern keeps it up, the more likely she is going to be either forced to resign or be defeated in her next re-election effort. She is a one woman negative advertising campaign for the State of Oklahoma, who has now added the States of New York and California to the list of persons and places she has insulted. Here are highlights from her latest rant:

“The International Journal of Epidemiology” states that the mortality rate for those engaging in homosexual relations before age 20 have their life expectancy reduced by as much as 30 years. The study “The Longevity of Homosexuals” found that the average lifespan for lesbians is only slightly higher than that of homosexual men.

Homosexuals insist they are born gay, yet a study by Dr. Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead on various cultures states: “If homosexuality were influenced by genes, it would appear in every culture, but in 29 of 79 cultures surveyed in 1952, homosexuality was rare or absent.” Regarding homosexual couples and domestic violence, a recent study by the Canadian government states that “violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with heterosexual couples.”

The homosexual agenda’s influence on education is evident from their own organization’s literature. The book, “Tackling Gay Issues in Schools,” for K-12 gives teachers reasons for including homosexual, bisexual and transsexual lifestyles in schools. The Gay Straight Alliance offers instruction on teaching homosexuality in every subject. The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has materials promoting the homosexual lifestyle. The National Education Association is sending all 16,000 public school districts in the U.S. a 24-page pro-homosexual booklet telling students that homosexuality is normal. “It’s Elementary” is a training video used in schools to persuade children that the homosexual lifestyle is normal. There is a homosexual agenda in our schools.

Homosexuals are already citizens who have equal rights. They want “special rights” for the acceptance of their deviant lifestyle. I’m thankful that Oklahoma is different than California and New York. I pray it stays that way.

Sally Kern, District 84
Oklahoma State Representative

Sally Kern Continues to Demonstrate Her Ignorance and Hate-filled Mentality

In her anti-gay rant, the new Queen of Hate, Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern cited the threat of gays infiltrating city councils and cited the cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Eureka Springs, Arkansas as examples of such cities. As I previously posted, Pittsburgh was quick to slam Ms. Kern and demand an apology. Now, Eureka Springs has also taken her to task as reported in the Carroll County News (http://www.eurekaspringstimesecho.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/we2.txt):

EUREKA SPRINGS - Statements made by Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern (R), secretly recorded and released on YouTube.com on March 7 brought a rebuke from Mayor Dani Joy at the conclusion of Monday's's city council meeting. Kern used Eureka Springs as an example of a town “taken over by the militant homosexual agenda,” and can be seen on the Web at http://www/youtube.com/watch v=1T7s3x4JoQ.\

The mayor's statement, released earlier on Geekfest, an electronic community bulletin board, describes Eureka Springs as “welcoming to all visitors and residents without regard to their race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.

It is our hope that all people would aspire to this ideal.”She also added that in her opinion it was appalling that Kern used Eureka Springs and its citizens to further a private agenda. Elected officials, she said, are put into office for other reasons, and added that she feels that Kern owes the city an apology.

Meanwhile, the sadly deranged and hate-filled Ms. Kern doesn't seem to know when to shut her mouth and is managing to continue to dig her hole deeper and show her incrdible level of ignorance. Contrary to her allegations, the Christianist organizations outspend the LGBT organizations by a margin of almost 10 to 1 and no legitimate science/medical knowledge supports her position that sexual orientation is a choice. The woman is a moron. Here are highlights from this past weekend when she was on television in a debate with a gay pastor (http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/kern_032508.html):

Oklahoma House Rep. Sally Kern made an Easter Sunday appearance on KFOR-TV's "Flash Point" to face off with an openly gay pastor, elaborating on her recent leaked speech and defending her views. A spirited theological and political debate ensued between Rep. Kern, host Kevin Ogle, panelists Burns Hargis and Mike Turpen, and Dr. Scott Jones of Oklahoma City's Cathedral of Hope.

I was talking about the homosexual agenda, and how they are out there putting forth--funding very heavily--homosexual and pro-homosexual candidates to run against, and defeat, conservatives across the nation. "I did talk about what I believe...scientific evidence, health evidence...proves that the homosexual lifestyle is a dangerous lifestyle. And, yes, I did compare it to being more dangerous than terrorism. And my point in doing that, gentlemen, was this: Everybody knows terrorism destroys and tears down, and that was the only analogy I was making is that the homosexual agenda, this lifestyle which is so destructive to individuals, is at the heart trying to tear down what is the bedrock foundation of our society, which is the family and traditional marriage."

If a person is born black, they can't change that," Kern explains. "You see, that's the heart of this issue is the homosexuals believe they're born that way. No medical research--" "--Even Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has agreed that all science is leading toward the idea that we are born that way." "I disagree with that wholeheartedly," Kern says. "We're all born with a sinful nature. I'm just as sinful as anybody else in this world."

"The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association all disagree with you, ma'am," Jones responds, "and they're the people I would respect as having a mainstream view, and yours is in an extreme view." "Mine is not an extreme view," counters Kern. "Mine is the view of the average American citizen, and I disagree with you."

Does Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern Have a Gay Son?

Like many gay bloggers, I have done a number of posts on the still changing story on the extreme anti-gay comments made by Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern. Perhaps I should have seen it coming, but now stories are flying about that Sally Kern may have a gay son herself. A son that she has reportedly disowned. While Jesse Kern has denied that he is gay (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080314_1__OKLAH67120), it would certainly fit a pattern where some of the most outspoken anti-gay bigots are themselves the parents of gay children. A few that spring to mind are Phyllis Schlafly, Beverly LeHaye, Alan Keyes, Randall Terry (there are many more). The irony of course is that according to these homophobes, homosexuality is the result of dysfunctional families and poor parental relationships. Thus if their theory were true, these folks should be the last ones giving advice to others about how to avoid raising children who turn out to be gay. They failed with their own children by their own standards. Why on earth trust them with yours?

I suspect that time will tell if Jesse Kern’s denial is true. It does seem strange, however, that Kern changed her homepage to delete references to her children. Most GOP politicians ALWAYS mention their children - to document that they are married with children and, therefore, cannot be gay or lesbian . However, in the interim, here are highlights from Queerity (http://www.queerty.com/sally-kern-scrubs-gay-son-20080312/):

The Oklahoma lawmaker’s homophobic remarks have been the talk of the town recently, especially her assertion that gay folk are infiltrating schools to indoctrinate children. And, sensing a critical national spotlight, Kern made a very suspicious change to her official government homepage. If you compare a March 4th cache and today’s version, you’ll notice that Kern and/or her staff deleted a biographical sentence mentioning her two adult sons, Jesse and Nathan. Obviously our warning bells went off, so we did a little digging and found something quite queer.

Consider comment seventeen on this Tulsa World article: “How come no-one asks this “supposed” christian woman..about her own GAY son? The one she basically has dis-owned…ahh so christian.” What?! Kern and her Baptist preacher hubbie had a homo? And they disowned him? That’s some Alan Keyes shit. A little more digital detective work dug up numerous postings naming Jesse as the outcast offspring. One even recalls Jesse’s time at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was apparently “the biggest queen on campus”: I find it hilarious that Salacious Sally is such a bigot. Her son Jesse was the biggest queen on the campus of OBU in the mid-90’s. Twice he almost was expelled for making inappropriate advances in the library toilets. When he wasn’t cruising the toilets he was in the glee club and a piano major…there’s your sign.

NOTE: based on a comment on the Tulsa World article, I did a OCIS search and found the following which I have no way of confirming is the same Jesse Kern as Ms. Sally's son. Given his reported age currently, it's probably not him - perhaps a relative then:

Count as Filed: , ATT ORAL SODOMY , in violation of 21 O.S. 896 Date Of Offense: 03/27/1989
Party Name: KERN, JESSE JACOB

http://www.oscn.net/applications/ocisweb/GetCaseInformation.asp?submitted=true&viewtype=caseGeneral&casemasterID=446&db=Cleveland

Rep. Sally Kern Remains an Unrepentant Bigot

Oklahomans for Equality has published Oklahoma Sally Kern's written response to the furor that has arisen over her wildly homophobic remarks caught on a recording while Ms. Kern though she was off the record with a small group of fellow bigots. Kern's reponse can be found here (http://okeq.org/kernresponse.cfm). In the process of trying to make herself seem the victim and give the appearance that it was the "homosexual activists" who were in the wrong, Kern made this comment:

“To put this simply, as a Christian I believe homosexuality is not moral. Obviously, you have the right as an American to choose that lifestyle, but I also have the right to express my views and my fellow Oklahomans have the right to debate these issues. “In recent years homosexual activists have begun to aggressively promote their agenda through the political process, . . . That is their right, just as it is my right to voice opposition to their agenda, which I have been asked to do at several public forums in recent months. That’s what democracy is all about. It appears some homosexual activists believe only one group is allowed a voice in this debate. I disagree.

The remainder of her press release is basically a lot of unrepentant blather. Many people are not buying what Kern is selling and a petition has been started calling for her resignation. The petition sign up can be found here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/333266961. Pam Spaulding has a great letter authored by Rev. Russell Mark, who is actively involved with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (www.wabaptists.org). This letter, while blames Kern and those like her for the increase in hate crimes against gays can be found here: http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4735. Given Kern's ignorant nastiness, I also sent her the following letter myself:

Dear Ms. Kern:

I guess under your definition, I am a “homosexual activist” because I find your recent anti-gay remarks bigoted, moronic and reprehensible. It is true – at least until you and those with your mindset take over the nation – we have the right to differ on matters of religious beliefs, but that is not an excuse for your recitation of factually erroneous statements. I would also add that your so-called “vigorous debate” was in a small closed session hidden from view. That’s hardly a vigorous debate and you know it. Please don’t lie about it. Thus, what I find truly offensive is the utter ignorance and dishonesty displayed in your remarks. You have certainly done your part to make the citizens of Oklahoma look like fools both in the USA and internationally. I have a few brief additional points I’d like to make.

First, as a history major, I suggest you take some refresher courses IMMEDIATELY. Perhaps a few courses on Classical Greece and Rome, each of which by any calculation lasted far longer that the USA has to date, might be a good starting point to show the erroneousness of your comment “Studies show, no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted for more than, you know, a few decades.” I might also add that individuals like Socrates, Plato, Alexander the Great, numerous successful Roman Emperors, are but a few of the contributors to western civilization who were involved in same sex love. Please know what you are talking about before running your mouth.

Second, some of your other comments also suggest you rely on those like Paul Cameron for ”expert” opinion on gays and our “lifestyle.” Not that I realized, living, breathing and having emotions, feelings and bleeding when cut constituted a “lifestyle.” I suppose you engage in a heterosexual “lifestyle” under your feeble reasoning. By your apparent analysis, you were not born heterosexual, but rather chose that “lifestyle.” Again, you show your ignorance since Cameron was exposed as a fraud some 28 years ago. True, disingenuous “pro-family” organizations continue to disseminate lies based on his fraudulent work, yet one would think an elected official such as yourself would make sure that your statements had some shred of truth to them. I would also suggest you review the newly released booklet compiled by the American Psychological Association and other LEGITIMATE experts on sexual orientation. You can find it here: http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.pdf

Lastly, your comments were particularly outrageous in light of the recent murders of gays. In one case, a 15 year old boy was basically executed by a middle school student who obviously had been indoctrinated by people like you. You see, words do have consequences. You are little better than the Nazi regime who made similar remarks about Jews in the 1930’s to dehumanize and stigmatize them. We all know what that led to – well, perhaps not since history is obviously NOT your strong suit. Check out the Holocaust while you are doing your history refresher courses. Good “Christians” like you have a great deal of blood and guilt on your hands for every gay, lesbian or trans-gendered individual who has been brutalized or murdered based on simple minded hate like that which your remarks exhibited. I hope you will do some soul searching. If not, at least educate yourself so you do not show yourself to be an ignorant ass.

Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern’s Anti-gay Speech Made Public

Personally, I love it when wingnut bigots speak their mind to what they believe is a select few only to have their nastiness thrown out for the entire world to see. Such is the case with State Rep. Sally Kern of Oklahoma who went on an anti-gay tirade to what she thought was a small friendly audience, not realizing that her comments were being recorded (highlights are set out below). One of the standard Christianist myths she cites is that “no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted for more than, you know, a few decades.” Obviously, in my opinion she is (1) an ignorant idiot and (2) surely needs to take some refresher courses in history. I guess she’s never heard of classical ancient Greece and Rome or the Hellenistic Period, for example, all of which lasted for far longer than the period of time that the USA has existed. I am not aware that she’s made any apology whatsoever, but at least the world is getting to see what a mean spirited bigot she is. Those who would like to let Ms. Kern know what you think of her can e-mail her here: sallykern@okhouse.gov. Here are some samples of this ignorant twit’s statements about homosexuality and homosexuals:

Studies show, no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted for more than, you know, a few decades. . . I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam.

They want to get them into the government schools so they can indoctrinate them . . . They are going after our young children, as young as two years of age, to try to teach them that the homosexual lifestyle is an acceptable lifestyle. You know, Gays are infiltrating city councils. . . Did you know that the city council of Eureka Springs is now controlled by gays? . .. They are winning elections.

One of my colleagues said We don’t have a gay problem in our community… well you know what, that is so dumb. If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.

Ms. Kern, you are an embarrassment not only to yourself but also to your district, your state and this nation. Shame on you!! Take a few history courses too while you are at it.

Update: Here's a link to a local TV News story provided by a reader: http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=7983168