Thursday Male Beauty

The Real Winner of the Republican Primaries

David Frum - a rational conservative as opposed to a Kool-Aid drinking crazy like most of today's GOP - looks at the real winner of the GOP primaries and, sadly, he says it's Barack Obama. Perhaps the death by a thousand cuts that the GOP is inflicting upon itself that has emboldened Obama and the DNC to blatantly throw LGBT Americans under the bus yet again as the DNC erases LGBT agenda items from its civil rights agenda. Increasingly, the two political parties offer voters the choice between (1) certifiable crazies such as Christine O'Donnell, and (2) mealy mouthed spineless wonders like the current occupant of the White House. It's literally, a case of being forced to choose between the lesser of the poisons. It makes it truly difficult to feel much motivation at all to be excited about a candidate. Yes, Obama excited people in 2008, but sadly he's proven to be all talk and no action - and even less leadership. If Obama and the Democrats cling to power it will be not because they deserve it, but only because the GOP seems to have a death wish. A pox on both their houses seems the best analysis of the horrible choices facing voters this election cycle. Here are highlights from David Frum's column on the subject:
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The real action in this election cycle was in the Republican primaries, they are almost over, and we already know who won: (drum roll, please!) President Obama. American conservatives have suffered a crushing and lasting defeat. The center of gravity in American politics has shifted permanently and irreversibly to the left (and conservative ideology will eventually follow).
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The saddest thing is that this conservative calamity is mostly self-inflicted. More and more conservatives get Oprah-cized . . . They now believe that expressing their feelings (e.g. by nominating quixotic candidates) is more important than trying to influence government policies (e.g. by nominating viable candidates). They withdraw from practical politics and instead join a protest movement. They march in the streets in tricorn hats while the liberals (whom they unwittingly help to put in office) are creating new entitlements and raising taxes.
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Many vulnerable Democratic congressional candidates got their dream opponents (the latest example is Christine O’Donnell – unfortunately, just one of many, way too many, examples). So the GOP gains in November will be smaller than they could be. Furthermore, a lot of those gains will be easily reversible.
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Even if Republicans capture the House this November, they will have a barely functional majority – a 225-210 split is about the best we can realistically hope for – and will be almost certain to lose the House again in 2012, potentially even by a worse margin than in 2008. Such a scenario would be devastating to conservative causes, since Obama would claim that his own re-election victory combined with his party wrestling the House from the GOP (and expanding their Senate majority) gives him a clear mandate to implement his agenda (rather than pursue bipartisanship). And make no mistake, that’s the mandate Obama plans to get before pursuing his remaining agenda. All the talk about the importance of this year’s election in stopping Obama is just talk.
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The Senate seats that the Republicans threw away (the seat in Delaware has just been added to this list) will now be in the hands of Democrats for 6 years, and some of them will not realistically come into play again for much longer than that. Who knows, the Republican president in 2025 (I’m not very optimistic we will see one earlier than that) may have some important part of his agenda derailed because of coming up one Senate vote short (thanks to a Democrat rather than Republican representing Delaware).
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We will never know how many talented young people contemplating entering Republican politics (especially in swing states) will decide to pursue other career options instead because of all the ugliness they saw in this primary season (nor how many congressional Republicans will retire earlier than they otherwise would). But we can be sure that conservatism will be suffering for decades because of their decisions.

LGBT Civil Rights Vanishing on New DNC Web Site

Last evening as the LGBT liaison to the Hampton Democratic City Committee, I received an e-mail from the committee chairwoman telling me about and giving me the link to the supposedly new and improved DNC web page. I clicked the link and went to the site, signed in and low and behold, the "civil rights" page has been apparently sanitized in the minds of spineless DNC operative to removal all reference to the repeal of DOMA. You know, that same federal Defense of Marriage Act that our "fierce advocate' in the White House heretofore claimed needed to be repealed while campaigning. Every time I manage to rally some enthusiasm for putting forth efforts to elect local Democrats , the DNC and/or the White House does something else to throw Teh Gays under the bus yet again. Pam Spaulding with her usual wit and ability to get to the point has this to say:

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Jesus, the tire tracks on my back are really smarting today. The DNC has apparently boarded the bus that is driving over LGBTs and the immigration reform folks today with a lovely revamped site on "Civil Rights" that's, to be charitable, going in the the wrong direction. I can't help but cringe at the bitter irony of the logo: Change that matters.
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The DNC page disingenuously states as follows: "Civil Rights are not just abstract principles. They represent nothing less than our ability to provide for ourselves and our families and to live free from discrimination or persecution. For decades, Democrats have fought for these values, working to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to fully participate in our society-to live in a place where there are no second-class citizens, where each of us can go about our lives without fear of discrimination." Nice words (and that's all we've heard from the White House), but a further reading of the PR piece quickly shows that second class citizenship is deemed to be fine and dandy for LGBT folk. Pam Spaulding continues saying:
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Wait - what happened to one of the promises candidate Barack Obama made during the campaign -- repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act? Nowhere, people. Not a priority, not on the list anymore. I guess that went up in smoke with the whole "full civil unions" (where's that going to come from?) hoo-hah.
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And tell me what is a "sensible way" to repeal DADT? It sure can't be by giving troops freepable surveys to fill out, non-confidential feedback e-boxes, and asking spouses what they think about enlisted homos moving next door. I guess "sensible" is whatever Bill Gates approves of.
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This situation is so damn sad -- and unnecessary from a PR perspective if you want to at least string along LGBTs to open the gAyTM. They aren't even trying anymore.
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LGBT Americans have apparently been written off. And my fellow City Committee members wonder why I'm not a happy camper? Why don't the powers that be at the DNC just go ahead and spit in our faces? The DNC agenda of alienating the party base has just ticked up a few more notches. I do not understand it. The DNC seems Hell bent to goe down in defeat come November 2, 2010, inspite of all of the GOP missteps.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Lady Gaga Inspires Others to DADT Repeal Advocacy

I may be showing my age, but I will concede that prior to the National Equality March last October, I really did not know a great deal about Lady Gaga. She was a performer that my youngest daughter might mention and I had heard a couple of her songs. In fact, it was not until that gorgeous Sunday afternoon last October that I saw Gaga in action from about 20-25 feet back from the podium in the press area where we were positioned thanks to my Bilerico credentials. It quickly became obvious as she spoke that she's no blond bimbo and that she's not one to bite her tongue. I can still hear her in my mind as she yelled out to Barack Obama that it was time for fully equality.

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As I noted in a post the other day, Gaga made the repeal of DADT a visible issue at the MTV Awards where she was accompanied by four (4) victims of DADT and discarded from the military. This aggressive exposure of the issue continued to her web site that is linked to SLDN's web page and call for citizens to join her in calling their Senators and demanding that they vote for repeal. THIS is what a "fierce advocate" acts like. Not the simpering spinelessness which is all that is forthcoming from the White House. The following is a video inspired by Gaga - and the girls in the video DID call their Senators, one of who has responded and thanked them for their action. For readers in Virginia, the numbers to call are as follows: Mark Warner - (202) 224-2023; Jim Webb - (202)-224-4024. Call them now/tomorrow. I already have.

Irish Times Poll: 67% Support Gay Marriage - Along With More Signs of Catholic Church European Melt Down

Ireland was once considered a bastion of Roman Catholicism and the Irish people suffered greatly for their allegiance to the Church of Roman. Now, the Catholic Church is fast losing all moral authority in Ireland - and rightfully so given the moral bankruptcy of the Church hierarchy - and the Irish populace seems to care less about the constant anti-gay screeds issuing from the Vatican and Papa Ratzi. This has been confirmed by a new Irish Times poll that reflects that 67% of respondents support same sex marriage - something that is anathema to Rome. Frankly, there are no signs that the Church's free fall is about to halt any time soon. But Ireland is not the only European nation where the Church's toxic anti-equality influence is waning. In Scotland, the Scotsman reports that the expected crowd for Papa Ratzi's scheduled mass in Glasgow is a quarter of what greeted Pope Paul II (who we all now know was less than saintly and protected sexual predator Marcial Maceil Degollado) in 1982. Then there's Belgium where Time reports a similar downward spiral for an institution that turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse of children and youth on a global basis. Do I feel any pity for the Catholic Church? None whatsoever. First highlights from the Irish Times:
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JUST OVER two-thirds of people (67 per cent) believe gay couples should be allowed to marry, according to an Irish Times /Behaviour Attitudes social poll. It is one of a series of findings in a poll on “sex, sin and society” that indicates Irish people have adopted a more liberal attitude towards personal relationships and sexual behaviour.
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In addition showing strong support for gay marriage, a significant majority (60 per cent) also believe civil partnerships for gay couples will not undermine the institution of marriage. A large majority (91 per cent) also say they would not think less of a person if they revealed they were gay or lesbian. These numbers are consistently high across most age groups, as well as in urban and rural areas.
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The findings also indicate there is a growing consensus that living together before marriage is likely to result in a more stable marriage. A majority (57 per cent) believe cohabitation is a positive development. This view is reflected consistently across most age groups.
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Even higher numbers (79 per cent) do not regard sex before marriage as immoral. When broken down by religion, most Catholics – again, 79 per cent – did not see anything wrong with the practice.
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The apparent decline of the Church in Scotland is likewise significant. These highlights from The Scotsman:
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ONLY 65,000 Catholics are now expected to take part in the papal mass in Scotland tomorrow – one third fewer than originally expected and a mere fraction of the total number in the country.
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The Catholic Church denied that the controversy over the Pope's handling of the Church's child abuse scandal has undermined his imminent arrival. But critics of the visit claimed the figures revealed the extent of indifference towards the first visit by a Pope to Scotland for 28 years. The Catholic Church says more than 250,000 attended the mass in Bellahouston Park when Pope John Paul II visited in 1982.
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And lastly from Time these highlights on the continued fall out from the Church's reprehensible enabling and cover up of sexual abuse by priests over the decades:
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In the past few months, harrowing tales have emerged from almost every congregation in the country about priests raping and assaulting young parishioners. . . . Acknowledging the scale of the scandal, the head of the church in Belgium, Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard, vowed to do more to help the victims, collaborate further with law enforcement and punish the abusers.
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But abuse victims immediately slammed his pledges as vague and evasive. They pointed out that the church has yet to show how it will find and punish abusive priests. They also said there is no indication the church is ready to give the police and courts full rein in investigating and prosecuting abuse allegations within the clergy.
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"The reforms are smoke and mirrors," says Barbara Blaine, president of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), who flew to Brussels to hear Léonard's announcement. "These are bare-minimum, begrudging steps. Hundreds or thousands were raped and sodomized by priests, and the church has been covering it up for decades. But nothing that the bishops have offered gives us any hope that they will change."
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Ringlet suggests the church's inability to relate to real-life concerns partly explains its fading influence. While three-quarters of Belgians describe themselves as Catholic, churchgoing has slipped drastically in recent decades: 42.9% of Catholics said they attended Sunday Mass in 1967, but that figure plummeted to 7% by 2006. And the recent rash of awful headlines is only likely to speed the decline.

Wednesday Male Beauty

The very cute Kyle Kleiboeker who we met at the "Glitter Ball" party in NYC

Loonie Christine O'Donnell Wins GOP Primary

UPDATED: For more on just how batshit crazy Christine O'Donnell is, check out this post by Jeremy Hooper at Good As You:

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People had better get used to certifiable crazies like Christine O'Donnell (advocate of abstinence only sex ed and reparative therapy - and stamping out masturbation) - now the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate for Delaware - being the face of the GOP. O'Donnell underscores just how extreme and untethered the GOP Base/Tea Party crowd has become. Other than being a religious extremist, O'Donnell frankly has no real credentials. It will be up to the Democrats to expose just how far out of the mainstream O'Donnell is when it comes to social issues and how unqualified she is to hold any public office. In fact, O'Donnell strikes me as just about as crazy as Sarah Palin. It's one thing to be a reasoned conservative. It's something wholly different to be a religious fanatic and whack job. Unfortunately, given the massive flight of moderates from the GOP, we can likely expect more Christine O'Donnells to become the GOP standard bearers. The irony is that the GOP establishment initially allowed the GOP base and Tea Partiers to run amok - now they see that they have created a Frankenstein monster. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on the Tea Party win in Delaware:
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Christine O'Donnell, a "tea party"-backed long-shot candidate, stunned the Republican establishment Tuesday night by defeating nine-term Rep. Michael N. Castle in Delaware's GOP Senate primary, one of the most shocking upsets in an already tumultuous primary season.
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[T]he defeat of Castle, a former governor and one of the most popular politicians in the state, jeopardized the GOP's once-high hopes of winning the Democratic-held seat in November's midterm election. O'Donnell is viewed as a far weaker candidate, and Democrats say she is too conservative for the state. But her victory was a reminder of the unpredictable forces at work in politics this year and the power and energy of the antiestablishment sentiment among voters nationwide that could be aimed at Democrats.
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The outcome was the latest in a string of embarrassments for the Republican establishment this year, underscoring the civil war that continues to rage in the party. Last month, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska lost her primary to political newcomer Joe Miller, who like O'Donnell had the support of Palin and tea party activists. Last spring, tea party forces defeated Sen. Robert F. Bennett of Utah at the Republican state convention.
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A senior Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a candid view, said the national senatorial committee would "walk" out of the Delaware race.
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Democrats moved quickly to try to paint O'Donnell as unacceptable to the Delaware electorate. "Today the Republican Party has shown just how far right it has moved," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Timothy M. Kaine. He called O'Donnell "a self-aggrandizing and divisive candidate" who favors "failed Republican economic policies." Democrats will find plenty of ammunition to use against O'Donnell from her fellow Republicans. One example came from Ross, who said earlier that O'Donnell "could not be elected dog catcher" in the state.

What Is A LGBT Democrat To Do In 2010?

I attended a meeting of the Hampton Democratic Party City Committee last evening and once again I was looked to for a comment on what's going among the LGBT and potential voters. Frankly, I summed up the Democratic Party's problem - at least in my view - in two words: Barack Obama. Other words might include broken promises, lack of leadership, lack of back bone, etc. Other activists who wanted to remain anonymous (hence no reference to their names or positions) shared with me their frustrations at the White House's self-inflicted wounds and the damage done to the moral of the Democratic base. From the LGBT perspective, David Mixner has a proposed game plan that makes sense to me, the most notable being: (1) vote and contribute to candidates that have voted the right way on LGBT issues, and (2) don't give a dime to Democratic Party organizations. Even if it may sadly be to late to avert disaster on November 2, 2010, the party needs to learn a severe lesson: alienate important portions of the base and pay a high price. Here are highlights from David's post:
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I know there are those who have had it with the Democratic Party and in many cases with good substantive policy reasons. Certainly the LGBT community can legitimately feel rejected, deceived and abused by the Party this year. With a vastly Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, the results for our community are pitiful. Some of that can be chalked up to a failure of leadership in our own national organizations.
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As a result, many of you are tempted to stay home or vote Green. . . . but I do not believe that is an effective strategy in a case it could either cause the defeat of a 'full equality Democrat' or elect a total destructive nut job like Sharron Angle to the United States Senate.
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[I]f you choose to vote Democrat, then this year you most certainly have choices and some good ones. This is a year we can be good citizens, participate in the battle for the best government we can achieve in these times and not blindly support any old Democrat. Here are some guidelines on those choices.
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1. Vote. For any person of any ideology not to vote is just criminal in my mind.
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2. Contribute to those candidates who support 'full equality including marriage equality' who are in tough races. I will do my best over the next weeks to point these tough races out to you. We have a number of US Senate races and Congressional races where the Democratic nominee supports us 100%. We should be there for them.
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3. Contribute to openly LGBT candidates who have a real shot either directly or through the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
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4. Do not contribute to Democratic Party entities. Do you want your money to go to Senator Ben Nelson or Congressman Ike Skelton who oppose us to the hilt? If you contribute to the Party establishment then you are contributing to them.
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5. Do support organizations that only support candidates for full equality. If they are supporting candidates with less than full equality then don't give to them.
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6. Also the battles in states like New York, California and Minnesota for marriage equality should be on the top of our lists. . . .
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There is a lot we can do to help as LGBT Democrats in this year's elections without being blackmailed or guilted into supporting horrible conservative blue dog Democrats.

A "Conversation on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'" With Glenn Nye

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network will be presenting a "Conversation on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'" this Friday, September 17, 2010, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hampton , Virginia . Representative Glenn Nye (D-VA) will speak about his support for repeal and the need for the Senate to act this month. Former Army Capt. Anthony Woods will also discuss his experience being discharged under DADT, and SLDN Legislative Manager Jeremy Wilson-Simerman will give an update on the bill's status.
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This is a unique opportunity to hear from Rep. Nye and learn about the latest updates on DADT repeal -- including how YOU can help. Not only can you participate in this special conversation, but you can also be part of an event to raise awareness about DADT repeal in Virginia , a crucial state in the upcoming Senate vote.

Where: St. Mark Episcopal Church Parish Hall

2605 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, Virginia 23666
Telephone: 757 826-3515

When: September 17, 2010 at 6:00PM

ALSO: On Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 3:00 PM the boyfriend and I will be hosting a "meet and greet" with Glenn Nye at our home. Those interested in attending, please drop me an e-mail at michaelinnorfolk@gmail.com