More Tuesday Male Beauty

GetEQUAL Protests at White House "Common Purpose" Meeting - HRC Kisses Obama's Ass

The last two years have demonstrated what "playing nice" and kissing the Liar-in-Chief's ass yields to LGBT Americans (other than, of course, members of Gay,Inc., who prefer cocktail party invites over real progress): absolutely nothing. While sucking up huge amounts of LGBT money, HRC and to a lesser extent NGLTF have delivered absolutely nothing. The sell out of rank and file LGBT citizens in red states and fly over country continues as both HRC and NGLTF once again offer political cover to the Liar-in-Chief. America Blog has details on the sell out of these organizations as they crossed a protest line organized by GetEQUAL, an organization that realizes that only constant confrontation and embarrassing media coverage for the Liar-in-Chief and weak kneed Democrats (and perhaps some Republicans) will ultimately force the change that is needed. Here are some highlights:
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UPDATE @ 8:14 PM via email from GetEQUAL. It was quite a protest:
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David Smith, Vice President of Policy and Strategy for the Human Rights Campaign, Winnie Stachelberg, Sr. VP for External Affairs for CAP; Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, were greeted tonight by the protestors and asked to stand with the LGBT community and not attend the meeting. All three of them chose instead to cross the protest line and enter into the hotel. Smith refused saying, “I’m running late”.
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Also, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina was greeted tonight by protestors who chanted to him “Obama, What’s Your Plan?” and “Keep Your Promise!
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On Tuesday nights here in DC, there's usual a gathering of White House staffers, often led by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, with leaders of progressive organizations. The meeting is called "Common Purpose," but is better known as the "veal pen" -- a term coined by Jane Hamsher. Basically, the White House gives the groups their marching orders -- and most of the groups have done as instructed. We can see how well that's worked.
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Among those attending the meeting tonight are CAP's Winnie Stachelberg and HRC's V.P. David Smith. Rea Carey from the Task Force is there, too. (UPDATE: Just learned Messina was there.)
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From GetEQUAL's press release: This evening, seven of the original 13 LGBT veterans and advocates who were arrested yesterday at the White House fence, stood outside of the Capitol Hilton (1001 16th Street NW) to protest the White House’s “Common Purpose” meeting, a mostly secret, low-profile gathering of White House officials and institutional, progressive organizations aimed at controlling the agenda and messaging around those issues, which includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.
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Here's the quote from GetEQUAL's Heather Cronk via Politico: "The White House's Common Purpose meeting is the primary way that progressive ideas and values supported by a majority of Americans are being upended and compromised," said Cronk in an email to POLITICO. "We are calling on the progressive groups attending these meetings to shake free the yoke of White House staff who are refusing to push forward the progressive ideals that President Obama campaigned on."

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I stopped giving money to HRC and NGLTF years ago due to their failure to truly fight for LGBT equality (I did continue to donate to Lambda Legal). I increasing wonder why people continue to fund organizations that put "access" and party invitations and winning "best dressed" awards ahead of representing regular LGBT Americans . I wish people would wake up!

It's DADT That's Immoral - Not Homosexuality

I often complain that gay friendly Christians are too silent while yielding the field to gay-hating modern day Pharisees. In fact, at a wedding I had an interesting conversation with a liberal Baptist minister who understood that we are ALL God's creation whether gay or straight. Recently, at least other two individuals who, in my opinion, are real Christians spoke out for LGBT equality and confirmed our humanity. One was Fr. Jeff Farrow (pictured above) who spoke out against the Roman Catholic Church's support of Proposition 8 and was rewarded by the hate-filled fossils in the Church hierarchy by removal from his parish and suspension as a priest. Yesterday, Farrows was one of the 13 protesters who chained themselves to the White House fence and was arrested as a result of a demonstration urging DADT repeal. I salute Fr. Farrow. Another is Debra W. Haffner, an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and Executive director of the Religious Institute, a multifaith organization dedicated to sexual health and justice, who has a piece in the Washington Post that condemns the immorality of DADT. Here are some highlights:
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Despite public and military support for overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the legislation which bans openly gay service members, political, military and religious leaders cite a variety of objections to changing the law.
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Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) worries that allowing gays to serve openly would impact troop "morale;" Marine Corp Commandant Gen. James Amos says that a policy change may affect "unit cohesion" and "combat effectiveness." Among the religious leaders opposed to overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell is Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy J. Broglio, who fears that chaplains would be forced to compromise their principles in accepting "objectively disordered" homosexuality, adding that he "can never condone -even silently -homosexual behavior."
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What beliefs are behind banning gays in the military? What's the role of religion in this debate?
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More than a decade of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has forced my gay friends to live in the military closet, even as they affirm their sexual orientation in other parts of their lives. My colleagues who are chaplains in the military are forced to compromise their religious principles in counseling young military people to stay in that closet rather than upholding their religious commitment that sexual and gender diversity is part of God's blessing.
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Those on the right who use four to seven clobber texts in the Bible to buttress their support for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" violate the overarching messages of the Scriptures. As I wrote on these pages in mid-October, "using the Bible to exclude or condemn people violates the very spirit of our traditions. I choose to uphold those texts that recognize that there are many forms of blessed relationships, that invite us to welcome those who are different, and view all people as created in God's image."
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More than 3500 religious leaders from more than 50 faith traditions are members of the Religious Institute network, affirming full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, and millions of people of faith stand with them. To those who would use religion to deny LGBT people their rights, I say the sin is not homosexuality but homophobia, the denigration of our neighbors because they are physically and emotionally attracted to people of the same sex. The sin is heterosexism, the presumption that heterosexuality is normative for all people and morally superior. The sin is forcing people to deny their God-given gift of their sexuality and to suffer to try to live their lives in a way that is antithetical to who they really are - or to force them to live in silence. The sin is violence and discrimination against women and GLBT persons and denial of their rights.
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It is time to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". The American people think so, the military chiefs of staff think so, and the rank and file service people think so. . . . The military and society will be strengthened when all people are able to live fully and express their gender and their sexuality with holiness and integrity. It's past time for that to happen.

Ex-Baptist Pastor Fighting Extradition for Murder Charge

Other than the Mormon Church and the Roman Catholic Church probably one of the most homophobic U.S. denominations is the conservative and fundamentalist element of the Baptist Church. Much like the Catholic Church, these Baptists would be well advised to do some internal house cleaning as opposed to focusing efforts on demonizing and marginalizing LGBT Americans. Thus, from time to time it's nice - OK, outright fun - to expose just how rotten things are in some Baptist parishes. A story in the Los Angeles Times suggests that Albert Mohler and other pontificating Baptist preachers have far bigger things they should be doing besides being professional homophobes. Illicit sex and murder, plus embezzlement - sounds like an afternoon soap opera, but apparently that's what was the norm at New Hope Baptist Church in Independence, Missouri, under ex-pastor David Love. Here are some story highlights:
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Former Independence pastor David Love, being held in a South Carolina jail on first-degree murder charges in the death of his lover's husband, is fighting his extradition to Jackson County. . . . Love was arrested on Tuesday in Spartansburg, South Carolina, where he moved not long after Stone's murder.
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On Wednesday, Love refused to waive extradition. Prosecutors say that they have obtained a governor's warrant that will force the former pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church to return to Missouri to face charges.
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According to Stone's relatives, Love had a 10-year affair with Stone's wife, Teresa Stone, and had confessed to the woman the day after Stone's funeral, in which Love gave the eulogy.
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David Love, a friend of Randy Stone who happens to share the same name as the suspected killer, says that he still can't believe that Love gave the eulogy at Stone's funeral. . . . David Love says that he's not sure what motivated the killing, but says that he heard rumors that Stone was the treasurer at New Hope Baptist Church and may have been about to blow the lid on financial shenanigans at the church. "He discovered that things were not all on the up and up," said David Love, who says that he was happy to hear that an arrest in the murder had finally happened.
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Yep, less Bible thumping and less gay bashing would seem to be in order at New Hope Baptist and many other Baptist churches.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Dedicated to Principal Sue Skinner.

Catholic School Censors Student Newspaper and Shows Anti-Gay Bigotry

As a former Catholic it has taken me a good while to get over the psychological and emotional abuse the Roman Catholic Church inflicts on LGBT individuals. The Church's hypocrisy, given its sex abuse and other scandals and centuries long record of being wrong on many issues, is at times breath taking. One can always count on bigotry winning out when it comes to the treatment of gays from the Vatican down to the smallest Church affiliates. A case in point is the censorship of the student newspaper at the St. Louis Park Catholic school Benilde-St. Margaret. The student run publication had had the audacity to include a staff editorial condemning the [Minneapolis] Archdioceses' anti-gay-marriage DVD mailing and an essay by senior Sean Simonson about his own recent experience coming out as gay. What is even more disturbing is the ridiculous excuse given by the school principal Sue Skinner (pictured at right) - contact her at sskinner@bsm-online.org - as to why the columns had been scrubbed:
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"This particular discussion is not appropriate because the level of intensity has created an unsafe environment for students. As importantly, the articles and ensuing online postings have created confusion about Church teaching."
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The only thing that creates an unsafe environment for students is the Church's constant anti-gay jihad that encourages homophobes to abuse and denigrate LGBT individuals. But, dishonesty and hypocrisy are par for the course when it comes to the institutional Catholic Church. The integrity of Benedict XVI is right up there with that of a nasty prostitute. Here are highlights from CityPages on the jackbooted behavior of the school:
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​The editors of the Knight Errant knew things were going to get a little hot when their latest issue dropped last Thursday. The student newspaper at the St. Louis Park Catholic school Benilde-St. Margaret was going to include a staff editorial condemning the Archdioceses' anti-gay-marriage DVD mailing. On top of that, the issue would include an essay by senior Sean Simonson about his own recent experience coming out as gay at Benilde-St. Margaret. . . . by Saturday, school principal Sue Skinner had ordered the two contentious pieces removed.
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The Knight Errant is pretty highly regarded among high school papers. On Saturday, when the stories were taken down, the paper's faculty adviser and editors were in Kansas City accepting an award at the National High School Journalism Convention, the paper's third national award in three years.
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Some of the paper's staffers aren't taking the censorship lying down. Bernardo Vigil, the arts and entertainment editor, started contacting other news outlets as soon as he learned of the article's disappearance down the memory hole. Vigil spoke to City Pages this morning after getting kicked out of class for wearing duct tape across his mouth with the word "Censorship" written across it. He said other paper staffers are wearing rainbow clothing in protest.
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"The people who said it was inappropriate for us to publish these stories are the same people who are perpetuating an atmosphere of homophobia on campus, so caving to the calls for censorship is basically showing solidarity with the view that homophobia is okay," Vigil said. "The articles need to go back online."
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One can only hope that some students and their families will decide that the school is not a proper venue and will vote with their feet. With Catholic schools closing right and left across the country, perhaps Ms. Skinner has taken a step that will speed Benilde-St. Margaret's demise. The institutional Cathloc Church in its current form needs to cease. With hate, intolerance and bigotry against others being its principal stock in trade, the Vatican's form of Catholicism makes the Pharisees in the Bible seem virtuous.

Barack Obama is a "Silent Homophobe"

The activists who chained themselves to the White House fence are on to something: Barack Obama, a/k/a the Liar-in-Chief, is a homophobe. Yes, it sounds like a counter intuitive allegation at first blush given the Liar-in-Chief's statements ostensibly supporting LGBT equality. However, when you look at his actions (and inaction) it becomes clear that other than what Pam Spaulding calls "Cinderella crumbs," Obama has delivered nothing to LGBT Americans. Nothing, that is other than betrayal and actions that further the views of known gay haters and homophobes. The signs range from the selection of Christian Taliban member Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation, to the selection of anti-gay Gen. Amos to head the Marine Corps, to the all out court defense of DADT and DOMA. None of these are the actions of an ally or "fierce advocate." They are just the opposite and seem to confirm that despite whatever disingenuous statements he makes, the Liar-in-Chief is happy with the status quo inequality suffered by LGBT Americans. The Huffington Post looks at this appropriate label for the Liar-in-Chief. Here are some highlights:
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Frustrated by what they perceive to be a lack of resolution on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, gay rights activists have begun targeting the White House in some of the most direct and personal terms to date, accusing the president of being a silent homophobe.
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Thirteen demonstrators organized by the GetEqual campaign handcuffed themselves to the White House's north gate on Monday (and reportedly super-glued the handcuffs), demanding that Obama push Congress to advance a repeal of the law prohibiting openly gay service in the armed forces. Prior to leading a chant of "Barack Obama, silent homophobia," the individuals offered sharp rebukes of political leaders across the spectrum. They were arrested shortly thereafter.
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"After visiting Senator Harry Reid today, the majority leader, his staff telling us that the president is not engaged, at all, in the repeal of the most discriminatory law that bars soldiers from telling the truth. After all his rhetoric I think we must conclude that there is truth to the knowledge in homophobia of both sorts. There is a loud homophobia, those with platforms. And there is a silent homophobia of those who purport to be our friends and do nothing. Loud homophobia and silent homophobia have the same result, they must be combated and this is what we intend to do today."
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LGBT Americans were played for suckers by the Liar-in-Chief. Yes, we (myself included) allowed ourselves to be played - probably because we wanted to believe so badly that someone truly gave a damn about our lives. Its obvious to me that Obama does not give a damn and by his support of homophobic laws, DADT in particular, he is maintaining an atmosphere where gay teens see suicide as a viable option. I hold only disgust and contempt for the Liar-in-Chief who I seriously hope will be a one term president.

More Monday Male Beauty

Senators Lieberman and Collins Call For Early Release of DADT Study

The leaked information on the likely conclusion of the Pentagon's study on repeal of DADT seems to be pressuring some of the non-senile in the U. S. Senate to call for the DOD to release its DADT study results ahead of schedule. No doubt John McSenile will acting as if someone has pissed in his Cheerios at this news. Obviously, if the results are released ahead of schedule (and confirm the leaked claim that 70% of the surveyed service members have no real issue with serving with openly gay troops), the Senate's excuse for not taking up the matter before the end of lame duck session wither away. The letter sent by Senators Lieberman and Collins can be found here. Clearly, their goal seems to be to move a vote on DADT repeal forward. Where's the Liar-in-Chief on this issue? Gates does, after all, report to Obama. Here are highlights from Politico's take on this development:
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Two influential senators who want repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy have called on the Pentagon to accelerate the release of a report examining the effects of such a sweeping change, and how it can be implemented.
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On Monday, Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, urging him to make the highly-anticipated report public “as soon as possible” to improve the chances that a conditional repeal of the ban on gays in the military – currently attached to a must-pass defense authorization bill – will become law before the clock runs out on the lame-duck session next month.
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Despite doubts that Congress lacks the time – and the political will – to address the issue, “I’m not giving up on us doing a repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ during the lame-duck session,” Lieberman said Monday on MSNBC. “To make that possible, I hope that the Defense Department can find a way to issue this report that they’ve got pretty much done, but going through clearance now, as quickly as possible and certainly before December 1st.”
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In a related development, 13 veterans urging immediate repeal of “don’t ask” were arrested Monday after chaining themselves to the White House fence, according to a Park Police spokesman and a statement from the group that organized the protest, GetEqual. Among them were Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi and four other pro-repeal military veterans who were arrested in a similar protest in March.
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NOTE: Among the 13 activists were some fellow LGBT bloggers and Dan Choi who I had the pleasure of speaking with one on one some months back. Some may see chaining yourself to the White House fence as theatrical, but given the spinelessness and disingenuousness of the Liar-in-Chief, these types of things ARE needed to continue embarrassing legislators to act.

People Coming Out Yonger and in Larger Numbers

More bad news for the Christian Taliban: people are coming out younger and in larger numbers than in the past. The world is moving on even if the Christianists and the bitter old men in the Vatican want to stay in the 13th century. A new survey in the United Kingdom indicates that the average age of coming out has plummeted by twenty years and the younger generations are not buying the poison peddled by anti-gay religious denominations and Neanderthal politicians (think John McSenile). Obviously, there are many people who remain in the closet to please family members, out of job fears and for other reasons - I frequently hear from some of them from all corners of the globe - but the trend is so very different than when I was in my teens or twenties. The anti-modernity forces like NOM and its allies may be winning some rear guard actions, but time (and the dying off of older homophobes) is against them. Here are some highlights from the Guardian:
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The average age at which people come out as gay, lesbian or bisexual has fallen steadily over the last four decades, according to Stonewall, the gay rights group. A poll for Stonewall of 1,500 people who were already out found that among the over-60s the average age they had come out was 37. But those in their 30s had come out at an average age of 21, and in the group aged 18 to 24 it was 17.
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The survey, conducted via social networking sites, does not take account of the numbers of people who know they are gay or bisexual but have not come out. But Stonewall said it nonetheless revealed a pattern of people having the confidence to come out earlier.
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[T]he change was likely to be because young people today were given a lot more information about sexuality, and were more likely to see gay people in the public eye, in TV programmes such as Sugar Rush, and soaps such as Emmerdale and EastEnders, with whom they could identify feelings they might be having. . . . "What we're seeing is an explosion of role models and people talking about being gay, so people are more able to associate what they're feeling with something they can see."
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Changes including the introduction of civil partnerships and the end of Section 28 – which banned the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools – had also helped, she said.