Final Tuesday Male Beauty

Mormons Disproportionately Financing Yes on Prop. 8 Effort

There have been a number of stories about the way Mormons are funneling money into California in support of Proposition 8 in large amounts that far outweigh their percentage of the population (a similar phenomenon is being seen in Arizona). The extreme efforts are not limited to Mormons living outside of California. The Sacramento Bee has a story today that looks at the lengths California Mormons are going to attempt to impose their religious beliefs on all California citizens. While it's their money and it's still a free country - at least until the Mormons and Christianists have their way - the effort to conform the CIVIL laws to the religious beliefs of certain denominations is very troubling. These people have open contempt for the separation of religion and the civil laws. Here are some story highlights:

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Pam and Rick Patterson have always followed teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and tried to live within their means. . . . It's a traditional lifestyle they believe is now at risk. That's why the Pattersons recently made a huge financial sacrifice – they withdrew $50,000 from their savings and donated it to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, the ballot measure that seeks to ban same-sex marriage. "It was a decision we made very prayerfully and carefully," said Pam Patterson, 48. "Was it an easy decision? No. But it was a clear decision, one that had so much potential to benefit our children and their children."

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Mormons such as the Pattersons have emerged as the leading financial contributors to the controversial Nov. 4 ballot measure. Church members have donated about 40 percent of the $22.8 million raised to pass the initiative since July, according to Frank Schubert, campaign manager for ProtectMarriage.com, the primary backer of the "yes" campaign. Other religious groups have contributed, including a Catholic fraternal service organization – the Knights of Columbus – which donated more than $1 million. But no group has given more than the Mormons.

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In a June letter to members, top church leaders urged them to "do what you can do" to support Prop. 8. Members have answered the call. Mormons have sponsored meetings, knocked on doors, installed lawn signs, staffed phone banks and given generously. Their financial dominance is getting their opponents' attention and raising concerns about the role of churches in state policymaking.

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"I think anyone would be troubled by any one religion exerting that kind of financial influence in a decision about what our constitution is going to say," said Kate Kendell, executive director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a member of the executive committee of No on Prop 8. "The amount of money the Mormon church is giving is alarming and sobering," she said.

Another "Family Values" GOP Sex Pervert

The news coverage of sexual misadventures by politicians has been slower that usual given the high focus on the ongoing political campaigns. But never fear, a Republican from New York State has been arrested in a hotel sting for child-pornography and soliciting charges. True, a Florida Congressman has been recently exposed for improprieties with a woman, but unlike the family values GOP members he at least was not looking for sex with a minor. Not surprisingly, Ortloff was known for "being tough on crime and increasing increase the criminal penalties for all kinds of sex crimes." I feel sorry for Ortloff's family. Here are some highlights from the New York Post:

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Chris Ortloff, 61, was arrested in a Plattsburgh-area motel room in a State Police sting at about 5 p.m. Ortloff, who allegedly had arranged a date on the Internet with an underage victim he thought would provide sex, had child porn and what was described as "sex paraphernalia" in his possession, according to the officials.

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They said Ortloff, a Republican who represented Plattsburgh, would likely face felony sex charges under state law, and could also be charged with violating federal anti-child pornography statutes. Ortloff, married with two sons, could not be reached for comment.

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"He was always the tough-on-crime guy in the Assembly who wanted to increase the criminal penalties for all kinds of sex crimes," said a former associate.

National LGBT Blogger Initiative Summit

Blogging can be addicting as I suspect most fellow bloggers will concede. For me blogging allows me to express my thoughts and opinions, has allowed me to build a remarkable network of friends around the globe, and hopefully allows me to bet information out to others that may help the rights and visibility of LGBT Americans. Others have seen the role that LGBT blogs can play in political and social discourse. Now, there will be a summit that will allow some LGBT bloggers to meet each other and hopefully build networks and ties that will allow them to further their blogs and LGBT citizens in general. I think the summit is a wonderful idea and have applied to attend the summit - I will be keeping my fingers crossed that I am lucky enough to be selected. You can apply to attend here. Here are details on the summit which will run from December 5-7, 2008, in Washington, D.C.:

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Washington, DC – Blogger Michael Rogers today announced the formation of the National LGBT Blogger and Citizen Journalist Initiative to support training and grants for the country's leading and emerging online voices. The program, established with a leadership gift of $50,000 from Jonathan Lewis, will bring together the online world with traditional organizations throughout the country. To date, over $70,000 has been committed to the Initiative.

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“The importance of bloggers in both the LGBT community and larger blogosphere cannot be overstated,” said Rogers, publisher of PageOneQ and a leading blogger. “This initiative will bring bloggers together to acquire new skills, build relationships, and improve the effectiveness of their work. This is the first opportunity to collaborate between online media and traditional organizations and I am excited at the coalitions that will form as a result. Groups sponsoring this Initiative are at the forefront of new media in the LGBT community and we are grateful for their support.”

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The Initiative will begin with a summit of 50 bloggers, citizen journalists, and representatives of LGBT and progressive groups. The event will take place in Washington on Dec. 5-7. . . . “Citizen journalism is strengthening the LGBT community in ways none of us could have imagined just a few years ago,” Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe said. “We’re sharing information at lightning speed and reaching audiences that have been underserved by traditional media.

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For Initiative and Summit application info, please visit www.bloggerinitiative.com.

More Tueday Male Beauty

Former Bush Campaign Advisor Trashes McCain

More and more episodes revealing the lunacy of the GOP base continue to coming to light such as at a Palin rally in Scranton where shouts to kill Obama were heard. Meanwhile, high placed Republicans continue to jump ship and/or trash McCain, as the fate of the Party appears to dim. Among the latest to condemn McCain is Matthew Dowd, a prominent political consultant and chief strategist for George W. Bush's reelection campaign as is being reported by the Huffington Post. Apparently, Dowd eviscerated John McCain on Tuesday for his choice of Sarah Palin as vice president. Here are some highlights:

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Dowd proclaimed that, in his heart of hearts, McCain knew he put the country at risk with his VP choice and that he would "have to live" with that fact for the rest of his career. "They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP," Dowd declared during the Time Warner Summit panel. "When Sarah Palin got picked instead of Joe Lieberman, which I fundamentally believed would have given John McCain the best opportunity in this race... as soon as he picked Palin, that whole ready versus not ready argument was not credible."

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Saying that Palin was a "net negative" on the ticket, he went on: "[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."

You think you can just do what to that hot california constitution?

Take a look at this viral spot for "No on Proposition 8" produced by HOMOtracker. It's one of a series of message ads that are based on the well-known, successful, and oft-imitated "Mac vs. PC" script. In this case, the script works wonderfully. I truly hope that all readers in California will make sure that they are registered and that they get out an vote. If possible, donate to stop Proposition 8 HERE.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Do Log Cabin Republicans Support the Sodomy Laws?

I frequently take the Log Cabin Republicans ("LCR") to task for their deranged support of the Republican Party in the face of all the objective evidence that the Party (i) will not ever be changed by their efforts, (ii) has strayed far from the fiscal policies they claim to support, and (iii) would make many of them potential felons again by re-enacting the sodomy laws. I do not know where many of the yahoos in the LCR live, but let me assure you that here in Virginia every gay was subject to potential arrest and a felony prosecution up until the decision in Lawrence v. Texas. Does anyone want to return to that scary status? Apparently some in the LCR do because they support John McCain who has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justice of a mindset that would overturn Lawrence v. Texas (and many other important decisions). For the life of me, I cannot understand the LCR. Are they just plain stupid or self-hating and seeking punishment for being gay? 365gay.com has a column that looks at this idiocy on the part of the LRC. Here are some highlights:

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I’m confused by Log Cabin Republicans. I see their booths at gay events, I even became friends with one or two in law school, but still, the idea of voting for a party that works against your equal rights amazed me.

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The next election may choose four years of economic and social policy, but it will also make one other important choice that will affect the rights of gays and lesbians for at least three generations to come: Supreme Court appointments. Today, the Court has four liberal justices, Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter and Breyer. And four conservative appointments who tow the party line, Alito, Roberts, Scalia and Thomas. Kennedy, a conservative appointment who waffles, has often been the necessary vote to tip the balance in the liberals’ favor.

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He was in the most recent Roe v. Wade challenge and again in Lawrence v. Texas. This is important to understand, Lawrence v. Texas is the same decision that allowed Log Cabin Republicans to have sex at all, legally, in many of their home states.

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If Obama becomes president he would, at least, be able to maintain the status quo, maybe put a woman or two up there, and create a few more years of an even fight for those hoping for progressive judgments. If McCain wins, two conservative appointments would shift the majority, leave us with six conservative votes, and little hope for the rights of gay men to engage in sexual intercourse legally. It’s not just gay men who will suffer.

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Log Cabin Republicans may advocate gradual legislative change, but when the very act of love that defines your personal identity (and membership in your group, I assume) is threatened, perhaps sacrificing a few years of small government is worth it.

Final Monday Male Beauty