Monday, September 07, 2009

A Day On Fire Island

Yesterday the Farmboyz and my visiting pal from LA, Jerry, joined me in a lovely trip out to Fire Island. The Farmboyz, strangely enough, had never been, and Jerry hadn't been in 27 years. And although I've spent nine summers in NYC, this was only my third visit. We started the morning with a tour around the houses in the Pines, greeted some very friendly deer, then had lunch in Cherry Grove followed by a visit to the Ice Palace for a very raucous drag show. Then we endured a stinging sandstorm on the beach for the trek back to the Pines for low and high tea at the Blue Whale and the Pavilion (where a very grizzled Sheepy made an appearance.)

Along the way we ran into a porn star or two, a reality show star, and a cable porn pioneer. Just your average day at the gay beach. The most memorable moment came when we accidentally crashed a giant house party with a Liz Taylor theme, where many of the guests were covered with silver body glitter. That's where Father Tony was wrongly accused of cutting into the bathroom line by a man who screamed, "I've had a lot of Botox and you can't tell, but this is my ANGRY face!" OK, then.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


This Week In Holy Crimes

Over the last seven days...

Minnesota: Pastor John Kameron Erbele busted in prostitution sting.
Nevada: Pastor Ladislao Morales charged with molesting a 10 year-old girl.
Florida: Pastor Robert Riddle charged with defrauding his church of $200K. Riddle was previously convicted of stealing $70K from a 91 year-old congregant.
Wisconsin: Father James Blume charged with sexually assaulting a 12 year-old boy in 1978. Blume has been sued numerous times in various jurisdictions for similar crimes.
Texas: Pastor Rodney Terrell charged with grand theft for using the "Nigerian check scam" to defraud parishioner.
Manitoba: Father Raju Madanu charged with breaking and entering his own church to steal a "considerable amount of cash."
Illinois: Father Wayne E. Wigglesworth arrested for picking up a 15 year-old boy in an internet chat room.
Georgia: A Hindu temple has declared bankruptcy after its leader, Dr. Commander Selvam, was arrested for credit card fraud and practicing medicine without a license.
North Carolina: Pastor Johnnie Ray Lewis charged with embezzling $22K from his church.
Florida: Pastor Clevon Ghent charged with child molestation for having multiple three-ways with his adult nephew and a 12 year-old girl.
South Africa: An unnamed archbishop has been arrested for raping two girls aged 10 and 13. Bonus: The archbishop has been divorced nine times.
Ohio: Father Patrick O'Connor charged with molestation of teenage boy. O'Connor was suspended from 2003-2007 while similar charges were investigated.
Washington: Victims of Pastor Robbin Harper win $574K settlement for child molestation. Last year Harper was sentenced to 26 years in prison for child rape and assault.
Delaware: Pastor Timothy J. McDorman sentenced to two years in prison for possession of child pornography and having sex with underage girl.
Montana: The Jesuit Society of Jesus has filed for bankruptcy after paying out more than $25M in child molestation settlements. An organization for children molested by priests claims the bankruptcy is a ploy to discourage more victims from coming forward.

This week's winners-
Colorado: Pastor John Smoker charged with abuse of the mentally disabled. Smoker is accused of blindfolding and dumping garbage on a mentally-challenged man after becoming angry that the victim had not cleaned a church bus to his satisfaction. And at the church's school, Silver State Christian Principal Daniel Brock is under arrest for allegedly fondling several male students. It was a busy week for Red Rocks Baptist Church.

Labels: , ,


Sunday, September 06, 2009

Budapest Pride Incident-Free Under Heavy Protection From Hungarian Riot Police

Last year Budapest Pride was marred by violence and arrests as neo-Nazis pelted marchers with stones and eggs and threw fire bombs at police. Yesterday's parade went off much better, as riot police were fully prepared and did not allow the hundreds of anti-gay protesters anywhere near the parade route.
Rowdy protestors did their best to interrupt a gay pride parade through central Budapest on Saturday, but were prevented by a massive coordinated operation by riot police. However, there were sporadic outbreaks of unrest around the event, with some of the several hundred demonstrators pelting police with stones and burning the rainbow-flag used by the parade organizers. Riot police were able to quickly disperse the several hundred demonstrators through sheer force of numbers and the occasional volley of tear gas. During one fracas, an English man was punched after getting into a row with a group of some 20 anti-gay protestors, police told the local news agency MTI. Riot police broke up the altercation, and the man was taken away for medical attention. A sixty-year-old man among the anti-gay demonstrators was knocked down as the crowd was pushed back by riot police, and had to be taken by stretcher to an ambulance. About 2,000 participants, an international mix of activists and sympathizers, including former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and his wife, gathered in the early afternoon on Budapest's landmark Heroes Square' before marching along a broad avenue into central Budapest.
Several days ago, staffers from 14 foreign embassies (including the United States and Canada) were hosted by the British for an afternoon tea party in support of Budapest Pride. All had signed onto a letter encouraging the Hungarian government to properly protect the marchers.

Labels: , , ,


Olbermann On Public Option Back-off

Keith Olbermann reports that the White House is asking progressives to "be good soldiers" and play along as the public option back-off continues.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Educashun Iz Soshlist!

(Via - AatomBomb)

Labels: , ,


Saturday, September 05, 2009

WaPo Ombudsman Apologizes For Puff Piece On NOM's Brian Brown

The ombudsman for the Washington Post has posted an apology for last week's glowing profile of NOM's executive director, Brian Brown.
[I]t deprived readers of hearing from others who have battled Brown and find him uncivil and bigoted. To them, he represents injustice. They should have been heard, at length. "In a profile piece, for a controversial figure like that . . . there should certainly be the other side of it," said Fred Karger, head of a group called Californians Against Hate. In retrospect, Style editor Lynn Medford agrees. "The lesson is to always, in some way, represent the other side," she said. Karger, who has fought with Brown over same-sex marriage in California, said, "He is just as shrill, just as anti-gay as any of the leading gay-bashers" have been over the years.

Compounding the story's problems were passages like: "He takes nothing personally. He means nothing personal. He is never accusatory or belittling." These types of unattributed characterizations are not uncommon in feature writing. But many readers thought Hesse was offering her opinion of who Brown is, as opposed to portraying how he comes across. Finally, the headline: "Opposing Gay Unions With Sanity & a Smile." To many readers, The Post was saying Brown's views are sane. The headline, written by editors, not Hesse, should have been neutral.
The author of the story, Monica Hesse, says she was so upset by the reaction to her story that she wept. Hesse reveals in the above-linked story that she is a bisexual who formerly lived with a woman and that she opposes NOM's policies.

Labels: , , , , ,


It's International Bacon Day

How will you celebrate?

Labels: , , ,


Moths, She Had Heard, Are Delicious

Labels: ,


Maddow Show Takes On WorldNetDaily

Guest host Ana Marie Cox takes on the world's craziest conservative site.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Friday, September 04, 2009

SC Gov. Mark Sanford Accused Of Being Behind Bauer "Gay Smear" Campaign

SC GOP state Sen. Jake Knotts claims that Gov. Mark Sanford, angered over Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's calls for his resignation, is the person behind Bauer's recent outing by gay blogger Mike Rogers.
"As a former target of a false rumor started by the Sanford Camp I can tell you with absolute certainty this attack was orchestrated on behalf of Mark Sanford, either directly or indirectly, and financially subsidized by him or one of his many 'front-groups,'" Knotts wrote. The letter was first reported by "The Palmetto Scoop," a South Carolina political Web site. Knotts, an ally of Bauer and a fierce opponent of Sanford, said there is no truth to the gay rumors that have dogged Bauer for years. "I have known Andre since he was eight years old," Knotts told CNN. "Ain't a homosexual bone in his body. That boy is a good boy. It's a just an attempt to prevent Andre from become governor."
"Ain't a homosexual bone in his body." At this moment, perhaps.

Mike Rogers denies Knotts' allegation:
“I don’t know anyone in Mark Sanford’s office,” Rogers told Free Times Sept. 3 while in a Washington, D.C. taxi cab. “I don’t know anybody on Mark Sanford’s political team. I don’t know anything about Mark Sanford except what’s been out there in the public and in the press.” Rogers says he has a 100 percent record with outing closeted politicians with anti-gay agendas, and he works his sources like any reporter would. “I know where these people work who are my sources,” he says about the ones regarding Bauer. “They don’t work in any political realm.”

Labels: , , , , , ,


San Franciscans Trapped! Sort Of!

The Bay Bridge is closed for the next four days as workers connect a new segment as work continues on a portion of the bridge damaged in 1989's Loma Prieta earthquake.
During the closure, a 300-foot-long portion of the original East Span will be cut and moved out. A new double-deck section will be put in place. It will link the bridge with a new half-mile-long detour connecting the East Span with the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel. Traffic will be allowed on this detour until the new Bay Bridge opens. The Northern California bridge will reopen by 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. The $5.7 billion Bay Bridge East Span replacement project is scheduled to be finished in 2013. The work is part of a project to bring the bridge up to current earthquake standards.
Finished in only 24 years? That's MTA speed!

Labels: , , , , ,


80's Flashback

West India Company, Ave Maria (Om Ganesha), 1984. Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle teamed up with Erasure's Vince Clarke and Blancmange's Stephen Luscombe to create what I consider one of the all-time classics of 80's club music. (On the 12", Clarke is credited with "pyrotechnics." Indeed.) This is easily one of the most obscure of these posts, but if you were on the dance floor after 4am at a gay club back then, you danced to this. And you probably did the "praying hands" dance during the recitation of Hail Mary. Also, if you've seen any Bollywood musical, you'll recognize Asha Bhosle's voice.

Labels: , ,


HomoQuotable - Johnny Weir

"I don’t think turning figure skating into some kind of X-Games event will promote figure skating to the male population of especially North America, but also the world. This kind of talk has been going around for some time, about making the men more masculine and the women more feminine. But it’s not figure skating if you don’t have the freedom to express yourself and make something beautiful. That’s my goal every time I get new music and get new costumes: to tell a story and to put on a show.

"To butch up figure skating is a ridiculous idea, because there’s no putting me in some two-piece pants suit to skate in. [Laughs.] I love my glitter, I love my prettiness, I love getting my hair done before the events, I love putting on makeup because I’m going to be on TV. I know Elvis Stojko was a big proponent for butching up men’s skating, but I have a hard time taking suggestions from a man who rocked purple pajamas in the Olympic Games and World championships. In my opinion, anyone who wants to change the actual people who are doing the figure skating can suck it." - Openly gay figure skating champion Johnny Weir, talking to Outsports.com. Weir hopes to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Labels: , , , , ,


Sen. Franken Handles Teabaggers

JMG reader Tony in the UK tips us to the thoughtful, intelligent way that Sen. Al Franken handled a group of constituents opposed to "ObamaCare."

Labels: , , , ,


German World AIDS Day PSA

Copyranter reports that a German organization called Das Comitee is using the images of Hitler, Mussolini, and Saddam Hussein to promote the upcoming World AIDS Day. Go here for their possibly NSFW videos. (YouTube has removed them.) Opinions?

Labels: , , , , ,


Quebec: Schools Must Teach About ALL Religions! Christians: Stop Oppressing Us!

A Quebec provincial judge has ruled against a group of Christian parents who were outraged that their children were being taught about all of the world's major religions as well as aboriginal Canadian faiths.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Jean-Guy Dubois dismissed a bid by parents in Drummondville, Que., who said the course on ethics and religious culture introduced across the province last year was undermining their efforts to instill Christian faith in their children. "In light of all the evidence presented, the court does not see how the course limits the plaintiff's freedom of conscience and of religion for the children when it provides an overall presentation of various religions without obliging the children to adhere to them," Judge Dubois wrote.
Last year Catholic groups organized protest marches against the courses in several Quebec cities, with parents demanding that their children be exempted from attending. What's Québécois for "tough shit"?

Labels: , , , ,


Maddow: Divorce Rates Plummet In MA, Despite Sinful Gay Marriages

Rachel Maddow reports that after five years of legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, the state's divorce rate has plummeted to "pre-WWII levels." Kinda sticks a fork in the argument that homo marriage destroys opposite marriage, dunnit? Oh, but don't you dare expect our enemies to squawk a peep about this.

Labels: , , , ,


Another Preacher Prays For Obama's Death

Joining the ignominious ranks of Pastor Steven Anderson and Pastor Wiley Drake, infamous white supremacist, anti-Semite, and anti-gay Pastor Pete Peters is praying for President Obama's death.
A third, and perhaps even more menacing anti-Obama “death prayer pastor” is Peter Peters of the LaPorte, Colorado Church of Christ. During the 1980’s, members of the white supremacist militia group The Order attended Peters’ church and four months after Pastor Pete Peters and his parishioner Colonel Jack Mohr appeared on Jewish talk show host Alan Berg's Denver radio show, during which the radio show host confronted Peters and Mohr about their views, Berg was machine-gunned to death. Members of The Order were later convicted of the murder. Peters went on to host an October 1992 planning meeting, with white supremacist and NeoNazi leaders, during which an organizing strategy for a national paramilitary network was hammered out. Former Aryan Nations member Floyd Cochran said of Peters, “He doesn’t espouse Hitler. He doesn’t use the swastika or Klan robes. Instead he uses the Bible and the American flag. Peters talks in a language we’re used to hearing. His hatred is masked in God.”
The Anti-Defamation League's bio of Pastor Peters:
Pete Peters has been a leading anti-Jewish, anti-minority and anti-gay propagandist. He is a proponent of Christian Identity, which argues that Jews are spiritually degraded and pose a threat to civilization, that blacks and other people of color are inferior to whites, that homosexuals should be executed and that northern European whites and their American descendants are the "chosen people" of scriptural prophecy. Events sponsored by Peters and his church have assembled many of the nation's most active Identity champions.
Pretty soon, the Secret Service will have to watch more "Christian" churches than they can handle.

Labels: , , , , ,


Broadway Friday

- A revival of Angels In America will come to Off Broadway's Signature Theater next year as part of their year-long tribute to its Pulitzer-winning playwright, Tony Kushner.

- World premiere: A musical version of Green Day's landmark album, American Idiot, has its first preview at the Roda Theater in Berkeley tonight. Get tickets here.

- The annual free Broadway On Broadway show in Times Square is September 13th. This year's performers include: Kate Baldwin, Daniel Breaker, Kerry Butler, Jennifer Damiano, Sutton Foster, Anya Garnis, Deirdre Goodwin, Cheyenne Jackson, Brian d’Arcy James, Chad Kimball, Pasha Kovalev, Beth Leavel, Caissie Levy, Constantine Maroulis, Michael McKean, Christiane Noll, Laura Osnes, Alice Ripley and Aaron Tveit. I've been to this show twice, it's fantastic.

- Will Ferrell's 2003 hit movie Elf is being developed as a Broadway musical. Seriously.

- A tribute concert to benefit the favorite charities of the late Tony winner and Law & Order star Jerry Orbach takes place on November 9th at the Snapple Theater Center. Scheduled to perform: Chita Rivera, Alan Alda, Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop, Lorraine Bracco, Jesse L. Martin, and Jerry Stiller.

- Kiki & Herb legend and Tony nominee Justin Bond will play three solo shows at Joe's Pub. Dates: September 20, October 11th, October 31st. Do not miss this!

Labels: , , ,


Wingnuts To Keep Kids Out Of School During Obama's Speech To Students

Next Tuesday, President Obama is scheduled to make a televised speech to the nation's schoolchildren. But the wingnuts of America don't want their precious snowflakes exposed to our fascist/socialist/communist leader and have launched a campaign to keep good Christian children home that day.
Stephanie Klick, Tarrant County Republican Party chairwoman, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that many Texas families are speaking out against plans to air the broadcast in schools. "We're hearing from parents and grandparents that are not very happy. They really feel like it is political indoctrination," Klick said. "People don't like this. I have heard from some families that are planning to keep their kids home." The Houston Independent School District has directed principals to give parents advance notice if they are planning lessons around Obama's speech. Parents may opt-out their children. According to a Houston Chronicle report, "Children pulled out of school for the day will cost districts about $35 per child, as state funding for schools is based on daily attendance."

In Utah, school districts are taking precautions ahead of the speech, according to KSL 5 News. Salt Lake City School District is advising schools to have teachers notify parents if they plan on airing the address in class, and then allowing an opt-out. Some principals will be sending home notices if their schools plan to show the speech. One Utah father told the Deseret News he will pull his four children out of school rather than allow them to watch the Obama broadcast. "We will go on a picnic and read the Constitution – learn something useful," he said.

Wisconsin school districts have been hearing from concerned parents, according to the Associated Press. Palm Beach County, Fla., public schools may not run the broadcast. In Columbia, Mo., a district spokeswoman said kids won't be seeing the speech at all. Meanwhile, Atlas Shrugs' Pamela Gellar blasted the White House and the Department of Education for spelling errors in its "Indoctrination Day" announcement, noting that she will keep her children home from school on Sept. 8. Yes, your education tax dollars at work," Geller wrote. "Math, geography, spelling, English – that's for fascists! What's important is junk science, global hoaxes, and the green-colored slave labor market. Live for the sake of 'the man' and like it." She continued, "Obama, stay away from my children. ... My kids will not be in school on the 8th (and neither should yours)."
Obama plans to speak on the outrageous topics of setting educational goals and taking responsibility for your own education. COMMUNIST!!

Labels: , , , , , ,


Swine Flu Rap

New York-based Dr. John Clark is a finalist in the "US Department of Health & Human Services 2009 Flu Prevention PSA Contest." I guess "face" rhymes with "safe", sort of.

Labels: , , , ,


Maine: No On 1's Ad #2

A dad talks about his gay daughter in this second ad from No On 1/Protect Maine Equality.

Labels: , , , ,


New York Senate Marriage Equality Vote Could Come This Month

Our newly beardless governor has renewed his pledge to bring marriage equality to a vote in the New York Senate in a special session he plans to call over the state budget.
“I am anticipating a special session and I am anticipating this is one of the issues that we will address,” Paterson told The Advocate Thursday night, shortly after leaving a meeting that included representatives from the Empire State Pride Agenda, the Human Rights Campaign, and Gill Action Fund. State senator Thomas Duane joined the discussion by phone.
The bill's Senate sponsor, openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane, says the vote could come this month and that he expects it to win.
"We are not going to bring up marriage on Sept. 10," Duane said. "I am hopeful that we will bring it up when the governor calls us all back into session. He hasn't set that date; it'll probably be in late September." Duane said he hopes supporters of same-sex marriage will be "popping up the advocacy" to encourage senators to vote for the bill, adding that he strongly believes it will pass if lawmakers are allowed to vote their conscience. "I remain optimistic that it'll pass this year and it'll pass with bipartisan support," he said.
But the same problem that dogged the issue earlier this year, the fractious Senate Democrats, remains.
Although the governor supports the legislation, some Senate democrats remain torn on the issue. Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a democrat Pentecostal minister, sided with Republicans when the governor called upon democrats for support in June, according to an April article in The New York Times. A lack of republican support will require all 32 Democrats to jump on board.
So. Here we go again.

Labels: , , , , ,


CA Assembly Approves Harvey Milk Day

By a vote of 45-27, the California Assembly has approved a bill creating a statewide holiday to honor gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk. The bill passed in the state Senate earlier this year. The question now is whether the Governator will veto the bill as he did last year.
"Although he vetoed a similar bill last year with the message that Harvey Milk should be recognized only at the local level, I am confident Governor Schwarzenegger now understands the historic and international nature of Harvey's legacy," said Senator Mark Leno [the bill's sponsor]. "Last week the Governor contradicted his 2008 veto message when he and the First Lady announced that Harvey will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame, acknowledging that Harvey and the other inductees touched the 'lives of millions of people -- not just in this state, but around the world.'"
The bill must now return to the state Senate for a routine concurrence vote before reaching Schwarzenegger's desk.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Antibodies Found That Block HIV's Progression Into AIDS

More encouraging news on the HIV/AIDS front.
After 15 years of futile searching for a vaccine against the AIDS virus, researchers are reporting the tantalizing discovery of antibodies that can prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and producing severe disease. They do not have a vaccine yet, but they may well have a road map toward the production of one. A team based at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla reports in Friday's journal Science that they have isolated two so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that can block the action of many strains of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS. Crucial to the discovery is the fact that the antibodies target a portion of HIV that researchers had not previously considered in their search for a vaccine. Moreover, the target is a relatively stable portion of the virus that does not participate in the extensive mutations that have made HIV able to escape from antiviral drugs and previous experimental vaccines.
While any vaccine to result from this breakthrough will obviously be years away, researchers say the antibodies themselves could possibly be used in patients with advanced HIV disease.

(Tipped by JMG reader Robert in SF)

Labels: , , , ,


Olbermann Vs. Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck has really, really outdone himself with the crazy.

RELATED: The number of advertisers joining the boycott of Beck's show has "turned into a torrent."
Mercedes-Benz, Capital One, HSBC, Discover and seven other big firms are yanking their ads from Beck's show, boycott organizers said Wednesday. "We applaud those companies that have recently pulled their support from Beck," James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, said Wednesday. "There are at least 57 companies who will not tolerate Beck's race-baiting comments." The African-American political group went after Beck for declaring on his July 28 show that Obama is a racist with a "deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture." About 145,000 members signed a petition asking Beck's advertisers to stop supporting him. And big companies like retailing giant Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, GMAC Financial Services, Best Buy, CVS and Travelocity complied.
Fox claims that advertisers have been moved on to their other shows and that net revenue is unchanged.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Morning View - Madison Square Garden

The fourth incarnation of Madison Square Garden sits atop Penn Station in midtown, about a mile and a half from the actual Madison Square, where the first Garden was built in 1879. The current Garden was built in 1968 at the cost of the grand above-ground Beaux Arts portion of Penn Station (which you know if you are watching Mad Men). That decision is now considered one of the greatest travesties in the history of American architecture and led to the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Below is how the original Penn Station looked on postcards in 1910 when it was built.And here's what the interior looked like.UPDATE: JMG reader Vincent provides another interior shot.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Thursday, September 03, 2009

Reversal: Task Force Endorses National Equality March

UPDATE: The Task Force writes to note that the below is actually their first official statement on the National Equality March and as such should not be considered a reversal of earlier positions.

Reversing the position they gave me in a statement in early June, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force has issued an endorsement of the National Equality March.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a leader in building grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) political power, endorses the National Equality March, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 10-11. Thousands of people from across the country will march and rally in front of the U.S. Capitol demanding equal protection under the law for LGBT people and their families in all 50 states. At the march, the Task Force will engage new activists, support fair-minded clergy and other people of faith, and mobilize volunteer activists to return home engaged and energized.

"For the past 30 years, LGBT people and our allies have come together in Washington to be inspired, to engage in political action, and to go home geared up to create change. The National Equality March will bring together those of us who have never marched, those who want to renew their passion for action, and those who demand their voices be heard. When we mobilize for LGBT equality, for racial and economic justice, for a transformed society, and to make our love and lives visible, the Task Force is there. The Task Force will be there at the march to support the voices of new activists, LGBT people and our allies who push and push for the end to hatred, discrimination and unjust laws," says National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey.
Back in June, the Task Force said: "National marches can certainly have a community-building impact when energized participants return to their hometowns and get involved, but in an economic downturn — when resources are extremely limited for individuals and organizations, and critical work remains to be done locally — focusing on grassroots organizing at home is all the more critical."

Labels: , , , , , ,


NY Sen. Ruben Diaz Invites Sarah Palin To "Death Panel" Hearing

Nutcase NY Sen. Ruben Diaz, the minister widely credited with thwarting marriage equality here, has invited Sarah Palin to appear as a witness before a New York Senate Aging Committee hearing on health care reform.
The witnesses invited include a host of officials from the medical, political, private insurance, and non-governmental world -- each with a clear area of expertise on the topic of caring for the elderly. Then there is Palin. The former Alaska Governor's health care policy contribution is defined by a brief Facebook message she wrote in early August in which she warned that Democratic reform would create "death panels" tasked with determining who to euthanize, including her child with Down Syndrome. Palin has not yet accepted or declined the invitation to attend the September 8 hearing, according to Diaz's office. As for why she was invited, Cathy Bern-Smith, a spokesperson for the senator, noted that in another Facebook entry, Palin had referred to "a letter that Senator Diaz wrote to [Rep.] Henry Waxman, (D-Calif.), that was posted on the senator's website." "There was this Internet conversation going on where she made a comment on her post about something the senator had said," Bern-Smith added. "So we thought, well let's invite her."
Diaz and Palin. Now there is an opposite marriage made in wingnut heaven.

(Tipped by JMG reader Joseph P.)

Labels: , , , , , ,


80's Flashback

Pet Shop Boys, Domino Dancing, 1988. Last night at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom, Pet Shop Boys wove this, their lone foray into freestyle, into a fantastic medley capped by a surprisingly wonderful cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida. (Please PSB, put that out commercially.) Domino Dancing was produced by the then-red hot Miami freestyle king Lewis Martinee, who gave us Expose' and Cover Girls. I hated freestyle at the time as it was on 24/7 if you lived in South Florida, but forgave PSB as just about everybody was jumping on the Miami sound back then. (Plus the EP/mini-album Domino Dancing came from, Introspective, also gave us Left To My Own Devices and Always On My Mind.) Somehow, now that I dig freestyle again (mostly the oldies), Domino Dancing is one of my PSB faves. TRIVIA: Domino Dancing broke a long streak of UK #1's for the Boys, landing at #7 there, #18 here.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Fox News: "Real" Americans Are Taking Back The Nation!

"I'm here because I'm a real American and I want to take this country back from Obama and his czars!!" Followed by the usual cries of socialism and digs at Nancy Pelosi.

Labels: , , , ,


Vermont: Montpelier High School Raises Thousands To Fight Hate

As I mentioned here on Monday, the students at Montpelier High School raised money for every minute that the Westboro nutters protested outside their school on the first day of legal same-sex marriages in Vermont. From their Facebook page:
-Number of WBC members who protested outside MHS: 4
-Number of legal same-sex marriages that took place today in Vermont: 5
-Number of states that have won marriage equality through the legislature: 1 (Vermont!)
-Number of minutes the WBC protested outside MHS: 27 minutes
-Funds our group has raised so far: $6250!! And the donations are still rolling in!

This is a happy and historic day for Vermont. We have come together as a community to support our state's decision to legalize same-sex marriage, and provided an example for others to follow. You have shown your dedication to equality You have facilitated the legal battle for human rights. And at Montpelier High School, you helped change what might have been a tense, frustrating, and disheartening school day into one filled with positive thoughts, unity, and hope. Thank you, thank you, everyone!
The kids are alright.

Labels: , , , , ,


A Letter From ChristWire.com

The author of the ChristWire piece on Andre Bauer that I linked to yesterday sends this letter.
Dear Joe,

A friend forwarded your article to me and I was thrilled at first because, with your blog's name, I thought you might be a man of the cloth. Instead I find that you are gallivanting around in the most inappropriate of cloths, both literally and figuratively. Your leather-clad persona surely is a fearsome sight to behold and I pray for the mothers and families in your community who quiver at the mere mention of you. Do you care one iota for your neighbors? Probably not, when you engage in all night sex raves with that awful club music. I'm sure many a neighbor has wanted to call the police on you but was too afraid to be labeled a "homophobe" by the thought officers now running this country (or to see the herd of naked hairy Village People-styled men shepherded out of your dwelling in front of the glare of police lights and news cameras for curious children to witness from their bedroom windows.)

On another note, your figurative cloths- and by that I mean your words-- the posts on your blog, show your horrendous liberal bias, dry humping every news story on special gay rights. Do the gays really read that much news? I do not believe most are literate or sober enough to make it through a text message, let alone an article on Diana Ross (really?) or the fact that even a few democrats like Moakley see the evils of DOMA, and not just for political expediency in a highly Catholic state. That's where your haven of horniness, Provincetown, is located, correct? (By the way, I am Heterosexual.) You clearly could not support yourself writing such filth for the dozen or so homosexuals out there who aren't lurking on Craig's List or Man Hunting.com for some virile young man to pounce on like a pack of deranged dogs thrilled by the scent of innocence and Dove soap, new Nikes and a tank top. Oh you are disgusting.

In love and prayer,

Stephenson Billings, Investigative Journalist
I get so many emails like this, I was into the second paragraph before I got it. Love it. Move over Betty Bowers, you've got stiff competition.

Labels: , , , , ,


75 More Layoffs At Focus On The Family

Times are getting really tough for one of the nation's most nasty anti-gay hate groups. Bwah bwaaaaah.
Focus on the Family announced a reorganization Wednesday that will eliminate 75 jobs — an 8 percent reduction in a workforce that already has been cut twice since September 2008. The Colorado Springs-based ministry is shutting down the creative division of its advertising department, accounting for 30 of the layoffs. The others are from various departments throughout the ministry, including Love Won Out, a program aimed at homosexuals that Focus is handing over to an organization in Florida. In 2002, Focus’ employment reached a high of about 1,400. A year ago, it was down to about 1,155. The cuts announced Wednesday, coupled with two rounds of layoffs since 2008, bring the local workforce to 860. “These are tough economic times,” Focus spokesman Gary Schneeberger said. “The challenges have made us take a hard look at what we do structurally and strategically so we can accomplish our mission more efficiently.”
The bad news is they still have 860 employees.

Labels: , , , ,


NASA's Tour Of The Cryosphere

NASA has just posted a chilling time-lapse video of the ongoing collapse of the cryosphere. "It has been said that the frozen parts of our planet, also known as the cryosphere, may be the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine' when it comes to climate change. This video shows some of the most dramatic fluctuations to our cryosphere in recent years using visuals created with a variety of satellite-based data." Stand by for the Freepers, etc to claim that the images are faked. And if they're not faked, they're meaningless. And if they mean something, it's just a natural cycle not caused by man.

Labels: , , , ,


Without Ted, What Now For DADT?

What will happen to the overturn of DADT, now that its lead Senate sponsor is gone?
“Sen. Kennedy is the lead sponsor of the bill; obviously with his illness, those issues , any number of issues that he was the leader of are complicated by his absence,” David Scott, vice president of the Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for gay rights. Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, whose main goal is to end the policy, said that Kennedy’s illnesses “accounted for some of the delay in the introduction” of the bill, but said they were continuing to talk with other Democratic senators and hoped to have a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate in the fall. About 18 months ago, Kennedy told Sarvis’ group and gay-rights activists that he wanted to be the lead sponsor of a bill to repeal the current law — but first he wanted to get some Republican support. “He felt very strongly about it being bipartisan,” Sarvis said. Kennedy never ended up introducing a bill this Congress, and now it’ll be up to another Senate Democrat to step up to push the controversial issue.
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand still has a commitment from the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee to hold a hearing on DADT some time this fall. Other than that...

Labels: , , , , ,


Train Surfing

I was cracking up yesterday watching the contortions New Yorkers were going through trying not to put their hands on anything on the 6 train. One woman wrapped her leg around the center pole, another used her scarf to hang on to the hand rail. Others tried the surfboard method, riding with legs wide apart, hands flailing for balance. If you're that worried about the swine flu, maybe you should just get a box of latex gloves for your commute, yes? (But I did keep my hands off the escalator rail when I got to Grand Central.)

Labels: , , , ,


Maine: First Ad From No On 1

The marriage equality repeal bill made it onto Maine's ballot yesterday, as expected. Here's the first official ad from No On 1/Protect Maine Equality. Simple, to the point. I like it.

Labels: , , , ,


Letter Bombs At Rome Gay Bar

Two "letter bombs" were thrown at a gay bar in Rome yesterday, leaving several people with injuries.
There was widespread panic when two letter bombs were thrown at a bar in a gay neighbourhood in the centre of the Italian capital Rome late Tuesday in an escalation of anti-gay violence. Italian media reports said the explosive devices were thrown from two motorcycles. Several people were injured in the attack, and one was taken to nearby San Giovanni Hospital for aid. "It all happened very quickly unleashing panic in the streets. There were people screaming and running everywhere," said the president of Italy's national gay rights organisation, Arcigay, Fabrizio Marrazzo, quoted by Italian media. "If anyone would have been closer [to the explosions], someone would have lost their life," Arcigay said on the organisation's website on Wednesday.
Rome has seen a rash of anti-gay attacks in recent weeks. Last week a gay couple was viciously attacked, one of the men was knifed in the abdomen.

UPDATE: Towleroad points us to this news report from Italian television.

Labels: , , , ,


Signorile Vs. NOM's Brian Brown

After his loving hagiography from the Washington Post, NOM's Brian Brown felt brave enough to take on Michelangelo Signorile. Mistake.

Labels: , , , ,


Maddow On Sexual Hazing In Kabul

More on the sexual hazing by Wackenhut employees guarding the U.S. embassy in Kabul.

Labels: , , ,


Morning View - 34th & 7th

Labels: , , ,


Open Thread Thursday

We haven't played chat room in a couple of years.

OMG! Where you at? A/S/L? LOL!11!!!

Labels: ,


Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Just Cuz SC Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer Did A Few Guys Doesn't Make Him GAY

The thing about writing parodies of the Christian right is that so often they are completely believable. From the geniuses at ChristWire, talking about Mike Rogers' outing of South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer:
That’s where flamboyant blogger with bulge of bias Mike Rogers toe taps in. He lubed his way into the national consciousness by bringing down idyllic Senator Larry Craig and wise-as-a-whip Representative Mark Foley. This week he has accused 40-year old Lt. Governor André Bauer of secret homosexual tendencies. But Bauer has an absolutely fabulous record defending the rights of families and Christianity. He has loudly opposed Homosexual Marriage, Homosexual Sodomy and Homosexual Adoption. He has profoundly defined marriage as between straights only. Not only that, but he has pushed for the words, “I BELIEVE” and the Christian Cross on South Carolina license plates, fought tax hikes and supported free-market capitalism at every turn. So this all begs the question, does the accusation of one or two wrong-headed and furtive man-on-man encounters actually make you gay? Couldn’t it be a mistake? If you have a great record fighting against the gays, doesn’t it cross out a few moments humping a younger man against the wall of some hotel room? This debate is far from settled, but it is an important one for the conservative party today.
Clearly, most of the commenters on ChristWire aren't in on the joke. Read the whole thing.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


File Under: Truths We Find Self-Evident

A study conducted by the University of Florida finds that education level is five times more predictive of support for marriage equality than race. But you knew that, didn't you my gentle kittens?
The education level of Florida voters, not race, best predicted support for the state's gay marriage ban, according to a new University of Florida study rebutting conventional wisdom. The study found education was about five times as important as race in determining whether a county's residents favored the ban. The results contradict claims that newly registered black voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama were a socially conservative group that can be credited with passing the ban.

"They are movable in terms of this issue," said Dan Smith, a political science professor and study co-author.Nearly 62 percent of Florida voters cast ballots in favor of Amendment 2, which amended the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and woman. At the same time, about 51 percent of the state's voters supported Obama in the presidential election. Controlling for political and socioeconomic factors, the study found each additional 1 percent of a county's population with bachelor's degrees correlated with a 1 percent decrease in support for the amendment. In comparison, each 1 percent increase in a county's black population led to two-tenths of a percent increase in support. "There's a lot of evidence showing increased education leads to greater tolerance," Smith said.
The short version: smarter people support civil rights for all.

Labels: , , , ,


Peter LaBarbera Suggests Other New Flavors For Ben & Jerry

Porno Peter LaBarbera is outraged, outraged I tells ya, that Ben & Jerry temporarily named a flavor Hubby Hubby in honor of same-sex marriage coming to Vermont.
"Besides the health aspects, there’s also the fact that homosexual behavior is opposed by God, and that’s something that we should take seriously. All homosexual behavior is sinful, and regardless of what liberals say or what Ben & Jerry’s puts on a tub of ice cream, that remains the case. The left is really making a fool of itself when it comes to homosexuality. They talk about transparency, but they don’t want to tell anybody about the health risks of homosexual behavior. They claim to follow God and to be Christian, and yet they celebrate all the things that God opposes … abortion, homosexuality. This is just par for the course."
LaBarbera suggests the following additional flavors for those dirty commie leftist homo-hugging ice cream makers (his own fruity fonts):

Bisexual Butter Pecan
Strawberry for Swingers
Man-Boy Munch ‘n Crunch
Catamite Carmel
Two Moms Macadamia
Rumpy Road
Polyamory Peach

Neapolitan Nancy-Boy
Fabulous Fudge Nut
Transgender Twirl
Berry Berry Promiscuous
Chunky Chickenhawk
Apple Adultery Delight

Here's a few flavors I'd name after Porno Pete:

-Needledick Nutjob
-Christ-On-A-Stick
-Closet Case Crunch
-Comb-over Classic
-Waahbulance Whirl

Now you....

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Mass AG (And DOMA Opponent) Martha Coakley To File For Kennedy's Seat

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who in July filed a federal challenge to DOMA, is the first candidate to request paperwork for the special January election to replace the late Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate.
Ms. Coakley, 56, who has not officially announced her candidacy, is required to gather 10,000 valid signatures by Oct. 20 to participate in the Dec. 8 primary. The special election for Mr. Kennedy’s seat will be held Jan. 19. The state legislature is to hold a hearing on Sept. 9 on Senator Kennedy’s request, made shortly before his death, that it change the law and allow Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an interim senator. Mr. Patrick is a Democrat. Other people who have been mentioned as possible contenders for Mr. Kennedy’s seat include his widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, although people close to the family have said she is not interested; Mr. Kennedy’s nephew former United States Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II; former United States Representatives Michael E. Capuano, Steven F. Lynch and Edward J. Markey; and former United States Representative Martin T. Meehan, who retired in 2007 to become the chancellor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Coakley seems like a very strong contender, but we all know how Massachusetts feels about any Kennedy, should former Rep. Joseph II decide to run.

Labels: , , , , ,


WA: Judge Rejects R-71 Challenge

Washington state judge Julie Spector has rejected a challenge to Referendum 71, the petition bid to overturn the state's new domestic partners law. But all is not lost as the judge said she had "serious concerns" about the validity of many of the signatures and told pro-gay opponents to refile their challenge in another court.

Judge Julie Spector issued her ruling just as Secretary of State Sam Reed certified the measure that aims to overturn the new "everything but marriage" law for the November ballot in Olympia. (Click here to read Spector's ruling.) Spector said challenges to a referendum must be filed in Thurston County Superior Court after certification - and supporters of the "everything but marriage" law still had that option for trying to get R-71 off the ballot. The group that brought the original lawsuit - Washington Families Standing Together - said it would go to court in Thurston County to try to block R-71. So far the total number of signatures accepted by elections officials for the measure is 121,847. That's 1,270 more than the minimum needed.

The judge criticized the lying tactics used by petition gatherers:
The judge also said there were highlights on top of the petitions that contain "apparent falsehoods," such as the statement that if same-sex marriage becomes law public schools would be forced to teach that homosexuality is "normal...even over the objections of parents." Spector said the required signature-gatherers declaration swears that people who signed the petition did so "knowingly." "It is unclear whether a signature-gatherer can swear than an individual signer has signed the petition 'knowingly' when the signature-gatherer has allegedly misrepresented the contents of the petition," Spector wrote.

Labels: , , ,


Auto-Tune The News #8

Not enough Katie Couric this time, but love the bit with Sen. Grassley. He has a chart.

Labels: , ,


America's Most Stressful Cities

Embiggen the below graph to see how Forbes Magazine has ranked the stress levels of the 40 biggest metropolitan areas in the country, based on unemployment, housing prices, population density, air quality, and weather. Full chart here. Chicago is the most nerve-wracking, Austin is the least. My hometown of Orlando lands near the middle at 28.
(Via - See My Briefs)

Labels: , , ,


80's Flashback

Haysi Fantayzee, John Wayne Is Big Leggy, 1982. One of the silliest songs from a time that gave us a lot of very silly songs. A lot of folks thought that Haysi ripped off their look from Boy George, but lead singer Jeremy Healy said it was the other way around. (They went to school together.) Haysi had a couple of fairly big hits, this, and Shiny, Shiny, which was a upbeat song about nuclear war. Trivia: You might recognize Haysi girl Kate Garner in Eurthymic's Who's That Girl video.

Labels: , ,


Maine's Campaign Ethics Commission Goes After NOM On Money Laundering

Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate is getting some traction in Maine regarding his allegation of NOM's money laundering.
Jonathan Wayne, Executive Director of State of Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics and Elections Practices, sent a strongly worded four page letter to Stand for Marriage Maine PAC (SFMMP) and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), seeking more information on the charges of "money laundering" against them in their campaign to repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law. The letter sent to Joseph Keaney, Stand for Marriage Maine PAC's Treasurer and Brian Brown, NOM's Executive Director, called upon both organizations to respond in writing by September 17, 2009 "...concerning whether the Commission should conduct an investigation." In his letter, Mr. Wayne sites section 1004-A(3), the provision of the Maine Election Law, which states; "It is illegal for a PAC to knowingly accept a contribution made by one person in the name of another person."
View Maine's letter to NOM here. (PDF) The Ethics Commission meets in Augusta on October 1st to consider launching an investigation. Go Fred!

(Via - Louise @ Pam's House Blend)

Labels: , , , , ,


The Vendy Awards Like Gay Ice Cream

NYC's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, which I mentioned here in June, is up for a Vendy Award, an honor granted to the best of Gotham's street vendors.
“Doug’s soft serve is anything but vanilla. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck has a unique and always-changing menu of toppings like curried coconut, wasabi pea dust, trix, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. And really all I can say is Choinkwich: Yummy caramelized bacon, soft serve chocolate ice cream between two cartwheel cookies. Best ice cream sandwich ever.”
I haven't run into the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck yet, but its owner thanked me for blogging about him by offering me a "free topping." Rimshot!

Labels: , , ,


Sexual Hazing In Afghanistan

I can't post any of the photos here, but you might want to wander over to Gawker and see what kind of shenanigans the private security company hired to protect the U.S. embassy in Kabul are getting up to.
Wonder what it's like to guard State Department facilities in Kabul? In photos first published by Gawker, security contractors get their kicks peeing on one another, simulating anal sex, doing "butt shots," and "eating potato chips out of ass cracks." These photos were provided to us by the Project on Government Oversight, which has just written a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton detailing its investigation into the "Lord of the Flies environment" that has overtaken the private contractors who guard State Department employees in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to POGO, employees of ArmorGroup North America—a unit of contracting giant Wackenhut—get their jollies off by "deviant hazing [that] has created a climate of fear and coercion, with those who declined to participate often ridiculed, humiliated, demoted, or even fired."
Gawker calls it "desperately homoerotic fratboy" hazing. It's like a really bad gay porn flick, really.

Labels: , , , ,


DC Archdiocese Supports Move To Ban Marriage Equality

Washington DC's Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl (seen here kissing Emperor Palpatine's ring) has issued a press release supporting Harry Jackson's attempt to put a ban on same-sex marriage on the ballot.
The Archdiocese of Washington today submitted a letter to the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics in support of the “Marriage Initiative of 2009.” The initiative, filed by the Stand4MarriageDC.com Coalition, would define marriage in the District of Columbia, for the purposes of civil law, as the union between one man and one woman. Also today, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl sent a letter to 300 local priests regarding the significance of marriage and attempts being made to redefine marriage. “A ballot initiative will give voters in the District of Columbia a voice on this critical issue. Earlier this year, the City Council pushed through legal recognition of same-sex marriages from other states without even giving their constituents an opportunity to have input,” said Ronald Jackson, executive director of the DC Catholic Conference. “It is ironic that at the same time the city is asking for voting representation in the U.S. Congress, its leaders are denying residents the opportunity to participate in the democratic process for an issue with widespread implications for children and families,” he added.
And once again, a bunch of elderly sexless drag queens in embroidered dresses and gaudy jewelery want to tell the world how to fuck.

Labels: , , , , ,


Indian Gov't To Support Decriminalization Of Homosexuality

Two months ago, the Indian High Court issued a landmark ruling that rolled back British colonial-era laws against homosexuality. Today the Indian government said they will let the ruling stand.
The government will not oppose the Delhi High Court judgment which legalised homosexual acts between consenting adults, official documents show. The note, likely to be put up before the Union Cabinet on Thursday, was prepared after meetings between the Home, Health and law Ministries. It states there appeared to be no “legal error in the judgment, which has not struck down the entire Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)”, given by the high court on July 2. The three ministries had been directed by the Prime Minister to firm up the government stand, following the opposing stands taken by the Home and Health ministries before the high court last year.
Fantastic news for one of the world's largest LGBT populations!

Labels: , , ,


Sinead's Hand

I think we saw an almost identical ad during Prop 8, but this one from Ireland still gets the point across.

(Via - Father Tony)

Labels: , , , ,


For What I Am About To Receive...

The Catholic Truth Society has published a book commanding couples to pray before sex. Not for it.
The prayer, which appears in the Prayer Book for Spouses, implores God 'to place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes'. It adds: 'Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will. Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, for ever and ever.'
The book also says that marriage should be "exclusive and life-long." And presumably, definitely not gay.

Labels: , ,