Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) Endorses National Equality March

Equality Across America has received a letter from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) endorsing the National Equality March. On Friday Reid announced that the Senate would remain in session through Columbus Day weekend in order to finish work on the health care reform bill. Will Reid speak at the March?

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

PhoboQuotable - James Bowman

"If reason were to be readmitted to the debate, we might find something in the history of military honor to justify the principle now enshrined in the law decreeing that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service." We know that soldiering--I mean not training or support or peacekeeping or any of the myriad other things soldiers do, but facing enemy bullets--is inextricably bound up with ideas of masculinity. We also know that most heterosexual males' ideas of masculinity are inextricably bound up with what we now call sexual orientation. In other words, "being a man" typically does mean for soldiers both being brave, stoic, etc.--and being heterosexual. Another way to put this is to say that honor, which is by the testimony of soldiers throughout the ages of the essence of military service, includes the honor of being known for heterosexuality, and that, for most heterosexual males, shame attends a reputation as much for homosexuality as for weakness or cowardice." - James Bowman, in his pro-DADT essay in the Weekly Standard.

Maddow On Wingnut Olympic Joy

The High Cost Of Being A Gay Couple

Today's New York Times features a fascinating breakdown of the added costs that gay couples bear as incomplete and unrecognized members of society. The authors created a hypothetical gay couple and enlisted tax, insurance, and financial planning experts to run many scenarios on how much more it costs to be a gay couple in the United States.

Our goal was to create a hypothetical gay couple whose situation would be similar to a heterosexual couple’s. So we gave the couple two children and assumed that one partner would stay home for five years to take care of them. We also considered the taxes in the three states that have the highest estimated gay populations — New York, California and Florida. We gave our couple an income of $140,000, which is about the average income in those three states for unmarried same-sex partners who are college-educated, 30 to 40 years old and raising children under the age of 18.

Here is what we came up with. In our worst case, the couple’s lifetime cost of being gay was $467,562. But the number fell to $41,196 in the best case for a couple with significantly better health insurance, plus lower taxes and other costs. These numbers will vary, depending on a couple’s income and circumstance. Gay couples earning, say, $80,000, could have health insurance costs similar to our hypothetical higher-earning couple, but they might well owe more in income taxes than their heterosexual counterparts. For wealthy couples with a lot of assets, on the other hand, the cost of being gay could easily spiral into the millions. Nearly all the extra costs that gay couples face would be erased if the federal government legalized same-sex marriage. One exception is the cost of having biological children, but we felt it was appropriate to include this given our goal of outlining every cost gay couples incur that heterosexual couples may not.

The article includes an interactive graph (not embeddable) which helps demonstrate the authors' points.

Limbaugh: Obama Should Have Lobbied For Kenya To Get 2016 Olympics

Continuing the right-wing's exultations over Chicago losing its bid for the 2016 Olympics, Rush Limbaugh says that President Obama should have lobbied for Kenya to win, if he were to be "true to form." Like the rest, Limbaugh overlooks the fact that Chicago's Olympic bid began years before Obama took office.

Our $100 Million Mayor

With a month yet to go in the campaign, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent $65M on his bid for a third term. That's sixteen times what his opponent Bill Thompson has spent so far. Bloomberg's outlay is expected to reach $100M by election day. The New York Times puts it in context:

To market Bounty paper towels last year, Procter & Gamble spent about $63 million. To advertise Yoplait Light yogurt, General Mills spent about $62 million. William C. Thompson Jr., Mr. Bloomberg's Democratic rival who is still scrambling to raise money from donors. But these corporate giants have nothing on Michael. R. Bloomberg. To hold on to his job as mayor this year, he has spent $65 million of his own money, according to his latest financial disclosure report, released on Friday. Even for a man whose vast financial advantages have redefined New York City elections — and smothered his lesser-financed opponents — the amount of spending is, by any measure, staggering. Mr. Bloomberg has spent about 40 percent more than he had at the same point in his 2005 campaign, and twice what he had spent by this point in his first run for office in 2001. Each of those races was, at the time, the most expensive municipal campaign in United States history. The mayor has spent 16 times as much as his Democratic rival, William C. Thompson Jr., who is still scrambling to raise money from donors. And at his current pace, Mr. Bloomberg is on track to easily spend more than $100 million by Election Day on Nov. 3.

As I've mentioned here many times, other than a few very notable missteps, I've been generally satisfied with Bloomberg. For the last few years he's been a terrific advocate of same-sex marriage and LGBT rights. But the way he conspired with the City Council to make an end run around term limits was really disappointing. It's telling that even with his astronomical spending on this campaign, he's only ten points ahead of Bill Thompson. He's gonna win, of course, but as the NYT notes, he's having to spend $100M to do it.

NJ Governor Candidate Chris Christie Speaks Against Same-Sex Marriage

New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage at last night's debate with Gov. Jon Corzine. A poll released yesterday shows Corzine pulling almost even with Christie. A win by Corzine is critical to the passage of marraige equality in New Jersey.

Sen. Harry Reid: Senate Will Stay In Session Through Columbus Day

It looks like at least part of Congress will be in session during the National Equality March after all.

Democrats at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are gripped with a renewed sense of urgency in their effort to pass healthcare reform. As the Finance Committee continued into the second week of marking up its bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) surprised colleagues on Wednesday by canceling a weeklong Columbus Day recess. Reid’s move came after White House officials publicly called on lawmakers to pass a final bill by Thanksgiving. This ambitious timetable is more than a month before the goal set by congressional leaders, which is to pass a bill by the end of the year.

Interesting development, eh?

Important Correction From One Iowa

In this morning's post about Phyliss Stevens, the Iowa LGBT activist arrested for embezzling from her employer, I inaccurately posted that her partner Marla worked for an offshoot of One Iowa. Justin Umbelhor, Director of Communications for One Iowa writes:

The Iowa Republican blog post you link to is wholly inaccurate. Their main contention is false: the LGBT Fairness Fund is not affiliated with One Iowa or our PAC in any way. The LGBT Fairness Fund appears to be a federal PAC based in Indiana that can give to federal candidates. The Fairness Fund PAC (the political arm of One Iowa) is an Iowa registered state PAC that can only give to candidates for state office. While Phyllis and Marla have contributed to our campaigns independently (as they have to numerous progressive causes in the state), there is no connection between our PACs, nor has Marla ever been employed by our PAC.

And that, my tender kittens, is what I get for not fact checking a GOP blog.

All The Hairy Babies

I'm glad I didn't post this, because the answer clip is so much hotter.

Pat Condell On The Arrogance Of Clergy

My favorite atheist checks in with another excellent opinion piece, this one on the difference between private faith and public religion. Condell says that Catholic clergy such as the Pope, who deliberately spread misinformation about the effectiveness of condoms against HIV, should be charged with attempted murder.

PhoboQuotable - Lindsey Douthit

"The main platform of the pro-ENDA speakers was this: it is “inhumane” to object to individuals’ decisions to give themselves over to unnatural sexual, and people who oppose ENDA are backwards and biased.

"The ENDA hearing should serve as a wake-up call to Christians that they must continue to fight for religious liberty. Legislation such as ENDA serves to normalize, and even glorify, in the guise of “progressive popular culture,” lifestyles that Biblical doctrine clearly teaches are wrong. Legislation like ENDA makes people think they can never be free from their sexual and other sins when in fact, Jesus Christ can save every person from all his sins, even homosexuality.

"Don’t be fooled — the radical implications of ENDA are as noticeable as the glossy wigs and deep voices of the hurting and desperate transgendered female activists at the hearing who so desperately need the life-changing Gospel message offering them freedom from sin." - Concerned Women for America's Lindsey Douthit, writing about last week's ENDA hearings in the U.S. House.

UPDATE: Check out Good As You's excellent dissection of Douthit's nonsense.

80's Flashback

Nik Kershaw, Wouldn't It Be Good, 1984. Quite innovative for its day, the chroma key-laden video for this track helped propel it to the top ten in most of Europe, #4 in the UK, but only #46 in the U.S. The success of Woudn't It Be Good prompted Kershaw's label to re-release his first single, I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (not the song you're thinking of), which ended up as his biggest UK hit, topping out at #2. As I recall, about half of my friends at the time sported the Nik Kershaw/Howard Jones bleached haircut. I saw Kershaw recently on television - he's still cute.

The Evening Prayer

Brought to you by Pray In Jesus Name.

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

Daily Grumble

Yesterday was World Vegetarian Day and we missed it. And here I'd planned a delicious banquet of adorable bunnies, kittens, and endangered turtles. Dammit!

Chicago Eliminated From 2016 Olympics Contention In First Round

Despite President Obama's campaigning personally for his adopted hometown, today Chicago was eliminated as the prospective host city of the 2016 Olympics.

Chicago lost the bid to bring the 2016 Olympics Games to Chicago on Friday, in the first ballot of voting. Not even the presence of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, nor a long list of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, was enough. Even IOC president Jacques Rogge seemed a little surprised when he announced the results of the first vote. Tokyo was the next city to get the cut, and now, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro are left in the running. The president and his wife, fellow Chicagoan Michelle Obama, put their capital behind an enormous campaign to win the Olympics bid. Never before had a U.S. president made such an in-person appeal. "I urge you to choose Chicago," Mr. Obama told members of the International Olympic Committee.

And of course, the Freepers are laughing and cheering and waving their hands because they like to see Obama fail at anything, even something as noble as bringing the Olympics to the United States.

UPDATE: Rio de Janeiro celebrates their win.

Broadway Friday

- Starpower: Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman delivered record-setting opening week receipts for A Steady Rain. The show grossed $1.1M, a new plateau for a non-musical production. Could it be the $376 "premium seating"?

- Superior Donuts, a new play by Tracy Letts, opened to rave reviews at the Music Box last night. Micheal McKean stars.

- Cheyenne Jackson is rumored to be joining the cast of 30 Rock.

- The revival of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs begins previews tonight at the Nederlander. Simon's related play, Broadway Bound, begins previews on November 10th.

- Hair stars Gavin Creel and Will Swenson have had their caricatures added to the Wall of Fame at Sardi's.

- The revival of West Side Story is in the black, having recouped its producers' investment of $14M in eight months. It continues to play to packed houses.

- The musical version of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert will premiere on Broadway in the spring of 2011 after a fall 2010 tryout in Toronto.

Signorile Caller Says He's Organizing To Overthrow Obama, Bring Back Slavery

A caller to Michelangelo Signorile's show on SiriusXM said that he and 200 others in different states were organizing to overthrow Barack Obama and bring back slavery. And something about the kicking gays out of the country too. Enjoy the crazy, but in the second clip another caller warns that her own mother had recently joined a similar group.

Judge Orders Yes On 8 To Turn Over Campaign Information

A district court judge in California has ordered Protect Marriage, the group behind the successful repeal of same-sex marriage, to turn over certain financial records related to their campaign.

Denying a request to shield the information, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker said the Protect Marriage campaign had failed to show that providing private e-mails, memos and reports would inhibit the political activities of gay marriage opponents or subject them to unbridled harassment. "The First Amendment qualified privilege proponents seek to invoke, unlike the attorney-client privilege, for example, is not an absolute bar against disclosure," Walker wrote in an 18-page order. "Rather, the First Amendment qualified privilege requires a balancing of the plaintiffs' need for the information sought against proponents' constitutional interests in claiming the privilege."

The judge agreed with lawyers for two unmarried same-sex couples who have sued to strike down the ban, known as Proposition 8, that confidential communications between the campaign's leaders and professional consultants could reveal a rationale for denying gays the right to wed that is relevant to the case. The lawsuit argues that the measure was motivated by hostility toward gays and as such must be struck down as inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equality. "What was decided not to be said in a political campaign may cast light on what was actually said," Walker said. At the same time, the judge said the couples' lawyers must limit their fact-finding request to cover only central issues and individuals, including Mormon and Catholic church representatives who served on the executive committee that oversaw the campaign. He also left open the possibility that he would restrict public access to the documents.

Protect Marriage says they are "surprised and disappointed" by the ruling. Cue the sad trombone.

Canada: Child Porn Catholic Bishop Turns Self In, Is Released On Bail

Bishop Raymond Lahey, on the lam for several days after Canadian border guards found child pornography on his laptop, yesterday surrendered to authorities.

Lahey was released on $9,000 bail after turning himself in to Ottawa police on Thursday afternoon to face charges of possessing and importing child pornography. The Roman Catholic cleric, who resigned his post in Nova Scotia on the weekend before news of the charges broke, has been ordered to stay away from parks and from children. He is not allowed to use the internet, and while he is free he is to stay in Rogersville, N.B. The town is the site of a Trappist monastery. His next court date is Nov. 4 in Ottawa. A Canada-wide arrest warrant had been issued for Lahey, 69, who brokered a $15-million settlement for victims of sexual abuse by priests of the diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia. Lahey was returning to Canada on Sept. 15 when he was detained at Ottawa International Airport. Canada Border Services agents checked his laptop and found images "of concern," Ottawa police said in a release. Lahey was allowed to leave, but his computer and other media devices were seized. Police alleged a forensic examination ultimately found child pornography. On Friday, Ottawa police charged Lahey with possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography. The next day, he resigned as bishop of the diocese of Antigonish, citing the need for "personal renewal."

Lahey had frequently sermonized against child molestation and homosexuality. As my grandmother always said, "The guilty dog barks loudest."

Mormon Paper Refuses To Run Memorial Service Ad For Gay Suicides

The Mormon Church-owned Deseret News is refusing to run an ad for a memorial service for gay Mormons who've committed suicide.

MediaOne, which handles advertising for both the News and The Salt Lake Tribune , accepted payment from the nonprofit Foundation for Reconciliation to run an ad, announcing a memorial service this Sunday, in both papers. But on Wednesday, a MediaOne employee told the group's Cheryl Nunn that the ad had been rejected by the News. "Anything that's related to the church we have been asked to present that to [the Deseret News ] and then they decide," said MediaOne President Brent Low. "This one was directly talking about the church and sexual orientation."[snip] The foundation's memorial, "From Despair to Hope," honors lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) suicide victims as well as "those who have successfully overcome conflicts involving their sexual orientation and the LDS Church," the ad states. The event features a video appearance by actor Will Swenson, known for his roles in Mormon-themed films "Sons of Provo" and "The Singles Ward." Peter Danzig, a Salt Lake City spokesman for the foundation, called the newspaper ad "innocuous." "There's nothing anti-Mormon," he said. "We tried to create an event that would be welcoming to everyone on either side of the issue."

More about the memorial at LDSapology.org.

Monday: Outrage Premieres On HBO

Outrage, the documentary profiling Mike Rogers, Michelangelo Signorile, and others involved in outing closeted anti-gay politicians debuts on HBO this Monday. The film played in theaters earlier this year to positive reviews.

Morehouse College Fires Employee Over Homophobic Email

Atlanta's Morehouse College, one of the nation's most prominent black universities, has fired staffer Sandra Bradley after she went off on a rant to colleagues after receiving a forwarded email about a wedding between two black men. Her email:

"I can’t believe this wedding. It’s 2 men. They don’t smile in a lot of pictures and they look like a few brothers I’ve seen in the streets looking STRAGHT. Black women can’t get a break, either our men want another man, a white woman (or other nationality that’s light with straight hair), they are locked up in jail or have a 'use to be' fatal disease. I’m beginning to believe Eve was a black woman and we Black women are paying for all the world’s sins through her actions (eating the apple),"

After Morehouse president Robert Franklin promised an investigation, Bradley was fired. The college issued this statement:

"The views expressed in the e-mail entitled, 'The WTD of the Week,' (September 28, 2009) were the personal views of one individual and do not reflect the values or policies of Morehouse College. Morehouse College has a no-tolerance position on discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and the College has taken great strides toward building a diverse and tolerant community. After investigating the matter, the College has disciplined the persons involved in the incident, and one of the implicated employees is no longer with the College. In addition, the College has reminded its staff that the Morehouse e-mail system is College property, should be safeguarded as any other College property, and that e-mails that are discriminatory, inflammatory, or derogatory to any group are prohibited at the College."

Morehouse is the alma mater of Martin Luther King. Praise goes to President Franklin for doing the right thing. And congratulations to the two men, Michael Cole Smith and Jamil Smith Cole.

More Scandal For Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The New York Times has uncovered serious ethical violations committed by anti-gay Sen. John "Defender Of Marriage" Ensign. This new information is related to the adultery scandal Ensign confessed to early in the summer. Rachel Maddow lays it all out below.

Illinois Senate Introduces Marriage Bill

Yesterday Illinois state Sen. Heather Stearns introduced a marriage equality bill. Via Equality Illinois:

“This is not an issue of sacred versus secular - there are plenty of synagogues and churches that both recognize and perform same-sex marriages,” said Bernard Cherkasov, Chief Executive Officer of Equality Illinois. “Rather, marriage is a civil right – plain and simple. The state cannot have a civil institution of marriage – with its plethora of benefits, rights, and responsibilities – and exclude from it an entire class of citizens.”

The bill would provide for state recognition of same-sex marriage, while ensuing that religious institutions are not required to perform any marriages that inconsistent with their religious practices. This is a companion bill to the one introduced in the State House of Representatives by Representative Greg Harris, HB178. The House bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Deb Mell, Sara Feigenholtz, Constance Howard, Harry Osterman and John Fritchey. Equality Illinois applauds the sponsoring legislators for their leadership.

What chance does this bill have? Illinoisans, weigh in.

Texas Judge Allows Gay Divorce

Texas Family District Court Judge Tena Callahan has ruled that a gay couple can get divorced, even though the state has a ban on same-sex marriage.

A judge ruled Thursday that a married gay couple in Dallas can be granted a divorce, setting the stage for a same-sex marriage battle royal in the Lone Star State. Dallas state district judge Tena Callahan ruled that two men married in Massachusetts could be divorced in Texas, a state with a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Callahan declared that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violated equal protection under the law. "This is huge news. We're ecstatic," Dallas attorney Peter Schulte, who represents the man who filed for divorce, told The Dallas Morning News. The men in the case are asking not to be identified in the press because one of them is not out to his employer.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says he will appeal her ruling.

Rep. Michele Bachmann: Obamacare Will Result In Abortion Field Trips

You think she couldn't get crazier, and then she proves you wrong.

Morning View - Chrysler Building

David Letterman Reveals Affairs With Staffers, Extortion Attempt

Last night David Letterman shocked his viewers when he revealed that he has been the subject of a $2M extortion attempt by a man threatening to go public with information that he'd had sexual affairs with female staffers of his show. Letterman said that yesterday he'd testified before a grand jury and that the man, a CBS employee, has been arrested. Recently Letterman was the target of a "Fire Dave!" campaign after he made jokes about Sarah Palin's youngest daughter. Conservatives are already drawing their knives over last night's revelation.

Prominent Iowa LGBT Activist Charged With Embezzling Millions From Employer

This one is gonna hurt. Phyliss Stevens, chairperson of the Iowa chapter of Marriage Equality USA has been arrested and charged with embezzling $5.9M from her insurance company employer. Her wife Marla Stevens, a contributor to the LGBT activism blog Bilerico Project, has also been named as a co-conspirator. Marla is the public policy director at the LGBT Fairness Fund.

A Des Moines woman has been accused of embezzling an estimated $5.9 million from Aviva USA in a scheme discovered by company employees last week and has been arrested on federal charges. Lawyers for Aviva also filed a civil lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines naming Phyllis Stevens and her spouse, Marla, of defrauding the company in a five-year scheme. Phyllis Stevens, a 35-year-employee of Aviva and a predecessor company, Indianapolis Life, allegedly devised a program to have fictitious agent commission payments paid by Aviva into a bank account jointly held by the two women. The civil suit names only Phyllis Stevens as the perpetrator of the embezzlement, but also names Marla Stevens as receiving the benefits “as a result of the conversion of funds.”

GOP blog The Iowa Republican is already on the story, demanding that the many political candidates who received donations from women return the money to Phyliss Stevens' employer. The couple donated more than $60,000 to various candidates and causes since 2007. Expect this story to dominate the headlines on right-wing blogs for a long time. Bil Browning at Bilerico has much more on the story.

NOTE: The above post has been edited and corrected.

NH Marriage Repeal Underway

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in New Hampshire on January 1st and the usual fuckweasels are planning a ballot measure to repeal it.

“Republican Rep. Dan Itse is affiliated with Citizens Leadership of New Hampshire, which was created a few years ago to highlight threats to constitutional freedoms,” reports the Boston Globe. “He said Wednesday he will sponsor two constitutional amendments when the Legislature reconvenes in January. One would make only marriages between men and women recognized by the state. The other would prohibit the state from abridging a parent's right to control their child's health, education and welfare.” The legislature would first need to approve the amendment, which if passed, would be presented to voters in November 2010, after same-sex marriages become legal.

Obviously, a win for us in Maine would suck a lot of the wind out of blowhards like Dan Itse.

80's Flashback

Tanita Tikaram, Twist In My Sobriety, 1988. This spooky number from Tikaram's debut album Ancient Heart was a top ten hit in most of Europe, but went largely unnoticed in the U.S. Except, of course, in the gay clubs where it became an immediate morning music favorite. In '96 came a fleet of remixes, but for me they mostly lost the ethereal quality of the original. Ancient Heart was recorded with the Tom Waits Band and that is more obvious on its first single, Good Tradition. Trivia: The first line of Twist In My Sobriety is the title of a Maya Angelou book. More Trivia: In 1989 Liza Minnelli covered Twist with Pet Shop Boys producing.

NEM Seeks Volunteers

The National Equality March is seeking more volunteers for all three days of the event. They need more route marshals, media wranglers, security, rally venue workers, and help with post-event clean up. Clicky-click above to send your Gay Card into platinum status.

Stars Come Out For HIV Vaccine

The Covalent Immunology Foundation, who last week held a Manhattan event to promote their vaccine research, has rounded up some bold-face names to support their EndHIV.com site, which asks viewers for a $5 to help their cause.

Actors, performers, comedians, HIV activists, and scientists come together to show support for Covalent Immunology, and Dr. Sudhir Paul. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent

Father Tony attended Covalent's vaccine event, his report is here.

DC Marriage Bill Coming Next Week

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington DC will be introduced on Tuesday by openly gay city council member David Catania.

After months of buildup, D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At large) announced Wednesday evening he would introduce his proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in the District at Tuesday's council meeting. Catania made his announcement before 150 gay rights activists gathered in Shaw for a rally featuring the Rev. Eric P. Lee, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "We are going to do it now," Catania told the crowd. "We are going to do it now, not for ourselves, but for the young people who are 20 years-old, 16-years-old, 13-years-old." According to a copy of the bill, the city code would be changed to state "marriage is the legally recognized union of two people" and "any person ... may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender." Catania's bill, which states religious organizations and officials have the right not to participate in same-sex marriages, is expected to pass the council easily when it comes up for a vote around Thanksgiving. Ten of 13 council members will co-introduce Catania's bill Tuesday, and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has pledged to sign it.

After approval by the DC city council, the bill will have to get past Congress, who has final say in local legislation. Catania says he's reached out to the White House for support and that their response has been "very good."

Ottawa: Catholic Bishop Flees On Child Pornography Charges

Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey has gone on the lam from Canadian authorities shortly after border guards found child pornography on his computer. Lehey resigned abruptly on Saturday and has not been seen since.

Sgt. Brigdit Leger of the Halifax RCMP said Ottawa police officers have spoken with Lahey, though they do not know where he is. A spokeswoman for Anthony Mancini, the archbishop of Halifax who is overseeing the Antigonish diocese until a replacement for Lahey is named, said Mancini spoke briefly with Lahey by phone after learning of the charges through the media, but he did not know Lahey's whereabouts. Lahey was re-entering Canada at the Ottawa International Airport on Sept. 15 when members of the Canada Border Services Agency pulled him aside for a secondary examination, according to a release from Ottawa police. Officers found images on Lahey's laptop computer "that were of concern." He was released at the time. The computer was seized and police said a subsequent forensic examination of the computer revealed child pornography. Lahey was charged on Sept. 25. No court date has been set.

Lahey was elevated to bishop by Pope John Paull II in 2003. Gee, I wonder why border guards would think to the examine the laptop of a Catholic bishop??

Pre-Orders Send Palin's Book To #1

Pre-orders for Sarah Palin's coming memoir, Going Rogue, have sent the title rocketing overnight to #1 on the bestsellers lists of book merchants nationwide.

Just two days after HarperCollins announced that Palin's "Going Rogue" had been moved up from the spring to Nov. 17, preorders Wednesday night for the former Alaska governor's memoir made it No. 1 on both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Among the books "Going Rogue" is outselling: Sen. Ted Kennedy's "True Compass," Mitch Albom's "Have a Little Faith" and Brown's "The Lost Symbol," his first novel since "The Da Vinci Code" and, perhaps until now, the year's most anticipated release.

Palin got a reported $7M advance for the book. Meanwhile, she is finding few takers for her $100,000 speaking tour.

After quitting as governor of Alaska in July, Palin signed with the top-notch Washington Speakers Bureau, which also reps George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice, hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, LA Dodgers manager Joe Torre and magician David Blaine. Palin's bookers are said to be asking for $100,000 per speech, but an industry expert tells Page Six: "The big lecture buyers in the US are paralyzed with fear about booking her, basically because they think she is a blithering idiot." "Palin is so uninteresting to so many groups -- unless they are interested in moose hunting," said our insider. "What does she have to say? She can't even describe what she reads."

Nate Silver On Maine's Chances: GOOD

Nate Silver, the geeky guru of poll prognostication who accurately called the vast majority of the 2008 election results, has conducted an intensive examination of the Maine marriage battle. According to Silver, the marriage ban is likely to fail.

Maine is the third least-religious state in the country, according to Gallup, with only 46 percent of that state's residents saying religion is an important part of their daily lives. That bodes well for those who are hoping the initiative fails; the comparable fraction in California, which passed Prop 8 last year, is 57 percent. We're also another year down the line on a type of initiative that pretty reliably loses support with each passing election. On the other hand, Question 1 would not seek to overturn civil unions, which gives it a better chance of passing. Throw Maine's numbers into the model, and we come up with an estimated level of support for the ban of 43.5 percent, with 56.5 percent opposed. In other words, the model's prediction is that the ban will fail. The standard error of the forecast (not the margin of error, which is larger) is 5.2 points. This implies that the marriage ban only has about an 11 percent chance of passing.

But in Silver's words, "don't count your gay chickens yet" as he goes on to cite ways in which his prediction could prove wrong. Encouraging, nonetheless.

Maine Ethics Commission Recommends No Investigation Of Stand For Marriage

Saying that Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate did not present enough evidence, the staff of the Maine Ethics Commission has recommended there be no investigation into the fundraising activities of Stand For Marriage Maine. The full commission will vote today on the recommendation, but don't hold your breath. Somebody got to somebody, I'm betting on it.

UPDATE: Whee! I spoke too soon - the commission just voted 3-2 to ignore the recommendation and WILL conduct an investigation of Stand For Marriage's fundraising tactics. Link and more info as it comes in.

GLAAD: LGBT Representation On TV More Prominent And Realistic

According to the latest survey by GLAAD, the new season for network television features a slight increase in the number of prominent LGBT characters, who are being represented more realistically.

The report shows that 18 LGBT characters will account for 3% of scripted series regulars in the 2009-2010 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.3% in 2006, 1.1% in 2007, and 2.6% in 2008. The number of scripted LGBT series regulars found on mainstream cable networks continue to decline, from 40 in 2007, 32 in 2008 to only 25 this year. From research and information provided by the five broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW — GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” study reviewed 79 scripted comedies and dramas announced to air this upcoming season, and counted a total of 600 series regulars, 18 of which are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. [snip]

For this upcoming season, ABC continues to lead the other broadcast networks in LGBT representation, with eight LGBT characters out of 168 total series regular characters (5%), the highest number and percentage of LGBT characters of any network for the 2009-2010 season. FOX, which only two years ago featured zero series regular LGBT characters at the launch of the season, now offers four LGBT series regulars out of 105 (4%). NBC has three series regular LGBT characters (3%) out of a total of 126. The CW is showing gradual improvement with two LGBT series regular characters out of 69 (3%). Unfortunately, CBS continues to disappoint. Out of 132 series regular characters, none are LGBT.

A complete list of LGBT characters for the current season is here.

Her Madgesty On Letterman

With a suitably royal entrance on the shoulders of the New York Rangers. Madge tells Letterman that her marriage coincided with "the Bush years" and "it was a good time to be out of America."

(Via - Towleroad)

Memphis: Gay Ex-Marine Talks About His Vandalized Billboard

Former Marine and DADT victim Tim Smith tells the Memphis local news that the destruction of the National Coming Out Day billboard with his image "feels like a personal attack." The investigation into the vandalism continues.

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

New Jersey: Growing GOP Push For 2010 Ballot On Marriage

Fearing that New Jersey's lame-duck legislature will approve same-sex marriage after the November election, GOP and Christian activists are renewing their push for the issue to be put on the 2010 ballot.

Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) yesterday said Gov. Jon Corzine made a deal with another prominent lawmaker to vote on it during a lame-duck session that follows Election Day. "I can say I know that there was a conversation between the governor and a key chairman because I was in the room. After, not before the election, was their determination," said Cardinale. Responding to Cardinale's assertion, Democratic State Committee Chairman Joseph Cryan called it "perhaps the most ridiculous accusation in the gubernatorial race so far from the Republicans." "The governor's on the record supporting fairness and equality for everyone," Cryan said. "In our state, there's no mystery to that." During a forum at Rider University last week, Corzine said it's unlikely he would support a ballot question to decide the definition of marriage because he believes decisions on marriage equality should be made by elected officials. "I understand this is a deeply divisive issue," Corzine said. "All people are created equal."

The very gay-friendly Gov. Corzine, who has vowed to sign a bill approving same-sex marriage, has faced a tough re-election campaign, suffering some of the ugliest television attack ads I've seen. (We get the Jersey ads here in NYC.) The latest poll shows Corzine down 4 points to GOP challenger Chris Christie, hopefully tonight's debate will turn that around.

Hair Cut

Canceling next Sunday's performance so the entire cast can travel to the National Equality March will cost the producers of Hair as much as $150K, but they say they didn't hesitate when the show's openly gay lead, Gavin Creel, came to them with the idea.

Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater, a producer of “Hair,” showed up and Mr. Creel immediately cornered him to ask if the whole tribe — the show’s term for cast — could go down for the march. “I told him, ‘That’s a crazy idea,’ ” Mr. Eustis remembered. He walked away, but the idea stuck. What would be the ramifications, financial and otherwise, of closing one matinee, Mr. Eustis wondered. It was 11:30 at night, but he sought out the show’s general manager, Joey Parnes, to ask what he thought, and Mr. Parnes went to the box office to check on how many tickets had already been sold for that date and to run the numbers. Still, Mr. Eustis said he doubted that the handful of major producing partners would go along with what he considered a radical idea. “We geared up for a fight,” he said, “but to my surprise, everybody was in favor of it.”

The producers have added a special performance for this Monday, mostly for folks who bought tickets before the Sunday cancellation was announced. That will help defray the loss. If you're in NYC on October 5th, it might be a nice touch to choose to see Hair that night. Tickets here.

South African Strip Club Billboard Mocks Champion Sprinter Caster Semanya

This cruel billboard mocking Caster Semanya was posted by a South African strip club chain. Ad Week reports:

Not surprisingly, the billboard drew complaints, at which Teazers owner Lolly Jackson scoffed at length. He first said the Semenya situation was "the furthest thing from my mind" when he made the ad. Then he added: "I do not want anyone coming here [to Teazers] with the idea that we do not have women. We have women, 100 percent women here. I did a test on them, I am a professional, and they are 100 percent women." If that didn't turn people off enough, he then insulted both the advertising watchdog ("a bunch of idiots doing a worthless job") and the original complainant ("maybe she is fat and ugly"). The watchdog hasn't acted yet, but I hope they rule against him just to hear his response.

Behar Vs. Coulter

Coulter says the happiest she's been is when Clinton got impeached, but she's looking forward to being happy when it happens to Obama. Behar holds her own quite well, I think she's well-suited for her new Larry King-ish role.

Watchdog Group Demands Ethics Charges For Sen. David "Diaper Boy" Vitter

A DC-based watchdog group is demanding that Louisiana's lawyers association investigate anti-gay Sen. David Vitter for his admission that he committed a "very serious sin" by patronizing the infamous "DC Madam."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said its request is related to Vitter’s recent request for a Justice Department investigation into ACORN, the community activist group with headquarters in New Orleans. Staffers in at least four ACORN offices around the country have been caught in a video sting giving advice to a couple pretending to be a prostitute and pimp looking for tax breaks and other assistance. “Sen. Vitter’s zeal to see ACORN criminally investigated for offering advice in setting up a prostitution ring reminded me he has yet to be held accountable for his own role in a prostitution ring,” said Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director. “While ACORN’s conduct is indefensible, so is Sen. Vitter’s and what is good for the goose is good for the gander.” Sloan asked the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate whether Vitter violated the state’s rule of professional conduct that says it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to “commit a criminal act especially one that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honestly, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects.”

The DC Madam killed herself last year, but not until after she called for Vitter's prosecution.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) FTW!

After Rep. Alan Grayson called Republicans "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals," he mentioned that a man calling himself the longest-surviving AIDS patient had called him to thank him for fighting for health care reform. (Who is that?) I really like Grayson.

Morning View - Lex & E.60th

Open Thread Thursday

My beloved Farmboyz are heading out to San Francisco a week ahead of me this weekend. I was about to spend a couple of hours writing them a long list of must-sees, but since it's been almost nine years since I left, I decided to throw it over to you guys. Key words: art galleries, architecture, staircases, indie theater, and funky restaurants. And maybe most importantly, what's your favorite place in the Cool Grey City of Love?

HomoQuotable - Gore Vidal

"We’ll have a military dictatorship fairly soon, on the basis that nobody else can hold everything together. Obama would have been better off focusing on educating the American people. His problem is being over-educated. He doesn’t realise how dim-witted and ignorant his audience is. Benjamin Franklin said that the system would fail because of the corruption of the people and that happened under Bush. Don’t ever make the mistake with people like me thinking we are looking for heroes. There aren’t any and if there were, they would be killed immediately. I’m never surprised by bad behaviour. I expect it." - Gore Vidal, speaking lengthily with the Times UK.

100 Greatest Hits Of YouTube In 4 Minutes

This has been bouncing around the interwebs over the last couple of days. I'm ashamed of how many of the clips I recognized within the first second or two.

The Marriage Ref: Seinfeld Wants Married Gays For His New Reality Show

Jerry Seinfeld is producing a new show for NBC called The Marriage Ref, in which couples fight their years-honed battles for the camera and a referee. And not just straight couples, as per Gayopolis, who got this message:

I contacted you because we are searching the country for gay married couples. This could be an excellent opportunity to show on primetime television that marriage is marriage - a show about married life simply would not be complete without showcasing married couples in all forms. I am a casting associate producer for a new show on NBC called "The Marriage Ref." The show is produced by Jerry Seinfeld and will focus on couples that bicker naturally about every day issues - we will then bring in a marriage referee to settle arguments.

If you want to air you and your hubby's dirty laundry on national TV, here's what they're looking for:

"The Marriage Ref" casting team is searching the country for outgoing and opinionated married couples, willing to appear on national television, who have a long standing argument or issue that must be resolved. No problem is too small!

• Is there an object, a person, or a habit (e.g. computer, pet, a friend, the remote control) that is a third wheel in your relationship and causes a problem?
• Or does your partner have an annoying obnoxious habit or item that causes fights?
• Does your partner do things like withhold sex after a fight?

Whether you argue about parenting, pets, fashion, money, in-laws, weight, housework, chores, communication, neatness, jealousy, past history, friends, sex... Whatever you argue about, we want to hear from you. Tell us why you absolutely NEED a MARRIAGE REF to weigh in and decide who is RIGHT and who is WRONG.

Will watching married gays bicker on national television help the movement? I can see two sides of this.

80's Flashback

Stevie Wonder, Do I Do, 1982. My favorite Stevie Wonder track (and that's saying something), Do I Do was the summer song of that year, delivering ten minutes of beautiful, breezy jazz disco, ably assisted by the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. I have a vivid memory of dancing to this - in the sun, on an ocean pier, during t-dance in Key West. The year that happened is foggy, however. From the album Original Musiquarium I, the single version reached #5 in the UK, #7 here, but the edit cut out Stevie's uncharacteristic rap at the end of the 12". Play this loud, the orchestration is amazing.

Conservative News Site Calls For Military Coup To Overthrow President Obama

Yesterday right-wing news outlet Newsmax published an opinion piece calling for the military to overthrow Barack Obama. After an immediate outcry from the blogosphere, including some conservatives, today the publication pulled the piece, but Media Matters has it archived.

There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America's military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the "Obama problem." Don't dismiss it as unrealistic. America isn't the Third World. If a military coup does occur here it will be civilized. That it has never happened doesn't mean it wont. Describing what may be afoot is not to advocate it. Will the day come when patriotic general and flag officers sit down with the president, or with those who control him, and work out the national equivalent of a "family intervention," with some form of limited, shared responsibility?

Imagine a bloodless coup to restore and defend the Constitution through an interim administration that would do the serious business of governing and defending the nation. Skilled, military-trained, nation-builders would replace accountability-challenged, radical-left commissars. Having bonded with his twin teleprompters, the president would be detailed for ceremonial speech-making. Military intervention is what Obama's exponentially accelerating agenda for "fundamental change" toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America. A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama's radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible.

Newsmax today blamed the essay on an "unpaid blogger," saying, "Newsmax strongly believes in the principles of Constitutional government and would never advocate or insinuate any suggestion of an activity that would undermine our democracy or democratic institutions." From what I remember of my visits to Newsmax, this "unpaid blogger" John L. Perry is often at the top of the site, so this "whoopsie" excuse doesn't hold water. And they call Obama a fascist?

Cheering For The Lord

Cheerleaders at a public high school near Chattanooga, Tennessee are under fire for refusing to stop using giant scripture-loaded signs for the football players to crash through upon entering the field. Christianists, ignoring the Constitution, are screaming "oppression!" after the school district said the signs cannot be used.

Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb vehemently disagrees with the ban and said he’ll call on the City Council to support the cheerleaders and their signs. The signs don’t infringe on anyone’s religious rights and are good for school spirit, he said. “I’m totally against them doing away with it,” Mr. Cobb said, adding that the cheerleaders’ rights are being abused. The mayor said football coach John Allen made the signs a tradition around 2003 and it has continued ever since. “If it’s offensive to anyone, let them go watch another football game,” he said. “Nobody’s forced to come there and nobody’s forced to read the signs.” Current head football coach Todd Windham said the school system must obey the law, despite everyone’s opinions. “Just my standpoint, I thought the banners were unique,” Mr. Windham said. “I really feel for the girls who prepare the banners and I think they really do a good job. They prepare a whole season’s worth during the summer and they put in a lot of work on those.”

Local ministers say the cheerleaders "are not part of the state" and therefore the separation issue does not apply.

Matt Alber At The Governor's Ball

JMG reader Ken sends us this clip of Matt Alber performing a torchy version of his hit End Of The World at the Governor's Ball after the Emmys. Alber is presently touring the midwest, find dates and tickets here. End Of The World is currently being considered for use on So You Think You Can Dance, you can urge its inclusion on the Fox forum.

Photo Of The Day

Right at takeoff, a flock of 200 starlings got sucked into the engine of a Germania Airlines flight from Dusseldorf to Kosovo. The plane circled and landed safely. Hitchcockian, eh? Lucky for them, it wasn't 200 Canada geese.

(Tipped by JMG reader Barry in Bonn)

Pentagon Publication Critcizes DADT

A report in the Pentagon's Joint Force Quarterly strongly criticizes DADT and says the administration needs to implement its repeal.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of Pentagon leaders, but their appearance in a publication billed as the Joint Chiefs’ “flagship’’ security studies journal signals that the top brass now welcomes a debate in the military over repealing the 1993 law that requires gays to hide their sexual orientation, according to several longtime observers of the charged debate over gays in the military. While decisions on which articles to publish are made by the journal’s editorial board, located at the defense university, a senior military official said yesterday that the office of Admiral Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs chairman who is the nation’s top military officer, reviewed the article before it was published. “After a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly,’’ writes Colonel Om Prakash, who is now working in the office of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. “Based on this research, it is not time for the administration to reexamine the issue; rather it is time for the administration to examine how to implement the repeal of the ban.’’

The Boston Globe asked the White House to give them a comment on the article, but they got no respone.

Firefox-YouTube Fix

Firefox users know that YouTube often freezes every few seconds, especially if you've got more than a couple of tabs open. A few days ago a reader offered up this fix, which seems to work pretty well. I'm still getting an occasional freeze, but the fix appears to reduce the problem by about 90%. Remember to restart Firefox to see the change.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Back

Not only did the Senate Finance Committee kill the public option yesterday, they voted to restore funding to federal abstinence-only sex education programs, despite overwhelming evidence that kids who receive such instruction tend to have sex earlier and get knocked up at younger ages.

A Senate committee voted Tuesday night to restore $50 million a year in federal funding for abstinence-only education that President Barack Obama has pushed to eliminate. The 12-11 vote by the Senate Finance Committee came over objections from its chairman, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana. Two Democrats — Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas — joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting "yes" on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. The measure would still have to pass the full House and Senate. Hatch said abstinence education had been shown to work, though Baucus disagreed. Obama had proposed in his 2010 budget to direct money spent on abstinence-only education to broader teen pregnancy-reduction programs.

They should have called Bristol Palin as a witness.

New Maine Poll: Marriage Up By 9 Points

From the latest poll (PDF) of Maine's registered voters:

Q.6 Now let me ask something else. One of the questions on the ballot this November will read as follows: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" - If the election were held today, would you vote YES or NO on this question?

Yes strongly: 37
Yes not strongly: 4
No not strongly: 7
No strongly: 43
(Don't know/refused):9

Total yes: 41
Total no: 50

Maybe the latest TV ads are having an effect? Donate to help keep this margin.

The GOP Health Care Plan

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) lays out the GOP plan for health care for you.

Federal Court Dismisses Suit By Lesbian Couple Kept Apart In Hospital

A federal court in Florida has dismissed Lambda Legal's lawsuit brought on behalf of a lesbian couple that was kept apart by a Miami hospital after one of the women suffered a brain aneurysm during an R Family cruise. She died alone even though her partner provided the hospital with documents proving she was legally entitled to make healthcare decisions. Via Lambda Legal's press release:

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida today rejected Lambda Legal’s lawsuit filed against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice Langbehn, the Estate of Lisa Pond and their three adopted children who were kept apart by hospital staff for eight hours as Lisa slipped into a coma and died. “The court’s decision paints a tragically stark picture of how vulnerable same-sex couples and their families really are during times of crisis,” said Beth Littrell, Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal's Southern Regional Office based in Atlanta. “We hope that because of Janice’s courage to seek justice for her family in this case that more people better understand the costs of antigay discrimination. This should never happen to anyone.”

The dismissal came after Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital filed a motion arguing that they had no obligation to allow anyone into their trauma unit (even though that is commonly allowed for the families of the grievously ill).

NEM Route Released

The National Equality March has published the route of October 11th's event. An embiggenable PDF of the route is here.

• Gather on 15th Street at “I” (Eye) Street – we will be staging in the street and 15th between “I” Street and “M” Street will be closed for this purpose. The March will kick off from 15th and I Street, right near McPherson Square (Metro stops close by are at McPherson Square, Farragut West – both Blue and Orange Lines, and Farragut North – Red Line)
• From there we go South on 15th to “H” Street
• West on “H” Street to 17th Street
• South on 17th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue (closed portion)
• Pennsylvania Avenue (closed portion) – right past the White House – to 15th Street
• South on 15th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue South
• East on Pennsylvania Avenue South, all the way to the U.S. Capitol West Lawn for the National Equality March Rally.

Michael Moore: Dems Have No Spine

Today In Silly Polls

A survey taken of 15,000 "well-traveled" women yielded the above ratings on the sexytime abilities of men around the world. AmericaBlog's John Aravosis agrees with France's rating, but he's probably unduly influenced by his current residency in Paris. Personally, I think I'll need a much larger sampling before I make my own call.