Saturday, September 11, 2010

Tonight

(Source)

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Maddow Tears Into "Ex-Gay" Proponent And Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell

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Afternoon View - Fifth Avenue Apple Store

Just the entrance, actually, since the store itself is underground. I'm not an Apple customer, but I walked in just to see the store and found about 200 people snaked around around store's aisles in a line to buy the iPhone 4. Still. Months after it came out. Craziness.

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That Day

(This story makes its sixth annual appearance on JMG today. On this day last year, I noted that 2009 would be its final posting, as 'I just want to run this once under a president other than Dubya.' Many of you objected, saying this post should continue to run every year. As you wish.)

Manhattan, September 11th, 2001

That day, I got to my office on 42nd Street at about 8:55am. About ten minutes later, I got a call from Thomas in Orlando. "Honey, you should look out your window because a plane just hit the World Trade Center!"

I have a fabulous view of the Chrysler Building from my office, but to see the World Trade Center I had to go downstairs and walk over to Fifth Avenue. There was already a crowd on every corner, shielding their eyes against the morning sun. All we could see was a plume of smoke. Just as I got back into my office, the word spread that a second plane had struck.

A few minutes later someone reported that the subways had stopped running and it only took about another 15 minutes before office decorum began to dissolve. Davita, our normally stoic sales manager, began sobbing, worrying about getting home to her daughter in Brooklyn. Some of our staffers nervously took post at our windows overlooking Grand Central Terminal, watching the sky over the Chrysler Building one block away. We all tried calling our families but got nothing but busy signals.

Our CEO called us into the conference room at 10am and announced, "It appears that the United States is under attack. I'm suggesting that we all try to make our way to our homes at once. Please call the office tomorrow before you come in, to see what our situation is." His voice was overloud, his nerves overcoming his normally lilting Liverpool accent.

A moment later someone with a radio announced, "One of the towers just collapsed." That sent the office scrambling for the door. A few minutes later I was on the street. I headed towards my apartment on 22nd Street in Chelsea and had just turned south onto Sixth Avenue when the second tower collapsed. I watched the top half of the building slide from view. Everybody stopped walking and stood in silent horror. From our distance there was no noise.

As I continued walking I began to pass people in varying states of distress. Lines began to form in front of payphones as cellphones were now useless. Taking a cue from Hurricane Andrew, I decided to stop at an ATM and get all the cash I could, remembering that it was weeks before the machines were restocked in South Florida. Lots of people had the same idea, there were long lines at every ATM that I passed. I was almost home before I finally found a deli with an unnoticed ATM in the back.

I pulled $300 from the ATM and headed up front with my cash, where I heard a couple of guys telling the clerk that they were going to head downtown and offer their help to the firemen. That hadn't occurred to me and it seemed like a good idea just then. Then a woman rushed in looking for bottled water, saying that she'd heard that the water supply was being turned off because it had been poisoned. That seemed quite possible, in the context of the day, so I followed her to the back of the store and picked up four gallons of water. I added a disposable camera to my purchase and struggled out. Once home, I changed into my heaviest jeans and my work boots. Our cable was out, the radio stations were out, so without much information I headed downtown.

There were crowds of people on most corners, staring southward. Anybody with a transistor radio drew an immediate crowd. The only stations on the air were those with towers in New Jersey. I got as far as Canal Street when I first encountered a police road block. They seemed to be stopping vehicles only, but when I tried to walk past the cops, they turned me back, saying, "Residents only." I guess I didn't look like someone who might live in Chinatown.

Above: Every corner offered a fresh perspective on the horror.Above: I veered east on Canal and a few blocks away I found many thousands of people walking home to Brooklyn across the Manhattan Bridge.Above: People were in a trance. There was little talking, just an occasional glance back at the smoke plume.Above: I walked out onto the upper part of the bridge and took this picture.Above: When I headed back south, along the edges of the financial district, I found many people wearing facemasks. I still have no idea where these thousands of masks came from, but when I came across one lying on the ground, I put it on.Above: The first physical evidence of the attack that I found was this heavy dusting. Above: This abandoned fruit stand struck me as a sign of the terror that must have reigned just a couple of hours earlier because the owner even left his cash box behind. It was lying open with money visible.Above: This cop wouldn't let me go past his corner, but he did tell me that he heard that volunteers were being advised at the Ferry Building. He didn't seem very convincing, I think he just wanted me to go away.

A few feet away, a female cop started screaming at some people who'd arrived with cameras. She shouted, "You're horrible ghouls! This is a terrible disaster and you fucking want souvenirs!" I shoved my camera deeper into my pocket. One of the guys shouted back at her, "This is history, lady! Terrible, terrible history! People need to know what we are seeing!"Above: This is John Street, looking west. Those spots on the picture are tiny pieces of paper, raining down from some damaged skyscraper.Above: Just around the corner, I was about 100 feet up the block when a gust of wind brought thick smoke down on top of me just as I was taking this picture. The darkness of the smoke prevented the camera from showing that this shoe was just one of dozens lying in the street. People had run right out of their shoes in the panic. I was very glad to have my facemask right then. Above: Taking this photo of the Stock Exchange almost got me sent to Leavenworth. As I learned a moment later, taking pictures of financial institutions during national emergencies can be considered an act of treason because you might be providing proof to the enemy of what they did or did not accomplish. While the news reporter standing next to me vehemently argued his case, I slipped away.

From here, I walked south to the Ferry Building, where as I suspected, there was no gathering of volunteers, just some dazed looking ferry employees and some passengers hoping for service to Staten Island. This is when I decided to give up on volunteering that day, there was just nobody around to report to. Nobody seemed in charge of anything, except the lone cops in charge of guarding their portion of the disaster's perimeter. The route to the west side of Manhattan was blocked from the Ferry Building, so I doubled back and circled the entire financial district, counter-clockwise, until I got to Battery Park City, intending to walk home up the West Side Highway.

I joined a ragtag group of office workers, perhaps a dozen or so, who'd just braved coming out of their buildings, and we walked on the sidewalk along the Hudson. We'd just about gotten to Tribeca when a police SWAT team of sorts appeared before us. One of them barked at us through his megaphone, which was a bit funny because he was only about ten feet away.

"You may not proceed in this direction. You may not return the way you came. You must all now join a mandatory evacuation of this area."

OK, fine. But if we can't go forward and we can't go back, what do we do?

"This tugboat is waiting to deliver you safely to Jersey City."

TUGBOAT? And indeed, moored there was a tugboat, one of those pushing things that steer the cruise ships into the harbor. The cops made us get on the tugboat. We protested, of course.

"This is for your own safety. We cannot allow you people to be wandering around this area. Once safely on the Jersey City side, you can re-enter Manhattan via the PATH train to the 33rd Street Station."

The tugboat crew had to lift us down onto the boat as there was no real dock there. In my group of evacuees was a dog walker who had eight tiny dogs on leashes. Once on the tugboat, it was noticed that the deck of the boat, which was an open-grill of sorts, was too wide for the little dogs' feet. We were each handed one of the dogs to hold while we crossed the Hudson. I got the pug. Above: This is the view as we pushed back from the west side of Manhattan.
Above: When we were about halfway across, another building collapsed. I never figured out which one it was, but you can tell it was just north of the Twin Towers.Above: This young paramedic stood with his hands over his mouth, sobbing. No one spoke to him. Above: On the Jersey City side, we were met by eager emergency workers who seemed genuinely disappointed that we had no injuries. A young girl gave me a wet towel to wipe my face and I was surprised to see the towel turn black after just one pass across my forehead. I walked through a big crowd of EMT's all set up with no one to treat. They were just sitting in chairs, watching the smoke rise from downtown Manhattan.

I heard one of the tugboat people ask about the PATH train, and she was told, "Oh, no. There will be no trains to Manhattan for at least 72 hours, by order of the Port Authority. The bridges and tunnels are closed too. You folks are going to have to make do over here for a few days."

I was furious. The cops on the Manhattan side had lied to us to get us onto the tugboat. I argued with a couple of the cops, telling them with great indignation of how we'd been deceived. One of them looked at me and said, "Buddy, if you want me to feel sorry for you, you need to turn around and look back at what you just left."

That shut me up.

A moment later, I had another attack of anger, this time at myself. I'd forgotten to take the $300 cash out of my work pants. I was in Jersey City, by myself, and in my pockets I had a disposable camera, an expired California driver's license and $6. I have no idea where the $6 came from. It could have been there since before I moved to NYC.

Trying to quell panic, I walked away from the pier towards downtown Jersey City in the direction of the PATH train station. I passed a young man sitting on a bike, studying the scene across the Hudson. Even in my very upset state of mind, I noted that he was very handsome.

"Joe! Is that you?"

I turned around. The guy on the bike was from San Francisco! He and I had fucked around once shortly after I got to SF and from then on I'd seen him out at the clubs every so often. My spirits lifted, maybe he could put me up for three days?

"Hi Ricky! What are you doing in New York?"

"Actually, I live here in Jersey City. I'm going to school here now. Been here for about a year. What a day, huh? Oh, here comes my boyfriend."

And up walked a Port Authority cop. I couldn't believe my luck. I quickly explained my situation to them. The cop looked me up and down, then said, "Well, you can understand why they lied to you over there. You must have been in a dangerous area. And we've been told there will be no trains, tunnels or bridges open for at least 72 hours. But...."

But?

"There is going to be one more inbound train to Manhattan in about 20 minutes. The train's gonna be all fire-rescue and search units from Jersey. You could probably walk right onto that train and no one would stop you. You could pass for fire-rescue. Just don't talk to anybody. They're all from different units so they don't know each other anyway."

A few minutes later, Ricky's boyfriend, the Port Authority cop, walked me past the other cops and through the yellow tape blocking the PATH station entrance. We shook hands at the top of the escalator and I headed down. At the bottom of the escalator, I nearly gave myself away by instinctively heading for the fare machine, my $6 in my hand. Then I saw a fireman jump the turnstyle and I whirled around and did the same. The train left almost the moment I got on. I made it by 20 seconds, tops. Nobody spoke on the ride over. Not one word. I sat at the far end of the car and tried not to meet anybody's eyes, even though it was too late to throw me off.Above: When we reached the 33rd Street station in Manhattan, I walked upstairs to find the streets completely deserted of cars and buses. I have no idea where all those vehicles went, but this picture of Seventh Avenue, looking north, is the proof. That's the west entrance of Macy's on the right.

I walked home to Chelsea for the second time, that day.

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Friday, September 10, 2010

White House Responds To DADT Ruling

Towleroad has received the below statement from White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
"The Justice Department is studying the decision, including the question of its scope and immediate effect and we expect them to announce their next steps after that review is completed. The President remains committed to legislative repeal of DADT, and he will continue to work with lawmakers to achieve that goal this fall. And he will continue to work closely with Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on an ongoing study of how to best implement the repeal."

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Today Is Trevor Project Day In NYC

As proclaimed by Gov. David Paterson in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week.
Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among young people (15 to 24-year-olds). Only accidents and homicides occur more frequently as causes of death among young people. LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. LGBTQ youth who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. With your help, The Trevor Project can continue Saving Young Lives.
Visit the Trevor Project's Facebook page or their website for information on how to help them protect the lives of LGBT youth.

RELATED: Below is a celeb-filled video from Cyndi Lauper's We Give A Damn project. Visit their Facebook page for information on helping to prevent LGBT youth suicides.

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Chicago Looks Fun This Sunday

Oh, wait. That's not a football joke, is it? Bother.

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Quote Of The Day - Emma Ruby-Sachs

"The big question is, does this bold move save the Log Cabin Republicans? Right now, the House has passed the repeal of DADT and is waiting for the Senate to get up and do the same. The only problem is, Republican opposition to the measure is permanently stalling all efforts. In response, the Log Cabin Republicans spend a lot of time on their website criticizing Obama for his broken promise to repeal DADT. Excuse me? Did any of you Log Cabin Republicans vote for Obama?

"Didn't think so. In fact, chances are, there are many gay Republicans who voted for representatives that served their economic interests and not their equality interests. Many of them likely voted for Republicans who opposed Obama in his push to repeal DADT. Your own website commits to electing Republicans for Congress. So, if you wanted Obama to be more progressive on gay rights, you should have helped him win more support in Congress and the Senate. It's an easy equation. Obama is, by all accounts, gutless when it comes to equality measures, but he certainly is going to do more than any Republican candidate in office.

"If you think this comment on Log Cabin Republicans is unfair, here is a challenge to you: get newly reformed hard right-wing Republican Senator Scott Brown to commit to voting for the repeal of DADT and I will withdraw all comments about your anti-equality effects. If you want to work within the party to change the party, we need to see some evidence of the effectiveness of that approach. Otherwise, despite your legal win -- a well-deserved legal win -- you are still an affront to all equality seeking groups." - Emma Ruby-Sachs, writing for the Huffington Post.

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Obama On Mosque Building

Nicely stated. The wingnuts are already going crazy.

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PhoboQuotable - Robert Knight

"Outrageous. Unbelievable. Our armed forces are fighting the enemy overseas while this lunatic judge behind our own lines decides to throw a hand grenade right into our own barracks. The arrogance of this judge is stunning. She has decided she is smarter than God, more than 1,163 retired generals and admirals who support the military's policy, the hundreds of congressmen and senators who voted for the law in 1993 and generations of military leaders who believed that morality affects discipline and that homosexual conduct undermines military preparedness." - Coral Ridge Ministries' Robert Knight, as quoted in World Net Daily. Knight adds that a repeal of DADT would result in the "forced re-education of religious soldiers."

RELATED: In case it's not obvious, I'm really enjoying watching these nutbags blow their Jeebus-stacks.

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Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About That DADT Ruling

"It should not be activist judges who determine what is best for our troops. This judge's ruling shows a blatant disregard for Congress and the military. It should only be at the discretion of Congress and those in military positions who are trained and competent to decide what is in the best interest of the military and what regulations are best for the readiness of our troops." - Penny Nance, plastic surgery addict and CEO for Concerned Women for America.

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More Homophobia From CNN

Seriously, CNN? Again? Today's poll is near the bottom of CNN.com. Tweet your disgust to CNN's "bad for society" Anderson Cooper.

UPDATE: The poll has been removed at GLAAD's insistence. Thanks to all JMGians for sending out your complaints, it looks like about 1400 of you hit the complaint links in the last couple of hours.

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Governator Zings Mama Grizzly

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Stop The Islamization Of America!

(Source)

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ATLANTA: Citizen Review Board Rules Cops Falsely Imprisoned Eagle Bar Patrons

Atlanta's Citizen Review Board has ruled that 24 city cops falsely imprisoned patrons of the Atlanta Eagle during a raid that occurred one year ago today. The board is delaying deciding on a punishment for the officers pending a review of what role their supervisors had in the raid.
The CRB, a citizens oversight board created by the Atlanta City Council, is limited in the kinds of complaints it can investigate, and the actions of police supervisors is among them. But the board has a great deal of latitude in conducting studies, according to the city ordinance. Some patrons said they were not allowed to move for more than an hour while officers confiscated their driver's licenses and checked for criminal records. Customers also said they had to endure anti-gay slurs from some of the officers. The CRB staff said Thursday it could not identify the officers who allegedly made those comments because the patrons were face-down on the floor and could not see who was speaking. The officers involved in the raid denied making or hearing slurs.
All charges against the patrons and employees were eventually dismissed.

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Fun With Google Instant

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NYPD Braces For 9/11 Protests

Atlas Shrugged blogger Pamela Geller, also the founder of Stop The Islamization Of America, will be staging a massive rally tomorrow at Ground Zero. And the NYPD is gearing up for an ugly situation.
"We want to keep everyone in their corners. You don't want the opposing sides to clash," an NYPD official told The Post. "All eyes are going to be on New York City that day. No one wants to see a fight on Sept. 11." With as many as 4,000 riled-up demonstrators expected to pack into two blocks of Park Place between West Broadway and Broadway -- the site of the proposed mosque -- the department is sparing no expense to keep the peace, the official said. "There'll be an army of cops down there," the official said, estimating the number of officers at several hundred. The dueling rallies -- to be held tomorrow, on the ninth anniversary of the terror attacks -- will pit mosque supporters against those who believe that the site shouldn't be so close to Ground Zero. The demonstrators will square off on opposite sides of Park Place, the site of the controversial Park51 center, after 9/11 commemorations conclude at noon in nearby Zuccotti Park, off Liberty Street. But no matter where they stand on the mosque issue, some people questioned the appropriateness of protesting on Sept. 11. "My own view -- irrespective how you feel about the mosque -- I don't think you have it that day. It's totally disrespectful," said Tom Acquaviva, 70, of Wayne, NJ, who lost his son, Paul, 29, an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald, in the attack.
Geller has asked her supporters to bring American flags rather than the signs such as the ones in the photo above.

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VIDEO: GetEQUAL's ENDA Protest In SF

Twelve arrests were made.

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Too Easy

The Human Rights Campaign has launched a new line of t-shirts and necklaces for next month's National Coming Out Day
Made in the USA, the 100% combed cotton, custom dyed t-shirt features eight screen printed activist buttons (notable mentions include: “Closets are for clothes”, “I heart HRC” and the Alex & Chloe logo) on the front left chest and a big safety pin on the bottom right. It is available in unisex sizes XS-XXL in vintage black and is enzyme washed for softness. The necklace features a laser cut black acrylic "equal sign" pendant with Human Rights Campaign debossed along the bottom edge along with an Alex & Chloe logo charm on an antique brass extender chain that can be worn from 22" to 26" inches in length. Comes beautifully packaged in a handsome 100% recycled Alex & Chloe gift box.

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Today In Teabagger Videos

Oh brother. Sample YouTube comment: "If it survives, one day this will be rated amongst the greatest paintings of all time. That won’t happen until the beginning of the Millennial kingdom era but it will happen. Until then, works of art such as this with only be received by a minority of Christian thinkers. I personally believe Christ will have most 'secular' works of art destroyed at the beginning of His thousand year reign."

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Shannon Minter Explains DADT Ruling

"Judge Phillips has not yet entered the judgment. She asked the plaintiffs to submit a proposed order including a permanent injunction by September 16. When she enters the judgment, she can either permit it to take effect immediately, stay it while the decision is on appeal, or temporarily stay it to give the Ninth Circuit an opportunity to rule on whether her decision should be stayed during the appeal. Because this is a facial challenge, not just an as-applied challenge, if the decision is upheld on appeal, it will apply to the whole country and will be the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell." - National Center for Lesbian Rights attorney Shannon Minter.

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New From Rep. Alan Grayson

Not quite the bombast we'd expect.

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China Begins End To One Child Rule

China has begun ending its famous one child per family rule. The restriction will be lifted in five provinces next year with the rest of the country to slowly follow. But only two children will be allowed in the affected provinces, for now, and the new policy has an additional restriction.
In 2011, China will start pilot projects in five provinces, all of which have low birth rates, to allow a second birth if at least one spouse is an only child, says He Yafu, an independent demographer who is in close contact with policymakers. Beijing, Shanghai and four other provinces will follow suit in 2012, with nationwide implementation by 2013 or 2014, he says. "In the past, we only focused on slowing population growth," says Peng Xizhe, a professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It's much more complicated than we earlier thought." The National Population and Family Planning Commission, which enforces the "one-child policy," refused interview requests. The policy has prevented 400 million births in China, which has a population of 1.3 billion, according to the family planning agency. But a dramatic decline in birth rates and improved longevity over the past two decades have caused China's population to age at one of the fastest rates ever recorded, says the Population Reference Bureau, a demographic firm.
Female infanticide has left China with more than 30 million more boys than girls under the age of 20. Women who bear a second child have been subject to fines up to $30K.

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Robyn's Fall North American Tour

Gay favorite Robyn has announced a new set of North American dates for this fall. Get tickets here.

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Tony Perkins On DADT Ruling

"It is hard to believe that a District Court level judge in California knows more about what impacts military readiness than the service chiefs who are all on the record saying the law on homosexuality in the military should not be changed. Once again, homosexual activists have found a judicial activist who will aid in the advancement of their agenda. This is a decision for Congress that should be based upon the input of the men and women who serve and those who lead them." - Family Research Council douchenozzle Tony Perkins.

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Boxer-Fiorina Senate Race A Toss-Up

Only eight weeks out and the Boxer-Fiorina Senate race remains a toss-up. The pair will have a second televised debate on September 29th. Fiorina has the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce who yesterday launched a multimillion dollar ad campaign against Boxer.
With the Senate race in dead heat, the chamber's ad campaign could provide a substantial boost to Fiorina, who has trailed Boxer in fundraising. After the six-week reporting period that ended June 30, Boxer had nearly 12 times more cash on hand than Fiorina, who had approximately $1 million. Boxer, who did not have any significant primary opposition, had spent $5.8 million by the end of June to Fiorina's $9.7 million. Neither candidate has aired television ads during the general election phase of the campaign. "Barbara Boxer has been hostile to the business community," said Bill Miller, the U.S. chamber's political director. "Our decision shows that we believe she is vulnerable and that there is a viable alternative who will advocate on behalf of those who create jobs."

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Rachel Maddow On The Billionaires Funding The Tea Party Movement

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Morning View - Frick Museum

Almost seven years living on the same street as the Frick and I've never been. One of these days.

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MARYLAND: Gov. Martin O'Malley Says He'd Sign A Marriage Equality Bill

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that if a marriage equality bill were to reach his desk, he would sign it. O'Malley had previously only gone as far as endorsing civil unions.
"I don't have a crystal ball to predict how this goes," O'Malley said, "but I do know this: I know the people of our state well enough that for all of the differences and diversities of backgrounds and opinions, that all of us want to find a way to craft our laws in such a way that it treats people equally under the law." O'Malley said he personally believes that allowing for civil unions would be the best way to reach a compromise in the legislature. But he added that "should the legislature find a way to reach that compromise in another way, I would sign a bill like that ... we need to find a way to support equal rights, and that is true when it comes to committed gay and lesbian couples and the unions in which they choose to enter and raise children and all the issues that go with that."
Maryland's legislature has yet to vote on the issue, where it would face a stiff battle in state Senate, but could succeed in the more progressive state House. O'Malley is presently tied in the polls in his reelection campaign against former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

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HomoQuotable - B. Daniel Blatt

"Here we go again. While I believe DADT should have been overturned years ago, I don’t believe it is a court’s role to determine military policy. Let’s just have Congress overturn this law to avoid a prolonged legal battle. [snip] From a quick scan of the opinion, my sense is the judge relies less on the actual text of the constitution and more on twisting past rulings to yield the result she wants." - Gay Patriot blogger and GOProud member B. Daniel Blatt, denouncing the DADT ruling as judicial activism, just as he did with the overturn of Prop 8.

RELATED: Arch-enemy of the Log Cabin Republicans, GOProud has yet to comment on the ruling.

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Thursday, September 09, 2010

NOM Supports DADT Repeal?

Interesting. And hypocritical. Their follow-up tweet says: "DADT has nothing to do with the tradition of marriage between a man and a woman and everything to do with citizens' rights."

(One Man-One Woman is a NOM affiliate.)

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DADT Ruling Reactions

Human Rights Campaign

“Today a federal judge affirmed what the vast majority of the American people know to be true – that it’s time for the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law to be sent to the dustbin of history. With this legal victory in hand, Congress is right now in a perfect position to strengthen our national security by ending a law that has discharged thousands of capable service members. With House passage already secured, the Senate can and should vote in the next few weeks to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and allow every qualified man and woman the chance to serve with honor.”

American Foundation for Equal Rights

"Today's court decision declaring "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" unconstitutional is yet another significant and long-overdue step toward full equality for all Americans. Along with the recent federal court decisions on DOMA and Proposition 8, it is clear that our nation is moving toward the day when every American will be treated equally under the law, as is required by our Constitution."

Stonewall Democrats


“Today’s Federal court decision calling the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy unconstitutional on grounds that it violates gay military members' rights to free speech, due process and open association is another nail in the coffin of the policy.” Mitchell continued, “We’re glad that the Federal court agrees with President Obama’s position: that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell needs to come to an end. Our Senators need to hear from their constituents demanding repeal. We also call on Senate Republicans to rise above the obstructionism they’ve been playing at for months and let a vote happen on what the vast majority of Americans want: repeal of DADT.”

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

“We’re pleased by the judge's decision, but this decision is likely to be appealed and will linger for years. Congress made the DADT law 17 years ago and Congress should repeal it. The Senate will have the opportunity to do just that this month and most Americans think the Senate should seize it.”

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CALIFORNIA: Federal Judge In Log Cabin Case Rules DADT To Be Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Riverside, California has ruled DADT to be a violation of the First Amendment rights of gay and lesbian soldiers. The ruling arose from a challenge filed by the Log Cabin Republicans.
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy banning gays did not preserve military readiness, contrary to what many supporters have argued, saying evidence shows that the policy in fact had a “direct and deleterious effect’’ on the military. Phillips said she would issue an injunction barring the government from enforcing the policy. However, the U.S. Department of Justice, which defended “don’t ask, don’t tell” during a two-week trial in Riverside, will have an opportunity to appeal that decision.
Log Cabin Republicans head R. Clarke Cooper reacts: "As an American, a veteran and an Army reserve officer, I am proud the court ruled that the arcane ‘don't ask, don't tell’ statute violates the Constitution,” said R.Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans & Liberty Education Fund. “Today, the ruling is not just a win for Log Cabin Republican service members, but all American service members."

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow covers today's ruling.


As noted above, the federal government may appeal the decision. It is unclear what the status of DADT may be in the meantime. The Department of Justice has until September 23rd to submit objections to the judge's injunction.

Servicemembers United note that their executive director is the sole "injured party" named in the Log Cabin Republicans' suit.
"This is an historic moment and an historic ruling for the gay military community and for the readiness and integrity of our Armed Forces" said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and a former multi-lingual U.S. Army interrogator who was discharaged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' "As the only named injured party in this case, I am exceedingly proud to have been able to represent all who have been impacted and had their lives ruined by this blatantly unconstitutional policy. We are finally on our way to vindication."
VIDEO: Anderson Cooper covers the ruling.


More on this tonight as it develops. Here is the court's ruling.
DADT -- US District, virginia phillips

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Westboro: We'll Burn Korans Anyway

Having already predicted on Twitter that Pastor Terry Jones "would cave under pressure," the Westboro Baptist Church vows that they'll conduct a Koran burning of their own. Jones has protested with the Phelps family in years past, but apparently earned their enmity since then. Probably because he got more publicity than they did.

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BREAKING: Pastor Terry Jones Agrees To Cancel Burning Of Korans

Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida's Dove Outreach Ministry agreed late this afternoon to cancel his planned burning of Korans on September 11th. Additionally, Jones will fly to NYC this weekend and speak with the imam backing the Cordoba House about finding another location for the so-called "Ground Zero mosque." The agreement was announced by an imam from the Central Florida Islamic Association, who said that Jones did not wish to answer questions about his change of heart.

So. No burning Korans AND possibly no "Ground Zero mosque." Who brought this about? The CIA? The military? Obama himself denounced Jones on national TV early this morning. It will be fascinating the learn the back-channel powers that brokered this deal.

UPDATE: Donald Trump has offered to buy the planned site of Cordoba House in return for an agreement that any new downtown mosque would be at least five blocks further from Ground Zero than the planned location. The owner of the site is said to be open to Trump's offer.

UPDATE II: Let make it clear that an actual agreement between all parties regarding Cordoba House has not been reached.

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OKLAHOMA: Sally Kern's Backers Call Her Trans Opponent "A Confused It"

The Dallas Voice reports that the group backing Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern have begun circulating an email describing her trans opponent Brittany Novotny as "a confused it" with a "hatred for God."
The e-mail from the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, posted on Novotny’s website on Thursday, goes on to say that “Some have suggested that having a sex change operation is a person’s greatest act of rebellion and hatred toward God for His making them what they were.” “It is truly sad to see people reject God’s love for them by being willing to mutilate themselves,” the OCPAC e-mail states. “If they would submit their life to God, they could find the true the joy in life that will forever elude them while on their path of rebellion. The hatred and rage toward Sally continues unabated in the homosexual community because Sally dared to declare their political agenda for what it truly is, more dangerous to the future of America than the threat of terrorism.” The OCPAC e-mail comes not long after Kern herself defended the infamous 2008 comment saying homosexuals pose a bigger threat to national security than terrorists.
We'd expect nothing less from the detestable Rep. Kern. Hit the above link for the full text of the email.

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Afternoon View - Times Square Cops

Such a look that man gave me.

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Out Lesbian Joins Colorado Supreme Court

Today Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter named out lesbian Monica Marquez to the state Supreme Court.
"It is not because Monica is a Latina or because she is gay," he said. "I chose her because of her analytical ability and her keen intellect." On Wednesday, as Ritter announced that Marquez — currently deputy Colorado attorney general — would become the state's next Supreme Court justice, the Capitol erupted in cheers from her colleagues and family. "I look forward to serving the state of Colorado in this new capacity, and I promise to bring an exceptional work ethic, a collaborative spirit, an open mind and a reverence for the rule of law," Marquez said. Marquez, 41, a native of Grand Junction, attended Stanford University and earned her undergraduate degree in political science in 1991.
Expect the Colorado-based Focus On The Family to start screaming.

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Today In Mildly Interesting Trivia

Since we were talking about browsers last night, here's a snapshot of today's traffic. As always, the percentage of JMG readers using Macs far outstrips Apple's overall market share.

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GOP Rep Pledges "Blood Covenant With America" Not To Raise Taxes On The Rich

GOP Rep. Phil Gingrey thinks the phrase "contract with America" is played out, so he suggests the GOP call their pledge not to raises taxes on the rich a "covenant with America, just as God's covenant with Moses." He goes on the say he'd sign such a promise in blood. Eat the poor, y'all.

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Tweet Of The Day - Andy Borowitz

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Today In 9/11 Exploitation

JMG reader Rich tips us to this billboard near the crash site of Flight 93. Apparently Jeebus hates terrorism, abortion, spelling, and punctuation.

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BREAKING: GetEQUAL To Close Down Castro & Market In ENDA Protest

GetEQUAL plans to close down the intersection of Castro and Market streets in San Francisco this afternoon in a protest over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's inaction on ENDA. The group similarly shut down the Las Vegas strip in August during Netroots Nation. Today's action is scheduled for 5pm local time. Via press release:
"We pay taxes, contribute to the economy, and create American-paid jobs that provide products and services world-wide. Yet we continue to be treated unequal and Speaker Pelosi has the power to bring us one step closer to being fully-protected American citizens - and workers," said Dan Fotou, a California GetEQUAL supporter and participant in today's rally. "As Speaker Pelosi and other members of Congress are out campaigning to keep their jobs, they should know we have every intent of continuing our campaign to keep our jobs, too. Speaker Pelosi has said that 'our impatience is justified' - but what isn't justified is the unfulfilled promises she continues to make to the LGBT community. It's time for Speaker Pelosi to do the right thing and schedule an immediate vote on ENDA."

"GetEQUAL has promised that, as long as people's lives and livelihoods are at stake, we will not stop standing up for those LGBT workers in dozens of states across this country without a voice, without any job security," said Heather Cronk, managing director of GetEQUAL. "With the launch of our 'ENDA Summer' campaign, we told politicians that while they are back home campaigning to save their jobs, we intend on reminding them that their employment isn't the only one on the line. Millions of LGBT workers punch a clock every single day unsure if today's timecard could turn into tomorrow's discriminatory pink slip. The time to pass ENDA is now."
Another protest is underway at this writing in the offices of Rep. Chris Carney (D) in Pennsylvania. Zach Ford has more and photos of the sit-in.

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Gossip Queens To Launch On Logo

After Elton reports that later this month Logo will launch The Gossip Queens, "a gay version of The View" starring Alex Mapa. Weeknights at 7pm.

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