Saturday, May 14, 2011

Azerbaijan Wins Eurovision 2011

With a strong 211 points, Azerbaijan's schlocky pop duo Ell & Nicki were the surprise winners tonight at Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Dusseldorf. Italy's Rafael Gualazzi and his retro 1940's sound took second place with 189 points. Third place went to Sweden's cheesetastic Eric Saade with 185 points. Ireland's glitzy disco twins Jedward, the favorites of many gay fans, placed ninth. Aging British boy band Blue, one of the most commercially successful acts to ever compete, placed 11th. My personal pick to win, Serbia's Nina, finished in 14th place. So much for my Eurovision prediction streak.

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AUSTRALIA: Christianist Hate Group Crashes Rally Against Homophobia

A peaceful rally against homophobia was ruined in Adelaide, Australia yesterday when a Christianist hate group unexpected showed up to shout anti-gay epithets and generally disrupt the event.
About 200 people gathered outside parliament today to rally in support of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia when members of the Adelaide Street Church showed up. Rally organiser Jason Virgo said one woman was pushed out of her wheelchair and police had to be called. "A small number of right-wing Christians came out and started waving their flags and getting in people's faces, yelling quite loudly, some of them got in a bit of a fight," Mr Virgo said. "(They had) signs saying 'God hates sinners' ... no sign should say 'God hates'. "It's an International Day Against Homophobia and for them to come to us and come to our rally and say things which we find homophobic, it's disrespectful. "We would never go to their church and disrupt things the way they did today."

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Hero Collision: Rugby Star Ben Cohen Meets Champion Wrestler Hudson Taylor

Read this NYT profile on the two most well-known straight allies in the world of sports. The article begins:
Ben Cohen is a world-class English rugby star, and Hudson Taylor is a three-time college all-American wrestler. They live on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. They barely know each other. But they have something quite unusual in common. They may be the only two high-profile heterosexual athletes dedicating their lives to the issues of bullying and homophobia in sports.

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Rep. Ron Paul: I Would Not Have Voted For The Civil Rights Act Of 1964

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NEW YORK: Wealthy GOP Donors Are Backing Marriage Equality Campaign

The New York Times reports that the bulk of new money coming into the latest push for marriage equality in New York is coming from wealthy GOP donors usually known for backing conservative causes.
Their behind-the-scenes financial support — about $1 million in donations, delivered in recent weeks to a new coalition of gay rights organizations — could alter the political calculus of Albany lawmakers, especially the Republican state senators in whose hands the fate of gay marriage rests. The donors represent some of New York’s wealthiest and most politically active figures and include Paul E. Singer, a hedge fund manager and top-tier Republican donor, as well as two other financiers, Steven A. Cohen and Clifford S. Asness. At the same time, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist who has been a major contributor to Senate Republicans in New York, plans a significant push for same-sex marriage: giving at least $100,000 of his own money, hosting a fund-raiser at an Upper East Side town house, traveling to Albany to lobby lawmakers and giving a speech on the issue.
File this one under surprising and welcome.

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Focus On The Family: Legalizing Gay Marriage Is Like Redefining Gravity

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Freep This NY Daily News Poll

You know what to do.

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NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan Compares Gay Marriage To Incest And Polygamy

The elderly pedophile-protector in fabulous drag really has nothing.
We are not anti anybody; we are pro-marriage. The definition of marriage is a given: it is a lifelong union of love and fidelity leading, please God, to children, between one man and one woman. History, Natural Law, the Bible (if you’re so inclined), the religions of the world, human experience, and just plain gumption tell us this is so. The definition of marriage is hardwired into our human reason. To uphold that traditional definition, to strengthen it, and to defend it is not a posture of bigotry or bullying. Nor is it a denial of the “right” of anybody. As the philosophers remind us, in a civilized, moral society, we have the right to do what we ought, not to do whatever we want. Not every desire is a right. To tamper with that definition, or to engage in some Orwellian social engineering about the nature and purpose of marriage, is perilous to all of us. If the definition of marriage is continually being altered, could it not in the future be morphed again to include multiple spouses or even family members?
Emphasis motherfucking mine.

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Huckabee: DOMA Will Hurt Obama 2012

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Friday, May 13, 2011

Family Values Hero Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum Covered Up Ensign's Affair

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Our First Openly Gay U.S. Senator?

Openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is reportedly mulling a run to replace the retiring Sen. Herb Kohl, who leaves office in 2012. If successful, Baldwin would become the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history. The Victory Fund is already promising Baldwin their full support.
“This would obviously be a top priority for us. Tammy Baldwin has been an outstanding congresswoman, and she’d be an outstanding senator,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Baldwin repeatedly. In 1998, when Baldwin became the first openly LGBT candidate to win election to the U.S. Congress as a freshman, the Victory Fund raised nearly a quarter million dollars for her campaign.

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Blogger Outage Update

Some of yesterday's posts have magically reappeared, but sadly your incisive and thoughtful comments have not. Boo, hiss and all that jazz.

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Photo Of The Day

It appears that this small group of citizen heroes actually outnumbered the haters on today's stop on the Mayday For Marriage tour, which visited the office of GOP state Sen. James Alesi. More photos at the link.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Calls Undecided NY State Senators On Marriage Equality

Gillibrand's phone campaign comes after Gov. Cuomo hinted that he would not call for a vote on the issue unless he became convinced that passage was guaranteed in the Senate. And I remain ashamed about blogging my skepticism when Gillibrand was first appointed to replace Hillary Clinton.

(Via - Towleroad)

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NOM Defector Louis Marinelli Denounces Sen. Ruben Diaz' Bronx Hate Rally

"Don't confront them with yelling and screaming, that just plays into NOM's hands." Wise words, for those us who remember NOM's relentless usage of photos and video of angry activists on last summer's bus tour.

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Rapture Fans In Hell's Kitchen

Boy Culture's Matt Rettenmund tried in vain to get a logical answer out of one of the May 21st nutjobs. I've seen these people all over Manhattan in the last couple of weeks.

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Designed By Disney?

(Source)

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NYC Condo Tower Bans Smoking

The residents of an Upper West Side condo tower have voted to ban smoking in their building, even if the unit owner has been doing so for years. It's the city's first such retroactive ban in a residential building.
Even smokers who moved into the building, the Ariel West, before the ban must abide by it. The building is one of the first in the city to approve such an extensive ban. (Several rental buildings introduced bans last year, but established tenants who smoked were not affected.) Owners in the building, a 32-story glass tower at Broadway and 99th Street, voted 47 to 3 to approve the ban late last month. There are 68 owners in total; 46 votes constituted the supermajority required to change the bylaws. “Even though people bought into this building thinking they could smoke,” said Gideon Stein, the president of the condo board at Ariel West, “people do not have a constitutional right to smoke.”
Enforcement of the ban will be performed by busybody old ladies, who will prowl the halls sniffing out infractions.

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American Family Association: Muslims Are Stupid Because Of Inbreeding

Some of you doubtlessly think we give AFA radio host Bryan Fischer too much publicity, but the sad fact is that millions listen to his show every day and virtually ALL of the major GOP presidential candidates regularly sit down with Fischer to nod approvingly at his hate speech. Sadly, he cannot be ignored.

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NEW YORK: Christian Radio Advertises Ruben Diaz' Bronx Hate Rally

Radio Cristiana was the primary backer of Diaz' 2009 rally in Manhattan, which attracted 20,000 Hispanic evangelicals, most of whom arrived via out of state church buses. This year's rally could be even larger with the co-sponsorship of NOM.

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Majority Oppose MN Marriage Ban

Well, this is a refreshing bit of news, isn't it?
A majority of Minnesotans oppose amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they oppose adding such an amendment while 39 percent favor a constitutional ban -- views that appear to be a sharp reversal of poll results seven years ago. Opposition to the ban generally cuts across all ages, though support rises gradually with age. Sixty percent of Minnesotans aged 18 to 34 oppose the idea. A slim majority, 51 percent, of Minnesotans older than 65 oppose the constitutional ban. "We should have our own choices and abilities to chose what we want and not have someone categorize or label people because of their sexual orientation," said Adam Leistiko, a 22-year-old Democrat from Edina who opposes the marriage amendment. "I have a very open mind."
The ban passed in the state Senate earlier this week and is expected to pass in the House. The governor has no veto power over constitutional amendments, so voters will likely see the measure on the 2012 ballot.

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UGANDA: "Kill Gays" Bill Shelved

Today Uganda's parliament adjourned its legislative season without considering the horrific bill legalizing the death penalty for people accused of homosexuality.
Lawmakers had been due to debate the legislation calling for capital punishment notably for consensual gay sex where one partner has the HIV virus. The United States, a major aid donor to Uganda, said Thursday that nothing could justify passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Parliament speaker Edward Ssekandi said he was "adjourning this house," effectively killing off the debate over the controversial legislation for this parliament. David Bahati, the lawmaker behind the anti-gay bill, said that no bills could be passed as the cabinet was dissolved following the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday following a landslide election victory in February. But he said that even if the bill was not passed this session it had achieved the goal of sparking a debate that would continue when the new parliament convenes. "We have made important steps in raising the issue and that will continue," he said.
Activists warn that the bill could return in the next parliament. Earlier this week Rep. Barney Frank and the U.S. State Department denounced the bill with warnings to cut off financial aid to Uganda should it pass.

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Quote Of The Day - Michael Youssef

"Today, I'm appealing to all faithful Presbyterians in the PC(USA) and Episcopalians to vote with your feet and get out of these churches as fast as you can. As I mention in my latest book The Greatest Lie, this type of preaching is now invading many mainline and evangelical churches. There can be no excuse. No, you cannot stay and be a witness. No, you cannot stay and try to change things. No, you cannot stay and hope that you will be a light. These denominations have chosen darkness, and they need to experience what true darkness is all about by not having any believers inside their walls. To modify slightly the words of the apostle Paul, the faithful believers ought to deliver these institutions to Satan by walking out as fast as they can. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5) Come quickly, Lord Jesus!" - Televangelist Michael Youssef, of Leading The Way Ministries.

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Crazy Eyes Takes Credit For Bin Laden

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Sunday's Weather In NYC

Let's hope for a torrential downpour on the hate rally in the Bronx and sunny skies over Central Park for the AIDS Walk.

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Ron Paul Makes It Official

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TEXAS: House Bans "Offensive" Patdowns By Airport Security

The GOP-dominated Texas House has made it a crime to touch your junk during an airport security patdown.
Approved late Thursday night, the measure makes it illegal for anyone conducting searches to touch “the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person” including through clothing. It also prohibits searches “that would be offensive to a reasonable person.” The bill’s chief sponsor is Republican Rep. David Simpson, who said, “this has to do with dignity and travel, and prohibiting indecent, groping searches.” He believes it will keep Transportation Security Administration officials from treating travelers like criminals, though the measure may be superseded by federal law.

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Tweet Of The Day - Bryan Fischer

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Daily Grumble

For those unaware, Google/Blogger experienced a global outage for the last (approximately) 24 hours, taking down tens of millions of sites and doubtlessly losing them zillions in ad revenue. For now, things appear to be working. You'll notice, however, that all of my 25 or so posts from yesterday have vanished. We'll see if they reappear. Thanks for hanging in there.

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Hot Word Of The Day: "Transgender"

"Transgender" is the "hot word of the day" over at Dictionary.com. An excerpt:
The word transgender is a recent addition to English. In conversational use as early as the 1960s, “transgender” entered the dictionary in the early 1990s. Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning “across or beyond.” Gender shares the same Latin root as genus. As a classifier for male and female, “gender” replaced “sex” in the 20th century. This was a trend started by feminist writers who wanted to highlight the biological attributes of males and females separate from their social characteristics.

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Did You Miss Me?

Hello, is this thing on?

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Thursday, May 12, 2011

Queer Rising And Ruben Diaz

The Village Voice's Steven Thrasher tips us to Queer Rising's plan for Sen. Ruben Diaz this weekend.
The kids over at Queer Rising, whose actions for marriage equality have been some of the more entertaining protests we've covered lately, were incensed when they heard of Diaz's plans to hold an anti-gay rally during the annual AIDS Walk. Faced with a conundrum about whether to counter-protest Diaz in the Bronx, or to support the largest fundraiser to fight HIV/AIDS of the year, they've come up with a pretty fun solution. From their press release:

Queer Rising will have a large cut-out Ruben Diaz figure replete with "fabulous costume changes" that people will have the opportunity to take photos with at the AIDS Walk for $1.00. All proceeds of will be donated directly to GMHC, with suggested directing of funding to HIV/AIDS work specifically in the Bronx.
You can find Queer Rising and the ersatz Diaz on the AIDS Walk route at Riverside Drive and W. 95th beginning at 10:30am.

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Saturday In NYC: Eurovision Song Contest Screening Party At Stonewall Inn

This Saturday at the Stonewall Inn, Flotilla DeBarge will host a screening party for gay fans of the Eurovision Song Contest, which airs live from Germany at 2pm. Go Serbia!

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DELAWARE: Gov Signs Civil Unions Bill


Facebook Status Of The Day


At The "Mayday For Marriage" Tour

Clip description: "A coalition of 65 concerned citizens from across the region was present to participate in the Mayday for Marriage rally organized by New Yorker's Family Research Foundation. The rally was in support of the authentic definition of marriage between one man and one woman."

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MN Sen. Barb Goodwin, Our Hero

The Minnesota Senate today rejected Goodwin's snarky amendment to ban divorce. We appreciate the effort.

(Source)

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Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg Celebrates Reversal Of Navy Policy

It took the FRC less than 48 hours to muster their GOP drones in Congress to force the Navy to rescind their new policy allowing same-sex marriages on bases in jurisdictions where it is legal.

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AFA: Only Evil Heathens Practice Yoga

The American Family Association says that yoga practitioners are evil and anti-Christian. Oh, and Hindus and Buddhists? Also evil!
These people need to buy a Bible — and read it. The professing Christian who practices yoga as a way to keep fit should heed the words of Mohler and Groothuis who both agree that yoga, even if it's labeled Christian, is diametrically opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many Christians practice yoga for "relaxation and exercise" without realizing that classical yoga is intended to put you into an altered state of consciousness. Yoga is not "just exercising." Participants are being swept into a counterfeit religion. According to God's Word, pagan religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, are evil. The Bible clearly says that God's people are to have nothing to do with wicked customs. (Deuteronomy 18:9-14) Believers are instructed to, "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Romans 12:90) Ever noticed how professing Christians are no longer uncomfortable in the face of evil? The reason is that we have been desensitized!

Zogby GOP Poll

Chris Christie is the one guy on the list who keeps saying he won't run.

Just Another Day On The Subway

A man having some kind of psychotic episode got naked on the 6 train while yelling racist slurs. After begging a cop to shoot him, the man attacked other passengers on the platform. And of course, instead of fleeing this clearly seriously deranged person, some folks rushed forward with their iPhones to record the entire sordid scene. Others helped the seemingly hapless police officer subdue the man. I don't know what this all says about New York City, the NYPD, the subway, social media, and the mental health care system, but it probably says something. The below clip (which includes full-frontal nudity) has, of course, gone viral and has been running (in very edited form) on NYC's news channels. NSFW in every way.

UPDATE:
YouTube has pulled the clip. LiveLeak is hosting it now.

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Queer Rising And Ruben Diaz

The Village Voice's Steven Thrasher tips us to Queer Rising's plan for Sen. Ruben Diaz this weekend.
The kids over at Queer Rising, whose actions for marriage equality have been some of the more entertaining protests we've covered lately, were incensed when they heard of Diaz's plans to hold an anti-gay rally during the annual AIDS Walk. Faced with a conundrum about whether to counter-protest Diaz in the Bronx, or to support the largest fundraiser to fight HIV/AIDS of the year, they've come up with a pretty fun solution. From their press release:

Queer Rising will have a large cut-out Ruben Diaz figure replete with "fabulous costume changes" that people will have the opportunity to take photos with at the AIDS Walk for $1.00. All proceeds of will be donated directly to GMHC, with suggested directing of funding to HIV/AIDS work specifically in the Bronx.
You can find Queer Rising and the ersatz Diaz on the AIDS Walk route at Riverside Drive and W. 95th beginning at 10:30am.

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Red-Caped Loons Hate Drag

The red-caped loons at the Society for Defense of Tradition are up in arms because a drag show was staged at Seattle University.
Drag shows are a notorious symbol of moral depravity, part of the sexual revolution apparatus. In these times, one might expect to find such things on the infamous stages of Broadway or the godless sets of Hollywood. But at a Catholic university? What does “Catholic” signify to the administrators of Seattle University? An empty title devoid of moral principles rather than a way of life instituted by Our Lord Himself? What other conclusion can one draw in the face of this Jesuit university’s latest transgression against it’s Catholic identity?
Clearly, the only acceptable drag is Catholic drag with fabulous red capes.

MINNESOTA: Openly Gay State Sen. Scott Dibble Denounces Marriage Ban


(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

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Larry King For New York Marriage

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NOM Issues Bronx Hate Rally Ad Voiced By NY Sen. Ruben Diaz


(Via - Good As You)

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Church Sign Of The Day

(Source)

Brian Brown: Join Me In The Bronx

"Sponsored by Senator and Reverend Ruben Diaz—a true hero in the fight to protect marriage in New York—the rally will bring together marriage supporters from across the state as we join together across racial, ethnic and religious lines to affirm the truth of marriage. I am excited to be there, and to have the opportunity to share a few thoughts about the importance of this moment in the fight to protect marriage. Be sure to stop and say hello if you can!" - NOM president Brian Brown.

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Quote Of The Day - Sen. Rand Paul

"With regard to the idea of whether you have a right to health care, you have realize what that implies. It’s not an abstraction. I’m a physician. That means you have a right to come to my house and conscript me. It means you believe in slavery. It means that you’re going to enslave not only me, but the janitor at my hospital, the person who cleans my office, the assistants who work in my office, the nurses.

"Basically, once you imply a belief in a right to someone’s services — do you have a right to plumbing? Do you have a right to water? Do you have right to food? — you’re basically saying you believe in slavery. I’m a physician in your community and you say you have a right to health care. You have a right to beat down my door with the police, escort me away and force me to take care of you? That’s ultimately what the right to free health care would be." - Sen. Rand Paul. Think Progress has the video.

Sassy Gay Friend - TMI

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Caption This

(Source)

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Today in Lying Christianist Hate Groups Who Just Can't Stop Lying Hateful Lies

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Time Travel With Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee has launched a bizarre time-travel themed website intended to teach school kids about real American history.
Many of our schools and teachers today haven't found ways to make history for kids fun. Instead, they’re teaching with political bias that distorts facts for the sake of political correctness. As a result, our national pride and patriotism are in jeopardy. That's what makes Learn Our History different. Your kids will love to learn American history as they watch our nation's stories come to life right before their eyes! All the while, they’ll build a strong sense of national pride and appreciation for America.
Here's the site's twisted take on the "Reagan Revolution."

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Open Thread Thursday

Job satisfaction. Who has it?


Maddow On Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill

After a postponement yesterday, it appears the bill may be voted on by Uganda's parliament tomorrow.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Gingrich Makes It Official


Levi Johnston's Book Cover Released

Amazon has the deets on the release.

NEW YORK: Diaz Hate Rally Update

I just called the Bronx Borough Hall to ask about a location for counter-protesters to gather during Sen. Ruben Diaz' hate rally this weekend. As some of you may know, the Bronx borough president is Diaz' son of the same name, Ruben Diaz Jr. The younger Diaz has said that he will not be attending his father's hate rally as it coincides with the annual Bronx Week celebrations that will take place across the borough.

The young woman answering the phone at Borough Hall got a bit flustered with me and claimed that her office had nothing to do with the rally and that she had no information about police protection or counter-protesting areas. (This, despite the fact that tens of thousands of evangelical Christians are expected to descend on the area in just four days.) She then directed me to call Sen. Diaz himself, which I did.

According to a flack at the elder Diaz' office, a counter-protesting area will be set up outside the Bronx County Courthouse at 161st Street and Grand Concourse. If you are coming from Manhattan, that's the 161st Street stop on the 4 train (also the stop for Yankee Stadium.) The march starts at noon on Sunday at 149th Street and Third Avenue and will presumably reach the Courthouse within thirty minutes. I'll post more on any counter-protesting efforts as I get the information.

Another Hipster Map

(Source)

NY Sen. Ruben Diaz Asks Churches To Close So Members Can Attend Hate Rally

Good As You reports that New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz is asking all area churches to close this Sunday so that everybody can attend his NOM-sponsored hate rally.

FLORIDA: Teabagger Charles Koch Bought The Right To Hire Faculty At FSU

Oil billionaire Charles Koch, the major backer of the Tea Party, has purchased the right to decide who gets hired on the faculty at Florida State University.
Under the agreement with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, however, faculty only retain the illusion of control. The contract specifies that an advisory committee appointed by Koch decides which candidates should be considered. The foundation can also withdraw its funding if it’s not happy with the faculty’s choice or if the hires don’t meet “objectives” set by Koch during annual evaluations.
The agreement was signed in 2008, but is only just now coming to light.

LIVE VIDEO: Minnesota Marriage Debate

The Minnesota Senate is debating the bill to place a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to a public vote. At this writing, Sen. John Harrington is suggesting that if Levitical laws are to be imposed, "Why not impose the Levitical law about buying slaves from neighboring countries?"

UPDATE: The Senate approved the ban by a vote of 38-27. The video stream is concluded. Reactions to follow.

Tweet Of The Day - Tony Perkins


Andrew Shirvell: I'm The Victim Of The Homosexual Agenda To Silence Critics

Pee-Wee Herman lookalike and former Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell is defending himself in the harassment lawsuit filed by openly gay University of Michigan student body president Chris Armstrong. Shirvell, who was fired after stalking Armstrong, says he is the victim of the "radical homosexual agenda" to silence critics of the movement. And he is counter-suing.
Shirvell also filed a number of counterclaims, claiming that as a result of Armstrong's statements to the media and his "course of conduct" towards Shirvell, Shirvell was "improperly fired" from his position in the Michigan Attorney General's office. He also claims that Armstrong's lawyer conspired with the AG's office to get him fired. In the complaint, Shirvell says he "has suffered significant loss of income, future earnings, and the right to enjoyment of his livelihood as well as emotional distress, humiliation, mortification, embarrassment, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression as the result of Plaintiff‟s tortious conduct." He asks for a jury trial to determine damages.

Put Down The Phone

There are people trying to conversatiate with you!

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Bill Donahue Rips Presbyterian Church

"The Presbyterian Church now joins the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the Episcopal Church in allowing practicing homosexuals and lesbians to become members of the clergy. It also has something else in common with these mainline Protestant denominations: it is collapsing. In the case of the Presbyterian Church, it has lost more than half its members since the 1960s; the other denominations are also in free-fall.

"Liberal Christians, including liberal Catholics, have no explanation for this outcome. They never tire of saying how we need to relax the strictures for ordination—allow women clergy, ban celibacy, permit practicing homosexuals—and bingo, watch for a sharp increase in both vocations and membership. Well, they won on policy, but they got their clock cleaned on numbers. Orthodoxy works, both theologically and sociologically, but that’s not something liberals will ever figure out." -Catholic League blowhard Bill Donahue, on the Presbyterian Church's move to allow openly gay clergy.

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Wingnuts Launch Legal Defense Fund For Man Arrested In Lisa Miller Case

Right Wing Watch reports that a legal defense fund has already raised $30,000 for Timo Miller, the man arrested by the FBI last month for helping "ex-gay" Lisa Miller illegally take her daughter out of the country rather than comply with court-ordered custody sharing with her former partner. From the defense fund website:
Since God has not intended for two men or two women to raise children as a family unit, they can’t produce children on their own. This creates a problem in their agenda to create the perception that homosexual behavior is normal. Thus they resort to adopting children or using artificial insemination from a male donor in the case of a lesbian relationship. Can you imagine being a child growing up in the middle of such an environment?

It is a tragedy that laws and courts in our nation can be manipulated to allow an innocent and defenseless child to become a pawn of the agenda of those who desire to “normalize” homosexuality. Truly sin has devastating consequences. A mother goose will fight to the death to protect her young. So will a robin or a mama bear. God has put instincts into a mother to protect their young. Lisa did what any good mother would do. She “died” while attempting to protect her young child from what she perceived as very imminent danger. Rather than risk what she felt was certain harm to her daughter, she took her child, and fled to Nicaragua.
Last month we also learned that Miller and her daughter are living in a house owned by the father of Liberty Counsel head Mat Staver's secretary. Which is totally a coincidence, right?

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Iran Claims Bin Laden Died Years Ago

This should please the Obama haters.
In a unique twist on the Osama bin Laden saga, Iran's intelligence minister says Tehran has "genuine intelligence showing that the terrorist leader died of disease long before the alleged raid" by the United States, the Iranian semiofficial FARS news agency reports. "We have accurate information that bin Laden died of illness some time ago," Heidar Moslehi said on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting Sunday, FARS reports. "If the U.S. military and intelligence apparatus have really arrested or killed bin Laden, why don't they show him (his dead body)? Why have they thrown his corpse into the sea?" Moslehi asked, according to a TV report, FARS says.

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Transformer Apartment

Inspired by the space-saving furniture on yachts, a Barcelona man turned his 250 square feet apartment into a "Lego-style" living space.

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Quote Of The Day - Alan Wisdom

"This is a lonely day for Presbyterians who believe what the Bible and the Church have consistently taught: that God's will is that we be faithful in marriage or chaste in singleness. Now we belong to a denomination that is no longer sure it believes that teaching. Now we belong to a denomination that gives no clear counsel on sexuality. It is a denomination that will not necessarily support its members as they struggle to obey the high standards of Scripture. It will not call them to repentance when they fall short of those standards, and it will not offer God's forgiveness for what it no longer recognizes as sexual sins. In a society where the abuse of sexuality is devastating millions of lives, this abdication by the PCUSA is tragic." - Alan Wisdom, vice president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, responding to yesterday's move by the Presbyterian Church to allow the ordination of openly gay ministers.

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Blondie - Mother

Bootleg copies of the clip are leaking onto YouTube, hence the lower quality of the video. Watch it now if you're interested, this will likely get yanked. From their coming album Panic Of Girls.

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NEW YORK: NOM Relaunches Debunked Lie-Filled Ad From 2009

In New York state NOM has begun re-airing the same lie-filled ad that it ran in 2009, when it was debunked by the fact-finding site Politifact. Via Holy Bullies, here's Politifact's assessment:
The National Organization for Marriage mailing says that Massachusetts public schools teach kindergartners about gay marriage. The wording, including the present tense verb, gives the impression this is happening now, in many schools. But the group’s only evidence is two incidents five years ago. It’s possible that somewhere, in one of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, other kindergartners have been taught about same-sex marriage. But NOM couldn’t cite any other examples. We find its statement False.

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NEW YORK: Daniel O'Donnell Introduces Marriage Equality Bill In State Assembly

Openly gay New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell yesterday once again introduced a marriage equality bill to his chamber. Similar bills authored by O'Donnell have passed in the Assembly several times in recent years. He writes via press release:
"It is with great pride that I am introducing the Marriage Equality Act. Since the Assembly last passed the bill in 2009, there has been an overwhelming groundswell of support for Marriage Equality across our state. Recent poll numbers have shown a strong majority of New Yorkers now stand firmly in support of Marriage Equality. However, nowhere was this powerful belief in equality more clear than at Monday's 'Equality and Justice Day' rally in Albany, where citizens from across our state came together and demanded equality under law in one unified voice."

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Presbyterian Church Approves The Ordination Of Openly Gay Ministers

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Barney Frank: America Will Oppose Future Aid To Uganda If "Kill Gays" Bill Passes

"I was pleased when the Financial Services Committee overwhelmingly, in a bipartisan way, voted in favor of my amendment urging the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose any financial assistance from multilateral development institutions to countries that persecute people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or religious beliefs. In the discussion of the amendment I offered, I specifically mentioned the deeply troubling case of Uganda, which is now considering legislation to legally deprive people of these basic human rights. If the bill before the Ugandan parliament becomes law, it must be the policy of the United States government to oppose any aid to Uganda from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, or any other international financial institution of which we are a member." - Rep. Barney Frank, via press release.

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TENNESSEE: State Senate Advances Bill To Ban All Local LGBT Rights Laws

A Tennessee state Senate committee has advanced the bill to ban all local LGBT rights laws in the state.
The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Mae Beavers [left] of Mt. Juliet was approved 6-3 in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. The companion bill passed the House 73-24 last month. The proposal would void a Nashville ordinance barring companies that discriminate against gays and lesbians from doing business with the city. Under state law it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age or national origin. The Nashville ordinance prohibits companies that discriminate because of sexual orientation or gender identity from receiving city contracts. It does not apply to local governments' hiring policies for their own workers. An amendment to remove Nashville from the state proposal failed.

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Sam Seder On The Tea Party's Offer

Sam Seder rants about Monday's offer by the Tea Party to end their opposition to a rise in the debt ceiling if Congress will block the repeal of DADT.

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Pentagon Revokes On Base Marriages

The Washington Post is tweeting that the Pentagon has revoked the U.S. Navy memo granting permission for chaplains to perform on-base same-sex marriages. This comes after two days of intense anti-gay lobbying on the issue by House GOP members working under the orders of the Family Research Council.

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Glee Spoiler: Prom Queen

Stay out of the comments if you haven't seen tonight's episode. Otherwise dive in and dish.

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The United States Of Hipsters

Somehow New York is second to Minnesota in Google searches for "hipster." Darker states have more interest in the term.

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FOF: Redefine Marriage - Or ELSE

Focus On The Family wants to make a martyr out of Peter Vidmar, the Olympian who this week resigned from a 2012 Olympics position after complaints about his support for Proposition 8.

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TENNESSEE: Activists Give Kids "Don't Be H8N On The Homos" T-Shirts


Activists from FCKH8.com yesterday handed out hundreds of t-shirts to Tennessee students in protest of the state's pending "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Angered at the progress that the proposed "Teachers Can't Talk About Gays" law has made in the Tennessee state senate, gay activists with the website FCKH8.com passed out hundreds of pro-gay T-shirts, wristbands, pins and stickers in front of TV cameras to school children on Tuesday morning in the state capital to protest the law which would make it a crime for teachers to discuss homosexuality. The website distributed gear from its line of "Don't B H8N on the Homos" products to crowds of cheering kids at Hume-Fogg high school which is just blocks from the senate building where the anti-gay law is scheduled to be voted on this Wednesday. The website is also donating $25,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project to fight the anti-gay agenda of the bill's sponsor Senator Stacy Campfield (R-TN).
Get your own t-shirts here.

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Ben Cohen Wants To Meet You

Having never heard his decidedly non-posh accent before, I think I like Ben Cohen even more, if that's possible. This clip is posted to Cyndi Lauper's We Give A Damn channel.

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NOM Robocalls Against RI Civil Unions


(Via - Good As You)

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NOM Kicks Off New York Campaign

Just posted to NOM's blog:
“It’s become quite clear in recent days in New York that Governor Cuomo and same-sex marriage advocates are targeting a select number of Democrat state Senators, as well as some Republicans in their desperate attempt to coerce legislators to support their agenda,” said Brian Brown, President of NOM. “We want to be sure those courageous Democrats and Republicans who cast their vote of conscience in favor of traditional marriage will have a strong supporter if the radical gay activists come after them in their next election.”
Brian Brown vows: "NOM has defeated every pro-gay marriage Republican we’ve ever targeted, and we’re quite confident we will do so in New York, should that become necessary."

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Minneapolis Vs. San Francisco

Last night's Daily Show included the below segment comparing the gay scene in San Francisco to that of Minneapolis, which recently topped a survey as the country's "gayest city." The clip includes a visit to San Francisco's legendary kink emporium, Mr. S. Leather.

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Baja Arizona

NPR reports on the secessionist movement to split Arizona into two states, with the relatively liberal bastion of Tuscon and its surrounding area to become Baja Arizona, the 51st state.
Baja Arizona supporters say there's a serious side to their quest to create a new state. They say Arizona is headed in the wrong direction — cutting education and health care funding and hurting the state's reputation and business climate with laws like SB 1070. And they say Republicans in the Legislature are punishing Pima County for its opposition. The Legislature tried to deny money to Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik because he doesn't support SB 1070. It passed a law trying to change the way Tucson holds city elections, and another bill dictating how the city can bid public works projects. Republican state Rep. John Kavanagh helped pass many of those laws. He says the Legislature is doing what it thinks is right. "We pass laws based upon what we believe the people of Arizona want," he says. Kavanagh says the effort to split the state is just Democratic sour grapes.
Like all secessionist movements, Baja Arizona doesn't have the remotest chance of becoming a reality. But it's interesting to see the good guys behind one of these campaigns. That's a switch.

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BOOK TRAILER: Nina Here Or There

Nick Krieger's book about his transition, Nina Here Or There: My Journey Beyond Gender, launches today.

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Wisconsin Judge To Defendant: You Are Gayer Than A Sweet Smelling Jockstrap

From the clip description:
A Wisconsin judge on Monday said he didn't believe a molestation defendant who insisted he was heterosexual, making his point with references to a jock strap and a prom dress. Judge Philip Kirk of Waupaca commented before sentencing former New London school bus driver Delton Gorges to seven years in prison. During the sentencing hearing, the judge said "I think you were born gayer than a sweet smelling jock strap," Kirk said. Gorges, who drove a school bus for 33 years, pleaded no contest to four counts of fourth-degree sexual assault. "I think that if anyone believes that in the last 10 years or 15 years all of a sudden you developed an interest in homosexuality and young boys, then I must have looked ravishing in my prom dress this year," Kirk said.

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TEXAS: Family Of El Paso Beating Victim Says Attack Was Hate Crime

On Saturday a man standing outside of popular El Paso gay nightclub Old Plantation was beaten with a baseball bay by a group of six men. The victim, who is not gay, remains in critical condition. Although police have so far refused to characterize the incident as a hate crime, the victim's family says the attackers used anti-gay slurs during the assault. El Paso's KTSM reports:
We spoke with the victim's sister, Deanne Martinez, this morning at UMC where her brother is still listed in critical condition. Martinez was there Saturday and witnessed the attack. "He was on the floor laying there knocked out and they still kept bashing his head with a bat. That to me is so cowardly. " Martinez says she and another family member tried to stop the attack but the men turned on them, she said "I was trying to pull out my brother and she was pushing off the guys. They ended up bashing her Jeep Liberty." So far police say they have no evidence to call the attack a hate crime. Martinez calls that ridiculous. She says her brother isn't gay but he was alone outside of a gay club and the men who attacked him made it clear why they picked him. Martinez said, "they were yelling gay slurs and yelling their gang name or where they're from."
The victim's sister added that she's heard of the same group of men harassing other nightclub patrons in the area. Police have not named any suspects.

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Will The Music Press Yawn About Tyler, Another Viciously Homophobic Rapper?

Rising rap star, music press darling, and Coachella 2011 "breakout artist" Tyler was the subject of a lengthy and fawning New York Times profile published last week. His new album, Goblin, debuts today.
“Goblin” is spiteful, internal, confident, vitriolic, vividly bruised stuff, a shocking — and shockingly good — album that bears little resemblance to contemporary hip-hop. It has more in common with the stark, thick-with-feelings independent rap of the mid-to-late-1990s and also the improbably rich-sounding minimalism of the Neptunes in the early 2000s. For every caustic rhyme about violence there’s a pensive, unexpectedly gentle production choice to go with it. Unlike the maximalism of hip-hop radio, you can feel the air in these songs, the gasping for breath.
But what the Times misses is that their new hero is viciously anti-gay and litters his multiple daily Twitter updates with references to "faggots" and "homos."
Another recent Tyler tweet: "Just walked into Abercrombie with my sister cause she wants a shirt. It smells like faggot in here." We'll have to see if the music press and promotion machine cares about this at all. Goblin is pegged to debut at or near the top of next week's album chart.

(Tipped by JMG reader Roman)

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CONNECTICUT: Wingnuts Organize Against Proposed Transgender Rights Bill

Anti-gay and Christianist groups are organizing against Connecticut's proposed transgender rights bill by characterizing the measure as a "bathroom bill" that will allow men in dresses the freedom to molest little girls in public restrooms. This tactic, sadly, has worked in other states.
The Connecticut Legislature is about to vote on HB6599, the "Bathroom Bill", which gives broad and needless special privileges to "transgendered individuals" but from which all amendments to protect the public and children have been defeated by Democrats kowtowing to the extremist LGBT lobby. As a result this bill as now constituted, would permit ANY man who claims female "gender identity" even if he just wears a dress cannot be excluded from any job statewide, and MUST be given access to women's facilities, including public and private women's restrooms, locker rooms and showers. The "Gay Mafia" is fighting tooth and nail to win this fight, because it could be used as a model nationwide. We must stop this right here, right now, in CT.
The above-linked article warns: "It means that a man who is a sexual predator could claim to be 'transgendered' and enter a women's public bathroom, locker room or shower. DO YOU WANT YOUR WIFE OR DAUGHTER IN THIS SITUATION?"

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Pomplamoose - Angry Birds Theme

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NORTH CAROLINA: Christianists To Rally For Constitutional Marriage Ban

Good As You has the details.

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Tweet Of The Day - Uptown Hockey

Uptown Hockey, a Canadian sports agency representing dozens of NHL hockey players, yesterday tweeted their disgust with New York Rangers star Sean Avery, who has recorded a video clip in support of marriage equality. Canada's National Post got this quote from Uptown Hockey's president, Don Reynolds:
"It’s sad. I mean, my personal position is that I do not support gay marriage, and I think it’s wrong, as well. It’s not politically correct to, I guess, give your opinion about a thing like that. It’s politically correct on the other side, for people to say, ‘sure, I support gay marriage.’ But the majority, I think, of Canadians would say that they don’t agree with gay marriage – that man and woman were created to be married, not man and man or man and horse, you know?”
Man and horse. SRSLY.

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The Beautification Of Bin Laden

(Via JMG reader Brett)

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Northeast To Benefit From FL Gov. Rick Scott's Rejection Of Rail Money

After Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected billions in federal funding for high speed rail development, the feds invited other states to apply for the money. And as it turns out, the primary beneficiaries of Scott's short-sightedness will be commuters on Amtrak's northeast rail corridor.
The largest share of the money—nearly $800 million—will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor, the department said in a statement. Another $404 million will go to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest, including newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago that are expected to save passengers 30 minutes in travel time. Nearly $340 million will go toward state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. California will also get another $300 million toward trains that will travel up to 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Two other GOP governors also rejected federal rail money.

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Microsoft To Purchase Skype

Microsoft has agreed to purchase Skype for $8.5B.
The acquisition will "increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities," Microsoft said. Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and an array of Windows devices. Microsoft will also connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft said it will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. “Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”
Cable news networks have increasingly turned to Skype to eliminate the cost of bringing interview subjects to their studios.

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NEW YORK: Sen. Ruben Diaz Launches Boycott Of Gay-Friendly Spanish Paper

Last week New York's most widely-read Spanish-language newspaper, El Diario, published an editorial supporting marriage equality and obliquely criticizing state Sen. Ruben Diaz for his upcoming anti-gay rally. Yesterday Diaz announced that he will be spearheading a boycott of the paper because of their supposedly anti-Christian positions.
The Newspaper, El Diario La Prensa, calls itself “The Champion of the Hispanics.” But you will never read or find a reporter from El Diario La Prensa covering one of the hundreds of events that we Evangelical Christians celebrate throughout the year. They never cover or report news about the Grand Evangelical Children’s Parade that is held every year. They never cover a celebration of Bishops Day or The Day of the Superintendents. They never cover a single Pastors Day of the many that occur throughout the year. They never send a reporter to cover any of the great campaigns of evangelists such as Yiye Avila, Jorge Raschke or many other great evangelists. And they never cover the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization’s Annual Banquet which is held to honor our pastors and leaders. All our activities are geared to help prevent crime in our communities, for example, taking drug addicts, prostitution and criminals off the street, but El Diario La Prensa does not care. But when it comes to an event regarding homosexuals or an event in favor of abortion, even if there are four people attending, El Diario La Prensa highlights these events on its front pages.
According to Diaz, every fifty cents spent to purchase a copy of El Diario is money spent to support abortion and gay marriage.

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Quote Of The Day - William Temple

"When the Pentagon's own studies show that military effeminization may have an extremely costly impact on recruiting and retention, when Islamists have shown their willingness to sexually brutalize American female reporters, why would John Boehner's House Republicans be caving to political correctness? Why would House Republicans who know better be fostering inappropriate attractions in the intimacy of tents, bunks, barracks, platoons, subs, tanks, convoys, cockpits, latrines, showers, toilets and locker rooms when we are fighting wars in three Muslim nations?" - Tea Party founder Pastor William Temple, telling the GOP that his group would call off their opposition to raising the debt ceiling in return for killing the repeal of DADT. Temple, a Revolutionary War reenactor, delivered his ultimatum in full costume.

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GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter To Introduce Amendments To Thwart DADT Repeal

Wingnut Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) will introduce amendments to the Defense Authorization Act which will require each member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to certify that the repeal of DADT won't damage military readiness. Under Hunter's plan, one renegade service head could potentially undo the repeal.
“The four military service chiefs are far more closely connected to the day-to-day realities facing each respective service branch than those who are currently required to sign off on the repeal, including the President,” Hunter said in a press statement. Currently, President Obama, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the only people required to sign off that the military is ready to end "Don't Ask Don't Tell."
Washington Blade's Chris Johnson notes that Hunter's bill has a good chance of passage in the GOP-dominated House Armed Services Committee.
If the Hunter amendment is supported in committee along party lines, the measure would likely pass because Republicans enjoy a majority on the panel by a margin of 35-27. After the defense authorization bill is reported to the House floor, a similar vote of approval could be expected on the House floor because Republican have control of the chamber. The bill could see a House floor vote as early as the week of May 23.
It does appear that the repeal of DADT could be formally certified before any Senate version of Hunter's bill could be considered.

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