Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Frothy Sweeps All Three GOP Primaries?

At this writing Santorum has won Minnesota and Missouri. Colorado isn't fully in yet, but Santorum has a double-digit lead. GOP turnout in all three states is way down. Yay. Frothy upends Mittens. Yay. Swingrich is sputtering on national television. Yay. Infighting is funny. Yay. Oh, yeah. Prop 8. YAY. All in all, a very good day.

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Frothy Tweets On Prop 8

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Prop 8 Celebration At NYC's Stonewall Inn

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Tweet Of The Day - Chris Barron

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Romney Denounces Prop 8 Ruling

"Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage. This decision does not end this fight, and I expect it to go to the Supreme Court. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices." - Mitt Romney. (Via Igor Volsky @ Think Progress)

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White House On Prop 8

No specific comment on today's ruling other than the standard line about Obama's general opposition to efforts to deny rights to same-sex couples.

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Protect Marriage Wants Appeal Money

Just in from today's big loser: "If every person receiving this email contributed just $63.00, our appeal to the Supreme Court would be fully funded---instantly!" They say they need another $2 million.

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In Which Liberty Counsel Loses Their Shit

"This is a travesty of justice and it undermines the legitimacy of the judiciary. When judges find that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, it's absolutely absurd. This is, I think, an illustration of why the judiciary has lost the confidence of the American people. If you look at ideology, pushed by this particular panel, obviously that's what this panel did: they looked at their own ideological bias, their radical positions, not the Constitution itself. And when they did that, it undermined their own legitimacy and I think this is the unraveling of the actual judiciary. It is the very seeds, as Thomas Jefferson said, of tyranny." - Mat Staver, head of Liberty Counsel.

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ATLANTA: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Firing Of Anti-Gay CDC Counselor

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld the dismissal of a Centers For Disease Control counselor who was fired after saying that her Christian faith did not allow her to see homosexual clients.
Walden worked as a contractor for the CDC in 2007 when a woman came to her for advice involving a same-sex relationship. She was let go after she told the woman she couldn’t help because her “personal values” as a devout Christian prevented her from offering any assistance. Walden said her firing was a result of religious discrimination, but the three-judge panel said it was not persuaded by her arguments.
Walden was represented by the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund, who issued a statement after today's ruling.
"A counselor who is a Christian shouldn't lose her job for upholding the highest professional standards. It is unlawful to punish a Christian for abiding by her faith, particularly when she made every effort to accommodate the interests of a potential client. We are disappointed that the court ruled against these fundamental principles, but we are determining next steps to ultimately vindicate Marcia and the freedoms for which she's fighting."

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MN Group Dodges Campaign Laws

The anti-gay Minnesota For Marriage appears to have dodged state campaign finance laws in accepting shielded donations from NOM and the Catholic Church.

Rosie Gray reports at Buzzfeed:
Minnesota for Marriage Chairman John Helmberger sent a series of emails soliciting contributions not to its own political action committee – which must disclose its donors – but to a non-profit group that backs it, and which he also heads, the Minnesota Family Council. The maneuver, described in campaign finance circles as a “Russian doll” arrangement, appears to run afoul of Minnesota’s unusually tight campaign finance laws, a top state official suggested in an interview. [snip]

Minnesota campaign finance law appears to forbid just this kind of indirect fundraising. Disclosures that must be reported include money “given in response to a solicitation,” like the one above. According to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board: “Money given in response to a solicitation that requests money for the express purpose of supporting the association's campaign to promote or defeat the ballot question is a contribution. An express request is a request that asks for money and states that the money is sought to support the ballot question campaign.”

Minnesota campaign finance board chairman Gary Goldsmith told BuzzFeed that “If they specifically solicited money for the ballot measure and didn’t disclose that, it would be against the rules.”
As we well know, NOM always thumbs its nose at court rulings about financial wrongdoings and just files appeal after appeal, knowing that the clock will run out on the election in question before they are ever forced to comply. We'll see if Minnesota's "unusually tight" rules prove to be an exception. For once.

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Headline Of The Day

Enjoy!

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Alliance Defense Fund: Prop 8 Ruling Was Orchestrated By Hollywood Elite

"We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage–tried in San Francisco–turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court. Every pro-marriage American should be pleased that this case can finally go to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ProtectMarriage.com legal team’s arguments align with every other federal appellate and Supreme Court decision on marriage in American history." - Brian Raum, Senior Counsel for Alliance Defense Fund. (Via Right Wing Watch)

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Tony Perkins: We're Being Oppressed!

"This ruling substitutes judicial tyranny for the will of the people, who in the majority of states have amended their constitutions, as California did, to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman. However, we remain confident that in the end, the Supreme Court will reject the absurd argument that the authors of our Constitution created or even implied a 'right' to homosexual 'marriage,' and will instead uphold the right of the people to govern themselves. Voters in 31 states have voted to uphold the historic and natural definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Twenty-nine, a majority of American states, have actually inserted such a definition into the text of their state constitutions." - Tony Perkins, head of the Fascist Research Council.

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Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About Today's Ruling On Proposition 8

"Californians voted overwhelmingly to support the traditional definition of marriage that has been the foundation of this great nation. Our experiences have shown us, as science proves, that the best environment for children to develop as productive members of our society is in a home where there is a mother and a father who love them and each other unconditionally. Yet with a stroke of the pen these three judges have undermined the foundations of the family and liberty. Shame on them." - Concerned Women head Penny Nance.

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Catholic Group Reacts To Prop 8

"We always knew this case would be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now that the Ninth Circuit has rendered its decision, the case can finally move to the U.S. Supreme Court where it will be decided on sound legal arguments rather than the emotional appeals by those trying to obliterate the only institution that unites children with their moms and dads. It is outrageous that judges continue to disregard the will of 7 million voters who voted to protect the centrality and integrity of marriage for children and society. Failing to disclose that the judge himself was similarly situated as the plaintiffs (in a long-term committed relationship with a same-sex partner), Walker could find no rational reason for the voters to define marriage between a man and a woman and concluded they were bigoted and discriminatory." - William May, head of Catholics For The Common Good.

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LIVE VIDEO: Prop 8 Press Conference

Scheduled start is 10:30AM Los Angeles time. UPDATE: It looks like AFER is having some problem with their UStream feed. Stand by...

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NOM Is EVER So Pissed!

Enjoy!
“As sweeping and wrong-headed as this decision is, it nonetheless was as predictable as the outcome of a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition game,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “We have anticipated this outcome since the moment San Francisco Judge Vaughn Walker’s first hearing in the case. Now we have the field cleared to take this issue to the US Supreme Court, where we have every confidence we will prevail.” “Never before has a federal appeals court – or any federal court for that matter – found a right to gay marriage under the US Constitution,” said constitutional scholar John Eastman, who is chairman of NOM.

“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is the most overturned circuit in the country, and Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the author of today’s absurd ruling is the most overturned federal judge in America. Today’s ruling is a perfect setup for this case to be taken by the US Supreme Court, where I am confident it will be reversed. This issue is the Roe v Wade of the current generation, and I sincerely doubt the Court has the stomach for preempting the policy judgments of the states on such a contentious matter, knowing the lingering harm it caused by that ruling.”

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Read The Full Prop 8 Decision


(Via - AmericaBlog Gay)

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Prop 8 Stay Remains In Place

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Prop 8 Reactions

Former SF Mayor Gavin Newsom
Today’s decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stands as a victory for the fundamental American principle that all people are equal, and deserve equalrights and treatment under the law. This is the biggest step that theAmerican judicial system has taken to end the grievous discrimination against men and women in same-sex relationships and should be highly praised. "Proposition 8 has done nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that same-sex couples are inferior to heterosexual couples. These men and women are our firefighters, our paramedics, our law enforcement, our service-members, and to treat their relationships differently is unfair, unlawful, and violates the basic principle of who we are as a nation.
Mayors For Freedom
As Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, we know how important marriage is to our neighborhoods, our cities, and our nation. When committed couples are able to pledge their love to one another and share in the responsibilities and protections of marriage, our communities flourish and our cities are more competitive. Today’s decision by the 9th Circuit reaffirms that the American Dream is possible for everyone and brings us one step closer to ending marriage discrimination once and for all. We look forward to a day when all of our citizens will be able to share fairly and equally in the freedom to marry
Freedom To Marry
This monumental appellate decision restores California to the growing list of states and countries that have ended exclusion from marriage, and will further accelerate the surging nationwide majority for marriage. As this and other important challenges to marriage discrimination move through the courts around the country, Freedom to Marry calls on all Americans to join us in ensuring that together we make as strong a case in the court of public opinion as our legal advocates are making in the courts of law. By growing the majority for marriage, winning more states, and tackling federal discrimination – Freedom to Marry’s ‘Roadmap to Victory’ – we maximize our chances of winning when one case or another finally reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Lambda Legal
This ruling foreshadows the ultimate fate of other states in the Ninth Circuit like Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaii that refuse to recognize the equal dignity of same-sex couples and their families by shunting them off into second-class statuses like domestic partnerships or civil unions. The tide is not turning; it has turned; and we are glad to see the Ninth Circuit join the right side of history. This is an exciting day for all of us, and especially for those of us at Lambda Legal who have been fighting for marriage equality for decades, from our efforts in Hawaii almost 20 years ago to our victories before the California Supreme Court in 2008 and the Iowa Supreme Court in 2009, to our ongoing lawsuit in New Jersey. It is inevitable that marriage equality will be won across the nation through either the legislative or judicial processes.
Empire State Pride Agenda
It is very heartening that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California agrees that all loving committed couples should be able to marry and their families offered the same legal protections as others. “In New York State, more than a decade of work resulted in our marriage win, and we have seen only positive effects from loving same-sex couples being able to marry - from the income generated by their weddings to the legal protections afforded to these families to the outpouring of joy as New Yorkers have seen their friends, family and neighbors publicly declare their love and commitment to each other. “We must be vigilant in defending our victory here in the Empire State. All of the New York State legislators – Democrats and Republicans, Senators and Assemblymembers -- who voted for marriage are up for election this November. As a community, we must flex our political muscle in standing by those who stood by us.
Human Rights Campaign
Today’s decision affirms what we all know to be true – our Constitution protects the basic civil rights of all Americans, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Proposition 8 does nothing to strengthen or protect any marriage. Instead, it singles out thousands of loving California families for different treatment, simply because they are gay and lesbian couples. We applaud the Ninth Circuit for recognizing that our Constitution cannot tolerate such egregious discrimination.” “We thank the courageous plaintiff couples, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies for their years of work leading to today’s decision. This is not the end of the road, for this case or for the larger struggle for marriage equality. We must all continue our work – in courthouses and statehouses, in church pews and living rooms – until equality is reality for LGBT people and our families everywhere."
People For The American Way
Today’s ruling is a major victory for equality and for the thousands of California couples who saw their marriage rights disappear four years ago.Proposition 8 hurt Californians. It took away the freedom of committed couples to legally marry, to raise children in security, to visit each other in the hospital and to provide for each other in old age. It hurt gay and lesbian Californians, and it hurt their friends and families. Proposition 8 wasn’t just unconstitutional – it was simply wrong. “I congratulate all the Californians who have regained their freedom to marry, and hope that that freedom will soon be extended to every American.
GLAAD
"Today's historic decision reflects the growing support for marriage equality among a majority of Americans who believe all couples should have the same opportunity to take care of and be responsible for each other," said GLAAD's Acting President Mike Thompson. "Though the road to securing full equality for every American remains long, we are deeply encouraged by today's ruling."
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders
Same-sex married couples still face federal discrimination against their marriages because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). GLAD’s two federal court cases challenging DOMA are also on track to be heard at the Court of Appeals level, and then likely the U.S. Supreme Court. Gill v. Office of Personnel Management is on appeal in the First Circuit following a district court ruling that DOMA is unconstitutional. GLAD is awaiting a district court ruling in the Second Circuit case Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management. In both cases, GLAD is representing same-sex married couples and widowers who were denied federal rights in Social Security, tax filing, family medical leave, employee benefits and pension protections because of DOMA.
National Center For Lesbian Rights
"It is a unique and honored position to be an eyewitness to history. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling finding that Proposition 8 violates the Constitution of this nation marks the first time a federal appellate court has held that a law excluding same-sex couples from the right to marry runs counter to our highest ideals of equality and fairness.  With today's ruling we are a giant step closer to the day when the promise of our Constitution squares with the lived reality of LGBT people." - Kate Kendell.
More reactions will be added here as they come in....

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Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional!!

AGAIN. By a 2-1 vote. More in a moment!

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Outside The Ninth Circuit Courthouse

Source.

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NYC Prop 8 Rally Tonight

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Christianist Bullies Attack Rolling Stone

The Christianists who want it to be legal for their children to assault and harass LGBT kids have now focused their ire on Rolling Stone, who last week published a lengthy expose of a Minnesota school system.

According to Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute, teachers should not be allowed to intervene when gay children are being beaten:

Teachers are employees of the government. In that role, they have no right to affirm controversial moral beliefs, even if they believe that doing so will reduce the incidence of bullying. There are ways to curb bullying without affirming controversial, non-factual moral (or political assumptions). Schools must ensure that teachers not exploit their government-subsidized employment to engage in moral or political philosophizing. To prevent the kind of ideological propagandizing in which homosexual activists and their allies seek to engage in the classroom, policy must explicitly prohibit teachers from expressing their personal views on controversial issues.

NOTE: The Illinois Family Institute is an SPLC-certified hate group and the former employer of Peter LaBarbera.

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Anti-Gay Komen VP Resigns

Susan Komen vice president Karen Handel today resigned in the wake of the Planned Parenthood funding debacle. Handel, a former Georgia Secretary of State, is infamously anti-gay. From her resignation letter:
"I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it. I openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision was the best one for Komen’s future and the women we serve. However, the decision to update our granting model was made before I joined Komen, and the controversy related to Planned Parenthood has long been a concern to the organization. Neither the decision nor the changes themselves were based on anyone’s political beliefs or ideology."
RELATED: About Handel's anti-gay past....
"I’ve been very clear. And you know, as a Christian, marriage is between a man and a woman. I do not think that gay relationships are — they are not what God intended. And that’s just my viewpoint on it. Others might disagree with that. But I would also hope that if you look at what is happening in our state, we’ve got issues we need to be focused on in Georgia. We have a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. And it’s something that I supported wholeheartedly. I am against gay adoption. Do I think that gay parents is in the best interest of the child? No."

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Swingrich Heckled By Gay Activist

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MN Rabbis Oppose Marriage Bill

The Minnesota Rabbinical Association has come out in opposition to the state's pending constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The rabbis' statement says the amendment "seeks to continue the practice of leaving individual families within the LGBT community vulnerable and unprotected by the law. To honor an individual is to fight against discrimination in society for any reason, including race, religion, natural origin, gender, age or sexual orientation. "Throughout history the Jewish community has faced discrimination, and therefore we will not stand by while others are targeted." The Jewish group joins with some other Protestant groups in opposition, showing how divisive the amendment will be in faith communities. Minnesota's Catholic bishops and conservative-leaning faith groups support the amendment's passage.
(Tipped by JMG reader Robin)

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Morning View - Breakfast Bargain

Plain bagel and small coffee: $1.50.

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A Message From The Not-Romneys

The Hill reports: "Influential conservative blogger Erick Erickson said he would endorse the 'sweet meteor of death' over any of the current GOP candidates, but would back the party’s eventual nominee in the general election against President Obama."

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Wingnuts Outraged That Millions Saw The Most Famous Hand Gesture In The World

The Parents Television Council is outraged that nobody will take responsibility for M.I.A.'s flipping the bird during the Super Bowl. Because children saw it.
Explanations and apologies by both the league and the network ring hollow, says Dan Isett of the Parents Television Council, seeing that both are essentially blaming each other. "NBC is blaming the NFL for having hired the performer in the first place; the NFL says that it's not really their fault because they didn't know it was coming," he summarizes. "What that really means is that nobody is taking responsibility for it -- [and] that's pathetic." Isett says inappropriate material showing up at the big game is tiring.
Another outraged group has posted a recap of M.I.A.'s "history of radicalism."

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Jimmy Kimmel's Super Bowl Prank

Kimmel told his viewers to record the reactions after unplugging the TV during a critical moment in the game.

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Gingrich Staffer Scrubs Wikipedia Page

Newt Gingrich's communications director thinks there's nothing wrong with his removal of embarrassing items from his boss' Wikipedia page.
As recently as last week, Newt Gingrich's communications director has been criticized by editors on Wikipedia for dozens of edits he has made and requested in defense of his candidate. While some of the changes were minor, Joe DeSantis has removed or asked to remove factual references to Gingrich's three marriages as well as mentions of ethics charges brought against him while he served as speaker of the House. These efforts continued as recently as Monday. Wikipedia records show DeSantis has made over 60 adjustments to entries in the online, publicly-edited encyclopedia to the biographical entry on Gingrich, the similar page on his wife, Callista, and a separate page on one of their books, Rediscovering Good in America.
Among the deleted items was mention of Gingrich's $500,000 credit line at Tiffany.

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AIDS Petition: Record Their Names

Whichever design is selected for NYC's proposed AIDS Memorial, it appears that no individual names will be included. There's a petition to change that. I'm not sure how this could be accomplished, considering that the number of AIDS-related deaths in NYC already far exceeds the number of names on the Vietnam Memorial.

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Queen Celebrates Diamond Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth celebrated 60 years as monarch yesterday. Lots of photos.

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Today Is The Day

In case you missed yesterday's posts, here today's reminder from AFER.

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Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl Car Commercial Has Pissed Off The GOP

Last night my pal Karl Frisch was on Young Turks to discuss.

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Gingrich Gives Up On VA Ballot

Newt Gingrich is dropping his lawsuit to have his name placed on the Virginia primary ballot.
Gingrich gave no explanation for throwing the in the towel on the legal battle for a spot on the March 6 ballot. However, recent rulings in the dispute have not gone his way. On Jan 13, U.S. District Court Judge John Gibney ruled that Gingrich and three other candidates who failed to make the ballot: John Huntsman, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum, waited too long to challenge Virginia's procedures. Gibney said a Virginia requirement limiting petition circulators to residents of the state was probably unconstitutional, but there was not enough time to sort that out before the election. On Jan. 18, a three-judge panel of the appeals court upheld the thrust of the lower court's ruling.

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FRIDAY: Blowoff NYC @ Highline Ballroom

Blowoff will bust its sweaty, furry self into Chelsea's Highline Ballroom this Friday. Doors open at 11:30pm. Advance tickets here. This party will probably sell out.

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NEW BLOG: When I Came Out

"Submit your own story. Stories should be 5 sentences or less and begin with When I came out.." (Tipped by JMG reader Lauren)

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OK Go - Needing/Getting

Clip description:
OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car. The video took 4 months of preparation and 4 days of shooting and recording. There are no ringers or stand-ins; Damian took stunt driving lessons. Each piano had the lowest octaves tuned to the same note so that they'd play the right note no matter where they were struck.

Romney Leads By Six In Nat'l GOP Polls

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Madonna Tour Dates Announced Today

The dates and locations for Madonna's upcoming tour will be announced today. Boy Culture thinks the image being use to sell tickets looks a bit too much like the Unabomber.

UPDATE: Here you go.
The tour will play 26 European markets, including London, Paris, Milan and Berlin, before hitting North American shores beginning Aug. 28 in Philadelphia. Twenty-six shows are planned for North America, including a Sept. 6 show at New York's Yankee Stadium, and an Oct. 10 performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale beginning Feb. 10 in Tel Aviv and the U.K., with North American tickets going on sale beginning Feb. 13. Tickets for North America are available at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

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Times Square Soul Train Flash Mob

I'm so sorry to have missed this.

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FRC Cheers Virginia Adoption Bill

You might recall that whackadoodle Del. Bob Marshall also wants Virginia to issue its own currency, to ban gays from the National Guard, and to make it a felony to fly the rainbow flag. Marshall also says that God punishes women who have abortions by giving their later children birth defects.

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Monday, February 06, 2012

Iowa Hate Group Leader Invents Fake Starbucks Quotes About Marriage

The 2012 theme for anti-gay hate groups is "Shameless Easily Disproved Lies." Here are some more from Iowa's Bob Vander Platts.

UPDATE: The video has been "removed by the user." Wanna bet somebody heard from the legal department at Starbucks?

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New York Senate Votes Overwhelmingly To Allow Church Services In Public Schools

By vote of 54-7 today the New York Senate voted to allow churches, many of them viciously anti-gay, to conduct services in public buildings when they are "not in use for school services." Only seven Democrats opposed the bill, including openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane. But even this lopsided victory was not enough for Sen. "Reverend" Ruben Diaz:
I am disappointed that seven Senators: Senator Liz Krueger, Senator Daniel Squadron, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Senator Tom Duane, Senator Bill Perkins, and Senator Suzi Oppenheimer – all Democrats – voted against this bill. You need to know that the 160 religious groups, including churches that rent space in public schools for their activities are all located in Democratic areas, and mostly minority members of the Democratic Party.
The Bronx-based Diaz went on to slam the NYC Council for refusing to support "even a simple resolution" endorsing the bill. The bill has 70 cosponsors in the Assembly, which has not yet voted on the item.

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LA & SF To Rally After Prop 8 Decision

Rallies will be held in San Francisco and Los Angeles tomorrow after the Ninth Circuit Court issues its ruling on Proposition 8. Nothing in my inbox about NYC so far, but check back here later. Hit the links for Facebook event pages.

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Uganda's Kill The Gays Bill Is Back

Jim Burroway reports at Box Turtle Bulletin:
The Parliament’s Business Committee met today and agreed to move the revived Anti-Homosexuality Bill forward to the full house, possibly as early as tomorrow when the Ninth Parliament begins its third sitting following its Christmas break. There are reports that several lawmakers in Parliament are aggressively pushing for the bill’s passage as part of broader anger over the American and British announcements making nations’ protections of LGBT rights a component of foreign policy.
The bill was created with the help of American evangelists, some of whom have since denounced its death penalty component. Story developing...

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Magnetic Fields - Andrew In Drag

Possibly NSFW.

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One Million Moms Say JC Penney Is Hanging Up On Their Complaints

One Million Moms spokesbigot Monica Cole says that JC Penney is calling for their own boycott by hanging up on people who call to complain about "perverse and deviant" Ellen DeGeneres.

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Quote Of The Day - Ken Hutcherson

"I was born and raised in Alabama where blacks and whites didn’t get along very well, and I tried being one of the main reasons they didn’t. I was extremely discriminatory towards whites. The only reason I played football was so I could hurt white people legally." - Pastor Ken Hutcherson, testifying today before the Washington state House committee panel on marriage equality.

RELATED: Hutcherson led the failed Referendum 71 attempt to repeal Washington's "everything but the name" domestic partners law, which was upheld by a slim majority. You may also recall that Hutcherson has led walkouts at public schools in protest of the Day Of Silence and that he issued a bizarre threat should DOMA ever be overturned. In 2010 Hutcherson officiated at Rush Limbaugh's fourth marriage.

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Marriage Advances In WA House

Another hurdle has been, um, hurdled.
A House committee on Monday approved a measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state, setting the stage for final passage this week. The House Judiciary committee advanced the measure on a 7-5 vote after a public hearing. The bill could be up for a vote on the House floor as early as Wednesday. The Senate passed the measure on a 28-21 vote last Wednesday. Once passed by the House, the bill goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her signature.

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Tomorrow In New Hampshire

Anti-gay groups are trying to force the vote that that local GOP clearly doesn't want to have to make. (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

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U.S. Pulls Out Of Syria

As civil unrest intensifies, the United States has closed its Syrian embassy and ordered diplomats to leave the country.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said President Bashar al-Assad has chosen a “dangerous path” in dealing with the 11-month-old uprising, adding that the United States remains “gravely concerned over the escalation of violence.” On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a U.N. security council resolution condemning Syria that had been strongly supported by Western countries and the Arab League. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denounced the vetoes as a “travesty.” The United States wants Assad to cede power and make way for a democratically elected government.
In August last year the State Department ordered all civilians to leave Syria.

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Freep This Maryland Poll

Last week when we freeped the AFA, you forced them to end the poll and freeze the results. Heh. Here's another shot, this time for a local Maryland television station. (Via JMG reader Larry Mac)

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Valentine's Message From FCKH8

Language NSFW.

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GOP Primary Turnout Drops

Think Progress notes that the Romney campaign is spinning the decline as "voter satisfaction" that Romney will be the nominee.

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TOMORROW: Prop 8 Ruling

Chris Geidner explains at Metro Weekly:
The long anticipated ruling is expected to address three issues: (1) whether former U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself from hearing the case because he is gay and had a long-time partner with whom he was not married; (2) whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have the right to appeal Walker's decision striking down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional when none of the state defendants chose to do so; and (3) whether, if Walker did not need to recuse himself and the proponents do have the right to appeal, Walker was correct that Proposition 8 violates Californians' due process and equal protection rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

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Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip description: "Another crazy week, with news in the Prop 8 case and major advances in Washington, New Jersey, and Maryland. And yet another court has slapped down NOM's attempts to evade financial disclosure laws."

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UMass Students React To Super Bowl

I wouldn't quite call it a "riot," but maybe throwing beer bottles at cops qualifies. Dumbassery on parade.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chelsea)

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Hackers Hit Komen Site

Details.

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A Map For Chris "Let Them Vote" Christie

He's since issued an insincere apology, but likely with Chris Christie in mind, today Buzzfeed's Matt Stopera posts several maps showing the state of civil rights before landmark court rulings and legislative decisions.

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Maureen Dowd On Callista Gingrich

"The 45-year-old Callista has created an entirely new model for a spouse, standing mute in her primary color suits and triple-strand pearls looking at the 68-year-old Newt for the whole event, her platinum carapace inclined deferentially toward his shaggy gray mane. While a trophy wife is admired by her man, the admiring eyes of a Transformational Wife are there to propel her man to the next level. And when a woman who wants to be a Transformational Wife merges with a man who calls himself a Transformational Figure, you can expect a narcissistic blastoff." - Maureen Dowd, writing in the New York Times.

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TRAILER: Kidnapped For Christ

From the film's about page:
The film centers on the story of David, a straight-A student from Colorado who was sent to Escuela Caribe in May of 2006 after coming out to his parents as gay. Like many others, David was taken in the night without warning by a “transport service” and was never told where he was going or when he would be brought back home. While at Escuela Caribe, David had no way of communicating with any of his friends or family back home until the filmmakers arrived and he decided to ask them if they would smuggle out a letter that he had secretly written to his best friend.
It's not clear when and where the film will be distributed.
(Tipped by JMG reader Walker)

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Gardasil May Protect Against Anal Cancer

In a small study involving HIV-negative gay men, the HPV vaccine Gardasil was shown to reduce the risk of anal cancer.
The vaccine reduced the risk of lesion recurrence by approximately 50% in the first two years after immunisation. There was some evidence that the protective effects of the vaccine waned after this point. “This is the first study to demonstrate an association between Gardasil after primary disease and decreased risk of recurrent HGAIN [high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia],” comment the investigators, who believe the vaccine may be “an effective post-treatment adjuvant to prevent recurrent HGAIN.” High-risk strains of human papilloma virus are the main cause of anal and cervical cancer. The quadrivalent human papilloma virus vaccine (Gardasil) is highly effective at preventing infection with these strains. Rates of anal cancer are elevated in gay and other men who have sex with men.
As I overshared on Facebook at the time, last month my new doctor surprised me with an anal pap smear, something his practice does routinely for all gay men over 40. My result was thankfully negative, but I mention it here to reinforce how simple and brief the procedure is. Ask for it, regardless of your age. (Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

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The Brotherhood Of NBC

I really really liked this.

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NYPD Breaks Up HRC Gala Protest

Despite having been given assurances that they could peaceably protest on the sidewalk outside Manhattan's glitzy Waldorf-Astoria, on Saturday the NYPD broke up the Occupy Wall Street demonstration during the Human Rights Campaign $650/plate gala to honor Goldman Sachs. Via press release:
In NYC Saturday night, February 4, 2012, approximately 80 LGBT grassroots activists from a variety of groups united in common cause and elaborate demonstration to tell HRC: You do not speak for us. Starting at dusk, chanting voices filled Park Avenue as tuxedo-sporting HRC donors arrived at the Waldorf Astoria: “Hey Hey HRC. Where is our equality?” -- and -- “Everyone pays their tax. Everyone but Goldman Sachs” – rang out repeatedly targeting the Gala’s corporate honoree. Up and down the block between 49th and 50th, a catwalk of activists paraded, picket-fashion-show style, sporting a shimmery 15 x 5 banner that read: SEEK FULL EQUALITY, big mylar letters spelling “HELP,” and a huge sign that read: “HRC is in BED with A SACHS Machine”. Occupy Wall Street locked it all together in what was truly an inspirational convergence of NYC's grassroots, and beyond.
Cops moved the protesters across the street to a location where the black-tie crowd could not hear their chants. Still some protesters entered the Waldorf lobby to make their case. Some gala attendees reportedly mocked the protest via Twitter. (I'm looking for those tweets.) Many more photos of the action are on the group's Flickr page.

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Tomorrow: NY Giants Ticker-Tape Parade

It's been decades since ticker-tape went the way of the rotary phone, but that's what they're calling tomorrow's Manhattan celebration for the Giants. But good luck getting anywhere within sight of the players as millions are expected to descend on the Canyon Of Heroes.
New York City will be hosting a ticker-tape parade and City Hall ceremony for Super Bowl champions New York Giants Tuesday. The city will be conducting a public giveaway for tickets to the City Hall Plaza ceremony today between 9 a .m. and 11 a.m. People can access an entry form at www.nyc.gov and by calling 311. The parade will start at Battery Place and Washington Street at 11 a.m. and continue up the "Canyon of Heroes" to Worth Street. It will be followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza where Mayor Michael Bloomberg will present the Giants with the Keys to the City. Bloomberg announced the parade for Big Blue moments after the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 Sunday night.
Like New Year's Eve in Times Square, a ticker-tape parade is one of those uniquely NYC events that I've always wanted to experience once, but also know I'd hate once I got in the middle of it.

RELATED: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been demanding that the celebration take place across the Hudson because that's where the Giants actually play.

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New York City Council Balks At Resolution Endorsing Churches In Public Schools

To the surprise of some observers and despite having dozens of co-sponsors, on Friday the NYC Council refused to endorse a resolution in support of a pending state bill that would allow churches to hold services in public school buildings. Religious groups are being booted from city school premises after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court's ruling that they should not be allowed to rent or have free access to public school spaces.

Andy Humm reports at Gay City News that the resolution was done in by complaints from openly gay Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm:
Dromm wrote to Council colleagues, “I believe allowing churches that preach virulent homophobia in public schools violates not only the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause but also New York City law.” Several students from the Bronx High School of Science testified against the resolution. “If someone is excluded because of sexual orientation, it is a violation of the school’s administrative code,” said Diego Velasquez. “Everyone is supposed to feel welcome. No one in the school is above the administrative code,” including outside groups. Bronx Science does not now have a church worshipping in its school, in part because the school is utilized by students engaging in extracurricular activities on Saturdays and Sundays. But any empty space in the school could be requested by a church whenever classes are not in session under the new state bill. The religious groups using the schools as their churches are capitalizing on the lack of after-school and weekend activities available to students in schools serving poorer students.
Dromm: "I am frustrated that sometimes my colleagues don’t seem to take these churches’ virulent homophobia as seriously as it should be taken. It is an outrage that progressive people aren’t as outraged as is necessary. These issues are at the core of determining whether you’re a progressive."

Last month anti-gay hate groups led a coalition of local church members in a march over the Brooklyn Bridge to express support for the bill. FRC head Tony Perkins and other leading opponents of New York's recent marriage equality law have loudly lobbied Albany for the bill's passage.

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Brian Brownshirt Vs Evan Wolfson

Yesterday morning Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson wiped the floor with NOM president Brian Brownshirt during an appearance on a local NYC politics show. I caught this live and was happily tweeting my glee at Wolfson's performance.

(Via - Good As You)

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Lesbians Just Need Jesus (And Cock)

"Pam [Spaulding] needs Jesus, when Pam meets the Lord that yearning for a member of the same sex will change. She’d probably make a fantastic mother and would enjoy having a husband who was born male – no Chaz Bono business – born male – and meet her man, and rock her world, in the name of the Lord." - Pastor Patrick Wooden, speaking on Peter LaBarbera's radio show.

Wooden and Porno Pete are upset because Spaulding correctly characterized Wooden as one the of the black "rent-a-pastors" that hate groups regularly trot out to "prove" that blacks don't agree that the LGBT rights movement is similar to the black civil rights movement.

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It's Reagan's 101st Birthday

Happy birthday from the Koch Brothers.

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GLAAD To CNN: Fire Roland Martin

CNN commentator Roland Martin got into a Twitter war with gay activists last night after he made two tweets that appear to endorse violence against unmasculine men. Today GLAAD is calling for Martin to be fired.
At a time when the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that violence against LGBT people was up 23%, we need people in the public eye to speak out against the dangers of anti-LGBT violence, not openly encourage it. Martin also has used his platform to misrepresent religious views about LGBT people. Far from the church being uniformly anti-gay, as Martin has claimed, LGBT people are welcomed just as they are into the full life of the church, in congregations and entire denominations across the United States. Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Episcopal denominations welcome LGBT folks, as well as many congregations from a variety of denominations. On Martin's website he ignores the medical evidence about the ineffective nature and harms associated with so-called ex-gay programs and instead praises his wife who he says "has counseled many men and women to walk away from the gay lifestyle."
A petition has been launched on Change.org.

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No Gay President For Finland

Finland's openly gay presidential candidate lost his runoff election yesterday.
Sauli Niinisto won 63 percent of the votes, compared to 37 percent for his rival, Greens candidate Pekka Haavisto, official results showed with 100 percent of ballots counted. The 63-year-old Niinisto will be the first president from the conservative National Coalition Party since 1956, and the first in 30 years from a party other than the center-left Social Democrats. He will replace Tarja Halonen, Finland’s only female head of state and one of its most popular leaders, who has served the maximum two six-year terms.

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