Watching The Defectives

Gentle readers, I'm rerunning my annual Pride rant for the eighth year. I wrote this post in 2005 a couple of days after attending Pride here in NYC. In the following years I've reposted it in advance of the day in the hope of encouraging you to attend. My apologies to those that have read it before. Have a wonderful Pride. Love each other.

Watching The Defectives

Last Sunday at 12:30pm, I was in position on Christopher Street with Terrence, his glamor boys, and touring UK bloggers Dave and Darren. The Pride parade was due to round the corner any minute, but I tore off in search of a bodega, crossing my fingers that my desperate need for a soda wouldn't cause me to miss Dykes On Bikes. Half a block away, I found a little place and ducked in, weaving through the customers clogging the aisles on rushed missions like mine. I was third in line, two bottles of Sprite under my arm, when the man in front of me spotted a friend entering the store.

"David! Sweetie! Where are you watching from? Come hang out with us on Allen's balcony!"

David, a bookish looking middle-aged man, destroyed the festive mood in the little store in an instant. "Absolutely not. Those defectives and freaks?" he spat, indicating the colorful crowd outside the store, "They have nothing to do with MY life, thank you very much. This parade has as much dignity as a carnival freak show. It's no wonder the whole country hates us."

Luckily for David, the Asshole Killer mind ray I've been working on is not yet operational. I settled for pushing him a little, just a tiny bit, just to get by him in that narrow aisle, of course. I returned to my sweaty little group and tried to put what I'd heard out of my mind for the remainder of the day, because I knew that by the next morning, the thousands of Davids of the world, the ones who have media access anyway, would all issue their now familiar day-after-Pride rant. The one where they decry the drag queens on all those newspaper front pages. The one where they beat their chests and lament, "Why don't the papers ever show the NORMAL gay people? Where are the bankers and lawyers? Why must all the coverage be drag queens and leather freaks in assless chaps?"

And every year, the logical answer is that bankers and lawyers are boring to look at and that pictures of marching Gap employees don't sell newspapers. There's no sinister media agenda intent on making gay people look ridiculous, no fag-hating cabal behind the annual front page explosion of sequins and feathers. It's just good copy. Drag queens are interesting. Even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones.

Yet right on cue, the day after Pride, the Davids of the blogosphere dished out their heavy-handed dissections of parades around the country. Only this year, there was a palpably nastier tone to an already traditionally nasty annual debate. Blame the election, blame the recent avalanche of anti-gay legislation, but this year, the usual assimilationist arguments went beyond the hypothetical speculations that maybe our Pride parades were too outlandish, that maybe we weren't doing the movement any favors by showing the country a face that happened to be wearing 6-inch long false eyelashes. This year there was some actual discussion about HOW we were going to "fix" Pride parades. Of how we might go about "discouraging" certain "elements" from taking part in the parades.

This is the part of the story where I have my annual post-Pride apoplectic attack. This is the part of the story where the swelling volume of Nazi analogies overwhelm my ability to speak and all I can do is twitch and bark out little nonsensical bits. This is where I always forget the name given to the Jews who went to work for the Nazis, helping load the trains. "Because that's what you are asking us to do, you assholes!" Then I always ask, "Who are we going to sacrifice to 'save' ourselves? Which child will it be, Sophie?" And this is the part of the story where my friends accuse me of being a hyperbole-laden drama queen, wasting spiritual energy on a non-crisis, and of co-opting the Holocaust as well. More on that later.

These people that want to "fix" Pride don't understand the role that Pride parades have come to play. Initially, the gay parade was about visibility. It was about safety in numbers, and more importantly, "normalcy" in numbers. It was about the idea that if only straight America could see us, could just SEE US, that they'd love us. And accept us. That if we'd mass and march by the righteous millions, the sheer unstoppable force of our collective image would topple bigotry. Would right wrongs. Would stop hate.

Of course, that didn't happen then and it doesn't happen now.

What DOES happen, is that Pride parades, at least in the big cities, have become nothing more significant to straight America than an annual traffic nightmare. As a tool of the gay movement, the Pride parade is now merely a walking photo op for politicians and perhaps not much more. A couple of years ago, the ultimate arbiter of America's cultural zeitgeist, The Simpsons, made note of this:

(The gay pride parade is going past the Simpson house.)

Chanting marchers: "We're here! We're queer! Get used to it!"

Lisa Simpson: "You're here every year. We ARE used to it."

What does all of this mean to the Davids of the world, the gay assimilationists that want to, wish they could, somebody do something, there's gotta be a way we can, Dignify This Parade? The ones begging: "Can't we get our people to at least DRESS respectfully for one lousy day? Is that too much to ask of our people? "

Yes, yes it is.

Because you are kidding yourself if you think Pride parades, in any form, will EVER change the minds of homophobes. The straight people who show up to see Pride parades are already largely convinced. We're parading to the choir, Jesse. Those straight people love our freaks, bless them.

Oh, you could test run a "defective" free parade. You could form urban anti-drag squads and go around to all the gayborhoods on the morning of the parade and give all the drag queens 50% off coupons for Loehmann's, offer good during the parade only. And they'd GO, of course, cuz hey, those girls love a bargain. But the resultant bland, humorless, "normal" gay parade wouldn't change the course of the gay movement one bit. The part of straight America that is repulsed by drag queens is quite possibly even more terrified by the so-called "normal" gays, because "those clever calculating creatures look JUST LIKE US, and can infiltrate and get access to our precious children. And that's been their disgusting plan all along, of course."

So where does that leave us? Are we post-Pride? Is the parade just a colossally long waste of a miserably hot summer day? Is the Pride parade just an event that does a better job of moving chicken-on-a-stick than it does of moving hearts? I'd say that, yes, as an effective tool of the gay movement, Pride's usefulness has largely waned in many U.S. cities. So do we even need to keep having these parades, since they no longer seem to have much of an impact on the state of the movement? No, we don't.

But...YES, WE DO.

Because even if Pride doesn't change many minds in the outside world, it's our PARTY, darlings. It's our Christmas, our New Year's, our Carnival. It's the one day of the year that all the crazy contingents of the gay world actually come face to face on the street and blow each other air kisses. And wish each other "Happy Pride!" Saying "Happy Pride!" is really just a shorter, easier way of saying "Congratulations on not being driven completely batshit insane! Way to go for not taking a rifle into a tower and taking out half the town! Well done, being YOURSELF!"

I'm not worried what the outside world thinks about the drag queens, the topless bulldaggers, or the nearly naked leatherfolk. It's OUR party, bitches. If you think that straight America would finally pull its homokinder to its star-spangled bosom once we put down that glitter gun, then you are seriously deluding yourself. Next year, if one of the Christian camera crews that show up to film our "debauched" celebrations happen to train their cameras on you, stop dancing. And start PRANCING.

All you suburban, lawn mowing, corpo-droid homos out there, hiding behind your picket fences, the ones wringing your hands and worrying that Pride ruins YOUR personal rep, listen up. Do you think that straight Americans worry that Mardi Gras damages international perception of American culture? America, land of the free, home of "Show Us Your Tits!"? They don't and neither should we. Our Pride celebrations are just our own unique version of Mardi Gras, only instead of throwing beads, we throw shade. No one has to ask US to show our tits. We've already got 'em out there, baby. And some of them are real.

A co-worker of mine heard me discussing my Pride plans last weekend and said, "I really don't understand what it is you are proud about. I mean, you all say that you are born that way, so it's not like you accomplished anything." She wasn't being mean, just genuinely curious, and I think that a lot of gay people probably feel the same way. On this subject, I can only speak for myself.

I'm proud because I'm a middle-aged gay man who has more dead friends than living ones and yet I'm not completely insane. I've lived through a personal Holocaust (here we go again) in which my friends and lovers have been mowed down as thoroughly and randomly as the S.S guards moved down the line of Jews. You, dead. You, to the factory. And you, you, you, and you, dead. I am inexplicably alive and I am proud that I keep the memories of my friends alive. I am proud of my people, the ACT-UPers, the Quilt makers, the Larry Kramers, the Harvey Fiersteins. I'm proud that I'm not constantly curled up into a ball on my bed, clutching photo albums and sobbing. And that happens sometimes, believe it.

And outside of my personal experiences, I am proud of my tribe as a group. Sometimes I think that gay people are more creative, more empathic, more intuitive, more generous, and more selfless than anybody else on the planet. Sometimes I think that if an alien culture were surveying our planet from light years away, they might classify gay people as an entirely separate species of humans. It's easy to spot us because of our better haircuts.

But sometimes I think we are the worst people in the entire world when it comes to standing up for each other. The gay people who'd like to soothe their personal image problems by selectively culling some of our children from Pride events? They disgust me. They appall me. They embarrass me. To them I say: The very road that YOU now have the privilege of swaggering upon was paved by those very queens and leather freaks that you complain about as you practice your "masculine" and give us butch face. If you want to live in the house that THEY BUILT, you better act like you fucking know it. United we stand, you snide bitches. America's kulturkampf ain't gonna be solved by making flamboyant people go away.

I'll end this by making one final Jewish reference. Possibly you've heard the Jewish in-joke that sums up the meaning of all Jewish holidays? "They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat." My Pride version?

They wish we were invisible.

We're not.

Let's dance.

Obama Speaks At Pride Month Reception

Kenneth The Page Works Blue

30 Rock's Jack McBrayer and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog visited a Chicago hot dog stand where the staff is famous for its rudeness. One of the best Conan O'Brien bits in a long time. Huge warning for language and for some lines that will surely pop up on your Facebook feed this weekend.

(Via Towleroad)

MICHIGAN: House Passes Bill Legalizing Anti-Gay Actions By Student Counselors

The GOP-dominated Michigan House has approved a bill making it legal for student counselors and therapists to refuse LGBT clients based on religious objections. The bill is named for Julea Ward, the Michigan student who was refused graduation when she rejected a gay client because her Christian beliefs did not allow her to treat "immoral persons." The bill reads:

A public degree or certificate granting college, university, junior college, or community college of this state shall not discipline or discriminate against a student in a counseling, social work, or psychology program because the student refuses to counsel or serve a client as to goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with a sincerely held religious belief of the student, if the student refers the client to a counselor who will provide the counseling or services.

RELATED: In January of this year Ward won the right to sue her former school. She is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund and the case is still pending.

Billboard Of The Day

Gothamist points out the above billboard that warns Jews entering Manhattan: "Fellow Jew, You're Going Into A Danger Zone. Shield Your Eyes." Somebody's gonna miss their exit.

Glenn Beck: Glee Must Be Stopped

A Hater's Gaysplosion!

MICHIGAN: Democrat Silenced For Saying "Vagina" During Abortion Debate

Michigan GOP leaders banned Rep. Lisa Brown from speaking on state House floor after she used the word "vagina" during a response to a pending bill to restrict abortions.

"What she said was offensive," state Rep. Mike Callton, R-Nashville, told The Detroit News. "It was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company," he said. State Rep. Lisa Lyons, R-Alto, agreed. "As a woman and mother, I was personally offended by Rep. Lisa Brown's disgraceful actions during Wednesday's floor debate," she said. Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas, R-Midland, said the decision to bar Brown from speaking was not her reference to the female anatomy, but her conduct. "My concern was the decorum of the House, not of anything she said," Stamas told the newspaper. "I ask all members to maintain a decorum of the House, and I felt it went too far yesterday." But Brown yesterday defended her decision to use the 'v-word'. "If I can't say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas?" Brown said during a Capitol press conference. "What language should I use? We're all adults here."

New Woes For Lindsay Lohan

Douchebag Daily Caller Reporter Interrupts President's Immigration Reform Speech

For those wondering, the reporter that so rudely interrupted the president's speech was Neil Munro from the anti-gay Daily Caller, the teabagger site founded by Tucker Carlson. Obama properly and angrily smacked him down, but let's hope Jay Carney is booting Munro from the White House press corps right now.


UPDATE: Carney is already on it.UPDATE II: Even Fox News is slamming Munro. "I don't think the guy should be allowed back to the White House."

Matt Drudge: Closeted Homo, Open Racist

NYC Council Cheers Immigration Change

The New York City Council has issued a joint statement praising the president for his change on "illegal" youth immigrants. Via press release:

"Today’s immigration policy change by the Obama Administration signals an important turning point in our Nation’s history for the nearly 400,000 undocumented immigrant youth here in New York, many of whom call New York City their home. This decision is also particularly timely in light of the 30th anniversary of Plyler v. Doe, which gave undocumented immigrants the right to an education. Our young immigrants have faced insurmountable obstacles in their pursuit of an education, happiness and the American dream. Under this new policy, they will have a path to the lives they have dreamed of and be able to contribute to our city, state and nation without the fear of being deported. The benefits are clear. These young people have a strong work ethic and the desire to improve their lives and positively contribute to our society. Also, immigrant youth play a vital role in the economic and cultural growth of our society at large."

Bolding is mine.

LIVE VIDEO: Obama To Announce Change In Youth Immigration Policy

The speech is scheduled to start any minute now.


RELATED: Lambda Legal has issued a response.

"This is great news for millions of young people who will no longer live under the threat of being removed to countries where they may not ever have lived or even speak the language. Many of them openly identify as LGBT, and their work and activism shows the movement for immigrants' rights is inextricably intertwined with the LGBT struggle for equality. In fact, there is an indissoluble link between the struggle for immigrants' rights and the fight for LGBT equality, because the LGBT community encompasses not only binational same-sex couples and LGBT asylum-seekers, but also undocumented LGBT immigrants who are often trapped in a 'double closet.' Many of these young people have already contributed to our country in significant ways. They should not be deported to countries, where they may be at imminent risk of persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Although this is a step in the right direction, the new policy does not change the legal landscape for most LGBT immigrants. Because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), binational same-sex couples are still unfairly denied the opportunity,afforded to different-sex couples, to request immigration protection and relief for a foreign-born spouse. DOMA is unconstitutional and should be repealed. We also need comprehensive immigration reform that is fair to everyone, and inclusive of LGBT immigrants and their families."

Brian Brown: The Big Mo

The above is not a parody, it's the actual NOM graphic that accompanies their story about the Washington marriage repeal attempt. ::Muttley laugh::

UPDATE: For those wondering, "mo" apparently is shorthand for "momentum" in NOM-speak. Yeaaah.

House GOP To Oppose Amnesty

"The Administration is overstepping its authority by weakening immigration laws without Congressional approval. I am very concerned about efforts to administratively implement amnesty for countless illegal aliens under the age of 30. It is vital that US borders are secure prior to any consideration of amnesty proposals. My Committee will be launching an immediate review into the possibility that DHS will direct Border Patrol agents to conduct selective enforcement. Border security is vital to national security, and it is concerning that the Administration is considering scaling back our efforts to secure the border." - House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Peter King, in an email to Daily Caller.

UPDATE: King now says he will sue the Obama administration to thwart the implementation of his plan.

Europe Wants Obama

So says a new poll released by Pew:

Support for Obama’s re-election is especially high in Europe, Japan and Brazil – all areas where his image remains generally positive. About nine-in-ten in France and Germany think the U.S. leader deserves a second term. About seven-in-ten in Britain, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic agree. Even in Greece and Poland, two EU countries with lower levels of approval for Obama’s policies, pluralities support his re-election. Broad majorities in Brazil and Japan do the same.

Homocon Tweet Of The Day

Indiana GOP Kills Anti-Marriage Plank

The Indiana Republican Party has removed its platform plank calling for a ban on same-sex marriage.

The reversal has surprised advocates in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community who see the change as a signal that attitudes are evolving and that same-sex marriage isn't the wedge issue it had been in past elections. But the move also has disappointed social conservatives who do not want Indiana to sideline this issue. Republicans say their platform is simply a change in focus in an election that is all about jobs

The state's Democratic Party will vote tomorrow on a proposed platform plank that "opposes amending the Indiana Constitution to define marriage." (Via Bilerico)

SUNDAY: Broadway Bares XXII

The 22nd annual installment of Broadway Bares, the most deliciously raunchy show on the Great White Way, is this Sunday. It's officially sold out, but some walk-up tickets will be available at the Roseland Ballroom box office from 3pm to 7pm. See my recap from last year's show for a taste of the naughty. Broadway Bares is put on by Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and to date the show has raised almost $9 million for the cause.

EXPOSED: Opposite-Married Gay Mormon Is Actually An Ex-Gay Reparative Therapist

Earlier this week much of the LGBT blogosphere and the mainstream media talked about Josh Weed, the "happily married" gay Mormon who claims while he's completely homosexual, he has a satisfying marriage with a woman with whom he has a "robust sex life." But as it turns out, Weed is actually an anti-gay "reparative therapist" who gets paid to torture gay men about their completely natural sexual orientation. Some of you may want to rethink the kind words you said about this motherfucker on Monday's blog post. (Tipped by JMG reader Gilberto)

Bristol Sued For "Homosexual Taunts"

The gay man who tangled with Bristol Palin during the filming of a scene for her coming reality show is suing her for "homosexual taunts." Keep in mind that the below article is from the Christian Post.

Stephen Hanks filed a defamation lawsuit in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles against the 21-year-old after learning that the incident was filmed for Palin's upcoming reality TV show "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp," according to The New York Daily News. Hanks, 47, is also suing the Lifetime network, which will air Palin's reality show, and is reportedly seeking $75,000 in damages claiming that he never gave anyone permission to film the exchange which took place at the Saddle Ranch bar. "Bristol Palin's conduct was outrageous," the lawsuit states, according to the wire service. "Bristol Palin first accused Plaintiff of 'being a homosexual' in a degrading manner in front of others."

You may recall that at the time, many of us suspected that the entire exchange had been staged. Apparently not. Here's the clip.

BREAKING: Obama To Grant Immunity And Work Permits To Young Immigrants

Big news is breaking on the immigration front:

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate that has been vocal in its opposition to administration deportation policies.

The policy change, described to The Associated Press by two senior administration officials, will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. It also bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States illegally but who have attended college or served in the military.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was to announce the new policy Friday, one week before President Barack Obama plans to address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' annual conference in Orlando, Fla. Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak to the group on Thursday.

I'll have video of the announcement ASAP.

Headline Of The Day

Details.

NEW YORK CITY: High-Ranking Lesbian Transit Official Accused Of Nepotism

A high-ranking MTA official has been accused of using her position to get her partner a job. The couple says the investigation is a witch-hunt because of their sexual orientation.

Sherry Herrington, the $170,000 operations chief at Metro-North Railroad praised her partner’s qualifications in an email to the human resources department without revealing their relationship, according to the report by state Controller Thomas DiNapoli’s office. The partner, Stuart Moore, was subsequently hired with an annual salary of nearly $85,000 even though the starting salary for the post was about $57,000, the report states. Her new job was with the On-Board Services Unit, a small group in Herrington’s large operations’ division. The unit monitored train crews’ activities, including if they were collecting fares.

Herrington says she did inform her immediate supervisor that Moore had applied for the job. Moore has resigned. Herrington is the first-ever female operations chief for Metro-North.

Linda Harvey: God Will Stop Gay Pride Events If Everybody Prays Hard Enough

"Once again this year, June is filled with cities holding gay pride celebrations. Every year I continue to challenge believers to pray about what we can do peacefully but permanently to put an end to these events in our cities. I will admit, I have not come up with the answer, but there is no question that God will help us if we ask Him. It’s also terribly sad when we have a president who has once again this Spring issued a presidential proclamation declaring June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. In the proclamation, the president alludes to these deviant behaviors as being part of an effort towards civil rights, which is incorrect. The homosexual political agenda being forced on America is ‘stronger than hate,’ the proclamation says. Once more, the president disses and dismisses those who have religious or personal beliefs that might contradict what he thinks is right, no allowance for other viewpoints. The proclamation speaks with compassion about those who are ‘denied basic rights.’ Again, this is an incorrect view of homosexuality, which is not a basic right." - Hate group leader Linda Harvey, quoted by Right Wing Watch.

NEW YORK: Fifth Grader Prohibited From Giving Speech In Support Of Marriage

Queens fifth grader Kameron Slade was prohibited from giving a speech supporting same-sex marriage when he competed in a school-wide competition.

His mother, who doesn't want to be identified, said the principal told her the topic is inappropriate. "For him to be denied the right to voice his opinion really upsets me," she said. "I was really looking forward to it," Kameron said. "I thought that this was a real good winning speech for tomorrow." Kameron's mother said he was told to choose any topic, so he chose same-sex marriage. But on Wednesday, the principal said he should write another speech or be removed from the contest. "She said that people have different opinions on it and that some parents may not want their children to learn about this type of topic," Kameron said. Kameron's speech calls for acceptance and tolerance. It describes his mother's explanation of the issue and his impression of his mother's friends who are gay. "They seemed happy," he said. "Best of all, they seemed to love each other. The only difference was that there were two moms instead of a mother and a father."

Zack Ford has the NY1 clip of Kameron reading his speech.

(Tipped by JMG reader Leo)

Pride Magazine 2012 Is Online

Pride Magazine 2012 is online in its entirety. Click on the link and hit full-screen to click through the title page by page. And keep an eye out for a piece (page 77) from our own Father Tony!

Secretary Of Defense Leon Panetta Issues Video Celebrating Gay Servicemembers

FL Teacher Arrested After Telling Students To Cut Demons Out Of Their Bodies

A Florida literacy teacher has been charged with child abuse after telling students to cut each other in order to allow the release of the demons which infected them.

Police say Danielle Harkins, 35, told half a dozen teens that they had demons inside them and the only way to get them out was to slice open their skin and then burn the wounds. She was charged with child abuse and held in jail on $55,000 bond, but police say the seven teenagers are still loyal to Harkins and they fear the teacher may have done much worse. Detectives said that two students were injured during the ritual, in which Harkins allegedly instructed the teens to cut each other. 'They would follow that up with some sort of cauterization of the wound to keep the evil spirits from getting back in to the body,' Mr Puetz said. Teens told investigators that Harkins used a lighter to cauterize the cuts, but the wind blew it out. She then poured some sort of perfume on a student and lit him on fire, causing second degree burns, in an attempt to 'brand' him.

Neighbors told the press that Harkins had "extreme religious beliefs."

Brian Brownshirt Blasts General Mills

"General Mills makes billions marketing cereal to parents of young children. It has now effectively declared a war on marriage with its own customers when it tells the country that it is opposed to preserving traditional marriage, which is what the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment does. This will go down as one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time. It's ludicrous for a big corporation to intentionally inject themselves into a divisive social issue like gay marriage. It's particularly dumb for a corporation that makes billions selling cereal to the very people they just opposed." - NOM president Brian Brownshirt, who is ever so pissed. Snork!

Quote Of The Day - Ken Charles

"We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy. We value diversity. We value inclusion. Obviously, there are strongly held views on both sides. We acknowledge those views, including those on religious grounds. We respect and defend the right of others to disagree. But we truly value diversity and inclusion - and that makes our choice clear." - General Mills vice president Ken Charles, in a letter posted to the company's web site.

Electoral Update: Obama Drops 26

The president had 270 electoral votes last week.

New From The RNC

VIRGINIA: Gay Judge Appointed

Despite his rejection by Virginia General Assembly, openly gay prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland has been appointed to the district court bench.

Thorne-Begland, whose appointment by Richmond Circuit Court judges will begin July 1, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “I am humbled by the circuit court’s decision.” “I look forward to serving the citizens of the city of Richmond as a jurist and, over the coming months, I hope that my service provides comfort to all Virginians that I remain committed to the faithful application of the laws and constitutions of Virginia and the United States of America,” he said.

The Assembly is expected to renew their objection when the next legislative session begins.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Pierce

"Despite the opposition of every major faith group — notably the Catholic Church — [Prime Minister] Cameron is arrogantly pressing ahead with an issue which excites his chums in the metropolitan elite, but which disregards the sentiments of millions of ordinary people who, as poll after poll has shown, are against it. Even some of the Prime Minister’s admirers concede that the policy has less to do with offering equality to the gay community and more to do with decontaminating the allegedly ‘toxic’ Tory brand. Perhaps the Prime Minister has calculated that anyone who stands up and argues against his proposals will be branded a homophobe and a bigot. Well, Mr Cameron, I am a Conservative and a homosexual, and I oppose gay marriage. Am I a bigot?" - Daily Mail columnist Andrew Pierce, in a column published yesterday.

Google Salutes "Gay" Searches

A subtle tribute. (Tipped by JMG reader Craig)

ALABAMA: Public Television Officials Fired For Objecting To Crackpot David Barton

The Alabama Educational Television Commission has fired two local PBS executives after they objected to the planned airing of a series by historical revisionist David Barton. Barton is known for claiming that there's a biblical basis to every aspect of American law.

AETC Commissioner Rodney Herring, an Opelika-based chiropractor, had provided the series to APT for broadcast consideration. Herring joined the commission last year and was elected board secretary in January. [snip] Herring was appointed by former Gov. Bob Riley, a Republican, in early 2011, according to [fired executive Pauline] Howland. She participated in the staff review of Barton’s series. The programs “talked about how our government forefathers were very religious men,” Howland said, “how the country was founded on religious principles, and how we need to go back to that.” The content “was very much advocating that position,” she said. Pizzato and his staff had “grave concerns” that the videos were inappropriate for public broadcasting due to their religious nature, Howland said.

Americans United has more.

SF To Get Gay Sports Bar

And it's called Hi Tops.

"You don't have to be a jock to like being in a sports bar," says Jesse Woodward, one of the co-owners of Hi Tops, which is the aforementioned gay sports bar that will be taking over the space recently vacated by Lime (2247 Market Street, between Noe and Sanchez). "It's going to be for everyone. You don't have to be someone who wants to watch sports on TV to want to hang out there." The concept is pretty simple: A neighborhood bar where you can watch the Giants game, eat some all-American bar food (with S.F. twists), and enjoy one of the best on-tap beer selections in the Castro. And they're hoping to be open in time for the World Series this fall. Something you won't find at Hi Tops: Bottomless mimosa brunch. "Our Sundays will have a distinctly different vibe than what the neighbors have been used to for the past few years," says Woodward.

(Via New York Magazine)

Watch Only If You've Seen Prometheus

This clip asks the unanswered questions. Lots of them.

Domestic Violence? Bullying? Robbing Old Ladies? It's JUST Like Eating Fish!!!

So says the latest idiocy from PETA.

Pentagon To Celebrate Pride Month

The Department of Defense has announced that they will recognize gay pride month.

Last summer, gays in the military dared not admit their sexual orientation. This summer, the Pentagon will salute them, marking gay pride month just as it marks other celebrations honoring racial or ethnic groups. Officials said Thursday that they're planning the first-ever event to recognize gay and lesbian troops. They declined to give details about what the event will be, but officials said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta feels it's important to recognize the service of gays in the armed forces.

The reactions to this will be delish.

ILLINOIS: Cook County Attorney Won't Defend Against Same-Sex Marriage Suit

The governor, the Attorney General, and now the state attorney of Cook County all support same-sex marriage in Illinois.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s office says she’ll submit a filing Thursday that indicates she agrees with several parts of two lawsuits challenging the same sex marriage ban in Illinois, in a move that signals another legal victory for proponents of same-sex marriage. Alvarez's office said it "will admit the salient allegations within the complaint and concede that the equal protection clause of the Illinois Constitution prohibits discrimination in the issuance of marriage licenses based upon sex or sexual orientation." "We are in agreement with the plaintiffs that Illinois laws that prohibit same sex marriage are unconstitutional. We believe the plaintiffs are correct in their assertion that the Illinois Constitution upholds marriage equality for same sex couples just as it does for opposite sex couples," the statement said.

Expect anti-gay groups to file to defend against the suit themselves.

UPDATE: The Thomas More Society is furious and says they will launch an attempt to intervene.

"We are disappointed in the Cook County State's Attorney's office for not defending this valid law, passed with broad bipartisan support in the General Assembly. While the plaintiff couples in this case are from hundreds of miles outside of Chicago, Lambda Legal and the ACLU sued only the Cook County Clerk and excluded from the case the local clerks for these couples. Today's announcement by State's Attorney Anita Alvarez makes it clear that this lawsuit was an 'inside job' from the beginning, a crass political move to force same sex marriage on all Illinoisans without providing the residents of the other 101 counties an opportunity to be heard. The Thomas More Society is preparing legal papers to defend the law and prevent this collusive end run around the will of the people of Illinois and their General Assembly."

About Yesterday's Craigslist Ad...

As many suspected (and hoped), it looks like it was a hoax.

Bryan Fischer Is Butthurt At New Yorker

I haven't mentioned it previously because the article is behind a paywall, but Bryan Fischer is rilly rilly pissed about the New Yorker's profile on him. Right Wing Watch has some juicy excerpts, most amusing of which is the news that Fischer's mother ran away with a city bus driver. That adulterous slut!

That Makes You Homosexual

A gay take on the boy band hit.

(Tipped by JMG reader Justin)

Just In From The AFA

"At least through Father's Day" sounds like a surrender.

Porn Star Erik Rhodes Dead At 30

Industry insiders are reporting across Twitter that famed gay porn star Erik Rhodes died of a heart attack this morning at the age of 30. Rhodes was a prolific blogger and frequently wrote of his heavy usage of both club drugs and bodybuilding steroids. With a chilling coda, Rhodes' final Tumblr post cited his most recent steroid cycle.

Lambda Legal Files Suit On Behalf Of Man Convicted Of Exposing Sex Partner To HIV

Lambda Legal has filed an appeal on behalf of a gay man originally sentenced to 25 years in prison for exposing a sex partner to HIV. The sentence was later reduced to five years of probation. The men used a condom during their one encounter and there was no transmission of HIV. Via press release:

"The law only applies to those who intend to expose others to HIV," said Christopher Clark, Senior Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal. "This conviction cannot stand because someone who engages in safe sex is not guilty of criminal transmission of HIV. Nick's use of a condom clearly indicates that he was protecting his sexual partner from exposure." In June 2008, Rhoades had a one-time sexual encounter with Adam Plendl during which they used a condom. Several days later, Plendl was told by a friend that Rhoades might be HIV-positive, and he contacted the police. The police arrested Rhoades in September 2008, and on the advice of his counsel, he pled guilty. Despite the fact that a condom was used and Mr. Plendl did not contract HIV, Rhoades was convicted of intentionally exposing Plendl to HIV. He received the maximum sentence: 25 years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Several months later, the court suspended his prison sentence, and he was placed on supervised probation for five years. On March 15, 2010, Rhoades filed an Application for Post-Conviction Relief, arguing that he had received ineffective assistance from his counsel who advised him to plead guilty. In December 2011, the court denied the application. Lambda Legal is representing Mr. Rhoades in his appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Unreal.

Billboard Of The Day

Kentucky's Creation Museum has a new campaign highlighting how the existence of dinosaurs totally validates the bible.

"Through animatronic dinosaurs that move realistically and a collection of real dinosaur fossils, the Creation Museum uses dinosaurs to help teach the true history of the world, according to the Bible," said Looy. "Evolutionists use dinosaurs as much as anything to promote their naturalistic worldview, but we show how they support the biblical worldview."

BRITAIN: Anti-Gay Christian Group Backs Church Of England's Marriage Position

A spokesbigot from Christian Concern appeared on Britain's Channel 5 yesterday to support the Church of England's opposition to same-sex marriage.

NOM Is A Vatican Front Group, Part 10

NOM will be joining the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for their "Fortnight For Freedom" campaign to end their oppression at the hands of homofascists.

Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country have scheduled special events that support a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty.

From NOM's blog:

As our supporters well know, the redefinition of marriage also poses immediate and grave risks to religious liberty in this country, which is one of the reasons why we track issues related to marriage and religious liberty closely on our blog, have established a Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, and continue to be actively vigilant when individuals and institutions have their core civil liberties attacked and diminished simply because their faith inspires them to be pro-marriage. We will be announcing more opportunities for our supporters to participate in the Fortnight for Freedom leading up to June 21st. We entreat your prayers and invite you to prepare to participate actively in the meantime!

TRAILER: Magic Mike

Naughty bits within.

Get Your Own Magic Underwear

Dan Savage points us to Mormon's Secret:

The ancestors of Team Mahonri Moriancumer designed and fabricated the very first Mormon temple garments in 1842. Each of us are related to one or more of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Seamsters, a secretive but important group in early Mormon history. Our genealogy clearly shows that by May of 2012, our families will have been directing the creation and production of magical Mormon underwear for 170 years. You could say this particular Mormon secret is a family secret.

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson: I Will Spend $100 Million To Elect Mitt Romney

Forbes reports today that billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has vowed to spend $100 million of his own money to get Mitt Romney elected. Maybe even more.

Adelson, who has built Las Vegas Sands into an global casino empire, will do “whatever it takes” to defeat Obama, this source says. And given that Adelson is worth $24.9 billion–and told Forbes in a recent rare interview about his political giving that he had been willing to donate as much as $100 million to his initial presidential preference, Newt Gingrich–that “limitless” description telegraphs potential nine-digit support of Romney. Adelson, this source continues, believes that “no price is too high” to protect the U.S. from what he sees as Obama’s “socialization” of America, as well as securing the safety of Israel. He added that Adelson, 78, considers this to be the most important election of his lifetime.

NEW YORK CITY: Chelsea Condo Owners Seek To Close Folsom Street East

New York City's Folsom Street East Fair is this Sunday and Jeremiah Moss reports that the owners of luxury condos nearby have petitioned the local community board to end the fair. Moss' site Vanishing New York has a quote from a resident:

Residents from several surrounding buildings have passed fliers asking our residents to write to the Community Board to relocate or totally eliminate Folsom Street East because "fetish" fairs shouldn't be allowed so close to so many residential buildings. There's word that a petition of some sort will be circulated but I'm not exactly sure what the details are. A letter was written to the Community Board asking how they can assure residents access to the building without having to walk through the fair itself. Another suggestion was to move it to the next block where it's bordered (for now) by commercial on two sides, Con Ed to the north, and West Street. The primary issue for us at 540 W 28th isn't the Eagle or even Folsom Street East. It's allowing residents access to the building without having to go through the fair itself. Other residents of the surrounding buildings and even my own building may have additional concerns with regard to the lewd conduct and nudity in full view from their units.

Moss and many others (including myself) have long pondered the future of the newly fancy West 28th Street. He writes:

Last year, when the second part of the High Line opened, I wondered how long the sex-positive Folsom Street East festival would survive on West 28th, now that the once-desolate block has become a destination for tourists and condo-buyers. Soon after, I looked at the arrival of massive condo-box Avalon West Chelsea, coming to the same block, right across the street from the Eagle gay leather bar, and predicted that the Eagle would not last much longer, either.

Folsom Street East tells Moss that they've not directly received any complaints, but have made some changes to the fair's layout this year to accommodate the new residents of the street.

We were surprised because we haven't been contacted by anyone. Folsom Street East is a community event, and is eager to work with the neighbors. We observed certain issues last year, so one of the ways we have adjusted the fair this year is to provide a 5-foot-wide sidewalk along the buildings that goes from 11th Avenue down to the condos at 540 W. 28th Street. That way residents don't have to walk through the attendees in the street. They will be able to walk alongside the buildings and enter their own home as usual.

It's the oldest story in Manhattan. A formerly shitty area full of gay clubs, titty bars, and danger suddenly becomes posh. And out goes the nightlife.

Obama Boy - I Have A Crush On Obama

(Via Andrew Belonsky)

Sunday In New York City

GOP Group: It's Time To Bomb Iran

From the war hawks calling themselves the Emergency Committee For Israel, who says it's well past time to bomb Iran. Buzzfeed has more:

The "significant" ad buy will air in New York and Washington DC beginning today, on Sunday political shows, and during weekend sporting events, with additional markets to follow next week, according to the group. The ad comes as the next round of nuclear talks with Iran will take place in Moscow next week, discussions that have yielded little in the past. The Obama administration has maintained that it has instituted the toughest sanction's yet on the country, though ECI, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency, says that in the meantime Iran has enriched enough Uranium to build five nuclear bombs. "President Obama has spent four years talking, Iran has spent four years building," the narrator says ominously. “Obama is still talking, and Iran has enough fuel for five nuclear bombs...Talking isn’t working. It’s time to act — before it’s too late.”

Another Pinkwashing Controversy

In the spring of 2013, the Center for Gay & Lesbian Studies at City University of New York plans to stage a conference titled “Homonationalism and Pinkwashing.” And that's got some folks very upset.

“This conference is not an academic exercise designed to promote and encourage different points of view on LGBT issues; it is simply a venue to criticize Israel for the most absurd reasons,” Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League told The Algemeiner. ”The academic community should find the conference abhorrent, because it disregards the key aspects faced by the LGBT community which is global repression in many other countries.” “The conference smacks of an effort to discredit Israel,” Foxman said. conference, scheduled for April of 2013, will examine what its planners claim is a concerted effort by Israel to market its positive relationship with the gay community to detract from the “oppression of Palestinians”.

The Graduate Center at CUNY defended its hosting of the conference saying it is supportive of providing a platform for students to discuss issues from different perspectives. “As a diverse and intellectually robust institution, the Graduate Center embraces the academic tradition of providing a forum for discussion across the spectrum of ideas and points of view,” Jane Trombley, Executive Director for Communications at CUNY’s Graduate Center said in an email to The Algemeiner. “With the proposed conference sponsored by The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) still 8-9 months out, it is too early to comment on any specifics concerning the event.”

The conference is also opposed by the group HE'BRO, which promotes gay Jewish social events around New York City.

Liberal Anti-Mormonism On Rise

According to a new poll, liberals are increasingly anti-Mormon. But check out how the wingnuts at Breitbart.com spin this revelation.

American liberals are the new face of anti-Mormonism, according to a new study by American National Election Studies (ANES). According to ANES, 35 percent of Americans in February said they weren’t inclined to vote for a Mormon, an upswing of 9 percent from 2007. But while the press has suggested that anti-Mormon sentiment springs largely from the Evangelical Christian community, the study shows something different: while 36 percent of Evangelicals don’t like Mormonism, 41 percent of liberals don’t like it, up 20 percent form 2007. Moderates also swung up 10 percent in terms of dislike for Mormons. According to the study, these statistics will be important come November – feelings about Mormonism are the best predictor of whether someone will vote for Mitt Romney. The study does suggest that anti-Mormon Republicans will stay home in November. Liberal tolerance is a popular catchphrase among the press opinion-makers. Increasingly, it’s also a myth when it comes to Mormons.

Concerned Women Are Concernstipated That Christian Women Won't Vote

From the new site:

With only half of the Christians in the United States currently registered to vote, and even less actually voting, we have an incredible opportunity in the next election to turn the tide as we get out the vote! Together we will change the course of our nation through prayer, voter registration, canvassing, identification, turnout and more.

Cazwell - Rice And Beans

The usual from NYC's gay rapper. Naughty bits ahead.

FRC: Obama Has Lost NC

Backlash For Carrie Underwood

Open Thread Thursday

Outside of LGBT rights, what causes do you support?

MINNESOTA: General Mills Announces Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage Ban!

Minnesotans United announces!

Fortune 500 Company General Mills has just announced that the Golden Valley, MN corporation opposes the constitutional amendment seeking to limit the freedom to marry for committed same-sex couples in Minnesota. Sign our petition today thanking General Mills for supporting all Minnesota families!

Suck it, NOM!

Pay The Gay Away

Via JMG reader Sean Chapin, who also provided the headline. Source.

Burger King Launches Bacon Sundae

This should get PETA in an uproar.

Burger King wants to lure customers this summer with a barbecue party - and a bacon sundae. The world's second biggest hamburger chain on Thursday is launching several pork, beef and chicken sandwiches as limited time offers. And for a sweet ending, the company is also offering a bacon sundae - vanilla soft serve with fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon - that started in Nashville, Tenn. earlier this year. The salty-sweet dessert clocks in at 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar.

My love for bacon knows no bounds...wait, maybe it does.

FRC Launches Prayer Rally Against Gays

On the Family Research Council's Call2Fall page, you can find the below prayers for God to thwart civil rights for gay American. Via the "prayer targets" link:

May the President realize that he is an example and that his actions have an impact for good or for evil! May God wash our nation of the moral dullness and spiritual filth that is covering us as a result of this misguided, evil proclamation! May the Boy Scouts continue to resist pressure to yield to this ungodly agenda (Ps 51:6-7; Is 1:16-20; Jer 2:19-3:15; 4:14; Acts 22:16; Jude 7).

May America become fully acquainted with ENDA and its ominous consequences, and may they demand that their Congressmen and Senators reject it! (Ex 18:21-22a; Pr 28:4; Is 5:20; 59:15; 2 Th 2:7-12)

May the Lord lead each Justice to uphold DOMA and the right of the voters to amend their constitution to uphold marriage as between a man and woman! (Ex 18:20; Dt 16:18-19; Pr 28:4; Lk 12:11-12; Jn 7:24; 1 Tim 2:1-8)

Marriott Welcomes Gay Weddings

Box Turtle Bulletin tips us that the Mormon-owned Marriott chain has begun welcoming gay weddings at their hotels.

Marriott hotels provide ideal venues for ceremonies honoring you and your partner. With luxurious hotels and stunning resorts all around the world, we offer the perfect settings and Planning Services for your most special day. Continue the magic of your union with the perfect honeymoon. With our Honeymoon Gift Registry, we make it possible for your friends and family to provide the get-away of your dreams.

GOProud's Jimmy LaSalvia Applauds Conservatives Who Back Marriage Equality

He Saved Us All From The Asian Flu

Through the power of rebuking it in the name of Jeebus!

House Hunters Is Fake?

So claims one couple that appeared on the show.

The website Hooked on Houses claims to have conclusive first-hand proof that HGTV’s ‘House Hunters,’ which follows people as they search for a new home, is heavily scripted. Wait, you mean the couple from Montana didn’t want the three-bedroom, 2.5 bath fixer-upper??? According to Bobi Jensen, who appeared on the show six years ago, she and her husband were cast after they’d already closed on another house. In fact, many of the homes they toured as part of the show weren’t even on the market. “The ones we looked at weren’t even for sale…they were just our two friends’ houses who were nice enough to madly clean for days in preparation for the cameras!” she said. What’s more, Jensen said she and her husband were asked to film multiple takes of staged conversations. “My hubby hates being fake, so the fact that they had us do 5 or 6 takes on each scene drove him nuts,” she said.

RELATED: The House Hunters drinking game.UPDATE: A reader reminds me that two years ago I proposed my own House Hunters drinking game.

I propose a new drinking game based on the catch phrases of House Hunters. One shot each for: Upgrade. Vaulted. Outdated. Flow. Jack and Jill. Hardwood. Backsplash. Bonus room. Man cave. Curb appeal. Crown molding. Two shots for every time the husband says "fabulous" or "plantation shutters."

Hope For The Future

Talking Points Memo:

Young Americans are abandoning God in droves. A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that belief in the existence of God has dropped 15 points in the last five years among Americans 30 and under. Pew, which has been studying the trend for 25 years, finds that just 68 percent of millennials in 2012 agree with the statement “I never doubt the existence of God.” That’s down from 76 percent in 2009 and 83 percent in 2007. Among other generations, belief in God is high and has seen few changes over the last few decades. Between 81 and 89 percent of older generations say they never doubt the existence of God, although the older the generation, the more likely they are to believe in God.

(Tipped by JMG reader BStewart23)

Starbucks Ponders NYC's Sugar Ban

The three month public comment period on Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on "large sugared drinks" has commenced. And Starbucks is trying to figure out how, if at all, the pending law might affect them.

Officials in City Hall and in Seattle said they were unsure how those rules might affect the Starbucks family of syrupy, milkshake-style coffee drinks, catnip to thousands of caffeine-addicted New Yorkers who frequent the company’s 190 outlets in Manhattan. “It’s hard for us to give a definitive word on which of our beverages would be impacted by the proposal,” said Linda Mills, a Starbucks spokeswoman, although she said the company was confident that many of its drinks would fall outside the proposed ban. The Starbucks question — complicated by the varying amounts of ice, sugar and milk in each customized drink — is just one of the ambiguities facing the city as it begins a three-month public comment period on the proposed rules. On Tuesday, the Board of Health, which has final say over the rules, agreed to consider the proposal formally at its next meeting, in September.

Insiders believe that unless the mayor succumbs to growing pressure to withdraw his bill, his appointed heads at the Department of Health will rubber-stamp the measure. Most affected would be fast food outlets, movie theaters, and street vendors. Grocery and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven would be exempt.