Sunday, October 07, 2012

Afternoon View - Castro Street Fair

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Jon Stewart Vs Bill O'Reilly

Andrew Belonsky reports at Towleroad:
Move over Mitt and Barack, because there's a far more rambunctious, exciting debate duo in town: Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly. The men met at George Washington University in DC last night for "O'Reilly v Stewart 2012: the Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium," an event moderated by CNN's ED Hill and that featured the men facing-off on almost every subject under the sun, including the role of government, the attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya and Cairo and the ethics of government subsidies. Wondered Stewart, "Why is it if you take advantage of a tax break as a corporation you're a smart businessman, but if you take advantage of a tax break as a person you're a moocher?"
This clip may not live long on YouTube.

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Longtime JMG Reader Weds In NYC

Father Tony performed the wedding of another JMG reader this weekend in NYC! Tony writes:
Last night at City Winery, I joined in marriage long time JMG reader and past NYC Pride March director Maurice Michaane (right) and Dr. Michael Owen.  I spoke to the two families—Brooklyn Jewish and Kentucky Presbyterian — about how this ceremony represents the fruition of the Judeo-Christian tradition this country is rooted in, but in a way probably never envisioned by our founding fathers who would have, nevertheless, in their appreciation of freedom, approved. I began the recital of the traditional Jewish seven blessings by chanting the first two in Hebrew. I prefaced a reading from an epistle of St Paul by noting that some Christians use the words of St Paul against this type of union but if we listen to what Paul—a Jewish to Christian convert—says about love, it is clear that he would have been happy to be at this celebration.
The wedding was reported upon by the New York Times.  Father Tony accepts no payment for performing these ceremonies but does suggest a donation to the Ali Forney Center.  Write him at FatherTonyAdams@Facebook.com.

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Press Release Of The Day

Now being promoted by Christian Newswire:
Announcing Free DVD's for all U.S. Pastors of the irrefutable evidence that HIV AIDS is being healed and lepers are being cleansed. These HIV AIDS healing miracles are verified and certified by our very own Atlanta, Georgia based Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and a myriad of medical doctors. In addition, the drama continues as the lepers are being cleansed today in biblical fashion the likes of which planet earth and the church have not witnessed since Jesus walked among us 2000 years ago!
We're sure the CDC is startled by this news.

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Why Obama Now


(Tipped by JMG reader Sean)

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Morning View - Castro Theater

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NAACP Head Speaks To HRC

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HomoQuotable - Rex Wockner

"In this age of YouTube and Facething and the Twitter, is it possible to 'win' a presidential debate and then turn around and lose the same debate once the stupid stuff you said is replayed and replayed on-demand? It's all about Big Bird now. And poor Jim Lehrer, he winced. Maybe that's why Jim was so off his game. Mittens ran over him from the get-go with that threat to defund him and pluck Big Bird. Will the Internet and the news media turn Mitten's win into a loss?" - Veteran gay reporter Rex Wockner, writing on his personal blog.

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Saturday, October 06, 2012

Evening View - Castro Trolley

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Debate Highlights Songified

Another winner from Brooklyn's Gregory Brothers.

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New E-Book About Dan Savage

New York Times reporter Mark Oppenheimer has published a short e-book about Dan Savage.  You might recall that Oppenheimer moderated the debate between Savage and Brian Brown. From the book's Amazon description:
There are many Dan Savages: the author of the Savage Love advice column, syndicated around the country; the radio essayist beloved by This American Life fans; the author of a best-selling book about his gay marriage, and another about his son’s open adoption; the prankster who ruined Rick Santorum’s life; and the founder of the “It Gets Better” anti-bullying campaign. But never before have we glimpsed Savage’s whole life, from his Catholic-school days, raised by a Chicago cop and a housewife, to his current role as a unique American character. For he is unique: while there are many gay and lesbian celebrities, nearly all of them, from Ellen DeGeneres to Elton John, began their careers in the closet. Savage, on the other hand, has always been out and proud. He is thus a pivotal figure in LGBTQ history — and a fascinating man, brought vividly to life in this thrilling e-book.
The book is available now.

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Take The 'R' Train

The Third Eagle Of the Apocalypse and Co-Prophet Of The End Times wants you to take the "R Train." Because Obama is a gay.

Source.

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Birdmosque

JMG reader Bill tips us to this item selling on Fab.com:
“Products have a habit of disappearing because of their functionality,” Frederik Roijé has notably said. To prevent this, he breathes life into his characteristically rigid, monochrome creations by emphasizing the process that led to their fruition. This Holy Homes Birdmosque provides a sleek space for your feathered friends to seek spiritual enlightenment. Made of porcelain and accented with a gold-toned twig, the birdhouse is a playfully understated, pint-sized version of classic religious architecture.
Bill suggests that it would make a marvelous Hanukkah gift for Pam Geller.

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Jason Gould - Morning Prayer

Barbra Streisand's openly gay son Jason Gould is about to issue his first EP, which becomes available on iTunes and Amazon next Tuesday.  Gould will be touring with his mother and makes his live stage debut with Babs on Monday at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Stadium.   Click over to Stargayzing for David Munk's in-depth and frank interview with Gould.

Fox News: Jobless Numbers Are Faked

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UK Psychology Group Tells Members That "Ex-Gay" Therapy Is Forbidden

Britain's largest psychotherapy group has told its members that "ex-gay" or "reparative therapy" is now officially forbidden. Via James Watkins at Law On The Web:
The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) wrote to its near 30,000 members to inform them that so-called gay conversion therapy was now officially off-limits to them, after discovering that some members were still offering the controversial ‘treatments’. Lesley Pilkington was one such member. Last year, the BACP found her guilty of malpractice after being exposed by an undercover journalist to be offering “gay cure” therapies. Mrs Pilkington told the journalist that homosexuality is a mental illness akin to depression, with addictive qualities akin to alcoholism. Mrs Pilkington was struck off, and her appeal was rejected in May of this year.  The letter from the BACP states that “BACP opposes any psychological treatment such as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or based on the premise that the client/patient should change his/her sexuality.” In the letter, the BACP adds that they recognise that “the diversity of human sexualities is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment”.
Note that the British group makes no distinction regarding children or adults.

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Morning View - Sunbeam Cat

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Now Seen In The NYC Subway

The top billboard is from United Methodist Women and reads: "Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed." The bottom message from Rabbis For Human Rights will go up shortly.  Pam Geller says she welcomes the competing messages as she is a "defender of free speech." (Tipped by JMG reader David)

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Rep. Paul Broun Explains Science

"All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell. And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior. You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth. I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.  What I’ve come to learn is that it’s the manufacturer’s handbook, is what I call it.  It teaches us how to run our lives individually, how to run our families, how to run our churches. But it teaches us how to run all of public policy and everything in society. And that’s the reason as your congressman I hold the holy Bible as being the major directions to me of how I vote in Washington, D.C., and I’ll continue to do that." - Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), speaking at Liberty Baptist Church.

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The Next Issue Of New Yorker


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George Takei For Obama

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HomoQuotable - Fran Lebowitz

"The idea—and not just the idea, the actual life of homosexuals—changed immeasurably because of the acceptance of homosexuality. And that was because of AIDS. No one ever says that. Or how AIDS caused gay marriage. I mean, it would never have existed. You could pretend to your family that you were straight, but you couldn't pretend you weren't dying. And also, people became scared, not just of AIDS, which was a sufficient reason to be terrified, but also because—and this is the other thing no one ever says—the way that AIDS spread, by which I mean the rapidity, which was caused by a level of promiscuity that never existed before or since. And I really believe that people made these kinds of bargains with themselves. You know, I'm not saying I have this on the record but from what I could see from the people I know who survived that era, it was like, 'don't kill me and I won't do this anymore.'

"Also, most straight people never thought about gay people before AIDS, which is why I could publish this stuff, go on a national television show and never be asked about it, in the way you are asking me about it. They would focus on other things. And after AIDS, I think that [homosexual] people were afraid of a kind of official response to AIDS, like they would be arrested, or put in jail, all these kind of things, which are not unlikely things, by the way, and so they made up a lie. 'We're just like you. We are just like you, we're exactly like you.' But of course, they were not exactly like straight people. They were nothing like straight people." - Fran Lebowitz, in a lengthy interview with The Awl that touches on gay heteronormativity, AIDS, and New York City in the 1970s. Highly recommended. (Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

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Friday, October 05, 2012

AFGHANISTAN: Married Lesbian Soldier Killed In Suicide Bomber Attack

The American Military Partner Association makes a grim announcement on its Facebook page:
In memory of Army Staff Sgt. Donna R. Johnson who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our nation in a suicide bomber attack while on patrol in Afghanistan, on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. Staff Sgt Johnson is survived by her wife Tracy Dice. In days to come, the American Military Partner Association will be sharing more of the story of Donna & Tracy and their commitment to each other and our nation. We ask for your continued thoughts, prayers, and privacy for Tracy and her family during this difficult time.
The Army Times has published an Associated Press report.
The remains of Sgt. Donna R. Johnson, 29, of Raeford, Sgt. Jeremy F. Hardison, 23, of Browns Summit and Sgt. Thomas J. Butler IV, 25, of Leland, were flown into Dover Air Force Base Tuesday evening. The three died Monday in Khost, Afghanistan, after an insurgent detonated a suicide vest while the guardsmen were on patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, which is based in Winterville. The bomber struck about 9 a.m., shortly after the troops got out of their vehicles to walk through a market area in Khost, located in the eastern part of the country. The others killed included an Afghan translator working with the American troops, four local police officers and six civilians. Three more American soldiers were wounded, according to a military spokesman. About 60 Afghan civilians were also injured. A Taliban spokesman contacted Western media to claim responsibility shortly after the attack.
The AP notes that both of the other two soldiers killed had wives, but makes no mention of Sgt. Johnson's wife, who also serves in the military.

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New From Paul Ryan's House Opponent

This is Rob Zerban's first television ad.

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Romney Slams Jobless Figures

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What Do You Bid On This Showcase?

The Price Is Right has named its first-ever male model. More possibly not work-friendly photos can be seen at Buzzfeed.

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Good Morning America Weatherman Sam Champion Reveals Engagement To A Man

Queerty blogger Dan Avery notes that Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion revealed his engagement to a man to a New York Times reporter covering the wedding of MSNBC host Thomas Roberts.
Among the 170 or so guests at the reception was Sam Champion, the weather anchor at ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He took a turn on the dance floor with his partner, the photographer Rubem Robierb. “We’re getting married New Year’s Eve in Miami,” Mr. Champion said in the spirit of the moment. Mr. Robierb corrected him: “We’ll do it here officially, and then have a party in Miami.”
Champion's gayness has certainly been no secret as he's appeared at several major LGBT functions here in New York City.  As it doesn't appear that Champion has previously "officially" come out, Avery ponders, "Is this another example of this new trend in low-key celebrity outings?"

UPDATE: Towleroad points out that Champion's engagement has just been announced by ABC.

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MAINE: Hate Group Leader Tony Perkins Orders Pastors To Raise Money To Fight Civil Rights

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VIRGINIA: Eugene Delgaudio Denounces God-Hating Liberals At County Meeting

Wednesday night the Board of Supervisors for Loudoun County, Virginia voted to spend $15,000 for an internal investigation of the charges that Eugene Delgaudio used county employees to perform fundraising work for his anti-gay hate group, Public Advocate. Delgaudio, who voted in favor of the investigation, spoke to the board. Here's a snippet of his tirade:
What an honor to be a substitute for Sarah Palin and Chick-fil-A in the media. The suicide bombers of the political left pull their own rings on their detonation devices as they advance on me, and Sterling, and all honest-to-God conservatives. Liberals blow themselves up as they approach me with their fantastic lies about what I do, and what all normal God-fearing Americans do, and I’ll explain that. The liberals destroy themselves with misrepresentations, mistruth, libel, slander, exaggeration and outright falsehoods, and victimize many innocent victims. This form of propaganda madness does no one any good. And they have failed and they will fail – four times with me. In my style, I often give you a hyperbole alert. OK, here it is, hyperbole alert: Around here in Washington, all you have to say is quote, ‘The Washington Post reports.’ Quote, unquote. The Washington Post has printed attacks on me for years; when I first came here in 1982, and probably a dozen times since I’ve been elected as supervisor. They oppose me and all Christians for taking a stand in support of the Boy Scouts traditional marriage and, yes, even eating chicken at the restaurant of your choice.
Delgaudio closed by characterizing himself as a "small David" fighting against the "foul-smelling, decaying corpse of the Washington Post."  The video of his speech is not embeddable but you can watch it here (Tipped by JMG reader Blair)

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Justice Antonin Scalia Tells Wingnuts:
It's Easy To Rule Against LGBT Rights

Yesterday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a conservative Washington think tank that it's "easy" to rule against LGBT rights.
"The death penalty? Give me a break. It's easy. Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion. Homosexual sodomy? Come on. For 200 years, it was criminal in every state," Scalia said at the American Enterprise Institute. He contrasted his style of interpretation with that of a colleague who tries to be true to the values of the Constitution as he applies them to a changing world. This imaginary justice goes home for dinner and tells his wife what a wonderful day he had, Scalia said. This imaginary justice, Scalia continued, announces that it turns out "'the Constitution means exactly what I think it ought to mean.' No kidding."
Scalia also complained that it is too difficult to amend the U.S. Constitution. Mitt Romney has signed NOM's pledge to work to ban same-sex marriage in the federal constitution. Such an attempt could be thwarted by only 13 dissenting states.

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War Criminal Allen West Claims Obama Has "Cooked" The New Jobless Numbers

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Loose Cabin Seats Forces American Airlines To Cancel Dozens Of Flights

American Airlines has cancelled about 100 flights while they check their aircraft for more loose seats.
Airline officials said late Thursday that they had come up with a fix for the seats, and they began pulling 48 Boeing 757s out of service to make repairs. All the planes should be back in service by Saturday. The seat repairs, however, could inconvenience thousands of passengers. American said the work caused it to cancel 50 flights on Thursday and 44 on Friday. Each 757 that American operates in the U.S. has 188 seats. Since last week, seats have come loose on three American Airlines flights involving 757s that had been recently refurbished. The seats had been removed and reinstalled as part of the work. Federal officials said they are continuing a safety investigation into the events at the nation's third-biggest airline. American originally said the problem was due to a clamp that holds rows of seats to tracks on the aircraft floor. But officials offered a new explanation Thursday, saying that a combination of wear, poor design and even soda spilled into the tracks caused pins to pop out of the grooves.

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TheFour: Jay-Z For Marriage

Details.

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CANADA: Supreme Court Rules Failure To Disclose HIV Is Not Always A Crime

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the failure to disclose an HIV+ status is not a crime as long as the person has a low viral load and uses a condom. Prosecutors from two provinces had demanded that any failure to disclose should remain illegal.
The ruling still leaves open the possibility that charges could still be laid against those who are reckless and who fail to take steps to avoid transmitting the potentially fatal virus.  In deciding two cases -- one in Manitoba and one in Quebec -- the court clarified a ruling it made in 1998 on the issue of HIV disclosure. Under that ruling, those who failed to disclose their HIV status could be charged with sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault if there was "a significant risk of bodily harm." But the court said Friday there have been huge advances in HIV management since then. Those advances include antiretroviral medications that can keep levels of the virus so low, they are almost undetectable. The court said as long as the HIV carrier has a "low load" of the virus and wears a condom, they are not legally obligated to inform their sex partners of their status. It said convictions would be warranted only if there were "a realistic possibility" of transmission.
Both of the above-cited cases involved heterosexual encounters. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Action Network says they are disappointed that the Court did not strike down HIV disclosure laws entirely. The group's leader said, "We can’t expect after-the-fact criminal prosecutions are going to protect people. People have to take a certain amount of personal responsibility here." (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

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NOM Demands: Vote Catholic

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MAINE: Despite SCOTUS Loss, NOM Continues To Evade Donor Disclosure

Via press release from Mainers United:
In a campaign finance report filed Thursday with the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, NOM reported raising and spending more than $250,000 to influence Question 1 on the November ballot. Question 1 would allow same-sex couples to receive a marriage license from the state while protecting religious freedom. In a practice that dates back to 2009, however, NOM refuses to identify the sources of its contributions, the majority of which were funneled to the Protect Marriage Maine PAC, and continues to flout Maine’s campaign finance disclosure laws, which require disclosure of contributions of more than $50 for PACs and more than $100 for Ballot Question Committees. “In 2009, NOM raised and spent $1.9 million to deny same-sex couples the freedom to marry,” said Matt McTighe, campaign manager for Mainers United for Marriage. “This year, the organization has already laundered a quarter of a million dollars into the anti-marriage campaign – with more to come – and once again it refuses to disclose where the money comes from. Our campaign is proud of the nearly 14,000 donors who have contributed to the campaign to win the freedom to marry in Maine. NOM continues to hide in the shadows.”
Read NOM's Maine form.

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DNC Slams Romney Over Big Bird

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New York City Begins Meningitis Vaccinations For High-Risk HIV+ Men

Today the New York City Department of Health began offering free meningitis vaccinations to high-risk HIV+ men at nine locations across the five boroughs.
The Department is advising vaccinations for any man who is HIV positive and has had intimate contact with another man that he met through a website, digital application (“App”), or at a bar or party since September 1, 2012. Vaccine will be available starting Friday at medical facilities throughout the city for men who meet these criteria but who cannot obtain it from their HIV care providers. The outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease among HIV-positive men in New York City is completely unrelated to the outbreak of meningitis in several states that is caused by a contaminated medication. Vaccination prevents but does not treat current infection. Common symptoms of meningitis are high fever, headache, stiff neck, and rash that develop rapidly upon onset. Symptoms may occur 2 to 10 days after exposure, but usually within 5 days. People who are HIV-positive and who experience these symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
There have been four deaths since this spate of cases began. We applaud the New York City government for their rapid response.

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Sally Quinn: Atheism Is Un-American

"This is a religious country. Part of claiming your citizenship is claiming a belief in God, even if you are not Christian. We’ve got the Creator in our Declaration of Independence. We’ve got 'In God We Trust' on our coins. We’ve got 'one nation under God' in our Pledge of Allegiance. And we say prayers in the Senate and the House of Representatives to God. An atheist could never get elected dog catcher, much less president. (Democratic Rep. Pete Stark of California is a nontheist but doesn’t talk much about it). Up until now, the idea of being American and believing in God were synonymous. [snip] If Obama wants to win the next debate, he needs to wear God, as much as it offends him to do so." - Sally Quinn, writing for the Washington Post.

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Obama Campaign Slams Debate Lies

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Headline Of The Day

The September jobless rate is out and the news is good for the president.
The nation's unemployment rate dropped to the lowest it has been since early in 2009 in September, providing a potential upbeat talking point for President Barack Obama in the days left before the presidential election. The Labor Department reported Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September, a decline of 0.3 percentage point and the lowest since January 2009. It was the first time the jobless rate has fallen below 8 percent in almost four years. The government said the economy created 114,000 jobs, about as expected, and generated 86,000 more jobs in July and August than first estimated.
Some right-wing sites are already screaming that the numbers have been faked. Others point out correctly that the increase in jobs does not match the rise in population.

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Adele - Skyfall

Here's the full track.

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WND Continues "Gay Obama" Lies

Having gotten nowhere with his birther claims, crackpot Jerome Corsi today continued with World Net Daily's latest campaign to prove that President Obama is secretly gay. This time Corsi is claiming that the Obamas' marriage was arranged by Jesse Jackson, who apparently knew who was going to be president more than 20 years in the future.
Jackson explained to Michelle that she would live a life of luxury once Obama was president, and that she never again would have to worry about money. “Michelle was nasty, and most straight guys would never be able to put up with her moods and temperament,” Robyn maintained. “But Obama really didn’t care. Michelle had the credentials and she looked the part. Obama wasn’t interested in her for sex.” A source WND will identify as Hazel, a long-term member of the Trinity congregation, insisted Obama remained sexually involved with men after his marriage to Michelle. “I remember being at this function at Reverend Wright’s house, one of the many parties Wright had, in 1996,” Hazel recalled. “I went to the room where all the coats were on the bed, because I wanted to leave. I was surprised to find the light in the room was off and the coats were on the floor,” she said. “Then I realized there were two men hugging and kissing in there. One of those men was Obama. This was long before anybody knew Obama, before he became famous like he is today.”

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Taiwan Animators On The Debate

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Nate Silver's Electoral Update

Source.


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Drunk Driving SF Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone Pleads To Lesser Charge

On Monday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone pleaded guilty to reckless driving rather than face trial for his drunk driving arrest in August.
A spokeswoman with the City Attorney's Office said the reduction is commonly offered in cases in which no bad driving is noted and suspects had fair to moderate performances on field sobriety tests, among other factors. Cordileone was placed on three years’ probation and ordered to pay a fine. He also will have to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim-impact panel and a three-month first conviction program through the state Department of Motor Vehicles. After his arrest, he issued a statement saying he was stopped when driving his mother home after having dinner at the home of some friends. He said his blood-alcohol level was over the 0.08 percent limit for California drivers. Court records show it measured 0.11 percent within three hours of the stop. Cordileone apologized for his “error in judgment” and asked for forgiveness from his family, friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and Archdiocese of San Francisco.
RELATED: Yesterday GetEQUAL and other groups protested Cordileone's official installation as Archbishop. More photos here.

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CHINA: Gay Couple Marries As Huge Crowd Looks On And Cheers

Gay Star News reports:
Lu Zhong and Liu Wangqiang, 24 and 20 respectively, wowed their hometown of Ningde on Tuesday (2 Oct), a day after the national day, as their cascade of wedding cars paraded the city’s roads and parks and showcased their love. With the newly-weds attracting as many as 1000 onlookers, according to the West Strait Morning Post, Liu Hua-sheng, a well-wishing taxi driver, described the scene as being "grander than the Chinese New Year." The evening climaxed when Lu and Liu, clad in black-and-white wedding suits, kissed each other on the lips.  In China where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized and homosexuality often frowned at, Lu and Liu’s love has been nothing short of high-profile for the public. 
One of the grooms claims that the local government sent "ruffians with clubs" to look for them, but  the ceremony went off without interference.

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NY Sen. Ruben Diaz: Don't Vote For Homo-Loving Democrats Or Republicans

"Last year, people of faith – Jews, Muslims and Christians (Catholic and Protestants) – saw how the Democrats and Republicans, led by Governor Andrew Cuomo, forced same-sex marriage laws on us. I believe that the moment has come when we need to stand firm and protect our communities, our beliefs and our principles.In this upcoming election on Tuesday November 6th, we need to send a message to the State of New York and to the entire nation. Enough is enough – not Democrats, not Republicans, we might be better off voting on the Conservative Line. Our commitment to our faith, beliefs and our religions, force us to work for the betterment of social, spiritual, economic, moral and educational conditions of our communities – once and for all, we need to stop allowing people to take us for granted. I am State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know." - New York Sen. Ruben Diaz, via press release.

Diaz has also created a YouTube channel just for the Spanish version of his message. Here's a short translation via my pal and fellow blogger Andres Duque:
Send out a protest vote. Send out a rebel vote. Send out a vote of integrity. Defend your values. Defend your principles. Defend what the Bible says. Defend what your forefathers and grandparents taught you. Defend morals, family values, traditional values. No Democrats or Republicans. I ask you to vote straight down the conservative line. Send a clear message that we are conservative.

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Airport Wheelchair Fakery On The Rise

The New York Times notes that as airport security waits have lengthened, the number of people pretending to need airline-supplied wheelchairs seems to have risen as travelers realize that they'll get pushed to the head of the line.
Sometimes the fraud happens in plain sight: a customer waiting in line will suddenly request a chair after seeing one whiz through security, said Evelyn Danquah, a wheelchair pusher for Delta Air Lines. The more dramatic will suddenly start walking with a limp. “When they see that the line is so long,” she said, “they just ask for a wheelchair.” Ms. Danquah said their recoveries can happen just as quickly: almost as soon as security is cleared, some stand up and walk off. At first it shocked her, she said, but she explained that now she was used to it. Dubinder Kaur, another wheelchair attendant for Delta, agreed: “They say, ‘Ma’am, I feel better — I can go by myself.'" As security checks have become increasingly stringent, the number of people exploiting the loophole seems to have risen, said Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for CBS News and the author of a dozen books on travel. He said it was common to see departure gates full of wheelchairs, especially in places like Palm Beach, where populations are older. Once the plane has taxied to the gate in Florida, however, many supposedly injured passengers exit on foot. The ends-justify-the-means approach may work, Mr. Greenberg said, but to his mind fakers pay another price. “I’m a big believer in karma,” he said. “You don’t put on a dress when the Titanic is going down so you can get in the first lifeboat.”
The above-linked story observes that the scam is helped along by the chair-pushers who rely on tips. Flight attendants who work the most faker-laden routes call them "miracle flights" because of all that mid-air healing.

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Evangelical Couple Keeps Terminally Ill Daughter Alive Against Her Wishes

An evangelical pastor and his wife in Queens are keeping their terminally-ill daughter, a former Manhattan banker, hooked up to a ventilator against her will because they believe that her stated wish to die naturally constitutes suicide in the eyes of God. And that's a mortal sin that will send her to hell.
Lee’s court-appointed lawyer complained her devout parents — who believe she’ll go to hell if she pulls the plug — are putting her under “incredible pressure.” “She has made herself abundantly clear,” the lawyer, David A. Smith, said of his client, who can’t move from the neck down and is being kept alive by machines. “They stand there all day, and tell her that this is Satan’s work. [snip] His daughter was training for the New York City Marathon last year when she fell ill and was diagnosed with brain cancer. Last month, she had a seizure and was rushed to North Shore, where she has begged doctors to remove life support, they testified. The parents went to court Sept. 24 and asked that the father be appointed guardian. After an emergency hearing, a Long Island judge ruled the tubes could be removed. The family rushed to the Appellate Division in Brooklyn and obtained a temporary order keeping life support in place until the judges make a full ruling.
The pastor says, "When someone sets a time and date to die, that is considered as a suicide and sin." The court's decision may come today.

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Tweet Of The Week

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Thursday, October 04, 2012

NOM Launches Pumpkin Hate Contest

"Mommy, why can't we visit that house?" Because mean people live there! (Via Good As You)

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Top Romney Advisor John Sununu Calls President Obama "Lazy And Disengaged"

The dog whistles are getting deafening.

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Hate Groups Turn Cartwheels

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Disqus Commenting Update

As you'll note, the comments counter is now active, thanks to help from the Disqus support team who was very kind about my completely inept coding attempts. (Thanks Mat!) They are also working to restore as much of the commenting histories as possible and those should begin appearing on older posts soon.  You may also be seeing a much faster page load.  More tweaks and improvements are in progress and as always I thank you for bearing with me as we push them through.

NOTE: If you are using IE9 as your browser, there is an easy settings change that you might want to make if you aren't seeing all the comments.

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Anderson Cooper Slams Star Jones: I Didn't Come Out To Win Higher Ratings

The kids would call this an "epic rant."

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Donna Summer Nominated To Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame For Fifth Time

For the fifth time, Donna Summer is among the fourteen acts nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Summer, who died of lung cancer* in May, was also nominated four of the last five years, but has been overlooked despite numerous Grammy wins, including one for Best Rock Vocal Performance. Artists become eligible 25 years after the domestic release of their first commercial full-length record.

Here's the full list, from which five will be chosen: Donna Summer, Joan Jett, The Meters, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Albert King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, Procol Harum, Rush, the Marvellettes, Deep Purple and Chic.

For the first time ever, fans get to weigh in on this year's inductees, although the "fans ballot" will apparently count as only one of the 600 ballots distributed to artists, music critics, and industry insiders. You can vote for your top five selections at Rolling Stone(Via Randy Report)

RELATED: This is Chic's seventh nomination. They and Donna Summer are considered by some to be this year's favorites.

* Summer claimed that her lung cancer was contracted due to exposure to toxic chemicals blown into her downtown Manhattan home after the attack on the World Trade Center.
 

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VIRGINIA: Hate Group Leader Eugene Delgaudio Is Raising Money To Fight Allegations Of Illegally Raising Money

"Dear Joe, I’m sure by now you have heard of the on-going battle Public Advocate and myself are engaged in with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Just months ago, the SPLC officially and wrongfully added Public Advocate to their infamous 'Hate List.' And they have been threatening to destroy your Public Advocate ever since. While the SPLC has long been known as the Left’s Hit-man -- used to destroy those conservative opponents that just won’t surrender -- even I had not realized the depth of their corruption. In fact, a national news organization has just this week published an in-depth investigation into the corrupt and greedy practices of the SPLC.

"The Southern Poverty Law Center simply sells 'hate.' My friend, I hope you are as outraged at this as I am. This is the very group who is threatening to destroy Public Advocate if you and I do not stop our pro-Family operations. And they will not stop with Public Advocate. Even if they are able to destroy us, they will simply find the next group of pro-Family activists to target! You and I have to stand up to them, but I can’t do it without your support. I’ve spent nearly everything we’ve raised this year on our critical legislative fights. I simply do not have the financial reserves to handle this looming legal battle. Please chip in whatever you can spare for the Public Advocate Legal Defense Fund. Even $25 or $10 would be such a blessing. I need your help. - Eugene Delgaudio, via email.

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You've Got Sam Kass

Another from AOL's "You've Got" series. Because hello.

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Ann Coulter: Michelle Wants Mitt

"He was very, very bad last night. He looked depressed. He looked anemic. Those big ears poking out. The first time I watched the debate, I was mostly listening to it and Romney was killing. And then I watched it again and toward the end was actually watching it and the visual made it so much worse, Obama was depressed and looking down. You could see at the end of the debate, he knew that, anniversary or not, Michelle wanted to go home with Mitt." - Ann Coulter, speaking on Fox & Friends.

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Mitt Romney Style

Gangnam Romney has a killer body. Love the Chris Christie bit.

(Tipped by JMG reader Gigi)

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CNN's Debate Poll


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Castro Street Fair 1976

The 38th annual Castro Street Fair is this Sunday and the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society has posted the below archival footage from 1976.

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Savage To Perkins: Sue Me, I Dare You

"Sue me, Tony. I'd love to see you talk about my 'issues' on a witness stand. I realize that this isn't how you think the world is supposed to work, Tony. You believe—and you're old enough to remember a time when—people like you were free to say vile and disgusting things about people like me without anyone objecting. Certainly people like me weren't allowed to call people like you out. You still believe you should be free to lie about me and other LGBT people with absolutely impunity—we're all pedophiles and terrorists and Satanists—and that we should have to shut up and take it because... well, I'm not sure why you think we're not allowed to respond when you lie about us. Maybe that's something we could get to the bottom of during the depositions." - Dan Savage, responding to yesterday's threat from Tony Perkins.

Read Savage's full response.

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Marriage Polls Recap

(Via Scott Wooledge)

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Sydney Mardi Gras Has A Kiki

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ISRAEL: Christian Networks Prepare For Live Coverage Of The Return Of Jesus

Jesus is apparently coming back any day now and Christian networks are ready to roll live coverage of the glory direct from Israel.
Daystar TV and the Trinity Broadcasting Network have set up cameras in studios overlooking the Mount of Olives, where scripture says the Christian Messiah will touch down one day. Both networks recently acquired studio space in Jerusalem as part of a miniature dust-up in their niche industry over who is doing more to preach the gospel to Jews. Daystar in particular has been very aggressive in deploying their messaging on Israeli airwaves, having launched the first 24-hour Christian network in the country back in 2006. The network’s website also features a live video stream from the Mount of Olives that’s compatible with a host of mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, Androids and Blackberries — just in case viewers need to catch the Messiah’s return on the go.
NBC, of course, will broadcast the Second Coming on a tape-delay. (Via JMG reader Win)

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DEBATE WATCH: Mitt Romney Lied About Pre-Existing Conditions

During last night's debate, Mitt Romney promised that his repeal of Obamacare would protect people with pre-existing conditions. His campaign is already backtracking. Via Talking Points Memo:
After the first presidential debate at the University of Denver in Colorado on Wednesday night, one of Mitt Romney’s top advisers acknowledged that, as a result Romney’s plan to repeal Obamacare, people with pre-existing medical conditions would likely be unable to purchase insurance. The admission directly contradicts the GOP candidate’s claim during the debate that “pre-existing conditions are covered under my plan” — a contention Romney has repeated on the trail and that his campaign has repeatedly walked back. “With respect to pre-existing conditions, what Governor Romney has said is for those with continuous coverage, he would continue to make sure that they receive their coverage,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, referring to existing laws which require insurance companies to sell coverage to people who already have insurance, or within 90 days of losing their employer coverage.
Click over to Think Progress for Igor Volsky's recap of the "27 myths" Romney told in the debate.

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RNC Mocks Obama's Debate "Smirk"

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Tweet Of The Day - Fired Big Bird

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Gays Do More Everything

According to the NYC-based marketing firm Target 10, gay folks eat out, visit bars, and attend concerts more often than straight folks do. That seems possible, but I'm surprised at their claim that only 40% of gay folks have been to a bar or club in the last year.  More stats at the link.

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Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue Donates $100K To Maryland Marriage

"We had the privilege of raising our family in Maryland. We have the privilege of now living in the District of Columbia. We’ve lived in New York where they passed marriage equality. We spend time in the summer in Maine, where they are fighting it again. I think this is the time to view this not as an expense, but as a capital investment in our nation’s infrastructure.  At some point the tide has got to turn. You got to stop the litigation. You got to demonstrate that the litigation is not — the second guessing at the ballot box is not going to overcome the will of the legislature. At some point you’ve got to demonstrate that people who support this are going to be re-elected, and not get punished for supporting marriage equality. And I think right now is the time." - Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, speaking at Maryland marriage equality fundraiser where he and his wife presented a check for $100,000.  The Tagliabues have an openly gay son.  (Via Washington Blade)

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A Message From Pastor Paul Crouch

Wonkette writes:
Why is this news? It isn’t really, but there is never a reason NOT to run a hilarious photo of a Man O’ God flipping the bird, is there?  It is also an excuse to remind people of the many times the Crouches have been sued, such as for using donors’ contributions to buy a $100,000 motor home for their dogs, or the time Crouch paid a gentleman friend $450,000 to just shut up about the gay sex already.

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PUERTO RICO: Olympian Boxer Orlando Cruz Comes Out As "Proud Gay Man"

"I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself. I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man." - Pro boxer Orlando Cruz.

Fight News notes his impressive record:
Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11. He won 7 Puerto Rico National titles and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team. Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments. His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia. 2000 Olympic teammates included former world champions Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon. Cruz made his professional debut on December 15, 2000 and won his first world title on March 22, 2008 (vacant IBA Featherweight Title) and a regional title on October 14, 2011 (WBO Latino Featherweight title). His next fight is scheduled for October 19 at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida in which he will defend his WBO NABO title against Jorge Pazos. A win against Pazos should position Cruz for a world title shot.

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Booming Biz For NYC "Phone Valets"

You might recall early this summer when one of these trucks was robbed of hundreds of phones, causing "panic and wailing" among students.

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HomoQuotable - David Mixner

"Let's not kid ourselves the debate was not good for our President. But before we start wringing our hands and wishing things were different it is important to remember one thing. [snip] Never have we as a community been so close to full equality and never have we been so close to losing it all in this election. No matter how we would want the world to be this morning, it makes no difference. Our lives, our future and our freedom are at stake in this election. Don't play with it. Don't be high and mighty about it. Don't blame someone else about it. As a dear friend always reminds me, 'It is what it is'.  Just do what the courageous and noble LGBT community have always done in the times of adversity. Fight back. Fight hard. Ignore the odds. Show others how it is done. Most importantly take this nation to a new place in its politics, hearts and values. Let's get the job done." - Former Clinton White House adviser David Mixner, writing on his personal blog.

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FRC Cheers Bigoted Footballer


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