Saturday, June 01, 2013

IL Marriage Bill Deadline Extended

There may be another shot at marriage in Illinois before the new legislative session begins in the fall.
The Illinois same sex marriage bill had its deadline date for approval extended into the summer. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) acted quietly on Friday night before the House adjourned to extend the bill’s deadline for approval until August 31.

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) told a packed House chamber on Friday evening that he had to put off a vote on the proposal until November. However, were Governor Pat Quinn to call lawmakers back to Springfield in the summer for a special session to address pension reform, which also was left without resolution, he could include Senate Bill 10 in a special session proclamation.

If Quinn declines to include marriage equality in any order to lawmakers to return to Springfield, Madigan could call a House special session of his own at the same time to take up the legislation, an insider noted.

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Jean Stapleton Dies At Age 90

Actress Jean Stapleton, famed for her portrayal of  Edith Bunker on All In The Family, has died at her New York City home at the age of 90.
Stapleton died of natural causes, her family announced Saturday. She had been a veteran of stage, film and television when she was cast in the CBS sitcom opposite Carroll O’Connor’s loud-mouthed, bigoted Archie Bunker, who often addressed her as "dingbat." She won three Emmys for the role. “The benign, compassionate presence she developed made my egregious churl bearable,” O'Connor wrote of Stapleton in his 1998 autobiography. He died in 2001. Born in New York City on Jan. 19, 1923, Stapleton was the daughter of a billboard advertising salesman and an opera singer.
Stapleton's Edith is probably my all time favorite female television character. She was so much like my maternal grandmother, right down to the accent.


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NOM Has The Media Sadz

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Marriage Protest In Chicago Tonight

Activists will stage a marriage equality protest tonight in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood. Via joint press release from the Gay Liberation Network and the Civil Rights Agenda:
What should have been a cakewalk instead became an epic fail. Activists are denouncing what they say was a consistent failure by the bill's sponsors to reach out to other minority communities and involve the LGBT community itself in messaging, and instead ran a top-down corporate campaign such as has been responsible for previous epic failures, such as California's Proposition 8.  "House Speaker Mike Madigan, the de facto leader of the Illinois Democratic Party, is responsible for this abject betrayal," said Andy Thayer, long-time equal marriage rights activist and co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network. "Anyone who knows anything about Illinois politics knows that Speaker Mike Madigan owns the House - if he had insisted on a positive vote from his caucus, it would have passed. "Speaker Madigan has repeatedly shoveled millions of tax dollars to his wealthy cronies, leaving the state's finances in a total mess, but when it comes to passing civil rights legislation, he refused to spend any political capital."
Details for the protest.

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HomoQuotable - Michael Glatze

"To be strong, as men, Christian men must understand that homosexuality is a direct raping of the relationship between Man and God – NOT, as some have suggested, a perfectly viable sexual 'choice' open to the same freedoms that any other 'consensual choice' seems to have in our relativistic society. Sure, Christian truth may not become the law of our land any time soon (though it certainly could), but Christian truth can certainly become the law of our lives – and it should, if we hope to make an impact on our world! God gifted me with a personal walk through homosexuality to the other side. Now, today, I’m happy and living a good, God-honoring life." - Ex-gay crackpot Michael Glatze, writing for World Net Daily.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG:  Glatze was the founder and publisher of the gay youth-oriented title XY Magazine, but suddenly became "ex-gay" after Jesus "cured" his heart palpitations. Other JMG posts on Michael Glatze are here, here, and here.

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Religion Recovery Hotline Project

The Friendly Atheist reports that a national hotline will be launched to support people who may be considering leaving their religion.  The hotline's site notes that callers will not be encouraged to become atheists.
Responders will absolutely NOT urge any form of belief or disbelief. In fact, our volunteers will be specifically trained to never debate callers under any circumstances. Recovering From Religion is passionate about meeting people where THEY are at on the spectrum of disbelief. It’s not our place to do anything but encourage exploration and discovery, and to provide a solid support structure as people reconsider the role of religion in their lives. For many, this is a long process and we will be with them every step of the way. For some, they might be taking a smaller step by exploring a more liberal church, or by finding the confidence to assert their financial independence from tithing..
Hit the link for much more. The group is taking donations.

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Log Cabin Slams Democrats On IL Vote

"The betrayal of the Illinois Democrats’ promise to bring this bill to the floor should not diminish the courage of Republican Representatives Ed Sullivan and Ron Sandack, as well as Senator Jason Barickman, whose bold support for religious liberty and individual liberty exemplified true conservatism; nor does it lessen the bravery exemplified by GOP Chairman Pat Brady and Senator Mark Kirk for encouraging their colleagues to err on the right side of history. When the Illinois legislature next votes on the freedom to marry, we hope the peers of these great patriots follow their lead." - Log Cabin head Gregory Angelo.

NOTE: There are 47 Republicans in the Illinois House and only two pledged to support marriage.

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Friday, May 31, 2013

Brian Brown Cheers Illinois

"So much for the inevitability of gay marriage. With a coalition that included strong support from the African American community as well as so many others throughout the state, we did what nobody in the intelligentsia thought was possible. This is a huge victory at a pivotal time, and totally undercuts the lie that somehow same-sex marriage is inevitable. Our thanks go out to champions such as the African American Clergy Coalition; Rev. James Meeks and Bishop Lance Davis; the Illinois Conference of Catholic Bishops and their director Bob Gilligan; the Illinois Family Institute and their director David Smith; the Illinois Family PAC and their director, Paul Caprio; and the Coalition of African American Pastors and their chairman, Rev. Bill Owens. Everyone pitched in everything they had to stop this ill-conceived legislation. We at NOM are honored to have been part of the coalition effort. And those Republicans who betrayed principle will soon learn that their political careers are headed for the same dustbin that met former GOP Chair Pat Brady when he betrayed the cause of marriage." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via email.

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ILLINOIS: Gay House Reps Speak From The Floor About The Lack Of Marriage Vote

Openly gay Illinois House reps Greg Harris and Deb Mell spoke emotionally from the chamber floor tonight in reaction to the lack of a vote of the marriage equality bill.

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No Vote In Illinois

Lambda Legal reacts:
This is a stunning failure in the Illinois House. This is too important to families across Illinois, and Lambda Legal's lawsuit, Darby v. Orr which was filed a year ago yesterday will move forward. The day is coming when Illinois will have the freedom to marry. Lambda Legal has been working in the Midwest for the respect of our relationships for 20 years and we won't stop until same-sex couples in Illinois are treated with dignity and respect.

We'd like to thank Sen. Steans for passing this bill in the Senate. We thank Rep. Harris, Rep. Cassidy and Rep. Mell, who have worked so hard to see this through. However, it's unacceptable that our community did not at least get the vote Rep. Harris promised on the House floor. We have a right to know where our elected officials stand on the fundamental right to marry the person you love. We will continue to work with them to push toward passing this critical law as soon as possible.
More from Freedom To Marry:
After an overwhelming victory in the Senate, today’s failure by the Illinois House is a disgrace, especially for the thousands of committed same-sex couples who want and deserve to make the ultimate vow before their friends and family and spend the rest of their lives with the person they love, protected and supported by their marriage. Freedom to Marry is proud to be an active partner in Illinois Unites for Marriage, and is grateful for the groups that led the effort on the ground — the ACLU, Equality Illinois, and Lambda Legal.

We also deeply appreciate the leadership of lead bill sponsors in the House and Senate, Rep. Greg Harris and Sen. Heather Steans. Make no mistake, we will fight and make our case until all Illinois families have the freedom to marry the person they love and until the legislative vote reflects the solid majority of Illinoisans and Americans who stand for treating their neighbors the way they want to be treated.
From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Stubborn resistance within the House Black Caucus, a 20-member bloc of African-American lawmakers who have faced a withering lobbying blitz against the plan from black ministers, has helped keep Harris’ legislation in check, with several House members still undecided.

“For me, there’s really no net gain for me one way or another. I’m hearing equally. Do I philosophically disagree? No, I don’t. But I would like to see absolute protections for churches and religious organizations so they’re not pushed into something they don’t want,” said Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood). “For me, [a decision] will literally be when the bill comes up and after I sit and listen.”

Several in the caucus have urged Harris to push the issue into the fall veto session — after which nominating petitions for the 2014 ballot have to be filed — to bring up same-sex marriage for a House vote.

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Obama Issues Pride 2013 Proclamation

This afternoon the White House issued President Obama's proclamation in recognition of LGBT Pride Month.  The message cites the president's support for ENDA, the federal bill to overturn DOMA, and HIV reduction campaigns.
For more than two centuries, our Nation has struggled to transform the ideals of liberty and equality from founding promise into lasting reality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their allies have been hard at work on the next great chapter of that history -- from the patrons of The Stonewall Inn who sparked a movement to service members who can finally be honest about who they love to brave young people who come out and speak out every day. This year, we celebrate LGBT Pride Month at a moment of great hope and progress, recognizing that more needs to be done.

Support for LGBT equality is growing, led by a generation which understands that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In the past year, for the first time, voters in multiple States affirmed marriage equality for same-sex couples. State and local governments have taken important steps to provide much-needed protections for transgender Americans.

My Administration is a proud partner in the journey toward LGBT equality. We extended hate crimes protections to include attacks based on sexual orientation or gender identity and repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We lifted the HIV entry ban and ensured hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients. Together, we have investigated and addressed pervasive bullying faced by LGBT students, prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Federal housing, and extended benefits for same-sex domestic partners. Earlier this year, I signed a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the implementation of any VAWA-funded program.

And because LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration is implementing the first-ever Federal strategy to advance equality for LGBT people around the world. We have witnessed real and lasting change, but our work is not complete. I continue to support a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well as the Respect for Marriage Act. My Administration continues to implement the Affordable Care Act, which beginning in 2014, prohibits insurers from denying coverage to consumers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which addresses the disparate impact of the HIV epidemic among certain LGBT sub-communities.

We have a long way to go, but if we continue on this path together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to coast, all of our young people will look to the future with the same sense of promise and possibility. I am confident because I have seen the talent, passion, and commitment of LGBT advocates and their allies, and I know that when voices are joined in common purpose, they cannot be stopped.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2013 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh. - Barack Obama.

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Major Lazer - Bubble Butt

Stereogum has named this their video of the week and the clip already has 1.2M views in three days.   I wonder if this will get the sort of feminist backlash that Baby Got Back did or if the booty-shaking phenomenon has bored them by now. Warning: extreme butts ahead.  You probably don't want to watch this in your cube.

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FLORIDA: Haters Fly Usual Gay Days "Warning" Banner Over Walt Disney World

The Orlando Sentinel reports on what has become an annual tradition during Gay Days at Disney:
The plane appeared to be making loops from as far north as Altamonte Springs to as far south as Belle Isle, but it was hard to tell from the ground. The "warning" is in reponse to "Gay Days" at Walt Disney World, a tradition where thousands of gays gather at the theme park. The "6/1" refers to June 1, the day of the event held Walt Disney World. The Florida Family Association paid $16,400 to to fly the three banners, according to a release from the Tampa-based conservative organization. "The primary objective of this project is to warn families before they expose their children to Gay Day’s revelry and before they pay Disney for parking and admission," the release states.
A second banner is delivering the same message in Spanish. (Photo by JMG reader Austin)

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Hate Group Leaders To Shout At Gay Clouds Outside DC Headquarters Of HRC

A cavalcade of crazies will tumble out of their clown car on Tuesday to march in tiny hilarious circles outside of the DC headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign in protest of Capital Pride. Christian Newswire has the press release:
"Why are so many cities proudly celebrating a harmful sexual preference that undermines health, undermines families, and leads children astray?" asks Linda Harvey, talk show host and founder of Mission America. "The Human Rights Campaign is simply wrong to continue its business of selling this lifestyle to America. There's nothing here to be proud of, but instead, this organization should be very ashamed." Peter LaBarbera, President of the Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, explained: "On Tuesday morning we will gather in front of the world's most powerful homosexual lobby group, Human Rights Campaign, in Washington, D.C., during so-called 'Gay Pride Month' (June) to proclaim the politically incorrect truth: that proud homosexuality is against God; against Nature; very unhealthy; and a serious threat to children and religious freedom. Thankfully, it is also changeable -- as proved by the existence of countless thousands of happy former 'gay' men and ex-lesbians.
The last time this laughably motley group got together was to protest being named to the SPLC's list of hate groups, even though they'd previously declared that being on that list was an "honor" and a sign that they were doing God's work. Maybe this time some actual press will show up at their press conference. DC folks - we're gonna need photos.

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Presumed FBI Nominee James Comey Signed SCOTUS Brief Backing Marriage

Word leaked out this week that President Obama is set to nominate former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, a Republican who served under Bush II, to head up the FBI.  Today the Human Rights Campaign points out an interesting detail on Comey:
Six decades after J. Edgar Hoover created a “Sex Deviate” program to investigate, red-flag and target gay and lesbian federal employees, today’s nominee for FBI Director not only supports marriage equality, but he’s a Republican to boot. Comey signed onto the groundbreaking GOP amicus brief filed in the Prop 8 case earlier this year. Not only that, but the FBI he inherits will next year begin releasing hate crimes data that, for the very first time, include both sexual orientation and gender identity-based crimes (sexual orientation-only data has been kept since the 1990s). Following the rash of hate-motivated violence and even murder in New York City, this data will only improve the investigation and prosecution of these despicable crimes. Clearly this is not your grandfather’s FBI. And we can all be glad for that.
Comey's confirmation hearing should be fascinating.

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Racist Comments On Interracial Child Force Cheerios To Close Comments

General Mills was forced to disable commenting on its YouTube channel for Cheerios after racists bombarded a clip featuring an interracial child.
The half-minute ad — which has more than 250,000 views — shows a young girl chatting about Cheerios with her Caucasian mother, and later pans to her black father. While the spot garnered an unusual amount of racist criticism, General Mills-owned Cheerios said the buzz wasn’t all negative. “Consumers have responded positively to our new Cheerios ad,” Camille Gibson, the cereal brand’s vice president of marketing, told the Daily News in a statement. “At Cheerios, we know there are many kinds of families and we celebrate them all,” she said.

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NBA Owner Joins Gay Sports Group

Billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has joined the advisory board of Athlete Ally, the group founded by collegiate wrestler Hudson Taylor to fight homophobia in sports.  Cuban made most of his fortune in 1999 when he sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.9B.

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ORLANDO: Rainbow Merchandise Appears In Disney World Shops For Gay Days

Disney has always rebuffed complaints about Gay Days by pointing out that the events are unofficial and that everybody is welcome to enjoy their parks. The Orlando Sentinel points out that this year rainbow-themed official Disney items have appeared in the parks' gift shops.
Earlier this week, Disney began to sprinkle merchandise throughout its parks with designs including rainbows, symbol of the gay-pride movement. Red tank tops with rainbow-colored Mickey Mouse heads began arriving in shops along Main Street USA a few days ago. They were paired in store displays with other rainbow items usually found in the parks year-round, such as rainbow pins and antenna toppers. A rainbow mug can be had for $12.95; a rainbow wallet for $14.95. Mickey Mouse Vinylmations in rainbow — $12.95 apiece — were also prominently displayed. "We offer a wide range of merchandise items that appeal to guests of diverse backgrounds," said Walt Disney World spokeswoman Bernadette Davis.
Haters are pouring into the comments at the above link, of course. Gay Days are this weekend.

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Your Gay Brain Can Be Rewired

"The good news is, at least with the people that I’ve seen, not a lot of people, when the healing takes place those areas of the brain that were showing the homosexuality show heterosexuality. I have had several people who when I looked at them I couldn’t tell the difference between a heterosexual who never was homosexual and them, which means the brain is able to go back and fire the way it is supposed to be, which is an argument against the whole idea of someone was born that way." - Ex-gay activist Dr. Jerry Mungadze, who claims to be able to rewire gay brains.

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ILLINOIS: Sun-Times Reporter Tweets Positive Message On Marriage Bill

Watch the proceedings live.

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Indiana's LGBT Youth Plate Is Back

An Indiana judge has ordered the reinstatement of sales of the specialty license plate that benefits a local LGBT youth group.
Sales of the Indiana Youth Group license plate were suspended in March of last year after 20 state legislators signed a letter to the BMV on the last day of the legislative session requesting immediate suspension alleging that IYG and two other organizations were selling the low numbered plates. This was the culmination of over six weeks of the state assembly trying to pass legislation to take the plate away from IYG. IYG was using the low numbered plates as thank-you gifts associated with different levels of giving, much the same as premiums being offered with different levels of membership by public radio or television during their fundraising drives.
(Tipped by JMG reader Birdie)

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Bachmann's Opponent Drops Out

"Basically, after all that’s gone on, and with Michele Bachmann now stepping down, I’ve been talking to my friends and family and frankly, the feeling is, ‘Mission Accomplished.’ She wasn’t representing the people of the 6th District appropriately, and now she won’t be representing them. There’s no way anyone could run and win who would be worse than Michele Bachmann. So we accomplished that task. Obviously something happened to cause her to believe that she shouldn’t run again. We’re very happy she dropped out. The country can do better." - Jim Graves, announcing that he will not run again for Bachmann's seat.

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NASA Staffers: It Gets Better


(Via Towleroad)

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FLORIDA: Bradford County Courthouse To See Nation's First Monument To Atheism

American Atheists have settled their lawsuit against Florida's Bradford County by agreeing to place a monument to atheism alongside the Ten Commandments marker that resides on the grounds of a local courthouse. The group's public relations director Paul Muscato spoke to the Christian Post:
"While separation of religion and government is always our primary motivation, equal access in this case works for us. We are thrilled to place what we believe to be the first ever atheist-sponsored monument on government property in the history of the United States."  Muscato also told CP about the details of the monument bench, which will be placed outside and in front of the courthouse alongside the previously existing Decalogue display. "The monument is a 1,500-pound granite bench with quotes from Madalyn Murray O'Hair, an excerpt from the Treaty of Tripoli signed by President John Adams, and quotes from founders Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson," said Muscato.
The unveiling of the monument will take place on June 29th. Bradford County is southwest of Jacksonville.

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Tweet Of The Day - Illinois Unites

The live stream of the Illinois House is here.

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Porno Pete To Picket HRC

Press conference? Like last year's almost completely ignored press conference he held in front of the SPLC headquarters?

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Crazy Eyes, Remixed

Nice touch at the end.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

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Fighter Sues Sex Shop For "Ruined" Penis

Mixed martial arts fighter Waylon Lowe is suing a Philadelphia sex shop for selling him a desensitizing lube that he claims caused "catastrophic and permanent damage" to his penis.  
Marla Lee, president of the Kama Sutra Co. and Kamsut Inc., which make and market the gel, called Lowe's claims "flabbergasting." The gel is one of the 44-year-old company's original and most popular products, with more than 1 million units sold, Lee said. "This product has been offered for over 40 years without incident of any kind, so it's a bit confusing that he would have this kind of response to it," Lee said. "The active ingredient [benzocaine] is quite common. It's used in children's teething products, so it's probably pretty safe if it's used for children."
According to the suit, the lube caused "penile scarring, loss of sensation and function; nerve and tissue damage; humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish; lost wages and earning capacity; and loss of life's pleasures."  The shop has removed the product from the shelves.

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Starbucks Hates The Bible

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16% More American Millionaires

The number of American millionaires rose by 16% in the last year. Via New York Daily News:
Blazing stock market gains pushed more bank accounts past the $1 million mark last year. The number of millionaires around the globe reached 13.8 million by the end of 2012, up from 12.6 million in the prior year, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group. Private wealth worldwide grew by nearly 8% last year to $136 trillion. The biggest driver was the performance of equity markets, which helped the “haves’ have even more. The U.S. was home to the most millionaire households, with 5.9 million — up about 16% from the prior year.
Meanwhile the number of people using food stamps has soared by 70% since 2008.

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TODAY: Last Chance For Illinois Marriage

As you surely know by now, last night the Illinois House adjourned without voting on its marriage equality bill. Today is the final day of the legislative session and Illinois Unites is offering free bus rides from Chicago to Springfield for a morning rally at the state capitol. If the vote does not take place today, there is an apparent chance that Gov. Pat Quinn could call the chamber back for a special session, but I've only see a few mentions of that possibility. Anti-gay groups, including NOM, are continuing to claim that wavering reps are being offered bribes of pork projects for their home districts should they come on board. Stand by for another nail-biting day.

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Apple Bans "Ex-Gay" App

Responding in part to a petition by All Out, Apple has banned an "ex-gay" app from the iPhone. Pink News reports:
A Christian app has been banned by Apple for claiming to help users ‘cure’ themselves of homosexuality, it remains available for download by Google Android users. The app called Setting Captives Free claims: “Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, you do not have a ‘homosexual gene,’ nor were you born this way with no hope of freedom. You can be set free from the bondage of homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ and the cross!” The app was banned from Apple’s App Store in the past hour. A spokesperson for Google confirmed to PinkNews that the company is investigating the complaints made about the app.

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Fox News: It's Anti-Science Not To Believe That Man Should Dominate Women

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Debbie Harry For Spanish Vogue

More photos here.

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TRAILER: Prisoners

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Quote Of The Day - Dan Savage

"I tell this story in the book of being at this park in Seattle many years ago, where a limo pulls up and a bride and a groom tumble out to get their portraits at this very famous park with a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. And as they're walking back to the limo everyone starts to applaud, and rightly so. Everyone takes delight when two people find each other and make that commitment. I was standing there clapping next to these two older gentlemen with two big dogs. It was clear that they were gay and I was gay. And as they get into their car, the one closest to me looks at me and says, `We are always happy for them. Would it kill them to be happy for us?' We've reached that tipping point, where they are happy for us. Now you see straight people looking at gay people and recognizing something about themselves in us." - Dan Savage, speaking to the Associated Press.

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Blame Harry Potter & Yoga

Says the world's self-proclaimed top exorcist:
Practicing yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil.  People think it is an innocuous book for children but it's about magic and that leads to evil. In Harry Potter the Devil is at work in a cunning and crafty way, he is using his extraordinary powers of magic and evil. Satan is always hidden and the thing he desires more than anything is for people to believe he does not exist.

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wingnut Site Daily Caller (Sort Of) Drops N-Word On RNC Chairman Reince Preibus

Tucker Carson's Daily Caller today issued a tweet referring to RNC chair Reince Priebus by an acronym that stands for "head (N-word) in charge." The tweet was later deleted but not before it was picked up by Gawker, Wonkette, and others.  Even the wingnuts at Twitchy are disappointed.  Apparently Daily Caller was trying to riff on the fact that there's a rapper named Rhymes Priebus.

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From Illinois Unites

The Illinois House is recessed until 4PM local time. Should the bill be presented for a vote, you can follow along on Twitter at the hashtags #IL4M and #IllinoisUnites.

UPDATE: At this writing we still don't know if the bill will come to the floor. But in case it does here is the live video stream.

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The Show Musto Go On

Famed New York City nightlife columnist Michael Musto has landed on his feet after being canned from the Village Voice after three decades.
Venerable Village Voice columnist Michael Musto — whose departure from the weekly this month caused outrage from devotees — tells us he’s starting a slew of new gigs. “I’ll be doing a weekly interview feature for Gawker, covering all manner of celebs and viral sensations,” he said. “I’m also doing a weekly column on Out.com called ‘Musto the Musical!’ It will span gossip, Broadway, movies, nightlife, everything. Also, I’ll do a column in Advocate magazine.” Nice. We hear the man who penned the Voice’s La Dolce Musto for nearly 30 years will also contribute to Scene and the New York Times. He also recently popped up on NBC’s “Smash” and Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live.”
I totally yoinked the headline from Page Six.

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The Musical Break-Up Of Church And State

From Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, starring Jane Lynch and Jordan Peele.

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NOM Loses Final Appeal In Maine

Today the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected NOM's appeal to continue to cloak the names of their donors. Via Bangor Daily News:
In affirming an earlier Kennebec County Superior Court’s decision, justices on the Supreme Judicial Court rejected NOM’s arguments that subpoenas issued by the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Elections Practices violate donors’ First Amendment rights and expose them to “threats, harassment and reprisal.” The court heard arguments in the case on April 11. “Our review of the extensive record, the Superior Court’s well-reasoned opinion, and the detailed analysis of related issues by our federal court colleagues leads us to conclude that, on the facts of this case, the Commission did not err,” the ruling issued Thursday states.
Wanna bet NOM vows to take it to SCOTUS?

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REPORT: Illinois Marriage Vote Imminent

The Windy City Times reports that there may be a vote on the Illinois same-sex marriage bill as soon as this afternoon.
LGBT activists, advocates and community members have begun filtering into the capitol as a the deciding vote on Illinois marriage equality is expected as early as this afternoon. Sponsors have until Friday to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which would grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Chief sponsor Greg Harris has said he will "absolutely" call for a vote on the bill by session's end May 31. He has also stated that the bill will pass. Multiple sources connected with organizing efforts around the bill have stated that a vote is expected this afternoon, evening or early in the day on Friday. That timeline will partially depend on other business in Springfield as spring session wraps up.
Cross your fingers, folks.

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IL Anti-Gay Group Warns That Marriage Bill Will Prevent Them From Discriminating

"Law professors on both sides of the marriage issue agree that Senate Bill 10 provides the worst religious liberty protections of any same-sex marriage bill in the country. SB 10 will force religious people and organizations into years of legal fights, likely against the Illinois government, to defend their rights to practice their faith. SB 10 would make Illinois the most hostile state in the country to the religious freedoms of people of faith. SB 10 would generate years of litigation and cause those who faithfully practice their religion to be mislabeled as 'discriminators,' stripped of government benefits, and subjected to fines and penalties simply because they abide by their sincerely held beliefs. Legal scholars have urged on a bipartisan basis that SB 10 in its current form be rejected. Illinois legislators should heed this bipartisan call." - Peter Breen, senior counsel of the Thomas More Society, which is "defending natural marriage" in cases brought on behalf of downstate county clerks.

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TRAILER: Machete Kills

With Lady Gaga, Mel Gibson, and Sophia Vergara.

(Via Towleroad)

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House Of Lords Marriage Vote Update

Pink News reports a change on next week's timing:
Next week’s House of Lords vote on the marriage bill will now take place on Tuesday in the daytime after supporters warned voting in the early hours could put the bill at risk. At least 80 peers are expected to speak in Monday’s second reading debate, raising the prospect that a vote could have been delayed until 2am or later. Yesterday, shadow equalities minister Baroness Thornton said the debate should instead be stopped before midnight on Monday and then started up again on Tuesday at a more civilised time.

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IL Hate Group: Gays Are Paying Bribes

Via Good As You.

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FRC Applauds ExxonMobil

"While other businesses drift away from their principles or capitulate under pressure, Exxon is putting its stock in something other than political correctness.  For the 14th straight year, shareholders voted to maintain their reputation as a company that upholds the commonsense principle that managers should be able to determine what conduct contributes to and what conduct detracts from the effective performance of an employee's duties. The four to one margin against the resolution is a strong indication that the homosexual community's agenda is not resonating beyond the most liberal states.  Exxon is setting a good example for other businesses who think promoting extreme political views is the only away to avoid the strong arm tactics of far left special interests." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, writing for the blog of the Family Research Council.

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NIGERIA: Legislature Approves 14 Year Prison Sentence For Gays That Marry

Today the Nigerian House approved a bill that sets a 14 year prison sentence for people that enter into same-sex marriages.
Nigeria's House of Representatives approved the bill in a voice vote, likely sending it immediately to President Goodluck Jonathan for him to potentially sign into law in Africa's most populous nation. Whether he will approve it remains unclear, and both the United States and the United Kingdom raised concerns over a measure that could put foreign funding for AIDS and HIV outreach programs in jeopardy.

Nigeria's Senate previously passed the bill in November 2011 and the measure quietly disappeared for some time before coming up in Thursday's session of the House. Under previous versions of the proposed law, couples who marry could face up to 14 years each in prison. Witnesses or anyone who helps couples marry could be sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
According to Gay Star News, the bill also outlaws LGBT rights organizations. Homosexuality has long been criminalized in Nigeria. I'll have more on this as further information becomes available.

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Petition Of The Day

Via All Out:
Gay 'cures'? There shouldn't be an app for that. But, there's a new one called "Setting Captives Free," available in both the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, meant to teach you how to stop being gay. It's a 60-day course that tells gay people they are not "born this way" and offers to help them find "freedom from the bondage of homosexuality." These so-called treatments can cause terrible harm to lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people, or anyone forced to try to change who they are or who they love. Apple and Google have policies against these kinds of apps but so far this one has escaped their notice. Sign now to tell them to drop this and all other gay 'cure' apps!
Sign the petition.

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The "Best" Of Bachmann

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Howard Dean Vs Right Wing Outlets

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Gun Rights March On DC Cancelled

It's cancelled, in part, because Kokesh is in jail for assaulting a police officer. (Tipped by JMG reader Bernard)

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Special Movie Screening Swag

Today we have three pairs of tickets to attend a special advance screening I'm So Excited!, the new film by Pedro Almodovar, who will be on hand with stars Carlos Areces and Blanca Suárez afterwards for a Q&A session with the audience. The screening takes place Tuesday, June 4th in New York City. Plot synopsis:
A very varied group of people are in a precarious situation aboard a plane flying to Mexico City. A technical failure (a kind of justifiable negligence, even though it sounds contradictory, but that’s what human actions are) has endangered the lives of the passengers on Peninsula Flight 2549. The pilots, hardened, experienced professionals are striving, along with their colleagues in the Control Center, to find a solution. The flight attendants and the chief steward are atypical, baroque characters who, in the face of danger, try to forget their own personal problems and devote themselves body and soul to the task of making the flight as enjoyable as possible for the passengers, while they wait for a solution. Life in the clouds is as complicated as it is at ground level, and for the same reasons, which could be summarized in two: sex and death.
I'm So Excited! opens in select theaters June 28th. Visit the film's site for more information. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in your comment. Winners will be notified tomorrow.

**Travel and accommodations are the sole responsibility of the winner. The screening will take place on June 4th at 7pm. Screening location will be provided to the winners at the close of the sweepstakes.

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MICHIGAN: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Repeal Introduced In State Senate

Yesterday Democrats in the Michigan state Senate introduced a bill to repeal the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Republicans hold the majority in both state chambers.
A measure introduced Wednesday would amend the Michigan Constitution to remove a 2004 prohibition on same-sex marriage. The measure needs two-thirds support in the Republican-led House and Senate to make the statewide ballot. Another bill would recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages in Michigan. Democratic Sen. Rebekah Warren of Ann Arbor says polling shows more Michiganians support gay marriage than just a year ago. She says married couples enjoy a host of legal protections, and removing Michigan's ban would ensure gay couples can be legal parents to their adoptive children.
A recent poll shows that 56% of Michigan voters support some form of relationship recognition for same-sex couples.

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One Million Moms Vs NBC

"Dear Joe, NBC is now airing a Christian bashing program titled Save Me, starring Anne Heche and Michael Landes. The previews alone can make believers sick to their stomachs with the blasphemous content in episodes with names like, WWJD, Born Again, Beth the Prophet and The Book of Beth. Beth, the most unlikely person, attempts to fix everything and mend relationships since God supposedly talks to her and has chosen her. Her family, friends, neighbors and other church members think she is losing her mind. In this way, the program suggests that a born again Christian is a crazy person. The show's disgusting attempt to portray how the lost see believers only leads to gossip, belittling the Christian faith and poking fun at those trying to do the right thing. Networks like NBC continue to mock Christianity, and we will not stand for it. Christians should no longer sit idly by and allow it to continue without speaking up in protest." - Monica Cole, head of One Million Moms, via email.

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Open Thread Thursday

Any big plans for the summer?

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Frigide Barjot Sends "Best Wishes" To France's First Married Gay Couple

Former Manif Pour Tous leader Frigide Barjot had the gall yesterday to send her congratulations to France's first legally married gay couple.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Barjot, who was best known as a comedian before her delve into political activism, said that she was sending her “best wishes of commitment, loyalty and happiness” to Vincent and Bruno. In recent months, those against the legalisation of gay marriage, passed into law earlier in May, have held numerous protests in Paris and elsewhere, some of which have turned violent. But with gay marriage in France now a fact, Barjot is calling for the movement to enter a “new phase” under the moniker “The Future for All”. She believes that the battle must now play out in the political field and called on candidates for France’s 2014 municipal polls to add repealing the gay marriage law to their election platforms.

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God Gives Porno Pete The Sadz

"I’ll tell you, I fear for our country, I believe God is giving us over to our sin. It seems that way to me, I don’t have a red phone to the Lord but it just seems that America is on such a precipitous decline, you know God seems to be saying: ‘You want homosexuality? You want abortion? Here, go ahead and have it.’ We’re a free society. The culture war on this issue alone is frightening, how much more resources and money the pro-sin side—which would be the homosexual side, that’s a sin—how much more resources they bring than to the side of righteousness and in a free society the people who bring the most organization, resources, money and people win and that’s what’s happening." - Peter LaBarbera, speaking on Christian radio. (Via Right Wing Watch)

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Oregon Cake-pocrisy

Oregon's Williamette Week called the two local bakeries that have made national news for refusing to make gay wedding cakes.  Unshockingly, the businesses had no problem creating deliciousness for non-gay sinners.
Last week five WW reporters called these two bakeries anonymously to get price quotes for other occasions frowned upon by some Christians. Surprisingly, the people who answered the phone at each bakery were quite willing to provide baked goods for celebrations of divorces, unmarried parents, stem-cell research, non-kosher barbecues and pagan solstice parties. We later contacted both bakeries to ask about these inconsistencies. Regentin declined to comment beyond asking whether she had been taped (she had not). Sweet Cakes owners Melissa and Aaron Klein were upset that we “would even try to entrap a business” and contacted conservative talk-show host Lars Larson.
(Tipped by JMG reader Tee Jay)

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Ricin-Laced Letters Sent To Bloomberg

Yesterday the NYPD confirmed that two ricin-laced letters were sent to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The letters contained messages about Bloomberg's support for gun control.
The suspicious material found in the two letters was a "pink-orange oily substance," he said, adding that it was the second of two tests that showed what appeared to be trace amounts of ricin. The substance is being tested at the National Bioforensic Analysis Center in Maryland, with conclusive results expected by Friday. Some of the emergency services workers who touched the letter Friday were examined after they showed minor intestinal symptoms of ricin exposure on Saturday, Browne said. The symptoms have since subsided. Civilian workers showed no symptoms, Browne said in a statement. "We take a lot of security measures as you know," Bloomberg said. "The men and women that open the mail for example ... they are well trained."
Bloomberg says that he will not be intimidated: "The letter obviously referred to our anti-gun efforts, but there's 12,000 people (who) are going to get killed this year with guns and 19,000 that are going to commit suicide with guns, and we're not going to walk away from those efforts."  Ricin, for which there is no antidote, can be fatal if inhaled or ingested. A mere "pinpoint" of ricin can cause death with 48 hours.

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Bachmann's Full Legislative Record

Source.

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AussieMite: It's Sacrelicious

Via the Australian media site Mumbrella:
Food brand AussieMite has created an ad which seeks to be deliberately controversial showing Catholic worshippers dipping sacramental wafers into the spread. Sydney’s Grown-Ups created the 30-second ad, which shows several people at a mass receiving communion. The woman who approaches the alter last dips her sacramental wafer in a jar of AussieMite before offering it to the priests.
The Herald Sun reports that so far the local Catholic Church is avoiding giving the brand the satisfaction of reacting in anger.
The Catholic Church has refused to play a part in stoking the controversy by reacting strongly to the provocation. "It's not done with any humour," Father Brian Lucas, general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said. "It's been done as a deliberate strategy to cause offence to maximise publicity for a product that has no other means of attracting an audience."

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Perkins On Bachmann

"After an incredible run, Rep. Michele Bachmann  announced that she's retiring from Congress at the end of her term. For eight years, she served more than the people of Minnesota--she served the families of America with her tireless stand for conservative values. A proud voice for life and marriage, Michele never shied away from a fight--and our movement is better for it. We wish her all the best as she closes out her distinguished Hill career and starts out on her next journey. In the meantime, join me in thanking a dear friend and fearless leader for all she's accomplished on behalf of faith, family, and freedom! We look forward to working with Michele in the House and wherever God calls her next." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

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No More Samesies


(Via Boy Culture)

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Dems Fundraise On Bachmann's News

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is collecting names and emails via their mass letter to bid Michele Bachmann good riddance. Twitchy is outraged. They're always outraged.

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Dan Savage On Getting Tested

"How do you go about asking somebody you've just started dating to get tested without sounding rude?"

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TEXAS: ExxonMobil Shareholders Reject Protections For LGBT Employees

The Dallas Voice has the unsurprising news:
Shareholders voted to reject a resolution, 81 percent to 19 percent, from the New York state comptroller calling for the company’s Board of Directors to add sexual orientation and gender identity/expression to the oil giant’s EEO policy. The 19 percent support for the resolution reportedly was the lowest ever. George Wong addressed the shareholders on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He presented the business argument that the company should recruit from and retain the widest possible talent pool. Failure to do that leads to less efficient business operations. Most Fortune 500 companies do have inclusive nondiscrimination policies including most other major oil companies, he said. He said ExxonMobil does not accept the validity of New York state marriage licenses if the employee is gay. “That is not acceptable to us,” Wong said.
This was the 14th consecutive year in which shareholders rejected protections for LGBT employees.

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Serbia To Consider Partnership Rights

Next week the Serbian Parliament will consider granting some rights to same-sex couples. The proposed law will be presented at a public hearing on June 4th.
The draft law introduces the right of inheritance for same-sex partners who live in a long-term union. In case of the death of one of them, the other would inherit the pension of the late partner, the draft law says. It also envisions that same-sex partners will be able to visit each other in hospital as members of the immediate family. The authors of the text maintain that the law is not a step towards gay marriagem an issue that remains controversial in many European countries. "These are only possible legal solutions aimed at regulating the status of people of the same sex who live together," Suzana Paunovic, director of the Serbian Office for Human Rights, said.
Same-sex marriage is banned in the Serbian constitution. Gay pride events been banned since a 2010 violent riot in which more than 200 neo-Nazi protesters were arrested.  Organizers of the riot were  sentenced to prison the following year.

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Two Minutes Of British Hate #15

That overwhelming vote in favor of same-sex marriage in the House of Commons was totally rigged. Because time limits.

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Pentagon Pride Flyer

Source(Tipped by JMG reader Elise)

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LIVE VIDEO: France's First Gay Wedding

Note the photo of President Hollande.

UPDATE: The live video has concluded.

UDPATE II: Via Towleroad, here's a clip of the ceremony.

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