Saturday, July 13, 2013

Cartwheels In Teabagistan

Above are tonight's headlines on Breitbart, Daily Caller, and World Net Daily.

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Quinn Reacts To Zimmerman Verdict

"Trayvon Martin was an innocent, unarmed young man with a full life ahead of him when he was tragically shot to death last February. Today’s acquittal is a shocking insult to his family and everyone seeking justice for Trayvon. We must renew our commitment to ensure Trayvon did not die in vain. His senseless killing demonstrates the need to reform the irresponsible and dangerous 'Stand Your Ground' laws in place in jurisdictions across the country. But we must also put an end to a culture that presumes any young man of color - little more than a child - is looking to commit a crime, simply because he was walking down the street. This is about what kind of nation we're going to be - a nation driven by fear and suspicion, or one that truly and fundamentally believes that all of us should be treated equally." - Christine Quinn, via press release.

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Zimmerman Found Not Guilty

The New York Times reports:
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, igniting a national debate on racial profiling and civil rights, was found not guilty late Saturday night of second-degree murder. He was also acquitted of manslaughter, a lesser charge. After three weeks of testimony, the six-woman jury rejected the prosecution’s contention that Mr. Zimmerman had deliberately pursued Mr. Martin because he assumed the hoodie-clad teenager was a criminal and instigated the fight that led to his death.

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Afternoon View - Provincetown Harbor

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Important Bear PSA


(Tipped by JMG reader Dean)

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Alan Chambers Is Ready To Start Over

Posted yesterday by CBN Online:
Right now only a remnant remain at the old Exodus offices in Orlando, but its leaders hope that the so-called death of this organization will result in the birth of a movement that starts a fresh conversation on faith and sexuality. "It's a brand-new organization at this point," Chambers admitted, "with no support, no funding and yet, I'm more excited than I am anything."

In the meantime, a new umbrella group, Restored Hope Network, is seeking to serve the original mission of Exodus by focusing on change for those who want it. It has 19 ministry affiliates, all formerly associated with Exodus, around the country. For many in the Church, this summer is a time to recover after a tumultuous last several months.

Between the Boy Scout's recent decision to include gay Scouts, the closing of Exodus, and the Supreme Court rulings on DOMA and Proposition 8, many who support traditional marriage have felt overwhelmed. But for Chambers, despite an empty building and a dream that has died, it's the perfect time to start over and engage a country that's perhaps more divided than ever on this issue.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

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Kids Of LGBT Parents Speak Out

From the Family Equality Council:
When Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote his landmark opinion in Windsor V. United States, a critical tenet of his opinion was that the voices of the children of LGBT parents should be considered in the marriage debate. For several years, opponents of marriage equality have built their movement on the argument that loving, committed couples must be denied marriage because of a fictional harm to children. Their rallying cry became "children deserve a mother and a father" and it has been used as a basis to deny equality to the millions of families with LGBT parents raising children.

In the recent Supreme Court cases, the voices of these children provided direct evidence to the contrary. In fact, the kids are indeed alright, and the nation is starting to hear what they have to say about their families. Nothing speaks louder than the simple truth of the day-to-day lives of these young people and the parents who have raised them. There is no better argument for treating all families, including theirs, with the dignity respect and they deserve, and the full equality under the law that is theirs by right.

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Petition Of The Day

Click over to Change.org for the answer.

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FRANCE: Twitter To Hand Over Info On Senders Of Homophobic Tweets

Twitter has agreed to submit to a court order requiring them to deliver information on users who send tweet that violate France's laws on hate speech. Pink News reports:
The Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF), made a complaint in April pushing the public Prosecutor of Paris to take action to ensure that the information was handed over by Twitter. Twitter said handing over the information would “allow the identification of some authors” of the abusive tweets to French courts. Both Twitter and the UEJF “actively continue to fight” against abusive and discriminatory messages, “in compliance with their respective national legislation”.

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Dustin Lance Black: I Won't Boycott Movie

Openly gay Oscar winner and activist Dustin Lance Black says he won't take part in the boycott of Ender's Game.  Via the New York Times:
Not every advocate of gay equality and same-sex marriage is convinced that turning away from “Ender’s Game,” which cost about $110 million to make, is the best way to counter Mr. Card. “No way am I boycotting,” said Dustin Lance Black, who in 2009 won an Oscar for writing “Milk,” about the gay activist Harvey Milk, and who campaigned against California’s Proposition 8, which sought to ban gay marriage. Speaking from London on Wednesday, Mr. Black — who, like Mr. Card, comes from a Mormon family — said he would rather engage with, than shut out, political and cultural adversaries. “We haven’t been getting the numbers we’ve seen by disengaging,” Mr. Black said, referring to a rise in public acceptance of same-sex marriage and other measures of gay equality.
NOTE: Buried in the middle of the above-linked article is mention that Orson Scott Card left NOM's board of directors sometime this year.  I'm guessing that's why he felt free to describe the same-sex marriage battle as now "moot."  NOM, for their part, has not yet officially commented on Card's surrender.

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OREGON: Man Kills Five Year-Old While Using His Assault Rifle As A Crutch

An Oregon man is being held on charges of manslaughter and possession of a machine gun after an accidental shooting at his apartment.
An Oregon man told police he was using his assault rifle as a crutch to help him get up from a couch at a friend's apartment when it fired a burst through the ceiling and killed a little girl upstairs, court records show. Defense lawyer Gary Berlant adds Meyer had been assured the gun was not fully automatic. Authorities say he was responsible for the reckless burst of rifle fire that killed 5-year-old Alysa Bobbitt of Shady Cove and wounded apartment resident Karen Hancock. The girl and Hancock were upstairs in the same apartment as Meyer. Meyer listed his occupation as lead bouncer at a Mexican restaurant, where he has worked for two years.
We've got to stop the gun grabbers who want to keep machine guns out of the hands of patriotic restaurant bouncers!

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Rasmussen Poll: 85% Say Christians Should Be Free To Refuse Service To Gays

From the right-slanted Rasmussen:
Americans draw a fine line when it comes to respecting each other’s rights. If a Christian wedding photographer who has deeply held religious beliefs opposing same-sex marriage is asked to work a same-sex wedding ceremony, 85% of American Adults believe he has the right to say no. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only eight percent (8%) disagree even as the courts are hearing such challenges.
From the right-wing Hot Air:
The big stumbling block here for gay-rights activists is that their most compelling argument to opponents no longer applies: “It doesn’t affect you” is a good, solid, libertarian justification for legalized marriage, not so good when it means business owners will be forced to work with you whether they want to or not. I haven’t seen many polls on this particular question, but if Ras is right that we’re looking at a spread of upwards of 80 points, then national Democrats will stay far away from this topic. Critics of SSM argue that the slippery slope has no stopping point but 85/8 would seem to have plenty of stopping power — enough so that I wonder if a constitutional amendment would be in the offing if the Supreme Court sided with gay-rights supporters on the free exercise question.
The wording of Rasmussen's questions is here.

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Friday, July 12, 2013

NORTH CAROLINA: Attorney General Won't Block ACLU's Marriage Ban Lawsuit

Matt Comer reports at Q Notes:
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has announced his office will not block the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina’s move to challenge the state’s anti-LGBT constitutional amendment on marriage.  The case is heading to a federal court in Greensboro. The ACLU wants to amend their current lawsuit challenging anti-gay second-parent adoption bans to include a challenge to the state’s Amendment One. The amendment was passed by voters, 61-39, in May 2012. Noelle Talley, a spokesman for Cooper, said the Democratic attorney general won’t oppose the motion. Both cases, she said, were heading to court and combining them is more efficient.
"Won't block" is not the same as "won't defend," but Cooper is, as noted above, a Democrat. (Tipped by JMG reader Suzie)

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SF Fox Station Names Crash Pilots As Ho Lee Fuk, Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo

As about a million local Asian-Americans likely watched, the midday anchor for San Francisco's Fox affiliate today claimed that the crashed Asiana Airlines pilots were named Ho Lee Fuk, Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, and Bang Ding Ow. Gawker reports that KTVU later apologized, claiming that the those racist names were given to them by the National Transportation Safety Board.  The NTSB says the Fox station is full of shit and that they never reveal the names of pilots involved in such incidents.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

UPDATE: The NTSB is backtracking on their earlier denial.
The National Transportation Safety Board apologizes for inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed as those of the pilots of Asiana flight 214, which crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6. Earlier today, in response to an inquiry from a media outlet, a summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft.

The NTSB does not release or confirm the names of crewmembers or people involved in transportation accidents to the media. We work hard to ensure that only appropriate factual information regarding an investigation is released and deeply regret today's incident. Appropriate actions will be taken to ensure that such a serious error is not repeated.
UPDATE II: But there's more to the story.
However, in a subsequent phone interview with the SFGate’s Jeff Elder, NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel made clear that the names “originated at the media outlet” and that the intern — unaware of the offensive names — was “acting in good faith and trying to be helpful” by confirming names he didn’t know. “The NTSB does not release or confirm the names of crew members or people involved in transportation accidents to the media,” Nantel said.

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AFA: Western Civilization Can Only Be Saved By Families Like The Duggars

Because otherwise billions of Muslim jihadists....

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SF City Attorney Dennis Herrera: The Attempt To Reinstate Prop 8 Is Doomed

"This motion is a desperate obstruction tactic used in the vain hope of pursuing an unconstitutional agenda. The opponents of the freedom to marry have chosen to ignore the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and the well-settled California marriage case of Lockyer v. San Francisco, which they themselves celebrated at the time. Their motion has essentially no chance to succeed. The most basic concepts of American law tell us that a state court cannot and will not overrule the federal judiciary. The citizens of California are left wondering when these people will realize that, having lost the moral struggle years and years ago, they have now lost the legal struggle as well. Marriage equality is now the law in the State of California, and will remain so from this point onward. Together we will soon see the day when it is the law all across America." - San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, via press release.

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White House Tells Cabinet To Evaluate Post-DOMA Social Security Benefits

Via press release from the White House Office of Communications: 
The President has directed the Attorney General to work with other members of his Cabinet to review the recent Supreme Court decision and determine its impact on Federal benefit programs – including benefits administered by Social Security – to ensure that we implement the decision swiftly and smoothly.

We are working with the Department of Justice to determine how the decision affects our programs and to develop appropriate instructions for our personnel. We are taking claims now from individuals who believe they may be eligible for Social Security benefits. We will process these claims as soon as we have finalized our instructions.

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Lionsgate Denounces NOM & Orson Scott Card, Will Host Ender's Game LGBT Benefit

“As proud longtime supporters of the LGBT community, champions of films ranging from GODS AND MONSTERS to THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and a Company that is proud to have recognized same-sex unions and domestic partnerships within its employee benefits policies for many years, we obviously do not agree with the personal views of Orson Scott Card and those of the National Organization for Marriage. However, they are completely irrelevant to a discussion of ENDER’S GAME. The simple fact is that neither the underlying book nor the film itself reflect these views in any way, shape or form. On the contrary, the film not only transports viewers to an entertaining and action-filled world, but it does so with positive and inspiring characters who ultimately deliver an ennobling and life-affirming message. Lionsgate will continue its longstanding commitment to the LGBT community by exploring new ways we can support LGBT causes and, as part of this ongoing process, will host a benefit premiere for ENDER’S GAME.” - Lionsgate Entertainment, via email.

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Bear Week Tips: When Approached, Avoid Direct Eye Contact And Stay Calm

An actual news report. Acting!

(Via Towleroad)

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Protect Marriage Files CA Supreme Court Demand To Reinstate Proposition 8

Via press release from Protect Marriage:
Moments ago, we filed a new petition in the California Supreme Court against all of California’s 58 county clerks, and state officials, seeking to restore the enforcement of Proposition 8, the state’s constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and a woman.  The undeniable fact is, the man-woman definition of marriage, as passed by a majority the voters, is still a valid part of our state constitution.

Yet county clerks statewide are lawlessly defying that law by issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses. We are asking California’s Supreme Court to restore the rule of law and the public’s confidence in the integrity of the initiative process.

The action we filed today contends that at least 56 of the 58 county clerks must continue to follow Proposition 8 because they were not parties to the recent federal lawsuit against Prop 8, and that the state’s governor and attorney general have no legal authority to order local county clerks to disregard the state constitution.

Our petition also reminds the justices that our opponents, the attorneys for the plaintiffs who challenged Prop 8, have repeatedly admitted that the 56 county clerks not involved in their case “are not directly bound by the injunction” issued by a single San Francisco judge against Prop 8. In fact, "super-lawyer" David Boies told the courts that “the scope of the injunction is quite limited”, and at least the 56 county clerks would remain free to “refuse a marriage license to a same-sex couple…without violating the injunction.”
Read the full filing by Protect Marriage.

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Boycotts Are "McCarthyism" Says The Woman Whose Hate Group Created "Dump Starbucks" And "Dump General Mills"

"Gay marriage advocates are trying to build up a boycott of Ender’s Game because of Orson Scott Card’s personal views on marriage. It seems very strange to me that so many artists and people on the left are supporting the idea that to make art in the mainstream you have to have the right political opinions. This used to be considered the heart of McCarthyism: loyalty oaths for filmmakers as the condition forworking in the film industry. (These were imposed by the industry, not the government, remember, in response to public pressure). I suspect this boycott will be a failure, like the boycott of Card’s video game and like the Chick-fil-A boycott, because most of the public is more concerned with questions such as whether those waffle fries are banging or not." - Maggie Gallagher, writing for the National Review.

RELATED:  Visit the New Civil Rights Movement for a list of the dozens of companies that right wing groups have called for boycotting over their support for same-sex marriage.

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Closing Arguments At Zimmerman Trial

The defense today closed with a large placard listing the many ways the jury should have reasonable doubt.

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Tweet Of The Day II

(Tipped by JMG reader Dave)

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Spitzer Leads NYC Comptroller Poll

Last night, twenty minutes before the 11PM deadline, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer turned in nearly ten times the required petition signatures to make the ballot for New York City comptroller. Primarily on the strength of his name recognition (for better or worse) he's already leading in a favorability poll against Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer.
In the new poll, taken Monday and Tuesday, 67 percent of Democrats said he deserved a second chance, and 44 percent said he was a changed man. Nearly two-thirds said his scandal mattered little to the race, or not at all. He also enjoys a healthy favorability rating, with 46 percent of Democrats saying they had a positive opinion of him, compared to 40 percent saying the same of  Stringer. The poll of 536 registered Democrats has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Voters were asked which scandal -- Spitzer's or Weiner's -- was worse, and the responses were nearly evenly split. Thirty-one percent said Weiner sending lewd pictures over Twitter was more egregious, and 29 percent chose Spitzer's involvement in prostitution. Nineteen percent said the two scandals were equally reprehensible, while 13 percent said neither was offensive.  Stringer, who until this week seemed to have a lock on his party's nomination, has his own work to do. Forty-three percent of Democrats polled said that they'd never heard of him or were unsure what they thought of him.
Stringer already has the endorsements of virtually all of the city's major labor unions as well as most of the members of the Democratic delegations to Congress and the state legislature.

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AFER Posts "Backstage" Prop 8 Reel

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OMM Vs Discovery's Naked & Afraid

"Dear Joe, As the newest show airing on the Discovery Channel, "N*ked And Afraid" has cast members who are completely uncovered and dropped in the jungle with no food and no clothes. They must survive with only one survival item each of their choice. The program airs on Sunday at 10:00 ET/9:00 p.m. CT. Either Discovery desperately wanted to hear from One Million Moms or the network's writers and producers have run out of ideas for new programs. Discovery should be ashamed to air n*dity and then call it entertainment. In fact, having the cast be n*ked is the basis for fifty percent of the show. Even though the frontal body parts are blurred out, having so much skin showing is considered soft p*rn." - One Million Moms, via email.

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Janet Napolitano Quits Homeland Security

Janet Napolitano today announced that she will be resigning her Cabinet post with the Obama administration to become the president of the California state university system.
Napolitano’s nomination by a committee of UC regents came after a secretive process that insiders said focused on her early as a high-profile, although untraditional, candidate who has led large public agencies and shown a strong interest in improving education. UC officials believe that her Cabinet experiences –- which include helping to lead responses to hurricanes and tornadoes and overseeing some anti-terrorism measures -- will help UC administer its federal energy and nuclear weapons labs and aid its federally funded research in medicine and other areas.
Napolitano will become the first woman to head the University of California's ten-school system since its founding 145 years ago.

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HomoQuotable - Harvey Fierstein

"Putin has declared war on the gay community. He's made it illegal to promote homosexuality in theater, film, tv, print that in any way could be seen by youth. In other words anything gay is now pornography. He's outlawed the adopting of Russian children to any country that has legalized marriage equality. And now it is reported that his next law will remove the children of GLBT families from their homes. This will apply to biological children as well as formerly adopted ones.

"This is a horror. Not only for our community but even for straight families. Already divorced parents are threatening one another with blackmail to tell authorities that their ex is now gay just to control parental rights. Putin wants this attack against human rights to be his legacy. He believes he can get the backing of the Vatican as well as all other conservative religious leaders to join his cause.

"What can we do? Make his actions and his plans public. Shine the light of public opinion on this evil doer. Boycott the Winter Olympics in Russia. Believe me, Putin will use the Olympics as proof that the world backs up his action. There are only two ways to deal with a tyrant: Starve out the rat, or destroy him.  So, my friends, do your research and then GET LOUD AGAINST PUTIN AND HIS ANTI-GAY POGROM. This is a very small world. Our brothers and sisters in Russia need us NOW!" - Harvey Fierstein, in a Facebook post that has already been shared over 2000 times.

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Ross Antony - Eine Neue Liebe

Ross Antony is a British reality show star and pop singer who has rather inexplicably (even to him) become one of Germany's most popular gay artists.  His latest hit is so gloriously cheesy, all I can do is wonder why he didn't compete with this at Eurovision.  The full title translates as A New Love Is Like A New Life.

(Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

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Armistead Maupin Completes Next Book

"Anna's Tree (a honey locust) was planted in the garden today as I finished and delivered THE DAYS OF ANNA MADRIGAL. Many thanks to Enrique and Raul for the hard work. And thanks to my beloved Chris for putting up with a madman for the duration. We're off to Ptown in the morning." - Armistead Maupin, posting to his Facebook page.  An Evening With Armistead Maupin will be hosted by Provincetown's Crown & Anchor on Thursday and Friday next week. Get tickets here. I loved his talk last year and will attend again on Thursday.

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We Do Campaign: Stand With Mississippi



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Judge OK's Colombia's First Gay Marriage

Michael Lavers has more at the Washington Blade:
Caracol Radio reported that Carmen Lucía Rodríguez Díaz, a civil judge in Bogotá, the country’s capital, “defended the viability of marriage for gay couples” in a five page ruling she wrote after a couple identified as Diego and Juan petitioned her to legally recognize their relationship. The two men are expected to tie the knot in a civil marriage ceremony on July 24. Same-sex couples in Colombia on June 20 began to seek legal recognition of their relationships. The South American country’s Constitutional Court in 2011 ruled gays and lesbians could legally register their relationships within two years if the country’s lawmakers failed to extend to them the same benefits heterosexuals receive through marriage.

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Rand Paul: I Might Run In 2016

Sen. Rand Paul yesterday confirmed rumors that he is considering running for president.
“We’ve been thinking about it,” Paul said in a phone interview. “And we will continue to think about it probably until after the 2014 elections. I haven’t made a decision, it’s a big decision you know with regard to family and the extensive travel that’s involved with it. And then also just seeing where the country is going in the next year or two.” According to a new Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey, Paul leads the pack of potential 2016 GOP candidates in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
 RELATED: Who was the last president to wear a wig?

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The Week's Bloomberg Businessweek

The reaction to this week's cover is mixed:
A story about, ahem, underperforming hedge funds isn't provocative or controversial, but the content could be overshadowed by the cover, writes The Atlantic Wire's Alexander Nazaryan. "At what point do risque covers actually undermine the reporting they are supposedly advertising?" Nazaryan asks. "And is the purported audience of Businessweek going to be attracted by such tactics? It's a fine line that Businessweek is walking." The magazine, however, isn't backing away from its decision. It even published a story on the evolution of its cover featuring a variety of disillusioned, drooping hedge fund managers.

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Hi Fashion - Lighthouse

Lovely long intro, builds nicely. Their website.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

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Beyonce/Jay-Z Fallout: House Bill Would Further Restrict Travel To Cuba

Jay-Z and Beyonce took a trip to Cuba to celebrate their fifth anniversary earlier this year, prompting nasty criticism from the wingnuts, who really hate the pop superstars for backing Obama. This week the GOP took its revenge.
Americans can travel to Cuba only with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s okay, and trips are generally limited to academic, cultural, religious or journalistic pursuits. But the U.S. House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday passed what some are calling the “Jay-Z and Beyoncé” bill, which would restrict travel to academic visits. Bronx Rep. Jose Serrano, the panel’s top Democrat and a proponent of opening up Cuba to U.S. tourism, said the provision was an explicit “response to the trip by Beyoncé and Jay-Z.”
Serrano added that he does not expect the bill to pass.

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Tweet Of The Day - John Corvino

NOTE: Corvino co-authored Debating Same-Sex Marriage with Gallagher.  And this is John Paulk.

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Federal Court Tosses Liberty Counsel's Suit Against Obamacare Mandate

 A federal appeals court yesterday threw out Liberty University's lawsuit against the Obamacare contraception mandate. The suit was brought by Liberty Counsel, the school's legal arm and one of the nation's major anti-gay hate groups.
A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the employer mandate, which the Obama administration last week postponed until 2015, is constitutional. They said that neither the individual nor the employer mandates violate the school’s religious freedom. The panel rejected the contraception challenge on a technicality — not on the merits — because Liberty did not include that aspect in its first court filings in 2010 and a lower court never heard it. Dozens of court cases nationwide are testing whether employers who object to covering contraception on religious grounds can be required to do so.
Liberty Counsel head Mat Staver says he will take the case to the Supreme Court. Of course.

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TRAILER: Seventh Son

Yet another movie with sword fights, dragons, etc. Ho-hum.

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Air Force Reservists OK'd For SD Pride

Via press release:
Lt Gen Jackson has approved Air Force Reservists to wear their service dress uniform if they choose to participate in a special military contingent leading the 39th Annual San Diego Pride Parade this Saturday, June 13th. The following provisions shall be observed: 1. Members may only participate in personal, off-duty capacity; and, members adhere to proper appearance and uniform wear standards, as well as proper conduct standards while in military uniform, before/during/after participation in the parade while in uniform; and, 2. No "political activity" while in uniform or conduct/speech that others may view as "officially endorsed" by DoD/USAF/AFRC.
Air Force, USMC, and Navy personnel have now all been approved to wear their uniforms in the parade. Where's the Army and the Coast Guard?

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First Lady Joins #Throwback Meme

For those unaware, #ThrowbackThursday is a popular Facebook and Twitter tag for photos posted from one's past on Thursdays. Yesterday the First Lady played along.

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Corey Feldman - Ascension Millennium

Yes, it's that Corey Feldman.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jim)

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Child Porn NOW Illegal At The Vatican

Pope Francis today "overhauled" the criminal code at Vatican City and NOW the possession of child pornography will send you to Vatican prison, whatever that is.
The legislation covers clergy and lay people who live and work in Vatican City and is different from the canon law, which covers the universal Catholic Church. The bulk of the Vatican's penal code is based on the 1889 Italian code. Many of the new provisions were necessary to bring the city state's legal system up to date after the Holy See signed international treaties, such as the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Also now illegal is the leaking of Vatican secrets.
In an indication of how serious the Vatican considers such confidentiality, the penalties for violations of the new law are stiff: Anyone who reveals or receives confidential information or documentation risks six months to two years in prison and a $2,500 fine; the penalty goes up to eight years in prison if the material concerns the “fundamental interests” of the Holy See or its diplomatic relations with other countries.

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Fischer: Hyper-Masculine Homosexuals Are Pushing Christians Out Of The Military

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Robbie Rogers, OUT Coverboy

Robbie Rogers tells Out Magazine what he considers to be the best part of now being openly gay:
The biggest thing for me was being in the locker room, again, with a group of guys. Because those are the guys you’re with every day; they become like brothers, guys that you fight and train with every day. I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was a total outcast, where people would be walking on eggshells around me, talking behind my back. They haven’t, but that possibility scared the shit out of me. It was like, I don’t want it to be like that, I don’t want to live my life that way.

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Tweet Of The Day - PA Rep. Brian Sims

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LCR Endorses Homocon For Congress

"Log Cabin Republicans is proud to issue an enthusiastic endorsement of Carl’s campaign. The people of California need a reform-minded, new generation Republican to represent them in Congress, and I can think of no one who fits that bill better than Carl: a successful businessman, a proven leader, and a fine example of a strong gay conservative. This is a seat we can win, and we’re going to win it with Carl.” - Log Cabin Republicans head Gregory Angelo, endorsing failed San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio for the U.S. House. 

RELATED: Last year local activists called for San Diego Pride attendees to "turn your back on DeMaio" when he passed in the parade. DeMaio, whose mayoral candidacy was backed by the some of largest donors to Proposition 8, is a wealthy political consultant who is vehemently anti-union and who has vowed that LGBT rights will never affect his political decisions. True to that vow, there are exactly zero mentions of any gay issue on his campaign website.  (I can't even find mention that DeMaio is himself gay.)  DeMaio is seeking to unseat Democratic freshman Rep. Scott Peters, who like DeMaio was once on the San Diego City Council.  Peters is an ardent LGBT ally who issued a celebratory press release following the Supreme Court rulings on marriage.

NOTE:  Last week Angelo entered GOProud territory when he denounced the Seattle Pride incident as an example of "liberal tolerance."

VIDEO: Here's DeMaio getting repeatedly booed at last year's San Diego Pride parade.

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Pat Robertson: I'm Totally Not Anti-Gay

Brian Tashman responds at Right Wing Watch:
Pat Robertson is disturbed that people, for whatever reason, might believe that he is somehow anti-gay. After all, how could blaming gays for 9/11, warning that gay rights will destroy America, using anti-gay slurs, linking homosexuality to pedophilia and disease and saying that Facebook should create a ‘vomit’ button specifically for pictures of gay couples possibly make someone seem anti-gay?

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Quote Of The Day - Kathleen Kane

"I cannot ethically defend the constitutionality of Pennsylvania's (law banning same-sex marriage), where I believe it to be wholly unconstitutional." - Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, confirming earlier reports in comments made this morning to reporters at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  A spokesman for GOP Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has declined to comment on Lambda Legal and the ACLU's joint lawsuit to overturn the ban.

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Hasselbeck Says Goodbye To The View

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World Net Daily: Obama Killed Everybody

In a column published today by World Net Daily, nutcase columnist Erik Rush accuses President Obama of orchestrating the murders of several gay men in Chicago, a nurse in Colorado, a Buzzfeed journalist, the White House dog trainer, Libyan ambassador Christopher Stevens, and of course, Andrew Breitbart. 

NOTE: World Net Daily remains one of the most widely read sites in all of Teabagistan and regularly publishes columns by Matt Barber and other major anti-gay Christian leaders.

RELATED: In previous World Net Daily columns, Rush declared that Obama wants all Christians declared insane and put in asylums and that journalists who wrote wrote negative articles about Mitt Romney should be imprisoned or executed.

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Blowoff & Furball Go To P-Town

Two of my favorite parties will land in Provincetown during Bear Week 2013, which starts this weekend. Furball with DJ Corey Craig is Sunday, Blowoff with DJs Rich Morel and Bob Mould is Tuesday. Both parties at are the famed Boatslip, which doesn't do advance tickets. Parties start and end early, as does everything in Provincetown.

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Earn Straight A's With God's Miracle Water

I'll admit that I occasionally watch Peter Popoff's infomercials because he is the most shameless huckster of magical healing potions in all of Christian television. (And that is saying something.) In 1987 Popoff went bankrupt after famed skeptic James Randi (who came out in 2010) exposed his scam of wearing a tiny earpiece so that his wife could feed him intimate details about audience members that Popoff would then proclaim to have known because Jeebus told him.  Most of Popoff's current scams involve "debt cancellation," wherein viewers send him a "seed gift" donation in return for his promise that a mysterious check will appear in their mailbox that happens to match their total personal debt.  His show is heavy with excited "testimonials" from people waving their checks. 

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One Million Moms Vs NBC's Camp

"Dear Joe, NBC continues to produce inappropriate programs and plans to add to that growing list. Let's voice our concern and let NBC know of our disapproval of their newest program 'Camp.' The title says it all, and with a TV-14 DLS rating you can be assured this will not be for family viewing. The pilot preview included: A boy saying, 'By June 15th, I'm playing with bo*bs, both hands, full cupping." Later he says, 'We need c*ndoms.'  The camp director says, 'Pois*n Ivy rash is very contagious. Don't touch yourself. I know what it is like with you boys. But you got to give it a rest.' Later, the director is making out with another ad*lt counselor on her office desk. It is appalling that NBC intends to air a show that features immoral behavior in a positive light while attempting to draw in young viewers with the title and adolescent plot of the program. One Million Moms is determined to clean up broadcast airwaves." - One Million Moms, via email.

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Billboard Of The Day

They love this over at World Net Daily.

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This Is An Ad For Something

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New App - iPtown

Just in time for Bear Week comes a new app from the Provincetown Tourism Office.
Located on the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown, MA, has been on the leading edge ever since America was launched with the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the town is now unveiling a smartphone app as unique as its one-of-a-kind reputation. For instance, it should be no surprise that the button on the app for 'Useful Information' depicts the iconic telephone operator played by Lily Tomlin who made "one, ringy, dingy" a classic skit. Home of the country's oldest continuous art colony and a model for progressivism, Provincetown has gone digital to make their attractions and features as easy to access as they are to enjoy. The app is named "iPtown" and will feature nearly a dozen different sections to help visitors and locals find services, food and lodging, shopping, special events and happenings around town.
The app is free and available on all platforms.

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Adam Lambert To Join Glee Cast

(Via Towleroad)

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REPORT: Pennsylvania AG Won't Defend Lawsuit To Overturn Marriage Ban

The Washington Post has the potentially huge news:
Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane will not defend the state in a federal lawsuit filed this week challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, lawyers involved in the case said. The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Tuesday on behalf of 23 Pennsylvania residents, including 10 couples, a widow and two children.

The Philadelphia Daily News first reported Kane’s decision, which she is expected to announce Thursday. The decision was confirmed by lawyers involved in the case, who asked not to be identified because Kane had not made a public announcement. Kane is named as a defendant in the suit, along with the state’s governor Tom Corbett (R-Penn.). Kane is the first woman and the first Democrat ever elected to the position of Pennsylvania state attorney general, which became an elected office in 1980.
The Post notes that a third party could step in to defend the suit. (Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)

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Open Thread Thursday

Time for our quarterly book report. What are you reading?

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Where Britain's Marriage Bill Stands

Yesterday the House Of Lords finished the report stage on its version of the marriage equality bill. Pink News explains what happens next:
As it is now in its final form, it will return to the House of Lords on Monday for a vote. If passed in its Third Reading, the bill will be different to that which passed in the House of Commons, so will return there for approval. If the House of Commons makes changes, the bill returns to the House of Lords, and can go back and forth until both are agreed. This process is known as parliamentary ping pong, and is scheduled for 16 and 17 July, when Parliament goes into recess. If the process is not agreed by then, the bill cannot be debated again until late into 2013. Once eventually passed in both Houses, the bill will be given Royal Assent, before coming law, however it is unlikely that Royal Assent will be given until after summer recess.
The bill only applies to England and Wales. A separate marriage bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament late last month.

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NOM: California Doesn't Count

In yesterday's press release about NOM's plan to pursue a federal marriage ban, I noticed that Brian Brown claimed that same-sex marriages are still banned in 38 states.  Silly me - I figured that was a typo and didn't mention the error.  But as NOM's Thomas Peters explains above in a response to comment on NOM's blog, California is apparently a magical place where all those gay marriages are only happening in our imaginations.

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Vanity Fair On The Ansonia

As part of their Eminent Domains series on New York City landmarks, Vanity Fair opens with a look at the legendary Ansonia, once the home of the Continental Baths, where Bette Midler and Barry Manilow got their starts.  
A grand hotel in the middle of nowhere, it was home to opera stars and Broadway impresarios, as well as composers, writers, and baseball players. When they moved on, a gay bathhouse and, later, a swingers’ club moved in. You can’t tell by looking at it now—what with all the strollers and Baby Bjorns—but the Ansonia has one hell of a story to tell.
Watch the video.

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Sen. Mark Kirk On His ENDA Vote

"In Illinois, we all measure ourselves against the career of Abraham Lincoln and think about the legacy that that means. I would say that I measure myself against Everett Dirksen and his support for the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Republican leadership as the best moment in his career. [With] this legislation, I’m very proud to do it in the tradition of Illinois’ Dirksen and Lincoln." - Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), speaking yesterday after voting for ENDA in a Senate committee. (Via Chris Geidner @ Buzzfeed)

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Wells Fargo Staffers - It Gets Better


(Tipped by JMG reader Jarod)

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Tony Perkins Slams ENDA Backers

"How many of you would feel comfortable dropping off your kids in a school that encouraged faculty cross-dressing? At least three Senate Republicans would. Today, those leaders -- Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) -- threw their support behind a bill that would force sexual confusion on almost every classroom, day care, and summer camp in America. Insisting the legislation is just a harmless little 'anti-prejudice' bill, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 15-7 to make employees' bedroom habits a preeminent consideration in hiring, firing, and promotion decisions.

"The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (or ENDA) has been debated in Congress for years, but it's never had this kind of backing from liberals, who -- just two years ago -- had so many reservations about the policy that it never made it to the Senate floor. Once Democrats realized that schools and other employers could be forced as part of the bill to hire transgenders, they removed their support altogether. Now, under the guise of ending 'workplace discrimination,' ENDA has new life, thanks in large part to a handful of Republicans who seem eager to sacrifice religious freedom and common sense on the altar of political correctness." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via an email that goes on for eight more paragraphs.

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Yo La Tengo - Ohm

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Politico: Immigration Bill DOA In House

Politico today predicted that the immigration reform bill will die in the House.
In private conversations, top Republicans on Capitol Hill now predict comprehensive immigration reform will die a slow, months-long death in the House. Like with background checks for gun buyers, the conventional wisdom that the party would never kill immigration reform, and risk further alienating Hispanic voters, was always wrong — and ignored the reality that most House Republicans are white conservatives representing mostly white districts. These members, and the vast majority of their voters, couldn’t care less whether Marco Rubio, Bill O’Reilly and Karl Rove say this is smart politics and policy.
On the (slight) upside, this means a really lousy midterm election for the GOP.

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The Solution To Male Spotting


(Tipped by JMG reader Maggie)

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The Political Cartoon Of The Year?

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Pat Robertson: America Needs A Christian Spring Uprising Against President Obama

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Ali Forney Center's Shred Of Hope Celebrity T-Shirt Auction Raised $28,000

Just in via press release:
Shred of Hope, the fundraising campaign for the Ali Forney Center (AFC) presented by Nasty Pig, raised more than $28,000, 100% of which will go directly to the AFC’s programs, the organizations announced today.  Shred of Hope primarily raised funds through an online auction of celebrity-designed one-of-a-kind Nasty Pig Shredders™.  All 29 shirts put up for auction sold. Shredders attracting the highest bids included Adam Lambert’s ($2525), Michael Stipe’s ($2125) and Joe.My.God blogger Joe Jervis’ ($1775).

A full listing of the celebrities who designed shirts for Shred of Hope 2013 can be found at www.shredofhope.com. The campaign raised additional funds at a star-studded launch party held at the Adel Rootstein Showroom in Chelsea, NYC. “It was amazing to be involved in the Shred of Hope and have our kids receive the support of so many generous and creative members of our community,” said Ali Forney Center founder and Executive Director Carl Siciliano. “I am very grateful to Nasty Pig for their commitment and kindness to us. In my mind they are "Wonderful Pig".
I am so amazed that the JMG shirt brought in the third-most amount. Big kisses to all that put in bids for such a fun event for a fantastic cause.

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Marines OK'd For San Diego Pride

Via press release from San Diego Pride:
As the city gears up for this weekend’s annual San Diego LGBT Pride festivities, Marines and sailors with I (First) Marine Expeditionary Force have received authorization to wear approved uniforms in the 39th annual Pride Parade on Saturday, July 13 at 11 am.  This follows authorization by the Department of Navy, Navy Region Southwest, authorizing active duty Navy servicemembers under its command to wear their uniforms in the parade.
Last year the wingnuts went nuts about this, but there's not been a peep from the usual suspects so far this time.

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Geeks Out Reacts To "Tolerance" Plea

Geeks Out has posted a response to Orson Scott Card's plea for "tolerance."
This plea for tolerance is perhaps a bridge too far, especially from someone who characterized gay marriage as “the bludgeon [The Left] use to make sure that it becomes illegal to teach traditional values in the schools,” (2012). There’s nothing more democratic and tolerant than a consumer boycott, rooted in the ideas of free market accountability. Skip Ender’s Game is about doing what all of us do every day—use facts to determine who and what to support with our money.

Orson Scott Card, we can tolerate your anti-gay activism, your right-wing extremism, your campaign of fear-mongering and insults, but we’re not going to pay you for it. You’ve got the right to express your opinions and beliefs any way you choose—but you don’t have a right to our money. How many homophobic billboards and absurd “Gathering Storm” ads would a new fortune built off of Ender’s Game lunchboxes buy for NOM?
Read their full response.

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NOM: Orson Scott Card Has Been Blacklisted By Hollywood! (But We Won't Mention Him Saying Our Entire Campaign Of Hatred Is Now "Moot")

NOM still hasn't responded to Orson Scott Card saying that marriage equality in all 50 states is inevitable and that the issue is now "moot." But just now they did tweet a link to a story whining that Card has been blacklisted by Hollywood.
You’re a best-selling author. Your beloved sci-fi novel that’s been a fan favorite for decades is about to come to the silver screen. You can expect more fame, adulation, money, right? Wait just a second! You dared to speak out against gay marriage? Welcome to the new blacklist. It would be a sight to see if liberals practiced the tolerance they’re preaching when it comes to Christians, but maybe they forgot what happened the last time they proposed a blacklisting something because of pro-traditional-marriage views. Chances are, boycott or no boycott, sci-fi fans will still queue up at the theater to enjoy “Ender’s Game” this November.
Oh, look! That link goes to a crackpot site that uses Disqus. You know what to do.

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Circuit21 - Love In The Shadows

Circuit21 is Robert Brown, whom some of you might recognize as the former lead singer of BearForce1, the bear disco group that so amused many of us a few years ago. (Yes, I still know their signature choreography.)  Brown's latest, a cover of E.G. Daily's 1986 club smash, will be available for download on July 28th.

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LIVE VIDEO: Final Day Of Marriage Bill Report Stage In House Of Lords

The House Of Lords today wraps up the debate on the report stage of the marriage equality bill for England and Wales. Live streaming video is herePink News is running a live blog here.  Earlier today an amendment that would have stipulated a difference between opposite and same-sex marriage was withdrawn.
Amendment 85, introduced by Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, a life peer, was withdrawn following several peers noting that a similar amendment was voted on, and rejected on Monday; the first day of Report Stage. Baroness Thornton said the amendment was “ingenuous”, in that it “seeks to wreck the bill through secondary legislation”. She questioned how same-sex marriage undermines opposite sex marriage, and saying that the amendement would have undermined the very point of the bill.

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New Jersey Poll: 60% Back Marriage

Source.

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