Saturday, December 07, 2013

Empire State Building Honors Mandela

The Empire State Building was lit in the colors of South Africa's flag in honor of Nelson Mandela and the Tea Things are very upset about this.

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RUSSIA: Anti-Gay Social Media Group Posts Reward To Out LGBT Teachers

Queer Russia reports:
A new St. Petersburg based antigay group emerged on a popular Russian social network Vkontakte has launched an on-line campaign offering an equivalent of $150 for reporting “confirmed” information on LGBT school teachers. The group aims to stop “gay propaganda to minors” in schools and dismiss gay teachers with the help of local authorities. The announcement published on the group’s page Vkontakte urges people to collect and send in any public information about LGBT teachers who are, “explicitly or implicitly”, open about their own sexual orientation on the internet and to their schoolchildren.

The group refuses to accept any rumors or slander and stresses that the information must be available in the open sources so that the group’s activity does not violate the Russian law on collecting personal data without a person’s consent. The announcement claims that such open information can be “threatening to psyche and mind of children who may be around such people”. The group claims to have connections with the Russian authorities in order to perform dismissals “without any bullying, homophobia or calls to violence”, but still enforcing the “gay propaganda to minors ban law”.
The group claims to have be given the names of six teachers within the first 24 hours of their post.

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Captain Picard - Let It Snow

Shut up, Wesley.

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TEXAS: Red-Caped Catholic Loons To Picket The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told

"One word describes the indecent play: blasphemy. Blasphemy is not free speech. Defamation is not artistic expression. The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told is a twisted version of the Bible story told from a pro-homosexual perspective and doesn't belong in any theater. It begins with scenes of 'Adam and Steve' expelled from a Garden of Paradise with full frontal nudity and ends with the Blessed Mother portrayed as a lesbian. This immoral and defamatory play drags the pure and immaculate reputation of the Mother of God into the mud of unnatural vice. As most Americans prepare to celebrate Christmas, the Kalita Humphreys Theater is going out of its way to attack the Mother of God. Not only does this gravely offend her Son Jesus Christ, but it also wounds countless Catholics who regard the Virgin Mary as their own mother. For decades the homosexual movement has been calling for more and more tolerance. However, there's nothing so intolerant as blasphemy."- John Ritchie, head of Tradition, Family, & Property, announcing a protest to be held tomorrow.

RELATED: In April the red-caped Catholic loons staged a noisy protest outside of the Broadway production of The Testament Of Mary.

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Dido - Smalltown Boy

A lovely acoustic cover of the Bronski Beat classic.

(Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)

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HomoQuotable - Michelangelo Signorile

"Let's cut the ageist crap. The 'yuk' is a display of nothing but disgust for someone older. Yes, [Dustin Lance] Black is old enough to be [Tom] Daley's father. But he's not. If Black were just a couple of years older than Daley, he could be his brother too. But he's not. Shocking news for you: You're all going to be old. And your tastes are going to evolve over time. Some younger people are attracted to older people, and vice versa. There's even a gay website called Daddyhunt. The famed novelist Armistead Maupin's 27-years-younger husband, Christopher Turner, founded it. They met on another one of Turner's sites, HotOlderMale.com. If that's not your thing, it's totally cool, but in that case just shut your mouth." - Michelangelo Signorile, writing for the Huffington Post.

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Naked Stop-Motion

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Friday, December 06, 2013

Matt Barber Writes For World Net Daily: Eric Holder Should Arrest JMG For Anti-Christian Comments Left On His Blog

Liberty Counsel spokesdouche Matt Barber has posted a World Net Daily column in which he calls for Eric Holder and the federal government to take legal action against me for anti-Christian comments made by alleged JMG readers on a post I wrote about a recent abortion rights rally in Argentina, in which feminists spat upon and sprayed paint into the faces of Catholic men outside a cathedral. After describing the incident, Barber writes:
For liberals, although the means may change, the ends remain the same. Still, equally disturbing are a number of comments posted about the incident on at least one award-winning “gay”-activist blog. Ironically, the site, “JoeMyGod,” a serial Christian-defaming cyber-rag, won the award for “Outstanding Blog” in 2011 at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards. While Joe Jervis – the blog’s militant atheist and “gay” sadomasochist founder – refused to denounce the Argentinian “hate crimes” outright, he at least begrudgingly admitted: “I really can’t see how this advances the cause of abortion rights.” Ya think? Even so, Jervis, who’s blog has a long history of anti-Christian extremism and violence-charged rhetoric, nonetheless permitted several of his regular posters to not only condone the feminist attacks, but to illegally call for a steep escalation in anti-Christian violence in general (up to and including church bombings, and both the castration and even murder of Christians in the U.S.).
Barber then goes on for several paragraphs to quote these "regular posters" (none of whose user names I recognize) and then he concludes:
Indeed, to borrow from Madonna, it seems Argentina has much to cry for. And so does America. But as for “JoeMyGod,” the question is this: Will GLADD now publicly disavow Joe Jervis for allowing (and perhaps tacitly condoning) such violent (and very likely illegal) rhetoric? Will this self-styled “anti-defamation” group rescind its “Outstanding Blog” award? Don’t hold your breath. Even still, a bigger question remains: Will federal authorities investigate these threats? If it were Christians threatening “gays,” Eric Holder himself would kick-in the door with MSNBC in tow. Every newspaper in America would give it above-the-fold coverage. But it wasn’t Christians threatening “gays.” It was “gays” threatening Christians. And that just doesn’t fit the false “gay victimhood” narrative.
The almost-hilarious hypocrisy here, of course, is that anybody who has EVER endured five minutes on WND knows that they not only allow their own commenters to advocate for the death penalty for homosexuals and that they cheer on violent anti-gay hate crimes, WND columnists themselves have called for executing people who oppose the Christianist agenda, as, for example, when WND's Erik Rush did last year when he declared that journalists should be executed after Mitt Romney won the election. Erik Rush: "Trials for treason and the requisite sentences would apply, and I would have no qualms about seeing such sentences executed, no matter how severe." Earlier this year WND's Erik Rush declared that all Muslims should be murdered and underscored that sentiment with this tweet: "Yes, they're evil. Kill them all." And just last week WND's Erik Rush called for the execution of the president of the United States.

OK, coming back to the world of actual sane people, actual longtime JMG readers are well aware that for the near-decade of this blog's existence, I have posted regular pleas for civility in the comments and have demanded that no one make calls for physical violence against any person or any property for any reason. One of those pleas went up here just a few months ago when I wrote:
As I regularly do, today I again caution you that even the most idle and "jokey" threats of physical harm to any person or property are completely unacceptable on JMG. Also strongly discouraged are expressed wishes of physical harm to others by any means, including natural ones. Please remain aware that JMG comments are often scoured by the enemies of civil equality who look for any opportunity to republish ill-considered reactions to the news reported here. We sometimes see more than 50,000 comments per month and I cannot personally read but a fraction of them. Therefore I must rely on the JMG community to stay self-policing and notify me by email should any comment concern you. Be advised that in many cases these comments are posted by drive-by trolls in order to grab triumphant screen-shots for use elsewhere. You've been remarkably great about observing these very few commenting rules and I thank you for that.
The vast majority of JMG readers have been very good about observing these commenting rules and I thank you for that. And please do continue to alert me if you see any comments like those in today's WND column. As for Matt Barber, I suspected something like this was coming after he suddenly followed me on Twitter a few days ago after years of blocking me from following him. Barber is obviously trying to take revenge on me because I take such delight in cataloging every single loss suffered by the Liberty Counsel. And there have been SO many lately.

One wonders how many tens of thousands of JMG comments Barber had to wade through before he could finally pounce upon the half dozen cited in today's World Net Daily column. One also wonders if Barber didn't plant those comments himself. You'd think Matt Barber would be SUPER busy getting repeatedly smacked down by the Supreme Court or helping the Liberty Counsel with the RICO Act lawsuit which alleges that they abetted the kidnapping of a young girl. Instead, he's got time to troll JMG and cherry-pick a handful of ugly comments. What a sad clown.

NOTE: I've taken down the JMG post cited by Barber rather than deleting the offensive comments. We don't need WND's violently anti-gay readers swarming over here from Barber's link.

NOTE II: It never fails to crack me up when Barber or Porno Pete call me a "leather daddy" or says that I'm "sadomasochistic." Is it the pork pie hat? Where DO they get that?

UPDATE: Barber is pissed that I've blocked his link by taking down my post. Needless to say, if my post was still up, he'd be tweeting "Militant gay refuses to take down post." SNORK!

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Bryan Fischer Has The Bakery Sadz

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Christian Hate Group Has Bakery Sadz

"America was founded on the fundamental freedom of every citizen to live and work according to their beliefs. Forcing Americans to promote ideas against their will undermines our constitutionally protected freedom of expression and our right to live free. If the government can take away our First Amendment freedoms, there is nothing it can’t take away. We are considering our next steps." - Nicolle Martin, volunteer attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, who fucking lost her case today on behalf of an anti-gay Colorado bakery. Earlier this year Martin testified against civil unions before the Colorado legislature, a battle which she also fucking lost.

RELATED: For her day job, Martin works for an ambulance-chasing outfit called Auto Injury Solutions.

ALSO FUCKING RELATED:  Early this year ADF volunteer attorney Lisa Biron was sentenced to 40 years in prison on eight felony counts of producing child pornography. With her daughter.

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COLORADO: Court Rules That Bakery Broke The Law By Refusing Gay Customers

Via press release from the ACLU:
A Colorado judge today determined that the bakery unlawfully discriminated against the couple by refusing to sell them a wedding cake. David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop last year, with Craig's mother, to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Mullins and Craig planned to marry in Massachusetts and then celebrate with family and friends back home in Colorado. Masterpiece owner Jack Phillips informed them that because of his religious beliefs the store’s policy was to deny service to customers who wished to order baked goods to celebrate a same-sex couple’s wedding.

Longstanding Colorado state law prohibits public accommodations, including businesses such as Masterpiece Cakeshop, from refusing service based on factors such as race, sex, marital status or sexual orientation. Mullins and Craig filed complaints with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) contending that Masterpiece had violated this law. Earlier this year, the CCRD ruled that Phillips illegally discriminated against Mullins and Craig. Today’s decision from Judge Robert N. Spencer of the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts affirms that finding.
Can you hear that sound? That there's some sadz coming down the track.

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FDA Approves New Hep C Drug

Via press release from the CDC:
Today, the FDA approved an important new treatment for chronic hepatitis C. The drug, sofosbuvir, is a major advance in the treatment of a disease that affects approximately 3 million Americans and causes more than 15,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. Today marks a landmark advance in the treatment of hepatitis C, opening up new opportunities to stop the spread of this virus and the ravages of this disease. However, new therapies only work if people receive treatment – the potential of these and other treatment advances hinges entirely on our ability to get more people screened and into care. Right now, most Americans with hepatitis C don’t access treatment because they have no idea they’re infected.

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MINNESOTA: Ladybird Drops "Bachmann" From Name Of His "Ex-Gay" Torture Clinic

Ladybird Bachmann has dropped the "Bachmann" from the name of his "ex-gay" torture clinic in Minnesota. And perhaps more interestingly, Crazy Eyes no longer gets a prominent mention on the brainwashing center's website.  Via Bluestem Prairie:
It's been glitterbombed, infiltrated by gay men pretending to seek "pray away the gay" reparative therapy and mocked by Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld on the Daily Show. It's been the focus of the Last Word by Lawrence O'Donnell. But the eponymous Bachmann and Associates clinic is no more. On October 1, 2013, Bachmann and Associates rebranded itself as Counseling Care. Bluestem confirmed the official date of the name change in a phone conversation with a staffer at the Burnsville branch. Moreover, the political career of the wife of chief counselor Marcus Bachmann has disappeared from the site as well, ending a long-standing practice stemming from the days when Congresswoman Bachmann served in the Minnesota House.
The clinic boasts 26 counselors working at two locations. (Tipped by JMG reader Ken)

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Angry Atheists Are At War Against Xmas

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RUSSIA: Elton John Denounces Anti-Gay Laws From Stage Of Moscow Concert, Dedicates Show To Slain Gay Man

"You took me to your hearts all these years ago and you've always welcomed me with warmth and open arms any time I've visited. You have always embraced me and you have never judged me. So I am deeply saddened and shocked over the current legislation that is now in place against the LGBT community here in Russia. In my opinion, it is inhumane and it is isolating. People have demanded that because of this legislation, I must not come here to Russia. But many, many more people asked me to come and I listened to them. I love coming here.

"I want to show them and the world that I care and that I don't believe in isolating people. Music is a very powerful thing. It brings people together irrespective of their age, their race, their sexuality, or their religion. It does not discriminate. Look around you tonight. You see men, women, young and old, gay and straight. Thousands of Russian people enjoying the music. We're all here together in harmony and harmony is what makes a happy family and a strong society.

"The spirit we share tonight is what builds a future of equality, love and compassion for my children and for your children. Please don't leave it behind when you leave tonight. Each and every one of you please, keep this spirit in your life and in your heart. I wish you love and peace and health and happiness. And this show is dedicated to the memory of Vladislav Tornovoi. - Elton John, reading from the stage tonight at his concert in Moscow.

NOTE: Vladislav Tornovoi was the 23 year-old gay man murdered earlier this year in Volgograd after coming out to drinking companions, who mutilated his genitals with a beer bottle and then set his body on fire.

NOTE II: I transcribed the above from a non-embeddable video posted to Facebook today. I'll post video here as soon as it becomes available.

NOTE III: It should go without saying Elton has certainly put himself at risk, although Russian authorities would likely be very hesitant to move on a star of his caliber. I wasn't crazy about the idea of him going to Russia at all, but I think he handled tonight admirably.

UPDATE: The clip has appeared on YouTube.

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BRITAIN: Prince Charles Bestows MBE Upon Leader Of LGBT Chorus Charity

Back in June, I reported that Martin Brophy, founder of Britain's Fruitvox charity and member of the London Gay Men's Chorus, would be among those receiving Queen Elizabeth's birthday honors for his "services to music." Today Brophy received his Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) from Prince Charles.

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Pastor Scott Lively Files For Dismissal With First Circuit Court Of Appeals

Scott Lively has filed a demand that his trial for crimes against humanity be suspended while he pursues a dismissal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Lively's first motion to dismiss was rejected by the district court in August. From today's notice to the lower court:
This Court cannot be the first tribunal, worldwide, to recognize a claim for "persecution” based upon sexual orientation, because the ATS [Alien Tort Statute] precludes judicial creativity, requires judicial restraint, and provides only limited jurisdiction over clearly defined and universally accepted norms (Ex. A at 15-21); and (3) Lively’s alleged speech and conduct are not “criminal activity” but core political expression protected by the First Amendment (Ex. A at 21-25). The lower court usurped its authority in refusing to dismiss this action, because it is clearly without jurisdiction and SMUG’s claims are firmly foreclosed by the First Amendment. An extraordinary and immediate intervention by this Court is necessary because Lively has exhausted all alternatives and has no other viable means to confine the lower court to the lawful exercise of its proscribed jurisdiction, and to safeguard his First Amendment rights.
Lively is being defended pro bono by the Liberty Counsel. (Via Equality Case Files)

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PHILIPPINES: US Embassy In Manila Issues First Fiance Visa To Gay Couple

From their official website:
On December 2, 2013, the United States Embassy in the Philippines issued its first fiancé visa to a same-sex couple. Although same-sex marriage is not yet recognized in the Philippines, gay Americans are now able to petition for family-based visas on behalf of their Filipino spouses, fiancés, and their children. This extension of rights includes immigration benefits. Noel “Aeinghel” Amaro and Robert Cotterman were the first gay couple in the Philippines to receive a fiancé visa. Cotterman serves in the U.S. military and is scheduled to return from a tour in Afghanistan in January 2014. The two met online and will be married January 2014 in the United States.
(Tipped by JMG reader Greg)

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WND Polls Readers On Nelson Mandela

Top response: "He was a violent communist revolutionary who never should have been released from prison." (Tipped by JMG reader Jake)

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Liquid-Plumr: Your Hot Faucet Will Flow When We're Deep In Your Pipes

Liquid-Plumr has followed up on their winking ad campaign with a calendar. Via Ad Week:
Each month features a hunky model-plumber with centerfold stats (May's guilty pleasure is sticky buns) and a short piece of copy on plumbing care, with the adjectives "thick" and "deep" used ad nauseam. It is, admittedly, a clever distraction from the actual fact that these products are for something completely unsexy: toilets and clogged drains. "Only have 10 minutes? I only need 7 with Liquid Plumr Urgent Clear ... I'm a fan of quickies." "Just put it [in] and let it do its thing." "A 23-inch snake to reach deep in your pipe ..." We get it. You mean sex.
The calendar is here for free download. (Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

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KENYA: Pastors Burn HIV Medications After Declaring Patients Healed By Jesus

Pentecostal pastors in Kenya are charging HIV patients to burn their medications and then tell them they've been cured by the power of Jesus. Via the Washington Post:
The “cure” is not free, and some people say they shell out their life savings to receive a miracle blessing and quit taking the drugs. Margaret Lavonga attended a healing prayer service several years ago. She said she paid money for a prayer cure and nearly ended up dead after the pastor told her and others to stop taking their medicines. “We were very desperate after realizing we had been infected as young women,” she said. At the church, she was asked to pay the equivalent of $12 to be accepted for the healing ceremony and $24 at the end of the ceremony. The pastor then confiscated her drugs and those of four others and set them ablaze. The group was asked to undergo a test at a certain clinic in Nairobi, where they were all declared cured.
When the patients then get sick and die, the pastors say their faith wasn't strong enough.

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MA GOP Candidates For Gov & Lt. Gov Back Marriage, Wingnuts Threaten To Walk

Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker supports same-sex marriage. And as of this week, so does his running mate, Karyn Polito. And that makes the Tea People very unhappy.
Social conservative activists are threatening to walk away from Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker after his running mate, former state representative Karyn E. Polito, reversed her position this week, endorsing gay marriage. According to state Republican Party insiders, some of Polito’s closest allies in the battle against gay marriage are pressing the former Shrewsbury lawmaker to dial back her new stance on the issue or risk losing their support. “I know they are meeting today and trying to work it out,’’ said a Republican Party leader who is a strong backer of Baker’s candidacy. The Baker campaign, looking to placate social conservatives, said late Thursday that Polito considers same sex unions to be accepted law. But the campaign would not make Polito available to be interviewed about her position.
RELATED: Baker ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010, when his running mate was openly gay state Sen. Richard Tisei, who now works as a realtor after losing last year's bid to become the first openly gay GOP member of the U.S. House.

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Cruz Praises Mandela, Teabaggers Pounce

"Nelson Mandela will live in history as an inspiration for defenders of liberty around the globe. He stood firm for decades on the principle that until all South Africans enjoyed equal liberties he would not leave prison himself, declaring in his autobiography, 'Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.' Because of his epic fight against injustice, an entire nation is now free. We mourn his loss and offer our condolences to his family and the people of South Africa." - Sen. Ted Cruz, in a Facebook message that is being savaged by many of his followers.

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Who Would Jesus Hate?

From gay evangelical Azariah Southworth.

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NIN - Tension 2013 Concert

Stereogum raves:
The Nine Inch Nails live show in 2013 has garnered perhaps even more acclaim than the masterful comeback album Hesitation Marks, a record we ranked among the year’s absolute best. But whereas anybody can stream the album on Spotify or whatever, fans who are broke, geographically isolated, or otherwise indisposed haven’t gotten to witness this Talking Heads-inspired production. Well, today is NIN superfans’ lucky day: The band posted Nine Inch Nails Tension 2013, a full-length concert movie filmed 11/8 at the Staples Center in L.A., online today.

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Unemployment Hits Five-Year Low

Via the New York Times:
The jobs picture brightened in November as hiring in the United States was stronger than expected and the unemployment rate fell to a five-year low, data that increases the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will begin easing its stimulus efforts sooner, rather than later. In November, the jobless rate dropped to 7 percent. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg before the Labor Department announcement had expected an increase of 185,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate falling by 0.1 percentage point to 7.2 percent. Payrolls are tracked using data gathered from employers, while the unemployment rate is based on a separately survey of households.

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Today's Money Beg From Brian Brown

"I wanted to stack up some numbers for you to let you know where marriage in America stands as of this moment: States that currently define marriage as the union of one man and one woman: 34. States that have state constitutional amendments protecting that definition: 30. States that have redefined marriage to include homosexual couples: 16. Of those 16 states, marriage has been redefined by the courts (5 times) or by legislative action (11 times — Maine passing their law through referendum). What do these numbers tell me? The vast majority of America and the American people overwhelmingly back marriage. Same-sex 'marriage' activists are going to be very hard pressed for victories in the future. State constitutional amendments are the highest form of protection offered at the state level, and overcoming that won't be easy.  We still have several opportunities to add to our totals by passing state constitutional amendments in states favorable to our cause, like Indiana." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, who closes with the usual vow to destroy the careers of pro-marriage politicians.

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Marriages Begin In Australian Capital

Shortly after midnight local time, one hour ago at this writing, the first same-sex marriages took place in Australia's Capital Territory.
As most Australians were sleeping, Alan Wright and Joel Player were celebrating history with the nation's first same-sex wedding ceremonies held at one minute past midnight in Canberra. The threat of the High Court striking down the ACT's same-sex marriage laws next week was to have been momentarily set aside as they exchanged vows and rejoiced with friends beneath the 55 bronze bells of the National Carillon at Lake Burley Griffin at 12.01am. "To have it finally legalised, it's a big step for us in our relationship, so we're just wanting to get it done," Mr Player said. Mr Wright, 34, said the decision to get married in the middle of the night was made not for a grab at history, but to fulfil the words of their celebrant Sharyn Gunn, who performed the couple's commitment ceremony - which they consider the start of their marriage - four years ago. "She said the minute it becomes legal, you two are going to be the first I marry," he said.
The marriages may have a brief run as on Thursday the High Court will rule on the federal government's bid to overturn the law.

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Open Thread: The Sound Of Music

Well?

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O'Reilly: Mandela Was A Communist


RELATED: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nelson Mandela's death yesterday was actually celebrated by the commenters on right wing sites such as Free Republic and Breitbart.

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LOUISIANA: National Guard Tweaks Rules To Allow Benefits Registration

Via the Associated Press:
National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Kazmierzak said Thursday that federal employees will handle benefit enrollment requests for same-sex couples at Guard sites around Louisiana, so service members don't have to travel to federal military installations for processing. Kazmierzak said the U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer in Louisiana, who handles federal property and federal financing for the state National Guard, will move some Guard employees to federal personnel status to deal with the benefit enrollments. It's an employment classification tweak that allows state officials to say their employees aren't violating a state prohibition of gay marriage, but that also puts Louisiana in line with a Pentagon directive issued in September permitting same-sex benefits for service members.
Equality Louisiana reacts via press release:
This is a great day for married National Guard members in our state, and another small step down the road to equality for all married couples. While the Louisiana National Guard had initially required that LGB service members apply for spousal benefits only at federal installations such as Ft. Polk or Barksdale Air Force Base, the Secretary of Defense has indicated that such a policy illegally creates hardship and inequality for service members in same-sex marriages. Now, in response to the Pentagon’s directive and similar actions taken by other states, the Louisiana National Guard has removed the last remaining barriers to access. Federal funds and personnel will be used to process benefits applications for service members in same-sex marriages, satisfying Louisiana’s constitutional requirements while ensuring that all service members receive equal treatment in the application process.

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Next Week's New Yorker

The image is by Kadir Nelson.

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NEBRASKA: GOP Candidate For Gov Issues Pledge To Block Marriage Benefits

Nebraska state Sen. Beau McCoy is running for governor and he wants his fellow candidates to sign on to a pledge to block benefits for gays married in other states.
"Make no mistake," the Omaha state senator said, "every time same-sex couples get the same recognition as a married couple, the Nebraska Constitution and the will of Nebraskans gets undermined." Nebraska voters in 2000 adopted a constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between one man and one woman. "The people of Nebraska spoke out loud and clear," McCoy said. McCoy's statement was issued in reaction to a decision by the Douglas County Board to offer the same county employee benefits to same-sex couples married in other states that it does to couples legally married in Nebraska.
McCoy: "As governor, I will not allow the institution of marriage or our constitution to be attacked by expanding state benefits to state employees in same-sex relationships who get married in other states." (Tipped by JMG reader Thom)

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From The Illinois Family Institute

(Via Good As You)

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Eric Cantor's Staff Has Cops Threaten To Arrest Singing Immigrant Children

Raw Story reports:
A group of children calling for immigration reform were forced to leave House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) office on Thursday after Capitol Police officers threatened to arrest them. In a video posted to YouTube by the group Keeping Families Together, the children are seen in Cantor’s personal office singing: “We want reform, we want it now. We are titanium. Keep our families together. We want reform right now.” At that point an officer interrupted the protest to ask if anyone there was planning on getting arrested.
The kids eventually did leave without being arrested.

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Thursday, December 05, 2013

LGBT Groups React To Mandela's Death

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
Nelson Mandela was an inspiration to the millions of people who yearn for freedom across the world. With great personal sacrifice, he fought Apartheid and state-sanctioned racism. His principled approach, his willingness to reach out to former enemies, led to the introduction of multi-party democracy and real change in South Africa. Indeed, South Africa's post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. His legacy is hope; hope that people can achieve peace and freedom in a world with more than its fair share of conflict.
Human Rights Campaign
Nelson Mandela tore down oppression, united a rainbow nation, and always walked arm-in-arm with his LGBT brothers and sisters—and with all people—toward freedom. Though every man, woman and child who seeks justice around the world mourns this loss, his vision of an equal future lives on undimmed. Mandela, who was South Africa’s first post-Apartheid president, was an outspoken advocate for LGBT equality. He appointed an openly-gay judge to South Africa's High Court of Appeal and during his presidency, South Africa became the first nation in the world to constitutionally prohibit sexual orientation-based discrimination. Mandela will be remembered for his social justice activism and commitment to equality for all people.
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal joins others around the world in mourning the loss of Nelson Mandela, one of the 20th century's giants in the struggle for justice and human dignity. Every one of us who continues the fight for equality and civil rights in our own communities labors in the shadows of this man who withstood imprisonment as a consequence of his courageous leadership and grew only stronger, more resolute and more dignified. As South Africa's first elected black president, he led the people of his country toward reconciliation and forgiveness. Under his leadership, the new constitution of South Africa included explicit prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation - a degree of legal protection that LGBT people still do not have in the United States.
All Out
We are deeply saddened to hear about Nelson Mandela’s passing. Yet, we are hopeful his legacy of tolerance and mutual respect will live on for generations," Andre Banks, Executive Director and Co-Founder of All Out said. “As All Out continues to work with partners throughout Africa to free those who are oppressed and imprisoned for who they are and who they love, we will be inspired by Nelson Mandela’s story and words.”

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Nelson Mandela Dead At Age 95


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Church Sign Of The Day

Source.

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It Gets Better Sends Message To Russia

Via press release:
With the Olympics approaching, Russia will be the site of one of the most celebrated international gatherings in the world. At the same time, the former Soviet country will also be ground zero for an evolving human rights crisis, often resulting in violent discrimination. With a network of It Gets Better Project affiliates throughout the world, IGB has gathered international support for at-risk youth in Russia, and is committed to sending encouraging messages to a population that is in desperate need of hope for a brighter future. To accomplish this, IGB has partnered with LGBT advocates affiliated with Children 404, which is using Europe’s largest social network, Vkontakte, to connect Russian LGBT youth to the international community. Supporters are encouraged to visit IGB’s website and craft their own messages, which are then translated into Russian.

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Brian Brown Cheers Croatia

"Kudos to Croatia! The people of Croatia also did something remarkable to preserve marriage. A group called 'In the Name of the Family' led an initiative to place a pro-marriage ballot measure before the voters of the small Balkan nation. Croats went to the polls on Sunday and voted overwhelmingly in favor of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, with the measure gaining 66% of the popular vote! Joe, be encouraged by this news and remember that the redefinition of marriage and family to become genderless institutions is not at all inevitable, and it certainly hasn't carried public opinion away in any kind of landside." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via email.

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Limbaugh: Pope Francis Is A Marxist

Via CNN's Belief Blog:
Pope Francis: Successor to St. Peter ... the people's pontiff ... Marxist? That's what conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh suggests, calling the Pope's latest document "pure Marxism." Limbaugh blasted the pontiff on Wednesday, a day after Francis released "Evangelii Gaudium" (The Joy of the Gospel), a 50,000-word statement that calls for church reform and castigates elements of modern capitalism.

Limbaugh's segment, now online and entitled "It's Sad How Wrong Pope Francis Is (Unless It's a Deliberate Mistranslation By Leftists)," takes direct aim at the pope's economic views, calling them "dramatically, embarrassingly, puzzlingly wrong." The Vatican issued the English translation of "Evangelii," which is known officially as an apostolic exhortation and unofficially as a pep talk to the worlds 1.5 billion Catholics.

Francis – the first pope ever to hail from Latin America, where he worked on behalf of the poor in his native Argentina – warned in "Evangelii" that the "idolatry of money" would lead to a "new tyranny." The Pope also blasted "trickle-down economics," saying the theory "expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power."
Video of Limbaugh's show is at the link.

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Teabaggers Mock The Poor As Fast Food Employees Strike For A Liveable Wage

Some restaurant workers are striking today for a liveable wage and teabaggers are responding at the Twitter hashtag #EatFast where they are posting mocking photos of themselves gorging on fast food.

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Perkins: OK, NOW We'll Start Winning

"Plenty of states have been processing down the same-sex marriage aisle. But according to pundits, that's all about to change.  Homosexual activists like to say that momentum is on their side. And until recently, they might have been right. Sixteen U.S. states now recognize a right to same-sex marriage. And unfortunately, the Left's success in places like Hawaii and Illinois have helped feed the lie in America that homosexual marriage is inevitable. But don't believe it, say experts. All we've witnessed lately is the Left taking advantage of easy targets. With the exception of West Virginia, none of the other 34 states are under Democratic control. That means the Left's toughest battles are yet to come. And in places like Indiana, the tide may already be turning. State liberals are rushing to play defense while a marriage protection amendment works its way to the statewide ballot. So be encouraged. Not all same-sex wedding bills are leading to wedding bells." - KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins, speaking today on Christian radio.

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Another Road Show For Hate

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Democrats Slam Christie For Backing Anti-Gay Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin


UPDATE: Garden State Equality is furious.
“As a native Oklahoman, I find Governor Fallin’s anti-LGBT stand reprehensible. Ending service to all rather than offering service to a minority is not equality, it is discrimination of the highest order," said Troy Stevenson, executive director of Garden State Equality. "While Governor Christie has never been a proponent of the freedom to marry, he has always claimed to support equal protections for all. In a time when LGBT rights are quickly becoming a non-partisan issue, it is tragic that Governor Fallin has chosen time and time again to marginalize LGBT Oklahomans."

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New York Times Report: Poor And Black Men Are The Face Of HIV/AIDS

The New York Times today published an excellent front-page article on the direction that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has taken in recent years.
The AIDS epidemic in America is rapidly becoming concentrated among poor, young black and Hispanic men who have sex with men. Despite years of progress in preventing and treating H.I.V. in the middle class, the number of new infections nationwide remains stubbornly stuck at 50,000 a year — more and more of them in these men, who make up less than 1 percent of the population. Giselle, a homeless 23-year-old transgender woman with cafe-au-lait skin, could be called the new face of the epidemic. “I tested positive about a year ago,” said Giselle, who was born male but now has a girlish hair spout, wears a T-shirt tight across a feminine chest and identifies herself as a woman. “I don’t know how, exactly. I was homeless. I was escorting. I’ve been raped.” [snip]

Nationally, 25 percent of new infections are in black and Hispanic men, and in New York City it is 45 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the city’s health department. Nationally, when only men under 25 infected through gay sex are counted, 80 percent are black or Hispanic — even though they engage in less high-risk behavior than their white peers. The prospects for change look grim. Critics say little is being done to save this group, and none of it with any great urgency. “There wasn’t even an ad campaign aimed at young black men until last year — what’s that about?” said Krishna Stone, a spokeswoman for GMHC, which was founded in the 1980s as the Gay Men’s Health Crisis.
The article goes on to cite the work of the Ali Forney Center and other organizations struggling to serve young black gay men. Read the full article.

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Beck: Gay Marriage Opponents Have Lost

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NEW YORK CITY: De Blasio Names Guiliani-Era Bill Bratton As NYPD Chief

New York City Mayor-Elect Bill De Blasio has named Bill Bratton as NYPD Commissioner. Bratton served under Rudy Giuliani for three years in the mid-90s and most recently spent seven years as the police chief for Los Angeles. This is a controversial selection for De Blasio, who campaigned heavily against the stop-and-frisk practices of the NYPD under outgoing chief Ray Kelly.

Via NBC New York:
While Bratton led the LAPD, the department's use of stop and frisk dramatically increased, according to the Daily News. In 2002, cops made 587,200 stops, and by 2008, they made 875,204 stops, an increase of 49 percent, the News said, citing a 2009 report from the Harvard Kennedy School. The majority of those stopped were black or Hispanic, the News said, but the number of stops that led to arrests was far higher than in New York. The NYCLU, which has been highly critical of the NYPD's use of stop and frisk, said in a statement that it looks forward to working with de Blasio and Bratton "to ensure that fundamental changes are made to the NYPD, including a top-to-bottom culture shift that ends racial profiling and the abuse of stop and frisk."
More from the New York Times:
The selection of Mr. Bratton, a well-known and generally well-regarded figure in law enforcement, appeared to reflect the tricky spot Mr. de Blasio finds himself in as he moves to reshape the Police Department’s street tactics, while sustaining the decline in serious crime. New York is much changed since Mr. Bratton first took the reins in 1994. Crime rates were much higher and the issue dominated mayoral politics. With his hard-charging, press-friendly style, Mr. Bratton managed to garner considerable acclaim for the drop in crime on his watch, even as crime was falling in many other big cities as well. Now, Mr. Bratton returns to a city where crime has continued to fall and where there is less acceptance of some of the most aggressive and confrontational policing tactics. He and Mr. de Blasio will most likely be judged on whether the city can continue to be kept safe from crime and terrorism while quieting criticism over the excesses of policing, especially in minority communities.
De Blasio is holding a press conference at this writing to formally announce the appointment.

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Christian Group: Don't Shop Pro-Gay

Steve Rothaus writes at the Miami Herald:
The website Faith Driven Consumer has released a buyer's guide for the 2013 Christmas season, ranking retail chains and "connecting Christian consumers with faith-compatible companies." For example, companies that support marriage equality and/or cater to the LGBT marketplace rank lower than store that do not. (Much of the data used comes from HRC's pro-LGBT buyer's guide.)
Bolding above is mine. Faith Driven Consumer is endorsed by Focus On The Family and the American Family Association. They write:
The 2013 Faith Driven Consumer Christmas Guide offers detailed reviews of 43 different companies, with DaySpring, Hobby Lobby, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Foot Locker, Kohl's, Lowe's, and Michaels placing in the top eight. This easy-to-use, downloadable guide ranks companies according to their business practices based on a set of criteria developed by Faith Driven Consumer. Research shows that 81 percent of this 46 million market segment will switch brands when they discover that a retailer is incompatible with their worldview. It also finds that 64 percent of Faith Driven Consumers are currently looking for more faith-friendly shopping options.
Read their company reviews here. Apple and Nike get the lowest ratings. (Tipped by JMG reader Whabbear)

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MANIF REDUX: Massive Crowd Rallies In Taipei Against Same-Sex Marriage

Waving signs and banners that were clearly lifted from France's vile Manif Pour Tous, tens of thousands marched in Taiwan's capital in protest of a proposed bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

From Focus Taiwan:
The demonstrators, many of whom were parents and children, crowded Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, raising pink placards that read "Made by Daddy and Mommy," "Defend Marriage" and "Oppose Amendment to Civil Code Article 972," which states that an agreement to marry shall be made by the "male" and "female" parties in a relationship. The Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, one of the organizers of the event, argues that allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children will encourage "sexual liberation," undermine traditional family values and confuse gender roles for children. Any changes to the marriage system should be put to a national referendum, the coalition said. "God created human beings as male and female. Only the union of a man and a woman can create the next generation, and the ability to create offspring is an important function of a family," said 40-year-old Ann Huang, who joined the rally with her friends.
From the Taipei Times:
“God loves people, but He doesn’t love sinners,” demonstrator Hsu Chu-min said. “Homosexuals should abandon their sin. Homosexuality is against human nature.” A high-school student who wished to be known as Nelson took part in the rally in a Nazi uniform. “I am against homosexuality, and so were the Nazis; this is why I am wearing this uniform,” he said. “I don’t care if others criticize me, because those who criticize me will be condemned as well.” As many speakers at the rally accused gay rights activists of trying to push for sexual liberation, incest, group sex and bestiality through legalizing same-sex marriage and family diversity proposals, several gay rights advocacy groups tried to hold a press conference to clarify their stance. However, many activists were circled, pushed and driven away when they passed through the crowd of demonstrators.
American anti-gay sites, including NOM, are claiming today that the crowd numbered as many as 300,000. Homocon Robert Oscar Lopez is praising the protest on his blog, English Manif. The marriage bill passed its first reading before the national legislature in late October and is now before three committees for review. Recent polls show the Taiwanese public is strongly divided on the issue.

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UTAH: Marriage Ruling Due Next Month

A federal judge in Utah yesterday announced that he will rule by next month after having heard opening arguments in a marriage equality lawsuit brought by three gay couples.
About 100 people packed the courtroom in the city that is home to the Mormon Church, known for its efforts in helping California pass its anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby heard arguments from both sides as he weighed what will be a precedent-setting decision that he hopes to make by early next year. His ruling would be the first on a state same-sex marriage ban since the Supreme Court last summer struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, which stipulated that marriage was between a man and woman.

Attorneys for the state asserted it is not the courts' role to determine how a state defines marriage, and that the Supreme Court ruling doesn't give same-sex couples the universal right to marry. They also reinforced the state's argument that Utah has a right to foster a culture of "responsible procreation," and the "optimal mode of child-rearing," which the state believes the law does. "There is nothing unusual about what Utah is doing here," said Stanford Purser of the Utah Attorney General's Office, objecting to the notion that the law is rooted in bigotry or hatred. "That's the nature of legislation: You draw lines and make designations."
At one point during the hearing, Judge Shelby demanded of the state's lawyer, "How is it by excluding same-sex couples from marrying you're increasing procreation?" The lawyer "declined to answer directly."

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Gay Man Wills $3M To Lambda Legal

Lambda Legal yesterday revealed that a San Diego gay man who died last year bequeathed them almost $3M.
Robert “Bob” Rushing of San Diego died in 2012. He was the longtime partner of John Eden, who died in 2005 after heart surgery. The couple were among Lambda Legal’s first members of the Guardian Society, a group of individuals who have included Lambda Legal in their legacy giving. The bequest by Rushing and Eden totals nearly $3 million, Lambda Legal said. Rushing and Eden were together for 45 years, and friends describe Bob and John as devoted to each other. They were avid art collectors. John was a tennis player and Bob was a swimmer. They had a large circle of friends and enjoyed entertaining. Bob developed multiple sclerosis in his 40s. When Bob and John made their estate plan, they did so with Bob's illness in mind. However, in 2005, John died unexpectedly during what was thought to be routine heart surgery. At that time, New York did not recognize marriage equality, and John's untimely death threatened to cause huge tax liabilities for Bob, who was slowly becoming disabled from his illness.
Lambda Legal has created an honorary chair in both men's names.

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Kyle Dunnigan - Fuck You, Mistletoe

Dunnigan is a former cast member of Reno 911 and is Sarah Silverman's current boyfriend. From the YouTube comments: "The whole macho straight guys turn gay as humor thing is really played out. It would have been funnier if they ended up creating some secret paranoid society or religion blaming all the worlds problems on mistletoe. Could have done a lot with that."

(Tipped by JMG reader Stephen)

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Worst Selfie Ever

Details.

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Hawaii State Rep. Bob McDermott: I'm Not A Bigot, Homophobe, Or Hater

Yesterday Michelangelo Signorile interviewed Hawaii GOP state Rep. Bob McDermott, the anti-gay star of those horrible debates, who is still trying to use the courts to overturn the law. Hit the link for more from the interview.

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WA Railroad Relents On Spousal Benefits

One day after two gay couples filed their lawsuit, Washington state's BNSF Railway has agreed to provide spousal benefits to same-sex couples. Interestingly, the agreement includes other rail companies that bargain collectively with unions.
The dispute has been fast-moving. Wednesday afternoon, the rail company coalition that bargains with the 13 major unions representing rail workers said coverage would be available to same-sex spouses come January. “The nation’s largest freight carriers will provide dependent health care coverage to eligible same-sex spouses of covered railroad employees effective Jan. 1, 2014,” the National Railway Labor Conference said. “While this is not a benefit required by law or under current collective bargaining agreements, the railroads agreed with labor to provide this benefit in light of recent changes allowing same-sex couples to access the same federal tax benefits provided to other married couples.”
(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

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Moz Book De-Gayed For US Release

Morrissey's autobiography was launched stateside on Tuesday, but minus the part about his love affair with a man.
The former The Smiths star published his hotly-anticipated autobiography in the U.K. in October (13), and the book hit headlines over a section in which the rocker confirms long-running rumours he had a relationship with snapper Jake Walters in the mid-1990s. The tome, titled Autobiography, details several anecdotes involving Walters, and Morrissey writes movingly of their two years together, but in the U.S. release, which was published on Tuesday (03Dec13), many details in the original book are missing or edited down. A spokesman for the book's publishers had not responded to a request for comment as Wenn went to press.
Maybe the boyfriend complained?

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Quote Of The Day - Tom Daley

"It felt like a dirty little secret, it felt like I had chains wrapped around me, I couldn't be who I was, I felt alone and trapped. Just telling one person made me feel so much better, just that one person took a weight off my shoulder. I told Sophie my best friend first as I knew she'd be really accepting of it. She's been so supportive and there for me. Now that everyone knows, I have nothing to hide, those chains that I felt wrapped around me are gone and I can carry on with my life as normal and be happy. I felt like there was something wrong with me, I didn't know other people out there felt that way, I felt so alone, so locked away and couldn't say anything. Tell one person. Tell your story, how you feel. Everything is all pretty new so I don't see any point in putting a label on it - gay, bi, straight, any of those kind of labels. All that I feel happy about at the moment is that I'm dating a guy and couldn't be happier, it shouldn't matter who I'm dating and I hope people can be happy for me." - British Olympic diver Tom Daley, in an interview to be televised on Saturday.

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NYS Comptroller To Sochi Sponsors: Denounce Russia's Anti-Gay Crackdown

New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has signed onto a letter which demands that sponsors of the Sochi Olympics issue a denouncement of Russia's anti-gay pogrom. Andy Humm reports at Gay City News:
Ten major Olympic sponsors from Coke to Dow Chemical –– none of which has acceded to calls that they speak out forcefully against Russia’s laws making it a crime to be gay in public –– are now being pressured by the $161 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, led by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, to do that and more. New York City Comptroller John Liu and 19 private investment firms also signed the December 3 letter, which has yet to yield a response from the sponsors of the Olympics scheduled for February in Sochi, Russia. “The Russian government’s discriminatory laws have cast a shadow over the Olympics,” DiNapoli said in a December 5 release calling on the sponsors to “stand up for the respect and equality enshrined in the Olympic movement, advocate for human rights, and confront abuses.”
DiNapoli is under pressure from gay politicians, including state Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell and state Sen. Brad Hoylman, who have called on him to divest New York state of all Russian interests.  Read the full letter to Sochi's sponsors.

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