Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Let's Blow Up Iran

Via Alan Colmes:
“[Iran has] to open [nuclear facilities] up to the IAEA and to US inspectors and we’ve got to make sure you’ve gotten rid of everything. Otherwise, let’s blow them all up, all the sites up, until we’re satisfied we’ve eliminated them as a threat,” Gohmert said in an interview with Fox News on Monday."

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Today's Gay Etiquette Question

From Steven Petrow's Civil Behavior column in the New York Times comes this question:
Q. Dear Civil Behavior: I am a gay woman who tends to dress and identify on the masculine side. I’ll soon be attending a religious service at my extended family’s Orthodox synagogue, requiring modest attire, which means that women are not allowed to wear pants and can be denied entry. I think that as long as I dress respectfully and in the spirit of the religious mandates I should not have to compromise on my gender identity and expression. My family says that I’m being difficult and that “when in Rome …” Of course, there is no chance my relatives would dress according to a code I prescribed for an event if it conflicted with their religious identity. So why am I considered “difficult” for not compromising in the expression of my gender identity when they would be considered justified in not compromising their religious expression? — Name withheld
Give us your answer then hit the link to see how Petrow responded.

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New Mexico Gov Won't Fight Marriage

New Mexico GOP Gov. Susana Martinez says that her state's Supreme Court has spoken and she won't back the campaign to overturn same-sex marriage.
Martinez said several times last summer — when several county clerks across the state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples — that she believed state voters should decide the issue by way of a ballot question on whether to amend the state constitution. “I think what I said before was that yes, the people should have decided on it, but the Supreme Court has decided,” the governor said Monday when asked by a reporter about the issue. “And it’s now the law of the land.” Asked whether that meant she wouldn’t push for the Legislature to pass a measure like Sen. Bill Sharer’s Senate Joint Resolution 6, Martinez responded, “It’s the law of the land. The Supreme Court has spoken.” Sharer’s measure would put on the general election ballot a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Proposed amendments to the constitution aren’t subject to a governor’s veto.
The campaign will proceed, of course. She's clearly a RINO!

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Fitness Map

The darkest states are the most aerobically fit according to this study.
Colorado tops the list among states, with 61.8 percent of adults meeting the standard for aerobic exercise; Oregon is second (61.1 percent), followed by Vermont (59.2 percent), Hawaii (58.5 percent) and California (58.2 percent). On the flip side, the lowest levels of participation in aerobic exercise are found in southern states – Tennessee (39 percent), Mississippi (40 percent), Louisiana (42 percent), Alabama (42.4 percent) and West Virginia (43 percent).
(Via Andrew Sullivan)

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PFOX: Duck Dynasty Has Awakened America To The Scourge Of Homofascism

The "ex-gay" wackos at PFOX have posted an op-ed on the Christian site LifeSiteNews.  An excerpt:
Those individuals who no longer want to act out homosexually, including minors who have been molested by a same-sex adult, are treated like the lepers in the Bible. They are seen as a dangerous threat to society, and their attempts to seek therapeutic help must be outlawed. Is bullying and persecution a gay civil right? No, it’s not; homofascism is wrong. Unless we stop it now as was accomplished with the Duck Dynasty backlash, homofascism will spread to persecute anyone who dares to disagree with the gay lobby, regardless if you live in Manhattan or the woods of Louisiana – no one will be spared. When irrational fears of male-female heterosexuality instigate demands for public censorship and obedience to the gay lobby, silence is not an option. All who call themselves Christians must speak out against injustice and homofascism. Otherwise, we will lose America – and our souls.
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: PFOX files discrimination complaint with state of Maryland. PFOX kicks Right Wing Watch reporter out of "Ex-Gay Awareness Dinner." PFOX announces "the end of homosexuality." PFOX head Greg Quinlan declares that President Obama and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy are secretly gay. Quinlan says gay men are sexual cannibals. Quinlan says he's gay because he was molested. Quinlan defends the "ex-gay" therapy of Ladybird Bachmann. Quinlan claims gay activist Wayne Besen threatened to inject him with AIDS. Quinlan testifies against New Jersey marriage. Quinlan works to increase attacks on LGBT children.  Quinlan attempts to distribute "ex-gay" flyers at public schools. Quinn demands that FDA cease linking gay sites in harm reduction campaign. Quinlan files SCOTUS brief in support of DOMA.

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YouTube Comment Reconstruction #5

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Left-Leaning Catholic Site Suspends Comments After "Appalling" Messages

The left-leaning National Catholic Reporter, whose even-handed articles on LGBT issues have been excerpted here on JMG over the years, has suspended all commenting on its site.
We ordered our Web editor to suspend the commenting feature and to hide all previously posted comments because of the malicious, abusive nature of the comments that have bombarded our site in recent days. Comments will be suspended indefinitely. NCR editors will explore options that will allow commenting to return in a way that respects our writers, the subjects of our stories, and our readers. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where the good that an open discussion can do is being outpaced by the damage it can cause when commenters do not respect civil discourse. Comments that have appeared on the website in recent days have been vile and demeaning. We could no longer support hosting a Web feature that allows such despicable comments to appear, and that is why we ordered the suspension of that feature. We apologize to anyone who was offended by these appalling comments.
Free Republic regularly sics its readers on the site and today their commenters are celebrating.
Post topics particularly at issue were about the Boy Scouts' policy on homosexuality, an LGBT minor offered at a Catholic university, and the death of a priest who promoted homosexual marriage. Perhaps it was the recent Duck Dynasty story that gave voice to the previously silent posters, calling attention to the acts of sodomy that homosexuals adopt as their identity and which attention homosexuals would rather not be mentioned. Whatever the case, the comments weren't so much derogatory as they were sexually graphic in nature, and that is what, ironically, the editorial staff apparently found disgusting and vile.

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Noah's Ark Theme Park Is Sinking

That Noah's Ark theme park is sinking.
A Northern Kentucky theme park to be built around a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark may sink unless investors purchase about $29 million in unrated municipal bonds by Feb. 6. In December, the city of Williamstown issued taxable debt for affiliates of the Christian nonprofit Answers in Genesis, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Even though $26.5 million of securities have been sold, the project needs to sell at least $55 million in total to avoid triggering a redemption of all the bonds, Ken Ham, the nonprofit’s president, said in an email to supporters Thursday. Without the proceeds, construction funding will fall short, he said. “We still need those Ark supporters who weren’t able to purchase the Ark bonds at closing to prayerfully consider participating in a secondary bond delivery at the level they had indicated to us,” Ham said. “Will you please step out in faith with us?”
(Tipped by JMG reader Steve)

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The Secret World Of The Living Dolls

The Daily Beast reports on a documentary that Britain's Channel 4 aired last night.
When 70-year-old Robert looks in the mirror, which he does often when dolled up, he sees a beautiful blond woman, voluptuous in her yellow halter dress and chunky heels. Her name is Sherry and she passes the time taking selfies in the courtyard of her Orange County mansion and floating topless in the macaroni-shaped pool. Sans costume, Robert (not his real name) is a property developer, recently divorced, and living with his 19-year-old daughter. But when he powders his latex and silicone suit and climbs in, pulling a frozen, doll-faced mask over his head, and throwing on a wig and a dress, he’s Sherry. “That’s me in there,” he says, gazing entranced at his reflection. “That’s one of the things I have to keep telling myself: That’s me inside that female.” Robert is a masker, leading two very different lives: one in the so-called vanilla world of his family and coworkers; another dolled up as a life-size figurine in the privacy of his own home, or, occasionally, out with other cross-dressers and fellow mask-wearers.
More from the Daily Mail:
Unlike transgender people, ‘maskers’, or ‘rubber dollers’ as they’re also known, do not feel born in the wrong body. For them, dressing up as a member of the opposite sex is a simply a way to have fun. ‘They’re not freaky people, they’re not weird, they’re just like you and me,’ explains Barbie Ramos, the owner of Femskin, a company that makes the $850 (approximately £518) custom-made silicone outfits worn by maskers. ‘They’re just like what they call “vanilla people” - that’s you and me - except for at night or on special occasions, they like to put on a mask. Why not?’
Most of the men report having supportive wives or girlfriends, although some say their "masking" habit has cost them their marriages.


RELATED: Minneapolis hosts an annual convention called the Rubber Doll Rendezvous  and the Daily Beast has also posted a rubber dolls gallery. A Florida-based company called FemSkin (not office-safe) sells some of the full body suits.


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NYC Pride Unveils 2014 Theme

Via press release:
2014—NYC Pride announced the official theme for Pride 2014: “We have won when we’re one.” The 2014 theme is a reminder that inequality still exists both at home and abroad. Our work is unfinished until all members of the LGBT community, in all parts of the world, can enjoy the freedoms and protections they rightfully deserve. Bearing this theme in mind, NYC Pride will host its annual calendar of events in June, commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. "In 2013, we saw monumental change with the downfall of the Defense of Marriage Act, but that should not deter us from fighting for total marriage equality. In a country that is supposed to be united, we continue to live in the 'Fractured States of America.' We have not won until we're one, both at home and across the globe," said Chris Frederick, Managing Director.

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Tweet Of The Day - Matt Drudge

UPDATE: Ezra Klein fires back.

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Chris Kluwe On CNN: I'm Confident The Investigation Will Reveal The Truth

Note that Kluwe is wearing a Principle Six hat.

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His Fast Had A Secret Purpose

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Dennis Rodman Vs CNN's Chris Cuomo

Pure craziness. Via Mediatite:
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has taken serious criticism over his ongoing relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and his resistance of pressure to leverage that relationship for the release of imprisoned American Kenneth Bae. In an interview with CNN New Day host Chris Cuomo, which aired Tuesday morning, Rodman went a step further, essentially accusing Bae of some unspecified offense, and bellowing his way through the balance of the interview. Former NBA star Charles Smith, who had been acting as the group’s spokesman to this point in the interview, tried his best to wrangle Rodman, but when Cuomo asked about Bae, an incensed Rodman waved Smith off.

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Christian Pastors: We Should Have A Rose Bowl Float That Features Stoning Of Gays

Right Wing Watch reports:
Pastors Kevin Swanson and Dave Buehner of Generations Radio were upset about a float at the Rose Bowl parade that included a married gay couple which, despite nasty attacks from anti-gay activists, went off without incident (and even won an award). Buehner was perplexed by the fact that the AIDS Healthcare Foundation sponsored the float, saying that its “pro-homosexual propaganda” would “spread AIDS.” He added: “I wonder what the Rose Bowl parade would do if we had the stoning of a homosexual along the parade just as an expression of free speech and all that.”

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How's The Polar Vortex Treating You?

At this writing the wind chill in Manhattan is minus 17. That's 72 degrees lower than yesterday's high of 55. Flight Aware reports that 2300 flights have been canceled so far today and thousands more are significantly delayed. Some flights are canceled because of airports that lack adequate deicing equipment. By the way - that "boiling water trick" is resulting in some burns.

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WEST VIRGINIA: Marriage Equality Suit Likely To Survive Motions To Dismiss

Yesterday a West Virginia judge indicated that he is not inclined to dismiss a marriage equality lawsuit brought by three gay couples against county clerks. However the judge may rule that the plaintiffs lack standing for the portion of the suit that argues for the recognition of marriages from other states.
The lawsuit, filed Oct. 1, argues county clerks in Kanawha and Cabell counties violated the 14th Amendment rights of three same-sex couples to due process and equal protection in denying their request for a marriage license. The clerks contend their staffs simply followed state law. Chambers announced Monday his inclination to deny the clerks' motions to dismiss. Their arguments contend a judicial ruling would interfere with the legislative process. The judge, otherwise, told attorneys he could be inclined to grant a more limited dismissal sought by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Morrisey had argued the couples, each unmarried, lack standing to challenge a West Virginia statute that prohibits recognition of same-sex marriages granted in another state. Chambers' ruling remains unofficial until his filing of a written order, which he estimates should occur within two weeks.
The three couples are being represented by Lambda Legal.

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Hate Group Tries Again In CO Baker Case

Last month a Colorado court ruled that a local baker broke the law when he refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The ruling spurred outraged cases of the sadz from many anti-gay groups. Yesterday the Alliance Defending Freedom, which lost the case the first time, filed an appeal. An ADF attorney claims that "forcing Americans to promote ideas against their will undermines our constitutionally protected freedom of expression."

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ARIZONA: Marriage Lawsuit Filed

Four Arizona gay couples yesterday filed a class action suit against the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
The suit, which names Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Attorney General Tom Horne and County Clerk Michael Jeanes as defendants, was filed by attorneys Shawn and Ellen Aiken. It claimed that a voter-approved ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. "The plaintiffs are asking that the court strike or reverse Arizona's ban on same-sex marriage," said Shawn Aiken. "Right now, the state constitution prohibits same-sex marriage." The suit would allow same-sex couples to be married and would recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states. "I think it is a game-changer in Arizona," said Aiken. "I think most people expect that this issue will eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." In the suit, the couples describe various hardships caused by the state for not recognizing their relationship. Most focus on medical treatments, but some have to do with custody over adopted children.
While marriage lawsuits are well underway in many states, this is the first such suit in Arizona.

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Satanists Vs Oklahoma

The NYC-based Satanic Temple says they have the right to erect the pictured monument at the statehouse in Oklahoma. Via Raw Story:
The group offered to donate a monument last month, after State Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) and conservative Christians were allowed to erect a Ten Commandments monument on the statehouse grounds. Lawmakers in Oklahoma, however, have insisted that the Satanists should not be given the same treatment as Christians. “This is a faith-based nation and a faith-based state,” Rep. Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville) said. “I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation.” After other groups — including PETA and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster — asked for their own displays, the Oklahoma City Capitol Preservation Commission placed a moratorium on new monuments at the statehouse. But the Satanic Temple insists erecting a monument of their own is within their constitutional rights.
The group has raised nearly all of the $20,000 they say they need to place the statue.

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Mike Rogers On Aaron Schock

"I think outing is so, so 2004 at this point. So 2008. Anybody who knows Aaron Schock, anybody who has half of a brain cell, knows he's gay. I'm kind of out of the business. For me, it's like—big deal. That's how I looked at it. The people who care might get a mailing with the Huffington Post article about it. If they don't, blame a bad campaign manager. My strongest emotion is pity. Republicans want this. They want him to come out. They want him to come out before the election. The Louie Gohmert voters aren't going anywhere. Anyone who's nutty enough to vote for Gohmert will stay with him. And the power structure in the gay community will literally and figuratively be on its knees the minute he comes out. He'll get awards, he'll march in parades—an Aaron Schock outing, for the GOP, is a gift!" - Outing kingpin Mike Rogers, speaking to Slate.

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Officials: Yale Prof Died Of Drug Overdose

In November, openly gay Yale professor Samuel See died in the custody of New Haven police after a being arrested following a scuffle with his estranged husband.  Yesterday the medical examiner's office ruled that See had died from a drug overdose.
See died of acute methamphetamine and amphetamine intoxication with recent myocardial infarction. His death was ruled an accident. See was found unresponsive in a detention cell at 6 a.m. on Nov. 24. Court marshals performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until medics arrived. See, who was alone in his cell, was pronounced dead at 6:15 a.m. See, an assistant professor of English and American studies, was on leave this semester. New Haven police are investigating the circumstances of See's death. New Haven police responded to a domestic dispute at See's home the evening of Nov. 23. Sunder Ganglani, 32, who identified himself as See's husband, was at the home in violation of a protective order, police said.
(Tipped by JMG reader Jeff)

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Teabagger: Move US Capital To Nebraska

He's running for the US Senate. Via Breitbart:
"As someone who's not a career politician, I wanted to introduce myself to Nebraskans in a way that would explain what this campaign is about," Sasse said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News. "DC is a sick, dysfunctional place. I've seen it up close. We're going to lose our country if we don't act quickly." Sasse, a university president known as an expert on Obamacare and health policy, suggested that if you can't put enough Nebraska into Washingon, maybe it's time to move Washington to Nebraska.Though he understands it's not a realistic goal to move our nation's capital to the Cornhusker State, the "thought experiment" is meant to represent the average American's frustration with Washington, regardless of which party is in power.
He was Assistant Secretary of Health under Dubya.

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Tony Perkins: GLAAD Is Vicious

"Although the victory belonged to the Robertsons, the real winners may be the American people -- who finally witnessed homosexual activists for what they are: intolerant bullies. As FRC has said for years, the goal of GLAAD and others is to silence anyone who dares challenge the idea that homosexual behavior should be celebrated. We've seen these vicious tactics used against wedding florists, bakers, photographers, sports journalists, students, and teachers who've been fired, hauled into court, fined, suspended, and ordered to violate their religious beliefs by endorsing same-sex 'marriage.' For once, the American people have stood up and shouted, 'enough!'" - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

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Why Marriage Matters

Clip recap:
A coalition of state and national organizations will launch a statewide television ad today featuring a New Mexican family who represent the broad, majority support for the recent ruling by the state Supreme Court that grants every loving couple the freedom to marry. The ad will appear on both network and cable television throughout the state. It features Daniel and Theresa Sandoval of Albuquerque who have been married for 51 years, raised three sons and are now, after retiring, enjoying their five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. As Daniel Sandoval says in the ad, “We believe in the Golden Rule. In treating others as we want to be treated. Respect is very important to me and it’s the heart of the issue. In New Mexico, we respect every family.” The 30-second spot was produced and purchased by the Equality New Mexico Foundation and ACLU of New Mexico Foundation in partnership with Freedom to Marry, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the ACLU LGBT Project.

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Monday, January 06, 2014

Chris Kluwe Hires Attorney

Via Minneapolis TV station KARE-11:
Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has retained Clayton Halunen [LEFT] to represent him during the team's investigation of Kluwe's allegations of homophobic comments by a Vikings coach. Halunen will co-counsel the case with the National Center for Lesbian Rights -- a national advocacy organization dedicated to eliminating bias against the LGBT community. Kluwe says he will fully cooperate with the Vikings' investigation. He says that the hiring of legal counsel should not be read as a signal of intent to file a lawsuit against. "I want the truth to come out from the investigation, not in litigation," says Kluwe via a news release.
The Vikings investigation will be conducted by the former chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. (Tipped by JMG reader Todd)

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Utah Governor Applauds SCOTUS

"The Supreme Court made the correct decision to stay Judge Shelby's ruling in the Amendment 3 case. Clearly, the stay should have been granted with the original District Court decision in order to have avoided the uncertainty created by this unprecedented change. As I have said all along, all Utahns deserve to have this issue resolved through a fair and complete judicial process. I firmly believe this is a state-rights issue and I will work to defend the position of the people of Utah and our State Constitution." - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, via press release.

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Times Square NYE Time-Lapse

"A time-lapse production on New Year's Eve never seen before. Due to all the security concerns on the big day, the NYPD had stationed snipers at certain hotel locations not disclosed. We were granted rooftop permission by two hotels, the Times Square Alliance, and the NYPD to shoot this amazing piece."

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Trestin Meacham Is Eating

He didn't get the "nullification" he claimed to be fasting for, but Trestin Meacham just posted a Facebook photo of himself having a anti-gay victory nosh. (Tipped by JMG reader Dave)

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GMA's Robin Roberts Shows Off Photo With Girlfriend: I've Never Been Happier

Today on Good Morning America:
On the show Monday morning, she showed a picture of herself with Amber at her niece’s wedding, and announced to applause from the roundtable that she had never been happier or healthier. “I’m going to tell you all this, because you have had a front row seat for that tumultuous year,” Roberts said. “I have never been happier or healthier than I am right now. And my year-end post was just full of gratitude and just telling everyone all that I’m grateful for, including my girlfriend, Amber, who loved me through a very difficult year.”
Wonderful reactions from the GMA panelists.

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Headline Of The Day

Via AIDS Map:
A study from the US has found that some groups of people with HIV, especially those treated before their CD4 count falls below 350 cells/mm3, now have life expectancies equal to or even higher than the US general population. However, it also finds that life expectancy for some other groups – most notably women and non-white people – is still considerably below comparable members of the general population and that for people who inject drugs, life expectancy in the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not improved at all.
(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

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Advocate's 15 Gayest Cities In America

The Advocate has published its annual and quite silly ranking of the gayest cities in America. Among the ranking criteria is the number of concerts by Marah Carey, Pink, and the Jonas Brothers. Your town also got a point if it hosted a gay rodeo. Eye roll.

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The Coming Out Of Robin Roberts Was A Secret Gay Plot Against Duck Dynasty

"Consider. Phil Robertson is from the South. Robin Roberts is from the South. Phil Robertson is a beloved television personality. Robin Roberts is a beloved television personality. Phil Robertson attended a university in Louisiana. Robin Roberts went to a university in Louisiana. Phil Robertson is a person of devout Christian faith. Robin Roberts is someone who professes to be a person of devout Christian faith. Coincidence? Hardly! Contrived? More than likely. Especially since Robert's 'coming out' takes place in conjunction with Robertson's reinstatement. Unable to shut down the voice of one who opposes the homosexual lifestyle from a biblical perspective, gay activists and their media supporters must counter with the voice of someone they believe might eclipse it. Twice now, Roberts is at the heart of an effort to squelch the clear and loud sound of opposition." - Pastor Mark Creech, writing for the Christian Post.

RELATED: Last year Creech mocked President Obama for supporting same-sex marriage but not campaigning for polygamy or the right of an "incestuous woman's romance with her brother."

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It's A Race And NOM Is In 18th Place

(Tipped by Good As You)

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The Tea Party Anthem


(Tipped by JMG reader Joel)

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The Friendly Atheist Reviews Linda Harvey

Last week Linda Harvey screamed that Amazon didn't pull her book because it advocates the torture and brainwashing of LGBT children, SHE pulled it herself because of nasty reviews spurred by evil gay bloggers.  The Friendly Atheist has read Harvey's book and today posted a review. An excerpt:
Harvey says that “hundreds” of organizations in the U.S. can help gay people work through their feelings and turn straight, and that plenty of “converted homosexuals” will tell you that it really works. Never mind that the most prominent ex-gay organization Exodus International shut its doors and its president said homosexuality is unchangeable — Harvey says he’s not a good representative of the ex-gay movement because “there seems to be a lot of confusion going on in his life.” If you insist…

Later, she defends parents who kick their gay children out of their homes. She suggests that children whose parents don’t try to shield them from homosexuality will commit suicide. She says that it’s the responsibility of churches to try to warn people about homosexuality. She suggests that gay teenagers are the victims of broken homes or sexual abuse. She waxes poetic on Sodom and Gomorrah. And finally, she says that God is the answer to a troubled life of homosexuality.
Hit the link and read the full review.

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Brian Brown Applauds Activist SCOTUS

"It was outrageous that this brazen judge appointed by President Obama would substitute his views for the sovereign decision made by both the Utah Legislature and the people of the state, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The decision by a single federal judge to redefine marriage in Utah is lawless, and we are pleased that the Supreme Court has put this decision on hold to allow the state to appeal it in an orderly fashion. The actions of this activist judge are an affront to the rule of law and the sovereign rights of the people of Utah to define marriage. Shelby has attempted to twist what the Supreme Court ruled in the Windsor decision - that states have the right to define marriage - and turn it into the exact opposite conclusion. It's gratifying that the US Supreme Court has decided to stop this nonsense and allow the state of Utah the time to reverse it on appeal." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, breaking a streak of seven consecutive cases of the sadz and conveniently omitting the fact that the "brazen judge appointed by President Obama" was endorsed by both GOP senators from Utah.

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WND's Jerome Corsi: Obama Is Using People With HIV To Destroy Insurance

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So The Fast Is Over?

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BREAKING: Supreme Court Issues Stay On Same-Sex Marriages In Utah

Via SCOTUSblog:
The Supreme Court on Monday morning put on hold a federal judge’s decision striking down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, thus stopping a wave of such marriages across the state. The Court’s order reinstates the state ban and will keep it intact until after a federal appeals court has ruled on it. The order appeared to have the support of the full Court, since there were no noted dissents. The ruling can be interpreted as an indication that the Court wants to have further exploration in lower courts of the basic constitutional question of state power to limit marriage to a man and a woman. Had it refused the state’s request for delay, that would have at least left the impression that the Court was comfortable allowing same-sex marriages to go forward in the 33 states where they are still banned.
UPDATE: I was going to tell Trestin Meacham that he can eat now, but he's blocked me on Twitter.

UPDATE II: From the New York Times.
The terse order, from the full court, issued a stay “pending final disposition” of an appeal to the federal appeals court in Denver. It offered no reasoning. The Supreme Court acted more than two weeks after a federal judge in Salt Lake City on Dec. 20 struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying it violated principles of equal protection and due process. Judge Robert J. Shelby of Federal District Court refused to stay his decision while it was appealed, as did the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver. Judge Shelby’s decision made Utah the 18th state, along with the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex marriages, and many hundreds of gay and lesbian couples have married there in the intervening weeks. Should a higher court ultimately reverse Judge Shelby’s ruling, it is not clear what would happen to those marriages.
UPDATE III: Analysis from CNN.

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You're Probably Not Flying Today

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UTAH: State Files SCOTUS Reply To Plaintiffs' Brief Opposing Marriage Stay

On Friday, the good guys filed a SCOTUS brief opposing Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's demand for a stay on gay marriages while the Tenth Circuit Court considers their appeal. Today the state fired back with a reply brief. As you'll recall, the plaintiffs' brief denounced the state's citation of the Regnerus study and noted that Regnerus was denounced by the very journal that first published his work. In today's reply, the state essentially says, "Nuh-uh! It is too a valid study!" Dig into their reply at the second link. (Via Equality Case Files)

RELATED: Last week Utah issued a "help wanted" ad seeking outside counsel to represent the state in the case.  The state GOP has declared that it is willing to spend at least $2M to overturn same-sex marriage.

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Henry Rollins On Duck Dynasty

"One of you supremely talented graphic artists should start a comic book series starring the Duck dudes as homosexual bears. Talk about crossover potential. The thing writes itself. At the next major gay pride event, there should be hard-bodied men in camo hot pants, ridiculous beards pasted to their chins, blowing through duck calls. Dick Dynasty is a gay porn series just waiting to happen. Just remember: When you see the DD men all decked out in their camo gear, they look pretty bitchin' and rugged -- but keep in mind that they wear these garments to help them hide from ducks. It's a comedy show, right?" - Henry Rollins, writing for LA Weekly. (Via Towleroad)

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WND: Hitler Escaped Germany

In his latest book, World Net Daily's birther-in-chief Jerome Corsi claims to have proof that Adolf Hitler escaped Germany and that the whole double-suicide thing was a US plot.
Corsi relies on autopsy reports, interrogation transcripts, documents from Soviet archives, CIA reports, extensive research in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., and in College Park, Md., and more to back up his case. His evidence is shockingly abundant, and his clear argument lends credence to a new theory that disembowels the double-suicide narrative. “The story Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide was a cover story, designed by U.S. intelligence agents at the end of World War II to facilitate the escape not only of Hitler and Eva Braun, but also of top Nazi war criminals such as Adolf Eichmann who was discovered in 1960 hiding in Argentina,” Corsi argued.
Surprisingly, Corsi does not blame Barack Obama. But the commenters don't let us down: "He is now reincarnated and is living in OUR White House." Corsi's last book declared that Satan is the secret executive director of the ACLU.

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NEW YORK CITY: Newlywed Gay Man Killed In Manhattan High-Rise Fire

Yesterday's high-rise fire in Manhattan took the life of a newlywed gay man and critically injured his husband.
The men, 27-year-old Daniel McClung and 32-year-old Michael Todd Cohen, were found in a stairwell near the 31st floor of The Strand condominium suffering from smoke inhalation and burns after the three-alarm fire erupted more than 10 stories below at the building on West 43rd Street, the FDNY said. McClung [ABOVE LEFT] died and Cohen is in stable condition at a hospital. The couple married in July, neighbors told NBC 4 New York. More than 200 firefighters responded to put out the blaze, which began in a hallway of the 20th floor, according to the FDNY. It took firefighters about an hour and 40 minutes to get the blaze under control, authorities said. Crews got to the scene quickly, but it took some time for firefighters to reach the higher floors.
The Red Cross is assisting the other tenants, who will not be allowed back into the building until the elevators are repaired. There is video at the second link.

UPDATE: The FDNY says the fire was caused by a power strip that was "possibly connected to a Christmas tree."

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Janet Napolitano Evolves On Gay Marriage

"This was something that society in a way, the arc of history, as it were, needed to get there, and the arc of history has clearly arrived." And just in time for her to lead the U.S. delegation to the Sochi Olympics.

(Via the National Review)

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Editorial Of The Day

From the editors of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Same-sex attraction, far from being unnatural, has been around since the dawn of time, and in recent decades mainstream America has come to accept it as something other than deviant. The American Psychiatric Association has considered homosexuality a normal sexual variation, not a mental disorder, since 1973. The Supreme Court in 2003 made same-sex sexual activity legal in every state, and then last June the court took that step of saying same-sex couples have a due-process right to marry. Younger people by and large take a more libertarian view of same-sex relationships, and that is what has fueled the nation’s shift since Utah passed its ban in 2004.

There are 32 states with laws still in effect banning gay marriage, but only one state has passed such a law since 2006. Since that time seven state legislatures have passed laws to allow same-sex marriage, and three more states did so through popular vote. Court decisions have struck down the laws in another seven states, including Utah. One of those states is California, where state officials stopped defending their same-sex marriage ban when it became obvious where the future lies. Utah’s ban passed with 66 percent of voters approving it, but it’s a legitimate question whether it would pass today if another election were held. Even the LDS Church has gone from actively participating in the marriage wars to simply explaining its own beliefs and practices.

The tide has turned. It’s time for Utah to turn with it.
(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

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Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: "We have the latest from Utah, where the state has committed to spending millions of dollars to undo marriage equality. An apology from a Florida governor who has now changed his mind on banning the freedom to marry. Plus, new promises of yet another federal lawsuit in a conservative state."

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Steven Seagal For Arizona Governor?

Washed up movie star Steven Seagal says he's thinking about running for governor of Arizona.
The "Marked for Death" actor told KNXV-TV that he is considering a shot at the state's highest office and has had a talk about the bid with the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America. The 61-year-old made the comments while talking about his newly released reality series "Steven Seagal - Lawman: Maricopa County." Seagal teamed up with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for the show that was shot in Arizona and airs on cable TV's Reelz Channel.
Of Seagal's 25 most recent movies, 22 were direct-to-video.

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Liz Cheney Drops Senate Bid

"Serious health issues have recently arisen in our family, and under the circumstances, I have decided to discontinue my campaign. My children and their futures were the motivation for our campaign and their health and well-being will always be my overriding priority. Phil and I want to thank the thousands of people in Wyoming and all across the country who have supported my campaign. As a mother and a patriot, I know that the work of defending freedom and protecting liberty must continue for each generation. Though this campaign stops today, my commitment to keep fighting with you and your families for the fundamental values that have made this nation and Wyoming great will never stop." - Liz Cheney, in a statement released early today.

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GOP Rep. Peter King: Rand Paul Doesn't Deserve To Be In the Senate

Mediaite recaps one of the meow-rich GOP infighting moments we've seen in quite a while:
Appearing on Fox News Channel on Sunday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) defended the National Security Agency from attacks on its intelligence gathering practices. He specifically said the charges made against the NSA by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are “lies” and that he “doesn’t deserve to be a U.S. Senator.” “Rand Paul does not know what he’s talking about,” King said after being asked to respond to Paul’s comments about the NSA. “And, Rand Paul is really spreading fear among the American people.”
Tea Party sites spent yesterday calling for King's head.

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Seattle Nightclub To Stage NYE Redux

Seattle's gay nightclub Neighbours is inviting patrons back to finish the New Year's Eve party that was interrupted by an arsonist. From their Facebook page:
The staff and management at Neighbours Seattle would like to say THANK YOU to everyone that has been so understanding and supportive over the past few days; it was because of that support and outpouring of goodwill that we were able to open our doors once again. This nightclub has served this neighborhood and community for three decades and we aren't about to just crawl away!  We are pleased to announce that NEXT SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., 21+ and 2 a.m. - 4 a.m. 18+, we will have a CELEBRATE NEIGHBOURS PARTY where we will invite some of your favorite entertainers, finish the New Year's Party that we never got to complete, and more! 
Let's hope those two US soldiers are in the house this Saturday. There have no press reports about breaks in the case.

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Quote Of The Day - Evander Holyfield

"If you were born and your leg were turned this way - what would you do? You go to the doctor and get it fixed back, right? All I'm trying to tell you, you know how handicap people are born? You can’t say because they [gay people] are born that way you can’t move that. Yes, it is a choice. C'mon, how can you not say you ain't gay unless you sleeping with the opposite sex?" - Retired pro boxer Evander Holyfield, when asked by a fellow Celebrity Big Brother cast member if any boxers had come out as gay. Producers then summoned Holyfield to another room and told him that he'd been warned that bigoted statements would not be allowed.  The Daily Mail reports that Holyfield is the first cast member to be so reprimanded in the show's history.

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SPOILER: Downton Abbey

Stay out of the comments if you've not yet seen last night's debut season four episode. Otherwise dive in and dish.

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This Is An Ad For Something

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Sunday, January 05, 2014

Tweet Of The Day - Trestin Meacham

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Blaze At Manhattan High-Rise

The New York Daily News reports:
A massive blaze at a Midtown Manhattan high-rise has critically injured two people as firefighters rushed to control the flames. Firefighter spokesman Danny Glover said the fire reported to authorities shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday was on the 20th floor of a building at 43rd Street and 10th Avenue. He says about 40 units responded to the fire and were on the scene shortly after noon. He says two civilians with critical injuries were taken to separate New York hospitals. A man who lives in the building appears to be live tweeting the action from his family apartment, several floors above the flames.
The fire is in the district of openly gay NYC Councilman Corey Johnson, who is on the scene.

UPDATE: JMG reader Steve took this from his balcony.

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Downton Abbey Returns Tonight

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New York Post Cover Draws Heat

Rupert Murdoch's New York Post cover is drawing heat from all sides today.  Business Insider recaps:
The New York Post has provoked enraged responses on Twitter with its offensive cover about the murder of an Hasidic Jewish landlord which asked "Who didn't want him dead?" Menachem Stark, a 39-year-old father of eight, was shoved into a light-colored Dodge caravan outside his Brooklyn office late Thursday. His charred body was found this weekend on Long Island. The Post — which referred to Stark as a "slain slumlord" — prompted a number of angry Tweets, including one from Yaacov Behrman, who wrote, "I am deeply disturbed by the cover of the New York Post, "who didn't want him dead." How about this young boy?!" Another person tweeted, "It's heart-wrenching that this is leading the @nypost website today. 'Who DIDN'T want him dead?' SHAME ON YOU!" The lead of the Post story said Stark had "so many enemies that investigators say they almost don't know where to start looking." “He’s a Hasidic Jew from Williamsburg, and we think he’s a scammer," the Post quoted one unnamed investigator as saying.
A Facebook group titled "Condemn The New York Post" already has 2000 members.

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DC Eagle Nightclub To Relocate

Washington DC's Eagle nightclub has been granted a 30-day extension on its lease and will remain open through the end of this month, much to the relief of Mid-Atlantic Leather attendees. Yesterday the Leather Journal  (not office safe) published details about a new location scheduled to open late this summer.
The updated 16,000 square-foot building, which was originally a slaughter house, will consist of three floors, a roof-top deck and outdoor courtyard with barbecue pit and a covered loading dock. Each floor will offer a distinct venue and environment including a first floor full service restaurant, the second floor DC Eagle with an adjacent Cigar Bar - Terminal Alley, and the third floor dance bar with DJ booth and live performance area. The DC Eagle wishes to thank their extraordinary patrons, clubs, teams and social groups who have called the DC Eagle their home for the past 42 years, and look forward to serving everyone at their interim pop-up locations and permanent home long into the future.
The new location is at 3701 Benning Road NE, which seems rather far from the current site. (I always get confused in DC.) But with so many long-running gay nightclubs shuttering across the nation, it's great that the DC Eagle has found a new home.

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Sarah Palin's New Year's Resolution

"Be even more aggressive in calling out media for practicing lapdog laziness. Hey reporters, we know that once Barack Obama got elected you bailed on keeping government accountable; you've been abject failures there. Case in point: Nixon's presidency was over once reporters busted him for allowing his people to spy on political opponents. Today, the Obama Presidency's hallmark is spying (in addition to violating economic and Constitutional liberties), for which you celebrate Barack Obama. Transparently hypocritical, much? Take a stand, America! You deserve better. Resolve to live life vibrantly by looking to family, faith, and freedom in this new year!" - Sarah Palin, telling us her fourth New Year's resolution yesterday on Facebook. (#1 is "eat more meat.")

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The Man Who Invented San Francisco

The Days Of Anna Madrigal, the ninth and final installment of Armistead Maupin's legendary Tales Of The City series, will be published later this month. Yesterday the Guardian heaped praise upon Maupin. An excerpt:
Quentin Crisp once introduced him with the boast: "This is Mr Maupin. He invented San Francisco." More importantly, Maupin virtually invented the mainstreaming of gay life and helped the world see that "the gay experience" was nothing lesser or greater than human experience. Maupin came to a realisation of his homosexuality relatively late. He was 30 when he came out, the same year he began writing. Taking stock of himself the way he would one of his characters, he once observed: "He had kept his heart (and his libido) under wraps for most of his life, only to discover that the thing he feared the most had actually become a source of great comfort and inspiration." At the time he began writing, he saw gay fiction as both bleak and myopic. This was an era when Truman Capote still equated his homosexuality with his alcoholism and a climate in which Gore Vidal could claim: "There were homosexual acts, but not homosexual people." Maupin, however, had discovered a joyful fraternity and welcoming community in the bath houses and nightclubs of the city and decided, as he put it, to "[allow] a little air into the situation by actually placing gay people in the context of the world at large".
Read the full article. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.

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Because Language

Via the New York Times:
After a year dominated by upstart words like “selfie,” “bitcoin” and “twerk,” the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year for 2013 seems slightly banal: “because.” Ben Zimmer, chairman of the dialect society’s new words committee, explained that casual online usage had transformed “because.” “No longer does ‘because’ have to be followed by of or a full clause,” he said in a statement. “Now one often sees tersely worded rationales like ‘because science’ or ‘because reasons.’ You might not go to a party ‘because tired.’ As one supporter put it, “because” should be word of the year ‘because useful!’” The society also hung laurels on a number of other words.”Sharknado” won the “most unnecessary” category with 162 votes, crushing second-place finisher “cronut” (18 votes, presumably cast by people who have so far been able to secure one of the sought-after croissant slash doughnuts). “Catfish,” meaning to misrepresent oneself online, won in the “most creative” category.
(Via JMG reader James)

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UTAH: Former County Sheriff Calls For Uprising Against Same-Sex Marriage

"The people of Utah have rights, too, not just the homosexuals. The homosexuals are shoving their agenda down our throats. We have a right to raise our kids without homosexuals being part of the Boy Scouts, the schools and teachers and doing everything. They can be all that, but don’t shove your agenda down my kid’s throat. We have a right to raise our kids how we want not how you want. The way you take back freedom in America is one county at a time. The sheriffs need to defend the county clerks in saying, ‘No, we’re not going to issue marriage licenses to homosexuals.’" - Former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack, who yesterday led a meeting of law enforcement members in calling for an "uprising" against same-sex marriage in Utah. There is video at the link.

More about the meeting from the Mormon Church-owned Deseret News:
Mack said the U.S. Constitution was written to protect God-given, innate rights. "You're never going to convince us that homosexual marriage is one of those innate, God-given rights. It's not," he said. "If you read the Bible, you will plainly and simply see that it's not." His comments about gay marriage drew loud applause from about 200 people crammed into the Highland Community Center. They came during an hourlong speech focused on states' rights. Mack, former sheriff in Graham County, Ariz., created the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association about three years ago to "take back America county by county, state by state." Speaking of the gay community he said parents have rights and "we choose not to teach that to our children and we don't want you teaching it to them either. Don't shove your agenda in our faces or down our throats. We don't want any more of your gay appreciation parades."
RELATED: In 1994, Mack was backed by the NRA in a successful Supreme Court lawsuit against background checks prior to gun purchases. (Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

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Billboard Of The Day

Details.

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Saturday, January 04, 2014

Freep This Utah Poll

Right here. (Tipped by multiple JMG readers)

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Schock Makes Instagram Account Private

A few days ago John Aravosis posted an AmericaBlog column titled The 7 Gayest Aaron Schock Instagram Posts Of 2013 in which he needled Schock's famous sense of fashion and devotion to bodybuilding. That AmericaBlog post was referenced in yesterday's Facebook piece on Schock by CBS reporter Itay Hod. And JMG reader Michael reports that Schock today made his Instagram account private. Previously the account was open to all, including non-members. Read into this as you will.

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