Sunday, September 07, 2014

DirecTV NFL Spot Features Gay Couple

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EGYPT: Nine Men Ordered Arrested For Appearing In Gay Wedding Video

An Egyptian government news agency says seven men have been detained and two others are being sought for appearing in a YouTube video that shows a gay wedding. Charges include "inciting debauchery" and "undermining public morals." Via Reuters:
Gay marriage is not legal in Egypt, a conservative Muslim society where the footage, which went viral on social media sites last month, has caused a stir online. The footage, which was posted on YouTube, appears to show a group of men celebrating a gay wedding on a Nile riverboat. The public prosecutor's office said in a statement late on Saturday the party took place in April but the footage went viral in August, causing the police to take action to identify the men. The statement said the images were "humiliating, regrettable and would anger God," concluding that they constituted a criminal act and would be investigated. The prosecutor told police to arrest the men and ordered the coroner to carry out physical examinations of all of the accused with a view to pressing charges against them for inciting debauchery and spreading images that violate public decency.
This appears to be the video.

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Mormons, Catholics, & Evangelicals Ask SCOTUS To Uphold Utah Gay Marriage Ban

The above-named religious groups have filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold Utah's ban on same-sex marriage. Via the Associated Press:
The religious groups urged the Supreme Court on the basis of tradition and religious freedom to uphold a state's right to disallow gay and lesbian couples to wed. "Legal uncertainty is especially burdensome for religious organizations and religious believers increasingly confronted with thorny questions," the brief says. "Is their right to refrain from participating in, recognizing or facilitating marriages between persons of the same sex, contrary to their religious convictions, adequately shielded by the First Amendment and other legal protections? Or is further legislation needed to guard religious liberties in these and other sensitive areas?" Last month, attorneys for three Utah gay and lesbian couples formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take Utah's appeal of a favorable gay marriage ruling.
The brief is relatively short. Equality Case Files has the full filing.

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Martina Navratilova Gets Engaged


Via People Magazine:
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, 57, got engaged to girlfriend Julia Lemigova, 42, in a moment that was telecast on the Jumbotron during the day's play at New York's Arthur Ashe stadium. Navratilova popped the question during a break while she was providing color commentary for the men's matches. The tennis legend was being interviewed by Ken Solomon in the Tennis Channel suite when she turned to Lemigova and said she would be asking the questions this time. Navratilova got down on one knee and offered her girlfriend a diamond-studded ring.

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Holly Johnson - In And Out Of Love

Via Digital Spy:
Holly Johnson has unveiled the music video for new song In and Out of Love. The track is the lead single from Europa, Johnson's first album in 14 years. The video has been directed by Chris Shepherd and produced by Alex Bedford. The follow-up to 1999's Soulstream coincides with the 30th anniversary of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut Welcome to the Pleasuredome and is released on September 29. Johnson returned to the studio after being introduced to Mark Ralph by The 2 Bears. "I'd pile my vintage synths into the back of a cab, head over to Mark's place, and we'd be up all night making this record," said Johnson.

RELATED:The Guardian has published a fascinating look back at Welcome To The Pleasuredome, which dominated the British charts for most of 1984. An excerpt:
Frankie were a blip, albeit a seismic one. Relax and Two Tribes are the sixth and 22nd bestselling UK singles ever – above Relax there are just charity records (Band Aid, Candle In The Wind) and novelty songs (Mull of Kintyre, You’re The One That I Want), give or take Bohemian Rhapsody. Frankie’s achievements – first three singles all No 1, a double debut album with advance sales of more than a million – are colossal. Yet they rarely get cited by other bands: they didn’t, for example, feature in the NME’s recent cover story on the 100 Most Influential Artists. But that’s because it would be impossible to recreate what they did. They were a one-off: two self-styled “ferocious homosexuals” up front, backed by three prototype Liam Gallaghers, who were known as “The Lads”. Their symphonic future disco came in sleeves full of literary allusions and they issued missives in T-shirt form: Frankie Say War! Hide Yourself, Arm The Unemployed and Bomb Is a Four Letter Word. The hi-tech sonics were the work of producer Trevor Horn; the intellectual subterfuge was courtesy of former NME writer Paul Morley.

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Saturday, September 06, 2014

Tweet Of the Day - Tom McClusky

This guy used to be the vice president of FRC Action, the political wing of the Family Research Council.

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Tony Perkins: Send Me Money Because Embassies Are Flying The Rainbow Flag

"Dear Joe, I saw something recently that was utterly shocking. Shocking because it unfortunately speaks volumes about the Obama administration's misplaced priorities. A rainbow flag - the banner of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender movement - has been hoisted by the United States government over our embassy in Israel. In fact, the Obama administration is now promoting homosexuality through our U.S. Embassies all over the world. Our ambassadors have been given the freedom to fly the 'gay flag' over our embassies as they see fit. The global Obama crusade for 'gay rights' is happening against a backdrop of the total collapse of his real foreign policy responsibilities. This administration is pressuring other nations to adopt Barack Obama's radical gay agenda -- but not to observe the most basic universal human right of religious freedom. It is clear that there is one foreign policy area that has President Obama's full attention: his extreme commitment to forcing foreign governments to adopt the radical homosexual agenda at all costs! He is plunging ahead to the detriment of our own national security. The American people must know the truth and be summoned to action to keep this insanity in check. Please help us by giving a generous contribution today. We need to make our fiscal-year-end goal in order to keep standing strong." - KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins, in today's money beg.

NOTE: It was actually three months ago that the US Embassy in Tel Aviv flew the rainbow flag as part of that city's LGBT Pride Week.

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Corporations To SCOTUS: Uneven Marriage Laws Are Burdening Our Business

Thirty major corporations have filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to hear AFER's challenge of Virginia's same-sex marriage ban. On the list: Amazon, CBS, Deutsche Bank, eBay, Intel, General Electric, Levi Strauss, Nike, Oracle, Pfizer, Staples, Target, and Viacom. In general, the brief argues that the nation's uneven patchwork of marriage laws places an undue burden on corporations. An excerpt:
Amici include technology, materials, financial services, pharmaceutical, apparel, and entertainment companies; hoteliers and restaurateurs, service providers, consultants, and designers. Amici all share a desire to attract and retain a talented workforce. We are located or operate in states across the country, some of which recognize marriages of those of our employees whose spouses are of the same sex, and others that prohibit marriages between same-sex couples and refuse to recognize existing same-sex marriages. This dual and continuously shifting regime uniquely burdens amici. This legal uncertainty exposes us, as employers, to unnecessary cost, risk, and administrative complexity. In addition, this irresolution hampers our efforts to recruit and retain the most talented workforce possible, placing us at a competitive disadvantage. Our success depends upon the welfare and morale of all employees, without distinction. The burden imposed by inconsistent state laws of having to administer complicated schemes to account for differential treatment of similarly situated employees creates unnecessary confusion, tension, and ultimately, diminished employee morale.
Hit the link for the full list of corporations.

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NPH Has A New Book

From the Amazon description of Neil Patrick Harris' new book:
Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht. Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

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Bob Mould - The War

From his latest album Beauty & Ruin.

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Liberty Counsel: Gay Marriage Will Make Straight Men Cheat On Their Wives

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Friday, September 05, 2014

HomoQuotable - James Richardson

"The federal government’s number crunchers believe some 21,318 same-sex couples call Georgia home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent accounting, and new research forecasts that as many as half would jump the broom within three years if allowed by their government.

"I’m one-half of one of those aggrieved couples — denied, for more than five years, the social stability and legal protections of marriage. And, as a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee and adviser to prominent party figures, I’m also a professional political operative who’s helped install in government those who perpetuate marriage bias in America.

"Throughout my career I’ve publicly advocated for the freedom to marry, urging the party for which I work to allow gay men and women to wed even as I never openly disclosed my personal stake. I’ve preached the small-government virtues of equal marriage, echoing a conservative case that had been made many times before by thinkers more eloquent and far brighter than myself. Never once did I write that I am gay." - James Richardson, writing for the Washington Post.

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Media Matters: Right-Wing Rodeo

Erick Erickson: "The minimum wage is for people who have failed at life." Lou Dobbs: Drunk women pretty much get what's coming to them. Phil Robertson: "Convert them or kill them."

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Brian Brown Has The Seventh Circuit Sadz

"In the 7th Circuit case, Judge Richard Posner crafted one of the most ideologically-driven and personally invested rulings I've ever read from a federal justice—and that's saying something! Indeed, the craziest moments of Posner's decision are not merely ludicrous and poorly reasoned, they're scandalously offensive. For example, he insinuates that the people of Indiana and Wisconsin—whose marriage laws his decision strikes down—were acting against children's welfare by instantiating in law the ideal that kids have both a mother and a father!

"But it gets even worse than that. To take another—and perhaps the most egregious—example: We know that the tradition of marriage as the union of husband and wife is nearly universal to the human experience; it is a tradition honorably celebrated and sincerely believed in by nearly every religious tradition and philosophy, throughout history and in our own day. It constitutes a deeply held belief for literally billions of people worldwide.

"Well, Posner compares that tradition to cannibalism and ritualistic suicide! Marriage Supporter, you should be outraged, as I am, that the deeply held beliefs of millions of Americans like us can be subjected to such calumny by high-level judiciary official in our land. We should be disgusted to find the votes of millions of Americans to protect marriage and the interests of children in having a mom and a dad compared libelously to something as grotesque as cannibalism! The redefinition of marriage is not inevitable—not by a long shot." - Hate group leader Brian Brian, in a blog post titled A Major Victory because Louisiana. 

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SPLC: Fewer Policitians Will Attend This Year's FRC Values Voter Summit

From the Southern Poverty Law Center:
Where have all the elected officials gone? The Family Research Council’s (FRC) annual Values Voter Summit (VVS), set for the end of September, is fast approaching. But unlike prior years, very few high profile politicians have confirmed their participation. And the current line up seems more extreme than ever. Could this annual rite of passage, a must attend event for politicians courting social conservatives, be losing its luster?

This year, the VVS’s confirmed speakers list is nearly bereft of high level office holders. As of today, the confirmed speakers holding elective office totals four: U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), Governor Bobby Jindal (Louisiana) and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (Texas), the biggest cowboy of the bunch. The lineup is a far cry from last year, when 16 federal and state officials participated. Among them were GOP luminaries Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). This time around, Ryan was until early August listed as an invited speaker, but his name has been pulled. A call to Ryan’s office to find out why was not answered.

The situation could of course change in the coming weeks. Right now, there are a handful of elected officials listed as invited to the event, but not confirmed: U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Gov. Phil Bryan (R-Miss.) and U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.). Calls and emails to their offices to determine if they will be speaking at VVS went unreturned.
The SPLC notes that there will no shortage of hate groups on hand. In addition to the host Family Research Council, attending will be Liberty Counsel, the World Congress of Families, the American Family Association, NOM, the Red-Caped Catholic Loons, PFOX, Summit Ministries, and the Family Policy Council.

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Babs Issues Trailer For Partners Album

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FLORIDA: Broward County Clerk Considers Issuing Licenses As Stay Lapses Without Appeal From Attorney General Pam Bondi

From the Miami Herald:
A deadline to appeal a Broward judge’s ruling in August that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional passed this week without an appeal from the Florida Attorney General, paving the way for the judge to finalize a divorce for a Lake Worth lesbian seeking to end her 2002 Vermont civil union. The Fort Lauderdale case could also pave the way for same-sex marriages in Broward County.

“Now we know the state isn’t appealing and we will have the first valid same-sex divorce in Florida,” said Coral Springs attorney Nancy Brodzki, who represents art dealer Heather Brassner in her divorce from Megan Lade. A hearing in the case, before Broward Circuit Judge Dale Cohen, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for the divorce to become final.

“That very much leaves open the question as to whether the clerk of courts, on his own, will take it upon himself to say a judge in this circuit has [declared the ban] invalid and I will now issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples,” Brodzki said. Broward County Clerk Howard Forman said he expects to decide by early next week. “I’m researching it as quickly as I can. We’ve been researching it for months,” Forman said Thursday evening. “Florida’s changing a lot and we’re vetting the issue as hard as we can.”
Notice of appeal was filed yesterday in the case that overturned Florida's ban statewide.

More from Equality Florida:
On August 4, Broward County Judge Cohen ruled Florida's ban on marriage for same-sex couples unconstitutional - and included the state must recognize legal out of state marriages. The judge stayed the ruling allowing for a 30-day appeal period. But as of Thursday, the deadline has passed and no appeal was made to the ruling. The case involved a woman from Lake Worth, Heather Brassner, who was seeking a divorce from her estranged partner. The couple had a civil union in Vermont back in 2002. According to Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald, a hearing in the case, before Broward Circuit Judge Dale Cohen, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for the divorce to become final. The Broward County Clerk is contemplating whether or not to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples next week.
RELATED: With 1.7M residents, Broward is Florida's second-most populous county and includes the state's highest concentrations of gay residents in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and Oakland Park.

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Local Haters Have The Wisconsin Sadz

"We are deeply disappointed but not surprised at this ruling. We knew we had the most liberal panel of judges on the 7th Circuit. When they denied the state’s request to have the case heard before all ten judges on the court, we pretty much knew what to expect. I was in the courtroom last Tuesday. I knew then what the outcome was going to be. Judge Posner in particular made his opinion quite clear. His clarity took a backseat only to his sarcasm. The struggle to preserve and protect traditional marriage is far from over. This ruling does not change the fact that a marriage of one man and one woman is the healthiest, most prosperous, and most stable place not only for the man and woman but also for the children they may bring into the world. The ruling is a denial of reality. While every marriage may not have children, every child has both a mother and father. This ruling denies children of either a mother or a father. Our organization will continue to aggressively take the message everywhere across this state that marriage between a man and woman is good not only for the individuals in a given marriage, but is also good for Wisconsin." - Julaine Appling, head of Wisconsin Family Action.

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TRAILER: Bang Bang Baby

A sci-fi musical.
A small town teenager in the 1960s believes her dreams of becoming a famous singer will come true when her rock star idol gets stranded in town. But a leak in a nearby chemical plant that is believed to be causing mass mutations threatens to turn her dream into a nightmare.

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BRITAIN: Two Men Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Grindr Blackmail

Two British men have been sentenced to four years in prison for blackmailing men that they met on Grindr. Via Gay Star News:
Nathanael Foster and Adam Webb, both 26 from Gloucester in South West England, were charged with two counts of blackmail. Gloucester Crown Court heard how the pair trapped two men, with one victim even handing over £15,000 ($25,000, €19,000) to the pair. The victim had saved the money and drew it out from the bank to give to the men after they stayed all night in his home to ensure he paid up. But when the other said he had no money, the two men told him he should crash his car into a store to get the cash - the victim was forced to go to the police. Foster and Webb claimed they were posing as 15-year-olds, a year under the age of consent, and filmed the meetings in order to extort money from the men. They claimed they were being 'good citizens'.

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Hillary: I'll Decide By First Of Year

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Apple To Improve iCloud Security

Apple CEO Tim Cook today vowed to make it harder for hackers to access information stored on the company's iCloud service.
Cook said celebrities' iCloud accounts were compromised when hackers correctly answered security questions to obtain their passwords, or when they were victimized by a phishing scam to obtain user IDs and passwords. He said none of the Apple IDs and passwords leaked from the company's servers. To make such leaks less likely, Mr. Cook said Apple will alert users via email and push notifications when someone tries to change an account password, restore iCloud data to a new device, or when a device logs into an account for the first time. Until now, users got an email when someone tried to change a password or log in for the first time from an unknown Apple device; there were no notifications for restoring iCloud data. Apple said it plans to start sending the notifications in two weeks. It said the new system will allow users to take action immediately, including changing the password to retake control of the account, or alerting Apple's security team.
Apple is due to unveil its latest round of products later this month.

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Postmodern Jukebox - All About That Bass

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FLORIDA: State Supreme Court Sends Gay Divorce Case Back To Lower Court

Here's the decision.
The high court said Friday the 2nd District Court of Appeal first should rule on the case, in which a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts and is now seeking a divorce in Florida. A lower court judge ruled that the couple couldn't get divorced in Florida because the state's constitution doesn't recognize gay marriage. Before considering the case, the appeals court in a 10-3 decision asked the Supreme Court to settle the question about the gay marriage ban. The Supreme Court, however, agreed with three dissenting judges who said the issue wasn't of such high importance that it had to go straight to the state's top court.

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Christian Post: Madonna Is Working To Prepare The World For Satan

"Madonna doesn't have an ego problem; she has a sin problem. And it's getting worse. Unrepentant and hardened from sin, no amount of make-up or photo-shop can conceal the evil in her eyes. Ensnaring millions into a web of destruction, Madonna is preparing fans for a specific event. Using biblical discernment concerning the times in which we live, and her own words, Madonna's agenda becomes clear. Learn the origin behind her deviant obsessions, and uncover the inspiration behind her best-loved songs. The 'light' she sings about is the force driving her one-woman empire, and will soon make an unforgettable appearance on earth. Whether you're a long-time fan, or haven't paid attention to her in years, Madonna's deception is finally unmasked. Is she just a pop star, or an agent of Satan? Hidden in plain sight, see what you have been looking at all these years. Truly, in Madonna's world, nothing is what it seems." - Stacey Dames, promoting her book for the Christian Post.

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Lily Tomlin To Get Kennedy Center Honor

Out comedienne Lily Tomlin is among the 2014 recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the selection of the five individuals who will receive the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. Recipients to be honored at the 37th annual national celebration of the arts are: singer Al Green, actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, singer-songwriter Sting, and comedienne Lily Tomlin. "The Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world," stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. "Al Green's iconic voice stirs our souls in a style that is all his own; Tom Hanks has a versatility that ranks him among the greatest actors of any generation; one of the world's greatest ballerinas, Patricia McBride continues to carry forward her legacy for future generations; Sting's unique voice and memorable songwriting have entertained audiences for decades; and from the days of her early television and theatrical appearances, Lily Tomlin has made us laugh and continues to amaze us with her acting talent and quick wit."
The gala takes place on December 7th and will air on CBS on December 30th. (Tipped by JMG reader Brooks)

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CALIFORNIA: Bill To Ban "Gay Panic" Defense Awaits Signature Of Governor

California should soon become the first state to ban the so-called "gay panic" defense in violent crimes against LGBT citizens.
A bill awaiting Brown’s approval would prohibit the use of the defense — the argument that a violent act was triggered by the revelation of a victim’s actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation — in an attempt to downgrade a murder charge to manslaughter. It passed in the state Assembly last week by a 58 to 15 vote, and before that in the Senate with a vote of 25 to 9. That the nation’s most populous state could soon ban the defense is a win for the National LGBT Bar Association, an association of legal professionals, students and affiliated groups that has been working to minimize the use of the defense for a decade, said Executive Director D’Arcy Kemnitz. “But it’s going to be meaningful when we pass it in Wyoming where Matthew Shepard was murdered,” too, she said, noting that each state matters. The LGBT Bar Association and Equality California, an advocacy organization, both say the law would be the nation’s first.
(Tipped by JMG reader Todd)

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Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of the New York Times:
As important as the federal appeals court ruling was on Thursday declaring same-sex marriage bans in two states to be unconstitutional, the clarity and blunt reasoning behind the decision was equally momentous. Writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Judge Richard Posner put the case for equality starkly. “Homosexuals are among the most stigmatized, misunderstood, and discriminated-against minorities,” he wrote. Denying them the freedom to marry imposes “continuing pain,” he said, and claims that allowing same-sex marriage would harm heterosexual unions or children, or other state interests, were “totally implausible.” “Our pair of cases is rich in detail but ultimately straightforward to decide,” Judge Posner wrote in the decision striking down bans in Wisconsin and Indiana. [snip] Petitions for Supreme Court review of pro-marriage-equality rulings from the Fourth and Tenth Circuits have been filed and are supported by both sides of the issue. There is no reason at this point for the justices to prolong the harm to same-sex couples and their families by waiting for all the remaining state battles to play out.

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Aphex Twin - Minipops 67

From his first album in 13 years. Gorgeous.
That hauntingly altered voice, those glimmering pianos, and an off-balance sense of forward motion mark “minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]” as undoubtedly the work of experimental electronic pioneer Richard D. James. But there is a sense of completing the circle here too, as if James is now being inspired by some of the artists he undoubtedly influenced. The music bears traces of Caribou’s liquid bounce and Burial’s high-minded skittering, while the vocals reflect Thom Yorke’s alien moaning. It’s the first track on James’ forthcoming Syro, and it makes for a lovely reintroduction.

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Joan Rivers: My Funeral Plan

"When I die (and yes, Melissa, that day will come; and yes, Melissa, everything’s in your name), I want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action. I want Craft services, I want paparazzi and I want publicists making a scene! I want it to be Hollywood all the way. I don’t want some rabbi rambling on; I want Meryl Streep crying, in five different accents. I don’t want a eulogy; I want Bobby Vinton to pick up my head and sing 'Mr. Lonely.' I want to look gorgeous, better dead than I do alive. I want to be buried in a Valentino gown and I want Harry Winston to make me a toe tag. And I want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like Beyoncé’s. - Joan Rivers, from her 2013 book I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me.  Hit the link for more.

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Joan Rivers: Early AIDS Activist

From Karen Ocamb at Frontiers Magazine: "Joan Rivers was not only pro-gay - she was out in front raising money for people with AIDS very early on - when many were still terrified of the disease. She was featured on the cover of Frontiers Magazine promoting an AIDS fundraiser at Studio One in March 1984 that raised $45,000 for APLA, L.A. Shanti and Aid for AIDS."

Here in New York City, for many years Rivers was a volunteer for God's Love We Deliver, which provides meals to homebound HIV/AIDS patients. While some of us, myself included, have taken great issue with unfortunate comments made by Joan Rivers in recent months, her decades-long dedication to people living with HIV/AIDS must not be forgotten.

PHOTO: In May 2014, Rivers, God's Love We Deliver president Karen Pearl, and NYC Councilman Corey Johnson celebrated the organization's 15 millionth meal.

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Lesbian Named Obama's Chief Tech Officer

The White House yesterday appointed out Google executive Megan Smith as the Obama administration's new Chief Technology Officer.
Smith, the new U.S. CTO, is an MIT-trained mechanical engineer and entrepreneur with deep roots in the California tech world. She currently serves as a vice president at Google[x], the company's lab for ambitious next-generation projects, like its delivery-by-drone Project Wing and its balloon-borne Internet connectivity program Project Loon. For nine years, Smith led Google's team responsible for developing new business, where she led the acquisitions that would become Google Earth and Google Maps. And she's familiar to Washington's burgeoning "civic tech" community through her work with the Google Crisis Response project. Smith also has a record of focusing on digital inclusiveness. Before Google, she was the CEO of the online LGBT community PlanetOut.

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Headline Of The Day

From God's Gentle People at the Illinois Family Institute, the former home of Porno Pete. Details.

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Tony Perkins Has The Seventh Circuit Sadz

"I am very troubled that this court failed to recognize the self-evident truth that children need and deserve a mom and dad. The ruling doesn't appear to allow society to choose to maintain a coherent definition of marriage. The courts have no true constitutional authority to unilaterally change the definition of our most fundamental social institution. Yet this court is engaging in judicial activism unlike yesterday's federal court ruling which upheld the right of Louisiana voters to preserve natural marriage in their state's public policy.

"The Seventh Circuit's radical departure from natural law and the received wisdom of human history continues to undermine the legitimacy of the courts in the eyes of a majority of Americans. Marriage redefinitions imposed by judicial fiat cannot change the truth about marriage, men, women, children, and parenting. Ultimately, the American people will have the final word as they experience the consequences of marriage redefinition and the ways in which it fundamentally alters America's moral, cultural and political landscape." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

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Log Cabin Endorses FL Gov. Rick Scott

I missed it at the time, but last week the Log Cabin Republicans of Miami endorsed Florida Gov. Rick Scott. The Miami Herald has the press release:
Log Cabin Republicans of Miami are proud to Endorse the Re-Election of Rick Scott for Governor of Florida. Actions speak louder than words. Rick Scott Campaigned in 2010 on creating jobs and lowering our debt, he is a man of his word. Unemployment dropped to 6.2% from 11.1%. Florida went from a deficit of 3.6 Billion dollars to a SURPLUS of 1.2 Billion. He cut taxes 40 times and created 620,700 jobs. He also cut cost of prepaid tuitions by nearly $20,000. This has all been accomplished in less than 4 years! Numbers do not lie. We here at LCR Miami are on board with helping our Governor get re-elected so that he can continue the work he set out to do – Make Florida the best State in the Country to live and work in. LCR Miami stands strong with Governor Rick Scott!

As members of the LGBT community, we understand the importance of marriage equality. However we are not and have never been one issue voters. While Rick Scott has not publicly expressed full support for marriage equality, he has never argued against it. He has, however, improved the State of Florida by leaps and bounds! We must remember that as responsible citizens we cannot simply cast a vote based on one issue. We must choose the best candidate who will represent the state and provide a better quality of life for all. We believe this can best be accomplished by improving our economy, creating jobs and cutting taxes, all of which Governor Rick Scott has a clear and proven record on. Again, LCR Miami stands strong with Rick Scott for Governor!
(Tipped by JMG reader Brad)

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32 States To SCOTUS: Rule On Marriage

In two separate briefs, a total of 32 states have asked the Supreme Court to make a final ruling on same-sex marriage. Via the Associated Press:
Fifteen states that allow gay marriage, led by Massachusetts, filed a brief asking the justices to take up three cases from Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma and overturn bans. And 17 other states, led by Colorado, that have banned the practice asked the court to hear cases from Utah and Oklahoma to clear up a "morass" of lawsuits, but didn't urge the court to rule one way or another. Massachusetts was joined by California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington.

Colorado's brief argued that the definition of marriage faces legal challenges only the Supreme Court can resolve, and that without a Supreme Court decision, states defending bans could be liable for huge legal bills from future lawsuits if they are overturned. It was written by Daniel D. Domenico, the state's solicitor general, and Michael Lee Francisco, assistant solicitor general. Colorado was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Via press release from Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley:
“Our experience in Massachusetts clearly shows that allowing same-sex couples to marry has only benefitted families and strengthened the institution of marriage,” AG Coakley said. “We urge the U.S. Supreme Court to take up this important civil rights issue and ensure equal access to marriage for all couples nationwide. Laws that bar same-sex couples from marrying are discriminatory and unconstitutional. The time has come for this critical issue to be resolved.”

Today’s brief was filed in support of the petitions for Supreme Court review filed in three cases: Rainey v. Bostic, out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and Herbert v. Kitchen and Smith v. Bishop, out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

A total of 31 states still do not permit marriages between same-sex couples, nor do they recognize same-sex marriages licensed by other states. The brief argues that by withholding the rights, protections, and obligations associated with marriage, these states relegate gay and lesbian couples and their families to a second-class status that is impermissible under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The Coakley brief is here.

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Thursday, September 04, 2014

FLORIDA: Marriage Ruling To Be Appealed

Via the ACLU of Florida:
Today, defendants in two federal lawsuits challenging Florida’s marriage ban – Governor Scott appointees John Armstrong (Surgeon General) and Craig Nichols (Secretary of the Department of Management Services), and Washington County Clerk of Court Harold Bazzell— filed a notice that they are appealing the August 21 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle overturning Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The ruling, a result of two separate federal lawsuits—one brought by the ACLU of Florida, the other brought by Jacksonville attorneys William Sheppard and Sam Jacobson—made Florida the 16th state in which a federal court has found a marriage ban unconstitutional since the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the main provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.  Responding to the notice of appeal, ACLU of Florida LGBT rights staff attorney Daniel Tilley stated: "We are very disappointed that Governor Scott has taken this affirmative step to keep in place laws that he knows cause substantial, concrete harms to families across Florida. He has the power to end this now, yet he has chosen to perpetuate the second-class status of lesbian and gay couples. State officials are only delaying the day when all Florida families are given the respect, dignity and responsibility that come with marriage. We will not rest until the marriages of all of Florida’s loving couples are recognized.”
Earlier this week Equality Florida launched a video campaign which urged Gov. Scott not to appeal.

UPDATE: Equality Florida reacts.
Make no mistake, the responsibility for today’s appeal belongs to Gov. Scott. This appeal would not be moving forward without his full support. The Governor’s continued strategy of trying to hide behind the attorney general and even his own employees is a shameful display of election year cowardice. The responsibility is his and so is the remedy. Gov. Scott can still use the power of his office and call for an end to the these costly and hopeless appeals and allow Florida’s ban on marriage equality to end this month. If Gov. Scott insists continuing his crusade to keep people who love each other from marrying, he should stop mumbling and hiding and take full responsibility for the continued suffering the ban inflicts every day it remains in place.

Four years ago this month, then Gov. Charlie Crist faced a nearly identical scenario when an appeals court declared Florida’s notorious ban on adoption by gay and lesbian people unconstitutional. Crist showed true leadership, responding the same day by publicly embracing the decision, calling for an immediate end to the ban and paving the way for thousands of prospective parents to begin adopting the children they loved. We call on Governor Scott to stop these senseless appeals which if withdrawn would allow the marriage ban to fall on September 22, the 4 year anniversary of the day the adoption ban ended.

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Local Haters Have The Indiana Sadz

"Today the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals sent a shocking and destructive message to Indiana lawmakers and all Hoosier citizens: Moms and Dads are optional. The 40 page decision departs from the constitutional role of the judiciary to interpret the law and instead the Court assumes a moral superiority over the people of Indiana and our elected leaders. The Court is correct that all people are capable of loving children, but it fails to realize that all the love in the world can’t turn a mother into a father or a father into a mother. Same-sex 'marriage' is at odds with the ideal. It harms society by encouraging more motherless and fatherless homes, when we should have fewer.

"There are societal consequences of undermining marriage, even beyond the destructive impact of more motherless and fatherless homes. Threats to marriage have already impacted religious freedom, free speech, adoption services, child custody, family law, and what children are taught in government-run schools around the country. Those problems and many more will increase in Indiana if this decision is allowed to stand. Marriage is a public policy that should be decided by the public, not the Courts. The future of marriage should be in the hands of Hoosier voters not activist judges. In February, the Indiana General Assembly robbed Hoosier voters of their ability to vote on marriage between a man and a woman on their ballot this November." - The Indiana Family Institute, via press release.

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Hate Group American Decency: We're Not The Hate Group Protesting Michael Sam

This morning the Dallas CBS affiliate reported that a group called American Decency will be protesting against Michael Sam at this weekend's Cowboys game. Another group calling themselves American Decency, about whom I've written in the past, wants you to know while they definitely hate homosexuals, they aren't behind the alleged protest in Dallas.
We started the day with hate emails and posts on our Facebook alleging that we are behind a protest in Dallas against the Dallas Cowboys in their hiring of homosexual and homosexual activist Michael James. A few examples suffice: Jesus weeps for bigots like these idiots. There is not an ounce of human decency to be found in them. You make Christians look bad, and I am a Christian!!!! Shame on you! And, a few others that we deleted due to their vitriolic content.

In saying, this, we are not the group in Texas using the name “American Decency” headed by Jack Burkman that is being targeted as planning a protest against football player Michael Sam in Dallas this Sunday. However, let me make it clear: We at American Decency Association do support Biblical, traditional marriage. Here is our position. When Michael Sam made a big spectacle of his homosexuality on draft night it was a complete turn off! You’ll remember the contrived kiss with his “boy friend.”

On what presumably was the biggest night of his life in his development as a football player (meeting many personal goals), what was most important to draftee Michael Sam before a watching world? It was to make a statement about his sexuality not about celebrating the high athletic accomplishment of his being drafted into the National Football League (NFL). In saying all of this, I make this point: We are not the ones behind the protest, but we also do not condone the lifestyle of Michael Sam.
It appears now that anti-gay crackpot Jack Burkman lied to the Dallas CBS station, who has deleted the report that I excerpted this morning.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: American Decency calls for all Americans to cut up their Target cards. American Decency says the DOMA ruling was as bad as the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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WISCONSIN: Attorney General To Appeal Marriage Ban Overturn To SCOTUS

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he will appeal today's ruling to the Supreme Court.
Van Hollen’s spokeswoman, Dana Brueck, said in an email to The Associated Press that Van Hollen has always believed the case will be decided in the that court. U.S. District Judge Barbra Crabb struck down the ban as unconstitutional in June. Hundreds of gay couples married in the week between her decision and her order staying the ruling pending appeal. Van Hollen asked the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse Crabb but the court refused on Thursday, saying the ban violates the U.S. Constitution. Brueck says the stay remains in place until all appeals are exhausted.

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BREAKING: Seventh Circuit Strikes Down Marriage Bans In Wisconsin & Indiana

The ruling is here.

UPDATE: Via the Muncie Star Press.
A U.S. appeals court in Chicago ruled Thursday that gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana violate the U.S. Constitution — thereby bumping the number of states where gay marriage will be legal from 19 to 21. The unanimous decision by the three-judge panel of the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is yet another in a series of courtroom wins for gay-marriage advocates. Since last year, the vast majority of federal rulings have declared same-sex marriages bans unconstitutional. The Wisconsin and Indiana cases shifted to Chicago after attorneys general in the states appealed separate lower court rulings in June that tossed the bans. The 7th Circuit stayed those rulings pending its own decision on the cases, which were considered simultaneously. Between the bans being struck down and the order restating them as the appeals process ran its course, hundreds of gay couple in both states rushed to marry. Those marriages could have been jeopardized had the 7th Circuit restored the bans.
UPDATE II: Freedom To Marry reacts.
"Today’s sharp and scathing ruling demolishes the arguments and unsubstantiated claims made by opponents of the freedom to marry, repeated in the outlier decision out of Louisiana yesterday, and affirms what nearly 40 other federal and state courts have found: the denial of the freedom to marry inflicts real harms and is constitutionally indefensible. Judge Posner's authoritative opinion points the way, and the Supreme Court should move swiftly now to end marriage discrimination nationwide, without prolonging the harms and indignity that too many couples continue to endure in too much of the country.”
UPDATE III: Lambda Legal reacts:
The decision, written by Justice Posner, contained strong language highlighting the importance of marriage for the children of same-sex couples: “Because homosexuality is not a voluntary condition and homosexuals are among the most stigmatized, misunderstood, and discriminated-against minorities in the history of the world, the disparagement of their sexual orientation, implicit in the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples, is a source of continuing pain to the homosexual community.”

“The court has affirmed the love and commitment our plaintiffs and thousands of same-sex couples in Indiana and Wisconsin have for each other. The unanimous decision also reinforces the importance of marriage for the children of same-sex couples, who shouldn’t have to grow up thinking their families are inferior to other families,” said Paul Castillo, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal. “Today’s ruling adds to the incredible legal momentum for marriage we are seeing in courts across the country; it is a joyous day for freedom and justice in the Midwest.”

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VIRGINIA: Former Gov. Bob McDonnell And Wife Found Guilty Of Corruption

Former Virginia GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife have been found guilty on multiple counts of corruption, bribery, and conspiracy.
After three days of deliberations, the seven men and five women who heard weeks of gripping testimony about the McDonnells’ alleged misdeeds acquitted the couple of several charges pending against them--but nevertheless found that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. in a nefarious exchange for his largesse. The verdict means that Robert McDonnell, who was already the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now he holds an even more unwanted distinction: the first ever to be convicted of one. He and his wife face decades in federal prison, though their actual sentence will probably fall well short of that. The former governor was convicted of 11 corruption-related counts pending against him, though acquitted of lying on loan documents. The former first lady was convicted of eight corruption-related charges, along with obstruction of justice. Maureen McDonnell was acquitted of lying on a loan document.
Background from CBS News
The McDonnells were indicted in January and charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the CEO of Star Scientific Inc., in exchange for promoting Williams' anti-inflammatory vitamin supplement called Anatabloc. The jury reached the verdict after three days of deliberations. During the five-week trial, prosecutors sought to prove that that Bob McDonnell not only knew how much money Williams had lavished on the first family, but that he sought to convince state officials to conduct research that would have helped Williams' business. The evidence prosecutors saw as most damaging was a pair of emails, sent six minutes part, in which Bob McDonnell wrote to Williams asking about documents that would have finalized a $50,000 loan, and then shortly after asked an aide to "see me about anatabloc issues" at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia.
Last week it was learned that McDonnell has left his wife and is now living with a Catholic priest who was once convicted for having sex with another man in the parking lot of a park. In one of his first acts after taking office, McDonnell stripped LGBT people from a statewide anti-discrimination executive order, declaring that there is no evidence of such discrimination.

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Joan Rivers Dies At Age 81

NBC News reports:
Joan Rivers, a pioneering female stand-up comic and the queen of "Can We Talk?" gossip, has died. She was 81. Rivers was undergoing surgery on her vocal cords at a clinic in New York City on Aug. 28 when she stopped breathing and had to be transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, and her 13-year-old grandson, Cooper, who lived with her in Malibu, Calif., rushed to her bedside. Raspy-voiced and brassy, Rivers was always self-deprecating, foul-mouthed and politically incorrect. A master of reinvention, she endured in show business because of her tenacious work ethic — which she credited to her "immigrant mentality." Comedians typically push the envelope, but Rivers proved time and again that she didn't even see the envelope. To her fans, she was as shocking as she was endearing.
Rivers' family is reportedly considered suing the clinic for placing an elderly person under outpatient anesthesia.

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Grindr Turns Off "Distance" Function

Two weeks ago I reported that an unknown person had sent warnings to thousands of Grindr users in countries with anti-gay laws. The tipster warned that the user's exact location or address can be triangulated via the distance function, putting them at risk of being found by authorities or gay-bashers. Grindr responded to media inquiries by declaring that its distance function was a feature, not a security flaw.  Since then similar warnings have flooded the accounts of Grindr users in North America. John Aravosis reports today that Grindr has changed their mind: "In light of recent security allegations surrounding a user’s specific location, Grindr has made modifications to no longer show distance information for users. Grindr will continue to make ongoing changes to keep all users secure, as necessary." Growlr and Scruff continue to show distances, but it's not clear if the same triangulation methods put users at potential risk.

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Street Preachers At Southern Decadence

Infamous street preacher Ruben Israel and his motley crew of nutjobs once again parked on a New Orleans street corner this weekend to scream condemnation at strangers trying to enjoy a Southern Decadence parade. "You deserve death! You deserve hellfire! You deserve AIDS! You perverts! Jesus is love!" One of their banners reads: "Homo sex is a threat to national security."

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Matt Barber: Christians Should Carry Anti-Gay Banners At St. Patrick's Parade

"What was once billed as a Catholic event can no longer be called such. They are openly allowing a sin-based organization to march in their parade and to effectively put their stamp of approval on what the Bible unequivocally calls sinful behavior.  Some faith-based organizations could carry banners and so forth exclaiming the truths of scripture relative to homosexual sin. [They could] use the opportunity to denounce what the New York City St. Patrick's Parade organization has done here and to take them to task for casting aside the truths of scripture and disobeying the teachings of Christ." - Hate group leader Matt Barber, speaking to the AFA's OneNewsNow.

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ILLINOIS: House Democrat Highlights Marriage Equality In First Campaign Ad

Freshman House Rep. Brad Schneider is facing former GOP House Rep. Bob Dold, who had one term in office before losing to Schneider in 2012.

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New From Frothy Mix Studios

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Bill Donohue Hopes Gay People Keep Their Pants On During St. Patrick's Parade

Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's show yesterday where he repeatedly claimed that gay people might try to go naked in next year's St. Patrick's Day Parade. 
"Here’s the hitch,” Donohue said, about allowing gays to march. “They do have dress requirements and other kinds of strictures. The question is, ‘Will the gays behave?’ Gays have been known to take their clothes off in the parade. They can’t keep their pants on sometimes when they march in the gay pride parade.”  When told that in fact the St. Patrick's Day Parade gets quite unruly, with reports of drunkenness, violence and police run-ins each year, with heterosexual people certainly not “behaving,” Donohue insisted that they still “keep our pants on,” though he acknowledged he's never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans where many heterosexuals certainly engage in sexual expression, sometimes unclothed. “We keep our pants on,” he said. “You guys have masturbated on the street. I have pictures of what went on in the Stonewall 1994 gay pride parade that you couldn’t put on CNN or publish in The New York Times. Men and women went naked in the street in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. I think it is a ‘wow’ when men can’t keep their pants on when they march.”
You'll recall that Donohue dared NYC Pride to allow the Catholic League to march this year.  When NYC Pride welcomed his participation, Donohue then weaseled out, claiming that the pre-parade safety seminar constituted "forced gay training." That safety briefing constitutes a short slideshow presentation required of all NYC parades and instructs a representative from each group on how to summon medical aid, how to obey NYPD traffic instructions, etc. Maybe the one gay group being allowed to march in the 2015 St. Patrick's Day Parade should object to the "forced Catholic training" required before participating.

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ARKANSAS: State Supreme Court Rejects Recusal Request On Marriage Case

Citing a right wing legislative campaign to recall or impeach any pro-gay judge, last month the plaintiffs in an Arkansas marriage suit asked state Supreme Court justices who plan on running for re-election to recuse themselves from the case. Today the court rejected that request.
The request cited legislative action that could raise questions about impartiality of judges hearing the case. This referred to passage of a Legislative Council resolution by Sen. Jason Rapert, a foe of same-sex marriage. The resolution, which was hand-delivered to the Supreme Court, said the legislature would pursue legislative remedies to prevent the popular will from being thwarted by "judicial activism." Legislators have said this could include proposing for the ballot a judicial recall mechanism in 2016. Some legislators have also talked of impeachment of judges who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. Two of the court's seven justices — Donald Corbin and Cliff Hoofman — are not seeking election and will leave the court at the end of the year. Three judges, Chief Justice Jim Hannah and Justices Paul Danielson and Jo Hart, are considered unlikely to seek office again because of a state law that requires judges to forfeit retirement benefits if they seek election again after age 70. But they could run.
(Tipped by JMG reader Lulu)

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AFL-CIO: Meet The Koch Sisters

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SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg To Officiate At Another Same-Sex Wedding

This weekend Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will officiate at a same-sex wedding in New York.
The wedding will be for Danny Rubens, her former law clerk, and his partner Danny Grossman, also an attorney, according to Deadline Detroit. "Justice Ginsburg will not have any comment beyond confirming she will officiate at the wedding of Danny Rubens and Danny Grossman this weekend," the Supreme Court told Deadline Detroit. She performed another same-sex marriage in August of 2013 for her friend Michael Kaiser, who runs the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to government economist John Roberts.
When Ginsburg officiated last year, a chorus of outraged sadz erupted from Brian Brown and Matt Barber. The wingnut Charisma News denounced Ginsburg as a "tool of Satan."

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Right-Wing US Chamber Of Commerce Endorses Opponent Of Homocon DeMaio

The US Chamber of Commerce, long infamous for being in the pocket of the right, has endorsed the Democratic opponent of homocon US House candidate Carl DeMaio.
The trade group overwhelmingly endorses Republican candidates. But this time it sided with Rep. Scott Peters, a freshman representing a San Diego-based district. Of the more than 260 candidates the chamber has endorsed this election cycle, Peters is only the fourth Democrat. On Wednesday, Peters' campaign released an endorsement letter from Thomas Donahue, the group's president and chief executive. "We believe that your re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives will help produce sustained economic growth, help create jobs, and get our country back on track," Donahue wrote. The endorsement is a coup for Peters, who faces a strong challenge from Republican Carl DeMaio, a former member of the San Diego City Council who also started and sold two businesses.
A spokesman for DeMaio reacted: "We're not surprised that a special interest group in DC is trying to protect Members of Congress. They like the system the way it is. They know Carl DeMaio is coming to end the perks for this crowd."

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Federal Judge Rules BP Was "Grossly Negligent" In 2010 Gulf Oil Spill

Bloomberg News reports:
BP acted with gross negligence in setting off the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, a federal judge ruled, handing down a long-awaited decision that may force the energy company to pay billions of dollars more for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier held a trial without a jury over who was at fault for the environmental catastrophe, which killed 11 people and spewed oil for almost three months into waters that touch the shores of five states. The case also included Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton Co., though the judge didn’t find them as responsible for the spill as BP. “BP’s conduct was reckless,” Barbier wrote in a decision today in New Orleans federal court. “Transocean’s conduct was negligent. Halliburton’s conduct was negligent.” Barbier apportioned fault at 67 percent for BP, 30 percent for Transocean and 3 percent for Halliburton.
BP faces fines of up to $18B. The judge did not rule on how much oil was spilled, which may affect the liability.

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Quote Of The Day - Carl Siciliano

"I feel like the LGBT movement has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to this. We've been so focused on laws – changing the laws around marriage equality, changing 'don't ask, don't tell,' getting adoption rights – that we haven't been fighting for economic resources. How many tax dollars do gay people contribute? What percentage of tax dollars comes back to our gay kids? We haven't matured enough as a movement yet that we're looking at the economics of things. There is a psychological reality that when you're an oppressed group whose very existence is under attack, you need to create this narrative about how great it is to be what you are. It's like, 'Leave the repression and the fear behind and be embraced by this accepting community, and suddenly everyone is beautiful and has good bodies and great sex and beautiful furniture, and rah-rah-rah.' And, from day one of the Stonewall Riots, homeless kids were not what people wanted to see. No one wanted to see young people coming out and being cast into destitution. It didn't fit the narrative." - Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano, in a Rolling Stone article on the epidemic of homeless LGBT youth.

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Disney Sues DJ Deadmau5

Disney has filed a trademark claim against popular DJ and EDM artist Deadmau5, alleging that his famed headpiece logo is too Mickey Mouse.
According to Deadmau5’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, the DJ’s logo is already a registered trademark in 30 countries, including the UK, Ireland and Germany. But not in America: Deadmau5 applied to the US patent and trademark office in June 2013, and Disney’s 171-page opposition papers were submitted this month, according to TMZ. “Given that the mau5head, and other identifying deadmau5 trademarks, have been used in the US and around the world for almost a decade, we wonder why Disney is only now coming after Deadmau5,” LaPolt said in a statement. Deadmau5 was much less polite: “Disney thinks you might confuse an established electronic musician/performer with a cartoon mouse,” he tweeted. “That’s how stupid they think you are.”
According to Forbes, Deadmau5 is earning $16M annually from merchandising and DJ gigs.

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