Father Who Lost Landmark SCOTUS Case To Westboro Baptist: Let Fred Phelps Be Buried In Peace, I Don't Like Hate

Prior to yesterday's death of Fred Phelps, the Military Times spoke to the man who fought Westboro Baptist Church right up to the Supreme Court for picketing the funeral of his Marine Corps son.

Al Snyder sued Westboro Baptist after its members picketed the funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matt Snyder, who was killed in Iraq on March 3, 2006. Snyder did not see the protest during the service, but afterward he saw television coverage of church members holding signs that “God hates you,” “You’re in hell,” and “Semper Fi fags.” The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in the church’s favor in 2011, deciding the protest had been held peacefully in a public place and the issues the church raised were a matter of public concern. Even though the Westboro Baptist Church protested his son’s funeral, Snyder won’t lash out at Phelps during his last days. “I do not like Westboro Baptist Church; I don’t have anything nice to say about them, but if I had anything bad to say about them at this time — or if he dies — it would put me in the same category as him, and I don’t want to be in that category,” he said. “I don’t like hate.”

The attorney in that SCOTUS case says, "I think the best revenge for people is to show Pastor Phelps and his family the mercy and compassion that they’ve denied to everyone else and I’d encourage to pray for him. If somebody feels the need to get back at the Phelps group, support the wounded warrior groups." (Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

NEBRASKA: Gay-Bashing Of Straight Marine Investigated As Hate Crime

The attack on the straight Marine who was gay-bashed in Omaha after standing up for a friend in drag will be investigated as a hate crime.

Omaha Police said Thursday officers are investigating this incident as a hate crime. Gay rights activists in Omaha want people to know there's nothing scary about a man in a dress. They will be hosting a rally Saturday to take a stand against hate crimes and homophobia. The rally was organized in response to an assault that happened early Sunday in the Old Market. Ryan Langenegger of Omaha, a 22-year-old straight man and Marine, said he was punched in the face after he peacefully defended his two gay friends.

More about Saturday's rally:

The gay community considers Langenegger’s actions heroic, and is hosting a “Drag Out Hate!” rally in his honor on Saturday. “I wanted to show in broad daylight that there is nothing to fear about gay people and there is nothing disgusting about drag,” said Chad Bugge, one of the organizers of the rally. “Drag is fun and it has been the source of entertainment for the gay community for years.” Mayor Jean Stothert said in a statement that she’s been assured the Omaha Police Department is treating the incident with the seriousness it deserves.

(Tipped by JMG reader Paul)

Today's Lie From Fox News

Source.

Caption This

(Via JMG reader David)

Married

The gay Marine whose homecoming kiss went globally viral last year got married to his boyfriend yesterday in a small town the Finger Lakes area of western New York. Hit the link for more.

Going Viral On Reddit

Details. (Tipped by JMG reader Ron)

REPORT: Gay US Soldiers In Afghanistan Are Using Craigslist For Hook-Ups

The wingnut-o-sphere is outraged about an Army Times report that gay US soldiers deployed to Afghanistan are using Craigslist to hook up with each other.  Military investigators are busting those caught.

Agents with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Afghanistan are tracking service members who are hooking up in the war zone via Internet sites such as Craigslist and busting those who violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And in Afghanistan, where commanders haveforbid any sexual encounters between unwed people, virtually anyone who tries to set up a meeting online can become a target of investigators. One Marine lance corporal found that out in 2012, after he posted an advertisement on Craigslist for a sexual rendezvous. The guy he met at Camp Leatherneck, whom he thought was also looking to hook up, turned out to be an undercover agent with the NCIS. Sexual activities in a war zone are as old as wars themselves, but with the advent of Internet personal ads and social media sites, arranging a sexual encounter can become brazen, public and risky. Warnings from commanders, standard guidance for any unit headed to the war zone, appear to have fallen on deaf ears in many cases.

Britain's Daily Mail tabloid has posted lurid screencaps from several of the Craigslist postings.  Here's what could happen to those caught:

Online sex solicitation is technically not a crime under the UCMJ. However, commanders have the right to enact regulations that make it a punishable offense. “Soliciting for sex on community-oriented websites such as Craigslist is not per se a chargeable offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” wrote Erin Stattel, a press officer for International Security Assistance Force headquarters, in response to emailed questions from Marine Corps Times. “However, posting pornographic images on a public web or social media site is a chargeable offense. Excerpt: General Order 1.15.f states ‘creation or display of any pornographic or sexually explicit photograph ... is prohibited.'" Other chargeable offenses under the UCMJ include adultery, prostitution and pandering, which violate General Article 134. But commanders downrange are also prosecuting service members, on a case-by-case basis, under a different section of General Article 134 that bans conduct “to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces.”

A spokesman for the NCIS refused to say if investigators are entrapping soldiers by posting ads themselves.

Marines OK'd For San Diego Pride

Via press release from San Diego Pride:

As the city gears up for this weekend’s annual San Diego LGBT Pride festivities, Marines and sailors with I (First) Marine Expeditionary Force have received authorization to wear approved uniforms in the 39th annual Pride Parade on Saturday, July 13 at 11 am.  This follows authorization by the Department of Navy, Navy Region Southwest, authorizing active duty Navy servicemembers under its command to wear their uniforms in the parade.

Last year the wingnuts went nuts about this, but there's not been a peep from the usual suspects so far this time.

Engaged

The gay Marine whose homecoming kiss went globally viral last year has gotten engaged to his boyfriend.  Via Towleroad, here's the video of Brandon Morgan popping the question. From the clip's description: "The sound is bad, but what I was saying was 'with the repeal of DOMA or not, will you do me the honor of spending your life with me?'"

NYC Fleet Week Canceled

Fleet Week has officially been canceled for New York City.

The United States Navy says it will not send any ships next month and no additional sailors or Marines will head to the city for the annual Fleet Week celebration. Cuts to the defense budget under the sequester are being blamed. But a spokesperson says any Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard members who happen to be in the city will be allowed to take part in any local events that still take place. City officials say Fleet Week was expected to generate about $20 million. In a statement, the city said, "We understand the Navy’s budgetary limitations and hope that the Fleet Week tradition can continue in 2014."

Marine Corps Orders On-Base Social Clubs To Accept Gay Spouses

Responding to an ongoing controversy at Fort Bragg, the Marine Corps today issued a directive that on-base "spouses clubs" must admit the husbands and wives of gay service members.

It's a step that the other service branches have not yet announced as they grapple with how to accommodate same-sex couples following repeal of the don't ask, don't tell policy that barred gays and lesbians from serving openly. Underscoring the challenges, the Marines' legal advisory — obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press — refers to an ongoing controversy at the Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina where the officers' spouses club has denied admission to a same-sex spouse.

The Marine Corps commandant's Staff Judge Advocate, in an e-mail to legal offices throughout the corps, said the Fort Bragg events had "caused quite a stir" and cautioned, "We do not want a story like this developing in our backyard." The memo noted that spouses clubs and various other private institutions are allowed to operate on bases only if they adhere to a non-discrimination policy encompassing race, religion, gender, age, disability and national origin. "We would interpret a spouses club's decision to exclude a same-sex spouse as sexual discrimination because the exclusion was based upon the spouse's sex," the memo said.

OutServe-SLDN praised the move via press release:

The Marine Corps guidance issued today is a breakthrough and a clear indication that General Amos meant what he said when he promised Marines would lead the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Secretary Panetta should use his authority immediately to bring consistency across the services with regard to this issue and in doing so, a greater measure of equity to gay and lesbian service members and their families.

At The 2012 Toys Party In Chelsea

Above is the ten-foot-high mountain of toys I encountered at last night's Toys Party, the 27th annual holiday event at Chelsea Piers which raises money for SAGE (Services & Advocacy for Gay Elders).  The event always sells out and the well-dressed crowd of over 2300 was already in a  block-long line when I arrived.  I didn't get a lot of photos as my loyal photographer Dr. Jeff was unable to attend, but below you'll find some shots of JMG readers, uberblogger Andy Towle, NYC Council candidate Corey Johnson, radio host Michelangelo Signorile, nightlife photographer Gustavo Monroy, GLAAD's Rich Ferraro, blogger Kenneth Walsh, and hilarious comedian Robynne Kaamil.  Mayor Bloomberg reportedly spoke to the crowd, but I must have been somewhere else in the giant complex. I don't think I've ever been at such an enormous gay party where most of the crowd didn't have their shirts off.  The toys are donated to the USMC's Toys For Tots program.

UPDATE: The final shot above (that I'm in) is from the event's digital photo booth. Hundreds of more booth photos can be viewed here.

UPDATE II: The embedded slideshow seems to be slowing the page load today, so I've removed it. See the full-screen photos here.

CORRECTION: Although I'm pretty sure I heard the party's announcer say "Toys For Tots," which is a USMC program, I've been corrected as to the destination of the toys. They will go to: "The 9th Police Precinct Community Council, Ali Forney Center, Brooklyn ACE Integration Head Start, God’s Love We Deliver, Grace Baptist/Faith Mission, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church of the Bronx, St. Francis Desales Church of Rockaway NY, UWS Jericho Project/Brick Church, and Youth 4 Seniors/Harlem InterAgency Council."

USMC Commandant: I'm Not Seeing Any Problems Since The Repeal Of DADT

The Commandant of the Marine Corps says that he's not heard of any problems related to the repeal of DADT. Michael Lavers reports at the Washington Blade:

“I don’t think there is a problem,” said Commandant Gen. James Amos during a National Press Club luncheon in downtown Washington. “I don’t see it. I don’t hear about it.” [snip] “We obey orders,” said Amos. “We do that better than anybody does and we have.” He again noted that he doesn’t “even get a question” about openly gay and lesbian servicemembers from subordinates and other Marines. “I don’t hear anything,” said Amos. “I’m not seeing anything at all, so I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out. I’m very proud of the Marines."

RELATED: You may recall that Amos was the most strident opponent of the repeal out of all the heads of the military branches. In December 2010 he even claimed that openly gay soldiers would cause Marines to lose their legs.

"When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behavior of the young man ... who sits to your right and your left, you don't want anything distracting you," Amos told reporters at the Pentagon. "I don't want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don't want to have any Marines that I'm visiting at Bethesda (hospital) with no legs," he said. He added that "mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines' lives. That's the currency of this fight."

USMC Boots Teabagger Sergeant For Insubordination To The President

Tea Party folk hero USMC Sgt. Gary Stein has been discharged from the military for public declarations that he would refuse orders from his "unlawful" commander in chief, President Obama.

Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo announced Wednesday that Stein will be separated from the service under other than honorable conditions. Stein, 26, a Temecula resident, ran afoul of Marine Corps and Pentagon regulations restricting troop political activity by calling for Obama's ouster and making statements that the president was the "enemy" and that he would not follow his orders unless he considered them lawful. Stein, who could not be reached for immediate comment, was informed of the decision Wednesday morning, according to one of his attorneys, Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation. "He is very disappointed," Kreep said. "His grandmother died last night and then this hit him." Stein will now fight for reinstatement through Marine Corps legal channels and continue pressing a court case, Kreep said. Earlier this month, he unsuccessfully sought to persuade a federal court to issue a restraining order or preliminary injunction to stop the separation.

Stein is being backed by the ACLU, who says that his Facebook postings and birther-related political activism falls under freedom of speech protections. The "Patriots For Sgt. Stein" group on Facebook has over 8000 members.

MARYLAND: Openly Gay Cadets Attend Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Event

Gay history was made this weekend. Via USNA Out:

Ninety-four U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) alumni, midshipmen and their guests gathered here Saturday to recognize alumni and midshipmen accomplishments over the last year, commemorating seven months since repeal of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Thirty-one midshipmen of all four classes and their guests attended, along with 34 members of USNA Out – the LGBT organization of U.S. Naval Academy alumni. Sixteen of the midshipmen are seniors, who will graduate on May 29 and be the first class at Annapolis to graduate under the new policy that now allows gay, lesbian and bisexual military members to serve without fear of discharge. The new policy became effective in September 2011, a few weeks after classes resumed for the year at the academy.

There are now "more than 40" openly gay cadets attending the Naval Academy. Most are members of USNA Out.

DADT Repeal Impact: NONE

From a story in North Carolina's Fayetteville Observer:

After several months, the impact, according to the military, was summed up by Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby: "Impact?" he said. "Negligible, if that." Across the military, retention is high. Recruitment is at 100 percent of goals. Military officials say they're unaware of any discipline issues relating to gays serving openly. Among the staunchest critics of repealing the law is Elaine Donnelly, the president of the Center for Military Readiness, a private advocacy group in Michigan. She said studies the military quoted were biased, primarily out of a fear that a politically correct Congress would slash military funding if the Pentagon stood up in opposition to the repeal. "It's more than a bias - it's a mandate" that studies must support the repeal, she said. She said it is too soon to see any effects, and that a bad economy had masked what would be seen in coming years as problems with retention and recruiting.

Poor Elaine Donnelly. She's gotta find a new gig.

Tomorrow's Marine Corps Times

Via Buzzfeed.

Porno Pete Gets Hot Over Gay Kissing

Quote Of The Day - Sgt. Brandon Morgan

"I used to be a very, very fanatical Christian, not that there’s anything wrong with being a Christian, but my beliefs, my core beliefs, definitely have changed as I’ve grown up because of the way I live, the way I am. I joined the Marine Corps because I felt I wanted to be the voice of God in the Marine Corps. I’m pretty sure people very close to me like my mother, my father, and my sister always knew that there was something different about me. I was always at the church, and had those values, had that idea that homosexuality was wrong according to the Christian faith. Eventually, nature comes out." - Sgt. Brandon Morgan, speaking to the Daily Beast.

RELATED: On the day that the story broke on this blog, those of us on this side of things traded a couple of slightly worrying items Morgan had apparently posted online some years ago. The wording was certainly mild compared to what we see here every day, but still there was some momentary concern that the entire "gay Marine in love" story might be some strange hoax. But as we see in the quote above, Morgan was just working through the youthful denial that so many of us faced.

Sgt. Brandon Morgan On MSNBC

I'm so tickled to have had a tiny part in this.

(Via - Igor Volsky)