Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 131

DADT update

Update:  Wow, check this out from the Department of Defense's website.  Yes, the DOD website (emphasis added):

Leaders Can Pave Way for Openly Gay Troops, General Says

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2010 - A change in the law that bans gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military can be implemented without irreparable harm, the co-chair of a Pentagon working group that studied the matter said yesterday.

"It's my belief, having now looked this matter extensively over nine months, that the leaders of our services -- all services, all components -- are so good today, so experienced today, that they can effectively implement this change, maintain unit cohesion, and a strong focus on mission accomplishment," Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, said. [snip]

If the law is overturned, they said, the services will need to increase costs in training and education, but should not incur the high cost of creating separate facilities, as has been discussed.

"We strongly recommend against establishing separate facilities," Ham said. "We think that is the wrong direction for the Department of Defense." [snip]

Johnson said Congress should change the Uniform Code of Military Justice to remove language forbidding consensual sodomy. The change should be made regardless of whether the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law is overturned to put the UCMJ in agreement with a seven-year-old Supreme Court decision, he said.

The report further recommends that all servicemembers who were discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell should be permitted to re-enlist. "The fact that they were separated pursuant to this law should be set aside as irrelevant," Johnson said.

My raw report from a press call this morning with SLDN.  Getting this to you asap then dashing to work! -Lurleen

--------------------------------

Seventeen years ago this very day President Clinton signed "don't ask, don't tell" into law.  This morning briefers from the Pentagon briefed Senate staffers on the forthcoming Comprehensive Working Group Report.  And executive summary of the will be released at 1 pm today with a press conference expected at 2 pm.

According to a Aubrey Sarvis at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the expectation is that the report will be overwhelmingly positive and very constructive and one of best tools repeal advocates can use during the next 2-3 weeks in the Senate.  The findings have been described as "exhaustive".  SLDN is confident that the report will indicate that after repeal, implementation is needed quickly and leadership needs to move quickly on education and framing.

So what happens next?  The Senate Armed Services Committee will be holding hearings this Thursday and Friday (details below fold).  SLDN expects the hearings to be positive and a great catalyst for Majority Leader Reid to revisit the National Defense Authorization Act to which it is attached bill early next week.  Pockets of resistance are expected during the hearings when service chiefs testify on Friday, but SLDN's Sarvis emphasizes that without exception each chief is on record having said that if repeal happens they will implement it.
Once the NDAA comes up for reconsideration next week, Sen. McCain is expected to object.  Sen. Reid has already indicated that Sen. McCain will have the ability to offer an amendment that would strip repeal language from NDAA, but this is not a concern because Reid doesn't believe that McCain can get the 51 votes he would need.

NDAA still the preferred vehicle for repeal because the clock is running out on this congress and NDAA has to move more than other bills.  We want to be on the bill that's moving.

To get needed buy-in from some Republicans, Majority Leader Reid has to allow a number of amendments to be offered by on each side.  The number is still under discussion (10-20?) but needs to be fair given the limited time left in this session.  Since the elections there is more pressure from the Republican caucus to view this as a caucus issue and to maintain discipline and not allow anything to happen during lame duck.  But, says Sarvis, there are some Republican senators who won't go along with that as long as they feel there is fair play by Reid concerning allowing a reasonable number of amendments to be offered.

The White House:  There was recently a "very productive" meeting with key players from the White House and Sen. Reid's office.  Sarvis described it as "Aggressive White House participation on how to move this in lame duck."  Sarvis says that the President "=deserves a lot of credit for what taking place today.  He did engage Mullens and Gates and got the initial process going.  In SLDN's view the process has been too protracted, but in terms of what we'll hear today they anticipate it will be quite extraordinary.  The president, says Sarvis, is very process-oriented and has every reason to be proud, but of course SLDN though a more compressed time frame would have been best and as an advocay organization would always like to see the President do more.

In terms of a good-faith effort from Majority leader Reid there are encouraging signs.  For example he won't try to attach the DREAM act to the NDAA and has assured Sen. McCain that there will be time for his amendment to strike.  The number of allowed amendments is still being worked out, but Reid is not expected to allow Sen Mitch McConnell to say anything was unfair.  People with Republican senators  should call them and ask "What do you think constitutes a fair process?  How many amendments do you need to vote to proceed?"  We don't want to allow senators to use the process as excuse not to be with us.  A list of key senators is below.

Direct participation from Secretary of Defense Gates is not expected, but he has twice called upon the Senate to act to repeal DADT during lame duck.  In addition, Sen. Collins has requested a one-on-one meeting with him regarding the report being released today.  Gates would likely be similarly available to others senators if they make such requests.

All Democrats who voted yes last time are still there although Sen. Webb wants to see the report before making decisions.  Sen. Kirk from IL also wants to see the report first and it it looks favorable he should be with us, but he has said previously that nothing should happen in the lame duck session so nobody is taking his vote to bank yet.  Blanche Lincoln will be there on the question of taking the NDAA bill back up.  Pryor probably not there.  Repeal will not happen unless a few Republicans stand up and say "repeal".  This won't happen without some Republicans.

Since it would be difficult to effect DADT repeal in the next congress, SLDN is pushing to get the job done now during the lame duck session.  However, they are not waiting for the outcome of the lame duck session and are pursuing a dual track in the courts.  Early next week SLDN will probably file litigation in 9th Circuit in northern California on behalf of discharged servicemembers like who want to be reinstated and get their their jobs back.  

SLDN also plans to file two other lawsuits, one on behalf of discharged servicemembers who don't want their old job back but who would like back in the military, for example as reservists.  The other on behalf of young people who would volunteer for service if DADT weren't in place.

Sen. McCain continues to repeat the assertion that the military is not violating the "don't pursue" provisions of law.  In an attempt to try to correct that mis-perception, Former Major Mike Almy who was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 2006 made daily attempts in September to contact Sen. McCain, to no avail.  Others, including two flag officers living in AZ have similarly tried and been unsuccessful in gatting a meeting with Sen. McCain to discuss his views.  Sen. Lindsay Graham, a retired Air Force JAG sat silently next to McCain during the September interview where McCain blew up at The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld.  Graham has been similarly unavailable for constituent meetings on this subject.  According to SLDN this issue of the military never being held to account for transgressing the "dont pursue" part of the DADT law may come up in the hearings this week.

And what of "religious liberties" of anti-gay military chaplains?  The report, says Sarvis, recognizes that the military is currently made up of servicemenbers of differing values and religious views.  Open service for LGBs wouldn't change that in any way.  The mission is paramount.  Open service won't threaten that mission.  Unlike the debate 17 yrs ago some of the chaplains haven't gotten traction this time around, says Sarvis, who believes that this issues is addressed in report and largely dismissed.

On a final note, Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, USAF, says that in the report we will see that 70% of active duty military support repeal of DADT and 92% know they're serving with LGB soldiers.  His own experience as an out, active duty soldier is that there is 100% support for open service in real life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Thurs, DEC 2: Hearing by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on the report begins at 9 a.m. in SD-G50/ Dirksen Senate Office Building;

* APPEARING DAY 1: Honorable Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense; Honorable Jeh C. Johnson, General Counsel, Department of Defense and Co-Chair, Comprehensive Review Working Group; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Carter F. Ham, USA, Commander, United States Army Europe and Co-Chair, Comprehensive Review Working Group;

* Fri, DEC 3: Hearing by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on the report begins at 9 a.m. in SD-G50/ Dirksen Senate Office Building.

* APPEARING DAY 2: General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General George W. Casey, Jr., USA, Chief of Staff of the Army; Admiral Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; General James F. Amos, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps; General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

Key senators who need to hear from repeal supporters!

--Harry Reid (D-NV);

--Susan Collins (R-ME);

--Olympia Snowe (R-ME);

--Mark Pryor (D-AR.);

--Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

--Richard Lugar (R-IN);

--Judd Gregg (R-NH);

--Scott Brown (R-MA)

--George Voinovich (R-OH);

--Kit Bond (R-MO);

--Joe Manchin (D-WV)

--Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

--Mark Kirk (R-IL)

--James Webb (D-VA)

Anti-gay hate groups continue to duck and lie about their motives

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monters

This is a combination of two posts

The whining of religious right groups newly named as anti-gay hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center is reaching the levels of absurdity.

Witness this statement regarding the designation by Concerned Women for America:

The SPLC began as a civil rights organization in the 1960s, but has been marginalized by “gay rights” organizations. They no longer simply focus on the noble cause of fighting racism and have, instead, become another tool for the left. This time, the SPLC has taken their liberal propaganda too far. By demonizing traditional family groups that support traditional marriage, they just put a huge portion of the African-American community in California in the same category with the rest us so-called bigots.

According to an Associated Press exit poll, 70 percent of African-Americans in California who voted for Barack Obama also voted for Prop 8 and in support of traditional marriage in 2008. The very people the SPLC supposedly seeks to protect from bigotry and “hate crimes” are heavily in favor of the very institution that the SPLC is fighting against.

I hope CWA's statement alerts everyone to the true cynical nature of this so-called pro-family groups.

Seems to me that the simplest thing for the CWA (and the other organizations named as anti-gay hate groups or profiled) is to address SPLC's charges head on with a simple statement such as "SPLC is inaccurate because we never said those things or took those stances," or "our statements and actions have been misconstrued."

But rather than doing this, CWA is attempting to drag the African-American community into this argument in a sad attempt to play that community against the lgbt community. And let's face it - the CWA does not give a flip about either community.

No one should address the racial component of CWA's argument because it is irrelevant to the facts, which is according to SPLC:

(CWA founder Beverly) LaHaye has blamed gay people for a “radical leftist crusade” in America and, over the years, has occasionally equated homosexuality with pedophilia. In 2001, she hired prominent anti-gay propagandists Robert Knight  . . . and Peter LaBarbera . . . to launch CWA’s Culture and Family Institute. Matt Barber was CWA’s policy director for cultural issues in 2007 and 2008 before moving on to similar work with the Liberty Counsel  . . .

While at CWA, on April 12, 2007,  (Matt) Barber suggested against all the evidence that there were only a “miniscule number” of anti-gay hate crimes and most of those “may very well be rooted in fraudulent reports.” In comments that have since disappeared from CWA’s website, Barber demanded a federal probe of “homosexual activists” for their alleged fabrications of hate crime reports.

CWA long relied on and displayed Knight’s articles and talking points, including claims that “homosexuality carries enormous physical and mental health risks” and “gay marriage entices children to experiment with homosexuality.” Most remarkably, Knight cited the utterly discredited work of Paul Cameron to bolster claims that homosexuality is harmful.

Today, CWA continues to make arguments against homosexuality on the basis of dubious claims. President Wendy Wright said this August that gay activists were using same-sex marriage “to indoctrinate children in schools to reject their parents’ values and to harass, sue and punish people who disagree.” Last year, CWA accused the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a group that works to stop anti-gay bullying in schools, of using that mission as a cover to promote homosexuality in schools, adding that “teaching students from a young age that the homosexual lifestyle is perfectly natural … will [cause them to] develop into adults who are desensitized to the harmful, immoral reality of sexual deviance.”

As a gay man, I am amused by CWA's sad attempts to drag the black community into the argument. But as a black man, I am very angry. The way the CWA has label lgbts as oversexed monsters seeking to molest or "indoctrinate" children is no different than the way racists labeled black men as mindless brutes seeking to rape white women.

How's that for a racial component to the argument?

Meanwhile Bryan Fischer, the main reason why the American Family Association is considered as an anti-gay hate group, lodged his complaints against the designation.

It was one of those Freudian moments:

The Southern Poverty Law Center last week added five members to its list of “hate” groups, one of which is the American Family Association.

This illustrates one point and proves another. The point it illustrates is that the first and last refuge of a man without an argument is name-calling.

That would be an excellent point to make, except for one thing. As People for the American Way :

. . .it should also be noted that Fischer's entire professional career is based on calling gays names like nancy-boys and sexual perverts and sexual deviants and pedophiles and domestic terrorists who are part of a "deviancy cabal" who "want to use the anal cavity for sex."

People who live in glass houses definitely shouldn't throw stones.

This sad attempt by CWA and Fischer to sidestep SPLC's charges continues to prove the main point of this entire controversy - you can't portray yourself as a victim when a paper trail reveals you to be a bully.

And the lies continue

Last night on the news show Hardball, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council sought to defend his organization's claim that gay men molest children at a higher rate than heterosexuals.

In attempting to do this, Perkins cited research by the American College of Pediatricians. However, there are several things about this group that Perkins omitted:

The American College of Pediatricians is not a legitimate medical group. It is a sham organization dedicated to the laundering of junk science about the lgbt community, i.e. the kind of "science" which demonizes the lgbt community. One of its chief researchers was George Rekers, that is before he got caught coming from a European trip with a "rentboy."

Earlier this year, it tried to push a webpage, Facts About Youth, to American schools.

Among other things, this site made the following claims about gay men:

Some gay men sexualize human waste, including the medically dangerous practice of coprophilia, which means sexual contact with highly infectious fecal wastes

In addition, it also contained several errors in regards to research and other claims about the lgbt community.

But these things are irrelevant because the big story is how the American College of Pediatricians benefits people like Perkins.

Just as he did on Hardball, Perkins can cite the ACP without going into details about its errors. The official sounding name of the organization obscures all of that, and thus makes Perkins's position sound accurate.

The sad thing is that I think Perkins knows this.

And apparently this was not the only distortion Perkins committed during his Hardball appearance. Perkins said the following:

If you go back to the Archives of Sexual Behavior, a peer-reviewed reviewed journal, that stated that in self-identified… 86% of men, homosexual men, or who engage… or men who engage in molestation of children, 86% of them identified as homosexual or bisexual. That study has not been refuted.

However, according to the site Box Turtle Bulletin:

The study was not “refuted,” in Perkins’ terminology, simply because the finding was not considered to be significant, not even by its authors. The study, “Behavior patterns of child molesters” by W.D. Erickson, N.H. Walbek, and R.K. Seely which appeared more than twenty years ago (1988, to be exact), didn’t set out to determine the sexual orientation of child molesters. The study, of 229 convicted child molesters in Minnesota, (which, by the way, was never intended to be nationally representative in any way) was focused on the types of sexual contact the men engaged in with their victims — vaginal or anal penetration, oral contact, and so forth. In this particular sample, 63 victims were male, and 166 victims were female. The “finding” that Perkins and company found so exciting is encapsulated in just one sentence: “Eighty-six percent of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual.”

That’s right, one lone sentence out of a ten page document, buried deeply within the text. In other words, the authors themselves didn’t see it as a significant finding. And it may be because the authors didn’t delve into the adult relationship makeup of these offenders, or what criteria the offenders used in their self-labeling. Nor did they attempt to investigate whether there was any validity to their self-labeling.

 

Hat tip to .

Proposition 8 Appeal: Schedule and Timetable

Wondering what will happen with the Prop 8 appeal ? Most people know that the Prop 8 trial decision, which ruled against the law banning gay marriage in California, has been appealed. But many aren’t sure what happens next. Here’s what you need to know: Oral Arguments

On December 6, a week from today, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments. This isn’t a trial–there’s no witnesses and no jury. Rather, a panel of three judges will decide two issues:

Do the groups defending Proposition 8 gay marriage ban have standing, or the right, to appeal the original trial decision?Is Proposition 8 unconstitutional for violating the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution?

The oral arguments will be broadcasted live on CSPAN and will last two hours. In addition to the oral arguments, both sides are also submitting written arguments, or briefs, that the three judges will review.

The three judge panel will consist of Stephen Reinhardt, Michael Daly Hawkins, and N. Randy Smith. The first two were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the third is staunchly Mormon and appointed by President Bush in 2007. The decision will probably be 2-1 in favor of affirming Judge Walker’s decision.

En-banc Review

No matter what the three judge panel says, the case will probably then be subject to en-banc review by the entire 9th Circuit. This means that a random 11 judges of the 9th Circuit will review the 3 panel decision.

The decision of the en-banc panel is hard to predict, because we don’t know who the 11 judges will be.

Supreme Court

Finally, and again no matter the outcome of the en-banc review, the case will probably be appealed to the Supreme Court. You can find various predictions for a Supreme Court decision, and I won’t pretend to know what they’ll say. One thing for sure is that it’ll be at least a few years before this case makes its way through the entire process.

[Cross-posted at the Gay Law Report , where I discuss LGBT laws and related news.]

Virginia official: the next TSA agent patting you down could be a horny homo

Blender Verdon Coleman passed this gem of elected official homophobia on to us for your infotainment. Eugene Delgaudio an elected official on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia and he is thinking really hard about the TSA pat down enhancements and sexual arousal.

A widely distributed e-mail written by Delgaudio for the Public Advocate about TSA, claims the pat downs are part of a "Homosexual Agenda." And he criticizes TSA's non-discrimination hiring policy.

"It's the federal employee's version of the Gay Bill of Special Rights... That means the next TSA official that gives you an 'enhanced pat down' could be a practicing homosexual secretly getting pleasure from your submission," Delgaudio wrote.

...Part of his official role on the Board of Supervisors includes representing the county in the Dulles Area Transportation Association.

In his other role as President of the wingnut Public Advocate of the United States organization, I assume he and The Peter are comparing notes about this topic.  Delgaudio receives bonus points for being the subject of a post by barista Alvin McEwen earlier this year, "'Men hand-in-hand skipping down to adoption centers to 'pick out' a little boy for themselves'."

BTW, check out the comments accompanying the news article. My fave:

Our "agenda" is to recruit at least 50 folks each...5 more and I can get the 60" HDTV! :)

BONUS HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA UPDATE: Look at this choice email Delgaudio is sending out.

From: Eugene Delgaudio

Sent: Nov 29, 2010 5:06 PM

To: -------------

Subject: Lame Duck Session Is This Week!

Dear ---,

The Radical Homosexuals are cheerleading as their allies in Congress begin the "Lame Duck" session of Congress this week.

As you know, they want to ram through their entire agenda from the Gay Bill of Special Rights to the Homosexual Classrooms Act.

Now is the time to stand up for the family and make your voice heard!

I've prepared a petition for you to sign.  But also, if you can, please make an emergency contribution of $100, $50, or even just $25 to aid Public Advocate in this fight.

If you missed my recent email outlining what is at stake in the "Lame Duck" session, please read it below.

Thank you,

Eugene Delgaudio

His insane email is below the fold.
Fighting the Homosexual Agenda is priority number one (as opposed to say, the economy, roads and bridges, etc.) for this turd.

Dear Pro-family American,

After such an inspiring victory on Election Day, I want to keep the celebration going as much as you do.

But a very real threat looms.

You see, none of the newly-elected congressmen and senators will take office until next year.

That means that until January the same anti-family, pro-homosexual Congress will be at the beck and call of Barack Obama, the most pro-homosexual president in American history.

And they are coming back in early November for a "Lame Duck" session to pass as much garbage as possible before the newly-elected congressmen and senators are sworn in...

Even worse, with Election Night behind them, the fence-sitters you and I have kept in line for so long know that they won't have to face us again for 2, 4, and some even 6 years.

Because of that, they are now bolder than ever ... while you and I are at our weakest having given our all last month.

And of course the Homosexual Lobby, ever eager to pounce upon our weakness, is preparing a massive onslaught devised to ram through every aspect of their radical agenda, from...

*** The Gay Bill of Special Rights will force schools and churches to hire and prevent them from firing open homosexuals.  Men dressed as women will have the "right" to share bathrooms with young girls and those who disagree will face lawsuits, even prosecution; to,

*** The repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act will eliminate the legal protection we've established for those states that reject Homosexual "marriages" by codifying traditional marriage into law; to,

*** The Homosexual Classrooms Act will create pro-homosexual indoctrination classes designed to eradicate traditional values in the next generation of American students; to,

*** The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell forcing      our soldiers to share foxholes, bunks and even showers with open homosexuals.  The U.S. military, once representative of the best in America will degrade into a social experiment of homosexual activism; to,

*** The Homosexual Adoption Bill will force private religious adoption agencies to allow homosexual "couples" to adopt young boys and girls into their homosexual "family."

The Homosexual Lobby knows that it is harder to repeal a bill than to keep it from passing.

So even though they're facing losses in the new Congress, the Radical Homosexuals know if they can ram through the Homosexual Agenda now, they will have won.

I have to be honest with you, my friend.

Every gain we made on Election Night will mean nothing if they succeed in this "Lame Duck" scheme.

You see, they only have to win once.

You and I, on the other hand, must keep defeating their radical schemes over and over again.

The fact is, this so-called "Lame Duck" session of Congress could be the biggest disaster the family has seen in years.

And I'm afraid to admit it but... if you and I are unable to defeat the Homosexual Lobby's schemes in the next 4-5 weeks, the fight for the family will be set back decades.

And that is why the celebration must end.

You and I cannot be lured into a false sense of security.

We must be ready for this fight.

Harry Reid's own spokesman even let it slip that the Homosexual Lobby has plans to bring Don't Ask, Don't Tell back up for a vote in the "Lame Duck" Congress.

Can you imagine everything else the pro-homosexual politicians have up their sleeve?

They think you and I have already declared "Mission Accomplished" and that we aren't prepared.

They think they will roll right over us.

And as much as my faith tells me not to worry, I'm afraid they might be right.

The Homosexual Lobby has hatched scheme after scheme in their endless attempt to ram through their agenda.

It's taken every last bit of Public Advocate's resources to fend off their advances.

That's why I was so thankful for the last minute support I received last month right before the election.

Without that help, Public Advocate would have been helpless in the run up to that historic election.

But I have to confess.  I got so carried away exposing pro-homosexual politicians and defending advocates for the family that I spent more than I should have.

And the coming "Lame Duck" session of Congress may very well be the straw that broke the camel's back.

But we do have one advantage on our side.

Pro-family Americans held the Homosexual Lobby's allies in Congress accountable on election night.  They'd be lying to you if they said they didn't take notice.

You and I need to make it clear that November 2nd, 2010 will happen again and again until they stand up for the Family.

That's why I need your help again.

I've prepared a petition for you to sign stating your opposition to the Homosexual Agenda and letting your congressman and senators know we're still watching.

But in addition to your signed petition, I'm really hoping you will be able to send as generous a contribution as you can.

In fact I'm counting on it.

Fighting the Homosexual Lobby is not cheap.

And with their aggressive attacks and dirty tactics it can become downright expensive.

So along with your signed petition will you send a generous contribution of $20, $50, $75, $100 or more?

You and I must show those in Congress we mean business.

We need to show them even though they won't face the voters for 2, 4, or even 6 years, we're still watching and we will remember.

So please, submit your petition and send your most generous contribution right away.

Thanks in advance for continuing the fight.

Sincerely,

Eugene Delgaudio

President

Public Advocate of the U.S.

P.S. The time for celebration has ended -- a very real threat still looms overhead.  You see, none of the newly-elected congressmen and senators will take office until January.

Until then, the same anti-family, pro-homosexual Congress will be at the beck and call of Barack Obama, the most pro-homosexual president in American history.

You and I need to make it clear that November 2nd, 2010 will happen again and again until they stand up for the Family.

I've prepared a petition for you to sign but in addition I hope you will send a generous contribution of $20, $50, $75, $100 or more.  Thanks so much!

News you can use: Mark Foley eyes West Palm Beach mayoral run

May the jokes begin. I thought we didn't have this page-chasing clown to deal with anymore. The lede of The Advocate piece says it all.

Former Florida congressman Mark Foley, who was forced to step down after sending multiple lurid instant messages to male staffers, looks to be eyeing a run for mayor of West Palm Beach.

..."I do have the luxury that I can be the last man to file if I choose to, and still have the name ID," Foley told the [Palm Beach] Post. "It's a time commitment, and it's a major endeavor for anyone who becomes mayor. It rules out travels to far-off destinations, because you have to be on duty. Those are the things I'm wavering - both the re-entrance into public life and time commitment. If I decided to do it, I will give it the time."

I Tweeted this article and AmericablogGay responded:

Isn't W Palm Beach a little old for Foley?

"Marriage." It's just a word, why does it matter?

Thanks to Ben Smith at Politico for posting this charming, humorous and informative video, "Civil unions, 'not good enough.'"
Apologies to the video impaired. It really isn't useful to transcribe the text anyway, the meaning would be lost absent the actors' performances.

To the video impaired, I refer you to Judge Vaughn Walker's opinion finding Proposition 8 unconstitutional (PDF). This video is an excellent dramatization of the testimony heard at the trial and summarized below:

Social epidemiologist Ilan Meyer testified about the harm gays and lesbians have experienced because of Proposition 8. Meyer explained that Proposition 8 stigmatizes gays and lesbians because it informs gays and lesbians that the State of California rejects their relationships as less valuable than opposite-sex relationships. Proposition 8 also provides state endorsement of private discrimination. According to Meyer, Proposition 8 increases the likelihood of negative mental and physical health outcomes for gays and lesbians.

[LINETTE SCOTT, in her official capacity as Deputy Director of Health Information & Strategic Planning for the California Department of Public Health] explained that domestic partnerships cannot substitute for marriage because domestic partnerships do not have the same social and historical meaning as marriage and that much of the value of marriage comes from its social meaning. [Psychologist Letitia Anne] Peplau testified that little of the cultural esteem surrounding marriage adheres to domestic partnerships.

Proposition 8 places the force of law behind stigmas against gays and lesbians, including: gays and lesbians do not have intimate relationships similar to heterosexual couples; gays and lesbians are not as good as heterosexuals; and gay and lesbian relationships do not deserve the full recognition of society.

At the heart of all this, I believe LGBT citizens struggle with America's stubborn refusal to recognize our families as important, as valuable, as worthy of respect.

The US Federal Government and most states deny LGBT citizens the privileges and benefits endowed so carelessly to heterosexual couples.





Our soldiers are not allowed to even speak of their family. The forces will not provide housing, transportation, health--or any--care for them.





Department of Homeland Security deports our non-citizen partners, even our lawfully wedded ones.





Our employers are free to fire us, regardless of job performance, because of who we go home to at night.





We are told who we may or may not bring to prom, to school dances.

For these reasons, I support only full marriage equality.

For more information:

Freedom to Marry

Marriage Equality USA

So, if you hear someone ask the question, "Why does the word matter?" Ask them if it would matter to them.

The Bad Pam blogmistress update

This will be a big DADT week, so my fellow baristas are likely to bring you information on the goings-on on that front.

It's probably best for me, but I've stayed away from reading blogs, watching news or anything connected to politics for about 95% of the time since I've been back home from the hospital (last Tues). I've mostly dropped by on Twitter or FB to update people on how I'm doing.

I'm ok, could be better, but probably within the norm. It's easily a 4-6 week recovery, with many women not 100% even 4 months out, so it's a long haul even without complications.

TMI-aversives can skip the details below the fold.
A summary of last few days...

* I joined HysterSisters, a community of women who are pre- and post-op. Lots of good infomation there. Shark-Fu, who had her operation on the same day that I did, said she's signing up as well.

* All of my abdominal incisions save one look good; we're watching one that has had some discharge that's a tad nasty, but overall I think it's in check.

* All bathroom functions are occurring (not a easy given after this particular op), but not back to normal quite yet, particularly #1. I think that has something to do with the stitches from the va-jay-jay tearing taking out the enlarged uterus wholesale (argh, glad I was knocked out), also from the narcotics, which I am reducing, and that is helping some.

* My legs are like a dysfunctional Pillsbury Dough-Boy's. Swollen with fluids, the pitting (or indentations left if you push your finger into my skin) is outlandish. A loose pair of socks left their mark on my legs for many hours after I had removed them. I had only had them on about an hour when I briefly went out.

* Oh yes, about that trip out. I was feeling clear headed enough and in little pain on Sunday, so Kate took me to Macy's for a brief trip to get some knee highs. I have to wear dresses or sundresses with long-sleeve shirts because I can't tolerate any pants pressing on my abdomen. Thus I have cold legs. Anyway, 20 minutes at Macy's turned into 1) an almost complete pass-out onto the couch for a long nap. The fatigue was like hitting a wall, and 2) I had breakthrough bright red bleeding, likely from the dreaded "doing too much."

* This AM I probably would have freaked out had I not learned on HysterSisters that passing large blood clots is not abnormal, since when I got up today, that's exactly what happened.

* While the first few days when I was taking pain meds round the clock on a schedule, I had more energy. As I ratcheted down the oxycontin and upped the use of ibuprofen, pain management is a bit more difficult, and I've been more tired. Today I was unable to do anything except sleep. I didn't eat anything until about 1PM today. Not that I was hungry anyway. I actually feel worse physically than I did last week. Also not abnormal. This stuff ebbs and flows as you make adjustments in meds.

* The one bright spot has been my diabetes control. I have continued my strict regimen of many needles and lots of testing to help avoid infection risk. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about that, but the frequency with which I have to get up and test and take needles is interrupted sleep that I need. It's a rough balancing act that non-diabetics hysterectomy patients don't have to deal with.

Anyway, I was duly flogged on FB and Twitter for my trip out in the real world, so I've learned my lesson and will take shorter walks (doing nothing is just as bad as doing too much) to keep things moving, and get more sleep. I will check in with my endo and surgeon soon if anything goes south.

OK, that's way too much typing for now. I'm wiped; thanks again for the emails and comments. I do read them, I just don't always have the energy to respond.

American Family Association will not confront reason why its considered a hate group

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

The American Family Association is confronting its designation as a hate group via its phony news service, One News Now:

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is defaming a number of pro-family organizations by adding them to its list of "hate groups."

The leftist legal organization has issued a list of alleged "hate groups" that includes mainstream Christian ministries because of their opposition to the sin of homosexuality. Dr. Gary Cass of DefendChristians.org, a ministry of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, tells OneNewsNow the American Family Association earned a spot in the ranks with other groups that are usually considered racist or violent.

"To say that anybody who has a principled objection to homosexuality [and] the impact that that sinful lifestyle has on individuals and on society is somehow morally equivalent to overt racism and violence is absolutely defamatory," Cass contends.

However, just as in the case of the other supposed moral values groups

 

 

Nowhere in the article is a quote from anyone in the AFA, nor does the article address a key reason why the organization is seen as a hate group by SPLC, i.e. the words of its director of analysis for government and policy Bryan Fischer:

The AFA seeks to support “traditional moral values,” but in recent years it has seemed to specialize in “combating the homosexual agenda.” In 2009, it hired Bryan Fischer, the former executive director of the Idaho Values Alliance, as its director of analysis for government and policy. . . Fischer claimed in a blog post last May 27 that “[h]omosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and 6 million dead Jews.” (Ironically, the elder Wildmon was widely denounced as an anti-Semite after suggesting that Jews control the media, which the AFA says “shows a genuine hostility towards Christians.”) Fischer has described Hitler as “an active homosexual” who sought out gays “because he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough.” He proposed criminalizing homosexual behavior in another 2010 blog post and has advocated forcing gays into “reparative” therapy. In a 2010 “action alert,” the AFA warned that if homosexuals are allowed to openly serve in the military, “your son or daughter may be forced to share military showers and barracks with active and open homosexuals.”

Gays aren’t the AFA’s only enemies. “Islam is a totalitarian political ideology,” Fischer said in August 2010. “It is as racist as the KKK. … Allowing a mosque to be built in town is fundamentally no different that granting a building permit to a KKK cultural center built in honor of some King Kleagle.” In late 2009, he suggested that all Muslims should be banned from joining the U.S. military.

The irony of Cass being interviewed in the article is that his group, the Christian Anti-Defense Commission, was profiled by SPLC but not considered as a hate group. Cass has called for an elimination of "taxpayers monies" to SPLC, something he has been advocating since April.

Cass also said in the article:

"To say that anybody who has a principled objection to homosexuality [and] the impact that that sinful lifestyle has on individuals and on society is somehow morally equivalent to overt racism and violence is absolutely defamatory."

However, he did not address SPLC's reasons for profiling his group. Nor did he address questionable things his organization has done in the past which may have contributed its profile, such as defending the work of the discredited Paul Cameron (a man who has in the past made up stories about gay men castrating children) or defending the actions of a church which sought to exorcise a "homosexual demon" out of a child.

Claiming to be victims of an "anti-Christian leftist conspiracy" may gain Cass and the AFA some initial support, but sooner or later they and members of other organizations profiled by the SPLC will have to answer questions regarding their actions.

You cannot continue to cry "victim" when there is a paper trail showing you to be a bully.


Related posts:

Concerned Women for America - endorsing hateful anti-gay comics and bad data

Why the National Organization for Marriage was profiled for its anti-gay hatred

New Delhi holds first pride celebration since the decriminalization of homosexuality

Over 2,000 out and proud lesbian, gay, bisexual and trandgender people and their straight friends marched through India's capitol today in the 3rd annual pride parade.

"Today is about saying that we are gay and we are proud. We are not going anywhere, we are a part of society, and today we can celebrate being different." --Amit Agrawal, a parade organizer

Past pride marches were held in protest against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial-era nugget which criminalized consensual sex between adult same-sex couples.  But this year was all about celebration because on July 2, 2009 the High Court of New Delhi ruled that Section 377 no longer applies to same-sex couples.  

"Last year it was about protest, but this year it is all about celebration. It has only been a year, but it has been a huge year."  --Hillol Dutta, gay activist

As we all know, changing the law doesn't erase the bigotry in people's hearts and many gay Indians still enter into the closet of heterosexual marriages.  But the positive effects of the High Court's ruling are already being felt.  Mohnish Malhotra, another if the pride parade's organizers said that

{Because}...gays and lesbians can no longer be legally prosecuted...this has had a visible trickle-down effect on people's attitude to homosexuality on a grass-root level, at least in urban areas.  "We are no longer considered criminals - people in general have become more tolerant," he says. [snip]

Since Section 377 was struck down, many of Delhi's hottest venues have started hosting gay-themed nights and businesses openly targeting gay consumers have sprung up in a variety of sectors. They include lifestyle magazine "Fun," web-based travel agent "Indjapink", and the specialized online bookstore "Queer Ink."

U.S. judge says lesbians can be 'converted' if allowed to serve in the military

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

This bit of repulsive information needs to be known:

Joe Rehyansky, a part-time magistrate and Vietnam veteran, wrote on conservative news site The Daily Caller that lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military because straight male soldiers could “convert” them.

The Daily Caller swiftly removed some of his remarks but not before they were picked up by other websites.

Mr Rehyansky, of Hamilton County, Tennessee, argued that men were naturally more promiscuous than women and “it fell to men to swing through the trees and scour the caves in search of as many women as possible to subdue and impregnate – a tough job but someone had to do it”.

Then, he claimed that the “promiscuity” of gay men, coupled with HIV, would have “the potential for disastrous health consequences” if gay men were allowed to serve openly in the military.

Rehyansky's entire piece is vomit-worthy, spewing the same anti-gay distortions which is now coming back to haunt organizations such as the Family Research Council. But it's the following part that's causing eyes, tempers, and blood pressures to be raised:

His final argument, which has now been removed by The Daily Caller, was as follows: “My solution would get the distaff part of our homosexual population off our collective ‘Broke Back,’ thus giving straight male GIs a fair shot at converting lesbians and bringing them into the mainstream.”

How very interesting that this piece came out the week before Congressional hearings and a vote on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the military policy in regards to gays serving in the military.

Call it a hunch, but I'm betting those who want to retain the policy aren't going to be calling on Rehyansky as a witness.