Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 37

Facebook posts show WikiLeaks suspect's anger over military's gay ban

This piece by Zachary Roth & Liz Goodwin of Yahoo News' The Lookout is republished with permission. The Lookout received an early look at Manning's Facebook posts from Frontline's WikiSecrets, which are outlined below and will air in full tonight on PBS.

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning was a passionate gay-rights activist who angrily chafed against the military's ban on openly gay service members, an archive of the jailed U.S. Army private's Facebook page, examined by The Lookout, reveals. In one post, written not long before he was arrested on suspicion of leaking restricted government information, Manning defiantly questioned the need to keep his sexuality under wraps, declaring: "I have nothing to hide."

The Facebook postings were originally obtained by Frontline, in connection with an in-depth report on Manning and WikiLeaks that will air Tuesday night on PBS (see below for a preview), and can be read in full at their site.

In the postings, the army intelligence analyst broadcasts his gay rights activism, joining scores of groups like "LGBT Rights" and "REPEAL THE BAN--End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" and shares thoughts about his boyfriend, in apparent violation of the military's ban on gays serving openly. But the postings, which span nearly three years, also depict a young man who by last year had grown deeply frustrated by the need to hide his sexuality from his colleagues, and was fighting feelings of despair and isolation.

To be sure, there's also evidence that Manning's qualms about the civilian deaths caused by the military, and his broader discomfort with the direction of U.S. foreign policy helped stoke his sense of disillusion and alienation. But taken as a whole, the Facebook archive suggests that anger about Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT)--which was repealed by Congress last December, but remains in place for now--may also have played a role in Manning's alleged act of rebellion. In other words, that Manning may have responded to the strain of being made to keep his own secrets for so long by revealing U.S. government secrets of a far more consequential nature.

More below the fold.

The largest intelligence breach in U.S. history left American diplomats red in the face as hundreds of thousands of classified cables were leaked and foreign leaders could read what U.S. ambassadors really thought of them and their countries. Also leaked was a shocking video from 2007 showing a U.S. helicopter gunning down a Reuters journalist and Iraqi civilians by mistake.

No evidence has emerged that Manning, now 23, at any time came under scrutiny from military supervisors over his apparent flouting of DADT's provisions. But in excerpts that Frontline released Monday, in advance of tonight's full report, Manning's father and a friend both told the program that they were concerned about the risks he was running by revealing his sexuality online. "He was kind of asking for trouble," Manning's father, a former Navy intelligence officer, said.

Since launching the page in 2007, Manning appears never to have made much effort to conceal his homosexuality or his involvement in gay-rights causes. Among the groups he "liked" on Facebook: "Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell," "Equality California," a pro-gay marriage group, and the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay-rights organization.

Manning's gay-rights activism on Facebook had previously been reported by CNN and others, but the full archive makes clear his intense emotional investment in the cause, and just how closely Manning felt his personal well-being to be bound up with the movement's success. In January 2010, he posted a link to a website that tracked developments in the legal challenge to Proposition 8, a California voter initiative banning gay marriage. "This trial is intellectually, philosophically, and morally enlightening; yet such a personal emotional roller coaster," he wrote. "Regardless of the outcome, I will never forget any of this. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in tears."

Sometimes Manning openly mocked Don't Ask Don't Tell. In December 2008, he posted a Los Angeles Times story about a gay couple's response to California's passage of Prop 8. "Touching story. Made me cry. shh... DON'T TELL ANYONE! =P," he wrote.

But at other times, Manning's reaction betrayed an intense sense of anger and alienation over the ban. In November 2008--a little more than six months after he completed basic training--he posted a link to an article in the Syracuse Post-Standard, about a local gay-rights rally. The story quotes a solider at Fort Drum--the upstate New York army base where Manning was stationed at the time--who declares: "The world is not moving fast enough for us at home, work, or the battlefield." The soldier went on to explain that DADT's enforcement meant that "I've been living a double life. ... I can't make a statement. I can't be caught in an act." The unnamed soldier said the policy was the worst thing about being in the military for him, and that it makes gays "even more of second-rated people in society," in the paper's words.

In his Facebook post, Manning suggested that he was the solider quoted, writing that he "got an anonymous mention" in the story. Manning also posted pictures of himself at the rally, establishing that he was there.

A few months later, Manning posted in a status update that he was "tired of having to hide personal belongs (sic) like a criminal."

In October 2009, Manning was transferred to Iraq. He was not happy there, and was demoted from specialist to private after assaulting another soldier. According to reports, Manning had access while in Iraq to SIPRNet, a government network for sending classified information, and it was in the first few months of 2010 that his alleged leaks appear to have occurred.

By late April 2010, Manning seemed to despair further over a split with his boyfriend. He described himself as "utterly lost and confused" over a change in the man's relationship status. After another Facebook user warned him not to post on "such a sensitive topic," Manning responded: "why? so it can continue to foster itself?" adding: "I have nothing to hide. "

Five days later, Manning declared that he was "beyond frustrated with people and society at large."

That month, he would be arrested on suspicion of leaking restricted material to WikiLeaks.

Still, it's worth remembering that at other times in his military career, Manning appears to have expressed frustration over his place in the military without obvious reference to his status as a gay man or to his support for gay rights. He told hacker Adrian Lamo, who turned Manning in to the authorities after Manning bragged about the security breach, that he was "never noticed," "regularly ignored," and "abused" in the Army. Manning had also recently been demoted for assault, the Washington Post reported, though he was not facing discharge. Manning also told friends he was disturbed when he found the now-infamous video released to Wikileaks showing a U.S. military crew killing civilians and a Reuters journalist by mistake. He agonized over whether to release the documents, his friends told Wired.

Until recently, Manning was detained at a Quantico confinement facility in near solitary confinement. After an outcry from civil liberties groups and WikiLeaks supporters, he was transferred last month to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was recently declared mentally fit to stand trial.

NOM pledges to give 'resources' in Minnesota anti-gay marriage vote

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

The one thing I tell folks tracking the National Organization for Marriage is to not allow this organization's words to get under their skin, such as the following statement gloating about recent happenings in Minnesota via NOM President Brian Brown:

“We commend the bi-partisan majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives that voted Saturday night to put an amendment on the ballot preserving marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The House joins a bi-partisan majority in the state Senate, and the amendment will now go before voters in November 2012. NOM looks forward to supporting the campaign and lending our expertise and resources to those of allies in the state. We will have a thorough, respectful, discussion with the voters of Minnesota on all the reasons why the definition of marriage should be preserved as the union of a man and a woman, and to explain the risks to Minnesotans if they allow an activist judge or liberal legislators to redefine marriage in the future without public approval.

The key is to read these statements and pay attention to what they are actually saying.

Of course we know that when NOM talks about "lending its expertise and resources," this most likely means blanketing the state with lying flyers, brochures, and commercials falsely accusing the lgbt community of "recruiting children" through gay marriage. Meanwhile NOM talking heads like Maggie Gallagher will go on local talk shows and claim sweetness and light while she espouses that  NOM  "only wants to protect marriage."

All while all of this is happening, "ordinary citizens" on their own volition (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) will point out erroneous incidents in which they claim that Minnesota's lgbt community are acting like bullies via columns, letters, to the editors, and statements which NOM will publish on its blog (making sure to edit out statements which will call attention to the falsity of these charges.)

Of course his statement, Brown omitted NOM's partner in this venture, the Minnesota Family Council.

So I guess that means we won't be hearing any disavowment from NOM regarding the Minnesota Family Council's hateful belief that gays engage in bestiality and pedophilia when we are not consuming urine and feces.

So much for Brown's claim of having a respectful discussion.

News, news, news...roundup with MN, TN, NC, Herman Cain, Al Franken and miscellany

I haven't had a lot of time to catch up with news/emails today (see med update at the end), but I do have a nice link farm for you all to pick and choose from.

The big news is, of course, the Tennessee repeal of all non-discrimination ordinances affecting LGBTs, signed into law by the governor. History will not look kindly upon this move. More here.

The other item of note is the nasty nonsense going on in Minnesota as our sister state in marriage amendment pain (NC is facing a battle as well) its wingnuts approved the measure going to the ballot. Some related headlines:

* White House releases statement on Minnesota marriage amendment.

"The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples or to take such rights away. While he believes this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also believes that committed gay couples should have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country."

* Franken comes out against Minn. marriage amendment. Senator Al Franken, who is a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act (it challenges DOMA):

"Every Minnesotan deserves dignity and equal treatment under the law, and our state's same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as anyone else - period," Franken said. "This amendment would do nothing more than write discrimination into our state's constitution and add to the barriers same-sex couples already face to the full recognition of their families. I'm hopeful that common sense and compassion will prevail and that this amendment will be defeated."

* Senate IT department to delete 100,000 pro-gay marriage emails. This happened after HRC's form letter page sent in so many responses it "clogged the state server" so the emails were just deleted!. More here.

***

* Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Releases Marriage Equality Message. Today his office released a new video message about the need to extend marriage equality to all New Yorkers.

* New HRC Poll Shows Majority of Christians Support LGBT Equality.

The poll shows that Christians of all ages support LGBT equality. In fact, 68 percent of Christians favor protecting LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations compared. This number is in line with the 70 percent of overall respondents who favor such protections. 74 percent of Christians (compared to 76 percent overall) favor a law to prohibit bullying and harassment against minority groups in schools, including LGBT students or the children of LGBT parents. 70 percent of Christians believe that when religious leaders condemn LGBT people it does more harm than good. A majority of Christians - 52 percent - also oppose the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, according to a previous HRC poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll. Finally, an astounding 86 percent of Christians believe their faith leads them to the conclusion that the law should treat all people equally, including LGBT people.

* Equality NC and Standing on the Side of Love: Stop the Spread of Intolerance in North Carolina. ENC's Ian Palmquist:

Marriage discrimination is already the law of the land in North Carolina, but some lawmakers want to further enshrine this marginalization, and even go so far as to place domestic partner benefits in peril. If the amendment passes the legislature by a 3/5 majority, then the question of amending the constitution goes to the voters - preceded, of course, by a drawn-out campaign chock full of anti-LGBT rhetoric.

Click here to sign a petition urging CEOs of North Carolina-based companies to oppose discrimination in the North Carolina constitution. The companies: Bank of America, BB & T Corp., Hanesbrands Inc., Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., Lowe's Companies Inc..

* Jesse Ventura supports LGBT rights. The former wrestler and Minnesota Governor speaks out in a video sent to the Blend by jeff4justice:

BTW, you have to take a look at a couple of his other vids, "Jeff Asks Tavis Smiley About Gay Marriage" (Tavis believes in one-man, one-woman marriage because of his faith); and Dr. Cornel West & Carl Dix On Gay Marriage (he asks Dr. Cornel West and Carl Dix whether or not they support marriage equality and also how they feel about comparisons between the LGBT civil rights movement and the black civil rights movement).

* This amused me - Zogby Poll: Cain Passes Christie Among GOP Primary Voters; No One in GOP Field Leads Obama. Look at this stellar field: Herman Cain, 19%; Chris Christie, 16%; Mitt Romney, 11%; Ron Paul, 9%; Sarah Palin, 6%; Michele Bachman, 5%; Tim Pawlenty, 4%; Mitch Daniels, 4%; Newt Gingrich, 3%; Rick Santorum, 3%; Fred Karger, 1%; Jon Huntsman Jr., 1%; Gary Johnson, <1%; None of these, 6%; Not sure, 12%.

* NYT Op-ed - Rich Benjamin: Not Going to the Chapel. The author is boycotting all straight weddings.

* Nice enterprising move: Rainbow Rumpus launches free downloadable books about LGBT-headed families to fill gaps in bookstores and libraries.

NOTE FROM PAM: Sorry for being MIA today; dealing with the whole kidney stone matter, having spent a good part of the day at the urologist, got blood work, X-ray, etc. to find out I have stones in both kidneys and possibly my bladder; my left kidney is a bit swollen. So it's now off for a CT scan on Wed. The bottom line is that I'm f'd up for a good while, and just have to suck it up and deal with the pain. Can't work/drive on the narcotics, so I'll only take those at night or if it's intolerable. I was off any meds since 4AM yesterday, and today I was not a happy camper. Anyway, that's the news update on that front.

TN Hate Law Is Signed.

AmericaBlog is reporting Tennessee bill HB600/SB632, a law that will repeal all non-discrimination ordinances covering LGBTs in Tennessee has been signed by Republican Governor Bill Haslam. And by the way, under-reported, including by me, was a provision to strip transgender people from being able to change their sex legally. Clearly, an issue of vital important to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, which actively worked for this bill has had a deathbed conversion and mere moments before the Governor signed it issue a statement condemning it:

"The Tennessee Chamber supports a standard regulatory environment at the state level as opposed to potentially conflicting local regulations covering employment practices. That principle was the only interest the Chamber had in this bill. Because HB600/SB632 has turned into a debate on diversity and inclusiveness-principles which we support-we are now officially opposing this legislation in its present form."

Adopted unanimously May 23, 2011

DEB WOOLLEY, PRESIDENT

TENNESSEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

Well.

Isn't that special.
So the Chamber of Commerce is against it after being for it, after the executioner already flipped the switch.

Sorry, guys, you conceived this baby, you actively worked to pass it, you brought this child of Satan into the world. A bill you now agree is awful.

I'm sorry, Chamber of Commerce, your 11th hour conversion is curious, considering each member of the board was individually warned a month ago by the Nashville City Council to drop it. You ignored the letter from duly elected officials of Nashville.

Nissan, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer, and United HealthCare?

You all helped the Religious Right strip LGBT Citizens of civil rights.

There will be Hell to pay for this.

Alcoa, we thank you for stepping up when called upon to do so.

But this totally isn't done.

Garden State Equality Pulls Awards From AT&T, KPMG and Pfizer

The bullet: once Garden State Equality LGBT Advocacy group was alerted to AT&T, KPMG, and Pfizer Corporations' complicity with Christian Right's regressive attempts to roll back LGBT discrimination protection in the state of Tennessee they decided to rescind awards they have given to those companies for their LGBT friendly corporate policies.

Garden State Equality withdraws honors for AT&T, KPMG and Pfizer for anti-LGBT lobbying by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, on whose Board of Directors the three companies serve and had been told about the lobbying additionally Garden State Equality, New Jersey's statewide organization for LGBT equality, stands by its sister organization, the Tennessee Equality Project.

Full press release can be seen at AmericaBlog. Background on this story is here, and here.

That's how you advocate. It's even prompting this New Yorker to say, "Good Job, Jersey!"

If you haven't signed the petition asking these companies to step up and take some responsibility for their part in helping the Christian Right Bash the gays please do so. Send a message to corporate America: "Keep your hands off of LGBT Civil Rights!"

The movement has also moved to Facebook. There is a page here, please "Like" it and post it and ask your friends to. This story is not getting much coverage and we need to change that.

Update: After the fold, a collection of Facebook page links to some of the Corporations involved. Many in the gay community are right now, leaving their thoughts on these companies role helping repeal the Civil Rights of LGBT people in Nashville Tennessee. 

Thanks to JPMassar at Daily Kos for collecting these links and for this suggestions:

Please visit the Facebook pages of each of the companies who are responsible for the hateful law passed in Tennessee last week that will repeal gay and trans municipal civil rights protections (and protections for every other minority), and ban cities in the state from every passing any civil rights law ever again, for anybody.

This stuff matters.  The most important thing to any company is their brand.  They don't like criticism, and really don't like it online where it can be read by millions and where it has a tendency to never truly go away (everything remains on the Internet forever).  You can help a lot by simply clicking through to each of these company's Facebook pages and posting a simply message telling them to stop the hate in Tennessee.

Here are the Facebook pages of the board members who have pages on which you can comment - click "like" on the page in order to comment:

Nissan
FedEx (Note FedEx does not allow direct wall posts but you can leave comments on FedEx generated wall posts.)
AT&T
Xfinity (aka ComCast)
Concast New England
Comcast Michigan
NBC Universal
Caterpillar
KPMG

Finally, there's Alcoa.  Alcoa is the only company to, early on, publicly state their opposition to the hateful legislation and their desire for the governor to veto the bill.  Clearly Alcoa's role on the board of the chamber is troublesome, but they do deserve our praise for immediately doing the right thing and calling for a veto.  The other companies have refused.  Here is their Facebook page: Alcoa.

NOM's Minnesota partner: Gays engage in bestiality, pedophilia, and other nasty stuff

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

From my online buddy Jeremy Hooper comes a key to who the National Organization for Marriage is associating with  in its game plan to get gay marriage banned in Minnesota.

On the heels of last night's vote to get gay marriage on the 2012 ballot comes the announcing of a webpage done by NOM in coalition with the Minnesota Family Council:

But when looking at the Minnesota Family Council's webpage, one gets the impression that that organization's stance against gay marriage is less to do with "preserving marriage," but rather adhering to the monstrous stereotypes which lgbts have had to endure for years.

The following inaccurate statistics connecting the lgbt community with bestiality, pedophilia, urine, and feces come from Answers to Gay Rights Arguments, which is included  

 That's right. NOM is partnering with an organization which pushes discredited Paul Cameronesque lies about the lgbt community. And just so you know, the organization does cite Paul Cameron's group - the Family Research Institute - specifically in the section  of its webpage called Gay Rights:

You will remember, of course, that the Family Research Institute has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for pushing ugly propaganda against the lgbt community.

The irony of the entire thing is that one of the main complaints/talking points of NOM is that it has been unfairly labeled as a bigoted organization for its stance against gay marriage.

The question here is how can NOM continue to voice this complaint/talking point if it does not disavow the anti-gay lies of its coalition partner?

And we all know that NOM will not disavow these lies.

Folks wishing to donate in order to defeat these lies can go here.
 

Related post: 

Time for NOM to work it's 'gays recruit children' lies in Minnesota

Republican Rep. John Kriesel Asks MN House to Vote NO on Constitutional Amendment

On Saturday, May 21st at about 11:45pm cst, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted 70-62 in favor of placing a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality for same-sex couples on the November 2012 ballot. 

There were many great speeches opposing this amendment by DFL (Democratic Farmer labor) Representatives.  However, the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Senate have a Republican majority.  

Yet, there were two Republicans who voted NO on placing the constitutional amendment on the 2012 electoral ballot.  

This video speech that I am providing is by Republican Rep. John Kriesel of Cottage Grove, MN.  

I think it takes a very strong man to say all this.  Thank you Rep. Kriesel.

If there are people who read Pam's House Blend who would like to help the campaign to defeat the marriage amendment in 2012, please go to Minnesotans United for All Families.  You can sign up to volunteer, donate money or follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

The Minnesota Family Council, the Mormons, the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the National Organization for Marriage are going to be funneling $4.7 millioninto Minnesota to pass this amendment with all the hate rhetoric they used in California and Maine.  IF we can get all sorts of help over the next 18 months, Minnesota may not be the 32nd State to lose the marriage amendment vote at the ballot box.

Gender Rights Maryland debuts ahead of schedule for a good cause

Earlier this year the Maryland Legislature debated but ultimately rejected the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 235), a non-comprehensive bill that would have prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and credit on the basis of gender identity or expression.

Though the bill did not become law, progress for Maryland's trans community was realized in several ways.  Not only did the House pass HB 235 by a wide margin -- a state first for gender identity legislation -- but for the first time in recent years significant numbers of Maryland's trans community stepped forward to engage in the debate and participate in the political process.

Just a week after the 2011 legislative session ended Chrissy Lee Polis, a trans woman, was brutally assaulted in a McDonalds in Rosedale, Maryland.  That tragic event focused public attention on the need for anti-discrimination legislation in Maryland in a way the debate over HB 235 had not been able to do.

With such positive momentum in both the legislature and the trans community and greater public recognition of the severity of the discrimination that trans people face, the time was now to set the stage for a legislative victory during the 2012 legislative session, which begins in January.  Equality Maryland, however, seemed ill equipped to keep the ball rolling due to a recent turnover in staff and board members.  Equality Maryland is the statewide LGBT advocacy organization which championed HB 235.

Enter Gender Rights Maryland, a new, independent, all-volunteer trans-lead organization formed to step into the gap, take advantage of the momentum and take the lead on the legislative fight for trans rights.

The purpose of Gender Rights Maryland is to promote civil rights, education, tolerance, equality and acceptance on the basis of sex and gender identity/expression in the State of Maryland. Gender Rights Maryland's initial legislative goal is to see the passage of a comprehensive gender identity anti-discrimination bill by the end of the 2012 legislative session. Gender Rights Maryland is an independent 501(c)4 and 501(c)3 foundation. Although we believe in building a broad coalition of like minded organizations we are not affiliated with any other rights organization.

Founding board members include Sharon Brackett, Dana Beyer M.D., Donna Cartwright, Caroline Temmermand and Alex Hickcox.

The organization had planned to formally launch in early June, unveiling at that time a website, goals and plan of action and announcing the diverse membership of its boards.  Plans changed slightly on May 17 however when Governor Martin O'Malley issued this powerful call to action in response to the announcement that Chrissy Lee Polis's assailants would be brought up on hate crimes charges.  (emphasis added)

I want to commend Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger for using every available means to prosecute the heinous beating of Chrissy Lee Polis last month.

Even with Maryland's 'hate crimes' law, it is clear that more must be done to protect the rights and dignity of transgendered people.  In the struggle for justice and equality for all, I'm committed to working with the Maryland General Assembly during the next legislative session to increase awareness and provide even greater protections for transgendered people.

As some have noted, out of this awful beating has come a moment to foster a deeper understanding and respect for the dignity of all persons.  We should not allow the moment to pass without greater action.

A powerful statement like this on the need for trans rights legislation is unprecedented coming from a Maryland governor, and called for an immediate response from the nascent organization.  Gender Rights Maryland made a soft debut the next day in order to issue this response:

GENDER RIGHTS MARYLAND COMMENDS GOVERNOR O'MALLEY'S STATEMENT SUPPORTING GENDER IDENTITY ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION

LAUREL, MD (May 18, 2011) - Gender Rights Maryland commends Governor O'Malley's statement yesterday regarding prosecution of the perpetrators of the beating of Chrissy Lee Polis in April, and we concur with him on the importance of fostering a culture of understanding and respect for the dignity of all persons. We welcome the actions of Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger, and place our trust in the legal process in pursing justice for Ms. Polis.

We also call upon the Governor to appoint a Commission to study gender identity discrimination in Maryland this year. The debate over the gender identity anti-discrimination bill during the 2011 session of the legislature in Annapolis, followed by this horrific assault, highlight the need for comprehensive legislative remedies, and we believe a commission would be a useful first step in moving our state closer to the goal of being a place where we are all able to lead lives of full human dignity and receive equal justice under law. We welcome the Governor's actions and pledge to work with him to achieve these ends.

Gender Rights Maryland is a new civil rights organization focused on gender identity and expression in the State of Maryland. The organization will consist of a 501(c)4 political arm and 501(c)3 foundation. The organization was founded by members of the Maryland transgender community who were active this year in supporting gender identity legislation in Annapolis as well as in previous years. The organization will be formally launched in the coming weeks.

Gender Rights Maryland still plans their formal debut in early June.

Hallelujah! Rapture's Delay Explained!

(And for the record, it is NOT because God "aborted" the Rapture. No sirree!)

Hey Blenders: anyone wondering why we aren't all "toast" today? We were promised:

The rapture would occur on May 21, 2011.

Massive earthquakes (greater in magnitude than the 2011 Japanese earthquake) would happen across the world at 6 p.m. local time.

The end of the world would take place five months later on October 21, 2011.

Approximately 3% of the world's population would be called to heaven.

Earthquakes would begin on May 21 on Kiritimati Island (Christmas Island), Kiribati at 6 p.m. LINT (0400 UTC).

Citing Jeremiah 25:32, earthquakes would continue "as the sun advances" with New York, United States, to be affected at approximately 6 p.m. EDT (2200 UTC).

In other words, the entire planet would become a higgledy-piggledy mess for those left behind and it would be "every person for themselves" and by golly gee, we'd better all be prepared for the worst!

Chaos.

Floods.

Locusts.

Plagues.

Cats and dogs, living together...

And then, we gathered and waited. And waited. And waited.

Full explanation of what happened- and what WILL happen!- below the fold!
"Hmph! No Rapture; it was all bogus!" we said, little realizing the intrinsic plan God had laid out for the great prophet Harold was indeed in play.

With heavy heart, I went to bed: disillusioned, disgusted, discouraged, and in da dumps.

Hmph.

Then later in the night after my standard dinner of extremely spicy food washed down with a dozen boilermakers, a vision came to me- and with it, a moment of pure clarity:

That the Rapture DIDN'T happen last night is a sure sign that the Rapture is indeed coming!

What, you don't understand? You're confused? Sigh... oh, you non-believers. You silly kids. It's as plain as day!

The reason that the Rapture didn't happen yesterday is because not enough people had been notified and made the proper preparations.

They may have held back some of their cash- enough to hire lawyers- kinda like not paying all of your taxes, come April 15.

So, in a sign of remarkable grace and generosity, the Almighty decided to grant us all a "soul-tax extension", essentially giving us all more time to pass in our homework.

Dontcha get it? God actually deliberately delayed the Rapture, until He has decided enough of us have all been good Do-Bees!

You still doubt? Okay, then look at this evidence given to us decades ago by those wise and sage truth-tellers, aka Monty Python's Flying Circus. Do you REALLY think that it is "coincidence" that the smart sheep in this skit is named "Harold"??

So, quick- who KNOWS how long we have! Send ALL of your money, right NOW, to Family Radio , so Harold Camping can continue his fine work! Call and GIVE, while you STILL CAN!!!

Oh, what a friend we have in Jeebus...

Ken Mehlman takes on question about the GOP and the LGBT community

It's an interesting juxtaposition to run this post right after Keori's diary about Harvey Milk's birthday.

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) head Ken Mehlman publicly came out of the closet in 2010. He received some kudos -- and derision in the LGBT community because of his past work against LGBT equality as political director during former President George W. Bush's first term as well as helping him steal the vote win re-election in 2004.

Here he talks to Big Think about marriage equality, which he now supports, and answers the question "How can the Republican party reach out to the gay community when its policies actively seek to restrict gay rights?

The GOP needs to "look in the mirror" and justify its conflicting ideologies, says Mehlman.

Hat tip to David Badash @ The New Civil Rights Movement .