Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 51

Titans of New York Business Call On Albany: "Let The Gays Be Wed!"

© Roger Schultz

As announced last Wednesday in the New York Times, two dozen of the state's top business leaders have released an open letter to Albany legislators urging them to pass the marriage equality bill that will soon come to a vote.

To remain competitive, New York must continue to contend with other world cities to attract top talent. Increasingly, in an age where talent determines the economic winners, great states and cities must demonstrate a commitment to creating an open, healthy and equitable environment in which to live and work.

This is why it is so important that New York State grant full rights to all of its citizens by passing marriage equality.

I don't employ hyperbole lightly, but I will use it where appropriate. And "Titans" is a pretty accurate word to describe the list of 23 signatories that includes the past and present CEOs and top executives of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Revlon, Viacom, Reuters and a wide variety of finance, real estate, media, law and other professions. With only a few exceptions they all have dedicated profile pages on Forbes.com. How many of us can say that?

And it should be noted, the list also includes more than a few well-known Republicans.

Kudos to New Yorkers United For Marriage, the coalition of advocates that successfully enlisted our friends in the world of business to stump for the cause. The full letter after the fold.

These business leaders frame the conversation around the competitive marketplace for human resource talent. With nearby urban markets like Washington DC, and Boston offering same-sex couples better benefits, New York state is lagging behind. Even many heterosexual people have long migrated to New York to be a part of a progressive and forward thinking environment. It's a state reputation to be proud of, but one that must be constantly renewed.

The letter to Albany is below, the links to signatories' business profiles and brief bios were my addition. I presume this does not represent an official endorsement from their affiliated companies.

“We believe that attracting talent is key to our state’s economic future.”

April 28, 2011

New York has rich resources that position our state for continued success in the 21st century – a leading financial center, strong industry clusters, and renowned educational, research and cultural institutions. But major employers know that the single greatest asset New York has to offer is its ability to attract the best talent from around the world. This is crucial, because the size, quality and diversity of the talent pool are the first criteria for business in determining where to locate jobs.

To remain competitive, New York must continue to contend with other world cities to attract top talent. Increasingly, in an age where talent determines the economic winners, great states and cities must demonstrate a commitment to creating an open, healthy and equitable environment in which to live and work.

This is why it is so important that New York State grant full rights to all of its citizens by passing marriage equality. As other states, cities and countries across the world extend marriage rights regardless of sexual orientation, it will become increasingly difficult to recruit the best talent if New York cannot offer the same benefits and protections.

“We strongly urge New York State to enact marriage equality legislation to help maintain our competitive advantage in attracting the best and brightest people the world has to offer.”

Many employers have adopted non-discrimination policies and extended domestic partner benefits long before most cities and states passed them into law. As New Yorkers and business leaders, we believe that attracting talent is key to our state’s economic future. We strongly urge New York State to enact marriage equality legislation to help maintain our competitive advantage in attracting the best and brightest people the world has to offer and to reaffirm our commitment to both freedom and fairness.

Signed,
Candace K. Beinecke
• Trustee, Vornado Realty Trust, Chair of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, a New York law firm, and is a practicing partner in the company's Corporate Department.

Tom A. Bernstein
• President, Chelsea Piers Management, Inc., Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Lloyd C. Blankfein
• Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Kevin Burke
• President; Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and CECONY, Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Philippe P. Dauman
• Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, Inc.

Daniel L. Doctoroff
• President of Bloomberg L.P., formerly deputy mayor for economic development of the City of New York.

Patrick C. Dunican, Jr.
• Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons Law firm and a member of the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Department. The firm was named to the National Law Journal's inaugural "Midsize Hot List."

Thomas Glocer
• Chief Executive Officer and Director, Thomson Reuters Corporation.

Jonathan N. Grayer
• CEO of Kaplan, and educational services and consulting company.

Klaus Kleinfeld
• Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Alcoa Inc.

Rochelle B. Lazarus
• Independent Director, General Electric Company, Chairman of the Board and former Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.

Daniel S. Loeb
• Senior Vice President and President of Greater China Operations, Starbucks Corporation. Former hedge fund manager.

John J. Mack
• Chairman of the Board of the Company and Pequot Capital Management, Morgan Stanley

Alan J. Patricof
• Director, Boston Properties, Inc.

Ronald O. Perelman
• Chairman of the Board, M & F Worldwide Corporation. Former CEO Revlon.

William C. Rudin
• Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rudin Management Company, Inc.

Kevin P. Ryan
• Founder and CEO of Gilt Groupe. An internet executive and entrepreneur in New York City's Silicon Alley, he is best known as the CEO of DoubleClick.

Paul E. Singer
• Chief Financial Officer, Midlands Minerals Corporation. Singer also has unquestionable conservative credentials.

Jerry I. Speyer
• Founding partner, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Tishman Speyer, a real estate holding company. Also, #582 on Forbes list of billionaires.

Jes Staley
• Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Bank, JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Stuart Match Suna
• Director, The Creative Coalition Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social, and public advocacy organization.

Kathryn S. Wylde
• President and chief executive officer of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization of the city’s business leaders, on the Board of New York Federal Reserve.

Strauss Zelnick
• Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Mortimer B. Zuckerman
• Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Boston Properties, Inc. Owner, President, Chief Editor and Chairman of the New York Daily News. Said to have consider a Republican Senate run in 2010.

Kinda makes Maggie's little money-laundering operation look kinda sad, don't you think?

One could say they own New York without hyperbole. Like in the case of Tishman Speyer Chair Jerry I. Speyer, whose company owns New York City icons Rockefeller Center and the Chrysler Building.

The highest hurdle to marriage equality in New York state will likely be acquiring the GOP votes necessary to make it happen. Wall Street Journal's Jacob Gershman reports, "No Republican has voiced support for same-sex marriage, while at least two have indicated that their position isn't settled." Five GOP Assembly members voted for marriage equality in the lower house in 2009. Fortunately, there are definitely some voices in this crowd that carry weight in Republican circles.

It's lovely to lobby GOP Senators on the idea of equality under the law and the fulfillment of that promise to all Americans. 

But this obviously reflects an canny attempt to craft a marriage equality argument that Republicans may find more relatable. There is a sense of deference among many Americans that business knows smart policy, particularly in conservative circles. 

If we truly ran government like a business we'd probably already have marriage equality. Businesses tend to consult the data more often than the Bible on these decisions.  

Of the Fortune 500, 89% percent prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and 57% provide domestic partner health insurance benefits to their employees (as opposed to 10% of states). Up the ladder, the numbers improve, of the Fortune 10, 8 prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and 7 provide partner health benefits.

Big business is a friend to LGBT equality more often than not. Engineering the addition of their voice to the grassroots chorus was a smart move.

Regardless of the tangible balance sheet benefits (which are ultimately unquantifiable), this serves up a useful talking point for Senators to explain their vote. They were only thinking of the economy. The CEO of Viacom said it was good for business! You wouldn't want Goldman Sachs to be sad, would you?

And a Government policy crippling big business' ability to attract top talent in the state? Gosh, that sounds downright unAmurikan!

And it's not just me impressed by advocates' efforts. Even before this development a seasoned New York Republican campaign strategist recently praised the marriage equality campaign in New York. Bill O'Reilly (famous name, different guy) who worked on Republican Harry Wilson's 2010 State Comptroller race, says in this blog post, Hat's Off to Gay Marriage Campaign:

Is anyone else watching with awe the masterful public relations campaign for gay marriage in New York unfold? It’s a real beaut, and communications students would be wise to study it.

 

He's impressed with not only the diversity of the ad subjects, in ideology, race, age, walks of life, but also the very simple messaging and non-confrontational style.

The mix of supporters was a brilliant blend.  All likable people, touching all necessary demographics.  But more importantly, the ads were not forced.  They were neither angry, nor in your face.  They just began laying out a background conversation, without riling up opposition.

I'm inclined to agree, at this moment a cooling of the rhetoric could be a way to reduce the impression this is a such a "controversial issue." We know from inside reports our opponents are bending over backwards to paint gays as crazy people. 

O'Reilly concludes:

Today it was announced that long-time Republican state senate communications director John McArdle – a pro among pros in Albany  – has been retained by the marriage equality coalition to help lock down votes and messaging in the now Republican senate.  It was the perfect hire.

The pieces of this puzzle look to be fitting together nicely. Whether you  agree with gay marriage or not – I do – you have to tip your cap to a campaign well run.  There is nothing clumsy about this one. Nothing at all.

The pieces do appear to be well placed in the Empire State. But that is no reason to relax. 

We know from California, we know from Maine, we know from Maryland, we know from Rhode Island, our opponents play a very good game as the clock ticks down to the wire. 

Let's make sure we're ready. We can't let the heavy-hitters do the heavy lifting. It's time for every New Yorker to engage. (So the gays can get engaged.) Please make a commitment to get two friends to call their Assembly Reps and Senators to voice support. New Yorkers United For Marriage has a tool to make it easy.

Let's win one for the left in these dark times.

Update: Maggie Gallagher's good friend, Peter LaBarbera, the gay-sex obsessed pervert that runs the group Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (and also known at "The Peter") weighs in to call these people "moral midgets."

Good luck making enemies about of people like Ronald Perelman and Mort Zuckerman.

 

Now do you believe that Obama is legitimately the President?

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Today everything is preempted with the news that Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind 9-11, had been killed in a U.S. raid on his mansion.

Just think. Days before, the media was consumed with the nonsense of Obama's birth certificate with Donald Trump leading them by the nose and Fox News (and various other right-wing entities) striking them on the rear with a cattle prod just in case they veered away from the course.

And even before then, suspicion about President Obama and his motives had been stoked by folks like Glenn Beck, Congressmen like Allen West, faux news organizations like Fox, and assorted fools like Andrew Breitbart and Sarah Palin.

"He's a Muslim." "He's a Kenyan." "He hates America." "He is always apologizing to our enemies." "He is trying to destroy the United States." "Obama's  Justice Department is lenient on black people." "Obama is an empty suit."

Have I left anything out? Am I missing any barb or sling thrown at Obama since he was elected?  If I have, you must forgive me because there have been so many.

Nevertheless, through it all, Obama never forgot that he was elected President and he had a job to do. That's why we have something to celebrate right now.

Granted, this piece is not to praise Obama. Some folks on the left and the right don't like many of his policies - and justifiably so. And also, we have a long way to go in terms of grappling with the economic problems this country faces But Osama Bin Laden's death sends a message to all of the naysayers and folks who make it their business to stoke up negative noise about Obama.

He is the President, elected legitimately and has America's best interest at heart.

Perhaps sometimes you should just shut your mouths and let him do his job.

 

Osama bin Laden - DEAD

NOTE: The full transcript of the President's remarks is below the fold.

Bush wanted him dead or alive (12/14/2001), and then when he couldn't catch him, Osama bin Laden didn't matter anymore. Oh yeah, and "Mission Accomplished was 8 years ago today. Someone needs to make a "Mission Actually Accomplished" banner.

Well now I guess we should be seeing Republicans rejoice that on the watch of Barack Obama, the terrorist directly responsible for organizing 9/11 is dead. According to CNN, the U.S. actually has custody of Bin Laden's body. He was reportedly killed in Afghanistan.  

The President is going to hold a presser/deliver a statement shortly.

A reminder from Think Progress: on October 7, 2008, Obama said "We will kill Bin Laden."

CNN now has a full report up, including this:

On September 11, sources said, the evidence immediately pointed to bin Laden. Within days, those close to the investigation said they had their proof.

Six days after the attack, President George W. Bush made it clear Osama bin Laden was the No. 1 suspect.

"I want justice," Bush said. "There's an old poster out West that said, 'Wanted, dead or alive.'"

Suck on this GOP. And the party is just getting started.

UPDATE: The RNC released this statement. Guess it really couldn't be spun other than to ignore this President's role in getting rid of bin Laden (the fringe will do much more spinning):

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement this evening regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden:

"Today is a tremendous day for our nation and the world, but most importantly those who lost loved ones on that horrific day.  Justice was delivered to a ruthless terrorist courtesy of men and women of the United States military.  For nearly a decade, literally thousands of American servicemembers, intelligence officers and civilians have made it their mission to capture or kill the mastermind of September 11th.  Tonight we honor their work and congratulate them on a job well done.

Statement by George W. Bush:

May 1, 2011

Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001.  I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission.  They have our everlasting gratitude.  This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.  The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message:  No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

***

And it goes without saying that Fox News shows its journalism at its partisan best with crap like this:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

________________________________________

For Immediate Release                              May 1, 2011

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON OSAMA BIN LADEN

East Room

11:35 P.M. EDT

    THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.  The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world.  The empty seat at the dinner table.  Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.  Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace.  Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together.  We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood.  We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country.  On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice.  We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe.  And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides in that effort.  We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.  In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support.  And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan.  Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.  It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.  I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.  No Americans were harmed.  They took care to avoid civilian casualties.  After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies.  The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.  There's no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.  We must -- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam.  I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.  So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was.  That is what we've done.  But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.  Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts.  They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations.  And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight.  It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens.  After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war.  These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who's been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war.  Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.  We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.  We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror:  Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome.  The American people do not see their work, nor know their names.  But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country.  And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.  I know that it has, at times, frayed.  Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete.  But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to.  That is the story of our history, whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are:  one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.  May God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.

                       END               11:44 P.M. EDT

Bully birther Trump gets smacked down by the President, Seth Meyers at WH Correspondents' Dinner

Do we need to drag out the tiniest violin again? Watch President Barack Obama mocks birther and possible 2012 GOP Clown Card occupant Donald Trump at the Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner:

Poor, little bully Trump. He was not happy when the tables were turned:

Trump: White House Correspondents' Dinner 'Inappropriate'



The president said Trump has shown the acumen of a future president, from firing Gary Busey on a recent episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" to focusing so much time on conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace.

After a week when Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, he said Trump could now focus on the serious issues, from whether the moon landing actually happened to "where are Biggie and Tupac?"

"No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than 'the Donald,'" Obama said, referring to Trump's claims the same day that he was responsible for solving the issue.

For Trump's decision to fire actor Busey instead of rock singer Meat Loaf from his TV show earlier this month, Obama quipped: "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."

Trump chuckled at some of the earlier jokes, but was clearly less amused as comedian Seth Meyers picked up where Obama left off.

"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising," said the Saturday Night Live actor, entrusted with providing some of the comedy for the evening. "I just assumed he was running as a joke."

Trump stared icily at Meyers as he continued to criticize the real estate tycoon.

Seth Meyers angers Donald Trump with jokes like - "Donald Trump said that he was running for president as a Republican. That's funny, because I thought he was running as a joke." & "Donald Trump owns the Miss USA pageant, which is great for Republicans because it will streamline their search for vice president."

'Porno' Peter LaBarbera called ME an 'extremist'

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Earlier this month, noted homophobe Peter LaBarbera had some awful things to say about me.

He was talking to Linda Harvey (another homophobic individual who just recently blamed the lgbt community for the mortgage crisis) about his recent pathetic attempt to smear GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) days before its annual Day of Silence event via a fake controversy involving pictures on a facebook page not even associated with GLSEN:

. . . homosexual bloggers led by Alvin McEwen – an AFTAH-hating extremist with a penchant for twisting facts – began speculating that Americans For Truth might have placed the photos on GLSEN’s Facebook page as a “homophobic smear” to “frame” this homosexual activist organization! Just one more lie from a movement built upon lies…

While Peter's attack on my character is amusing, I believe in never letting an opportunity to rag on the religious right go by without taking full advantage.

To whit, it is true that I do not like AFTAH (Americans for Truth About Homosexuality). And that's because it is a hate group.

AFTAH is not a pro-family group. It is not a morality group. It certainly is not a Christian group.

AFTAH is an officially declared hate group.

AFTAH disseminates propaganda and vicious lies about the lgbt community. It is a hate group forged from  the mind of a man (LaBarbera) whose body may be in the present, but mind is stuck in some lurid fantasy world where gay men are leather encased sexual boogeymen, lesbians are baba yaga-type monsters, transgenders are "confused" self mutilators, and same-sex families are entities with lobotomized children trained to believe that they are not being harmed.

And all of these groups assemble together at least once a day in a secret underground chamber where their leader - a bald white man with a scar wearing a neat white Nehri jacket- barks out orders of world domination while lovingly stroking his pet Persian cat.

Any person with a shred of decent common sense would despise AFTAH.

Now as to my "penchant for stretching the truth," I stand by everything I have said about the religious right and especially LaBarbera. And since he called me out, I am going to take the opportunity to repeat my 10 reasons why AFTAH is a hate group. Feel free to refute if you can, Peter:

1. Smearing gays via a CDC report on an increase on HIV while intentionally downplaying the part of the report which clearly places the blame on this increase on homophobia (while at the same time implying that the report "dispels the homophobia causes AIDS propaganda")

2.  Defending a bill which would lead to the imprisonment and possible genocide of Ugandans simply for being gay or lesbian.

.3. Going to subcultural leather events and using the "racy" behavior of gays attending to stigmatizing the entire lgbt community while ignoring the behavior of heterosexuals at the same events.

4. Making ugly comments about a "transgender quota" in the Obama Administration simply because the president appoints a (very, very qualified) transgendered woman to an office in his administration.

5. Instigating a  highly inappropriate comment about gays, lesbians, and sexual intercourse; a comment so ugly that it led to a feud between three religious right groups. And by the way, Barber was heavily involved in this one too.

6. Continuously citing the work of the discredited researcher Paul Cameron, even when made aware of his dubious history of getting kicked out of medical groups, censures and rebukes.

7. Aiding and abetting Conservapedia spread lies about gay health using the fictional term "gay bowel syndrome."

8. Freely admitting to errors when it comes to claims against the gay and lesbian community but not taking responsibility for them.

9. Falsely accusing the Democratic National Convention and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force of putting on a sadomasochistic event.

10. Attempting to imply that a staph infection was the new HIV and then lying about his implications when caught.

And speaking of Paul Cameron - the discredited researcher who has been censured by groups like the American Psychological Association, The Nebraska Psychological Association, the American Sociological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for his shoddy work which says (amongst other awful things) that gay men stuff gerbils up their rectums - here is what LaBarbera and Martha Kleder of the Concerned Women for America has to say about him:

Transcript:

Kleder: One of the things I've also noticed is that the SPLC seems to be riled by the fact . . . uh . . . if they don't particularly like your source that you document then you must be a hate group.

LaBarbera: Paul Cameron.

Kleder:  Yeah.

LaBarbera: They say if you cite Paul Cameron, then you are a hater. I mean that's ridiculous. You know there is a researcher who just came out and found that Paul Cameron's work on the greater likelihood of homosexual adoptive parents to have . . . for the child to emerge as a homosexual. He confirmed Cameron's thesis. You don't have to agree with everything Paul Cameron ever did but how proposterous to say that citing a researcher . . Paul Cameron's work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. What they've done, Martha is set up these criteria and then you violate them,  they call you a hate group, and then they have their little echo chamber on the left which reports their charge. And of course the media, which really doesn't like us anyway. The media is very pro-gay, they cite us and so it begins to take a life of its own.

You can read a semi-complete history of Cameron's lies here and here. And by the way, LaBarbera's claim that another researcher proved Cameron's thesis about children in same-sex households is also incorrect. LaBarbera failed to mention that the researcher, Walter Schumm, used the same bad methodology Cameron used to come to his original thesis:

Schumm’s “meta-analysis” (and Cameron’s before him) doesn’t even have the benefit of being built off of random convenience samples. There were no convenience samples in any of the ten prior works that Schumm used for his meta-analysis. In fact, they weren’t even professional studies. They were popular books! That’s right, each of the ten sources that Schumm used to construct his “meta-analysis” were from general-audience books about LGBT parenting and families, most of which are available on Amazon.com. Schumm read the books, took notes on each parent and child described in the book, examined their histories, and counted up who was gay and who was straight among the kids.

So to back to the original argument, quite simply I don't think Peter knows the meaning of the word "extremist" if it took life and bit him on his chunky pasty white ass.

But here is a tip, Peter. Try looking in the mirror.

That was fun.

Villagers Having A Full On Gay Panic Attack As Activist Homosexuals Threaten To Ruin America

Now it can be told; the gays did very bad thing.

The jury's come in and the consensus of the very serious people is the gays have committed a very serious, serious offense against the very fabric of America.

No, they haven't mounted a revival of Taboo. Thank God, it's not that serious.

The crime was their untoward efforts to pressure King & Spalding to drop the DOMA defense case. The mainstream media has all chosen to weigh in on the evil-doing. Jonathan Adler at the The Volokh Conspiracy was among the first to be brave enough to call it for what is was. It is, I'm sorry to tell you, it is the dawn of The New McCarthyism.

America, your radical homosexual overlords have stormed the gate. It's been obvious to anyone paying attention, they've controlled the Executive, and Legislative branches for some time (in addition to Hollywood and Broadway). Now, they've assumed controlled of the Judiciary and America is in peril.

And resistance is futile.
Plenty more of the very serious people now recognize the danger Adler warned us about and weighed in on this very serious development. The Washington Post warns us all about the grave "disservice" that has been done to America when the poor, defenseless trial attorneys of BigLaw are "strong-armed." The New York Daily News said "Gay rights advocates went too far in attacking firm." (Wait?! Were torches and pitchforks involved? Did I miss storm the Oakwood Day?)

The New York Times called King & Sullivan's decision "deplorable." The Attorney General Eric Holder condemned the pushback and opined that Clement "is doing that which lawyers do when we're at our best." (Mr.Holder? Isn't what he's "doing" is defending a law you yourself said was unjustifiable? That's the best your profession can offer?)

Jennifer Rubin at Washington Post riles how awful it is when the "left decides who deserves representation." (She gets the pronoun wrong, DOMA is a "what" not a "who.")

Of course, in the media rush to conclude it was all the gays' work-flattering as it is to be seen as so very powerful-something is oddly missing from all recaps. There's no recognition of the internal revolt this case was reported to have ignited within the firm. As less than 1% of K&S attorneys identify as LGBT, it seems a stretch to presume the gays were solely responsible for "mayhem" at the office as well. Maybe the gays had special pink ops infiltrators who worked to "divide the management."

We don't ultimately know what was the deciding factor here. All we do know is this prestigious team of some of the fiercest litigators in the country apparently found the temperature just too darn hot and got the Hell out of the kitchen.

And a consensus has formed it was solely the treachery of gays. And now, the LGBT community's actions have placed the future integrity of the entire American judicial system in very, very grave danger.

Are they right? Have gays corrupted the venerable and wholesome profession of law? Is it possible that gone are the days when the august chambers of the judiciary will be able to nurture the talent of such good and principled men as Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas to rise to the pinnacle of the vocation with their ethics intact?

Is it possible in the future, discriminatory laws may wander the streets begging anyone to provide then with vigorous representation? Will these laws only get over-worked and underpaid public defenders in cheap poly-blend suits to plead for their lives? Lord knows how many laws may now get sub par representation in kangaroo courts and be railroaded unceremoniously to the electric chair! Or maybe these laws will be sent to Guantanamo Bay, never to return.

Cry for all the sodomy laws on the books! Will people now be too afraid speak for them? What will become of our State's right to pry into our bedrooms and monitor that we're all using the parts God gave us in an appropriate and Christian manner?

And thank goodness, Alabama had the foresight to put to death the final anti-miscegenation law still on the books in 2000. Those laws wouldn't have wanted to live to see this brave new world, where standing up against interracial marriage might be seen as something to be ashamed of by the so-called "politically correct" in so-called "elite society."

Yes, the very serious people are very seriously concerned.

Alas, in no time flat the mainstream media will tire of scolding the gays for the corrosive effect they are having on the sacred institution of jurisprudence. Why, before the gays came along the law was a stranger to any practice of corruption. A careful eye reallly should be kept on the gays. But soon, the media will return to what it does best: ignoring the gay community.

And you know what? Fuck 'em.

If only they'd be half as interested in scolding our government for deporting our lawfully-wedded spouses. If only they cared to scold the IRS for substantially penalizing a 81-year widow because she had a wife that left her money, instead of a husband.

But, it's always a good time to scold the gays for getting just a little too noisy, and maybe just a little too effective.

Yeah. Fuck 'em.

Because soon there will be some very serious crime committed, and these watchdogs of the judiciary ethics will be busy booking "experts" to tell us whether the accused is guilty or not (all purely hypothetically, of course). They'll hold online polls so you vote: "Guilty?" or "Innocent?" They'll be inviting folks to call in and offer their opinions whether the accused should get the chair, or just life.

And they'll ask you to vote whether Muslims should get to build houses of worship where they please, you know, just like the Christians do.

Or maybe they'll be distracted by Lindsey Lohan's latest stint in jail, or rehab or correctional rehab. Or what hooker(s) Charlie Sheen is currently banging. Oh yes, the media will be WINNING!

And they'll tell us how awful that Julian Assange is, and by the way, be sure not to miss their 72-point headline coverage of the explosive new disclosure that horrible man has just so shamefully released. It's really juicy.

And don't forget all those new questions about the new, improved long-form birth certificate. They'll have to sort through those. The founding principles of Democracy depend on it! And those news media people are nothing if not deeply committed to the founding principles that keep this country grounded.

But you know what? There's a story they'll forget to tell.

The gays won.

See, time was no one would have the gay people. Lawyers wouldn't represent us, Doctors wouldn't care for us, bars wouldn't serve us drinks, Houses of God would not admit us, Police arrested us just for existing, and our own families cast us out like an unwanted stray dog.

And look at what just happened.

For two years we lobbied the Obama administration and the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

And all those very serious people told us it an impossibility for the DOJ to do this and we were just being silly children and didn't understand how things worked.

And then the DOJ did just that.

And then we told Boehner, don't defend it and, of course, he did.

And then we took our case to BigLaw and asked them, "how can you say you support our community and then take our own tax dollars and use them to zealously work to hurt us?"

And the 38th largest law firm in America came to see things our way. And as lawyers do all the time in America, they dropped the case.

And Clement went to go lick his wounded pride where this case should have gone in the first place, Bancroft PLLC. This firm, lousy with ex-Bush administration cronies doesn't professed to be a friend to gays or progressives. It's a very supportive atmosphere for Clement's work, in fact, they're delighted to have him and have launched media campaigns to crow about it. And why not? The arrival of this marginalized, repudiated defender of bigotry is the best thing to ever happen to Bancroft, PLLC.

And at the end of the day, we beat the Speaker of the United State House of Representatives. And Speaker Boehner was left with egg all over his shiny, orange face. And all those voters-especially the 51% that support marriage equality (aka as the Democratic base)-can see even more clearly that Speaker Boehner is wasting taxpayer dollars to defend a law that, like those poor gays of old, it sure looks like no one will have.

We won.

We won.

We won.

We won.

We won.

We won.

(And we don't get to say that very often.)

And the all very serious people can't take that away from us.

So, carry on, troops. You're on the right track.

Update: Two voices of reason chimed in today to talk the Villagers down from the ledge. Dale Carpenter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, provides a rare voice of dissent from "the villainous gays are ruining America" meme in the New York Times.

No serious case can be made that an institution as powerful as Congress has a right to the services of the biggest law firms and the most credentialed lawyers. The Defense of Marriage Act is not unpopular, and while Congress may be indebted, it is not indigent.

And The Economist says in

"This is the way social justice happens. Not with a bang, but with white-shoe law firms becoming uncomfortable taking certain kinds of cases."

Watch: In My Shoes (Following Youth with LGBTQ Parents)

Gather your family and make some popcorn!

In celebration of COLAGE's upcoming Voices Raised! Leadership Summit we're proud to stream the full-length version of our award winning film In My Shoes!

In My Shoes follows five youth who have lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer parents as they share their stories and give you a glimpse into their family life. It won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, 2005!

"COLAGE has helped me to find my voice and feel empowered to educate others about the injustices that my family has faced, and how important it is to fight for change now." - Marina Gatto, star of In My Shoes.

With your continued support, COLAGE can continue to amplify the voices of young people who have LGBTQ parents.

Please click here to make a donation to the Voices Raised! Leadership Summit so that more people can be empowered to share their stories in films like In My Shoes.  

Now, more than ever, it is vital for our families to share our stories and talk about why equality matters to us. We know that when families like yours speak out, many politicians do change their votes to favor of full equality.

COLAGE is a national, youth-driven network of people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer parents.

Show me you papers, boy!

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

It's true I am a gay man. And I am also a black man and as such, I'm still pissed over what President Obama was forced to do Wednesday. So I will hand it over to Goldie Taylor, contributing editor of The Grio. She breaks it down to a level of understanding which needs to be seen far and wide. The original title of this post (which can be seen on my blog) was extreme (which is not in Taylor's monologue), but it's the one thing that has been consistently flashing in my mind since yesterday.  I changed the title because I didn't feel that it was appropriate for the Blend. If it offends you, good. Now you have a little taste of how I feel right now:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Read Taylor's original piece here.

Allegations of Trump history of anti-Semitic epithets and harassment of women, gay employees

What else can be added to The Trump Meltdown machine this week? Scott Rose at PoliticusUSA adds to the sh*te hitting the fan that isn't coming out of The Donald's mouth at the moment:

Baritone Julian Long, a gay man, worked during his student days in Trumpets Restaurant, interior-designed by Trump's then wife Ivana Trump. Julian reports that Donald Trump as a fixture of the restaurant subjected female employees to frequent sexual harassment, forcing them to endure the lewd and lascivious remarks he made to them. Trump, furthermore, often harassed, demeaned and humiliated his gay employees by referring to them collectively as "the faggots." Donald Trump, in other words, abused his position of power as an employer to degrade his employees, bullying them on the basis of their gender and/or sexual orientation.

...It is more than evident that Donald Trump loves what he does - and what he does is to use his public position to inflame archaic, irrational bigotries and sexism in the more unenlightened portions of the American populace.

Julian Long says that one evening, after a performance conducted by Leonard Bernstein, in the Green Room, Trump was present with a young blonde female escort, not Marla Maples on his arm. Julian overheard Trump refer to Maestro Bernstein as a "Faggot Jew."

So becoming of a presidential candidate, eh? These charges don't seem far-fetched at all, given the bankruptcy-prone billionaire has done a lot to burnish his reputation as a racist.

What must the honchos at NBC be thinking about the publicity The Donald is generating now?

Department Of Labor Announces Revised EO Policy To Include Gender Identity And Pregnancy

The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced today a revised their equal opportunity (EO) policy that now newly delineates two new categories: gender identity and pregnancy. The following is the DOL press release, which nicely quotes Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on the revised policy:

US Department of Labor announces renewed commitment to fair treatment and equal opportunity for all of its employees

New policy statements prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and pregnancy

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its full commitment to implementing equal employment opportunity policies for all department employees and applicants.  The policies ensure equal protections for all employees and applicants regardless of race; color; religion; national origin; sex, including pregnancy and gender identity; age; disability, whether physical or mental; genetic information; status as a parent; sexual orientation; or other non-merit factor.  New, robust statements signed by Secretary Solis include updated policies on prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity and pregnancy.

Secretary Solis strongly supports fair equal employment opportunity policies, and creating diversity and fairness in the workplace.

"I am expressing my personal commitment to ensure that the U.S. Department of Labor is a model workplace, free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, which fosters a work environment that fully utilizes the capabilities of every employee," said Secretary Solis. "It is my goal that we achieve and maintain a high-quality, diverse workforce at all organizational levels throughout the department."

The Labor Department is required to issue annual written policy statements expressing the secretary's commitment to equal employment opportunity and a workplace free of discriminatory harassment, pursuant to 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1614, Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Management Directive 715.  The EEOC's directive identifies minimum requirements for the policy statements.

The statements issued by Secretary Solis articulate stronger protections and establish responsibilities to ensure meaningful adherence to equal employment opportunity throughout the department.  They have been disseminated to all current employees and will be disseminated to new employees during orientation as well as to employees who are promoted into supervisory ranks.  

The department's policies on equal employment opportunity and harassing conduct in the workplace can be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/crc-internal/eeo.htm and http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/crc-internal/Policy-Statement-on-Harassing-Conduct-in-the-Workplace.htm.