Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 79

Rhode Island Marriage Coalition unveils TV ad for marriage equality

I wonder how Maggie and her crowd will respond. This 60-second commercial features six Rhode Island couples from a variety of backgrounds discussing the meaning of marriage and why the time has come for the Rhode Island General Assembly to adopt marriage equality legislation.

The Rhode Island Marriage Coalition has unveiled a television ad advocating for the passage of marriage equality legislation in Rhode Island.  The ad begins airing today.

"Today's roll out is the next step in a broader strategic plan aimed at raising awareness and building the wave of support necessary to achieve a legislative victory this year," said Martha Holt, Marriage Equality Rhode Island board member. "The message of the commercial, 'It's Time,' reflects a belief shared by a majority of Rhode Islanders - it's time we live up to our founding principles and make marriage equality the law for all Rhode Islanders."

Karen Loewy is a board member of MERI and a staff attorney at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which produced the ad for the Coalition.  She said, "It's time for every Rhode Islander to have access to the marriage protections they need and deserve."

The coalition is comprised of Marriage Equality RI, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, Ocean State Action, MassEquality, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and Lawyers for Equality and Diversity.

 

Racist, Homophobic Screed Published on Tennessee City Councilman's Blog

Cross-posted at Truth Wins Out.

Frank Talk is the blog of Frank Neudecker, a city councilman in Jackson, Tennessee. ?As such, one would expect that, even if not everybody agrees with the content, he would maintain a level of discourse appropriate to civil society. ?Of course, as we all know, that's a pretty low bar.

We don't even necessarily expect politicians to use their social media outlets for important news and information. ?After all, Texas governor Rick Perry seems to use his Twitter mostly for the purpose of posting pictures of puppy dogs! ? It's a whole different animal though [see what I did there?] when politicians instead allow people to post viciously ignorant, racist, homophobic vitriol and call it "commentary." ?Forthwith, here are some choice words from "Linda Hunnicutt," in a post titled "ROFLMAO." Again, this is on the website of an elected official:

Take a good look at where all of this tolerance has gotten us.. it has given us years of Hillary Clinton, Barney Frank, Nancy and Harry and now dead Teddy. Lord how blessed these people have made us. Now we have a Muslim President who isn't even a citizen and his following of little tolerant dingleberrys touting Tolerance oh yes we have to be so tolerant of this slug... this infiltrator, this Trojan horse's ass and his ill mannered, ugly, in bred looking bride wearing her $600 blinking sneakers, oh what class this first lady brings to the white house. I bet Jackie Kennedy is rolling about in her grave.

Tolerance has given us a country where the white people are so brain damaged and cultured they tolerate being controled by the likes of people we laughed at as nutty a few years ago.. Remember the little fatty fuzzy haired kook Richard Simmons? Now he is a common fixture and so respected.. uck... Our schools, courts, everything is being taken over by the homosexuals who have been bred to make us all a UNISEX nation it seems. Years ago we tolerated these so called people as entertainers ( even then they weren't really funny, just funny looking ) remember Liberace? Oh my goodness how wonderful he and his little brother were and how they honored their Mommy... The only thing I can say about him he was good at the piano but then what else could he possibly do? The only good thing about these freaks is they will not be reproducing. The problem is that is not stopping the growth of perverts and humans that don't know which way to swing. They are in the schools where they are now the respected and revered teachers of our children teaching TOLERANCE....The TV, Movies and educational systems have made it more acceptable and attractive to become a homosexual than to be normal now in the schools, Kids are so easily led by the advertising media, music and in general icons of acceptance.

Time out.  When is the last time you saw Richard Simmons on television?  Does anyone else get the feeling this piece was written by Rip Van Wingnut, having just awakened from her years-long slumber, still trying to figure out which parts of her fever dreams actually happened? ?
Moving on, with more homophobia, some transphobia,  and then we'll get into the white supremacist part:

I am tired of watching my mouth, containing my thoughts within the tolerance level that is required in order to not be considered a total rebel or God Forbid, RUDE, or INTOLERANT. These people disgust me to the bone, their lifestyle should be kept in the damn closet not pushed down our throats as normal.. Have you watched your TV lately?? New programs all over the place..."BOY CULTURE" oh what a wonderful enlightening program..tells all about how to get along with your boyfriends and bed partners oops it isn't even labeled as adult material ???? Then there are the transsexuals who have their own little reality show depicting how one is being changed via drugs and surgery and what a wonderful thing that is for her/him/it and the whole family... Oh horrors to be trapped in the wrong body? I wonder if I am indeed one of the trapped ones and just don't know it???? I used to like to do a lot of boy things like shoot a gun , fish, build things, but then I also liked to paint and cook and dress up in a dress on special occasions... Hummmmmmmmmaybe it all worked out right as I did like the boys.

Okay, so is everybody clear on old Linda's feelings on LGBT people?  Let's see what she thinks about white supremacy!

The white people are being transformed by a phony culture and we are not even resisting. Have you noticed that every commercial has black men and white women together, mexicans and whites, all multi racial people and all happily advertising what ever product or service ? Start watching, you will seldom see many white people any longer they are all mixed races or bi racial what ever you want to call them... it is like this is the way it is supposed to be. White people are being destroyed daily. A white kid steals a candy bar and it is because he is a racist because the store owner is a muslim or indian ( from india) and is prosecuted heavily... a black or mexican kid does the same thing and it is because the whites have refused to allow him to grow as a person, he has no father figure, he has been neglected by society???? and a pat on the back and don't do it again is rendered by the judges... he is sent out to grow bolder and more violent knowing he won't be punished.

May I interject and point out how far one's head must be up one's own hind end to actually believe that white people are sentenced more harshly than minorities in the United States?  Seriously.  More!

We are to blame, we were all educated by a good system 60 years ago( before we had tolerance as a way of life taught), we were not taught to be racist but we were taught to be proud of ourselves, not to stoop our shoulders and drop our heads in shame for being white. I hate the mentality of the KKK and the Arian Nation etc they are both ignorant and so repugnant in their behavior yet I am afraid these are the only white people left that will fight to be white.

Well, if they're the only ones left, you might as well join 'em, I guess.  We can see how much you hate it, Linda, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

She goes on to state that she doesn't consider herself a racist, as long as none of her children tries to marry anyone with dark skin.

Now, recommendations, from Linda!

Now all of you tolerant and anti racist readers, go to your emails and unsubscribe from the old hag of a racists news letter.... Maybe you need to stay in the sun a lot more and no one will notice the white of your skin... be sure to talk the gutter language of the hood and maybe no one will notice you actually say ask instead of axe? Be sure to cultivate a flaming queen as a friend( or at least watch RU PAUL's Queen school on tv ) so you can be sure to show you do not have "Gaydar" and are not anti homosexual and be absolutely sure to buy your pants 14 sizes too big so they fall off your butt and show your crack....it is so in style now...

You see, you all just need to start saying "axe" and watching Drag Race on the television, and buy big pants, so that the prophecy may be fulfilled!  Also?

Be sure to set a good example for your offspring, be a good government recruit, turn in your neighbor for having guns, for home schooling their kids, for drinking whole milk and eating good food without the additives to make them stupid and unisexual.

Preservatives make your genitals fall off!  But I thought soy made people gay.  I'm so confused.

Anyway, the last few lines of the wingnut's manifesto devolve into conspiracy theory-laden ramblings and Palin-esque grammar until, presumably, the writer collapsed in a cloud of exhaustion and pork rind crumbs.

Drew Baker, the Madison County chairman for the Tennessee Equality Project, contacted councilman Frank Neudecker, who stated that the pieces published on his blog are the opinion of his "writers" only, and that he has no intention of removing the offensive post, which was published on February 22. ?In response, Baker released the following statement:

While the Tennessee Equality Project is focused on LGBT issues, that focus is part of a larger belief that EVERY human being is entitled to the same dignity and respect regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Councilman Neudecker's failure to retreat from the hateful and hurtful remarks posted on his personal blog and his defense of what was posted constitute a failure of leadership on his part. I find the comments to be racist and homophobic. I am crushed that?not just ANY city councilman, but MY city councilman, could find any justification whatsoever for defending such remarks. ?As a person who lives in and owns a business in Councilman Neudecker's district and as a person who has voted for and supported him in the past, I am deeply offended.

The post went viral in the Jackson area, prompting the Jackson Sun to take notice, and when they contacted Councilman Neudecker, the ass-covering began:

Neudecker said he reviews posts on his blog to make sure they are not "blatantly incorrect" or "distasteful."

He said he reviewed the post and chose not to take it down.

[...]

Neudecker would not say whether he agrees with the opinions in the post but said he believes everyone should have the right to freedom of speech.

"Whether I agree with them or not makes little difference," he said.

It's a sad commentary on the state of a community when a city councilman feels that to denounce anti-gay hate and white supremacist sentiments would be a risky political calculation.

Neudecker continued the ass-covering in an interview with local radio station WNWS. ?He again refuses to state whether or not he agrees with the opinions in the piece, only stating that the article is more "graphic" and "in your face" than what's usually published on his website. ?He confirms that he did publish the piece, and defends his decision to post it, saying that there is "always some truth" in all pieces published on his blog.  Indeed, he seems to agree with a lot of her feelings!  He even says that, given the opportunity, he would publish the piece again.

Now there's an update on Frank Neudecker's blog, from another one of "his writers," going by the name of "Richard Ward." ?Apparently Linda Hunnicutt isn't the only one publishing there who fears hidden conspiracies and new world orders:

Thanks to a "Drew Baker" and his so-called "Equality Project" for raising the ruckus over Councilman Neudecker's website where a lady had been permitted to freely voice her own exasperation with this new world order under which she has to refrain from self expression.

I too am one longing to be free of the hidden architects of what I can and cannot think and say ("political correctness"), even down to the level of my very own website.  So, for giving me Frank Neudecker's address for free expression on the Internet, I thank The Jackson Sun.  And thanks to Mr. Baker, too, for having prompted it.

Isn't that lovely?

Isn't it lovely that this is all happening on the website of an elected official?

Look, this is the internet, and any wingnut with a modem can set up a Wordpress account and write whatever hateful, misinformed, fearful things he wants.  Indeed, like-minded wingnuts are even free to organize hate groups like those recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  But this is different -- Frank Neudecker actually represents people as an elected official.  Frank Neudecker represents conspiracy-minded wingnuts, but he also represents black people, gay people, transgender people, and all other sorts.  By his endorsement of this piece, written by someone else, but that HE published, he has made the choice to piss all over all his constituents who don't happen to be hate-filled, sheltered old white people who yearn for the days when the coloreds and the faggots knew their place.

Kansas lawmakers want to preserve state's sodomy laws on the books

This is just out of control bigotry. In NC, we are also still dealing with a sodomy law on the books. Even though SCOTUS gutted and overruled these with Lawrence v. Texas, gays and lesbians in states like Kansas and NC have to deal with being harassed - arrested, tossed in the clink, appear in court, etc., knowing that the case will be tossed out by the judge.

It's disgusting - and these homophobic lawmakers in Kansas want to preserve that "privilege". Kansas Equality Coalition:

State Representatives Jan Pauls (D, Hutchinson), and Lance Kinzer (R, Olathe) said yesterday that being gay or lesbian should remain a crime in Kansas. Pauls made, with Kinzer's support, the successful motion in the Kansas Legislature's Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to keep the criminalization of gay and lesbian relationships on the books. Their action removed key language from HB2321, proposed by the Kansas Judicial Council, which would have resolved inconsistencies in Kansas criminal code, as well as remove unconstitutional laws.

"Jan Pauls was trusted to be a judge before becoming a state representative, and should know better than to support unconstitutional laws, breaking her oath to defend the Constitution," said Jon Powell, Chair of the Hutchinson Area chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition. "We are fed up with her obvious support of harassment of gays and lesbians. We will not be bullied."

Although one remains on Kansas' books, all state laws criminalizing gay and lesbian relationships were struck down by the United States Supreme Court in 2003. Writing for the majority in the case of Lawrence v. Texas, Justice Anthony Kennedy said "if protected conduct is made criminal and the law which does so remains unexamined for its substantive validity, its stigma might remain even if it were not enforceable as drawn for equal protection reasons. When homosexual conduct is made criminal by the law of the State, that declaration in and of itself is an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres."

Disregarding the US Supreme Court, the President of the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association, John Wheeler, said in 2008 that "even to this day, homosexuality is a crime in Kansas." His warning, made to a group of adult college students and caught on video, raised questions about the ability of gay and lesbian Kansans to live free from arrest, and to receive fair trials in our courts.

"Representatives Pauls' endorsement of an unconstitutional statute that's used to threaten and discriminate against law-abiding Kansas citizens is an outrage," said Thomas Witt, state Chairman for the Kansas Equality Coalition. "She took an oath as both judge and state representative to uphold the Constitution. We insist that Representative Kinzer and she be immediately removed as Chair and Ranking Minority from the House Judiciary Committee. Legislators who willfully ignore the Constitution should never be in positions of leadership and responsibility."

The Hutchinson Chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition is organizing a peaceful demonstration to raise awareness of Representative Pauls' actions, to take place Thursday, March 17, in downtown Hutchinson. The demonstration will begin at 6pm, and will take place at the intersections of Main and Avenues A and B.

 

James Bond Supports International Women's Day 2011

A brilliant way to recognize International Women's Day.

www.weareequals.org /

The two-minute short, specially commissioned for International Women's Day, sees 007 star Daniel Craig undergo a dramatic makeover as he puts himself, quite literally, in a woman's shoes.

Directed by acclaimed 'Nowhere Boy' director/conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood, scripted by Jane Goldman ('Kick Ass') and featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench reprising her role as 'M', the film will be screened in cinemas and streamed online in a bid to highlight the levels of inequality that persist between men and women in the UK and worldwide. It is the first film featuring Bond to be directed by a woman.

Director: Sam Taylor-Wood. Producer: Barbara Broccoli. Scriptwriter: Jane Goldman. Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey. Featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench.

About International Women's Day



When: Tuesday 8 March 2011

Where: Everywhere

What: International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.

Why: Suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote. The word 'Suffragette' is derived from the word "suffrage" meaning the right to vote. International Women's Day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women's success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed. The first International Women's Day event was run in 1911. 2011 is the Global Centenary Year. Let's reinvent opportunity for working women and all women.

Massachusetts:Worcester NAACP elects openly gay man to serve as its president

As others have said, Bayard Rustin would be proud of this news...via Rod 2.0, who reports:

The NAACP chapter of Worcester, Massachusetts has re-organized and elected a 28-year-old openly gay academic. It's Ravi Perry, a political science professor at Clark University.

Eclipse cover revealed; Journey tour dates firming up for your blogmistress

Yes, the usual disclaimer - Blenders who aren't fans, scroll on to non-Journey content below. :)Journey fans (and closet fans) received a glimpse of the new album cover for Eclipse, (screen cap at right) which will drop around May 24. It was revealed during the band's promotional video, which you can watch below.

Two shows I know that I'll hit this summer, even though it will be f*cking hot in NC in August and both dates are outdoor amphitheatres:

August 20, 2011 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

info: Journey, Foreigner, Night Ranger

ONSALE 3/19

August 21, 2011 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte

info: Journey, Foreigner, Night Ranger

ONSALE 3/12

Getting great photos is my goal, but I have no idea about the seating plan for the two venues, so I better figure out if where will be a clear line of site that isn't far away. I'd prefer to be as close as possible. The indoor Planet Hollywood venue in Las Vegas put you thisclose to them.

I also may try for:

September 16, 2011 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood

info: Journey, Foreigner, Night Ranger

You can see other dates around the country at the Journey web site. And to get the real skinny, everyone knows to join the Plokkers at the APR site, Arnel hits the chat room from time to time.

The promo video, which features a bit of "City of Hope", one of the new tracks.

Follow on Twitter: @JourneyOfficial and @arnelrocks

Below the fold, the setlist from Vegas. Not that the band asked for my advice, lol, but I offer some suggested song swaps.
It doesn't get better than this for fan vids - Fabbest, one of the moderators at ArnelPinedaRocks.com, did an amazing job of editing Rip Rokken's vid with her vid + sound of JOURNEY debuting the new song "City of Hope" -- Arnel Pineda and Deen Castronovo (main harmony vocals, while playing the skins). This was the same concert I attended in Las Vegas:

Journey's Set on 3/23 (with my suggested changes, given the new songs' harder edge)

Separate Ways

Edge of the Moment (new)

Only the Young

Ask the Lonely

Never Walk Away --> Change for the Better (Revelations)

Send Her My Love --> One More (Trial By Fire)

Resonate (new song)

Stone in Love

Keep on Running (Deen)

City of Hope (new song)

Lights ---> ends too abruptly, add Stay Awhile back to it

Open Arms

Chain of Love (new song)

Mother Father (Deen)

Escape

Guitar/Harmonica jamming - Neal/Jon

Wheel in the Sky

Human Feel (new song)

Be Good to Yourself ---> Castles Burning (Trial By Fire)

Faithfully

Don't Stop Believing

Encore:

Anyway You Want It

Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

Related:

* Blogmistress heaven: five new songs from 'Eclipse' debut in throw-down set by Journey in Vegas

Slideshow of my pix from the Vegas 3/23 show:

Gay Reporters To Cover Gay Issues!

This news just out of Maryland from the wingnut wire!

MSNBC Features Two Openly-Gay Journalists Looking at Maryland's Same-Sex Marriage Debate

Presenting the same-sex marriage debate in Maryland's state legislature as one about "marriage equality," openly gay MSNBC host Thomas Roberts discussed the matter with Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart, who is also openly gay.

Clearly this is an abomination that can not stand! Gay people can't be objective when reporting or commenting on issues of their own civil rights! We need an objective observer, like Mike Wallace, to tell the true story.

Everyone knows that only the detachment of having no personal investment in the outcome conveys the appropriate level of "objectivity."

Just like only white people can discuss race objectively, and people with vaginas are just too hysterical to discuss women's issues rationally!

(P.S. This is snark.)

The fundies plan to unleash its version of a 'Spartan' coalition of '300' to save America

So much to read into this....hahaha, from Right Wing Watch:

Just today we noted that Joyner, Jerry Boykin, and Janet Porter were gathering for a conference next month and as I was looking for more information about that, I stumbled across this video of Perkins, Joyner, Boykin and Frank Turek discussing the importance of Christians getting deeply involved in politics.

Perkins explains the absolute necessity of getting Christians into all levels of government while Boykin compared Christians today to the Spartan army and quoted King Leonidas by declaring "molon labe" ["come and get them"] when he and his army were told to lay down their weapons.

...Joyner announced that Christians have more than enough people to take control, but they need to bind together and, as such, would soon be unveiling coalition called "300"

Will they come to the fight nude, the naughty bits free for all to see? Scratch that - I don't want to see a declothed, bible-beating, sword-wielding Tony Perkins.

Indiana: Openly gay HS sophomore bashed after being lured into school bathroom

Via Pride in Utah, a horrible teen-on-teen hate crime in Indiana at Silver Creek High School.

Openly gay high school sophmore Rito Osorio was lured into a school bathroom during lunch by a another 16 year old student and was beaten while his attacker yelled homophobic slurs. The attacker has been arrested, and is claiming 'rumors' as the reason for his attack.

The rumor? The basher didn't like the idea that Rito thought the assailant might be gay. The unnamed thug was taken into police custody; officials do not know if the assailant will be allowed back at that high school.

Yummy surprise...NOT: Multiple independent lab tests confirm oil in Gulf shrimp

Via Raw Story, something that common sense would suggest is self-evident, but we now have independent labs confirming it:

The federal government is going out of its way to assure the public that seafood pulled from recently reopened Gulf of Mexico waters is safe to consume, in spite of the largest accidental release of crude oil in America's history.

However, testing methodologies used by the government to deem areas of water safe for commercial fishing are woefully inadequate and permit high levels of toxic compounds to slip into the human food chain, according to a series of scientific and medical professionals interviewed by Raw Story.

In two separate cases, a toxicologist and a chemist independently confirmed their seafood samples contained unusually high volumes of crude oil and harmful hydrocarbons -- and some of this food was allegedly being sent to market.

One test, conducted by a chemist from Mobile, Alabama, employed a rudimentary chemical analysis of shrimp pulled from waters near Louisiana and found "oil and grease" in their digestive tracts.

You have to read the rest. One chemist who conducted an independent test said that he wouldn't eat, shrimp, crab or fish caught in the Gulf.

This is disheartening for those earning a living -- or rather who are now saddled with an industry destroyed by BP from the oil disaster. It was not rocket science that this administration would collude to try to mitigate the impact to get businesses up and running again.

After all, remember 9/11 and EPA's Christine Todd Whitman standing amidst the burning rubble claiming the "air was safe" in order to get Wall Street back to work ASAP? I think the public in many cases just wants to believe in order to move on, but we have seen the long term health consquences that first responder have suffered.

In time, we will probably see the health consequences of consuming toxic food deemed "safe" by our government, which will, of course deny the cause based on its flawed testing. The cycle of BS never ends.