Anti-Gay Group Wants Special Rights

We're not gonna fill out any stinkin' paperwork!

Yes, you read that correctly! The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) doesn't want to have to fill out a bunch of forms just to bash gays.

A group that opposes same-sex marriage sued the Rhode Island Board of Elections, saying it wants to run ads in the governor's race and other contests but doesn't want to have to comply with state campaign finance laws.

The National Organization for Marriage said in a federal lawsuit that it should not be forced to report its expenditures or comply with spending limits or bans that are required for political action committees. The group said it shouldn't be considered a PAC because it's not controlled by a political candidate and does not spend the majority of its money on Rhode Island's political races. It says the rules for PACs are burdensome and interfere with free speech.

"You have to negotiate the myriad regulations that apply, and for a lot of organizations, it's just not worth it," said Jeffrey Gallant, a lawyer with the James Madison Center for Free Speech, which is representing the group. "These laws are a deterrent for free and open speech in political matters."

Gee ... that's too bad!

It's common place for anti-gay groups to claim the LGBT community wants "special rights" -- you know, like liberty and freedom. The right to marry the people we love, or not get fired from a job simply for being gay.

Now it seems it's the ANTI-gay group wanting the SPECIAL RIGHTS. Everyone else has to play by the rules, but NOM seems to think there should be an exception for them. After all, filling out all that paperwork is hard!

Rhode Island is one of two New England states that does not allow same-sex marriage.

Mike Healey, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, which is representing the board of elections, declined to comment Monday but said the National Organization for Marriage has filed similar suits in other states.

Gallant said the organization's lawsuit was supported by a recent blockbuster U.S. Supreme Court decision that freed businesses and unions to directly spend money on federal elections.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi has scheduled an in-chambers conference on the lawsuit for Thursday.

NOM isn't a business or union, it's an advocacy group, so let's see how Judge Lisi rules on this.

NYS Senator Diane Savino speaks on Marriage Equality

My good friend Fran sent this to me a few days ago, and I just got around to watching it. NYS Senator Diane Savino is absolutely correct in her assessment of the "marriage debate." Too bad we don't have thousands more like her in state legislatures all across the country! Too bad we don't have a Congress filled with people who have her understanding and insight. How long must we wait for basic equality?

March for Equality ... but first a word from our sponsor

The first video is adorable -- and SO true! The next one announces a national march on Washington -- VERY exciting! And I loved the passion in the final video.

Not If ... But When

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Prop Hate Upheld

The California Supreme Court decision upholding Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment prohibiting marriage equality for same-sex couples, is truly outrageous. The 6-1 decision closes the door on marriage equality in the state.

While the decision is a set-back for LGBT residents in California, there is cause for hope among marriage equality supporters nationwide. Iowa, New Hampshire and Maine have granted marriage equality, and the District of Columbia recently voted to recognize same sex marriages.

The outrage we feel over this decision must be balanced by our resolve to do all that we can to secure justice and equality for lesbian and gay couples. You all know my mantra -- Don't Agonize, Organize!

Marriage Equality Comes to Maine

Same-sex marriage supporters can add another win as Maine Governor John Baldacci signed new legislation into law. Maine joins Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut in extending equal rights to same-sex couples.

Massachusetts was the first, in 2004, to extend marriage equality to same sex couples and guess what? The earth hasn't stop spinning ... divorce rates for heterosexual couples have more or less remained the same ... and I don't think there have been any significant lightening strikes in the state. Looks like Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, James Dobson and the rest of their ilk are just dead wrong about the consequences of extending marriage rights to lesbians and gays.

Gov. John Baldacci of Maine on Wednesday signed a same-sex marriage bill passed by the State Legislature, saying he had reversed his position on such marriages after deciding it was a matter of equal protection under the state’s Constitution.

“I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law,” the governor said in a news release from Augusta, Me., where he announced his decision to sign the bill in a news conference.

Later, in a telephone interview, he said, “It’s not the way I was raised and it’s not the way that I am.” He added: “But at the same time I have a responsibility to uphold the Constitution. That’s my job, and you can’t allow discrimination to stand when it’s raised to your level.”

With the enactment of the Maine bill, gay-rights activists have moved remarkably close to their goal of making same-sex marriage legal throughout New England just five years after Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow it. [...]

Mr. Baldacci announced his decision to sign the bill about an hour after the State Senate gave final passage to the bill, which would codify marriage as a legally recognized union of two people regardless of their sex. Under state law he had 10 days to decide whether to sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature.

But Mr. Baldacci, a Democrat who cannot seek reelection due to term limits, said he had already spent considerable time thinking about the issue.

“I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully,” he said in the release. “I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste.”

So come on Congress, isn't it time to abolish the Defense of Marriage Act? And while you are at it, why not extend marriage rights to lesbians and gays in all 50 states? Hey, it's just a matter of time ...

It's a good day

We have a state doing the right thing:

N.H. Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

The New Hampshire Senate voted narrowly on Wednesday to legalize same-sex marriage, paving the way for the state to potentially become the fifth in the nation — and the third this month — to allow gay couples to wed.

A Congress that puts people first:

House bill would provide gays new protections

Gay victims of violence would gain new federal protections under a revived and expanded hate crimes bill passed by the House on Wednesday over conservatives' objections.

Hate crimes _ as defined by the bill _ are those motivated by prejudice and based someone's race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

And a president who can talk in complete sentences:

President Obama’s 100th-Day Press Briefing

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Before we begin to tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates on some of the challenges we're dealing with right now.

It's a good day.

Must See Slams of Anti-Gay NOM Ad

The Man and Woman from D.U.N.G.

They are not quite the Man (or Woman) from U.N.C.L.E. -- but then those people weren't bigots! Take a look at a response to the National Organization for Marriage.


What are these people so afraid of? Lesbians and gay men have been living among them forever, and it's had on impact on their lives.

And unlike what NOM suggests, marriage equality isn't going to force anyone to take part in a marriage ceremony of same-sex couples.

Marriage equality is definitely a church-state separation issue. Groups like NOM make it so. We must never allow ONE narrow religious point of view to be enshrined into law. Religious freedom is just that -- everyone having a Constitutional right to follow the religious tenants of their choice ... or none at all.

And just in case the video above isn't clear enough for you, take a look at this one:

DC Coucil Says 'I Do' to Marriage Equality

Courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa granted same-sex marriage rights, and Vermont's legislature has overturned the state's ban. The fate of same-sex marriage in California is still in question, but what isn't is the momentum for equal marriage rights.

The D.C. Council voted today to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, on the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex unions.

Domestic partnerships are already legal in the nation's capital. But today's vote, billed as an important milestone in gay rights, explicitly recognizes relocated gay married couples as married.

The initial vote was 12-0. The unanimous vote sets the stage for future debate on legalizing same-sex marriage in the District and a clash with Congress, which approves the city's laws under Home Rule. The council is expected to take a final vote on the legislation next month.

Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who is gay, called the amendment a matter of "basic fairness."

Same-sex marriage has been the law for a few years now in Massachusetts and the earth hasn't stopped spinning. As far as I can tell the divorce rate for opposite sex couples hasn't spiked, which begs the question: "What's the big deal?"

It's time for full equality for lesbians and gay men.

Love means never having to say you're sorry

Happy Valentine's Day

To these faces of love!

And now, a word from some of our sponsors:

Germaine Gregarious - Listen Up, Everyone! An Important Organization Needs Your Panties!

Dr. Zaius - Happy Valentine's Day!

Layoffs at Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family is cutting an estimated 20 percent of its staff, as critics question the groups priorities.

Critics are holding up the layoffs, which come just two months after the organization’s last round of dismissals, as a sad commentary on the true priorities of the ministry.

“If I were their membership I would be appalled,” said Mark Lewis, a longtime Colorado Springs activist who helped organize a Proposition 8 protest in Colorado Springs on Saturday. “That [Focus on the Family] would spend any money on anything that’s obviously going to get blocked in the courts is just sad. [Prop. 8] is guaranteed to lose, in the long run it doesn’t have a chance — it’s just a waste of money.”

Layoffs before the holidays? Looks like someone forgot to focus on their OWN family!

Focus on the Family spent more than $500,000 to write discrimination into the California Constitution. And one of their board members contributed an additional $450,000 in cash.

This is the third year that Focus has laid off employees due to budget cuts. In its heyday, the ministry, which relocated to Colorado Springs from Arcadia, Calif., in 1991, employed more than 1,500 people. Many of those employees worked in mailroom and line assembly jobs, processing so much incoming and outgoing correspondences that the U.S. Postal Service gave Focus its own ZIP code.

Things might be tough for them right now, but it would be dangerous to write off groups like Focus on the Family. An Obama administration will (sadly) boost their fundraising ability.

But for now we can simply say: "Hey Dobson, focus on your OWN damn family!"

Wanda Sykes: "I'm proud to be gay."

Comedian Wanda Sykes made a surprise appearance at a rally hosted by the LGBT Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas and had this to say:

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked."

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

In a recent comedy special Sykes had this to say about same-sex marriage:



Go Wanda!!

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AFA's McDonald's Boycott: Demonizing for Dollars

Donald Wildmon's American Family Association (AFA) -- if it's got the word "family" in the title look out!! -- has launched a boycott against McDonald's. It seems the group is just not lovin' it that McDonald's is so gay-friendly.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State's blog The Wall reports:

McDonald’s is officially under boycott from Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association (AFA). The AFA, a Mississippi-based Religious Right outfit best known for obsessing over sexual content on cable and network television and its vociferous opposition to the “homosexual agenda,” has been going crazy lately because McDonald’s has made it clear that its family-friendly policy includes gay families.

Like a lot of corporations these days, McDonald’s is aware that American society is increasingly diverse. In recent years, the company has launched outreach efforts targeted toward African-Americans and Latinos. Now it’s aiming one at gays. Part of this includes allowing a McDonald’s executive to join and work with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

So it boils down to this: McDonald’s is interested in getting as many people as possible to eat in its restaurants, and as part of this effort, is reaching out to targeted audiences. Most people would not see this as a big deal.

To the homophobes of the Religious Right, it’s the end of the world. Wildmon and his crew have been carping about this for months, and the right-wing media is all atwitter. (I did get a kick out of this rather lurid headline from WorldNetDaily: “McDonald’s profits help fund naked homosex-fest.” It sounds like a tagline for porn spam.)

To its credit, McDonald’s has told Wildmon to go stick his head in a deep fryer. In a May 29 letter, Pat Harris, global chief diversity officer for McDonald’s, wrote to Wildmon, “We treat our employees and our customers with respect and dignity, regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other factors. We support our employees’ personal involvement in organizations of their choice.”

Continued Harris, “McDonald’s is associated with countless local and national affinity groups here in the United States. We have a well-established and proud heritage of associating with individuals and organizations that share in the belief that every person has the right to live and work in their community free of discrimination.”

As is noted in this post, previous AFA boycotts against Target, IKEA and Disney "didn't exactly bring those firms to their knees" -- which brings me to my point.

Actions like these are little more than fundraising tools for the religious right. When collection plates just aren't enough the religious right pulls out THEIR "gay agenda" ... demonizing for dollars.

Whether it's demonizing for dollars or for votes -- to elect candidates supportive of their narrow world view -- it spells bad news for everyone else!

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Massachusetts Senate votes to let out-of-state gays marry

Marriage equality took another giant step forward today as the Massachusetts Senate voted to repeal a 1913 law used to bar out-of-state gay couples from marrying in the state.

The Associated Press reports:

The move to repeal the law, which prohibits couples from obtaining marriage licenses if they couldn't legally wed in their home states, is driven in part by California's recent legalization of same-sex marriage.

The House is expected to vote on the repeal later this week. Gov. Deval Patrick, whose 18-year-old daughter announced publicly last month that she is a lesbian, would have 10 days to sign it. [...]

Patrick, a Democrat and the state's first black governor, said the 95-year-old statute also carries a racist taint.

The law dates to a time when the majority of states outlawed interracial marriages. Critics said the law was designed to smooth relations with those states. Massachusetts has allowed interracial marriages since 1843.

Dianne Wilkerson, the Massachusetts Senate's lone black member, said the vote was long overdue. She called the law "evil."

Same-sex couples in Massachusetts have been able to legally marry since 2006. I'd be willing to bet a quick check of records for the state would indicate no increase in the number of heterosexual couples divorcing ... and the earth has continued to spin.

So I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

And hey, it could be a boost for an ailing economy! A California research firm predicts that lesbian and gay couples in their state will spend as much as $684 million over the next three years on cakes, photographers and other services -- that is unless voters reverse the high court's decision in November.

The researchers found that about half of the state's more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married during the next three years, and an additional 68,000 out-of-state couples will travel to California to exchange vows. The study estimated that over that period, gay weddings will generate $64 million in tax revenue for the state, $9 million in marriage-license fees for counties, and some 2,200 jobs.

It couldn't be happening at a better time!

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Obama's Verbal Gymnastics

I had not intended to post about this, but SueJ at Nailing Jello to the Wall got me thinking about the upcoming election and the current status of marriage equality in the United States.

Her post, Barack Obama: Sometimes he makes me feel all lightheaded. But not in a good way. is really excellent! Obama has promised he will be a "different" kind of leader -- but will he?

I think I should have the legal right to marry my future ex-wife? Heck, when former Representative -- now presidential candidate -- Bob Barr debated the Defense of Marriage Act with Elizabeth Birch (director of the Human Rights Campaign at the time), Birch asked Barr: "Are you defending your first, second or third marriage?"

Sen. Obama has somehow managed to fall into the trap that marriage equality should be a states rights issue. My question, which I left as a comment on SueJ's blog, is: "I wonder if Obama would have supported Emancipation, plantation by plantation?"

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Ken Baker's Legacy Lives On

Kathy, from Birmingham Blues, recently lost her brother Ken. She posted a loving tribute to him here, and she also provides insight into why opposing marriage for same sex couples is fundamentally wrong. With her permission I am posting her remarks below. It's important to tell our stories, so that others might understand there are real consequences to the hateful rhetoric put forth by religious right conservatives.

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EQUALITY BEGINS AT HOME

We’ve had a hell of a week around here. I wish I had the words to describe it; perhaps that would exorcise some of the pain. My brother’s memorial service was beautiful, a reflection of his life and work. The church was full to overflowing with family, friends, and colleagues who came to remember his dedication, his courage, his humor. His pastor, a wonderful, gifted woman who was a close friend, shared the pulpit with others who were touched by his kindness and his commitment to equality for all people. We buried his ashes in the memorial garden that he designed and helped to build.

Ken founded an organization called Equality Begins at Home, which was merged with another LGBT rights group in 2002 to form Equality Alabama. This week brought home to me the importance of that name. Equality does indeed begin at home, and when inequality persists, it is our family and friends who suffer. Everywhere Tony turned during this ordeal, he had to wait for our approval of his decisions. Thank God I could get to the hospital quickly; I had to sign the form that gave permission to release Ken’s body. When we changed our minds about which funeral home to use, I had to get on the phone and say yes before the hospital could make the change. When we made arrangements for Ken’s cremation, my mother had to sign the consent form, even though Tony was “allowed” to sign the contract for payment. Although he consulted us at every turn and knew that we would approve his decisions, he wasn’t permitted to perform the duties of a spouse — the spouse that he was and is in every sense other than legal. He, being the wonderful person that he has always been, never complained, but I found it painfully offensive and intrusive. (I do need to point out that all of the people we dealt with were sympathetic and understanding, particularly at the funeral home, but their hands were tied by legal requirements.)

Those of us who’ve read up on the subject of marriage equality have likely run across the oft-quoted statistic that marriage brings with it over 1,000 legal rights that are not granted to couples like Ken and Tony. That’s a good fact to remember, but dry numbers can’t begin to portray the reality of the experience. Yes, I know couples can take some steps to protect their interests in case of, oh, say, a medical emergency, but who exactly is going to be digging through the file cabinet looking for paperwork when the paramedics are trying to get the patient to the hospital? And it’s likely, although I can’t say so with complete certainty, that my mother or I could have walked in and taken over as “real” next of kin even if Tony had had papers in hand. We do, after all, live in Alabama.

So. If you were sitting on the fence about marriage equality — maybe you’re straight and don’t see why it’s so important, maybe you’re young and can’t foresee a sudden death or catastrophic illness, maybe you assume everything can be handled with (expensive, time-consuming, and subject to legal challenge) paperwork — it’s time to climb down on the side of justice and compassion. Speak up. Tell your friends, your co-workers, your family members. Talk to your elected representatives. Join Equality Alabama and other organizations that work for equality and justice, and donate what you can to support their work. There is strength in numbers, and even small contributions add up quickly.

Ken left us a legacy and a challenge. Equality begins at home. My home — and yours. Let’s make it a reality sooner rather than later.

****

Note: If you make a donation to Equality Alabama and designate it in memory of Ken Baker (you can do that on the online form), your gift will be used to maintain the newly-renamed Ken Baker Equality Alabama Justice Center in Montgomery. Read more about it here.

Judge strikes down Iowa ban on same-sex marriage

The same-sex marriage train has left the station, it's time to get on board! Iowa is now the latest, in an ever growing number of states, to proved approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples.

The New York Times reports:

Less than two hours after a judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license as bride and groom, and county officials said they expected to see more same-sex couples doing the same on Friday. [...]

Polk County Judge Robert Hanson cleared the way for the two men on Thursday when he ruled that a state law allowing marriage only between a man and woman violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection.

The judge ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for the six gay couples who sued. With the ruling, gay couples across the state can now apply for a marriage license in the central-Iowa county.

Same-sex couples in Massachusetts have been allowed to legally marry for a couple of years now, with no noticeable change in the divorce rate of heterosexual couples. The idea that same-sex marriage would somehow destroy the "sanctity of marriage" is preposterous.

Republicans like Iowa House Minority Leader Christopher Rants need to just get over themselves. Responding to the ruling, Rants said:

''I can't believe this is happening in Iowa,'' Rants said. ''I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January,'' when the Legislature convenes.

The lawyer for the six gay couples argued that Iowa had a long history of protecting civil rights based on race and gender. He also commented that the Defense of Marriage Act (which should be abolished) passed in 1998 declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman is simply ''mean spirited.''

Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue is not for a judge to decide.

Is he kidding? Our Constitution was written to protect minority interests over the tyranny of the majority. Civil rights should NEVER be decided by popular vote.

The frightening aspect of all this is that should a state challenge reach the current U.S. Supreme Court there is no guarantee the Justices will do the right thing. Personal bias has replaced sound jurisprudence.

In Sickness or In Health

"I, Brett take thee, Patrick to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part."

The recitation of this simple pledge, sanctioned by the state, can make all the difference in the world when the person you love becomes ill. If you have any doubts, simply ask Brett Conrad -- who has spent more than half his life as Patrick Atkins' partner.

The two men were in their 20's when they met at college and fell in love. When Atkins, 47, suffered a serious illness in 2005, their world fell apart. Conrad, 47, has spent much of the past two years fighting for guardianship of Atkins from Atkins parents Thomas and Jeanne.

Jeanne Atkins is quoted in court documents as saying she believes homosexuality is a sin and that she disapproves of the men's relationship. The parents have barred Conrad from visiting their now-disabled son in their home where he lives.

In June, Conrad won visitation rights from the Indiana Court of Appeals, but the court upheld an earlier Hamilton County ruling that left control of Atkins' care to his parents. ( Read the appeals court decision.)

Gay-rights activists say the men's story illustrates the discrimination embedded in Indiana law and underscores why gay marriage should be allowed.

What never ceases to amaze me is how the love these two men have shared for the majority of their lives is a threat to anyone?

According to the case file, Atkins and Conrad met in 1978 while attending Wabash College in Crawfordsville.

Atkins came from a deeply religious family that disapproved of the relationship. In 2000, he begged for acceptance from his family through a letter.

"Trust me," he wrote, "God loves us all so very much, and I know he approves of the love that Brett and I have shared for over 20 years."

Court records indicate that Atkins mother told Conrad that if her son was going to return to life with his partner after recovering from his stroke, she would prefer he "not recover at all." How "Christian" of her.

Reading this I was reminded of the case involving Karen Thompson and Sharon Kowalski. I met Karen in the early 1990's, when she was still battling for custody of Sharon. It seems incredible to me that nearly 20 years later, this is still a problem.

Yes there are legal steps Brett and Patrick could have taken, but at 47 I would image they thought they had all the time in the world.

It's past time to legalize same-sex marriage. For more information on the subject visit the Freedom to Marry web site.

Hat tip to Pam's House Blend.