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.

Ken Mehlman (Finally) Comes Out

Was there every any question?

Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the former campaign manager for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election bid, has told his family and colleagues that he is gay, according to The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder.

From Ambinder's report:

"It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life," Mehlman said. "Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago."

Mehlman would like to play a greater role as an advocate for same-sex marriage. Well good for him, but his announcement does nothing to negate the years he spent getting anti-gay, anti-women, anti-anything progressive Republicans elected. If Mehlman truly wants to play a "greater role" he needs to work for the defeat of ALL the mean-spirited, hate-filled members of his own party.

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

Extra...Extra...Bush Campaign Chief and Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman: "I'm gay"
from Pam's House Blend

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?

Catholic Hierarchy Needs to Take a Hike Regarding Issues of Morality

My blood is still boiling over the fact that the Catholic Bishops were invited into Speaker Pelosi's office to craft language that would take away women's access to abortion in what should now be called the health care NON-REFORM bill.

The call came in from Rome, just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top lieutenants were scrambling to round up scarce votes to pass their sweeping health overhaul.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, was on the line for Pelosi, calling to discuss adding strict abortion restrictions to the House bill. [...]

It was Stupak who told Pelosi last Friday that if she wanted a deal on the health bill, she'd be well advised to invite the bishops' staff, who were already in his office, to her table. "I said, 'Well, they're here, and they're one of the key groups you want to have on your side, so why don't we just bring them in and work this out," Stupak said.

Pelosi did, and the result was a final measure that — much to the outrage of abortion rights supporters — bars a new government-run insurance plan from covering abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother being in danger, and prohibits any health plan that receives federal subsidies in a new insurance marketplace from offering abortion coverage. If women wanted to purchase abortion coverage through such plans, they'd have to buy it separately, as a so-called rider on their insurance policies.

This is completely outrageous. No ONE religious group should have this much power in shaping public policy.

Who could have predicted that progressives would have more to fear under Democrat leadership, than we did when Republicans were in power. This is just unconscionable.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a prominent abortion rights supporter who spearheaded the call for talks with Obama and has gathered the signatures of more than 40 representatives who refuse to back a health bill that contains the restrictions, said the bishops had been allowed to overstep their bounds.

"No one group should get to dictate the outcome of legislation in Congress," DeGette said. "Every group should be listened to, but I don't think one group should be given veto authority over what we do."

As if that weren't enough, the Catholic Church has given Washington, DC an ultimatum:

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

File this under WTF?

I say let them quit! AND, the government should take away all the funding IT provides to Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.

Let them pay for the buildings and provide the service on their own. Isn't that part of their mission anyway?

It's time our elected officials get a spine and tell the Catholic Hierarchy to take a hike! They lost their moral authority years ago with the disclosure of pedophile priests who were protected by the Church.

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 ...

Must See Slams of Anti-Gay NOM Ad

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

“Prop 8 - The Musical”

A star-studded musical, with Jack Black as Jesus Christ! Not to mention appearances by Margaret Cho, Maya Rudolph, John C. Reilly, Neil Patrick Harris, Kathy Najimy, Allison Janney — and more!


h/t to SueJ at Nailing Jello to the Wall

Feel the Love

h/t to Tengrain at Mock,Paper,Scissors

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!!

.

Savage vs Perkins Over Prop 8

The Power of Privilege

"It must be nice to be in such a spot of special privilege in this country that you believe it's fitting for you to have the power to say what another human being can do with their lives—how they can live it and who they can live it with. . . . What I think saddens me the most, however, is that the charge to discriminate against other human beings is being led by people who profess to follow a man who included everyone—especially the outcast."

~ Writer Candace Chellew-Hodge, expressing her distress over California's passage of a constitutional amendment stripping gay and lesbian couples of the right to marry.

Vote NO on 8 blogswarm

It's a religious liberty issue:

It's a basic fairness issue:

Hey Newt ... Which Marriage Are You Protecting?

Your first, second or third?



Newt Gingrich has been married three times. His first wife, Jackie Battley, was his former high school geometry teacher. He married her when he was 19, she was 26. They had two daughters. In 1980, Newt served Jackie with divorce papers while she was still in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer. What a guy!!

Six months after his divorce from Jackie was final, Newt wed Marianne Ginther. He remained married to Marianne until 2000, when they divorced. Funny thing about this one is that Newt was having an affair with a young woman on his staff at the same time he was leading the charge to impeach Bill Clinton. As Alanis Morissette would say "Isn't it ironic."

So soon after his SECOND divorce, Newt married Callista Bisek. Maybe third time is charm for ol' Newt, but if Callista likes being married to the guy she better never leave him alone with another woman!

Oh, and a fun aside to this marriage is that during the time Callista worked in Newt's congressional office she received a couple of pretty healthy salary increases, around $19,000 one year, without the benefit of either a promotion or title change. Looks like the taxpayers were paying for this dalliance!

.

If you live in Florida Vote NO on 2

What the good guys are up against ...

How RNC Delegates Celebrate

We actually haven't heard much about same-sex marriage during the Republican National Convention, but it's certainly an issue neocons like to use to rally their base. Proposed constitutional amendments are on the ballot in Arizona, California, and Florida.

There is some good news, however. Temenos, an LGBT site, reports:

While our past track-record on these ballot measures is cause for concern, there are many reasons to be hopeful about election day 2008, not the least of which is shifting public attitudes about Marriage Equality. The number of ballot measures has dwindled from 11 in 2004, to 9, in 2006, to just three in 2008. Arizona, California, and Florida face constitutional amendments prohibiting marriage equality for same sex couples (Arkansas faces a related ballot measure restricting unmarried couples from adopting children or serving as foster parents). All three states have strong LGBT organizations, and a chance to win their respective fights.

Looks like it's losing some of its punch. Maybe that's because marriage has been legal in Massachusetts for awhile now and the earth hasn't stopped spinning. Vermont passed Civil Union legislation years ago, and there has been no discernible increase in divorce among heterosexual couples. Hopefully by 2012 opposition to same-sex marriage will be off the ballot altogether. Now that's change I could believe in!

h/t to Kevin at 9in10.org
.